2 7 0 H A R V A R D T H E O L O G I C A L REVIEW
One of the most important observations that has been made about this text is
that its formal structure, the envelope structure of the first two verses is highly
biblical in form (i.e., in my parlance, "Hebraic") in its use of chiasm103 andLeitwort.
We learn two things from this observation. First of all, it seems very difficult to
regard the second verse as a gloss or other form of intrusion, as most commenta-
tors of the hymnic persuasion seem to; and second, if its structure is dictated or
modeled on biblical literary texts (indeed, on the opening verses of Genesis), then
the possibility that it is a paraphrase or midrashic gloss on this text seems consid-