Walk Among the Tombstones

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

May their encampment be laid waste, and in their tents may no one dwell.  Psalm 69:26 [Hebrew Bible]  Robert Alter No one dwell – Enough already!  David’s already cursed them.  He’s already wished them trapped, blind, and feeble.  He’s elicited the storm God to scorch them with hot lava.  Why keep the curses going?  Ah,…

Conditionals (2)

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

If you assent and listen, the land’s bounty you shall eat.  But if you refuse and rebel, by the sword you shall be eaten, for the Lord’s mouth has spoken.  Isaiah 1:19-20  Robert Alter If – Now we know that the poetic context of Isaiah’s opening probably requires nuanced conditionals, not declarative absolutes.  ʾim needs…