Understanding of the structure of the Old Testament sheds light on its meaning. No one should embark upon the study of an Old Testament text without consulting this indispensable guide.

The pages of the Hebrew Bible are filled with stories - short and long, funny and sad, histories, fables, and morality tales. The ancient narrators used a variety of stylistic devices to structure, to connect, and to separate their tales - and thus to establish contexts within which meaning comes to light. What are these devices, and how do they guide our reading and our understanding of the text? Style and Structure in Biblical Hebrew Narrative explores some of the answers and shows scriptural interpretation can be a matter of style." Part one of Style and Structure in Biblical Hebrew Narrative examines a wide variety of symmetrical patterns biblical Hebrew narrative uses to organize its units and subunits, and the interpretive dynamics those patterns can imply. Part two addresses the question of boundaries between literary units. Part three examines devices that biblical Hebrew narrative uses to connect consecutive literary units and subunits. Chapters in Part One: Structures of Organization are "Reverse Symmetry," "Forward Symmetry," "Alternating Repetition," "Partial Symmetry," "Multiple Symmetry," "Asymmetry." Chapters in Part Two: Structures of Disjunction are "Narrative Components," "Repetition," and "Narrative Sequence." Chapters in Part Three: Structures of Conjunction are "Threads," "Links: Examples," "Linked Threads: Examples," "Hinges: Examples," and "Double-Duty Hinges: Examples." Jerome T. Walsh, PhD, is a professor of theology and religious studies at the University of Botswana. He is the author of 1 Kings in the Berit Olam (The Everlasting Covenant) Studies in Hebrew Narrative and Poetry series for which he is also an associate editor. "

This study is devoted to the tracing of the Hebrew literary influence of the Greek text of the New Testament. It discusses specifically one form, the extensive use of the inverted order called chiasmus, a form that seems to be a part of Hebrew thought itself, whether in poetry or in prose. Originally published in 1942. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.

Immanuel Kant's views on politics, peace, and history have lost none of their relevance since their publication more than two centuries ago. This volume contains a comprehensive collection of Kant's writings on international relations theory and political philosophy, superbly translated and accompanied by stimulating essays. Pauline Kleingeld provides a lucid introduction to the main themes of the volume, and three essays by distinguished contributors follow: Jeremy Waldron on Kant's theory of the state; Michael W. Doyle on the implications of Kant's political theory for his theory of international relations; and Allen W. Wood on Kant's philosophical approach to history and its current relevance.

Analysis of text structures has been a dominant feature in Biblical studies for quite some time. More recently, scholars have focused on rhetorical strategies that have been employed in Biblical texts. In this volume, rhetorical as well as structural approaches to the Hebrew Bible have been brought together. It contains studies on a range of topics and on a good many texts and textual corpuses. Interpretation culminates in translation. The contributors to this volume have discussed the implications of their findings for Bible translators. Many of these translational implications have been put together in an epilogue. The volume thus not only intends to show the present state of our knowledge of literary and rhetorical techniques employed in the Bible; on these points it aims to be a selective guide to translators as well. The volume has been edited by Lenart de Regt, Jan de Waard (both of the Free University of Amsterdam), and Jan Fokkelman (Leiden University).

"We read Scripture as we read any literary work, to understand its meaning. Meaning is usually expressed through narrative development, that is, through the unfolding of a story. Meaning, however, can also be expressed by "parallelism": the juxtaposition of ideas and images typical of poetry or musical compositions. A complex yet beautiful example of such parallelism is known as "chiasmus." This is a literary form that has seldom been studied in depth, although it appears with great frequency throughout the Old and New Testaments, as it does in other ancient and many modern literary works." "The Shape of Biblical Language is the most complete and detailed introduction to chiasmus yet published. It also serves as a highly useful reference work that identifies and analyzes a large number of individual passages, as well as entire compositions (gospels, letters, hymns, etc.), which appear throughout the canonical Scriptures and beyond. This is a groundbreaking study that will fascinate and inform anyone who is interested in the dynamics of literary composition. Its special appeal will be to students, scholars, pastors and others who seek to understand more fully the message of the Bible and the way that message is conveyed. Perhaps more than any other literary structures, chiastic patterns reveal the "literal sense" of the text. Their detection and analysis, therefore, is essential for accurate biblical interpretation. Written chiastically, the Bible should be read chiastically. This book guides the reader systematically and effectively toward just such a reading."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This monograph explores the structure and rhetoric of the book of Isaiah. Its thesis is twofold. First, the book of Isaiah best manifests its structural unity, thematic choherence and rhetorical emphasis when read as an exemplar of prophetic covenant disputation. Second, the principal arrangement of the book comprises seven asymmetrical concentric sections, each made up of complex (triadic and quadratic) framing patterns. They are: an exordium (1.1, 2-5), two threats of judgment (2.6-21; 3.1-4.1), two programmes for the punishment and restoration of Zion and the nations (4.2-11.16; 13.1-39.8), an exoneration of Yahweh (40.1-54.17), and an appeal for covenant reconciliation (55.1-66.24).