Narrative structure and discourse constellations: An analysis of clause function in biblical Hebrew prose

One of the perennial problems within the study of biblical Hebrew syntax is the meaning and function of the various types of clauses represented in narrative prose. How stories are shaped using only the five basic verbal clause types--QATAL, YIQTOL, WeQATAL, WeYIQTOL and WAYYIQTOL--as well as participial and verbless clause types, has been viewed from several perspectives in many historical and contemporary studies. This dissertation employs the basic perspective of discourse-linguistics, which sees the meaning of a clause type as dependent upon the context in which the clause occurs. After a brief survey of historical approaches to the problem as well as a general introduction to the perspective and method of discourse-linguistics, it looks at two cases of extended narrative: The Novella of Joseph (Genesis 37, 39-47) and the Court Narrative of David (2 Samuel 9-20; 1 Kings 1-2). In both cases, the narrative is divided into independent clauses, the clauses are differentiated depending upon whether they occur in the narrative or the direct discourse of the story, and the cases of direct discourse are further differentiated into groups depending upon what purpose the speech has (e.g., Narrative Discourse, Predictive Discourse, Expository Discourse, Interrogative Discourse, or Hortatory Discourse). For every clause, its particular type is noted. Further, within direct discourse, the various collections (or, "constellations") of clause types are also recorded. The final chapter of the dissertation explicitly shows that the arrangement of clause types is not random or infinite. In narrative, specific sets of differing types of clauses either begin or conclude paragraphs or provide commentary upon certain elements of the narrative. In direct discourse, a limited number of clause constellations occur within any one speech type. Differing clause types in narrative, therefore, determine the structure of the storyline; differing clause types in direct discourse determine the text-type and purpose of the speech in which they occur. The dissertation throughout illustrates how this functional approach provides guidelines for the exegetical and interpretive possibilities of biblical Hebrew prose.