Irony and Meaning in the Hebrew Bible

Title Page, Copyright Page

irony and meaning in the hebrew bible Indiana Studies in Biblical Literature Herbert Marks, editor c a r o l y n j . s h a r p irony and meaning in the hebrew bible india na univer sit y pr ess Bloomington and Indianapolis This book is a publication of Indiana University Press 601 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA http://iupress.indiana.edu Telephone orders 800-842-6796 Fax orders 812-855-7931 Orders by e-mail iuporder@indiana.edu© 2009 by Carolyn J. Sharp All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sharp, Carolyn J. Irony and meaning in the Hebrew Bible / Carolyn J. Sharp. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-253-35244-6 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Irony in the Bible. 2. Bible. O.T.—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title. BS1199.I7S53 2008 221.6’6—dc22 2008026280 1 2 3 4 5 14 13 12 11 10 09 for Leo A man that looks on glass, On it may stay his eye; Or if he pleaseth, through it pass, And then the heaven espy. George Herbert The kingfisher rises out of the black wave like a blue flower, in his beak he carries a silver leaf. I think this is the prettiest world—so long as you don’t mind a little dying, how could there be a day in your whole life that doesn’t have its splash of happiness? Mary Oliver ...