A graded numerical sequence, also called a numerical proverb, an n over n plus one saying, or numerical heightening, is a literary form employed in the Hebrew Bible. It appears especially in Proverbs, Job, and Amos, and is used to list attributes, compare items, and catalogue sins. Thirty eight biblical examples have been identified, along with further examples in the Book of Sirach. The scholar Franz Delitzsch described its defining peculiarity as the number named in the first parallel line being increased by one in the second.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.