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Biblical Prose: Narrative and Discourse

© alberto esmeralda

The previous section on biblical poetry while not comprehensive in scope has tried to give the reader an idea of how to approach psalms, canticles, or wisdom sayings. In this section, we will be dealing with biblical prose. A greater part of the bible is in prose. For the sake of classifying, we can distinguish two kinds of biblical prose: the narrative (most often in the third person) and the discursive (most often in the second person). Examples of narratives are found in the Pentateuch, in Deuteronomic History (Judges to II Kings), in the Chronicler's History (I-II Chronicles), the Devotional Literature of the Old Testament (e.g. Esther, Ruth and Tobit) and the Gospels. Examples of the prose in the second person are found in the legal sections of Exodus, Leviticus, and in the Letters of the New Testament. Within each of these two kinds of prose literature, scholars distinguish types of narratives and discourses. Thus under narratives, we have miracle stories, pronouncement stories and parables, while under discourses, we have diatribes, exhortations, and law. Thus, the intelligent reader of Scriptures is presented with a rich variety of "literary genres" through which the mystery of God's coming to search man is contemplated and savored.

As in the section on biblical poetry, we will -- in this section -- present bible passages and books in a way that can help the "lectio divina" practitioner appreciate biblical prose on his/her own. Without getting into detailed discussions on the intricacies of biblical prose, we will immediately sample narrative and discursive sections of the Bible as these appear in a modern translation. In our expositions, we will pay attention to the narrative or discursive flow, as the case may be, of a section under consideration, point out ways by which the reader can assimilate the studied text in the light of the Christian mysteries, and lastly, indicate how the same text can be studied on a deeper level. The aim of these erticles is simply to help the reader open up the Scriptures intelligently.

At this point, I would like to remind the reader that discussions regarding the history, geography, and vocabulary of a particular text will be limited to a few notes. Exegesis is not my aim. My purpose is to present modern translations of the Bible as a viable means to get into contact with the One Word that is echoed in the many words of men. Wherever necessary I will be pointing out a historical, philological or geographical data that may be of help in understanding a passage. But I will be giving more emphasis on the way a biblical

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