The ESV Literary Study Bible by Crossway Books is both a reader's and a literary Bible. Beyond being a reader's Bible it is also a study Bible. In addition to being the inerrant Word of God, the Bible is also a work of literature. We do not diminish the authority and divine inspiration of the Bible by viewing it as a book of literature. When you examine the sixty-six books contained in the Bible, each book conveys its message in a different way. There is a vast difference between the poetry in the Song of Solomon and that found in the Psalms. ESV Literary Study Bible is designed to help readers better understand the message(s) that individual authors intended in their writings.
How is the Bible defined as literature?
In literature, a writing's genre is the mode in which its content is expressed. Narrative and poetry are the two main genres found in the Bible. There are more than one hundred literary genres in the Bible. Prophecy, visionary, apocalyptic, pastoral, oratory, drama, epistles, monologues, and hymns are some of the other genres in the Bible.
There is a wide range of literary subject matter, from abstract propositional discourse to concrete presentations of human experience.
The Bible is considered to be the most complete repository of archetypes in the Western world, as it contains plot motifs, character types, and images that repeat throughout literature and life.
There are many stylistics and rhetorical devices that can be used in a piece of writing. These include: imagery, metaphor, simile, symbol, allusion, irony, wordplay, hyperbole, apostrophe, personification, paradox, and pun. Many of these images and figures of speech are found in the poetic and prophetic books of the Bible, as well as in Jesus' discourses in the Gospels.
Literature is an art form.
Fallacies About Literary Approaches to the Bible
Viewing the Bible as Literature Betrays Liberal Theological Bias
The Idea of the Bible as Literature is a Modern Idea Foreign to the Bible Itself
To Speak of the Bible as Literature is to Claim that the Bible is Fictional
To Approach the Bible as Literature Means Approaching it only as Literature
To Say that the Bible is Literature denies its Divine Inspiration
Twelve Literary Feature of the Bible
A Unifying Storyline
The Presence of a Central Character
Religious Orientation
Variety of Genres and Styles
Preference of the Concrete over the Abstract
Realism
Simplicity
Preference for the Brief Unit
Elemental Quality
Oral Style
Aphoristic Quality
The Literature of Confrontation
There is a thorough introduction to each book of the Bible. Introductions vary in their content. In the book of Isaiah, you will find this information.
The Book at a Glance
Prophecy as the Dominant Genre
Other Genre
Format
Tips for Reading and Interpreting Isaiah
Inferred Literary Intentions
Theological Themes
Isaiah as a Chapter in the Master Story of the Bible
These elements are present in the introduction to the Book of Matthew.
The Book at a Glance
Genres
Format
The Storyline
How to Visualize the Book
Phetorical and Stylistic Features
Inferred Literary Intentions
Theological Themes
Matthew as a Chapter in the Master Story of the Bible
Before Esther chapter 5, we are presented with this literary explanation entitled Esther Intervenes for Her Nation.
"The book of Esther is written in an embellished style, with scenes and speeches presented in full detail. In this chapter, this technique yields the famous picture of Esther appearing unsummoned before the king, who extends his scepter toward the queen. Esther invites the king to two banquets, perhaps weakening at the first one when the king asks what she wants (v.8) and in any case increasing the suspense of the story. The storyteller does not tell us why Esther also invites Haman, but it may have been part of a strategy to force the king into making a decision on the spot when at the second banquet Esther makes her accusation. But we are a long way from that moment when Haman returns from the first banquet "joyful and glad of heart" (v.9) and bragging to his wife and friends (vv. 10-13). The construction of the gallows that Haman intends for Mordecai shows him to be the archetypal overreacher –– the person whose personal ambition is too excessive to succeed."
My personal opinion is that the ESV Literary Study Bible offers an interesting and unique way to study the Bible. It makes sense to explore the Bible as a work of literature after reading the lengthy Introduction at the beginning of the Bible. While maintaining the traditional chapter and verse format, typical study notes are not included in the Bible. Scripture passages flow naturally like great works of literature, without distraction. However, literary notes within the text provide a guide to individual books and passages. To avoid blending with the scripture text, the print size and style differ. The literary aids are placed at appropriate points within the text. My daily Bible reading will be enriched with the ESV Literary Study Bible.
Disclaimer - I received this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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