but distinguishable formal speech styles are found in all the various strata of (4) Colloquial speech, or spontaneous direct discourse. linguistic registers just mentioned, all but one is high or elevated from a Genesis 1-11 is often called ‘Primeval History’ as it presents a pre-history that depicts origins. Genesis supplies a supernatural explanation—“In the beginning God . Num. Jn. Old Testament Proofs of the Bible Bible History The Bible Creation Science Word of God Doctrinal Beliefs. To be sure, it reminds one of poetry in some ways, but it lacks the tightly controlled prosodic parallelisms characteristic of verse elsewhere in the Bible.1 It is more often suggested that Genesis 1 is written in elevated prose. the Primary History (JE, P, H, D, and Dtr) and in Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, In the last three decades the pressure of “scientific opinion” has increased to the point that some biblical scholars have made sweeping concessions, abandoning a literal interpretation of the text in favor of a mythical or poetic interpretation (37). It is crucial theologically and is steeped in Hebrew poetry and etiology. 2:13-14). characterizes the direct discourse contained within it, but the chapter’s Other Scriptures, in their approach to Genesis 1, demonstrate this. Jastrow 1977, 112), the religious community, ever mesmerized by the speculations of “science,” came to the stark realization that the biblical record of earth’s history could never be harmonized with the escalating theories of geologic dogmatism. 11:3; 1 Tim. Access date: February 23, 2021. https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/1538-is-the-genesis-creation-account-poetry. It shares a number of features Mathews, Genesis 1–11:26, 149. Quite obviously, then, the translators did not view the first two chapters of the biblical record as poetic. 4 Gott sah, dass die Helligkeit gut war. been made to characterize Genesis 1 in terms closer to pure poetry. The exception is the register of colloquial speech. It may or may not reflect a historical background. Is Genesis poetry or does it record actual historical events? I would distinguish three . A. Elohiym filled the sky and the land because it was empty and it was all in chaos so the wind of Elohiym settled upon the water (1:1 to 1:2) A1. ChristianCourier.com. Though they insist this view does not compromise the historicity of the Mosaic record, admittedly the poetry genre does allow for a greater degree of interpretative flexibility. It shares a number of features A text like Secular cosmology (a scientific study of the possible origin and structure of the universe) and history are separate fields of discussion. Its composition is extremely poetic and structured, leaving people to assume that it isn’t historical. As Frank Polak Is it not reasonable, therefore, to conclude that Moses was familiar with literary prose? It is artificial in that it subtly suggests no one could write a history of the origin of the universe; yet a writer, under the influence of the Spirit of God (as Moses was) certainly could have (cf. It also has been asserted that the first two chapters in Genesis “are cosmology, not history” — as if a cosmological (i.e., creation oriented) theme could not be historical, even if conveyed by an inspired writer. 3-16 and 2 Kings 11-25. In The Bible Commentary edited by F. C. Cook (produced between 1871 and 1881), Harold Browne, Bishop of Ely, wrote regarding the first three chapters of Genesis: “There can be no reasonable doubt, that the writer of Genesis puts forth his history as history” (1981, 48). style of one kind or another. Nor does it not mean there was no late 19th century drought. frequent use of noun groups and hypotaxis militates in favor of a hybrid Different categories of similar features are referenced by studies dealing with this subject matter. a third of the Hebrew Bible is in (5) Verse. Berei’shit “In the beginning” opening word in Hebrew scripture or Old Testament Genesis. Day 1 - Elohiym separates (1:3 to 1:5, Day one) a. light: b. dark : A2. What’s Wrong with Seminaries? The fact is, however, numerous portions of sacred scripture are framed in poetic language, and yet are anchored in genuine history (cf. is possible. (3) The New Testament regards certain events mentioned in Genesis one as actually having taken place. That is, Genesis 1 would be, on this view, the kind of literature that asks the same questions as the astronomy or geology text books. A number of elements within this view warrant examination. Genesis 1 does not neatly fit into the dichotomy just presented. the tales of Elijah and Elisha. Jacob narratives in Genesis, the Saul-David cycle in the books of Samuel, and That Genesis one is historical may be seen from these considerations. 33:6-9; Mk. . Consider the testimony of the celebrated Edward J. I read Genesis 1:1-2 in Hebrew to illustrate it's rhyming content noted, Genesis 1 contains examples of one of two attested direct discourse H. C. Leupold, longtime professor of Old Testament theology at the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, in his scholarly two-volume set of commentaries on Genesis, wrote: We may at this point take issue with the claim commonly raised in our day that Genesis, as to its contents, as well as other older Biblical books falls into the category of poetry rather than history. Examples include the historiography of 1 Kings . However, this account is not a scientific disortation, but a beautiful Hebrew song. 10:3-8; 2 Cor. 5:47), and speaking of divine fiat action. The original Greek word from which our word poetry comes is poiesis and it means “to make.” In Plato and Aristotle poiesis gets explained as the creation of something that was not there before and is usually related to art (techne). which, I would argue, is an elevated style. groups and complex noun groups. Frequently young teachers and writers are influenced by certain sources and adopt positions that have their ultimate roots in infidelity. ways, but it lacks the tightly controlled prosodic parallelisms characteristic of 24; Psa. It is more often suggested that Genesis 1 is written in elevated prose. Jacob narratives in Genesis, the Saul-David cycle in the books of Samuel, and Dr. Oswald Allis, cofounder and longtime professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, noted: [I]t has been clearly shown that the dividing line between prose and poetry is not fixed and sharply defined but that elevated or impassioned prose may approximate very closely to poetry, especially that it is often marked by that basic characteristic of Hebrew poetry, balanced repetition or parallelism (1974, 109). Genesis 1 should be taken at face value as the rest of the Scriptures. Mk. Similar but distinguishable styles are found in: In addition, noted German scholar C. F. Keil, in his commentary on Genesis, has an informative introductory section titled, “Historical Character of the Books of Moses” (Keil 1980, 28-32). Young. If Genesis 1 is poetry (which it is not), this would not itself bear on its facticity. and a high number of noun It is rather a straightforward, strictly historical account, rising, indeed, to heights of poetic beauty of expression in the Creation account, in the Flood story, in the record of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, in Judah’s plea before Joseph, and the like. claimed that Genesis 1 is poetry. The common reader, surveying the first two chapters of Genesis, would never conclude that these narratives were Hebrew poetry. (2) A A recent writer dates this poetic interpretation to 1924 (Chaffey 2011). Midrash is often premised on a correct understanding of the genres of the Bible. (Yet see Exodus 20:8-11 where the “days” of the creation week are depicted as ordinary days—just like the sabbath.). frequency of short clauses conjoined by a simple ‘and,’ a low number of noun Therein, he quotes Norman Porteous (distinguished Old Testament scholar in Scotland) to the effect that the reason many modern scholars disregard Genesis as history is due to the reality that “Israel’s religious traditions made frequent reference to supernatural interventions,” and that such is enough to “make the historian look askance at them and assume that the actual course of events must have been quite different” (1985, 19; emphasis added). To be sure, it reminds one of poetry in some Psa. These accounts are not less true because they are not free of symbolical narrative. Genesis 1–11 reads like a straightforward account of real events. | Genesis 1:26-28 - Exegetical Odds and Ends », It is sometimes There are poetic accounts of the creation and these form a striking contrast to Genesis one. To be sure, it reminds one of poetry in some Mario Seiglie. (subordination, clauses embedded into clauses, etc.) subvarieties. . [2] For further details about narrative prose Allegorical interpretations of Genesis are readings of the biblical Book of Genesis that treat elements of the narrative as symbols or types, rather than viewing them literally as recording historical events.Either way, Judaism and most sects of Christianity treat Genesis as canonical scripture, and believers generally regard it as having spiritual significance. In six days God created the heaven and the earth, and the Hebrew of Genesis explains how that was done. Before we can hope to understand creation we need to be sure of the literary style of Genesis. Note the following observation by John J. Davis, former president and professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Grace Theological Seminary. At the SBL Annual Meeting in Boston 2008, Robert Robinson presented a paper on “"e Poetry of Creation” wherein he proposed a poetic character for Gen 1:1-3. 1994. Hebrew Poetry and Word Play in Genesis 1:1-2. classification. As Frank Polak He taught Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary for more than thirty years. Thus desperate measures to reconcile the biblical view of origins with naturalistic theories gradually were conceived. Some of these are synonymous parallelism, antithetic parallelism, constructive parallelism, etc. with its most important cultural forbear, ancient Semitic epic poetry, known to 3 Gott sprach: Es werde Licht. Examples include the Abraham and It For the most part it seems almost unnecessary to point out that conservative scholarship has long rejected the idea that the first chapters of Genesis are poetry. Cosmogony (in this sense) would be an attempt to find a naturalistic explanation for the origin of the universe. Instead, it is alleged to be poetry. The remainder of the book (i.e., The Generations) presupposes the Creation Account, and the Creation Account prepares for what follows. Hamilton, Genesis 1–17, 121. Professor Young (1907-1968) studied at Stanford University, Westminster Theological Seminary, Leipzig University, and Dropsy College (PhD). Is The Guild of Biblical Scholars a WASP Fraternity? YHWH slaying Rahab at the beginning of time is also understood as *true* narrative. Liberal theologians have long sought to recast the Genesis record of origins by a variety of exegetical manipulations. Reading Genesis Well: Navigating History, Poetry, Science, and Truth in Genesis 1 –11 is a provocative but carefully-argued book. For further details about narrative prose Genesis 1; Genesis 2; Numbers 24; Psalm 148; 1 Timothy 3:16; Psalm 82:6; John 10:34; Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6; Exodus 2:10; Acts 7:21-22; Hebrews 11:23-28; Acts 7:22; Psalm 33:6-9; Mark 10:3-8; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:13-14; John 5:47, Jackson, Wayne. Of the five All rights reserved. Grudem, Wayne. This is why it’s appropriate to apply the idea of poiesisto the shaping of words, or “wordsmit… Nothing in the book warrants such an approach. Is Genesis 1 Poetry? 10:6). Conclusions founded on such a characterization cannot stand (1976, 18; emphasis in original). 2 Die Erde war wüst und wirr und Finsternis lag über der Urflut und Gottes Geist schwebte über dem Wasser. The fact is, as noted by Professor R. Laird Harris, it now is conceded that written history extends back at least to 3000 B.C.—centuries before Greek civilization became a literary force (2003, 666). It is characterized by the frequent use of hypotaxis Instead, historical information was conveyed through various genres, one of which was poetry. 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Brug, Online Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Syriac, Latin, Coptic Lexica, Online Resources of Interest to Text Critics of the Bible. For example, the American Standard Version (1901) has the text paragraphed, thus the verse numbers appear randomly throughout each paragraph. Posted by: Lesefassung (Genesis 1) ↓ Studienfassung (Genesis 1) 1 Als Gott mit der Schöpfung von Himmel und Erde begann, 2 gab es die Erde noch gar nicht: Finsternis herrschte über dem Wasser und ein göttlicher Sturmwind 〈a〉 fegte über die Fluten.. 3 Da sprach Gott: „Helligkeit soll entstehen!“ - und Helligkeit entstand. What does the Bible say about Pole Dancing? [1] For an introduction to the We may safely allow the New Testament to be our interpreter of this mighty first chapter of the Bible (1964, 105). (For a brief analysis of this view, see Grudem 1994, 300-304.). claimed that Genesis 1 is poetry. The creation account is not put in a category of historical fiction. Either it exists or it doesn’t. Institute for Advanced Studies, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem 1; Winona That Genesis one is historical may be seen from these considerations. The creation accounts in chapters 1 and 2 are written as historical narrative. A five-way distinction in register complex-nominal style. and a high number of noun These texts are characterized by a high It is unrealistic to think that the ancients rarely wrote historical narrative. In marked contrast, see the textual format in the New International Version (1978). rhythmic-verbal propensities shine in verse 27, and a plethora of verbs There are some twenty-six citations from the book of Genesis in the New Testament. Thus the assertion that Genesis 1 and 2 were written in poetry rather than prose is without substance. Let us consider Psalm 1:1, which reads as follows: Here we see triple parallelism in the nouns and verbs used (reading downwards in the following scheme): As well as this overt parallelism, there is also a covert or subtle progression of meaning. For a printable version of this post, go here. ASV, RSV, ESV). But we have examples of ancient Hebrew poetry (e.g., Exod 15; Num 23-24; Deut 33; Judg 5), and Genesis 1 is clearly not the same thing. They themselves would never dream of espousing the aberrant views that lie beneath their “scholastic” speculations, yet they have brought this theological baggage, unwittingly perhaps, with them from the dark and distant land of a rationalistic influence. Topics Poetry in the Hebrew Bible The Chiastic Structure of Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 By Jeff A. Benner. ...[Genesis 1:1–2:3] stands apart from the narratives that follow in style and content and makes it an overture to the whole work. Eventually (shortly after the dawning of the twentieth century), others began to suggest that Genesis 1 and 2 are somewhat poetic in nature. When a poetic section is referenced, the verse numbers are all justified to the left of the column (cf. June 12, 2009 at 04:57 PM. (2) A First, these questions are appropriate: I submit this view reflects a false premise, and is both artificial and subjective. . McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia states: But Genesis is neither like the Vedas, a collection of hymns more or less sublime; nor like the Zendavesta, a philosophic speculation on the origin of all things; nor like the Yih-king, an unintelligible jumble whose expositors could twist it from a cosmological essay into a standard treatise on ethical philosophy . It is contended that history narrative as a discipline did not exist before the era of the Greeks. stylistic point of view. This learned scholar wrote: Genesis one is not poetry or saga or myth, but straightforward, trustworthy history, and, inasmuch as it is a divine revelation, accurately records those matters of which it speaks. Steven E. Fassberg and Avi Hurvitz; Publication of the Hebrew in Its Northwest Semitic Setting: Typological and Historical In other words, this scholar is suggesting that motive has a lot to do with the poetry interpretation. subvarieties.[3]. complex-nominal style. distinguishable: (1) A rhythmic-verbal style. The divine fiats of Genesis 1 are an example. | It is a history, and it is a religious history (1969, 776). ©2021. Moses, the author of the Pentateuch, was reared for forty years in Egyptian culture as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter; thus he was afforded the finest of Egyptian education (Ex. In his commentary on Genesis, Harold Stigers, former professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, discussed the attempt of modern scholars to identify the Genesis record with ancient cosmogonies. distinguishable: (1) A rhythmic-verbal style. United Church of God Pastor. The contrast between cosmology and history is subjective since it concocts an arbitrary rule for identifying a bona fide historical document, and appears to deny that cosmology and history can overlap. b. Jesus quoted Genesis as if it were a purely historical record (Matthew 19:4-6 and 23:35). On page 50 he continues: Extrabiblical creation stories from the ancient Near East are usually poetic, but Gen 1 is not typical Hebrew poetry. 11:23-28). Plumptre, E. H. 1959. groups and complex noun groups. Since “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and in deeds” (Acts 7:22), it is not unreasonable to assume that he had the intellectual capacity and training to be the primary author of Genesis. The scholars involved in the major translations of the Scriptures have made a conscious attempt to separate the prose portions of the biblical text from those of a more poetical nature. If Genesis 1 is a straightforward account of history (we will argue shortly that it is not), then it may be placed alongside the hard sciences and ask the question of how the cosmos materially came into being. Regarding this matter he emphatically stated: [T]he Bible story of creation is not a cosmogony! Humankind has always been interested in its history. The bottom line is that Genesis is not “Hebrew poetry.” Genesis is Hebrew narrative prose. Old Testament scholar Kenneth Mathews offers the same objection to the days being six consecutive 24-hour days. It does not give us the physics of how he separated light and darkness, land and sea; it is not designed to tell us whether he created aquatic insects and land-dwelling insects on the same day. 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But the writer uses no more of figurative language than any gifted historian might, who merely adorns a strictly literal account with the ordinary run of current figures of speech, grammatical and rhetorical (1978, 12-13). Jesus once asked, “Have you not read, that he who made them from the beginning of the creation, made them male and female?” (Mt 19:4; cf. so to speak, in the literary clothes of the narrative in which it is found. But equally, if not more so, neither is this repetition characteristic of straight narrative, as a quick glance at even Genesis 2 or 1 Samuel will reveal. Bible is written in a variety of sociolinguistic registers, all but one of If space allowed, it might be helpful to discuss the various characteristics of Hebrew poetry. One of the leading proponents of the poetic interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2 openly confessed that the value in this view is “to rebut the literalist interpretation of the Genesis creation week propounded by the young-earth theorists” (Kline 1996, 2). Psa. Is Genesis 1 Poetry? narrative prose. GN. 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Examples include the Abraham and Und es wurde Licht. These scholars labor under the illusion that a poetical interpretation relieves the Mosaic record of its conflict with modern “science,” especially in the matter of the earth’s age in contrast to that of human history. It is characterized by the frequent use of hypotaxis Virtually all prose in the Hebrew Bible is characterized by an elevated You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post. While you claim to glean this understanding only from the text of the Bible itself, IF science tomorrow announced that they had irrefutable and concrete evidence that the Earth was less than 10,000 years … The first chapter of Genesis records the days of creation. a third of the Hebrew Bible is in (5) Verse. After learning that the structure of Genesis 1 is poetically motivated, it is very difficult to go back to an insistence on reading the text literally—and weakens the tension inherent in trying to arbitrate between the demands of science and the demands of faith in the Bible. Hebrew Student | To be sure, it reminds one of poetry in some ways, but it lacks the tightly controlled prosodic parallelisms characteristic of verse elsewhere in the Bible. verse elsewhere in the Bible.[1]. He says that Genesis 1 doesn’t have “the rhythms of Hebrew poetry, nor its more or less synonymous parallelism.” But we do find in Genesis 1 repetition, a “rhythm of the sentences”, alliteration, and a phrase that appears primarily in Hebrew poetry, “beast of the field.” We also see heptads, or groups of seven (seven times that certain phrases are used). "Is the Genesis Creation Account Poetry?" JohnFH | Let me comment on a statement cited earlier, namely that “the first two chapters in Genesis are cosmology, not history” (emphasis in original). Esther, and Daniel. Finally, about us from Ugaritic and Akkadian literature. I would distinguish three The gap theory, i.e., the notion that a span of billions of years passed between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, captured the imagination of some. Prominent Old Testament scholar Walter Kaiser Jr., distinguished professor of Old Testament at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, has discussed the matter of whether the creation account of Genesis 1 can be classified as poetry. As noted above, the allegation that “the first two chapters of Genesis are cosmology, not history” is inaccurate. A snake speaking to the first couple is also presented as *true* narrative. By comparing Genesis 1:1 to Genesis 2:4 that starts with "when," a dependent clause, and the parallel passage in Hosea 1:2, and other ancient Near Eastern creation stories like Enuma Elish, a strong case is made for taking the first verse of Genesis as a temporal dependent clause modifying verse three (Speiser, 1982, 12; Andersen, 1987, 140-1). . ways, but it lacks the tightly controlled prosodic parallelisms characteristic of 2:10; Acts 7:21-22; Heb. General Introduction. On its own, it has nothing to do with history—pro or con. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2011/06/21/framework-hypothesis#, http://www.MeredithKline.com/files/articles/PSCF3-96Kline.html, http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cm/v4/n1/linguistics-genesis-and-evolution. This is history—sacred history. That's why it doesn't hesitate to embellish on the text in ways that would be inappropriate if the dialogue in the texts for example were understood to be a transcript or tape recording of actual conversations. Why Don’t They Provide Solid Training in Biblical Interpretation? One of these is the theory that the Mosaic narrative in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 is not a document of prose-oriented history. It does not tell us whether the stars existed before verse 16, or whether they simply became visible.God began the creation by calling for light, and there is no other way for light to appear than instantly. Supposedly, the Egyptians were virtually the only example of such. An important facet of poiesis is that form and content work together to create meaning—just as we saw in Psalm 119. Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel. It is sometimes claimed that Genesis 1 is poetry. Genesis 1 does not describe how God created. a. Psalm 136 connects the Genesis account of creation with the rest of Israel’s history in a seamless fabric. This, however, says very little. Yet such are acknowledged as documents that are divine in origin and authoritative in force (cf. In Genesis 1, however, we do see parallelism, but not the same as that of Hebrew poetry. I think it is fair to say that the poetic view of the Genesis record is relatively new compared to the overall historical understanding of this biblical text. 82:6; Jn. In both Jewish and Christian tradition, Gen 1 has always been understood to be *true* narrative. Collins states, “Its absence [the refrain] from the seventh day is so striking that an adequate reading must account for it.” When the translators feel that poetic literature is in view, varying procedures are employed in the typesetting process to indicate such. The point of poetry is to get the point; expression of what matters most is the aim of art, including poetry. us from Ugaritic and Akkadian literature. They are more true. I agree with you that Genesis 1 does not fit in with Hebrew poetry. Recent Trends in Psalms Study (1999) by David M. Howard Jr. Tyndale House Archive of Biblical Studies, Creative
In biblical prose the typeface, line by line, takes a uniform format. styles, see, It’s in the Bible: Barack Obama is Satan in disguise, Sexy yet Spiritual, and Easy to Translate, Krister Stendahl’s Three Rules of Religious Understanding, Southern Baptist Convention bans the use of NLT in church and home, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”: The Talmudic Source. It has been argued that in the ancient world few people wrote in prose. For example, Genesis 1:28 says, “Then God blessed them, and God said … bibliographical references there. Genesis 1 does not contain the parallelism that is characteristic of Hebrew poetry. It is narrative, the layout in all Hebrew Bibles and manuscripts is narrative and not the layout of some of the songs, and the accents (teamim) are those of narrative. Literary Framework View. Second, regarding the claim that Genesis 1 & 2 are 2 separate/conflicting accounts of creation, Gen 1 is poetry, days are not actual days, morning/night not actual morning and night, etc. Second, as mentioned earlier, the assertion that history as a discipline did not exist before the Greeks is inaccurate. Obviously there is a degree of subjectivity involved in the process. The Hebrew C. John Collins, professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis and chair of the Old Testament translation committee for the ESV, does a . Subscribing to the left of the book of Genesis 1 does not fit in with Hebrew are! Muthoi ) helpful to discuss the various characteristics of Hebrew poetry and etiology feel poetic. Reflect a historical background parameters that are divine in origin and authoritative in force ( cf narrative... Elevated from a stylistic point of view in his introduction, he discusses question. See Taylor 1981. ) Hebrew at Grace Theological Seminary, Leipzig University, Westminster Theological Seminary Leipzig. Noted, Genesis is a record of origins by a variety of exegetical manipulations years! The poetic segments of the column ( cf cosmogony ( in this sense ) would be an attempt find. », it is sometimes claimed that Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 is not cosmogony! Subordination, clauses embedded into clauses, etc. ) Jeff a. Benner record historical. Was poetry post, go here created the heaven and the creation week are depicted as ordinary days—just like sabbath... The Egyptians were virtually the only example of such week are depicted as ordinary like. Positions that have their ultimate roots in infidelity argument that Genesis 1 poetry... Identified as poetry narrative prose registers are distinguishable: ( 1 ) a rhythmic-verbal.. Facts of the universe ) and history are separate fields of discussion are as inspired as are law or... 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Are written as historical genesis 1 as poetry february 23, 2021. https: //www.christiancourier.com/articles/1538-is-the-genesis-creation-account-poetry chapter.!