Part 2: Prophecy
It was interesting to learn this week that when the Bible is viewed from a literary standpoint, it is found to contain numerous types of writing. Here are a few examples from the book of Psalms and from several of the prophets:
The Psalms
Psalm 1 – a meditative poem
<>Blessed is the man
<>Who does not walk in the way of the wicked
<>Or stand in the way of sinners
<>Or sit in the seat of mockers.
For his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And on his law he meditates day and night.
<>Who does not walk in the way of the wicked
<>Or stand in the way of sinners
<>Or sit in the seat of mockers.
For his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And on his law he meditates day and night.
Psalm 4 – a monody (a monologue, but sung; usually a lament as well)
<>Give ear to my words, O Lord,
<>Consider my sighing.
<>Listen to my cry for help,
My King and my God
For to you I pray.
<>Consider my sighing.
<>Listen to my cry for help,
My King and my God
For to you I pray.
Psalm 27 – dramatic lyrics
<>When evil men advance against me
<>To devour my flesh,
<>When my enemies and my foes attack me,
<>They will stumble and fall.
<>To devour my flesh,
<>When my enemies and my foes attack me,
<>They will stumble and fall.
Psalm 67 – ritual lyrics
<>May God be gracious to us and bless us
<>And make his face shine upon us
<>That your ways may be known on earth,
<>Your salvation among all the nations.
<>And make his face shine upon us
<>That your ways may be known on earth,
<>Your salvation among all the nations.
Psalm 137 – an elegy (melancholy, plaintive poem)
<>By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
<>When we remembered Zion.
<>There on the poplars we hung our harps
<>For there our captors asked us for songs,
Our tormentors demanded songs of joy.
<>When we remembered Zion.
<>There on the poplars we hung our harps
<>For there our captors asked us for songs,
Our tormentors demanded songs of joy.
4 comments:
It is very interesting to find literary forms you've studied in scripture. My personal favorites are Isaiah and Ecclesiastes because they contain wonderful figures of speech, especially in the King James Version. Take for example this fine bit of antithesis:
"I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.(Ecclesiastes 9:11)"
Solomon takes an ordinary, ugly thought (life's not fair) and makes it memorable. Of course, not all scripture is like that; I'll probably always remember Origen commenting that the Gospels were written in bad Greek.
I don't necessarily think that we should just view the Bible as mere literature, which I am certain isn't the point you are trying to convey. But just look at it. We can read the Bible and say "There is some wonderful imagry!" and miss the image that is trying to be conveyed. Our neighbor used to teach Bible classes, and he missed the meaning in the miracles that really did happen. He just thinks of them as symbolism. I think that we can view the Bible as literature, but to go very far with it is not a good idea.
~Nella
Ecclesiastes is an amazing book, Abraham. It's tone is unique, and it has a nice, down-to-earth quality, like Proverbs.
Nella, you are quite right. I didn't think about that side of the issue when I posted, but I completely agree that the Bible is much, much more than just literature. Thank you for the reminder.
The Bible is definetly beautiful literature, but it is more than that too. More than any other work, it speaks to the heart of the human experience, the very depth of our being. And yet Augustine said about it, "it is shallow enough for babes to play in and deep enough for scholors to drown in." We would all do well to study it more.
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