Janus Parallelism in Job and Its Literary Significance (Critical NOTES‪)‬

In a recent article in this journal, Anthony Ceresko suggested that we see the famous crux interpretum [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] in Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1, 4, 6 as an example of the sophisticated literary device known as "Janus parallelism." (1) The term, which was coined by Cyrus Gordon, (2) describes a situation in which the second stich of a tristich contains a pun that parallels in a polysemous way both the previous and following stichs. To illustrate, I refer to Ceresko's frequently repeated Janus in Amos. As Ceresko points out, the expression [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] may be read both as "I will not let him return (to me)" (i.e., from the root [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.]) and as "I will indeed fan/blow upon it (i.e., the fire [of my fury])" (i.e., from the root [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.]). As the former, the expression parallels the previous mention of wicked acts not to be forgiven; and as the latter, [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII.] faces ahead to the mention of a devouring fire.