I Have Used Similtudes, The Poetry of the Bible

Psalm 23

The Bible and Poetry

  • The Prevalence of Poetry in the Bible
    • One third of the Old Testament is written in poetic form (e.g., Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, prophetic books)
    • Jesus' use of poetic language
    • Poetic language in the epistles and Revelation
  • Understanding Poetic Language
    • Example of Romans 6:22-23 and 7:4 as poetic theological passages
    • Explanation of metaphors and imaginative language in theology

Identifying and Analyzing Biblical Poetry

  • Characteristics of Poetry
    • Written in verse form
    • Use of poetic language (parallelism, metaphor, simile)
    • The role of concrete imagery in poetry
  • Translation and Parallelism
    • Parallelism as a verse form that survives translation
    • Importance of parallelism in biblical poetry
  • Imagery and Metaphor in Poetry
    • The essence of poetry lies in its reliance on concrete imagery and figures of speech
    • Examples from Psalms (honey, thunder, broken arms, etc.)
    • Psalm 23 as a primary example, emphasizing imagery and pastoral themes

Brain Hemispheres and Literary Interpretation

  • Right and Left Brain Functions
    • Differences between left-brain (language, abstraction) and right-brain (sensory, imagery) processing
    • Implications for preaching and teaching the Bible

Literary Approach to the Bible

  • Combining Literal and Figurative Language
    • Examples of how the Bible uses imagery and metaphor
    • Practical observations on interpreting biblical poetry

Practical Observations and Applications

  • Interpreting Psalm 23
    • Analysis of key metaphors in Psalm 23
    • Discussion on the restoration and dark valleys metaphor
  • Challenges in Interpretation
    • The concept of single versus multiple meanings in biblical passages
    • The role of literary critics and the risk of misinterpretation

Conclusion

  • Poetry as Fictional and Fantastical
    • Fictional elements in poetry (metaphor, hyperbole, apostrophe)
    • Respect for the fictional nature of poetry in biblical interpretation
  • Unified Structure of Poems
    • Theme and variation in poetry
    • The importance of approaching poems as unified, coherent wholes
  • Literary Nature of the Bible
    • Importance of recognizing the Bible as a literary work
    • Recommendations for a three-part sermon structure: interaction with the text, stating principles, and applying principles

Final Thoughts and Prayer

  • Encouragement for Readers and Expositors
    • Emphasis on a literary approach to reading, teaching, and preaching the Bible
    • Concluding prayer for encouragement and gratitude

*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.

About the Contributors