Interpretation Matters Series, Part 8

In the previous article, we began a journey through the Bible’s major literary genres. We covered the basics of interpreting narrative and Old Testament law. Today we continue our journey, trekking through the vistas of poetry, prophecy, and New Testament letters.

Poetry

Poetry is one of the most common biblical genres. Like other poetry, you’ll want to read the poem several times to try and discern the structure. For example, Psalm 1 contains two stanzas that contrast the righteous and the wicked, with the final two lines emphasizing the contrast. This highlights the psalm’s theme.

Next, look for literary devices and figures of speech such as

• metaphors—“But you, Lord, are a shield” (Psalm 3:3)
• similes—“The wicked are… like chaff” (Psalm 1:4)
• personification—“the floods have lifted up their voice” (Psalm 93:3)
• repetition—“his faithful love endures forever” (repeated twenty-six times in Psalm 136)

For figures of speech, try to determine the connection between the image and what it is applied to. For example, how is the Lord like a shield? What is the similarity between the wicked and chaff?

A unique feature of biblical poetry is Hebrew parallelism, in which the second line expands on the thought of the first. In synonymous parallelism, the second line essentially repeats the idea of the first, such as in Proverbs 1:2, “For learning wisdom and discipline; for understanding insightful sayings.” In antithetic parallelism, the second line contrasts with the first, such as in Proverbs 10:1, “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son, heartache to his mother.” Finally, in synthetic parallelism, the second line advances the idea of the first line in some way. For example, Proverbs 10:18 says, “The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.”

And when interpreting proverbs, remember that they are not promises. They’re memorable sayings that are generally true. Which proverbs are true at which times depends on the situation and takes wisdom to discern. Proverbs are also part of the Bible’s Wisdom Literature, poetry that focuses on living in the fear of the Lord in a fallen world. Wisdom Literature includes Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and some psalms.

For more on interpreting biblical poetry and Wisdom Literature, check out The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes by Derek Kidner; Sweeter than Honey, Richer than Gold by Leland Ryken; and Short Sentences Long Remembered by Leland Ryken.

Prophecy

Now we come to the hornet’s nest of Bible interpretation. Prophecy is difficult (and debated), but many times we overcomplicate it. As with the rest of the Bible, interpret prophecy according to the rules of normal interpretation. Much of the prophetic books are narrative (e.g., Daniel 1-6), sermons (e.g., Jeremiah 7), or poetry (e.g., Isaiah 40) and should be interpreted accordingly.

Sometimes a prophecy is interpreted in its immediate context. This is true even with symbols. Biblical symbols are usually identified and interpreted in their context, such as when an angel tells Zechariah that the flying scroll he saw represents a curse on thieves and liars (Zechariah 5:1-4).

When you’re trying to determine the timeframe for a prophecy’s fulfillment, look for any stated timeframes in the immediate context, such as God declaring that Judah’s exile would last seventy years (Jeremiah 25:1-14). Also look for stated fulfillments in the bigger storyline of Scripture, such as Micah 5:2 being fulfilled by Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2:1-12).

It’s crucial to remember that many times a prophecy sounds like a single event, but it is fulfilled in more than one stage. For example, Isaiah 61 sounds like a single event. However, Jesus indicates that it is fulfilled in more than one stage when he stops reading in the middle of a sentence and says that only the first part of that prophecy had been fulfilled (Luke 4:16-21). Finally, we humbly need to remember that sometimes we aren’t supposed to know when a prophecy will be fulfilled (Daniel 12:4-13; Matthew 24:36).

For more on interpreting prophecy in general, and the book of Revelation in particular, see Brian Hand’s The Climax of Biblical Prophecy.

Letters

The New Testament letters, or epistles, are the easiest genre to interpret. They’re directly applicable to us because they were written for the New Testament Church. Like you would if you received a letter in the mail, consider who wrote the letter, who it was written to, the circumstances of those people, and why the author wrote the letter. This is how you determine the author’s intent.

To correctly understand the letter, pay careful attention to the context of the whole letter, the thought flow of sections and passages, and the grammar of individual passages. Finally, look for any Old Testament references or allusions.

Reminders and Resources

The Bible’s breathtaking literary diversity is both beautiful and intimidating. These past two articles alone might be enough to make you throw up your hands in despair. But before you lament in sackcloth and ashes, take a deep breath and remember that studying the Bible takes patience, repeated attempts, and continual growth. You shouldn’t expect to be an expert at interpreting every genre after reading one article or studying one time.

Remember that you’re not alone, either. You should be involved in a local church with teachers and more mature Christians who can help you grow. You also have the help of the Holy Spirit, the Master Teacher and Writer who wrote every word of the Bible across all of its genres. Finally, if you’d like more resources on the general idea of interpreting the Bible as literature, consider How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart; How to Read the Bible as Literature by Leland Ryken; and A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible by Leland Ryken.