WISDOM AND POETIC

BOOKS

Biblical Literature

Dr. David Battle

FORM CRITICISM

Hermann Gunkel

1862-1932

A Literary Form or “genre” have

• Common style and structure

• Common sensibility and mood, or tone.

• Common life context.

FORM CRITICISM

The goal is use the clues in specified

form or “genre” of a literary work to

identify the Zitz im Leben or “the life

setting” of the form.

Hermann Gunkel

1862-1932

GUNKEL’S FORMS

Newspaper Article

Obituary

Lawsuit

• Hymns of Praise

• Hymns of Laments

• Royal Palms

• Entrance Liturgies

GUNKEL-FORM CRITICISM

Community

Individual

Psalms were used in temple worship.

FROM CRITICISM

There is no single universal

system of classification of

Forms and many overlap.

Lament Psalms

Wisdom Palms

Royal Psalms

Messianic Psalms

Psalms of Ascent

Penitential Psalms

Imprecatory Psalms*

WISDOM AND POETIC

COMMON FORMS

Psalm 60

Psalm 1

Psalm 2

Psalm 22, 110

Psalm 120-136

Psalm 51

Psalm 137

A SURVEY OF WISDOM

AND POETIC BOOKS

Biblical Literature

Dr. David Battle

WISDOM AND POETIC

BOOKS: PART ONE

WISDOM AND POETIC

Books of Wisdom

• Practical Wisdom

• Philosophic Wisdom

Psalms:

Song of Solomon

WISDOM AND POETIC

Philosophical Wisdom:

• Job

• Ecclesiastes

Practical Wisdom:

• Proverbs

WISDOM AND POETIC

Psalms:

• Five Books or collections of Psalms.

• Books One (Psalms 1-41)

• Book Two (Psalms 42-72)

• Book Three (Psalms 73-89)

• Book Four (Psalms 90-106)

• Book Five (Psalms 107-150)

• Opening: Psalms 1 & 2

• Closing Doxologies

• Climatic Doxologies (Psalms 146-150)

WISDOM AND POETIC

Psalms:

• Sub collection of Psalms

• Three Collection of Davidic Psalms

• Two Collections from the Sons of Korah

• Two Collections of Congregational Praise.

• Asaph Collection

• Hallelujah Psalms

WISDOM AND POETIC

Song of Solomon (SS 2:7; 3:5; 8:4)

• A Wedding Poem

• Used metaphorically for the relationship between

God and His people.

• Israel

• Church

WISDOM AND POETIC

Poetic literature is aesthetic and emotive.

Bishop Robert Lowth (1710-1787)

• Lectures on Hebrew Poetry, 1787

• Synonymous Parallelism

• Antithetical Parallelism

• Synthetic Parallelism

Robert Lowth

1710-1787

UNDERSTANDING

POETIC STRUCTURES

Biblical Literature

Dr. David Battle

SYNONOMUS

(Psalm 24:1-2 ESV)

[24:1] The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,

the world and those who dwell therein,

[2] for he has founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the rivers.

ANTITHETICAL

(Prov. 1:8 ESV)

[8] Hear, my son, your father’s instructions,

And forsake not your mother’s teaching. *

* “Torah” or law.

SYNTHETIC

(Psalm 1:1-2 ESV)

[1:1] Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

WISDOM AND POETIC

Other poetic common structures and devices.

• Inclisio (Psalm 8:1,9)

• Acrostic

• Psalm 119

• Chiasmus

• Psalm 1:2

• Psalm 8

CHIASMUS: PSALM 1:3

A but his delight is

B in the law of the LORD,

B’ and on his law

A’ he meditates day and night.

CHIASMUS: PSALM 8

God’s Excellent Name [8:1a]:

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

God’s Excellent Name: [9]

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

CHIASMUS: PSALM 8

God’s Rule In the Heavens:

[1b] You have set your glory above the

heavens.[2] Out of the mouth of babies

and infants, you have established strength

because of your foes, to still the enemy

and the avenger.

Humanity’s Rule on the Earth:

[6] You have given him dominion

over the works of your hands; you

have put all things under his feet,

[7] all sheep and oxen, and also the

beasts of the field, [8] the birds of

the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of

the seas.

CHIASMUS: PSALM 8

Humanities Smallness: [3] When I look at your heavens, the

work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in

place,

• The Central Question of the Psalm: [4] what is man that you are

mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

Humanities Greatness: [5] Yet you have made him a little lower

than the heavenly beings* and crowned him with glory and honor.

* Heb. “gods” or Lxx. “angles”