Semantiese ritme en beweging in Job 3: ’n Ander benadering tot die waardering van die teks

Abstract

Semantic rhythm and flow in Job 3: Another approach to the valuation of the text Literature, like music, is an art form which unfolds with time. In the analysis of the form or structure of a text, the emphasis should not be on the grouping of stiches into clusters and the subsequent segmentation of the text, but rather on the flow of thought. One thus becomes aware of a semantic rhythm, a pattern of alternating semantic motifs. This semantic rhythm brings certain semantic motifs to the fore. The identification of prominent semantic motifs makes an important contribution to one’s appreciation of a poem. Definite changes in these semantic patterns can point to semantic movement in the text. This approach is applied to Job, chapter 3. A reverence, albeit an implicit reverence, is revealed in Job’s first speech. It illuminates an important facet of the paradox of the pious critic.