The Witness of the StarsBullinger, E. W. (Ethelbert William)
Religion
The Witness of the Stars
Bullinger, E. W. (Ethelbert William)
Astronomy; Astronomy in the Bible; Bible and science; Constellations
But this is disproved not only by what has been said concerning the
structure of the Psalm as a whole, and the interlacing of the astronomical
and the literary terms in the two parts, but it is also shown by more
minute details.
Each half consists of two portions which correspond the one to the other,
A answering to _A_, and B to _B_. Moreover, each half, as well as each
corresponding member, consists of the same number of lines; those in the
first half being, by the _cæsura_, short, while those in the last half are
long (or double).
A | 1‐4‐. Eight lines
B | ‐4‐6. Six lines
_A_ | 7‐10. Eight lines
_B_ | 11‐14. Six lines
If we confine ourselves to the first half of the Psalm(3) (A and B, verses
1‐6), with which we are now alone concerned, we see a still more minute
proof of Divine order and perfection.
The Structure of A and B.
A & B | C | 1. The heavens.
| D | 2. Their testimony: incessant. (Pos.)
| E | 3. Their words inaudible. (Neg.)
| _D_ | 4‐. Their testimony: universal. (Pos.)
| _C_ | ‐4‐6. The heavens.
Here we have an _introversion_, in which the extremes (C and _C_) are
occupied with the _heavens_; while the means (D, E and _D_) are occupied
with their testimony.
The following is the full expansion of the above, with original
emendations which preserve the _order_ of the Hebrew words and thus
indicate the nature of the structure:—
C | a | The heavens
b | are telling(4)
c | the glory(5) of God:
_c_ | and the work of his hands
_b_ | is setting forth(6)
_a_ | the firmament.
D | d | Day after day(7)
e | uttereth(8) speech,
_d_ | And night after night
_e_ | sheweth knowledge.
E | f | There is no speech (what is articulate)
g | and there are no words (what is audible);
_g_ | and without being audible,
_f_ | is their voice (what is articulate).
_D_ | h | Into all the earth (as created)
i | is their line(9) gone forth;
_h_ | And into the ends of the world (as inhabited)
_i_ | Their sayings.
C | j | For the sun He hath set a tent (an abode) in them;
_k_ | l | and he as a bridegroom (comparison)
m | is going forth from his canopy, (motion: its rising)
_l_ | he rejoiceth as a mighty one (comparison)
_m_ | to run his course. (Motion: its rapid course.)
_k_ | n | from the end of the heavens (egress)
o | is his going forth (egress)
_o_ | and his revolution (regress)
_n_ | unto their ends (regress):
_j_ | and there is nothing hid from his heat (_i.e._, from
him)(10)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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