Lesson 7

How To

Study the Bible Lesson 7: How To Study Poetry

By Shane Scott

When we think of poetry, we usually have in mind a series of lines which rhyme with each other: "Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you." But of course even i our own language and culture, really good poetry is much more complex and sophisticated. It requires a lot of skill to get the most out of poetry written in our time. This is even more true with regard to Hebrew poetry which was written hundreds of years ago in a totally foreign culture. This week we will look at some basic features of Hebrew poetry, but first, I want to explore why so much of the Bible was written in poetic form.

WHY DID GOD WRITE MUCH OF THE BIBLE IN POETRY?

A large section of the Bible is poetry. The Book of Psalms, which composes a huge segment of the OT, is written entirely in poetry. But many other parts of the Bible are poetic: Job, Song of Solomon, Proverbs, most of Ecclesiastes, and much of the prophetic books.

There are several reasons God used poetry in His book, and especially in the Psalms. First, the Psalms were to be used in musical worship, and poetry is more conducive to music. These psalms were also used by the early church (Eph. 5:19). Second, poetry appeals to the entire man, his emotions as well as his intellect (see Ex. 14:26-31 and 15:1-5). Third, poetry can be grasped by everyone, whereas purely historical or legal sections can be difficult to digest. Finally, poetry aids in memorization, and what could be more important to commit to memory than the word of God?

Now let's take a closer look at Hebrew poetry.

A LOOK AT HEBREW POETRY

Hebrew poetry is very different from English poetry. English poetry focuses on meter (the number of beats per stanza), but Hebrew poetry does not have any meter. So in our culture poetry often has a cadence or beat, but that was irrelevant to the Hebrew way of doing poetry.

Instead, Hebrew poetry utilizes parallelism, the constant repetition of thought. This is totally different from our way of doing poetry, but once you get the hang of it, you will begin to appreciate the use of parallelism as a beautiful way of expressing thoughts.

There are several different types of parallelism:

a. Synonymous parallelism is the repetition of the same thought using two different but closely related sets of words. We can diagram it like this:

Line one: a b;

Line two: a b.

Here is a good example, Psalm 2:3:

A B

Line 1 "Let us tear their fetters apart,

Line 2 And cast away their cords from us!"

b. Antithetical parallelism repeats the same thought using antonyms.

It would be diagrammed like this:

Line one: a b;

Line two: (not) a (not) b.

This is used in Psalm 37:10-11: A B

Verse 10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there.

(not) A (not) B

Verse 11 But the humble will inherit the land, And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

c Emblematic parallelism uses a simile or metaphor to make the same point. It would look like this:

Line one: "as" a b;

Line two: "so" a b.

Psalm 42:1 is a classic example of this:

As A

Line 1 As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So B

Line 2 So my soul pants for Thee, O God.

d. Climactic parallelism partially repeats the first line in the second line, but the second line advances the thought of line one.

Diagrammed, it would look like this:

Line one: a b;

Line two: a b c.

Psalm 92:9 says, A B

Line 1 For, behold, Thine enemies, O Lord,

A B C

Line 2 For, behold, Thine enemies will perish; All who do Iniquity will be scattered.

e. Chiastic parallelism switches around the parallel phrases so that they are reversed. A diagram of this is:

Line one: a b.

Line two: b a.

Psalm 91:14 is styled in this fashion:

A B

Line 1 "Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;

B A

Line 2 I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

f. Elliptical parallelism means that the parallel phrase is not actually given but it is understood to be there. So it would be diagrammed:

Line one: a b.

Line two: a (b is absent) or (a is absent) b.

For instance, in Psalm 88:6 we are told:

A B

Line 1 Thou hast put me in the lowest pit,

A is Absent B

Line 2 In dark places, in the depths.

I realize that this may seem very complex and difficult. But it is important to see that the Hebrew poets used great skill in their poetry. Not only that, because parallels were so central in Hebrew poetry, very often one line that is difficult to interpret can be easily understood because its parallel line is easy to understand. Hebrew poetry is much different from ours, but as you look for these forms of parallels you will become more comfortable with how to read it.

Questions for Review and Discussion.

1. Why was so much of the Bible written in poetic form?

2. What is the major characteristic of Hebrew poetry?

3. After reading the following example of Hebrew poetry, identify the form of parallelism that is used:

Isaiah 1:3 _________________

Line 1 An ox knows its owner,

Line 2 And a donkey its master's manger,

Line 1 But Israel does not know,

Line 2 My people do not understand."

Proverbs 10:1 __________________

Line 1 A wise son makes a father glad,

Line 2 But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.

Psalm 103:13 _________________

Line 1 Just as a father has compassion on his children,

Line 2 So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.