(Part 1)

JBTM Jeffrey G. Audirsch
48
“For it is: Do
this, do that, a
rule for this, a
rule for that;
a little here, a
little there.”
(NIV)
“For it is
precept upon
precept,
precept upon
precept,
line upon line,
line upon line,
here a little,
there a little.”
(ESV, the KJV
and NKJV are
similar)
“For He says,
‘Order on
order, order
on order, Line
on line, line
on line, A little
here, a little
there.’” (NASB)
“For he says:
‘Law after law,
law after law,
line after line,
line after line,
a little here, a
little there.’”
(HCSB)
“He tells us
everything over
and over—one
line at a time,
one line at a
time, a little
here, and a
little there!”
(NLT)
From a cursory reading of the above translations, one can quickly note the
difference between the translational renderings. Both the NIV and NLT are
closer to dynamic equivalency than formal equivalence and incidentally
capture the essence or meaning of the text better than the others. By
comparing English translations, interpreters can acquire some basic
semblance of the poetic text.
3. To what extent does parallelism affect the meaning of the text? 75 Additionally,
interpreters should ask: What types of parallelism(s) is/are employed in
the text?
4. Look for major themes (e.g., sacrifice), theological motifs (e.g., covenant), or
events (e.g., the exodus). Typically, these elements will provide valuable
insight into the literary unit. Once the element(s) has been identified, we
must try to understand it from a diachronic (i.e., historical development)
and synchronic (i.e., literary development) perspective. 76
5. What is the historical background/context? As noted above, this question is not
always easily answered. In the case of Exod 15, Deut 32, Judg 5, and 2 Sam 22:1—
23:7 the historical context is readily apparent. In the Psalter, on the other hand,
determining the background or context is not always evident. 77
75
For similar interpretive argument, see V. Philips Long, “Reading the Old Testament as
Literature,” in Interpreting the Old Testament: A Guide for Exegesis, ed. Craig C. Broyles (Grand Rapids:
Baker Academic, 2001), 120.
76
Wendland makes a similar argument, but describes this step as “key-term analysis,” see
Wendland, “The Discourse Analysis of Hebrew Poetry,” 16.
77
When seeking the historical context of a poetic text, Bullock provides a helpful reminder: “History
for the ancient Hebrews was not a mere horizontal series of events and successive generations. Rather