Poetic Meter in the Bible

The new book by Dr. Guy Shaked (PhD Bar-Ilan, 2021), titled “Poetic Meter in the Hebrew Bible,” demonstrates the presence of metered poetry in the Bible, specifically in the Song of Deborah, the Song of the Sea, and the Hallelujah Psalms.

This demonstration challenges the prevailing misconception, which has endured to this day, that ancient Greek poetry, like many later works in the Western tradition, possesses meter while biblical poetry lacks this beautiful and unique characteristic. This also sheds light on why, for example, Josephus (first century AD), who lived during a time when the Levites were still singing in the temple, claimed that the Song of the Sea contains the hexameter meter—an assertion that has historically been attributed to Hellenistic influence.

In several places in the Bible, a general pattern noted by Moshe David Cassuuto reveals six similar occurrences followed by a seventh occurrence that differs from the rest. This pattern can also be observed metrically in texts such as the Song of Deborah, the Song of the Sea, and most of the hallelujah psalms found in the Psalms, particularly Psalm 150, which closes the book. In my opinion, these texts exhibit a metrical structure characterized by six similar metrical units followed by a distinctive seventh unit.

However, it’s important to note that the meter of the Song of Deborah is a unique case that sets it apart from the others found elsewhere in the Bible. When this song is pronounced in the customary manner, there is no need to apply the two pronunciation rules I have discovered for metered poetry in the Bible. In essence, it already conforms to the pattern of six similar units and a different seventh unit.

The Song of Deborah shares several other characteristics with the rest of the metrical poems in the Bible. These include repetition, alliteration, and anaphora, as well as an opening that invites singing, praise, or loud proclamation—a feature that also appears in some of the meterd poems thought to have been performed by women through dance or song. In addition to these shared features, this poem possesses unique elements. For example, the parallel structure of the first three words followed by other similar three words before the different seventh word. There is also the distinction of six opening words ending in an open syllable and a seventh word ending in a closed syllable, among other nuances.

It’s important to clarify that this pattern doesn’t extend throughout the entire biblical chapter but is primarily evident in the opening of a verse within the middle of the poem: “Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song”…

For more detailed information, please refer to the short page-and-a-half example provided on this website, which delves into the meter of the Song of Deborah in the Bible.