The most likely candidates are job, elihu, moses, and solomon. The book of job is not only the finest expression of the hebrew poetic genius. Political satires, such as a confederacy of dunces by john kennedy toole, are quite popular works generally, they are written to make fun of something, but that does not mean that it has to be a hysterical type of. Some bible scholars debate whether he was an actual person or legend, but job is mentioned as a historical figure by the prophet ezekial ezekial 14. It should be kept in mind that job is not the author. How should the different genres of the bible impact how we. If you are a regular book reader, you probably already know about some book genres that you have read or that you love reading. A biblical genre is a classification of bible literature according to literary genre. Literary genre describes the type of literature that is similar in content, tone, or structure. Jonah prophesied during the reign of jeroboam ii 2 kings 14. The bible is arranged according to seven major literary genres, and within. It is found in the third section of the biblical canon known as the ketuvim writings.
Library skills literary genre pack by little library. The date of the authorship of the book of job would be determined by the author of the book of job. This library skills literary genre pack is aimed at teaching children about literary genres. The book of job employs a number of genres and literary techniques, but the one overarching genre is the narrative drama which frames the book. Most books of the bible take place on larger stages, but the book of job goes down at a very specific and narrow point in the human life cycle. Up in the heavens, god brags to the divine assembly about job. These authors were inspired by the holy spirit in their thinking and writing. The climax to the book of job appears in the symmetrical yahweh speeches 38. As the bible is actually a collection of 73 individual writings 46 old testament, 27 new testament it encompasses many literary genres. Job was a wealthy man with seven sons and three daughters. The genre of the psalms, part 1 theologically driven. Based on thematic elements that are shared between psalms and literary features, we can more precisely classify the lyric poems of the psalms. Knowledge of secular history is crucial, as it dovetails perfectly with.
When studying the books of the bible, it is important to look not only at the information a book contains but also at the literary form that the author has used. Parsons it is common knowledge that the book of job is universally admired as a literary masterpiece in world literature. Fundamentally exegetical, the forms of the old testament literature volumes examine the structure, genre, setting, and intention of the biblical literature in question. Understanding the literary type or genre of the books of the bible one of the most important things to learning to properly study, interpret and teach the scriptures is to understand that god not only chose to use men to actually pen the words, but that these men chose to use many different literary forms or literary genre to write. Job, 3 introduction to j ob return to table of contents we know for sure neither who wrote the book of job, nor where and when it was written. The dialogue of job and the three friends in part ii. Addressing the problem of theodicy the vindication of the justice of god in the light of humanitys suffering it is a rich theological work setting out a variety of perspectives. In this post, you will learn about the two main types of books and their subcategories which we commonly refer to as genres of. Genres of books simply specify what categories or subcategories does a book belong to. Gre literature in english test total scores are reported on a 200 to 990 score scale in tenpoint increments. Marga corrupts alex and uses him knowing that he has genuine feelings of affection for her. Apr 10 the book of job apr 17 no class holy week apr 24 the book of psalms, part 1 may 1 the book of psalms, part 2 may 8 no class may 15 the book of proverbs may 22 the book of ecclesiastes may 29 the song of songs. Mesopotamian documents rarely have moral content and generally refer to skill in magical practices while israelite wisdom literature is based on the fear of the lord expressed in genuine faith. An examination of all of the stories, fables, proverbs, and histories of the bible, the book of job is one of the most compelling due to its unique literary style and the complex treatment of.
What three distinct types of literature does the book of habakkuk contain. The book of job has a prose prologue, the body is poetry, and the epilogue is prose. If we were to film this book, the whole movie would take place on a single set, probably in a single day. Old testament survey, final exam flashcards quizlet. The major genres of scripture include the following. Political satires, such as a confederacy of dunces by john kennedy toole, are quite popular works generally, they are written to make fun of something, but that does not mean that it has to be a hysterical type of humor. One of the most powerful and complex features of the bible is that it consists of many different types, or genres, of texts. Book of job biblical literature linkedin slideshare. Introduction the book of proverbs, together with job and ecclesiastes fall under the broad category of wisdom literature, a genre common in the ancient near east. Some of the psalms 1, 37, 119 and much of the book of james can also be categorized as wisdom literature.
Most of the book tells about job and his friends talking. This is the final time satan is mentioned in the book of job. Jobs friends are offended that he scorns their wisdom. Forms of the old testament literature series fotl 18. The main thing that is going to resolve that in any. It is common to view the narrative frame as the original core of the book, enlarged later by the poetic dialogues and discourses, and sections of the book such as the elihu speeches and the wisdom poem of chapter 28 as late insertions, but recent trends have tended to concentrate on the. Nabors english 4206 11 november 2010 the book of job. Consequently it can be concluded that the book of job is a mixed genre in which its author expertly blended a variety of literary types in order to serve the function of the book. Books of kings updated 2019910 books of chronicles updated 2019221 book of ezra and nehemiah updated 2018831 book of esther updated 2018831 book of job updated 2018104 psalms updated 20196. Almost every book in the bible contains some history, but genesis, exodus, numbers, joshua, judges, 1 and 2 samuel, 1 and 2 kings, 1 and 2 chronicles, ezra, nehemiah, and acts are predominately history.
Genesis through kings beginning with adam, ending with destruction of jerusalem and exile to babylon. Test scores should be compared only with other scores on the literature in english test. Into thy word ministries the bible is not one book. If moses was the author, the date would be around 1440 b. The kind of literature used can give clues about what the author was trying to say. Waters ritten by an unknown author, possibly the most ancient literary account in the bible,1 the book of job is a mixture of divine and human wisdom that addresses a major life issue. The book of job consists of a prose prologue and epilogue narrative framing poetic dialogues and monologues. Job 1 niv bible in the land of uz there lived a man whose. Sep 11, 2014 job an introduction highlights of the book of job 18th book of the bible first of the poetical book folk tales prologue and epilogue central part poetry speeches by job and his 3 friends central theme central theme w whhyy d dooeess a a m maann s suuffffeerr 6. The genre of a particular bible passage is ordinarily identified by analysis of its general writing style, tone, form, structure, literary technique, content, design, and related linguistic factors. He had the greatest faith but satan told god that he was only reverent because god had blessed him.
Each genre type of document involves specific features that set it apart from other genres. Job pronounced jobe, was a rich farmer living in the land of uz, somewhere northeast of palestine. Many years ago, before netflix, people used to go to. Two interesting genres of books are satire and anthology satire. Elihu came from the buzites who lived next to the chaldeans in northeast arabia 4. This is a literary foreshadowing, where one person or thing serves as a metaphorical prefigure type of another that is to come later. Job, ecclesiastes and the book of proverbs belong to the genre of wisdom literature. A comedy of justice by robert heinlein alex is a christian political activist who falls in love with marga, a danish cruise ship hostess. Some wisdom literature of the ancient near east dealt with the same philosophical questions as job. They are immensely practical books meant to help us live well in the world. The book of job, book of hebrew scripture that is often counted among the masterpieces of world literature.
Lo and behold, satan comes out and challenges god on job s goodness. Media in category book of job the following 35 files are in this category, out of 35 total. Jul 22, 2011 job is the central character of the book of job in the old testament. It has been widely praised for its literary qualities, with alfred lord tennyson calling it the greatest. It includes 20 posters, no prep printable activities and bookmarks. Job 1 voice once there was a man from uz by the bible gateway. What are the types of literature genres in the bible. He was the greatest man among all the people of the east. He was a very good manhis character spotless, his integrity unquestioned.
For example, a 600 on the literature in english test is not equivalent to a 600 on the psychology test. To be more exact it is grouped with the books of ecclesiastes and job to form what is called the wisdom literature. Library of congress now accepting proposals for literature, religion, and general genre form terms 090116 pdf, 110 kb library of congress publishes draft genre form terms manual 010616. This chapter first discusses the importance of the book of job within nineteenthcentury literature, job s quest for knowledge from god, and his relationship with his. Seven types of literature in the bible the wandering. Hes blameless and upright, and he has kids, a wife, land, and a bunch of sheep. The book of job does not specifically name its author. Subsequent books in the bible say that later kings defiled it for example, see 2 kings 21. In fact, he so believed in god that he sought to honor him in all things. Read the genre of the psalms, part 1 by theologically driven on christian blogs. Most of this literature is in job, proverbs, and ecclesiastes. Originally composed in hebrew, the book of job has been included in jewish scripture at least since the translation of the old testament into greek. Literary features of the book of job 215 his polyphonic workwisdom types, a genre from psalms, and a genre from the legal sphere.
The literary design of 1 samuel1 kings 2 the book of samuel in the hebrew bible, 1 samuel and 2 samuel are a single book might be better entitled the book of david, since its main character is david, not samuel. Apocalyptic literature was written to people in need of reassurance. Jobs friend, eliphaz, came from teman, a city in edom. The book of job by anonymous meet your next favorite book. The old testament books of job, proverbs, and ecclesiastes are wisdom books. Differentiate between mesopotamian discursive material and israelite wisdom literature. The comforting friends make use of irony in a subtle attempt to prove that. When jobs friends heard about the things that happened to him they went to comfort him. The books theme is the eternal problem of unmerited suffering, and it is named after its central. Job juncture canandaigua, ny full time canandaigua, a suburb of rochester is the chosen spot located in the finger lakes region. He deliberately avoided evil in all of his affairs. Now, the book of job has been rendered into english by the eminent translator and scholar stephen mitchell, whose versions of rilke, israeli poetry, and the tao te ching have been widely praised. Bible as literature uniqueness of bible acknowledged as the worlds greatest collections of literature king james bible is the finest pieces of english prose bible ta biblia greek meaning little books collection. This includes books of the bible or sections of books which simply tell the story of what happened.
Book of job overview insight for living ministries. Jesus is conveyed by scripture as considering satan a reality, doing things that the book of job conveyed as possible history. It is a long narrative poem of jobs trial and his sufferings. Literary structures between the books of the bible literary structure between gospel of john and revelation updated 201969. The seven i am statements of jesus in the gospel of john are all. As stated earlier, proverbs falls, in the hebrew canon, in the third part of the tanak. Unlike other literary introductions to the bible, this book uniquely combines these. This quaint and charming town is blessed with beautiful scenery and a number of attractions. A major difficulty in understanding the meaning of the book is, what insight leads job to submit so humbly to god at the end.
Structure of the book of job university of massachusetts. The work is grouped with proverbs and ecclesiastes as a product of the wisdom movement, even though it contains what might be called an antiwisdom strain in that the hero. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The theme of the book of job is nothing less than human suffering and the transcendence of it. Different kinds of literature in the bible resources. It was a form usually utilized to communicate the content of a. Tomorrow, if all literature was to be destroyed and it was left to me to retain one work only, i should save job. If we think of it more as the library of gods instructions on a life that pleases him, we come closer to the intent of the author and his various writing helpers. Still, we can say a few things for certain about it. To prove him wrong, god killed all of jobs children and destroyed his wealth. The book of job is best known as one of the poetic book of the old testament of the bible. Job is the first of five books commonly referred to as the books of poetry. Although most of the superlatives have been exhausted to describe its literary excellence, it seems to defy more than a superficial analysis. Critics divide the book of job into three sections.
The book of job is one of the most problematic portions of the bible and has called forth a variety of interpretations. Job is lacking references to historical events and reflects a nonhebraic cultural background which little is known about. By end of week read the book of jude and list as many interpretive questions as you can, going through the book. What kinds of literary techniques are used in the bible.
Lord alfred tennyson the book of job taken as a mere work of literary genius, is. The book tells the story of davids life, with the purpose of demonstrating that. Stories and epics from the bible are included in this genre. The book of job, particularly the king james version, helps to illuminate how biblical knowledge shapes nat turners and frederick douglasss pursuit of authority. The unique literary form of the book of job 411 as an epic as an epic, one of the significant features of the book of job is the use of speeches. For instance, a history book wouldnt be read and understood in the same way as poetry.
There is a double, parallel command given to these kings. Study 96 terms old testament unit 3 flashcards quizlet. Literary composition does not resolve whether job is intended to convey history or not. This is a genre of literature we dont have much of anymore, but there was lots of it in the ancient world. Except for theodore of mopsuestia of the antiochian school a. Job spends his entire book in a position of sadness and loss. I love reading the book of jobi feel a connection, i lost my son to a pedestrian accident almost 3 years ago at 1. The names of his friends are eliphaz, bildad, and zophar. Satires, in the most basic definition, are works making fun of some sort of person or institution. In metonomy, the name of one object or concept is used for another because.
The prologue provides an idyllic picture of a semi. An aid in reading the psalms is to be able to arrange them in literary categories or genres. Because the book of job is so often neglected, yet presents a valuable lesson and is so highly praised by even people of the world, christians should certainly take the time to study this portion of gods word. Literary features of the book of job gordon college. Destruction and death say, we have heard a report about it with our ears job 28. Therefore, writers must understand the format and writing style expected of them. Literary genre does not resolve whether job is history or not. The forms of the old testament literature series fotl presents a formcritical analysis of the old testament hebrew bible based on a standard outline and methodology.
They think his questions are crafty and lack an appropriate fear of god, and they use many analogies and. Seven types of literature in the bible the bible is not a single document, though it has a single spiritual authorship. Job, proverbs and ecclesiastes are wisdom literature. With respect to genre, job is one of, if not the most, diversely composed and disparate books in the hebrew bible. The book of job is a book in the ketuvim writings section of the hebrew bible tanakh, and. An introduction to the interpretation of apocalyptic. These resources provide basic information for students to understand an instructors writing assignment and the features of some types of documents students may be. Job s final speech in his own defense is probably where the book originally ended. The skeptical character of the symposium, with its challenge to timehonored views, most likely would have kept the book of job out of the canon of old testament writings had some additions not been made to the original book.
Prophecy was written to people in need of repentance. A comparative and critical analysis of the story of job as. For hermeneutics, literary genre helps us know how to read and understand the text better. Literary features of the book of job gordon college faculty. This gives the narrative context to the dialogues b. Israel remains templeless for almost one hundred years until king cyrus allows the jews to build a new temple 2 chronicles 36. A goes through three cycles, the first two of which follow a consistent pattern and the third of which has a slightly different structure. In the book of job, the discussion is about how a person can be righteous before god job 9.