How to Study the Bible

The Old Testament Genres of Narrative, Law, Poetry, and Wisdom

02/28/18

Narrative

• First, we pay attention to the story and its details. The main point is in the plot and its development. And biblical narrative, like every other, is going to use all the devices you are used to:
  • Chronological development
  • Viewpoint of the narrator – 2 Kings 17:7
  • Plot and rhetorical devices, such as dialogue, shifting points of view, and climax
  • Character development
  • Literary devices such as inclusion (using repeated words or phrases as bookends) and chiasm (a-b-c-b?-a? pattern)
  • Scene arrangement, including things like flashbacks and cutaways (Gen. 38)
• Second, remember that the narrator has had to be selective in what he records, so the details that are present are significant. How do they contribute to the point of the narrative? How do they connect the narrative to what came before and what comes after? (John 21:25, for example)
• Third, context is king. How does the narrative fit into the rest of the book, the rest of the section of Scripture, and the narrative of the Bible as a whole?
• Fourth, what is the point of the narrative in light of the author’s purpose in writing the book? Story is not an end in itself, and we (personal application) are not necessarily to point either!
• Example: 1 Samuel 17 – the story of David and Goliath. When we pay attention to the details and the context, we see that this is not a morality tale about courage in the face of long odds. We also avoid turning it into an allegory, in which every detail represents a spiritual truth. Rather, this is our introduction to the unlikely king who in single combat defeats the enemy and delivers God’s people. In the context of 1 Samuel, this story sets up a contrast with Saul, the obvious and apparent king who turns out to be fraud. Ultimately the story points us to Christ, who in the most unlikely way defeats the enemies of God’s people in single combat on the cross and delivers us to God!
• Comparison/contrast – Josh. 2:1-24; 7:1-26

Law

• Different to interpret, since we are under a different covenant, but we can apply the principles as we interpret them in light of the New Testament.
• Consider the following laws:
  • Exodus 34:26
  • Lev. 19:19
  • Lev. 12:2
  • Lev. 13:40
  • Deut. 22:12
• Which of these have you violated?
  • Deut. 22:5
  • Lev. 19:32
  • Lev. 19:28
  • Deut. 14:8
• These we follow:
  • Lev. 19:18
  • Ex. 20:13
  • Deut. 5:18
• The Tradition Approach
  • Moral
  • Civil
  • Ceremonial
• The Covenantal Context
  • The Mosaic covenant is closely associated with Israel’s conquest and occupation of the land.
  • The blessings from the Mosaic covenant are conditional
  • The Mosaic covenant is no longer a functional covenant
  • The Old Testament law as part of the Mosaic covenant is no longer applicable over us as law.
  • We must interpret the law through the grid of New Testament teaching
• Lev. 5:2, 5-6

Poetry

• The most common feature of Hebrew poetic structure is parallelism in three different forms – synonymous (an idea is repeated for emphasis) – Ps. 2:4, synthetic (one idea builds upon another) – Ps. 119:9, and antithetical (one idea is contrasted with another) – Pro. 26:4,5.
• Other features include word play, alliteration and alphabetic acrostic, repetition, hyperbole, contrast, metonymy (substitution), and synecdoche (the whole stand for part or vice versa).
• Like English poetry, it uses metaphor and simile, figurative images, irony, and euphemism.
• Perhaps the most important key to interpreting poetry is to remember that it’s a poem. A literal reading of a poem will look different than a literal reading of narrative.
• Example: Psalm 19:7-11. These verses are an extended example of synonymous parallelism. David is not talking about six different things, but one thing – the Word of God. He is treating it like a cut diamond held up to the light. In each phrase he turns the single diamond slightly in order to examine a different facet. The point of the poetic meditation is both to engender in us a high view and value of God’s Word and to convince us of his conclusion in verse 11.

Wisdom

• We need to recognize that wisdom literature comes to us in multiple forms, or sub-genres.
  • Drama (Job, Song of Solomon)
  • Sayings (Proverbs 9-31)
  • Autobiographical confession and admonition (Ecclesiastes, Proverbs 1-8)
• Whatever the form, the key in interpretation is to read it in context and according to its stated purpose.
  • Job intends to address the problem of unjust suffering.
  • Ecclesiastes intends to realistically address the point of life.
  • The Proverbs intend to engender the fear of God and then show how that fear (or lack of it) demonstrates itself in all sorts of contexts. It is emphatically not law code.
  • Song of Solomon is a celebration of human love in marriage that points beyond itself to God’s love for his people
• Example: Proverbs 12:21 – “No harm befalls the righteous, but the wicked have their fill of trouble.” A quick reader will make one of two mistakes. He will assume that this is always true, and therefore take suffering as a divine judgment against wickedness. Alternately, he will simply point to Job or to Jesus, and say the proverb is clearly false. But this proverb is neither making an absolute promise, nor is it a contradiction of Job. Rather, like all proverbs, it is proverbial, or generally true. In the moral universe that God has created, wickedness usually brings trouble on itself, and righteousness usually brings blessing. Beyond the proverbial character of the statement, the proverb also points to the ultimate blessing and judgment that comes from God. Even though there are exceptions in this life, God will ultimately keep this proverb at the final judgment.