OLD TESTAMENT POETRY, WISDOM,

AND SONGS

Old Testament Poetry Genre- We have five books in this genre:

-Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon

-This genre is actually a mix of poetry, songs, proverbs, and wisdom.

-The writing style for poems differ greatly from narrative(story) portions in Biblical Hebrew

Job-Job is a man who follows God. Satan thinks Job only follows God because God is good to Job. Traditional thoughts on how God works is tested.

Old Testament Poetry Genre

Psalms-a collection of writings expressing a wide range of emotions about faith, life, and God.

5 Kinds of Psalms1. Praise psalm- praise to God, usually no petition2. Lament psalm- expressing trouble or problems3. Wisdom psalm-addressed to people 4. Royal psalm- focuses on how God works through

his anointed king5. Imprecatory psalm- a cry for justice against en-

emies

Old Testament Poetry Genre

Proverbs-a collection of wise statements that were shared in Israel. Wisdom is found in God

Old Testament Poetry Genre

Ecclesiastes-the writer ponders on the meaning of life. Certain goals in life (such as wealth or power) are worthless. It’s better just to enjoy what God has given and stop the pursuit of other things.

Old Testament Poetry Genre

Song of Solomon-love poetry in the Bible. Love and sex are powerful forces in our lives that need to be guided by wisdom.

Old Testament Poetry Genre

Hey, girl!Your neck is like a tower.

Lovely!