OT210

R.C. Payne

The Poetic Books: Wisdom and Songs of the Old Testament explores the biblical books of poetry: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Students will learn to understand how to read poetry, figurative language, and poetic imagery. After completing this course, students will be able to apply these books of the Bible to their lives and the lives of others in the church. Since the Psalms were central texts of public worship and private prayer for both Hebrew people and early Christians, The Poetic Books devotes significant time to this collection. Students will learn the major types of psalms, their functions, common themes, and how Jesus and early Christians understood the Psalms. Similar to the lyrical anthology of Psalms, this text also explores the Song of Songs as a collection of poetry, noting its history of interpretation, specific nuances and themes, and potential application within a contemporary congregation. The final unit of the book focuses on the genre of wisdom literature, defining biblical wisdom and examining wisdom terminology, themes, and challenges in interpretation. Students will be encouraged to further explore the specific reflective wisdom of Job and Ecclesiastes, and the prudential wisdom of Proverbs.