Introduction
In
this page we consider the culture of the Bible, different styles of
writing & speech forms.
This
is necessary because the Bible was written at least two thousand years
ago, about Middle Eastern people with different languages and a different
culture from our own.
The
Gaps to be Bridged
When
we read the Bible we need to bridge the following gaps in understanding:
1.
Historical
As
we have said, the Bible is spread over possibly two thousand years of
history, the nearest part being nearly two thousand years away from
us.
Life has changed considerably in that time and therefore, if we are
to understand the Bible, we need to try to put ourselves into a variety
of historical periods, covered by the Bible.
2.
Cultural
The
customs of Middle Eastern people are very different from people in the
West. Add to that the time differences noted above, and we may
find a variety of practices recorded in the Bible that are quite different
from anything we might know.
e.g.
1 In Gen
15:9-11 we find Abram performing a ritual of laying down two
rows of halved carcasses in the making of a solemn covenant or agreement.
The idea was probably that both parties to the covenant would
walk down the path to invoke on themselves a similar fate should they
break the covenant. Slightly different from our signing a contract,
but the same intent behind it!
e.g.
2 In Ruth
4:1-12 we find a legal transaction taking place that would appear
completely alien to a Western mind in the twenty first century.
Ruth is a widow and Boaz is a distant male relative. Note the cultural
differences:
i)
When a woman was widowed the next male unmarried relative (brother of
dead man) was invited to marry her.
ii)
Civil transactions took place at the city gate which was the meeting
place for the city leaders (verses1 & 2).
iii)
If the man who had the next option to marry the woman declined to do
so, the next in line had the right to marry her (Boaz and Ruth have
already shown signs of affection for one another and both want this).
iv)
As a sign of transfer of property one party took off his shoe or sandal
and passed it over to the other who formally received it (verses 7 &
8). Verse 7 seems to indicate that this was a practice which had
gone out of use by the time of recording these events.
[NB.
The whole story of the short book called Ruth, is a mixture of tragedy
and a beautiful, caring and gentle establishing of a marriage of a Jew
and a Gentile. The reason that it is included in the Bible is that Ruth
and Boaz are part of the family tree that eventually included David,
and even later Jesus, on Joseph's side, i.e. they are part of the Messianic
family line.]
3.
Linguistic
The
ways of speaking in a different part of the world, in different languages,
at different times in history, are also very different from ours today.
Thus we may find certain ways of speaking and writing a little strange.
e.g.
Proverbs
6:16 where it seems to say, "Six, well no, seven"
and then Proverbs
30:15 where it seems to say, "Three, well no, four".
The addition of one is simply a way of catching our attention to the
list.
In
what follows, in the main section below, we'll consider how language
is used in different ways in different styles of writing and in different
forms within the writing.
4.
Geographical
The
action of the Bible takes place over an area from Egypt to modern-day
Iraq. It therefore includes many countries (some of which don't
exist today), and many towns and cities (some of which either don't
exist today or have changed their names). It also includes geographical
features such as rivers, lakes, seas and mountains.
To
appreciate just WHERE the action is taking place, it is helpful to have
a Bible that has maps in the back of it, and to refer to them regularly.
Only in this way will we understand the full significance of what is
happening sometimes.
Different
Styles of Writing?
Equally important, as we said above, in seeking to understand
what you read in the Bible, is the need to identify the nature of the
writing you have in front of you.
Very
often people talk foolishly about whether certain groups interpret the
Bible literally or not. This is foolish because by the nature
of the different sorts of writing in the Bible, it is clear that it
is impossible to take parts of it literally and it's not meant to
be taken literally!
On
the pages of Scripture before us, it may be:
1.
History (Narrative)
If
we are reading straight forward history, then we should be taking the
literal meaning of the words.
2.
Poetry
Some
Scripture is poetry and in some Bibles the layout indicates that this
is so, by laying it out in verse form. Where it is poetry, we need to
look carefully to see whether it was intended to be read literally or
whether figures of speech (see below) are used which are intended to
convey meaning through picture language.
3.
Allegory (where a deeper meaning is being conveyed)
If
picture language is clearly and obviously being used, then we do not
interpret it literally, but see the sense of the picture being conveyed.
e.g.
Judges
9:7-15 where Jotham uses a picture of various trees to convey
a message.
4.
Parable
A
parable is a short story, true to life, to convey a truth. Usually it
has one main truth, but there may be secondary truths in the detail
of the story. In the Gospels, Jesus told many parables and we should
see them as made up stories with a meaning, and not literal accounts.
5.
Teaching
The
letters of the New Testament are good examples of teaching, although
there is also much teaching in the accounts of the Gospels. In
the teaching of the Letters, for example, we can see that there is usually
a mixture of 'doctrine' (explanation of why things are as they are)
and 'instruction' (practical application to everyday life).
For
the believer it is good to recognise the distinction so that you can
understand the reasoning behind Christian behaviour.
6.
Prophecy
Large
parts of the Old Testament especially, are prophecy - words spoken by
God through human beings. Some of the books of the Old Testament are
called "The Prophets" simply because they are mostly prophecy.
Understanding
prophecy is the subject of one of the later pages in this series.
Essentially, with prophecy, ask the basic questions, to WHOM was it
spoken, and WHY was it spoken. Within it there may be picture
language that should not be literally interpreted.
"Indirect
Forms of Speech"
This
may appear a little like a grammar lesson, but for full understanding
it is helpful to realise the nature of the language that is sometimes
used. In particular observe:
1.
Similes
A
simile is simply a figure of speech in which one thing is likened to
another, by the use of such words as 'like'.
e.g.
Ezek
1:24 the sound of wings like the roar of rushing
waters. It wasn't the sound of rushing waters, but was loud in
the same way that rushing waters would be.
In
virtually every revelation of heaven in the Bible the word 'like' is
used again and again, as the prophet sees something that is so incredible
and different that he cannot explain it, and so had to resort to comparisons
with which we would be familiar.
2.
Metaphors
A
metaphor is simply a figure of speech in which a name or quality of
something is attributed to something to which it is not literally applicable,
i.e. it compares two things by saying one thing IS the other thing.
e.g.
John
10:7 Jesus said.... I am the gate. Now obviously
he is not a physical gate, but he is using the picture to say that he
is the way in.
3.
Personification
Personification
is simply treating an abstract quality or thing as if it had human qualities.
e.g.
Isa
55:12 the mountains and the hills will burst into song before
you. The literal mountains and hills will not literally
sing, but God is saying in a picturesque way that the whole of creation
will realise something wonderful is happening and will respond.
We
hope that consideration of the things on this page will help you in
your understandiong of the Bible.
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