The top left corner of the iTunes app on an iPhone offers a search link for music labeled “Genres.” From “Alternative” to “Worldwide,” a “genre” of music is a category or kind of music. Anything someone makes is part of a larger category, kind, or genre, including music, TV shows, movies, books, and more. Every genre of creation follows certain patterns, rules, and keys that make sense for it, whether country’s twang or hip-hop’s beats in music or a mystery of “who-done-it” in a crime drama. The Bible is a book that people wrote as inspired by the Holy Spirit, and they wrote within certain styles and genres. Understanding the different genres of the books of the Bible helps us understand the Bible accurately. Let’s look at the Bible’s six main genres along with some keys for understanding them.
Story. The Bible tells true, historical stories about God, people, and the world. Scholars call this genre “historical narrative” because it tells a story (narrative) about what really happened (historical). From creation and the Fall to the Exodus, the kingdom of Israel, and the story of Jesus in the gospels, historical narratives make up a big part of the Bible. When God wanted to tell us about Himself and the world, “He gave us stories.”1 One key to understanding historical narrative involves knowing the difference between the “prescriptive” and “descriptive” parts of a story. Prescriptive parts of the Bible “prescribe” what we should do. Descriptive parts of the Bible “describe” what happened, whether good or bad. We must be careful not to confuse these two parts of the historical narrative.
Poetry. Much of the Old Testament is Hebrew poetry. Hebrew poetry is similar to English poetry in that it often uses powerful, artistic, symbolic, and exaggerated language to communicate. But Hebrew poetry differs from English poetry because Hebrew poetry uses a poetic tool called the “line.” Understanding the line is key, as Hebrew poets wrote lines that would restate, contrast, or build on one another. The Psalms and many of the prophets are written in poetry. Think about what Psalm 1:1 says:
How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers!
Notice how the lines shift from walking, to standing, to sitting. Modern English Bibles show the poetic parts of the Bible by giving each poetic line its own printed line. Poetry has a lot more “white space” and uneven edges on the right side of the text, making it easier to see.
Proverb. A proverb states a general truth or instruction based on God’s Word and God’s world. A key to understanding proverbs is recognizing that proverbs teach wisdom, so sometimes a proverb may apply in a situation while other times it may not. A proverb is often different than a promise or a command of God. For example, Proverbs 26:4 says, “Don’t answer a fool according to his foolishness,” while the next verse, Proverbs 26:5 says, “Answer a fool according to his foolishness.” Discerning the difference requires wisdom.
Prophecy. While we often think of prophecy as telling the future, prophecy actually reveals God’s truth in two ways. Prophecy states God’s Word about the present (forth-telling) and about the future (fore-telling). Surprisingly, more prophecy in the Bible is “forth-telling” than “fore-telling.” Understanding prophecy means recognizing that many prophets wrote in poetic style so that prophecy includes descriptive, symbolic imagery. For example, the prophecy of Isaiah 40:4 says:
Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill will be leveled; the uneven ground will become smooth and the rough places, a plain.
The poetic prophecy of Isaiah here does not describe a geographical change so much as God’s promise to show up without anything hindering or slowing Him down.
Letter. Letters make up a big part of the New Testament. The New Testament was written in ancient Greek, which had a specific style and form. Modern letters open with “Dear Someone” and close with “Sincerely, Someone Else.” New Testament letters include greetings, prayer, thanksgiving, doctrine, and instruction. All of the New Testament letters were written to specific churches. To understand letters we should remember that each letter addresses a specific circumstance (scholars call this the letter’s “occasion”).
Apocalypse. Apocalypse means “unveiling” or “revelation.” Related to prophecy, apocalypse is the dramatic unveiling of heavenly, spiritual realities. Such realities strain our senses, so apocalypse includes highly symbolic communication that often seems strange. To understand the genre of apocalypse, we should learn how a specific author uses symbolism to communicate God’s Word.
Understanding biblical genres is important. While we may have a favorite genre of music, we should regularly “listen to” all the genres of the Bible as we learn the keys for understanding them.
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This article is excerpted from How to Study the Bible, a 6-week course designed to share practical Bible study skills to help you grow in your understanding and application of God’s Word. Download a free sample of this resource here.
1. Richard L. Pratt, Jr., He Gave Us Stories: The Bible Student’s Guide to Interpreting Old Testament Narratives (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1993).