Podcasts about biblical poetry

Below The Iron Gate: A Journey to Spiritual FreedomIn this episode of the Teen Draw Near to God Poetry Podcast, host Shirah Chante, Relationship Artist, reads an original poem titled Below: The Iron Gate. She discusses the spiritual implications of the poem, drawing from biblical texts, notably the story of Peter's miraculous release from prison as narrated in Acts 12:10. Shirah Chante examines themes such as overcoming obstacles, the spiritual journey of Israel becoming a state, and how love triumphs despite hate. She shares personal reflections on her love at first sight and invites listeners to participate in the Relationship Rescue Plan to foster a deeper connection with God. The episode concludes with a heartfelt prayer for freedom from life's symbolic iron gates.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:39 Drawing Near to God02:10 Introducing the Poem 'Below'02:52 Reading and Analyzing the Poem04:06 The Story Behind 'Israel Became a State'07:04 Love Stories in the Bible13:50 The Iron Gate in the Bible19:41 Praying for Freedom and Guidance22:46 Conclusion and Invitation

In this episode I talk about six traits of biblical poetry that you should know in order to understand books like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and much more. I also recommend consulting books like "Words of Delight" by Leland Ryken and "For the Love of God's Word" by Andreas Kostenberger and Richard Patterson.

The Book of PsalmsSermon Preached by Steve DuBransky on February 2, 2025 Foothill Church exists to glorify God by living as disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. https://foothill.church Learn about our For the Sake of His Name 2-Year Discipleship Journey: https://foothill.church/FTSOHN→ Check out more sermons

12/10/24 - Matthew Wiseman, Ph.D. (University of St. Andrews), is a teacher and an independent scholar living in San Antonio with his wife and three children. His research and writing focus on Biblical Poetry, St. John Henry Newman, Scripture, and the Development of Doctrine. The Two Jerusalems is the story of a young man's amazing journey to discover the roots of the Christian faith in the Ancient Near East, that led him from Protestantism through the Messianic Movement and into the Catholic Church. This journey took him to the rainforest of New Guinea, the Old Synagogue in Warsaw, the Judean Desert, and into the heart of Ancient and Medieval Jewish tradition: the Hebrew Bible. Along the way he meets a cast of odd and wonderful characters, false prophets, and saintly Catholics who teach him about God, Scripture, and Prayer. His steps are dogged throughout by God's strange, providential provisions, despite his human blindness. At the heart of the ancient faith, much to his surprise, he discovered what a billion people across the world already knew and lived: the Catholic Faith. Get the book at https://ignatius.com/two-jerusalems-tjp/

David crafts an acrostic psalm in this masterful composition that reveals profound wisdom through its carefully designed structure. Understanding Psalm 37's structure helps us grasp its literary beauty and spiritual depth. Through its proverbial style and strategic placement between Psalms 36 and 38, David's guidance on righteousness unfolds in systematic patterns contrasting the destinies of the righteous and wicked. ★ Support this podcast ★

Jim Osman introduces the book of Psalms, highlighting its theological depth and poetic structure. The Psalms' value lies in their ability to shape biblical thinking, engage emotions, and guide worship. Osman explores common misconceptions, the Psalms' structure, and their significance in the New Testament. He emphasizes how the Psalms reveal God's character, recount His works, and provide a divine perspective on human emotions, making them invaluable for spiritual growth and worship. ★ Support this podcast ★

Section: The Wisdom of IsraelBible Project: Metaphor in Biblical Poetry https://bit.ly/bpreadmetaphorProverbs 16-18 ESVPsalm 3 ESV

Section: The Wisdom of IsraelBible Project: The Art of Biblical Poetry https://bit.ly/bpreadpoetryProverbs 13-15 ESVPsalm 2 ESV

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings join Reed Dent as he launches a series on the Psalms.Asking Better Questions of the Bible by Marty SolomonFree at Last by dc Talk — YouTube“[Psalm] 40” by dc Talk — YouTubeThe Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert AlterThe Art of Biblical Narrative by Robert AlterThe Art of Bible Translation by Robert AlterPreaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible by Thomas G. LongBEMA 349: The Chosen S3E8 — “Sustenance” (Bonus Episode)The Message of the Psalms by Walter BrueggemannBird by Bird by Anne LamottHelp, Thanks, Wow by Anne LamottAnswering God by Eugene H. PetersonPraying the Psalms by Thomas Merton

Leading Question: Robert Alter, in his book The Art of Biblical Poetry, argues that “poetry is not just a set of techniques for saying impressively what could be said otherwise. Rather, it is a particular way of imagining the world” (p. 151). What poem, or line from a poem, does this for you? Capturing your imagination, giving you a way to see God, yourself, others, or the world around you? Scripture Focus: Psalm 25, Psalm 33, Psalm 121 The Big Idea: Knowing some basics about biblical poetry can enrich our engagement with scripture and deepen our connection to people now and ...

We can be confident that what Old Testament poets told their readers about the past, present and future was true. But they often described history in ways that were something other than straightforward. And for this reason, to know what poets actually intended to communicate about objective historical facts, we have to understand the literary conventions of Old Testament poetry.

We can be confident that what Old Testament poets told their readers about the past, present and future was true. But they often described history in ways that were something other than straightforward. And for this reason, to know what poets actually intended to communicate about objective historical facts, we have to understand the literary conventions of Old Testament poetry.

LISTEN IN: In this episode, Dr. T. Michael W. Halcomb shares an original spoken word based on Psalm 36 titled "Their Sentence." We bet you've never heard the Psalm told this way before! Indeed, listen in! #Psalm #Psalms #Psalm36 #Poetry #SpokenWord #BiblicalPoetry #Poem #Poems Psalm, Psalms, Psalm 36, Poetry, Spoken Word, Biblical Poetry, Poem, Poems, --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/glossahouse/message

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Biblical Poetry is….well…pretty hard to understand sometimes! And when you compare translations, they don't always say the same thing! What is going on?? 

I invited my good friend J. Richard Middleton back into the Dojo for a discussion of Hebrew poetry, and the hauntingly beautiful Psalm 77 in particular. Sit back and enjoy the discussion, friends! 
 Dr. Middleton's Books and Resources can be found at: Articles and blog - https://www.jrichardmiddleton.com Abraham's Silence - https://tinyurl.com/3x94apv6 A New Heaven and New Earth - https://tinyurl.com/zjn74thh The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 - https://tinyurl.com/249zfsm6 Seminary Now - https://seminarynow.com/ Related Dojo resources: “To Know and Be Known: Forming a Thoughtful Christian Sexual Ethic” - https://www.discipledojo.org/to-know 

“Bible for the Rest of us” - https://www.discipledojo.org/bible 

Ancient Near East Bible Backgrounds playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4bbdsVUgfc5TnFfdyxI0ZELx0JVjLgbA 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:49 - What has Dr. Middleton been up to lately? 00:06:13 - How to present an academic paper without being boring! 00:10:13 - Is academia an “ivory tower'? 00:12:30 - How do you speak on biblical faith in a scholarly setting among non-believing colleagues? 00:14:14 - The importance of reading Scripture out loud in corporate worship…and why it's usually done poorly! 00:24:20 - How do we safeguard against reading our own ideas into the text? 00:30:24 - The problem with theological “deconstruction” 00:36:50 - Is Richard a heretic?? 00:38:34 - Let's look at Psalm 77 in Hebrew… 00:41:15 - Opening observations on “crying out” and “meditating” 00:43:25 - Hebrew tenses…and why Biblical poetry is so hard 00:47:56 - What if you can't read Hebrew? 00:49:57 - Why the A.C.T.S. model of prayer is actually kinda backwards! 00:52:54 - Psalm 77:4, Insomnia, A Clockwork Orange, and Bird Box 00:56:53 - Hebrew poetic imagery and Israel's geography 00:59:12 - ‘Olam: “forever” or “a long duration”? 01:00:40 - Rhetorical questions and the effectiveness of ending an if/then statement with “…” 01:04:57 - The difference knowing Hebrew makes in our depth of understanding 01:07:30 - Does God “change”?? 01:15:16 - When theology and experience don't match…you get Lament! 01:17:37 - God's mighty deeds and echoes of Exodus 15's triumph hymn 01:24:25 - Singing the “big picture” and why we should do WAYYYY more of it in church worship! 01:28:12 - Ancient Near East stock imagery: Deep/Waters/Thunder/Lightning 01:36:04 - Seeing Israel's story as OUR story too, and why that matters so much! 01:38:13 - God's “footprints are not known”? 01:39:26 - Why does Psalm 77 seem to end unfinished? 01:45:00 - The danger of prooftexting from Hebrew poetry 01:46:43 - Final recap of Psalm 77 and what it means to us today 01:49:40 - Closing remarks and how to access Richard's work online 01:50:45 - Richard's upcoming books! ------ Go deeper at www.discipledojo.org Subscribe to the Disciple Dojo podcast for more in-depth teaching and discussions: SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/discipledojo Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/26BDZz70HmnT5eoD9BEKQ7 iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/disciple-dojo/id1002934837 Stitcher - http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=181458&refid=stpr Amazon - https://tinyurl.com/uz8dbfet Disciple Dojo is a 501c3 Nonprofit organization. As such we rely on donor support to make this teaching available freely online. Please consider supporting this ministry if you benefit from the videos or podcast at http://www.discipledojo.org/donate

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In this episode, I give a brief review of the book, The Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert Alter. I summarize and provide a critique of his book, as well as provide some minor suggestions.

This summer Micah, Scott, Matt, and Jonathan will be teaching a new series on how to read the Bible. Now you may think to yourself, “I already know how to read the Bible, I think I’ll just skip this series.”...

In this episode Nathan and Jim along with guest Pete Denham discuss the poetic books of the Bible. They will break down some of the major themes and discuss the value of art and music in expression of worship to God. 

Section: The Wisdom of IsraelBible Project: Metaphor in Biblical Poetry https://bit.ly/bpreadmetaphorProverbs 16-18 ESVPsalm 3 ESV

Section: The Wisdom of IsraelBible Project: The Art of Biblical Poetry https://bit.ly/bpreadpoetryProverbs 13-15 ESVPsalm 2 ESV

Reair of a previous episode from May 20, 2020 on Biblical Poetry.

Reair of a previous episode from May 20, 2020 on Biblical Poetry.

In this episode we unpack "The Book of Job" from The Old Testament of the Bible This book explores... -Why God allows bad things to happen to innocent people -Why surrender is sometimes the only answer to that which is out of our control -Why pondering the cosmos helps put our personal suffering into perspective Links to Reading and other Books mentioned The King James Bible The Wisdom Books by Robert Alter The Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert Alter Answer to Job by Carl Jung The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick (film) **note** reading is not required to enjoy the episode! Host: Zach Stehura UnpackingIdeas.com Guest: Lee Posna LeePosna@gmail.com Theme Music: Polyenso listen here Timestamps (00:01:22) Introducing Job (00:03:59) Author/Date/Translation (00:09:45) Summary of Job Story (00:17:10) Loyalty to God (00:22:55) "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, naked shall I return tither." (00:26:19) Job's wife's skepticism (00:27:55) Victim Blaming (Job's friends) (00:36:39) God's response to Job (00:42:40) Acceptance/Surrender to fate (00:46:20) Carl Jung's "Answer to Job" (00:53:59) Putting personal suffering into perspective (00:58:43) The Problem of Evil (01:23:28) Summing up

This week, our hosts are talking about the Psalms. What role have they played in Christian piety and worship over the centuries? Why did the Reformers place such importance on them? And why have they lost their spiritual primacy today?NOTE: most books below are linked via Bookshop.org. Any purchases you make via these links give The Davenant Institute a 10% commission, and support local bookshops against chainstores/Amazon.Currently ReadingOnsi: Deep Work by Cal Newport and The Intellectual Life by A.G. Colin: Surprised By Joy by Colin RedemerRhys: Metamodernism: The Future of Theory byJason Josephson Storm Texts Discussed"They Even Let The Heretics Keep the Psalms" by Rhys Laverty"The Desert Island Book of the Massachusetts Colony" by Rhys Laverty"Why Lewis and Keller Are Wrong About The Imprecatory Psalms" by Rhys Laverty"Don't Keep The Imprecatory Psalms At Arm's Length" by Rhys Laverty"The Return of the King? A Canonical Reading of Psalm 137" by Rhys LavertyThe Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert AlterInterpreting Hebrew Poetry by David Peterson and Kent Harold Richards"Why Even Non-Christians Lose From Growing Ignorance About The Bible" by Colin RedemerSpotlightA Learned Discourse on Justification by Richard Hooker

A meditation on Song of Song 8:6-7, a poem about love and death, written and narrated by Brent Strawn. This is from our podcast In Parallel. For future episodes, please subscribe wherever you listen (Apple Podcasts, Spotify). In Parallel is a new podcast that explores biblical and contemporary poetry. The post A Poem about Love and Death (Song 8:6-7) – Brent Strawn first appeared on OnScript.

A meditation on Song of Song 8:6-7, a poem about love and death, written and narrated by Brent Strawn. This is from our podcast In Parallel. For future episodes, please subscribe wherever you listen (Apple Podcasts, Spotify). In Parallel is a new podcast that explores biblical and contemporary poetry. The post A Poem about Love and Death (Song 8:6-7) – Brent Strawn first appeared on OnScript.

Episode:  We’re thrilled to introduce our first episode of In Parallel, a new podcast that explores biblical and contemporary poetry. Our first episode is a poetic reflection on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 […] The post Introducing In Parallel with Brent Strawn – Ecclesiastes 3 first appeared on OnScript.

Episode:  We’re thrilled to introduce our first episode of In Parallel, a new podcast that explores biblical and contemporary poetry. Our first episode is a poetic reflection on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 […] The post Introducing In Parallel with Brent Strawn – Ecclesiastes 3 first appeared on OnScript.

This session presents the scientific and statistical evidence that Genesis 1-11 is literal and not poetic. This session also explains the differences between Biblical Poetry and Historical Records in the Bible. Then we will walk through the research and methodology of Dr. Steven Boyd that sought to determine the literal or poetic interpretation of Genesis in the original Hebrew language. Help us keep this content free: https://evidence4faith.org/give/ (https://evidence4faith.org/give/) Music Credits: https://www.pond5.com/royalty-free-music/item/116117045-funky-sax-hipster-happy-upbeat-inspirational (Stock Music) provided by EnhancedVision, from https://www.pond5.com/ (Pond5)

Because this English major sometimes wants to teach some of what she knows about this ancient art form. And because art is good, order this free verse poetry collection of thoughts from Revelation 4 and 5:  As It is in Heaven, at https://makariospress.com/heaven/

In Isaiah 1:2-9, Isaiah diagnoses Judah's spiritual condition. We will take time during this first passage to consider three approaches to observing biblical poetry.

Many people's favorite portion of Scripture are the Psalms. They are rich, emotional, and beautiful. But they can also be confusing. This can leave readers loving the Psalms but left with a sense of missing something. In this episode JC Schroeder highlights three features of the Psalms to be sensitive to, which helps bring out more of the Psalm's richness.  Timestamps:0:59 Introduction2:06 The Types of Psalms9:31 The Use of Parallelism14:31 The Use of Figures of Speech22:03 Conclusion22:15 Outro Resources:How to Read the Psalms by Tremper Longman IIIExploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Psalms and Wisdom Literature by Ernest C. LucasThe Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert AlterI am also indebted to Dr. John Hilber, Professor of Old Testament at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, for his impression on me for the different types of Psalms.  The Ezekiel Project School of EvangelismGrand Rapids Theological SeminaryConnect with JC:If you enjoyed the show, make sure to subscribe and give an honest review. Share with a friend too!Website | bitesizeseminary.comFacebook | Bite Size Seminary PodcastTwitter | @bitesizesem

OnScript is launching a new podcast! Welcome to On Verse, a podcast that explores the intersections of biblical and contemporary poetry. This podcast is hosted by Brent Strawn of Duke Divinity School, and is produced by Keith Willis. Season 1 launches soon! The post Special Announcement! On Verse first appeared on OnScript.

OnScript is launching a new podcast! Welcome to In Verse, a podcast that explores the intersections of biblical and contemporary poetry. This podcast is hosted by Brent Strawn of Duke Divinity School, and is produced by Keith Willis. Season 1 launches soon! The post Special Announcement! In Verse first appeared on OnScript.

Robert Alter, Professor in the Graduate School and Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley, and award winning translator of the Torah joins Rabbi Adam and Raviv  to discuss why the Torah ends in a poem. We'll discuss what clues this poem gives us about the ways in which people communicated and how they used language at the time the torah was written, and even their views on monotheism and the way judaism was practiced. Professor Alter is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Council of Scholars of the Library of Congress, and is past president of the Association of Literary Scholars and Critics. Professor Alter has published 24 books unpacking the poetry and prose of ancient literature.

Summary:In this episode of Bible Unbound, we reach the vast world of the Psalms and explore how the psalmists give us rare and poetic insight into the thoughts, heart, and life of the snake-crusher prophesied in Genesis 3. Let's explore! Accreditations: Produced and Written by: Austin SmithTheme Music by: Philip ReevesLicensed Music and Sounds by: Epidemic SoundLinks to the Unbound Universe: https://linktr.ee/bibleunbound

Next to narrative, poetry is the second most used genre in the Bible. This week the guys discuss biblical poetry - how to read and understand it on its own terms and how to use it well when constructing theology.

Lecture

3 plot/application points from this lesson: 1) Biblical Poetry as Mnemonic Device; 2) Praise for Volunteers; and 3) Praise for a Courageous Woman.

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Reed Dent. He’s been on staff with Campus Christian Fellowship at Truman State University in Missouri for the last twelve years. He and his wife, LeAnn, have three boys, who provide some great sermon illustrations.Campus Christian Fellowship, Truman State UniversityTruman State University — WikipediaStaff — Campus Christian Fellowship“The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant” by Reed Dent — Campus Christian Fellowship“The Parable of the Good Samaritan” by Reed Dent — Campus Christian FellowshipThe Wall Street Journal, September 12, 2001 (PDF)“September 11” by Scott Cairns“Trump's name to appear on coronavirus stimulus checks sent to Americans” — Fox News“Trump Seeks To Stimulate Economy By Sending Rare Autographed Photo To Every American” — The OnionDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition: DSM-5Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak“The Seeing Heart” by Frederick Buechner — YouTubeSecrets in the Dark by Frederick BuechnerJohn H. Walton — WikipediaThe Lost World of Genesis One by John H. WaltonThe Lord of the Rings: Motion Picture TrilogyThe War by Ken Burns and Lynn NovickThe Art of Biblical Narrative by Robert AlterThe Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert AlterThe Art of Bible Translation by Robert AlterThe Poetics of Biblical Narrative by Meir SternbergWhat Is the Bible? by Rob BellInspired by Rachel Held Evans Special Guest: Reed Dent.

Heather and Graeme discuss Biblical poetry this week

Reading the Bible can be simple, but oftentimes we are faced with words, ideas and language that isn't instantly accessible, particularly in the Old Testament. This episode of Going Deeper features a sneak peek of our most recent Bible Streams episode, "Our Heart Songs 2: Hebrew Poetry with Robert Alter". Jo and Alex Walker (Bible Streams host) speak with world-renowned author and literary expert Robert Alter on how to read Hebrew poetry. Enjoy this snippet from their conversation.From Bible Streams: "In episode 2 of our series on the Psalms, Jo and Alex are joined by Robert Alter to discuss how to understand Hebrew poetry. Robert is an Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative literature at the University of California in Berkeley and has written numerous books on Hebrew literature, including the Art of Biblical Poetry. Robert has translated the Hebrew Bible into English along with a full commentary on the text, and his love for the richness of the Bible comes through in our conversation. Thanks to Robert for giving us his time and his thoughtful insights."Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: Robert Alter - The Art of Biblical PoetryBook: Robert Alter - The Book of the Psalms: A Translation with CommentaryBook: Robert Alter - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with CommentaryPodcast: Bible Streams - Our Heart Songs 1: Introducing the PsalmsPodcast: Bible Streams - Our Heart Songs 2: Hebrew Poetry with Robert AlterBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify. 

In episode 2 of our series on the Psalms, Jo and Alex are joined by Robert Alter to discuss how to understand Hebrew poetry. Robert is an Emeritus Professor of Hebrew and Comparative literature at the University of California in Berkeley, and has written numerous books on Hebrew literature, including the Art of Biblical Poetry. Robert has translated the Hebrew Bible into English along with a full commentary on the text, and his love for the richness of the Bible comes through in our conversation. Thanks to Robert for giving us his time and his thoughtful insights.Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:Book: Robert Alter - The Art of Biblical PoetryBook: Robert Alter - The Book of the Psalms: A Translation with CommentaryBook: Robert Alter - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with CommentaryWeb: Keats - On First Looking into Chapman's HomerBig thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast. Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify. 

Dean Bobar explores the dynamics of how to read Biblical poetry.

Guest host Jared Ehrke and Pastor Brad Myers review last weekend's message on the prophet Jeremiah, discuss Biblical Poetry & Parallelism, and look ahead to next weekend's message on the prophet Jonah.

Guest host Jared Ehrke and Pastor Brad Myers review last weekend's message on the prophet Jeremiah, discuss Biblical Poetry & Parallelism, and look ahead to next weekend's message on the prophet Jonah.

Pastor Brad Myers, Pastor Tom Rempel, and Pastor Troy Friesen review the person of Israel's great King David, discuss the poetry of the Bible, and look ahead to this weekend's message on King Solomon.

Pastor Brad Myers, Pastor Tom Rempel, and Pastor Troy Friesen review the person of Israel's great King David, discuss the poetry of the Bible, and look ahead to this weekend's message on King Solomon.

We look at more of Judges 5, and discuss the unlikelihood of finding a translator who can handle poetry in a beautiful, creative way, thus seeing how so much of translation work depends on God bringing the right people together at the right time. Music by Canuto Ngui "Nfumayong" from Equatorial Guinea. You can check out more of his work in Fang at www.facebook.com/nkuwalong. To learn more about Andrew Case, visit www.HisMagnificence.com.

Sister Anna Marie discusses the power of poetry in Scripture and shows the relationship between Genesis 1 and Psalm 8.

Should the events in the book of Jonah be taken as history? Did they really happen, or is it a parable? And are those even the right questions to be asking? How do we approach translating and interpreting Jonah, or any Old Testament book? To discuss these questions and more, the guys sit down with Dr. Robert Alter.

Continuing in our new series on the Song of Songs, Peter Leithart discusses how wisdom is related to erotic love and how sexual knowing can be a model for all knowing. Enjoy! Sign up for our newsletter, "In Medias Res." theopolisinstitute.com/about/newsletter/ Book Reference: The Art of Biblical Poetry by Robert Alter https://amzn.to/2CZtZ5T Learn More! ______________ Website: www.theopolisinstitute.com Say "hi" on Twitter: twitter.com/_Theopolis "Like" and Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/theopolisinstitute/

Over 1/3 of the Scriptures are written in poetic form of one type of another. It would make sense for us to consider why God chose that style of writing to communicate His truth to mankind!

Show Notes: In part one (00:00-08:30), Jon gives a brief recap of the conversation on biblical poetry so far. The guys summarize the first part of the conversation with the idea that reading great poetry, like the kind found in Scripture, can change you. How things are communicated in Scripture is important, and the biblical poets have a series of tools they use to connect on a deeper level with readers. To understand and fully appreciate this brilliant poetry, there are three key aspects to understand: rhythm, terseness, and parallelism. In part two (08:48-23:00), the guys break down Psalm 51, the poem David wrote after his affair with Bathsheba, and Isaiah 11. Both of these poems are tremendous examples of classic Hebrew poetry. In Psalm 51, David uses parallelism and descriptive language that communicates the fullness of his guilt and repentance. In Isaiah 11, Tim explains that the seemingly mixed metaphor of a stem and a root points to the coming Messiah, a “new David,” that will come from the existing family line of Jesse. Tim then explains the well-known image of seven spirits resting on the savior. He explains that this is poetic imagery used to illustrate the seven-fold spirit of God resting on Jesus. In part three (23:01-35:34), Tim shares a quote from Adele Berlin regarding the use of creative language pairing in Hebrew poetry. This poetic principle of pairing creates an infinite number of ways to communicate creatively. For example, there are 29 times in the book of Psalms where the poet asks God to hear their prayer (example from Berlin, Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism, 127-130), and none of them are identical. Tim mentions the following examples: Ps 54:4 O God, hear my prayer // listen to the word of my mouth Ps 61:2 O God, hear my cry // pay attention to my prayer Ps 66:19 Truly God has heard // he paid attention to the sound of my prayer Ps 84:9 Yahweh, hear my prayer // listen, O God of Jacob Ps 102:2 Yahweh, hear my prayer // may my cry come to you Ps 88:3 may my prayer come before you // incline your ear to my cry Ps 88:14 to you, Yahweh, I cry out // in the morning my prayer meets you Ps 28:2 Hear the voice of my petition // when I cry out to you The guys also cover juxtaposition in film and how it relates to poetry. Tim mentions the film Baraka by Ron Fricke; the whole film is set up with juxtaposition. Jon comments that humans have an innate ability to recognize patterns, so when an author sets things up in juxtaposition, it allows a person to use their ability to search for patterns and meanings. Filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein says that the pairing of two unexpected scenes or images makes a new creation, and, like poetry, it’s an abundant form of communication. Tim comments that perhaps more church gatherings should use poetic imagery and juxtaposition in their services to encourage people to dive deeper into the Scriptures and their meanings. In part four (36:11-40:29), the guys briefly summarize the discussion with a quote from Robert Alter. Tim paraphrases the quote to say that 99% of divine speech in the Bible is presented as poetry; when God talks to the prophets, he talks in poetry. Tim goes on to further explain Robert Alter’s belief that this use of poetry to communicate the voice of God in Scripture has allowed these texts to stand the test of time and touch people far removed from the original audience. Resources: Chip Dobbs-Allsopp, On Biblical Poetry Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Poetry Russian filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein Ron Fricke, Baracka Music: Chilldrone

This is episode 1 in our series on Biblical Poetry! In part 1 (0-4:43), the guys discuss the fact that about one third of the modern biblical text is poetry. But what exactly is poetry? Tim explains that every culture has its own definition of poetry. Tim prefers this definition from Laurence Perrine: “Poetry is a kind of human language that says more, and says it more intensely than does ordinary language.” (Laurence Perrine, Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry) In part 2 (4:43-27:00), Tim and Jon dive into Psalm 29. Tim offers the poem as a biblical meditation on a storm moving over the landscape. The guys pause on the image in verse 6 of a “wild ox.” This was a species now extinct called an “auroch” (see the show resources). Tim comments that in the Bible, the most dangerous animals are depicted as a lion or a wild ox or auroch. In part 3 (27:00-35:30), the guys discuss the use of cadence, metaphor, and meter in poetry. This varies from culture to culture. The guys note that rhyming and syllable structure allows a person to memorize the lines more easily. Additionally, Tim says that a core concept is that poetry always carries an overabundance of meaning. The limited use of words expands the meaning of them. In part 4 (35:30-54:25), Tim and Jon discuss that the ancient Israelite poetry preserved for us in the Bible doesn’t fit any kind of master “system” like meter (though some think so). However, the Israelites were aware of a certain kind of speech that was poetic, dense, and distinct from normal speech. They even have vocabulary for it. “Song” (Heb. shir / shirah): Exodus 15:1, “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song…" “Psalm” (Heb. mizmor): Many headings to the Psalms have these: Psalm 3, “A mizmor of David.” “Lament” (Heb. qinah): 2 Samuel 1:17, “David lamented this qinah over Saul and Jonathan.” There are three keys to reading Hebrew poetry: Rhythm: Hebrew poetry is shaped into a “line-rhythm” or “verse.” It is not metrical (based on syllable counts), but a form of “free verse.” The line in Hebrew poetry is most often: a. A complete sentence or subordinate clause b. Consisting of 3-5 words c. Marked by repetition and clear end-stop signals The Dead Sea Scrolls show the earliest divisions of Hebrew poetry into line-columns. Terseness: This poetry is often concise and uses as few words as possible to communicate as much as possible. “The terseness of biblical poetry gives the impression that each word or phrase is more loaded with meaning, since fewer words must bear the burden of the message.” (Adele Berlin, Introduction to Biblical Poetry) Parallelism: Robert Lowth's Lectures on the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews and a commentary on Isaiah created the first comprehensive synthesis of features in Biblical poetry. In his words: “There is a certain conformation of the sentences, which is chiefly observable in those passages which frequently occur in Hebrew poetry, in which they treat one subject in many different ways, and dwell upon the same sentiment; when they express the same thing in different words, or different things in a similar form of words: and since this artifice of composition seldom fails to produce an agreeable and measured cadence, we can scarcely doubt it must have imparted to their poetry an exquisite degree of beauty and grace.” In part 5 (54:25-59:24), Jon asks whether or not more people should make an effort to learn to read and understand Hebrew. He says he feels discouraged. Why would God hide himself in a language that is so hard to understand and takes so much effort to learn? Tim says that every serious community of Bible followers should have someone in it who’s committed to studying the scriptures in their Hebrew form. In part 6 (59:24-end), the guys continue to discuss parallelism in Hebrew poetry. All the Proverbs are cast in this poetic form. In fact, the word “proverb” in Hebrew (mashal) means “a comparison.” In Proverbs 16:32, both lines are positive, “better than” sayings. Being slow to anger is better than being a warrior, And being one who rules their passions is better than one who captures a city. Show Resources: Adele Berlin, Introduction to Biblical Poetry Robert Alter, The Art of Biblical Poetry Extinct species of wild ox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs Laurence Perrine, Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry Psalm 29 Produced by: Dan Gummel, Jon Collins Show Music: J Cole Type Beat, Thunderstorm Instrumental (Educational and Non Profit Fair Use) Rosasharn Music, Defender Instrumental Unwritten Stories, All Night Miss Emeli, General Vibe

Episode: It’s time for part 2 of our journey into biblical poetry, this time with the inimitable Elaine T. James. Matt L. talks with Elaine about the poetry of Song, […] The post Elaine James – Song of Songs first appeared on OnScript.

Episode: It’s time for part 2 of our journey into biblical poetry, this time with the inimitable Elaine T. James. Matt L. talks with Elaine about the poetry of Song, […]

This excerpt from Journey Through the Bible by Hebrew College explores biblical poetry as it relates to the Bible's treatment of prophecy. Visit https://hebrewcollege.edu/meahonline to learn more and sign up for our intensive courses!

James L. Kugel is one of the foremost scholars of the Hebrew Bible of our time. Kugel recently visited BYU's Neal A. Maxwell Institute to talk about his work and about the relationship between religious faith and scholarship about scripture. Kugel is an orthodox Jew and biblical scholar who became somewhat legendary for revisiting ancient paradigms. When he taught at Harvard, one of Kugel's students said the professor began a course by offering a disclaimer to the class: “If you come from a religious tradition upholding the literal truth of the Bible, you could find this course disturbing.” Kugel tells the MIPodcast that isn't exactly the case—there's much more to the story. About James L. Kugel A specialist in the Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls, James L. Kugel is the author of more than eighty research articles and fifteen books, including The Idea of Biblical Poetry and the best-selling book How to Read the Bible, which received the National Jewish Book Award for the best book of 2007. Kugel was the Starr Professor of Hebrew Literature at Harvard University for twenty-one years. He retired from Harvard to become Professor of Bible at Bar Ilan University in Israel, where he also served as chairman of the Department of Bible. His website is jameskugel.com. In August of 2016 Kugel presented a paper on religious and academic readings of the Bible at BYU. It will be printed in the 2016 issue of Studies in the Bible and Antiquity.The post James L. Kugel on how to read the Bible [MIPodcast #53] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Pastor Larry Smith leads our fourth Wednesday bible study on the topic of Biblical Poetry

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Megillat Eicha #02, by Dr. Yael Ziegler - Eicha and the Power of Biblical Poetry