What is a literary form in the Bible?

Answer 1

A literary form in the Bible is essentially the same as in any other kind of literature in a relevant language. Examples used in the Bible include Poetry such as Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon and Job. Hebrew poetry also has a number of interesting characteristics such as various types of parallelism where ideas which are similar are repeated or also opposites are put into contrast. Prose is primarily used in the other parts which primarily contain history. Although some books contain both such as the inclusion of the song of praise after the destruction of the Egyptian army in Exodus, in the middle of a historical narrative.

Jesus, as the master teacher also used a number of literary forms and devices in this work, which those who wrote down His words undoubtedly endeavored to preserve. Some of these, which are lost in translation, apparently included pnemonic devices to aid memory and note-taking (we must remember there were plenty of scribes in first century Israel, eager to record a rabbi's sayings). What we can also see is that Jesus regularly used illustrations from everyday life as an aid in memory e.g. 'Consider the lillies of the field....'

Paul also wrote a number of letters which have a definite form. They consistently follow the pattern of: 1. Salutation and introduction, 2. A Thanksgiving, 3. Main body addressing issues relating to the people addressed (this itself with a specific order relevant to the issue) 4. Conclusion and greetings.
Legal, historical, prophetic, apocalyptic, ancient biographical, epistolary, wisdom, poetic, dramatic.

The Bible also contains some or all of the following literary forms:

• Allegory: A narrative in which literal meaning corresponds clearly and directly to symbolic meaning. The story of the Garden of Eden is often considered to be an allegory.
• Biography: The nonfictional story of a person's life. The gospels are regarded as biographies.
• Didactic literature: Literature intended to instruct or educate. The Book of Job is an excellent example of didactic literature, as is much of the Book of Proverbs.
• Epic: A lengthy narrative that describes the deeds of a heroic figure of national or cultural importance. The Book of Joshua could be regarded as an epic.
• Fiction: An invented narrative, as opposed to one that reports true events. Biblical scholars regard the Books of Daniel and Esther as works of fiction.
• Historical novel: Scholars designate 2 Maccabeesas a historical novel because its author fully intended his audience to understand his fictional narration as based on events that actually occurred and on people who really lived. This book is in the Catholic Old Testament.
• Nonfiction: A narrative work that reports true events.
• Legend: A story about a heroic figure derived from oral tradition and based partly on fact and partly on fiction. The stories of the early judges and Kings Saul, David and Solomon could be regarded as legends.
• Myth: A story about the origins of a culture's beliefs and practices, or of supernatural phenomena, usually derived from oral tradition and set in an imagined supernatural past. Much of the Pentateuch deals with the origins of Hebrew beliefs and practices, set in a supernatural past.
• Parable: A short narrative that illustrates a moral by means of allegory. The gospels are well known for their parables.
• Pastiche: A work that imitates the style of a previous author, work, or literary genre. The pseudo-Pauline epistles, with varying degrees of success, imitate the style of the Apostle Paul in order to present as actually having been written by him. This was common practice in ancient times.

Answer:Historical narratives - Genesis Exodus Judges Acts etc

Wisdom/poetic writings - Psalms Proverbs etc

Prophecies - Isaiah, Jeremiah Jonah etc

Teaching passages - parts of the Gospels

Parables - parts of the Gospels

Letters - Galatians Ephesians etc
Myth, List, Prophecy, Law, Sermon, History, Letter, Proverb, Parable, and Psalm.

Answer 2

The Bible also contains some or all of the following literary forms:

• Allegory: A narrative in which literal meaning corresponds clearly and directly to symbolic meaning. The story of the Garden of Eden is often considered to be an allegory.
  
• Biography: The nonfictional story of a person's life. The gospels are regarded as biographies.
  
• Didactic literature: Literature intended to instruct or educate. The Book of Job is an excellent example of didactic literature, as is much of the Book of Proverbs.
  
• Epic: A lengthy narrative that describes the deeds of a heroic figure of national or cultural importance. The Book of Joshua could be regarded as an epic.
  
• Fiction: An invented narrative, as opposed to one that reports true events. Biblical scholars regard the Books of Daniel and Esther as works of fiction.
  
• Historical novel: Scholars designate 2 Maccabeesas a historical novel because its author fully intended his audience to understand his fictional narration as based on events that actually occurred and on people who really lived. This book is in the Catholic Old Testament.
  
• Nonfiction: A narrative work that reports true events.
  
• Legend: A story about a heroic figure derived from oral tradition and based partly on fact and partly on fiction. The stories of the early judges and Kings Saul, David and Solomon could be regarded as legends.
  
• Myth: A story about the origins of a culture's beliefs and practices, or of supernatural phenomena, usually derived from oral tradition and set in an imagined supernatural past. Much of the Pentateuch deals with the origins of Hebrew beliefs and practices, set in a supernatural past.
  
• Parable: A short narrative that illustrates a moral by means of allegory. The gospels are well known for their parables.
  
• Pastiche: A work that imitates the style of a previous author, work, or literary genre. The pseudo-Pauline epistles, with varying degrees of success, imitate the style of the apostle Paul in order to present as actually having been written by him. This was common practice in ancient times.
• Poetry: Much of the Old Testament is written in the form of Hebrew poetry, which differs from Western poetry by having patterns of ideas rather than patterns of sounds.

• Rhetorical structures: The ancient Greeks used a number of rhetorical literary forms that were followed by some of the New Testament authors, particularly the author of Mark's Gospel. Mark's Gospel, in its entirety, is based on a parallel structure, but it also contains a number of smaller chiastic structures and 'Sandwiches'.