This brief contribution to the discussion of Semitic metrics was written by a renowned scholar of biblical languages. Concentrating on the partial acrostic poem in Nahum 1.2-2.3, Bickell addresses the metrics of the piece. Eager to demonstrate his prosody technique on an actual piece of biblical poetry, he works with the hymn of Nahum, providing Gunkel’s prosody and translation for comparison. Laying out the text in Hebrew and in transliteration, Bickell gives his own translation along with his metrical observations. For anyone interested in the poetic structures of Semitic languages, particularly biblical Hebrew, this booklet will provide considerable insight.

Gustav Bickell (1838-1906) taught at the Universities of Marburg and Giessen. After becoming a priest he taught at the Universities of Munster, Innsbruck, and Vienna.