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Bible Study Toolbox: The Importance of Genre
Bible Study Toolbox
The Importance of Genre
Genre is the style or form of literature. Biography, mystery, romance, self-help, how-to, sci-fi, horror, and history are all examples of literary genre. Genre matters because it affects our interpretation. For instance, let’s say you pick up a fantasy novel and read about dragons taking over the world. They’re swooping down to attack innocent victims, setting fire to entire towns, and building nests on skyscrapers. It’s entertaining to read about because it ignites our imaginations and provides escape from the normalcy of every day life. On the other hand, how would you react if you read it in a newspaper? It wouldn’t be entertaining, it’d be terrifying! We’d be in panic mode trying to figure out how to survive the attack! It’s the same information, but two different reactions. Genre makes the difference. When it’s in a fantasy novel, we know it’s just that: fantasy, not reality. However, the function of the “news” genre is to report what’s actually happening in our world, and that function changes our interpretation.
The Bible is composed of 66 books, written in many different genres like law, historical narrative, poetry, wisdom, apocalyptic, prophecy, parables, and letters. If we don’t understand the genre we’re reading, we won’t interpret the words properly. For instance, Psalm 98:8 says, “Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.” If this were found in the “law” genre, God would be commanding the rivers to clap their hands and the mountains to sing for joy, otherwise they’ll be punished for disobedience. If it were found in the “historical narrative” genre, it would mean that this literally happened at some point in history. Neither of those makes sense though. God doesn't teach His laws to rivers and mountains as if they have the free will to choose obedience, and rivers and mountains can’t literally clap or sing. When we understand, however, that the book of Psalms was the song book for the nation of Israel, we understand it’s filled with highly poetic language. The rivers aren’t literally clapping their hands and mountains can’t sing, but it’s figurative imagery to paint the picture of joy over the righteous judgment of God! (Psalm 98:9)
Some read Proverbs 22:6 and say, “That’s not true, the Bible is wrong! Some kids are raised right but turn away from God later.” They’re misunderstanding genre. Some read Ecclesiastes 1:4 and say it’s a fact that the earth will never be destroyed. They’re misunderstanding genre. Some use Revelation and the parables of Jesus as modern day prediction charts and time-tables. They’re misunderstanding genre. Some take passages like Amos 9:11-15 to mean there’s coming a day when the Jews will all return to the Promised Land and rebuild the temple and reinstitute worship under a Davidic king. Yep, genre again. If we don’t understand genre, we won’t understand the function of the literature. When we don’t understand function, we “distort the Scriptures to our own destruction.” (2 Pet. 3:16)
