The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-01-01
Hebrew Poetry.

seems to be made by people who are
as far from spiritual ideas as we car
possibly conceive. 1t has no lenses
(those which have been called pas,
and future are certainly aorists); no sci,
entitic or scholastic terms no particles
to express the incest transitions OF
thought very few. adjectives, very few
intellectual expressions of any kind
Almost all its words which express men.
tai operations are material iii their ori
gin. Let US mention few instances
without the tormality of quoting the
original The word to judge, comes
from the causitive to cut. We seem to
see a tribe of primitive hunters, who;
having run down and taken deer, ap'
| point one of the wisest of their number
to cause it to be cut up in equal por-
tions, and thus comes the idea of judg
ing The word to mourn. comes from
the witllering of plant. The first
man who hung down his head in sor-
row, was likened to . plant blasted by
the sun, and falling for want of water.
These instances might be multiplied
but they are sufficient to show that the
language was formed in very early
times it bears all the marks OF the pow
erty and simplicity of a primatiye age.
1t is we'll worthy Of being studied as a
beautiful specimen of the infant efforts
ofmen at expression and thought. 1t
completely transfers you to the ancient
world, and associates you with the in-
tellectual habits of these primitive be-
ings. Its lexicon is magazine of ma
terial forms, and you might look in vain
for sucI, terms as decorum, grace, legis-
lation, magnanimity, and any other
word that expresses the incest, shades
of thought. LIE Clerc, in relating the
dogmas of the Pharisees, shows that
they could not believe in the fate Of the
Stolcs, because there was no word in
their language, even, in that late age,
which could express that notion.
Such was their speech-a tongue
which seemed to be formed by beings
immersed in the material world. Yet
when we pass to their themes, we find
them the most vast and intellectual that
can possibly meet the human mind
| When they engage in their subjects
they seem to leave sublunary nature be'
hind them and soa, into the darkest
regions of the closest thought. They
| describe not battles and cities, but the
conflicts of the mind, the agonies of con
science, the mysterious Intercourse o
man with his Maker. They paint the
sorrows of repentance, the hopes of faith,
aud the windings and snares through
which the errant soul returns to God
They are everywhere like painters witt
the pencil put into their hands, ant
rompelled to draw only allego. ical forms
They must 60 to the landscape and copy
it's lilies and lakes. They sometimes
pass the flaming bounds of space and time
and deal with the mysterious essence
Of the Deity; and all this with Ian
guage which seemss at first view, en-
tirely inadequate to the object. 1t il
impossible to conceive Of a greater con
trast than the materialism of the He
brew language, and the unembodied ane
exalted nature of their favorite themes.
We have already remarked that thei
language had very few abstract terms
hot even. those which seem absolute
ly necessary to describe the character
Of the Deity. What would moderl
theologian do, if he were compelled Il
discourse on God without using the word
omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipres
ence? These seem to be absolutel.,
necessary 10 communicate our simples
conceptions of the great Jehovah. Ye
not one OF these words can be translate
into Hebrew. There is not q term i
that restricted language which answer
to these essential ideas. The truth II
an infant people never abstract; an
when they first approach these might;
conceptions, they approach them by, Gil
cumlocution. a... s~-ef....a - --.......y y
1t is true the sacred poets gathe
their contributions from all stores wh'e
nature has spread out before them
they made the exterior world an illus
tration Of the operations of the mind
and thus they have all the beauties {
) description without missing that mor' W
,, dignity which mere description nevf
Can attain. I, r --z: e. nd -as.. . =. u
In the thirty fourth chapter of Ezekie
) if it had been the sole object OF the pr
; phet to describe pastoral lite, it cou
! scarcely have been more beautiful. ]
;. this respect his description might riV
one of the best pastorals of Theocsltu
But at the same time the deepest NOR
bea uty is spread ever the whole. &c
is the shepherd, and he is watchlr
over'his people. -a .,
In word, the beauties of biblic
poetry. like all the severe beautle
must BE- acquired by study. They a
: so simple, 50 unlike modern sentiments
ism, that, when first seen, they stri]
5 the eye with disappointment. b
look again, and your attention will
arrested the third time. and you W
admire; aud at once let the model i,
$ press your taste, and you will admi
forever. For touching the heart, t
d Hebrew poetry has a gradeur cor
pared with which the songs Of mytholo
le are cold and unmeaning.
-.t ..a0s.<-~~<~~- ..-.