Worship Weblog
Friday, May 04, 2007
Bees’ honey as a metaphor in the Old Testament
Roy Berkenbosch’s brilliant sermon on Samson, published in this book, made me interested in this article:
Bee’s honey-from realia to metaphor in biblical wisdom literature
by Tova Forti
Vetus Testamentum, Volume 56, Number 3, 2006, pp. 327-341(15)The word debaš in the Bible denotes various types of fruit syrup as well as the honey produced by bees. An overview of the literary adaptation of honey in biblical narrative and poetry leads us to an impressive assemblage of honey metaphors in the wisdom books of Proverbs and Job. This study identifies four rhetorical categories which encompass both didactic and reflective frameworks of honey imagery: A. ‘Honey’ as a metaphor of internalization wisdom and attaining good reputation; B. ‘Honey’ as a symbol of restraint and moderation against overindulgence; C. ‘Honey’ as a metaphor for temptation and ensnarement; D. ‘Honey’ in the context of the two antithetical idiomatic expressions; “Honey under the tongue” and “venom under the tongue”. These expressions serve to draw an ideational contrast between the pleasant words of the Wise and the evil stratagems of the Wicked. My investigation will provide insight into the way that particular qualities of raw bee honey inspired the composers of the various metaphors.
Interdisciplinary Application • Language • Preaching • Reading • (0) Comments • Permalink