Interpreting Biblical Poetry

The poetry in the Old Testament (primarily the Psalms, but also some songs within narrative, as well as Song of Songs and poetic portions of the Prophets) was written in Hebrew, using Hebrew conventions. Whereas traditional English poetry relies on rhyme and meter, Hebrew poetry commonly uses other conventions (such as acrostics, parallelism, and contrast) that can be difficult to convey in English translation.

Although poetry is more rare in the New Testament, there are portions of text (especially in the letters) that are styled as poetry because they are likely from early hymns or liturgies.

Inductive Bible Study Applied to Poetry (Example: Psalm 34)

1. Observation: What do you notice about the text? What questions does it raise for you? (Read the text in at least two different versions of the Bible.)

2. Interpretation: What is the author trying to communicate? Who is the author or editor? (not all psalms were written by David; some are anonymous; “of David” may not mean that David is the author—it could mean “for” or “in the style of”) What is the literary context? (the psalms were not written in the order they are arranged in now, but they were intentionally edited together in collections and so may have some relationship to the psalms around them) What literary features does the author use? (acrostic, parallel lines, contrast, themes, etc.) Is there a clear historical context for the psalm/song? What did this psalm/song mean in its historical context? What does this psalm/song communicate about who God is, how he relates to his people, and how he wants his people to live and act? What does this psalm/song communicate about the faith, struggles, and emotions of someone living in covenant relationship with God?

3. Evaluation: How does this relate to the rest of Scripture and to the faith of the church? Does this psalm/song or portions of it occur elsewhere in Psalms or in the OT? How do the wording and context compare? Does this tell us anything about the way the author uses this material for the current psalm/song? Does this psalm/song refer to or rely on other OT texts? Is this psalm/song referred to or quoted elsewhere in the Bible (especially in the NT)? (in the NT, typically David is seen as the author of the Psalms, and they are viewed as prophecy) How does this psalm/song and what it conveys about God and his people relate to other teachings in the Bible or in the church?

4. Application: How does this passage relate to my life? How does what this passage teaches about God and his people inform my own faith and relationship with God? What can the psalmist’s own thoughts and feelings teach me about my own faith, praise, and prayers? What can I learn about how God relates to his people today?