The Old Testament writers used a variety of literary and grammatical devices to guide their audience. Some of these devices function to attract attention to important information, while others served to push less important information into the background. Some were used simply to grab your attention, alerting you that something important or surprising was about to happen. The ability to identify what these devices are and where they occur in the text will be a valuable help for your Bible study. Until very recently, these kinds of tools have only been accessible to those who have invested years and years of study in the Hebrew language and linguistics.
In the Lexham High Definition Old Testament the text is marked up with visual representations for a variety of discourse devices. Hovering over any of the devices gives you a pop-up window with a concise definition, allowing you to stay right in the text. Right clicking on the device gives you the option to jump to the glossary for a definition, explanation, illustrations, and questions to ask yourself to understand why the author used that specific device. Since all of these devices are tagged, you can even search for the various devices across the entire Old Testament or in a specific corpus of Scripture.
Now for the first time, the nuances of discourse grammar are marked in your Logos Bible Software English Standard Version Old Testament to expose the subtleties of the Hebrew text. The Lexham High Definition Old Testament completes the analysis for you, displaying where various devices occur right in the Biblical text, rather than in a separate note or commentary. Without formal Hebrew training, you can:
- Enhance your understanding of the original authorial intent
- Restore the subtleties of tone and stress "lost in translation"
- Learn to distinguish among backgrounded information, major and minor points in the text
- Apply the proper emphasis in public reading and teaching of Scripture