Grace Institute: Bible Study Methods: Studying Hebrew Poetry

Bible Study Methods Grace Institute for Biblical Leadership Spring 2005

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Studying Hebrew Poetry

Importance of Poetry

Poetry is not very important in American culture. Outside of pop music, which has is a very unsophisticated form of poetry, we are strictly a prose culture. But in other cultures poetry is a highly esteemed and deeply ingrained form of literature. In ancient cultures the epic poems, such as the Illiad in Greece or the Aeneid in Rome, are the basis for national identity.

In the Hebrew Bible, poetry is extensively used, not only in the Psalms, but throughout the prophets. Poetry is used to impact the reader not just in the head, but the heart. Poetry is used because it is more readily memorized than prose. Poetry has a way of making profound statements in such simple and emotive language that it can penetrate through our cynical rationalism and hit us right in our soul.

The Structure of Poetry

It is the very nature of poetry that makes it memorable and penetrating. Poetry is required to follow certain ground rules. For example, in English, we expect poetry to follow a certain rhyme and meter. For example, every other line might end in a rhyme. Hebrew poetry uses rhyming and meter as well. However rhyme in Hebrew poetry tends to be not at the end of the line but in successive words. Hebrew poetry might also use alliteration in the successive words in a line. Hebrew poetry often also uses alphabetical acronyms, where each line starts with a different letter of the alphabet (e.g. Psalm 119).

However, the most distinguishing characteristic of Hebrew poetry is parallelism . A Hebrew poem is divided into lines which repeat the point of the author in different words. This repetitive style is the most distinguishing mark of Hebrew poetry because, unlike rhyme and meter, it transcends translation.

For example, in Psalm 19:7-9, each line in these 3 verses is really saying the same thing in a repetitive fashion.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

The psalmist is trying to penetrate our heart and get us to feel his point rather than making a rationalistic argument to make his point. Therefore, when studying Hebrew poetry, we don't dissect each line and try to determine the subtle differences in each word. Rather we let the overall sense of each parallel section give us an overall sense of what the author intends for us to feel about the passage.

When analyzing a psalm, we begin by breaking it into “stiches.” A stich is a group of related lines which have the parallel structure. In a passage, there can be a distich (two related lines) or tristiches (three related lines), as seen in Psalm 1:1-2:

Type of Parallelism

•  Synonymous Parallelism – Subsequent lines reinforce the first line.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity

And cleanse me from my sin.(Psalm 51:2)

•  Antithetical Parallelism – Subsequent lines contrast the first line.

The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD,

But the blameless in their walk are His delight. (Proverbs 11:20)

•  Synthetic Parallelism – Subsequent lines add further information to the first line.

The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,

A stronghold in times of trouble (Psalm 9:9)

Steps for Observing Hebrew Poetry

•  Break the poem into stiches.

•  Determine the type of parallelism for each

•  Look for the parallel elements in the stich.

•  Summarize the stich into a 2 to 5 word phrase.

•  Divide the stiches in to sections which are related. Summarize the sections into a 2 to 5 word phrase.

•  Look at the sections of the poem. What is the development of thought in the passage? What is the overall theme of the poem.

Assignment

•  Using the provided text of Psalm 8, break the psalm into stich units (distich, tristich or four stich patterns) by putting a bracket around the line numbers.

•  Identify the parallel elements of the stiches found in lines 7-12 (using the signifiers: a b c; a' b' c'; –a –b –c.)

•  Identify the sections of Psalm 8 by grouping the stiches with brackets.

•  Summarize each of your identified sections of Psalm 8 with a 2-5 word phrase.