Old Testament Narratives

Learning Objectives

• Explain how the genre of narrative works
• Describe the various features of narratives
• Outline guidelines for interpreting a narrative    

Introduction

In this module we begin our investigation of the biblical genres. We will seek to outline the most essential features for interpretation – but the interested learner will do well to follow the cited literature and videos for further analysis and examples. Our first genre is Old Testament narrative, which is the most common form of literature in the Bible. Indeed, narratives comprise one-third of the OT, so the interpreter will do well to learn how to read them!       

What is Old Testament Narrative?

Narrative is a literary genre employed by OT authors to communicate God’s truth in story form. In lieu of straightforward discussion of a truth (such as we might find in an epistle), or a presentation of truth in terse poetry (such as in Proverbs), stories communicate using “an account of characters and events in a plot moving over time and space through conflict toward resolution” (Fackre, 1996, p. 27). 

Narratives can be wide and varied in their purpose. Though they can be fictional, they can also be used to communicate accurate historical detail, such as we find in the OT. But the biblical history transcends the cataloguing of historical data to ultimately function as a theological account. It does this by offering a “selective presentation of the facts designed to present a theological evaluation of that record – one that will bring about a proper spiritual and ethical response on the part of its readers” (Köstenberger and Patterson, 2011, p. 244).

There are many reasons to suggest that stories are an ideal medium through which God can instruct a reader. For example, we identify with the characters and participate in the story at a deeper level than other genres, for stories naturally touch our emotions. We see attributes of characters through observations of life in action and instinctively seek to emulate or disregard them. Indeed, stories operate in a manner that is very compatible with – and even fundamental to – how human identity, understanding, and memory works (see Stroup, 1981, p. 91; MacIntyre, 1981, p. 197). 

Narrative Components

In order to understand how narratives, operate, it is necessary to explore their features. Narratives have an author (and often an editor), an audience, and utilize a narrator. The narrator shapes the story by telling it from his or her point of view and by choosing what details are shared with the reader. Such details are often given using “reports.” Reports are the basic building blocks of narrative in that they narrate the facts of what happened in an event or past situation (Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard, 2017, p. 422). In OT narrative, there are numerous types of reports, such as anecdotes, battle reports, epiphany reports, vocation reports, vision reports, etc.

Another main component of the narrative is the character. Though the narrator will often provide some description and commentary, it is more common for the nature of characters to be “shown” rather than explained. Often the reader is not told whether the character is good or bad but must determine this by noting what comparisons or contrasts are employed and by observing how the character acts or speaks. Indeed, the dialogue between speakers in a narrative often gives insight into their character, and dialogue is often used to emphasize key elements the narrator is attempting to show (see Fee and Stuart, 2003, pp. 95-96).

Old Testament narratives are also shaped by their setting(s) and plot(s). A setting’s details can cast a positive or negative tone over the story. One thinks, for example, of the narrator’s eyebrow-raising depiction of King David foregoing war and remaining in Jerusalem at “the time when kings go out to battle” (2 Sam 11:1) – a description that precedes his moral failure with Bathsheba. Narrative plots, meanwhile, generally move in a succession of scenes from beginning to end, and, in the case of Hebrew narratives, the pace is typically fast. Thus, when the pace slows, whether with greater descriptive detail given or extended dialogue between characters, this is often a sign of the particular focus of the narrator (Fee and Stuart, 2003, p. 97).

Narratives also include the use of various literary patterns. The reader will often see features such as repetition, climax, comparison, contrast, and foreshadowing utilized to highlight or underscore certain themes that are pivotal to the plot (see esp. Schnittjer, 2006, pp. 14-29). However, narratives can also embed other subgenres within their storyline (e.g., blessings, curses, lists) to communicate and will often use strategies such as satire, comedy, or irony to convey or package their message in a certain way. In the end, narratives are limited only by the creativity of the author, and this is partly why they work so well to capture the attention of the reader.

Guidelines for Interpreting Narrative[1]

1. Seek to determine the story setting and various roles of the characters. 
2. Characters and events can be good or bad; it is often left to the reader to distinguish this and to determine whether the character should be emulated or not.
3. Seek to determine the point of the plot. For example, identify the arc of the plot; notice whether the narrative fits within a subgenre (i.e., comedy) that sheds light on how it will operate.
4. Smaller narratives are often part of larger ones, so it is helpful to explore how they function in the larger narrative of the surrounding section or biblical book.
5. Narratives are selective and often seem incomplete, recording what happened (not what ought to have happened) and including only what the author/narrator thought important to know.
6. While narratives can state an idea explicitly, readers often must pay attention to the literary features to determine the emphases and implied results.
7. Narratives thus have specific, limited purposes, and are not written to answer all theological questions.
8. Rather than directly teach doctrines, OT narratives often illustrate doctrines that are taught elsewhere.[2]

[1] This list is adapted from Fee and Stuart, 2003, p. 106; see also Köstenberger and Patterson, 2011, p. 257.

[2] See further Vogt (2009); Chisholm (2006).

like to be a minority in a predominantly white community?

• What is like to survive an airplane crash?
• How do cancer patients cope with a terminal diagnosis?
• What is it like to be a victim of sexual assault?

The next modules in this series will explore phenomenology research methods, data analysis and the strengths and limitations of this type of research.

Suggested Readings

Giorgi, A. (2012). The descriptive phenomenological psychological method. Journal of Phenomenological psychology, 43(1), 3-12.
Giorgi, A. (1997). The theory, practice, and evaluation of the phenomenological method as a qualitative research procedure. Journal of phenomenological psychology, 28(2), 235-260.
Hycner, R. H. (1985). Some guidelines for the phenomenological analysis of interview data. Human studies, 8(3), 279-303.
Measor, L. (1985). "Interviewing: a Strategy in Qualitative Research" in R Burgess (ed) Strategies of Educational Research: Qualitative Methods. Lewes, Falmer Press.
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. London, Sage.
Polkinghorne, D. E. (1989). Phenomenological research methods. Existential-phenomenological perspectives in psychology: Exploring the breadth of human experience, 41-60.
Starks, H., & Brown Trinidad, S. (2007). Choose your method: A comparison of phenomenology, discourse analysis, and grounded theory. Qualitative health research, 17(10), 1372-1380.
 

References

Chisholm, R. (2006). Interpreting the historical books: An exegetical handbook. Grand Rapids, MI. Kregel.

Fackre, G. (1996). The Christian story: A narrative interpretation of basic Christian doctrine. Third edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Fee, G. & Stuart, D. (2003). How to read the bible for all its worth. Third edition. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan.

Klein, W., Blomberg, C., & Hubbard, R. (2017). Introduction to biblical interpretation: Third edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Köstenberger, A. & Patterson, R. (2011). Invitation to biblical interpretation: Exploring the hermeneutical triad of history, literature, and theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel. 

MacIntyre, A. (1981). After virtue: A study in moral theory. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.

Schnittjer, G. (2006). The torah story: An apprenticeship on the pentateuch. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan.

Stroup, G. (1981). The promise of narrative theology. London, UK: SCM.

Vogt, P. (2009). Interpreting the pentateuch: An exegetical handbook. Grand Rapids, MI. Kregel.