At the heart of #Psalm82 is a pair of parallel lines expressing G-d's heart for justice - particularly justice for the poor and defenceless.
They are two of the most beautiful, well-crafted lines of Hebrew I've ever read.
1/4
They are two of the most beautiful, well-crafted lines of Hebrew I've ever read.
1/4
Each line is arranged chiastically: the verb comes first in the A-line, and last in the B-line.
The poor, orphaned, afflicted, and destitute are thereby enveloped by G-d's justice, justification, deliverance and salvation.
The poor, orphaned, afflicted, and destitute are thereby enveloped by G-d's justice, justification, deliverance and salvation.
But the two bicola are also 'vertically parallel' - more so than any other verses I've yet noticed.
So:
The טו ending is parallel in 1st word.
Then דל repeated both lines.
Then ום paralleled by ון
Consonants רש parallel both lines
Then הצ, Hifil, and mpl ו parallel in last slot.
So:
The טו ending is parallel in 1st word.
Then דל repeated both lines.
Then ום paralleled by ון
Consonants רש parallel both lines
Then הצ, Hifil, and mpl ו parallel in last slot.
All this phonological, morphological and thematic parallelism, horizontally and vertically, give an extraordinary resonance and potency to these lines, reflecting G-d's passionate concern for a world riddled with injustice.
"Not to the powerful, but to the poor He came..."
"Not to the powerful, but to the poor He came..."
