Literary Forms Found in the Bible PDF
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This document details various types of literary forms found in the Bible, like myths, historical accounts, fables, and prophecies, and provides brief descriptions and examples for each form. It aims to help understand different elements of biblical texts.
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Literary Forms Found in the Bible BIBSTUD: Module II-E 1 LITERARY FORMS USED IN THE BIBLE: 1. Myth – symbolic rendition or expression of ultimate realities especially religious truth. Gen 1 & 2, Is 11:6-9...
Literary Forms Found in the Bible BIBSTUD: Module II-E 1 LITERARY FORMS USED IN THE BIBLE: 1. Myth – symbolic rendition or expression of ultimate realities especially religious truth. Gen 1 & 2, Is 11:6-9 BIBSTUD: Module II-E 2 2. Historical Account – a re-telling of events in the past especially those pertaining to God’s revelation in historical events, and the people’s response to that revelation. Ex 14, 1 & 2 Kings BIBSTUD: Module II-E 3 3. Fable – a story that bears lessons and employs animals and inanimate objects as characters in place of person actors. 2 Kings 14:9 4. Legal Codes – laws, commandments, rules of conduct, dietary regulations, etc. Ex 20, Lev 6:1-7 BIBSTUD: Module II-E 4 5. Prophecy – oracles spoken by persons chosen by God, commonly the prophets, expressing warnings, promise, admonition, or reproach. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel 6. Poetry – parallelisms, balance, rhyme, rhythm, and employs figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, or other exaggerations. Psalms BIBSTUD: Module II-E 5 7. Aetiology – attempts to explain the cause or origin of a natural phenomenon, a condition, a custom, or institution. Gen 9:12ff – the rainbow, God’s covenant to Noah. Gen 19:26 – pillar of salt, a salt-rock formation common along the coastline of the dead sea. BIBSTUD: Module II-E 6 8. Wisdom Literature – composed of maxims, sayings, proverbs, counsel of the sages, reflections and thoughts on the problems and meanings in life, good and evil. Proverbs Wisdom of Solomon 9. Satire – consists of sarcasm, parody, irony, or condemnations used to imply personal or social criticisms. 1 Kings 18:26-29, Job 32-40 BIBSTUD: Module II-E 7 10. Midrash – imaginative reconstruction of a biblical episode. Infancy narratives in Luke and Matthew BIBSTUD: Module II-E 8 11. Miracle Stories – In OT, miracles are signs and wonders God’s presence; in the NT, miracles were understood as signs of salvation brought about by Jesus, the messiah. Mt 5:21-43 – Jesus raises a dead girl. Ex 16:4-15 – the quail and manna on the desert. BIBSTUD: Module II-E 9 12. Apocalyptic Genre – God’s revelations about hidden things employing imagery or symbolisms like visions, dreams, numbers, bizarre figures and fantastic beasts. Matthew 24:29, Revelation 12 13. Allegory – a figurative similitude with a veiled meaning. Mark 4:13-20 – “I am the bread of life, you are the salt of the earth…” BIBSTUD: Module II-E 10 14. Irony – contains double-layered meaning where the meaning is contrary to the words. John 18:28-36 to 19:16 – the trial of Jesus reveals his divine kingship BIBSTUD: Module II-E 11 15. Parable – a narrative intended to re-orient one’s worldly values towards values of the Kingdom of God. Matthew 13:1-9 – the sower Matthew 13:31-32 – the mustard seed BIBSTUD: Module II-E 12 16. Gospel – contains the Christian interpretation of a story about a certain Jew named Jesus, who was believed to be the messiah. Luke 4:16-30, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah: “This text is fulfilled in your hearing.” NT can only be understood in the light of this fulfillment. [NAB, SP, 1991; E. Bragado & A. Monera, Kaloob, 1997: 58-62; B. Bandstra, RTOT, 1995: 7-9] BIBSTUD: Module II-E 13
