A Layperson’s Guide to Biblical Interpretation by Bobo Luke Brad;Agan Clarence III;

Author:Bobo, Luke Brad;Agan, Clarence III; [Bobo, Luke Brad]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781498208901
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Published: 2016-01-15T08:00:00+00:00

Figure 11. Topography of a Narrative

Using Figure 11

Let’s apply the diagram in Figure 11 briefly to the book of Ruth. In the opening scene, the patriarch of the family, Elimelech moves his family from famine stricken Bethlehem to the country of Moab. Immediately, the story moves to a crises point: Naomi, a foreigner in Moab, bereft of not only her husband but her two sons, is now a childless widow. The story’s climax occurs when Boaz, a relative of the deceased Elimelech, enters into negotiations with another relative of Elimelech, who has the first right to redeem the land belonging to Elimelech. When Boaz relates that buying the land means also acquiring the Moabite Ruth, this relative refuses to redeem the land. So, Boaz redeems the land and acquires and takes Ruth’s hand in marriage. Finally, the denouement (or finale) occurs when Ruth gives birth to a son—which means a childless widow is now a grandmother.

Literary Device Analysis

A former student, while learning about the topic historicist criticism, kindly shared her class notes with me because the principles she was learning overlapped with Biblical hermeneutics. Under the word “guards” on her notes, she writes, “we can’t read any text until we understand the conventions of the text; a text is like a musical score. Without conventions it’s meaningless.”79 Summing up this lecture, she wrote this formula:

“Conventions + context of speaker = understanding of meaning.”

This is apropos for our discussion here. Substituting ‘literary devices’ for ‘conventions,’ I offer this revision to the formula:

“Literary devices + context (literary and cultural-historical) =

helps to understand the meaning of our passage of Scripture.”

Biblical authors used a plethora of literary devices; thus, we must be on the lookout for them and understand them. Here is a representative sample of literary devices we can find in our Bibles:

a. Hyperbole. Matthew 5:30 has puzzled many lay persons. “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.” This is an example of hyperbole, and is not to be taken literally. Just imagine if we took this passage literally! Recalling, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 again. In this passage, Paul masterfully uses hyperbolic rhetoric to present himself as a personal example of this teaching in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (compare to 1 Corinthians 9).

b. Repetition. I often told my hermeneutics classes that repetition is God’s megaphone and He is saying, “Pay attention.” For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 we find the word “wisdom,” its cognates (e.g., wise) and synonyms (discernment), are repeated thirteen (13) times. Obviously, Paul wants us to pay attention to this word and its various forms.

c. Irony. The storyteller of events in the book of Esther is quite a fan of using irony.80 Perhaps, one of the most ironically comic scenes in the entire book of Esther is captured in Esther 6:1-13. Mordecai’s foe, Haman, plots and makes plans for Mordecai’s outrageous death; however, in the same scene the king plans to honor Mordecai’s faithful service.

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