BSN: Hebrew Poetry

While English poetry is often characterized by a rhyming of sound, Hebrew poetry is marked by a a rhyming of thought.
In Hebrew poetry, the second line echoes the first. That is, the second line paraphrases and/or intensifies the thought of the first line. This is a rhyming of thought rather than of sound.
- For example, in Gen 49:2, Jacob says:
  “Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob;
  And listen to Israel your father.
- In the second line, “listen” paraphrases and intensifies “Gather together and hear” by emphasizing “listen,” while “Israel your father” paraphrases “sons of Jacob.”
The repetition and symmetry in Hebrew poetry is of great practical benefit because by continually repeating and paraphrasing thought, it helps the ideas being communicated better survive translation.
There is a lot of wordplay in Hebrew that gets lost in translation, but the structure of Hebrew poetry can be recognized and followed even in English. It’s like having a teacher follow almost every statement by saying, “In other words…” and then restating in the idea. Thus we get at least two chances to understand the idea. Such redundancy is a common feature in any system designed to reduce failures – if not achieve a failproof state.
While the book of Psalms provides the most obvious and abundant examples of Hebrew poetry, it is found throughout the Old Testament and especially in the books of prophecy.