204 FORMS OF HEBREW POETRY
in Germany but also in this country, where the
results of the theories are beginning to be pre-
sented uncriticised even in books intended for
popular use.^1 Sievers' developed theory of the
metrical character of the texts commonly sup-
posed to be prose has not, I think, yet commanded
much assent,^2 but this working out of his theory
must obviously affect in some measure any
judgment as to the soundness of its fundamental
principles. An examination of these two in-.
fluential, or potentially influential, theories, will
furnish a number of illustrations of the way in
which theories with regard to the forms of
Hebrew poetry may affect the criticism and.
interpretation of Hebrew literature.
In his first volume (pp. 397 ff.) Sievers, in.
order to test the rhythmical character of simple
narrative style, examined the inscription of
1 See e.g. M. G. Glazebrook, Studies in the Book of Isaiah; B. Duhm,
The Minor Prophets translated in the Rhythms of the Original (English
translation by A. Duff).
2 O. Proksch, however, in his recently published commentary,
Die Genesis ubersetzt u. erklart, 1913, gives a general adherence to Sievers'
theory, though frequently and greatly differing from him in the detailed
application of it. In illustration of these differences, I quote a sentence
or two from my review of the commentary in the Review of Theology
and Philosophy, ix. 200-204: "Prokseh divides Gen. iii. 1-19 into
32 metrical units, all seven-stress lines: Sievers divides the same
passage into 33 metrical units, of which 27 are seven-stress lines, the
others examples of various rhythms. Considerably less than half of
Proksch's ‘sevens’ are identical with Sievers' ‘sevens’: to be
exact, 12 of Proksch's lines are identical with Sievers', and 20 are not.
Even more remarkable is the difference in xxix. 2-14 a. Here both
Proksch and Sievers agree that we have a continuous use of ` sevens
throughout the passage; nevertheless not a single one of Proksch's
first fifteen lines is identical with one of Sievers'."