The Spirit of Hebrew Poetry (Volume 2); By J.G. Herder. Translated from the German (Paperback)

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1833. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... the brass and iron of the temple become gold and silver. So soon as we know, whence they derived these figurative representations, that they did not invent them themselves and to please their own fancy, but pictured their conceptions, and sketched their hopes in the ancient known language of national songs arid national hopes, we shall cease to think of such sensuous interpretations, which to a great extent are self-contradictory, and at the same time shall be as far removed at least from their opposite, the obscure abyss of mysticism. We shall see how they, as men of sound understanding, and as the divine sages of their nation, did what all true philosophers do with the works of God in nature. These observe, and analyze, study the laws, the course, and ultimate tendency of the phenomena of nature, and in like manner they fixed their attention on the covenant of Jehovah, their ever true and faithful God, considered his declarations, unfolded the import of his words, studied ancient customs and the character of individuals, accommodated the incidents of more ancient times to their own age and saw in both the germs of the future already beginning to unfold. The Spirit of Jehovah was their guide, forj their visions were not unmeaning raptures, but calm predictions, determinations and prospective views, in accordance with a new series, ordained m higher dignity, This seems to me, to be the true link of connexion in the writings of the Prophets, and the best key to their hidden treasures. While we consider, whence they derived these images, for what end they used them, to what period, and under what new form, each applied his own, we draw, as it were, with them from the same consecrated fountains, and fly as they did, like bees in all directions, and extract our sweets f...