Hanneke van Loon | KU Leuven (original) (raw)

Books by Hanneke van Loon

In Metaphors in the Discussion on Suffering in Job 3–31, Hanneke van Loon offers a new approach t... more In Metaphors in the Discussion on Suffering in Job 3–31, Hanneke van Loon offers a new approach to the theme of suffering in the book of Job. Her analysis of metaphors demonstrates that Job goes through different stages of existential suffering in chapters 3–14 and that he addresses the social dimension of his suffering in chapters 17 and 19. Van Loon claims that Job’s existential suffering ends in 19:25, and that chapters 23–31 reflect a process in which Job translates his own experience into a call upon the audience to adopt a new attitude toward the unfortunate ones in society. The theoretical approach to metaphors is based on insights from cognitive linguistics.

The topic of this dissertation is the theme of suffering in Job 3–31. To trace Job’s conceptualiz... more The topic of this dissertation is the theme of suffering in Job 3–31. To trace Job’s conceptualization of his suffering, this dissertation focuses on metaphors. The analysis of metaphors demonstrates that Job goes through different stages of suffering in chapters 3–19 and that he starts to rebuild his worldview in chapters 19–31. The theoretical approach to metaphors is based on insights from cognitive linguistics.

Chapter 1 presents the theoretical framework. It explains different cognitive linguistic theories on metaphor and it introduces the concept of ‘deliberately used metaphor’. Deliberately used metaphors are metaphors that are signaled in the text and that explicitly shift the reader’s attention from the target domain to the source domain. It is proposed that especially the analysis of the source domains that are evoked by deliberately used metaphors provides new input for the interpretation of literary texts.

Chapter 2 clarifies the approach to the book of Job and the theme of suffering therein. Firstly, it explains how the approach in this dissertation relates to the tenets and interests of current approaches to the book of Job. Secondly, it discusses the structure of Job 3–31, including the question of the integrity of the so-called third speech cycle (Job 23–27) and the wisdom poem (Job 28). Finally, it presents an overview of the different conceptualizations of suffering that will be discussed in chapters 3–6.

Chapters 3–5 are the main body of this dissertation. In these chapters, the conceptualization of Job’s suffering in Job 3–22 is traced by means of the analysis of deliberately used metaphors in selected passages. Chapter 3 shows that in the opening speech, Job suffers from the unrest that results from the realization that he is imprisoned in life. Chapter 4 brings in view that in the first speech cycle, Job suffers from a lack of hope: a lack of hope in life in 7:1-11, a lack of hope in death in 10:18-22, and a lack of hope on God’s recognition in 14:4-12. Chapter 5 contends that in the second speech cycle, the social dimension of suffering moves into the center of Job’s attention. It demonstrates that Job becomes aware of the denial of consolation from the part of his friends in 17:6-16 and 19:20-29, and that exactly this is the trigger that helps him to arrive at a new understanding of his situation and to restore God as his Redeemer in 19:25.

Chapter 6 concerns the implications of Job’s new understanding for his worldview and for his relation to God. Firstly, it illustrates how these themes develop in the remainder of the dialogue (Job 23–31). Thereafter, it examines Job’s conceptualization of the position of other sufferers in 24:2-12, 30:3-8, and 31:12-22. In conclusion, it is claimed that chapters 23–31 reflect a process in which Job translates his own experience into a call upon the audience to adopt a new attitude toward the unfortunate ones in society.

Papers by Hanneke van Loon

Hiobs Reden: Zwischen Selbstreflexion, Klage und Streit, 2024

Where Is the Way to the Dwelling of Light? Studies in Genesis, Job and Linguistics in Honor of Ellen van Wolde, 2023

In Cognitive Linguistics, it is customary to stress the ubiquity of conceptual metaphors. In lite... more In Cognitive Linguistics, it is customary to stress the ubiquity of conceptual metaphors. In literary studies, however, critics tend to highlight the special character of specific metaphors in texts. Exegetes using the tenets of Conceptual Metaphor Theory have thus far been at odds with the ubiquity of conceptual metaphors in literary texts: do all conceptual metaphors (and they are many) deserve equal attention? Do they all equally affect the text and the reader’s experience? In this article, we study what is needed to discuss literary metaphors in Biblical Hebrew texts based on the theorems of cognitive linguistics. We combine Steen’s findings on the deliberate use of metaphor with those of Pilkington on the range and strength of mappings. As such, we introduce criteria to first select and subsequently analyze metaphors in the biblical corpus. We advocate for explicitness and illustrate our point with an example from the book of Job (6:14–21).

Jenni (2007) and Kroeze (2008) have explained the variational use of the particle את in Classical... more Jenni (2007) and Kroeze (2008) have explained the variational use of the particle את in Classical Biblical Hebrew on the basis of the semantic and pragmatic properties of verbal arguments. Malessa (2006), on the other hand, has observed a correlation between the use of את and word order. Malessa’s word order parameter poses a problem for theories that relate the use of את to the properties of individual constituents. Widening the scope to the grammatical properties of the sentence, I will take information structure theory (Lambrecht 1994; Erteschik-Shir 2007) as a starting point to account for the use of את. The use and non-use of את with subjects and direct objects will be shown to be motivated by both word order and the specific pragmatic structure of the sentence.

Talks by Hanneke van Loon

While recent studies on metaphors in the Hebrew Bible have taken the cognitive linguistic approac... more While recent studies on metaphors in the Hebrew Bible have taken the cognitive linguistic approach to metaphor to heart, they rarely question how this approach takes into account the fact that these metaphors occur in literary contexts. The characteristics of metaphors in literature are currently an important theme within cognitive poetics. Cognitive poetics, a term coined by Tsur in the 1980s, has come to refer to the emerging field in which cognitive linguistic scholars join the efforts of literary scholars who apply insights from cognitive sciences to clarify the stylistic features of literary texts (cf. Stockwell 2002, Semino & Culpeper 2002, Steen & Gavins 2003, Brône & Vandaele 2009). Main topics in metaphor research in cognitive poetics include the continuity and discontinuity between metaphor in and outside literature, the evoked sensuous, emotional, and aesthetic effects, and the function of metaphor on the level of the text. In this paper, I will explain what developments in cognitive poetics contribute to the understanding of metaphor in literature, and I will demonstrate what this involves for the study of metaphor in the Hebrew Bible by considering several metaphors in the book of Job.

Against the background of my current research on cognitive linguistics and the metaphorical conce... more Against the background of my current research on cognitive linguistics and the metaphorical conceptualization of suffering in the book of Job, I will consider the metaphors of sadness in which Job describes his troubled state of mind. By combining a cognitive linguistic approach to metaphors of emotions with recent approaches to metaphors in literature, I will show that the metaphorical expressions concerned trace back to different conceptualizations of sadness, and that the occurrence of these conceptualizations can be explained by their literary function within the context of the book of Job.

Recent research on metaphors of emotions in the Hebrew Bible has mainly been inspired by Kövecses’ cognitive linguistic approach to metaphors of emotions (1986, 2000, 2008). In his footsteps, exegetes have demonstrated that figurative expressions of emotions in the Hebrew Bible can be understood as instances of universal conceptual metaphors (Krüger 2000, 2001), and that the cultural context affects the metaphorical conceptualization of emotions (van Wolde 2008). Few Biblical scholars, however, have taken into account recent cognitive linguistic studies that discuss the literary function of metaphors (cf. Fludernik 2011, Semino & Steen 2008) – in this regard, Jindo (2010) is an exception.

Besides indicating underlying conceptual metaphors, the cognitive linguistic approach to literary metaphors also considers the function of conceptualizations throughout a text, for example, by examining why specific source domains are chosen, and how their distribution and interaction can be understood. While explaining how attention for the literary function of metaphors enhances the understanding of the conceptualization of sadness in the book of Job, this paper also intends to show how the inclusion of a literary perspective in the cognitive linguistic approach to metaphors contributes to the study of metaphorical expressions in the Hebrew Bible.

Inspired by cognitive linguistics, recent metaphor research in Biblical studies has taken a start... more Inspired by cognitive linguistics, recent metaphor research in Biblical studies has taken a starting point in the idea that metaphors are not linguistic embellishments, but express the way in which humans think. Cognitive linguistics, however, generally deals with natural language. While the cognitive origin of metaphors explains the ubiquity of metaphors in natural discourse, it does not account for the fact that metaphors in literary texts are often considered to be more creative and more elevated.

Noting the difference between literary and non-literary language, several scholars that work within the framework of cognitive linguistics have devoted attention to the special character of metaphors in literature. In their review of various approaches to metaphor in literature, Semino and Steen (2008) point out that the difference between the metaphors in literature and outside literature should be considered with respect to their use, function, and effect. Although the insight that metaphors in literature have particular communicative properties has become common knowledge in cognitive linguistics, it has not been widely recognized in cognitive linguistic studies of metaphors in the Hebrew Bible - in this regard, Jindo (2010) is an exception.

Joining the efforts of Jindo, this paper intends to give an updated account of the cognitive linguistic approach to metaphor in Biblical studies by emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the special characteristics of metaphors in literature. In this paper, I will clarify how the cognitive linguistic approach to literary metaphors can be applied to Biblical Hebrew poetry, and I will illustrate how this approach adds to the understanding of Biblical Hebrew texts by considering several metaphors in the book of Job.

Job 3:8: yqqbhw ʾrry-ywm hʿtydym ʿrr lwytn With regard to Job 3:8, attention has especially been... more Job 3:8: yqqbhw ʾrry-ywm hʿtydym ʿrr lwytn

With regard to Job 3:8, attention has especially been given to the translation of ywm as either ‘day’ (e.g. JPS, Clines 1989) or ‘sea’ (e.g. NRS, Greenstein 2003). Depending on this decision, scholars have speculated on the identity of the ʾrry and the effects of ʿrr the Leviathan. Meanwhile, it is acknowledged that most words in Job 3,8 can be understood as double entendres: besides ywm, also yqqbh from qbb ‘spellbind’ or nqb ‘pierce’, ʾrr from ʾrr ‘curse’ or ʾwr ‘light’, and ʿrr from ʿwr ‘arouse’ or ʿrr ‘disgrace’ (Greenstein 2003; Habel 1985). Both the textual ambiguities and the fact that it is unknown what Job 3:8 exactly refers to, have led to a complex of entangled interpretations.

In this paper, I will disentangle different interpretations with regard to their meaning construction strategies. By drawing on insights from cognitive linguistics, the construction of meaning will be traced down to cognitive processes such as categorizing, aligning, and mapping. It will be shown that in Job 3,8, different cognitive processes lead to competing readings, and that the different appreciation of these readings causes a variety of interpretations.

Recognizing that Job 3 abounds with terms of light and darkness, I will propose that any interpretation of line 8 must take a starting point in establishing a meaning of ywm that fits within the broader textual context. As for terms of light and darkness in the book Job, ywm is – with 59 appearances – the most frequent lexeme, and with six occurrences (all in lines 1-8), chapter 3 has the highest numbers of hits. By analyzing the divergent conceptualizations of ywm in Job 3, it will be argued that ywm in line 8 refers to the whole of day and night and is best translated as ‘day’.

In Classical Biblical Hebrew prose, the particle ʾet commonly marks definite direct objects of tr... more In Classical Biblical Hebrew prose, the particle ʾet commonly marks definite direct objects of transitive and ditransitive verbs. However, definite direct objects are not always marked, and, furthermore, ʾet is also used with other syntactical functions than direct objects (cf. GK §117a-m; IBHS 10.3; JM §125e-j). Recent research (Jenni 2007; Kroeze 2008) has explained the use of ʾet with subjects and direct objects by referring to the semantic and pragmatic properties of verbal arguments. Furthermore, Malessa (2006:34-47) has observed that for definite direct objects there exists a correlation between word order and the use of ʾet.

Malessa’s word order parameter poses a problem for theories that relate the use of ʾet to the properties of individual constituents. To integrate the word order parameter into functional theories that account for the use of ’et with both subjects and direct objects, it is therefore necessary to widen the scope from the properties of individual constituents to the properties of the sentence.

I shall argue that information structure theory (cf. Lambrecht 1994; Erteschik-Shir 2007) provides the necessary theoretical background to formulate a unified account of the uses of ʾet. Like other functional theories, information structure theory assumes that the interaction between the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic functions of constituents determines the final form of linguistic expressions, but in addition to that, it understands pragmatic functions to be grammatically expressed on the level of the sentence. Taking this latter insight as a starting point, I will show that the use and non-use of ʾet with subjects and direct objects is motivated by both word order and the specific pragmatic structure of the sentence.

In Metaphors in the Discussion on Suffering in Job 3–31, Hanneke van Loon offers a new approach t... more In Metaphors in the Discussion on Suffering in Job 3–31, Hanneke van Loon offers a new approach to the theme of suffering in the book of Job. Her analysis of metaphors demonstrates that Job goes through different stages of existential suffering in chapters 3–14 and that he addresses the social dimension of his suffering in chapters 17 and 19. Van Loon claims that Job’s existential suffering ends in 19:25, and that chapters 23–31 reflect a process in which Job translates his own experience into a call upon the audience to adopt a new attitude toward the unfortunate ones in society. The theoretical approach to metaphors is based on insights from cognitive linguistics.

The topic of this dissertation is the theme of suffering in Job 3–31. To trace Job’s conceptualiz... more The topic of this dissertation is the theme of suffering in Job 3–31. To trace Job’s conceptualization of his suffering, this dissertation focuses on metaphors. The analysis of metaphors demonstrates that Job goes through different stages of suffering in chapters 3–19 and that he starts to rebuild his worldview in chapters 19–31. The theoretical approach to metaphors is based on insights from cognitive linguistics.

Chapter 1 presents the theoretical framework. It explains different cognitive linguistic theories on metaphor and it introduces the concept of ‘deliberately used metaphor’. Deliberately used metaphors are metaphors that are signaled in the text and that explicitly shift the reader’s attention from the target domain to the source domain. It is proposed that especially the analysis of the source domains that are evoked by deliberately used metaphors provides new input for the interpretation of literary texts.

Chapter 2 clarifies the approach to the book of Job and the theme of suffering therein. Firstly, it explains how the approach in this dissertation relates to the tenets and interests of current approaches to the book of Job. Secondly, it discusses the structure of Job 3–31, including the question of the integrity of the so-called third speech cycle (Job 23–27) and the wisdom poem (Job 28). Finally, it presents an overview of the different conceptualizations of suffering that will be discussed in chapters 3–6.

Chapters 3–5 are the main body of this dissertation. In these chapters, the conceptualization of Job’s suffering in Job 3–22 is traced by means of the analysis of deliberately used metaphors in selected passages. Chapter 3 shows that in the opening speech, Job suffers from the unrest that results from the realization that he is imprisoned in life. Chapter 4 brings in view that in the first speech cycle, Job suffers from a lack of hope: a lack of hope in life in 7:1-11, a lack of hope in death in 10:18-22, and a lack of hope on God’s recognition in 14:4-12. Chapter 5 contends that in the second speech cycle, the social dimension of suffering moves into the center of Job’s attention. It demonstrates that Job becomes aware of the denial of consolation from the part of his friends in 17:6-16 and 19:20-29, and that exactly this is the trigger that helps him to arrive at a new understanding of his situation and to restore God as his Redeemer in 19:25.

Chapter 6 concerns the implications of Job’s new understanding for his worldview and for his relation to God. Firstly, it illustrates how these themes develop in the remainder of the dialogue (Job 23–31). Thereafter, it examines Job’s conceptualization of the position of other sufferers in 24:2-12, 30:3-8, and 31:12-22. In conclusion, it is claimed that chapters 23–31 reflect a process in which Job translates his own experience into a call upon the audience to adopt a new attitude toward the unfortunate ones in society.

Hiobs Reden: Zwischen Selbstreflexion, Klage und Streit, 2024

Where Is the Way to the Dwelling of Light? Studies in Genesis, Job and Linguistics in Honor of Ellen van Wolde, 2023

In Cognitive Linguistics, it is customary to stress the ubiquity of conceptual metaphors. In lite... more In Cognitive Linguistics, it is customary to stress the ubiquity of conceptual metaphors. In literary studies, however, critics tend to highlight the special character of specific metaphors in texts. Exegetes using the tenets of Conceptual Metaphor Theory have thus far been at odds with the ubiquity of conceptual metaphors in literary texts: do all conceptual metaphors (and they are many) deserve equal attention? Do they all equally affect the text and the reader’s experience? In this article, we study what is needed to discuss literary metaphors in Biblical Hebrew texts based on the theorems of cognitive linguistics. We combine Steen’s findings on the deliberate use of metaphor with those of Pilkington on the range and strength of mappings. As such, we introduce criteria to first select and subsequently analyze metaphors in the biblical corpus. We advocate for explicitness and illustrate our point with an example from the book of Job (6:14–21).

Jenni (2007) and Kroeze (2008) have explained the variational use of the particle את in Classical... more Jenni (2007) and Kroeze (2008) have explained the variational use of the particle את in Classical Biblical Hebrew on the basis of the semantic and pragmatic properties of verbal arguments. Malessa (2006), on the other hand, has observed a correlation between the use of את and word order. Malessa’s word order parameter poses a problem for theories that relate the use of את to the properties of individual constituents. Widening the scope to the grammatical properties of the sentence, I will take information structure theory (Lambrecht 1994; Erteschik-Shir 2007) as a starting point to account for the use of את. The use and non-use of את with subjects and direct objects will be shown to be motivated by both word order and the specific pragmatic structure of the sentence.

While recent studies on metaphors in the Hebrew Bible have taken the cognitive linguistic approac... more While recent studies on metaphors in the Hebrew Bible have taken the cognitive linguistic approach to metaphor to heart, they rarely question how this approach takes into account the fact that these metaphors occur in literary contexts. The characteristics of metaphors in literature are currently an important theme within cognitive poetics. Cognitive poetics, a term coined by Tsur in the 1980s, has come to refer to the emerging field in which cognitive linguistic scholars join the efforts of literary scholars who apply insights from cognitive sciences to clarify the stylistic features of literary texts (cf. Stockwell 2002, Semino & Culpeper 2002, Steen & Gavins 2003, Brône & Vandaele 2009). Main topics in metaphor research in cognitive poetics include the continuity and discontinuity between metaphor in and outside literature, the evoked sensuous, emotional, and aesthetic effects, and the function of metaphor on the level of the text. In this paper, I will explain what developments in cognitive poetics contribute to the understanding of metaphor in literature, and I will demonstrate what this involves for the study of metaphor in the Hebrew Bible by considering several metaphors in the book of Job.

Against the background of my current research on cognitive linguistics and the metaphorical conce... more Against the background of my current research on cognitive linguistics and the metaphorical conceptualization of suffering in the book of Job, I will consider the metaphors of sadness in which Job describes his troubled state of mind. By combining a cognitive linguistic approach to metaphors of emotions with recent approaches to metaphors in literature, I will show that the metaphorical expressions concerned trace back to different conceptualizations of sadness, and that the occurrence of these conceptualizations can be explained by their literary function within the context of the book of Job.

Recent research on metaphors of emotions in the Hebrew Bible has mainly been inspired by Kövecses’ cognitive linguistic approach to metaphors of emotions (1986, 2000, 2008). In his footsteps, exegetes have demonstrated that figurative expressions of emotions in the Hebrew Bible can be understood as instances of universal conceptual metaphors (Krüger 2000, 2001), and that the cultural context affects the metaphorical conceptualization of emotions (van Wolde 2008). Few Biblical scholars, however, have taken into account recent cognitive linguistic studies that discuss the literary function of metaphors (cf. Fludernik 2011, Semino & Steen 2008) – in this regard, Jindo (2010) is an exception.

Besides indicating underlying conceptual metaphors, the cognitive linguistic approach to literary metaphors also considers the function of conceptualizations throughout a text, for example, by examining why specific source domains are chosen, and how their distribution and interaction can be understood. While explaining how attention for the literary function of metaphors enhances the understanding of the conceptualization of sadness in the book of Job, this paper also intends to show how the inclusion of a literary perspective in the cognitive linguistic approach to metaphors contributes to the study of metaphorical expressions in the Hebrew Bible.

Inspired by cognitive linguistics, recent metaphor research in Biblical studies has taken a start... more Inspired by cognitive linguistics, recent metaphor research in Biblical studies has taken a starting point in the idea that metaphors are not linguistic embellishments, but express the way in which humans think. Cognitive linguistics, however, generally deals with natural language. While the cognitive origin of metaphors explains the ubiquity of metaphors in natural discourse, it does not account for the fact that metaphors in literary texts are often considered to be more creative and more elevated.

Noting the difference between literary and non-literary language, several scholars that work within the framework of cognitive linguistics have devoted attention to the special character of metaphors in literature. In their review of various approaches to metaphor in literature, Semino and Steen (2008) point out that the difference between the metaphors in literature and outside literature should be considered with respect to their use, function, and effect. Although the insight that metaphors in literature have particular communicative properties has become common knowledge in cognitive linguistics, it has not been widely recognized in cognitive linguistic studies of metaphors in the Hebrew Bible - in this regard, Jindo (2010) is an exception.

Joining the efforts of Jindo, this paper intends to give an updated account of the cognitive linguistic approach to metaphor in Biblical studies by emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the special characteristics of metaphors in literature. In this paper, I will clarify how the cognitive linguistic approach to literary metaphors can be applied to Biblical Hebrew poetry, and I will illustrate how this approach adds to the understanding of Biblical Hebrew texts by considering several metaphors in the book of Job.

Job 3:8: yqqbhw ʾrry-ywm hʿtydym ʿrr lwytn With regard to Job 3:8, attention has especially been... more Job 3:8: yqqbhw ʾrry-ywm hʿtydym ʿrr lwytn

With regard to Job 3:8, attention has especially been given to the translation of ywm as either ‘day’ (e.g. JPS, Clines 1989) or ‘sea’ (e.g. NRS, Greenstein 2003). Depending on this decision, scholars have speculated on the identity of the ʾrry and the effects of ʿrr the Leviathan. Meanwhile, it is acknowledged that most words in Job 3,8 can be understood as double entendres: besides ywm, also yqqbh from qbb ‘spellbind’ or nqb ‘pierce’, ʾrr from ʾrr ‘curse’ or ʾwr ‘light’, and ʿrr from ʿwr ‘arouse’ or ʿrr ‘disgrace’ (Greenstein 2003; Habel 1985). Both the textual ambiguities and the fact that it is unknown what Job 3:8 exactly refers to, have led to a complex of entangled interpretations.

In this paper, I will disentangle different interpretations with regard to their meaning construction strategies. By drawing on insights from cognitive linguistics, the construction of meaning will be traced down to cognitive processes such as categorizing, aligning, and mapping. It will be shown that in Job 3,8, different cognitive processes lead to competing readings, and that the different appreciation of these readings causes a variety of interpretations.

Recognizing that Job 3 abounds with terms of light and darkness, I will propose that any interpretation of line 8 must take a starting point in establishing a meaning of ywm that fits within the broader textual context. As for terms of light and darkness in the book Job, ywm is – with 59 appearances – the most frequent lexeme, and with six occurrences (all in lines 1-8), chapter 3 has the highest numbers of hits. By analyzing the divergent conceptualizations of ywm in Job 3, it will be argued that ywm in line 8 refers to the whole of day and night and is best translated as ‘day’.

In Classical Biblical Hebrew prose, the particle ʾet commonly marks definite direct objects of tr... more In Classical Biblical Hebrew prose, the particle ʾet commonly marks definite direct objects of transitive and ditransitive verbs. However, definite direct objects are not always marked, and, furthermore, ʾet is also used with other syntactical functions than direct objects (cf. GK §117a-m; IBHS 10.3; JM §125e-j). Recent research (Jenni 2007; Kroeze 2008) has explained the use of ʾet with subjects and direct objects by referring to the semantic and pragmatic properties of verbal arguments. Furthermore, Malessa (2006:34-47) has observed that for definite direct objects there exists a correlation between word order and the use of ʾet.

Malessa’s word order parameter poses a problem for theories that relate the use of ʾet to the properties of individual constituents. To integrate the word order parameter into functional theories that account for the use of ’et with both subjects and direct objects, it is therefore necessary to widen the scope from the properties of individual constituents to the properties of the sentence.

I shall argue that information structure theory (cf. Lambrecht 1994; Erteschik-Shir 2007) provides the necessary theoretical background to formulate a unified account of the uses of ʾet. Like other functional theories, information structure theory assumes that the interaction between the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic functions of constituents determines the final form of linguistic expressions, but in addition to that, it understands pragmatic functions to be grammatically expressed on the level of the sentence. Taking this latter insight as a starting point, I will show that the use and non-use of ʾet with subjects and direct objects is motivated by both word order and the specific pragmatic structure of the sentence.