E. Literary Formats
When reading the Bible it becomes evident that it is comprised of many different literary formats each of which is utilized to a different end. Correctly identifying the various types of writing in the Bible is a skill that will enhance your personal Bible study in allowing you to properly interpret the words you are reading. Where the poetic passages allow for incredible imagery, powerful expressions of thought, and great lyrical beauty the narrative passages are better suited to the representation of historic details and technical descriptions. The genealogical and prophetic passages are also used to better present the material being presented by each. Understanding how each genre is used will assist you as you seek to discover the meaning of any passage being studied.
1. Wisdom Literature (or Proverbs)
Wisdom literature consists of proverbs laid out in the format of Hebrew poetry but which generally do not have the same style or impact of poetry proper.
Proverbs are statements (usually couplets of contrasting ideas) giving generalizations describing how life in general goes for the subject of the proverb.
Where poetry may take some time to develop a theme to maturity the proverbs are most often single statements or pairs of statements, though occasionally a series of proverbs be used to develop a single theme (such as occurs in the treatment of the theme of wisdom in the book of Ecclesiastes).
It is important to note that Proverbs do not usually have universal application nor are they usually universal truths but are more along the line of rules of thumb with a religious meaning, although many proverbs may be interpreted to be of eternal significance in describing the final outcome of the righteous and the rebellious. Proverbs must be treated with as much care as the rest of the Bible to determine how they are to be applied to our lives today.
2. Narrative
Narrative literature is that which lays out its material in a prose style of writing.
Information is presented without adornment, poetic structures may be inserted into the text but overall the passage resembles a modern novel in its design. Our concept of discrete sentences, paragraphs, and chapters would be alien to the ancient Hebrew writers, in fact many of the oldest manuscript copies have no sentence or paragraph breaks at all. One must be careful to follow the progression of thought contained by the passage itself apart from the occasionally arbitrary sentence, paragraph, verse, and chapter structure placed upon it by various translators and scholars.
A subset of the narrative form is historical writing which differs from the narrative mainly in the sense of its view of time. Narrative is generally written with regard to the present while history is written with regard to the past. In the case of the books of the kings of Israel and Judah it is done to present a moral standpoint by contrasting the actions of the various kings to that desired by God.
Historical writing also allows present day readers to view past events as though they were there.
In this regard Genesis is historic in that Moses wrote what God revealed to him of events that occurred at times ranging from the recent past to events of several thousands of years in the past. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, however, are narrative because Moses is primarily writing about events as they occur and most certainly within the memories of people still alive at the time of the writing.
3. Letters
Letters are personal communications between an author and a specific recipient.
The added feature is that they were circulated to a wider audience either after the original recipients were finished with them or out of obedience to the wishes of the authors.
Biblical letters should be read like a letter form a loved one; from start to finish in a single sitting to grasp the full impact of the purpose, or occasion, of the letter and the points that the author is making.
Reading a letter in bits and pieces destroys the force of it if read in bits and pieces, here and there.
Larger letters, such as Paul's letter to the church in Rome, may not suffer as much as the smaller letters in being read in sections, but even these were received by their recipients as a single communication from someone who cared deeply for them.
4. Genealogy
The Israelites placed a great value on genealogical records so that each person's familial background would be understood.
Liberties were taken with the genealogies on some occasions for reasons of emphasis.
Ex: The division of the generations of Jesus into three small groups of fourteen (see Matt 1).
This would be done as a memory device and possible for literary symmetry and in no way takes from the accuracy of the genealogy in this particular instance as its stated purpose was to prove that Jesus Christ is God, the Son. Names were omitted indicating that certain generations have been left out. However, that does not overwhelm its goal.
Ex: The genealogies of the book of Genesis may also contain gaps but in this case they are often accompanied by a number of years assigned to each individual. In this case the purpose of the genealogy would be to place certain events and people in time so that it is much less likely for generations to have been skipped.
The genealogical records within the Bible serve three primary functions:
a. Domestic – Used to determine the individual’s social position, privileges, and obligations; such as the rights falling upon the first born son.
b. Political – Used to determine hereditary office, as well as to settle legal claims such as that pictured in the book of Ruth.
c. Religious – Used to establish membership, function, and descent of priestly and Levitical duties and position.
5. Prophecy
a. Prophecy occurs in poetic form (ex: Isaiah), in historical narrative (such as occurred between God and Abraham when God promised Abraham a son) and in a variety of other literary genres.
b. Prophecy is declarative and speaks of events that are not as though they are.,
c. Prophecy shows that the purposes of God cannot and will not be thwarted.
It must be noted that Prophecy is a poor guide to the future because application is often the result of a very narrow understanding of a very limited group of prophecies.
d. God does not and has not spoken to us in bits and pieces but in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the Creator of all things.
Prior to Jesus' own ministry, death and resurrection very few of His contemporaries understood how He was the fulfillment of prophecy. Subsequent to that, however, it became very clear, to the point that we now see that then entire Old Testament can be viewed as an arrow pointing directly at Jesus.
e. Events of today cannot easily be understood in light of Biblical prophecy until that prophecy is completely fulfilled.
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Cor 13:12 ESV)
It is when we are in Heaven we will see things perfectly so we await that day and know that how we understand things now we will understand them perfectly when we stand in the presence of Jesus.
f. Prophecy is regarded is the most difficult literary form within the Bible to interpret.
While this is often true the study of prophecy is also extremely rewarding. By means of prayerful contemplation of prophecy we gain a wonderful sense of the power of God and the effectiveness of His plan, as well as reading some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible that are prophecies in poetic form and concern the coming and mission of Jesus. In one sense the entire Old Testament is prophetic in that Jesus is foreshadowed within its text.
To help in gaining the greatest benefit from the study of prophecy, here are guidelines for interpretation:
1). Study the New Testament treatment of Old Testament prophecies and how the New Testament authors come to regard the prophecies as being fulfilled.
This can also act as a guide to our own study of the Bible as a whole, we would not be going far wrong if we were to treat the entire Bible as characters in the New Testament treated the Old Testament).
2). Many prophecies contain both an immediate and a delayed fulfillment.
We must attempt to grasp the meaning for the people who would originally have heard it, its near fulfillment, and continue by studying its practical message for us and its delayed fulfillment.
3). Always consider the literal meaning of the prophecy before assigning some symbolic understanding that may or may not be accurate.
Quote: "If something can be interpreted without assuming a complicated hypothesis, there is no ground for assuming that hypothesis." William of Occam*
*This is known as Occam’s razor and it fully applies to Bible study.
4). Do not assume a complex interpretation of the Bible when it gives no clear support for such an interpretation.
5). Look within the prophecy for other figures of speech to see how they are used, how they may apply to the prophecy, and why they were employed in the first place
G. Much of the Bible is composed of prophecy which, though a genre of writing, can occur in the form of poetry, prose, or narrative.
H. Taken as a whole the Old Testament of the Bible can be viewed as an ongoing prophecy of the coming Messiah that is fulfilled in part at the nativity.
I. A prophet is one who speaks the words of God and has been given specific instructions regarding the content, occasion, and audience of the prophetic message.
Moses, when arguing with God at the burning bush about his inability to perform the task to which God was calling him was told that his brother Aaron was coming to look for him and would accompany Moses on his mission. God specifically told Moses that he would be as God to Aaron and that Aaron would say and do all that Moses commanded him to say and do. It is in this context that the prophet acted as the mouthpiece of God.
The prophet (either man or woman) would be given a direct message from God to be delivered to whomever God commanded, in whatever form God desired. Prophecy in the Bible ranges from the height of human expression (as in the book of Isaiah) to some of the most humiliating acts (as in Ezekiel eating food cooked over animal waste for one of his prophecies) to the depth of human grief (Ezekiel, again, whose actions concerning the death of his wife were symbolic of the actions of God over the destruction of Jerusalem).
J. Prophecy is very often symbolic and often indicates more than one event of similar character separated by large spans of time.
This actually leads to one of the dangers of studying prophecy in that we often seek to interpret some of the more spectacular prophetic passages (such as Revelation) within our current context, interpreting the passage in the light of recent events.
While this is a valid exercise and indeed is how prophecy is to be treated we often embark on this exercise seeking support for our conclusions rather than to have our conclusions guided by the prophecy.
K. Prophecy is both a perfect guide to the future and a poor guide to the future.
It is a perfect guide because through prophecy God has told/is telling us what will occur and He is utterly trustworthy. It is a poor guide because we fall into the trap of believing that the prophecy will be fulfilled in our time.
L. Prophecy in general encompasses both declarative and predictive forms. It is very important when reading prophecy to have an understanding of history.
1). Declarative
In this sense the prophet is one who speaks for another, carrying the context of the prophet being the mouth through whom the other speaks. Although the prophet is generally understood to be speaking for God it is possible for the prophet to speak for another human as well. In the Old Testament we have an example of the declarative prophet in the relationship between Moses and his older brother Aaron:
READ: Ex 4:14-16; Ex 7:1
In this case Moses would be the speaker for God Himself as the prophet of God and Aaron in turn would speak for Moses as the prophet of Moses.
2). Predictive
This form of prophecy is concerned with what we generally view as the function of the prophet: The prophet predicts events yet to occur, often speaking of them as though they are accomplished fact as a reflection of the power of God’s word. There are two types of predictive prophecy: That which is immediately fulfilled and that which is fulfilled at some later point in time. A brief definition of both types appears below:
a). Immediate fulfillment - in which the prophecy is fulfilled shortly after it is spoken and is a key in determining if the one who claims to be a prophet truly is a prophet
READ: Deut 18:21-22; Exodus 14:1-5
b). Delayed fulfillment - in which the prophecy is not fulfilled immediately but is delayed by a variable period of time. The prophecies of Christ's birth and ministry were fulfilled after centuries, those concerning His return are yet to be fulfilled. Most good study Bibles will include a list of at least some of the prophecies made concerning Jesus Christ. An example of a prophecy of Christ that has a delayed fulfillment is shown below:
READ: Deut 18:15-19
There are frequent occurrences in the bible where both types of predictive prophecy are combined. In these cases the prophecy of a significant event to take place in the future is immediately fulfilled as a sign confirming the more complete fulfillment, or simply as a blessing. Many examples of this type of prophecy are found in the book of Isaiah one of which is used to apply as a confirmation of Isaiah's own prophetic ministry and that of Jesus Christ.
READ: Isa 61:1-3
Prophetic passages in the Bible can be found in a variety of literary forms and can range in length from several words to several pages of text. The prophet’s personal response to the message that has been received from God is also frequently found within prophetic literature. One example of this occurs in Isaiah 21 where Isaiah describes the physical effect of God’s proclamation against Babylon upon his own body:
READ: Isa 21:1-10
The prophecy of Habakkuk also includes personal commentary on God’s message to the extent that the entirety of his prophecy is in the form of a discussion between God and himself.
6. Symbols
a. A symbol is something which contains a meaning beyond what is regarded as the normal meaning.
They are most frequently found in the prophetic writings but they occur throughout the Bible and must always be interpreted with attention being paid to the context surrounding the symbol.
b. Symbols can be of almost any form such as number, color, appearance, and imagery.
7. Numbers
Numbers often used as symbols in the Bible.
Ex: The books of Daniel and Revelation.
Common interpretations of the symbolic value of numbers:
1 – unity, independent existence, the number from which all others descend
2 – strengthening, confirmation, increase of courage and/or strength
3 – the divine number of God, symbol of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
3½ – incompleteness, unattained or anticipated fulfillment, imperfection; 42 months; 1,260 days;
"times, time, and half a time" – see especially the prophecies found in the books of Daniel
and Revelation for usage of this number
4 – representative of the world or mankind
5 – the number of the complete and normal human being
6 – incompleteness, one short of 7
7 – perfection (3 + 4), significant of the union of heaven and earth - predominant in Genesis and
Revelation
10 – human perfection and wholeness (2 x 5)
12 – Christian endeavor in the world (3 x 4) – as in the 12 tribes of Israel
24 – perfection and wholeness of Christian endeavor in the world (2 x 12) –
reflected in the 24 elders that bow before the throne of God in heaven
(see Rev 4:4)
40 – a generation, human activity in the world, testing and/or judgement (4 x 10)
70 – very sacred, completeness and perfection (7 x 10) 1,000 – ultimate completeness and perfection (10 x 10 x 10) 144,000 – indicates the absolute security of the people of God of all generations (12 x 12 x 1,000)
8. Colors
Some interpretations as symbols:
Black – famine/need/death (Rev 6:5-6)
Red – war (Rev 6:4)
White – conquering (Rev. 6:2) purity (Isaiah 1:18)
9. Types
A divinely purposed literal reality in the Old Testament that foreshadows a spiritual reality in the New Testament.
Types may be persons, places, objects, events, institutions, and offices; the anti-type (New Testament fulfillment) of which should always be clear.
NOTE: There is often the temptation to see a type where none exists. The relationship between the type and the anti-type does not have to be strained if it exists. The relationship should be obvious.
Ex: The lifting up of the brass serpent in the wilderness as a type of the lifting up of Jesus on the Cross.
READ: Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:14-15
Ex: The Passover celebration of the Israelite nation as a type of the atoning sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.
READ: Ex 12:3-13; 1 Cor 5:7-8
CONCLUSION
The Bible is God’s gift of Himself in love that induces a response in trusting-faith and friendship. The most important element of this course to remember is that a text cannot mean what it never meant to its grammatical and historical context. Discovering the writer’s initially intended meaning will also be the intended meaning of the Holy Spirit, who inspired them to write it in the first place. As you read their words, you are dealing with direct revelation from God.
The biblical reality is that if a private “revelation” given to (or by) someone does not agree or align with Scripture, it is false, and if it does, then it is not needed.
If a person does not believe that the written Word of God is direct revelation and “inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:16-17), they will not be able to correctly preach or teach the message of a text and “present” themselves “to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15 ESV).
