2.    The  Descriptive  Power  of  Hebrew  Poetry

Quite  apart  from  its  altogether  unique  religious  value,
Hebrew  poetry  can  justly  claim  its  place  among  the  great
literatures  of  the  world.  It  combines  a  simplicity  which
they  seldom  equal  with  a  brilliant  but  chastened  imagina-
tion which  is  all  its  own.  Its  power  is  nowhere  more
vividly  seen  than  in  its  descriptions  of  nature,  which  the
rapt  eyes  of  the  Hebrew  poet  sometimes  see  touched  into
glad  sympathy  with  redeemed  humanity  and  lit  with  the
glory  of  the  latter  days.  In  a  word  or  two,  he  can  pro-
duce the  clearest  pictures  and  the  most  startling  contrasts.
The  sower  with  his  tear-stained  face  is  transformed  by  a
touch  into  the  glad  reaper  who  comes  home  with  his  arm

1  For  illustrations  of  alphabetic  psalms  see  Appendix  I.
13


Introduction  The  Messages  of

full  of  sheaves  (126  :  5,  6).  The  only  marriage-song  in
the  Psalter  (45)  shines  with  all  the  brilliant  splendor  of  the
East.  It  opens  the  gates  of  an  ivory  palace  and  shows  us
trains  of  bejewelled  ladies  who  enter  to  the  ravishing
sounds  of  music.
