Blessed is the man Who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly; And standeth not in the way of sinners; And sitteth not in the seat of scorners. Psa. 1:1. Hear, O heavens; Give ear, O earth; For the Lord hath spoken. Isa. 1:2. The _third_ form of parallelism is called _synthetic_ (Greek _synthesis_, _a putting together_), where one clause is necessary to complete the sense of the other, as in the following examples: Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, Than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. Prov. 15:16. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; But the Lord pondereth the hearts. Prov. 21:2. Whoso curseth his father and his mother, His lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. Prov. 20:20. The connection between the two clauses may be that of comparison, cause, effect, etc. Sometimes it is not expressed, but simply implied, as in the following: A whip for the horse, A bridle for the ass, And a rod for the fool's back. Prov. 26:3. The _combinations_ of the above forms in Hebrew poetry are exceedingly varied and graceful. Here are examples of two _synonymous_ couplets that are _antithetic_ to each other: The ox knoweth his owner, And the ass his master's crib: Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider. Isa. 1:3. The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught; He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever; The thoughts of his heart to all generations. Psa. 33:10, 11. In the following example, two _synonymous_ couplets constitute together a _synthetic_ parallelism: Because they regard not the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of his hands, He shall destroy them, And not build them up. Psa. 28:5. In the following, three _synthetic_ parallelisms make a _synonymous_ triplet: For as the heaven is high above the earth, So great is his mercy toward them that fear him: As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us: Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. Psa. 103:11-13. But our limits will not allow us to pursue this subject farther. The freedom of the Hebrew poet is one of his high prerogatives. He is not a slave to form, but uses form as it suits his purposes. He blends together the different kinds of parallelism as he pleases. Often he breaks through all parallelism to the freedom of prose. But he soon returns again, because this measured rhythm of clauses is to him the natural costume of poetic thought, which always seeks to embody itself in some form of rhythm.