Cracking Old Testament codes - a guide to interpreting the literary genres of the Old Testament

Pocketbok. Broadman & Holmn Published. 1995. 323 sidor.

Nära nyskick. Genre - Understanding the difference between advertising and news.

You make distinction between genres every time you read a newspaper. A single sentence or phrase may take on vastly different meanings, depending on weather you find it printed in an ad, news report, an editorial commentary or a comic strip.

In Cracking Old Testament Codes, a team of scholars provides insight into the literary genres of the Old Testament and how to use them to improve your understanding of biblical texts. Consider this example from scripture:

"He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew out of deep waters." Could this be Jonah's account of his deliverance from the sea? Or, is it Peter's description of his rescue by Jesus when he tried to wake on water.?

If you know that this verse comes from 2 Samuel 22, you may recognize it has part of a psalm by David. By knowing the genre of the text-poetry -understand that David is not describing real downing but is using a striking illustration to communicate profound gratitude for God's protection in time of deep crisis.

Today's serious students of biblical interpretation need to understand t0he literary genres of the Bible-juste as future archeologist will need to understand the difference between advertising an0d news reports in the newspapers they find in 20th century civilizations.