Are you committed to reading the Bible? Do you consider spending time in God’s Word a high priority for your life? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you want to read the Bible in such a way so that you can get the most out of your reading time. There are a number of factors Bible readers must consider as they read God’s Word. One factor that is often overlooked or not clearly understood is genre. What are we referring to when we talk about genre? Genre is a category or type of creative composition based on similarities in form, style, and other considerations. An example will help us sort this out. In fictional literature, one finds works of Western, mystery, romance, fantasy, and other kinds of stories. Each of these, and others, is a specific genre of literature. One would not read a mystery novel the same way they read a fantasy story. The same is true in biblical literature. It really does make a difference.
Historical Narrative
There are three basic genres found in the Bible, though there are many sub-genres. The most prevalent is historical narrative. Almost half the Bible is a historical narrative. Biblical historical narrative does not work the same as a modern history book. Biblical narratives are theological in purpose, and the form is a story with a discernible story arc. The story arc refers to developing and resolving the narrative tension and its theme. There is always tension, a struggle, or a problem to be solved. The narrative tension has a theological purpose. Biblical narratives seek to show (not tell) us something about God, people, and the relationship between the two. They are designed to lead us to God.
An example will help us see this more clearly. If we take the story of Joseph in Genesis chapters 37-50, who is Jacob’s son and Abraham’s great-grandson, we can see the narrative tension early in the story. The story opens with Joseph, aged seventeen, being the favored son of Jacob’s twelve sons. Jacob gives Joseph a special garment to show his favoritism, and Joseph has two dreams with which he taunts his brothers. Due to these factors and others, the older brothers hate Joseph. When the opportunity presents itself, they want to kill him but decide to sell him into slavery and lie, implicating to their father that wild animals killed Joseph. As the story unfolds, Joseph finds himself in Egypt as a slave and then a prisoner in the dungeon of the Pharaoh. Joseph’s life was progressing steadily downhill. But the Lord was with him in every situation and eventually brought him out of the dungeon and into the place of second-in-command behind the Pharaoh. In this position, Joseph rescues not only all of Egypt from famine but also his own family in the land of Canaan. The family is reunited and brought to Egypt for safety and security. In this way, the narrative tension (the problem) was solved, and the blessing of God flowed to the people of God.
There are many great teachings throughout all the episodes of the story, but the primary teaching of the whole story is that God is in control of his people and his plan. He is working out all things according to his purposes. We can trust him. At the end of the story, after Jacob dies, the brothers of Joseph come to him out of fear with a made-up tale that their father told them to tell Joseph that he (Jacob) said to treat his brothers well. Joseph said to them, knowing that this was their fear and not the truth, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” He’s assuring them that God is in control and that he knows that. He will not harm them but only bless them. The life of Joseph tells a great story and a great message.
Biblical Poetry
The second basic biblical genre is poetry. Biblical poetry consists of about one-third of the Bible. There are poetic books in the Bible, like the book of Psalms, but poetry can be found in almost every sub-genre, like law, prophecy, and even historical narrative. Biblical poetry works very similar to other non-biblical forms of poetry. Figurative language is the main component of biblical poetry. Writers of biblical poetry use metaphor, symbolism, and other literary devices to communicate their meaning. Poetic imagery often compares the literal image the poet expresses and the spiritual truth he wishes to convey. The psalmists frequently call the Lord a rock. In this image, the psalmist compares the Lord to a rock to symbolize the stability and strength of the Lord. He is a hiding place for the believer in times of trouble. Most biblical readers know the poetic imagery, “The Lord is my shepherd.” There is a visual component in poetry. The reader or hearer is called on to see the image conveyed in words and to make the connection to what the image refers.
Two other distinctive features of Hebrew poetry are parallelism and acrostic form. Parallelism occurs when the poet structures successive lines or blocks of lines in the poem in special ways. There are many types of parallelism, but the most common is the standard parallelism. There are two lines in this type, and the second line restates the idea of the first line in a similar but slightly different way to draw out more of the meaning and insight of the idea. An example of this is Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Each of the two parallel lines of the poem asks a question. The second line asks the same question but adds to the first and strengthens it. There are other kinds of parallelism, like antithetical or contrasting parallelism. In this form, the second line contrasts what is said in the first, often using the word, but. We find this often in the book of Proverbs. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). The reader of poetry should pay special attention to these rich nuggets.
The acrostic form in Hebrew poetry refers to alphabetic poetry. The poem’s first line, or blocks of lines, begins with the first Hebrew letter, and each successive line, or blocks of lines, begins with the next letter through the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This is done for beauty purposes but also to aid in memory. We find eight acrostic poems in nine psalms in the book of Psalms (Psalms 9-10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, 145). We also see acrostic poems in Proverbs 31:10-31, Lamentations 1, 2, 3, and 4, but not Chapter 5 and Nahum 1.
Poetry has a way of moving the mind and the heart, and biblical poetry has a special power to move the human heart. When we read or hear the poetry of the Bible, we must open our hearts to the impact the poetic imagery seeks to cause. The writer chose poetry as a way to communicate his message. In this way, poetic passages can have a great impact on the believer. They stir his/her imagination and move the heart, transforming a person’s life.
Biblical Discourse
The third and final category of basic biblical genre is biblical discourse. Biblical discourses are the passages that convey teaching, like the teaching of Jesus or the letters of Paul. Teaching passages are found throughout the Bible. Often, a teaching passage will be set in a historical narrative. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is one such passage. Biblical discourse is not trying to tell a historical story or communicate through poetic imagery but teaching an important truth. The writers of these kinds of passages use a tighter logical flow of ideas. It is important to follow their train of thought to understand what they are teaching. Biblical discourse uses figurative language, like metaphors, but the main way they communicate their message is through indicative and imperative statements. An indicative statement is a declaration of fact or reality. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul makes a declarative statement about his life as a believer in Jesus Christ. Imperative statements are commands the writer expresses to the readers. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Paul commands the Galatian believers to live their lives by the power of the Holy Spirit with the result that they will not fall prey to their sinful desires.
The focus in reading biblical discourse is to grasp the main point the inspired writer is making in each section. They have truth to teach and they seek to communicate it clearly. Reading these kinds of passages thoughtfully is important. Tracing out their main point, and what they are saying about their main point is critical to understanding the message and applying it to our lives.
So, as we read our Bibles, we keep an eye on what kind of passage we read so that we can accurately and fully understand what God is saying to us. We read our Bibles not to check off our daily reading on a list but to hear, understand, and obey the message God is communicating to us through the Holy Spirit. God has something important to say to us. He loves us, and he has a plan for our lives. We understand God, ourselves, and God’s plan as we deeply engage the Scriptures.