Masterclass #10: Biblical Poetry

This section will discuss how Hebrew poetry uses parallelism, the expression of one idea in multiple ways, and other literary devices, while emphasizing the importance of cultural context and word meanings for accurate interpretation, and highlighting how these devices help clarify the meaning of uncommon words.

This section will delve into the nuances of Biblical Hebrew poetry, specifically exploring literary devices such as parallelism, where ideas are expressed in multiple ways, and chiasmus, as well as the use of concrete terms to illustrate abstract concepts, all while emphasizing the critical role of cultural context and the understanding of word meanings in accurate interpretation.

This section will explore the structure of Genesis 1, highlighting its poetic nature through literary devices like parallelism and chiasmus, and emphasizing the importance of understanding the cultural context and word meanings to move beyond a scientific interpretation of the text.

This section will analyze specific Psalms (1, 19, 22, 23, 119) through the lens of Hebrew poetry, focusing on devices like parallelism and chiasmus, the use of concrete language to express abstract ideas, and the significance of understanding original Hebrew word meanings and cultural context for accurate interpretation of these texts.