Forgive me for intruding on this very learned conversation between you and Susan, but I was struck by your response and the distinction between interpretation and word play. You wrote, in order to reject one of Susan's arguments by finding a different status for the original words:
"As to the Bab's use of the term - I understand this to be word play, not interpretation."
Could you expand a little on this. Is word play common in the Writings? How is it motivated? I suppose 'word play' exploits the meaning that 'interpretation' tries to capture (from that meaning is not completely cut loose) but without placing itself under the norm of equivalence (holds over itself no obligation to get the same meaning). .
If you have time,
Regards
William
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