"Many beautiful meanings can be drawn from such a comparison": on the Medieval interaction view of biblical metaphor

This article aims to demonstrate that the renowned tenth-century Karaite exegete, Yefet ben 'Eli, held an "interaction view" of metaphor, which seems to resemble concepts associated with modern theorists (especially Max Black), where primary and subsidiary metaphorical subjects interact in a manner that surpasses their individual literal meanings. Such a perspective differs significantly from the notion of biblical metaphor as decorative attire for the embellishment of literal meaning that was standard among medieval Jewish poets and thinkers. We analyze select examples of Yefet's interpretation of biblical metaphors from his edited works on Hosea, Nahum, Habakkuk, and the Song of Songs, as well as interpretations by other Jewish medieval exegetes, especially David Qimhi, who-as Mordechai Z. Cohen has shown-also subscribed to such an interaction view of metaphor. Three distinct phenomena emerge from this inquiry: First, Yefet systematically interprets biblical synonymous parallelism to convey two distinct units of meaning, a quality that he applies more consistently than does Qimhi. Second, Yefet deems certain metaphors to interact with the content of other verses in their immediate context, thus highlighting the cohesion of larger biblical units. Sometimes Yefet's translations of specific verses also reflect this tendency. Third, Yefet's comments at times transform semantic fields or primary metaphorical subjects due to perceived discrepancies between the primary and subsidiary subjects of certain metaphors. Yefet therefore developed a view of metaphor that relies on the interaction of context and metaphor. His treatment of repetition as well as his method of translation may have influenced this view. Yefet's contextual emphasis distinguishes his interpretive approach from the didactic treatment of metaphor that typifies midrash; thus, his oeuvre appears to reflect a Karaite innovation. Future study will concentrate on additional Karaite sources that may further explain this hermeneutical and poetic development.