How to Study the Genres in the Bible

In High School, I read Romeo and Juliet for the first time. While Romeo and Juliet loved each other, they faced many obstacles in their relationship because their feuding families didn’t want them to be together. Despite their attempts to overcome these obstacles, their relationship (and even their lives) end in tragedy. 

It makes sense because the genre of the play is tragedy. However, reading Romeo and Juliet for the first time, I was disappointed that their love did not end in hope. I made the mistake of thinking about Romeo and Juliet as a romance, rather than a tragedy. Though the play had a sad ending, it would not have been as devastating if I considered ahead of time that it was a tragedy. 

This is a great example of why it’s important to study genres in the Bible. Like Romeo and Juliet, the Bible is a work of literature. In fact, it is a work that contains many types of literature. Although our physical Bibles are contained in one book, the Bible can be more accurately described as an anthology of smaller books. Each book has its own genre.

Therefore, we need to understand the genres in the Bible so that we can read scripture faithfully. With this in mind, this article explains why Christians should study genres in the Bible, offers a brief discussion of the genres in the Old and New Testaments, provides insight into best practices for studying these genres, and gives suggestions for further reading on biblical genres.

Why Study Genres in the Bible? 

As I mentioned briefly before, we study biblical genres because the Bible is a work of literature that contains many smaller books within itself. God uses human authors to communicate his divine message, and those human authors chose specific genres when sharing God’s message. 

It is a beautiful thing that God’s word has unity and yet is also so diverse.

For example, if I read through the Psalms as if I were reading a narrative, I might miss on the complexities of the poetry and might not notice the meaning encroached within each line and stanza of the poems. Similarly, if I read the Law as if it were poetry, I might interpret it figuratively when it’s really meant to be interpreted literally. 

Studying biblical genres doesn’t merely add another dimension to our Bible Study. If we don’t understand the genres of the Bible and keep them in mind as we read, we run the risk of misunderstanding entire sections of scripture. 

When we study the genres in the Bible, we become equipped to understand scripture as it was intended to be understood. 

🌿 Ever feel like you’re missing something when you read Scripture? Our Bible Study Guide helps you study and interpret the Bible with confidence, so you can draw closer to God and grow in a deeper, more personal relationship with him.

Literary Genres in the Old Testament 

The genres in the Old Testament are Narrative, Law, Poetry, Wisdom, and Prophecy. Each genre can be divided into various sub-genres. While I won’t get into these here, the book Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. is a great read and thoroughly discusses these sub-genres. 

Narrative

Almost half of the Old Testament consists of narratives. Narratives are simply stories that have a plot, settings, and characters. Although I describe a narrative as a story, this does not mean that it isn’t historical. Narratives in the Bible are both historical and theological. They use true events to teach us about God.

According to J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, most narrative plots have three basic components: exposition, conflict, and resolution. The story starts off with exposition, presenting the setting and the main events of the narrative. Then, a conflict is introduced. Finally, there is a resolution.

When studying narratives, pay attention to details like themes, plot, characters, and action. Read more than just one chapter at a time so that you can get a good picture of what is taking place in the story. Look out for plot, conflict, and resolution. Don’t neglect the setting and the characters since these can give insight into the theology behind the story. Ultimately, as you read narratives, look for God in the story. Ask yourself, “What does this story teach me about God? How does it encourage me to prioritize God’s will in my life?” 

Law

Law is another important genre in the Old Testament. The Law consists of stipulations and guidelines for the people of Israel explaining how they should live in covenant with God. The Old Testament Law is unique because it often exists within a narrative, detailing God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt and their journey to the Promised Land.

When interpreting the Law, we should remember that the Law applies to Christians differently than it applied to the ancient Israelites. We need to interpret the Law in light of Jesus and what he has done for us in the New Testament. 

To learn more about interpreting the Law, consider reading this article: Does the Old Testament Law Still Apply to Christians?

Poetry

Next, the Bible includes a lot of poetry. Poetry can be challenging to understand since it contains a lot of figurative language. Duvall and Hays explain that poetry is characterized by terseness, unique structure, and figurative imagery. 

Terseness means that poetry uses as little words as possible. However, the words used are very impactful and meaningful. 

In terms of structure, poetry can either follow a parallel structure or an acrostic structure. While we most often see parallelism in biblical poetry, Proverbs 31 is a good example of an acrostic poem (we can only see the acrostic in its original language). 

When studying poetry, be sure to examine the entire poem instead of only focusing on isolated verses. If possible, determine the historical context behind the poem. Pay attention to the structure of the poem and identify the figurative language used. Poetry is not literal, so if we want to understand the ideas in poems, we need to dig a little deeper. Read the poem out loud and look up words and phrases that you don’t understand. 

Wisdom

Wisdom literature is a lot like poetry. They include books like Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Job, and Song of Songs. Wisdom literature invites us to think more deeply about the Narrative and Law sections of scripture. Old Testament scholar Derek Kidner explains that the Wisdom books in scripture call us to keep our eyes open and use our common sense while the Narrative, Law, and Prophecy books of scripture more bluntly call us to obey or believe. 

Wisdom books include practical theology and help us to live our everyday lives in a way that honors God. 

While many of the other genres in the Old Testament tell us God’s will, Wisdom literature shows us practical ways for living out God’s will in our lives. It also addresses some of the challenges and obstacles we naturally face as we live this life on earth. 

Prophecy

Lastly, prophecy is an important part of scripture. Prophetic literature is not just about predicting the future. The majority of Old Testament prophecy is about preaching the word of God. The prophets speak on behalf of God and tell the people when they have sinned, encourage them to repent, and prophecy restoration that comes with repentance. 

God uses the prophets to warn his people when they are entangled in sin but he also gives the prophets messages of salvation and hope that he will rescue them from the hold of sin in their lives. 

When studying prophecy, focus on context. Consider who the prophet is speaking to and the situation they are addressing. Remember that prophecy will often use figurative language. Pay attention to the message for the original audience and then discern how the passage might also apply to modern readers. 

Related: How to Approach Passages in the Bible That Seem To Contradict Each Other

Literary Genres in the New Testament 

The New Testament includes Gospels, Acts, Letters (Epistles), and Apocalypse. 

Gospels

The Gospels are a set of narratives about the life and work of Jesus Christ. As I mentioned in the discussion about Old Testament Narratives, while the Gospels are historical, they are also meant to communicate theology. 

The word “gospel” comes from euangelion, which means “good news” in Greek. Therefore, the gospel is the good news of Jesus. 

We have four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. One may wonder why we have four if the Gospels tell the story of one person. However, each Gospel was written to a different audience. While they do all tell the same story, they do it differently in order to engage their respective audience. 

Remember, the Gospels are not meant to just be good stories about Jesus. They are meant to lead their readers to Christ. 

When reading the Gospels, we must focus on how each narrative within them points us to Christ. As in any story, there is a conflict. But, the conflict has to do with sinful humanity and the ways we have strayed from God. The Gospels present Jesus as the solution to the problem of sin all humans face. 

Acts

The Acts of the Apostles is another example of narrative in scripture. Scholars believe Acts to be the sequel to Luke. It was written by the same author to the same audience and the first lines of both books imply that there is a connection between the two. 

Unlike the Gospels, Acts focuses on the early church and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives as the Church grows and develops. 

One mistake many people make when reading Acts is taking all of it as normative for the church throughout all time. While some of Acts is prescriptive for how the church should be, other parts of Acts is descriptive and simply tells us about things that took place in the early church. 

When reading Acts, pay attention to the author’s intention, notice characters and their development, read individual passages in light of the overall story, look for patterns and themes, and allow other parts of Acts to clarify passages that you find confusing.

Letters (Epistles)

Studying letters in the Bible can be challenging. Why? Reading Biblical Letters is like reading someone else’s mail. We have one side of a correspondence and are trying to piece together its meaning without the full “conversation” at our disposal. 

The New Testament letters are comparable to other ancient letters, they are authoritative substitutes for the sender’s presence, they deal with specific situations, they are carefully written and delivered, and they are intended to serve the Christian community. 

While letters were originally written to a specific audience, they can also help modern Christians many years later because they are applicable to our situation as well. However, in order to properly apply letters, we need to learn about their author and audience, and do our best to reconstruct the historical situation in which they were written. 

It is best to study the New Testament letters by reading them in their entirety and then analyzing individual sections. Pay attention to context and use other parts of scripture and Biblical tools if necessary to help you reconstruct the situation the letter addresses. Try to determine the main message(s) the author wants to get across to the audience, and then take some time to think about the timeless message the letter offers for the church today. 

Apocalypse

Last but not least, the New Testament also contains apocalyptic literature. Apocalyptic literature can be confusing because there are many symbols, figurative language, accounts of dreams, and visions, etc. When we think of an apocalypse, we often think of the end of the world. However, this is not quite what apocalyptic literature is meant to communicate. 

While there is a huge eschatological component to apocalyptic literature, it is written to help encourage Christians dealing with hostile circumstances. Although the things they experience are deeply challenging, God will bring victory in the end. 

Apocalyptic literature helps Christians to turn their eyes to Christ and see him as sovereign over their situation. It is meant to bring hope rather than fear. 

When studying apocalyptic literature, determine its historical and cultural context, and study its author and their background. Pay attention to literary features unique to apocalyptic literature such as symbolism, dreams, visions, names/numbers, cosmic significance, and angelic mediation. Focus on the overall message and intention of the work rather than overanalyzing the details. Remember to prioritize seeing Christ and the gospel through apocalyptic literature. 

Resources for Further Reading on Genres in the Bible

Now that you understand the major genres in the Bible and have learned some techniques for studying them, consider reading further to strengthen your knowledge of biblical genres. The books listed below are some of my favorites:

1. Grasping God’s Word, Fourth Edition: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
2. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. 
3. Literarily: How Understanding Bible Genres Transforms Bible Study by Kristie Anyabwile
4. The Bible Study Guide: Helpful Techniques for Bible Study by Shanté Grossett O’Neal