IT has been examined very seriously whether there were any Poets among the Hebrews; and whether the Hebrew Tongue is susceptible of true Poetry in Rhimes and Numbers. Every one has hereupon his particular Opinion, as may be seen in the following Authors.
Augusti Pfeiffer, Dissert. de Poesi Hebræorum. In his Dubia vexata, upon the difficult Places of Scripture, p.616, printed at Dresden, 1679, in 4to. See his Title.
Franc. Gomar. nova Davidis Lyra, in the Collection of his Theological Works, Part 2. p. 313. printed at Amsterdam, 1664, and separately at Leyden, 1637, in 4to. See his Title.
Lud. Capelli, Animadversiones in lib. cuitulus, nova Davidis Lyra, printed at Geneva 1640 in 8vo. with two Dissertations, one upon the Hebrew Word Elohim, the other on Jehovah. See the Title of Capellus.
Marc. Meibomii, Psalmi David x. prisco Hebræorum metro restituti. Amstelod. 1698, in fol. See the Title Meibomius.
Julii Bartolocci, de poesi moderna Hebr. Bibl. Rabb. t. 2. p. 244.
M. le Clerc’s Bibliotheque Universelle, for the Year 1688, and Month of May, p. 219. A critical Essay, wherein an Attempt is made to shew in what the Poetry of the Hebrews consisted.
Abbot Fleury’s Dissertation on the Poetry of the Hebrews, before our Comment on the Psalms, t. 2. p. 42. and our Dissertation on the Poetry of the Hebrews, before our Comment upon Exodus.
Upon the modern Poetry of the Hebrews, see the Rules of it, at the End of John Buxtorf’s Thesaurus Gram. Hebrææ; the Edition whereof has been noted by us in the Article of Grammars. See the Title Buxtorf.
We must add Girofalo, who has treated in Italian of the Poetry of the Hebrews, in a Piece printed at Rome, 1707, in 4to. He begins with a Preliminary Discourse, wherein he speaks of the Accuracy and Exactness to be observed in the Hebrew; upon which occasion he observes some Conformity between the Italian and Hebrew Tongues. He proceeds afterwards to a general Examination of the Poetry of the Hebrews; which Examination consists in a clear and full Representation of the peculiar Character and Art of Moses’s two Songs, and some of David’s Psalms.
As to the Style of Heroick Verse, he chose the Book of Job, and the Lamentations of Jeremiah; as he takes the Canticles for the Model of an Epithalamium: This Book, as he thinks, is more perfect in its kind than all that ever was composed in the same way by the Greeks and Romans. He is of their opinion who believe that the Hebrew, as well as the generality of the Eastern Languages, is not susceptible of Feet and Measure of this sort, consisting in long or short Syllables, and make the Language of Poets in Greek and Latin. According to him Poesy is nothing but a certain Manner of joining Syllables so that all together they shall produce an agreeable Sound and Cadence. This Opinion he maintains by Observations on the Hebrew Syntax; whence he concludes that Hebrew is not proper for that kind of Poesy which has been followed by the Greek and Roman Poets. This leads him to speak of the Greek Poesy, which does not relate to us. He has written also other Pieces upon Scripture, viz. Dissertations on Rachel’s Mandrakes, Jonah’s Ivy, the Hyssop and Lillies of the Canticles, printed at Rome, 1721, in 4to. In these he assumes the Name of Cariophilus. He was a Neopolitan Abbot.
If the ancient Hebrews had their particular Poesy, they had likewise their Sports and Diversions, as well as the Greeks and Romans. But it is not certain that their Poets, if they really had any, contributed to Plays of this sort; whereas among the Greeks and Romans, the finest Pieces of the Theatre were furnished by them. The Reason of this is, that the Poesy of the Hebrews was altogether sacred and devotional, the principal Object of it was Instruction, and the Correction of People’s Manners, whereas the other was altogether comical and profane. We shall set down but very few in this Place who have treated of the Sports and Plays in use among the ancient Hebrews.
Wagenseil, Dissert. de lusibus Hebræorum in lib. ejus de Norimberga, c. 22.
Joan. Henr. Otto, Lexic. Rabbinicum, voce Ludus. The Edition of it has been mentioned in the Article of Dictionaries.
Thomæ Hyde, de Ludis Orientalium. Oxon. 1694. in 8vo. See his Title in the Alphabetical Catalogue.