Three approaches to Biblical metaphor : from Abraham Ibn Ezra and Maimonides to David Kimhi / by Mordechai Z. Cohen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cohen, Mordechai Z.

Series:

Études sur le judaïsme médiéval ; t. 26.

Etudes sur le judaïsme médiéval ; t. 26

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Old Testament.

Metaphor in the Bible.

Bible. Old Testament--Language, style.

Bible.

Ibn Ezra, Abraham ben Meïr, 1089-1164.

Ibn Ezra, Abraham ben Meïr.

Maimonides, Moses, 1135-1204.

Maimonides, Moses.

Kimhi, David, approximately 1160-approximately 1235.

Kimhi, David.

Bible. Old Testament--Criticism, interpretation, etc., Jewish--History--To 1500.

Bible as literature.

History.

Physical Description:

xvi, 375 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2003.

Contents:

Introduction: Metaphor and Biblical Interpretation 1

Prior Scholarship 9

Modern Linguistic and Literary Terminology 16

Figurative Language 17

Metaphor 17

Dead Metaphor 24

Simile 26

Allegory 27

Symbol and Symbolism 29

Part 1 Language

Chapter 1 Ibn Ezra: Mashal 33

1.1 The Rules of Mashal Interpretation 36

1. Combatting Christian Allegoria 36

2. Reaction to Midrashic Exegesis 39

3. The Tiqqun Directive and Saadia's Model 43

4. Literal Sense of a Mashal: Peshat? 46

1.2 Moses Ibn Ezra and the Poetics of Mashal 48

1. Mathal (Allegory) 49

2. Tashbih (Simile) 52

3. Istiara (Metaphor) Type A: Name Transfer 55

4. Isti`ara Type B: Imaginary Ascription 57

5. The Single Mashal Category 62

1.3 Mashal vs. Majaz: Refining Sa`adia's Method 65

1. Semantic vs. Non-Semantic Analysis 65

2. "Scripture Spoke in the Language of Men" 73

3. Literalness as an Exegetical Value 77

1.4 Why Scripture Uses Mashal 83

1. Aesthetic, Rhetorical and Pedagogical Functions 83

2. The Linguistic Function 85

3. Comparison with Saadia's Linguistic Theory 93

4. Conclusion: Three Types of Mashal 96

Chapter 2 Maimonides: Mashal, Hashalah 98

2.1 The Linguistic Concept of Hashalah 100

1. Equivocal and Metaphorical Terms: The Treatise on Logic 101

2. Application in the Guide 103

3. The "Transferred Term" (al-Ism al-Manqul) 108

4. "Equivocality" Reconsidered 112

5. Translating Hashalah 115

2.2 The Literary Concept of Mashal 118

1. Alegory, Symbolism and Simile 118

2. The Two Steps of Mashal Analysis 121

3. The Mashal-Hashalah Border 126

4. The Role of Philological Analysis 129

2.3 Metaphorical Language vs. Metaphorical Thought 134

1. Picture vs. Idea: The BH Term Temunah 134

2. The Role of the Imagination 136

Chapter 3 Radak: Mashal, Melisah, Hash'alah 137

3.1 Mashal as Literary Comparison 137

1. The Non-Literal Property 138

2. Mashal and Hiddah: The "Hidden Matters" Property 140

3. The Comparative Property 143

3.2 Melisah and the Literal Sense 147

1. Equivalent of Arabic Zahir 148

2. Precedent in Rashi 149

3. Generating Added Meaning 154

4. A Poetic Notion 157

3.3 Hash'alah as Dead Metaphor 160

1. Linguistic Expansion 160

2. Dead vs. Live Metaphor 162

3.4 Radak's Innovation 165

1. Radak vs. Maimonides 166

2. Radak vs. Ibn Ezra 170

3. The Tradition: From Saadia to Radak 173

Part 2 Interpretation

Chapter 4 Maimonides: Imaginative vs. Dead Metaphor 179

4.1 Mashal: Literary and Psychological Analysis 180

1. Literary Criticism: The Great and Important Principle 182

2. Job: Concealment as A Political Function of Mashal 188

3. Imagination and the Pedagogical Function of Mashal 193

4. Prophecy: The Psychological Function of Mashal 196

4.2 Hash'alah: Philological Analysis 201

1. Anthropomorphism: The Lexicographic Approach 201

2. Anthropomorphism: The Accommodative Approach 210

3. A Scientific Reading of the Account of Creation 216

4. Reinterpreting Prophetic Supernatural Depictions 223

4.3 Conclusion: The Maimonidean Choice 226

Chapter 5 Ibn Ezra: Substitution 228

5.1 The Rules of Peshat 229

1. Attitude Towards Derash 229

2. Exegetical Economy 233

3. Literary Elegance (Sahot) 238

4. Form vs. Content: The Lafz-Mana (Millot-Teamim) Dichotomy 241

5.2 Mashal Exegesis 245

1. Simple Applications of the Rules of Peshat 245

2. The Reductionist Peshat Mode of Mashal Analysis 248

3. Substitution and Conceptual Translation 255

4. Aesthetic Evalution of Imagery 260

5.3 Exceptions to the Rule 263

1. Interpreting the Song of Songs 263

2. Creative Philosophical Mashal Analysis 265

3. Did Ibn Ezra Engage in Derash? 268

Chapter 6 Radak: Interaction 272

6.1 A New Province in the Realm of Peshat 273

1. Ibn Ezra's Student 273

2. From Ornamentalism to Conceptual Translation 276

3. Interactive Mashal Analysis 279

4. Creativity Within Convention 286

5. Novel Readings or New Methodology? 292

6.2 Midrashic Roots 295

1. A Parallel to Midrashic Creativity 296

2. Balancing Omnisignificance and Ornamentalism 299

3. The Midrashic Question: "Why is X Compared to Y?" 301

6.3 Joseph Kimhi's Influence 303

1. Joseph's New Exegetical Tone: Creative Peshat 304

2. Radak on Double Imagery 306

3. From Double to Single Image: The Idea of a Counter-text 310

4. Kimhian "Scrutiny" (Diqduq) and Midrashic Precedent 316

5. Radak's Focused Peshat Creativity 321

Chapter 7 From Midrash to Peshat to Literary Criticism 323.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [333]-349) and index.

ISBN:

9004129715

OCLC:

51752615