A Linguistic Approach to Ellipsis in Biblical Poetry: (Or, What to Do When Exegesis of What Is There Depends on What Isn't)
Cynthia Miller · Bulletin for Biblical Research · 2003
Abstract Biblical Hebrew poetry frequently exhibits ellipsis (or, gapping) of the verb, but the precise patterns of ellipsis have not been identified previously. A linguistic approach to ellipsis involves identifying universal features of ellipsis, as well as those features that are specific to Biblical Hebrew. Understanding the shapes of elliptical constructions in Biblical Hebrew provides a powerful exegetical tool for evaluating alternative readings (and hence exegetical understandings) of difficult verses (e.g., Ps 49:4 and Prov 13:1).