Hebrew Poetry - Unlocking The Bible

Part 30 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

Why is it important to have a Bible which shows the difference between poetry and prose? Because, as Hebrew poetry differs from English poetry, it would be easy for us to miss it. Prose is written from margin to margin while poetry is spaced out more. David Pawson says, when God speaks in prose, he is communicating thoughts from his mind to ours, but when he speaks in poetry he is communicating his feelings from his heart to our heart. We should recognize that we actually affect God’s feelings every day. What we feel about God is not nearly as important as what he feels about us. Poetry reaches the parts of us that prose cannot. Also it stays in the memory longer. As well as touching your heart, it can go deeper into the will and challenge you – to change your way of life. It is meant to be read aloud. Poetry has Rhyme, Rhythm and Repetition. Hebrew poetry does not use rhyme but has rhythm and especially repetition. It often relies on two statements that belong together – couplets – which echo each other, with the 2nd line usually taking the thought a step further or presenting the opposite thought. An interesting study which helps us to appreciate the different form of poetry which God used.