“Tight Like Unto a Dish”

Alan C. Miner

According to Donald Parry, parallelism is universally recognized as the characteristic feature of biblical Hebrew poetry. (p. i)

Apparently, the prophets and writers of the scriptures employed the repetition of alternating parallel lines for the purpose of reinforcing their teachings and doctrines. (p. x)

Epistrophe, or “like sentence endings,” is the repetition of an identical word or expression at the end of successive sentences.

For instance, in the description of the Jaredite barge, as described in Ether 2:17, the writer makes clear the point that the boats were built “like unto a dish.”

And they were built after a manner that they were exceeding tight,

even that they would hold water like unto a dish

and the bottom thereof was tight light unto a dish

and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish

and the ends thereof were peaked;

and the tops thereof was tight like unto a dish

and the length thereof was the length of a tree;

and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish

[Donald W. Parry, The Book of Mormon text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns, F.A.R.M.S., p. xliv]

Note* Richardson, Richardson and Bentley note that while epistrophe is used in the poetic writing of sentence endings, Amoebaeon is used in narrative writings for paragraph endings. While these literary techniques seem awkward and redundant to the modern reader, they were quite fashionable in ancient times. Other Book of Mormon examples of epistrophe and amoebaeon can be found in 1 Nephi 10:12-13; Mosiah 1:6; Alma 9:2-3, 323-33; 14:4-5, 8-14, 18-19; 26:31-32; 29:11-12; 31:7-8; 33:11-18; 35:1-2; 37:9-10; 39:16-->40:2; 40:18-20; 62:18; Helaman 7:23-24; 10:8-10. Biblical examples of epistrophe and amoebaeon include Deuteronomy 27:16-26; Job 1:15-19; Psalms 115:9-11; 118:10-12; 136:1-26; Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21; Joel 2:26-27; Amos 4:6-11. [Allen H. Richardson, David E. Richardson and Anthony E. Bentley, 1000 Evidences for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Part Two-A Voice from the Dust: 500 Evidences in Support of the Book of Mormon, p. 262]

Step by Step Through the Book of Mormon: A Cultural Commentary

References