380 TRANSLATION, NOTES, AND COMMENTSis an exception); when female address forms are used, the discourse is usually
direct ( 31:15 is an exception):30:5-7
30:10-11
30:12-15
30:16-17
30:18-21
30:23-24
31 :2-631 :7-931:10-14
31: 15
31:16-17
31:18-20
31:21-22Jacob's (masculine) lament told to unspecified audience
Jacob I Israel (masculine) told directly about his salvation
(Zion-feminine) addressed directly about her hurt
Zion (feminine) addressed directly about her healing
Jacob's (masculine) restoration told to unspecified audience
(Judah-masculine) told indirectly and directly about the divine wrath
Israel's (masculine) grace told to unspecified audience (vv 2-3a)
Virgin Israel (feminine) told directly about restoration (vv 3b-6)
Jacob I Israel I Ephraim's (masculine) return told to unspecified
audience
Israel I Jacob's (masculine) restoration told to the nations
Rachel's (feminine) lament told to unspecified audience
Rachel (feminine) told directly about the return of her sons
Ephraim's (masculine) repentance told to unspecified audience
Virgin Israel (feminine) told directly to mark way of returnMessenger formulas also aid in delimiting constituent parts of the collection
(Duhm; Lohfink 1981; Bozak 1991; Sweeney 1996), but like gender alterna-
tion they are not the controlling structure. Messenger formulas alternate be-
tween "(For) thus said Yahweh" and "oracle of Yahweh":30:5 For thus said Yahweh
30:10 oracle of Yahweh
30: 11 oracle of Yahweh
30: 12 For thus said Yahweh
30: 17 oracle of Yahweh
30:18 Thus said Yahweh
30:21 oracle of Yahweh
31: 1 oracle of Yahweh
31 :2 Thus said Yahweh
31 :7 For thus said Yahweh
31: 14 oracle of Yahweh
31: 15 Thus said Yahweh
31: 16 Thus said Yahweh
31:16 oracle of Yahweh
31: 17 oracle of Yahweh
31:20 oracle of YahwehThe core of poetry is tied together by an inclusio made from repeated and bal-
ancing key words in 30:6 and 31:22b (Lundbom 1975: 32-34 [ = 1997: 47-49]):