Account

D

Matter of fact narrative often composed of several different elements.

Judges 1:16

Admonition

D

Attempt to persuade someone or group not to do something.

Anecdote

d

A short narrative of a single event in a person's life.

Alliance, declaration of

f

Statement of solidarity between two individuals or groups.

Several typical wordings

1)      I am as you are, my people your people …

2)      I am your servant / son

3)      Let there be a covenant between …

Annunciation

o

Narration that announces the coming birth of a special child

1)      Appearance of a diving messenger

2)      Announcement of the birth

a)      prediction of conception and birth

b)      Special name and destiny for the child

3)      Reactions to the announcement

Lk. 1:11ff.

Assurance of victory

f

Statement to give confidence to a warrior.

"See I have given into your hand" + name of enemy

Josh. 6:2

Battle report

o

Simple report of a battle

1)      The armies

2)      Call for divine help

3)      The battle

4)      Consequences of the battle

5)      Summary

Battle story

d

A battle report with a plot

Beatitude

d

The statement of a blessing considered as already having been received

Depending on the translation they will often start with "blessed," "happy," or "fortunate."

Matt. 5

Biography

D

History of someone's entire life.

Blessing

d

Statement, typically by a father, prophesying the future condition of a person. If negative it is called a curse. Blessings often regulated the relationship between brothers.

Gen. 27:10 ff.

Blood assignment

F

Makes one responsible for the life of another.

"His blood will I require at your hand"

Eze. 3:20

Blood restriction

f

Protects the executioner or warrior from being guilty of murder

"His blood is upon him."

Eze. 18:13; Jos. 2:19

Boast

d

Statement claiming superiority over another.

1 Sam. 17:10

Call account

o

The call of the prophet. May be in a vision, the coming of the word of the LORD, or a direct encounter.

1)      Vision or personal encounter with the LORD

2)      Commissioning

3)      Objections and answers

4)      Sign of the call / ordination

Ex. 3; Isa. 6

Call to attention

O

Get an audience's attention

1)      Invitation to listen

2)      Mention of the audience

3)      [Hint as to the message]

Catalog

d

A list in some systematic order

Chronicle

d

A series of reports in chronological order.

Coda

d

A summary designed to bring the readers from the historical event to the present. May validate the history by current evidence of it.

Often ends with the testimony formula "until this day."

Gen. 35:20

Commission

d

A charge given by a superior.

Commissioning

f

" Go speak/meet ….

Commissioning

o

Charge to subordinate to deliver a message

1)      Prophetic word formula "The word of the Lord cam to me …"

2)      Commissioning formula "Go and speak"

3)      Target audience

4)      Messenger formula "Thus says the LORD"

5)      The message proper

Eze. 3:1; 2 Sam. 7:4; Isa. 7:3-9

Conclusion of God's speech

F

"I the LORD have spoken"

Num. 14:28

Covenant

F

Generally follows the covenant.

" For I am the LORD your God; you are my people" (short form) (either part may be in future tense)

Jer. 7:23

Dirge

o

Funeral song. A prophet may use it as a mock before the person dies or the group is defeated.

1)      "How" or "alas"

2)      Contrast "then" (glory before the death) and "now" (the despair after the death.)

Often with "weep" or "mourn."

Disputation

o

A response to the objections of an audience or among a group

Job; Mic. 2

Dream Epiphany

d

A dream in which God appears to the dreamer

Dream Report

o

1^st or 3^rd person report of a dream

1)      Uses verb "to dream" in the opening

2)      Section often delimited by "and behold"

3)      Conclusion may report the dreamer awaking.

Entrance Liturgy

o

Determine the admissibility to the temple

1)      Inquiry to the worshiper

2)      Worshiper's response

Etiology

f

Def. "study of causes." A passage or statement that explain the origin of name, ceremony, etc.

Several wordings.

1)      Therefore the name of that place is called …

2)      He called his name …, for he said …

3)       … unto this day

4)      it shall be a sign for you

5)      Q and A pattern – (Ex. 3:14)

Eulogy

d

A generally poetic statement to praise a person living or dead.

Explanation of punishment

d

Similar to prophecy of punishment but given as an explanation after the fact.

Farewell speech

o

Speech given by someone about to die.

1)      Notice of impending death

2)      Admonitions / prophecies

3)      Directives to those listing

Gen. 50:24ff.

Genealogy

d

Any list of ancestors. Is know as linear if it follows one line, segmented if it traces several lines.

Guilt, Confession of

O

A wrong doer owns up to it.

1)      Plea of guilt formula "I have sinned"

2)      Detail of the wrong doing

3)      [Pledge to make things right]

Josh. 7:20-21

Guilt, Plea of

f

"I have sinned"

Lk. 15:21

Hand of the LORD

F

Show that the revelation was from the LORD

"The hand of the LORD was upon me"

Eze. 1:3

History, Spiral of

o

The pattern of history.

1)      State of Blessing

2)      Trial of Faith / Permission of evil

3)      Failure / Sin

4)      Loss of Blessing / Curse

5)      Repentance / Confession

6)      Provision of a deliverer

7)      Acceptance of the deliverer

8)      Correction / discipline / chastisement

1)      State of Blessing

Book of Judges

Hostile Orientation

F

Introduces a prophecy

"Set your face against …"

Eze. 6:2

Judgement speech

o

Announcement of judgment on a person, group or nation

1)      Reasons for the judgment

2)      Connective "therefore thus says the LORD"

3)      Description of the judgment

Isa. 8:6ff.

Messenger

F

Introduces a message by a 3^rd party

Often used both when the messenger is given the message and by the messenger when he repeats.

"Thus says … "

Gen. 45:9

Motif

d

Smallest, recurring, meaningful thematic element

No pity

F

Stresses the seriousness of the offence for which this punishment is applied.

"Your eye shall not spare nor shall you have pity."

Eze. 9:5

Oath

F

Introduces an oath

"As the LORD lives"

Oath

o

Conditional self-curse. Maybe cohortative or indicative

1.      "As the Lord Lives" (Oath formula)

2.      The required action

Oracle

d

A communication from God often through a prophet or priest

No generally defined structure. Typically start with “The Oracle of (concerning) … ” or the prophetic word formula

Nahum

Oracular Inquiry

o

1)      Report of seeking an oracle

2)      The oracle in response to the request

Ordinance

d

Authoritative instruction

Psalm, Community lament

o

1)      Address and complaint

2)      Reference to God's earlier saving deeds

3)      Lament

4)      Confession of trust

5)      Petition

6)      Supporting reasons

7)      Call for divine response

8)      Vow of Praise

Ps. 79.74.80

Psalm, Community Praise (short)

o

1)      Shout of praise

2)      Report of God's act

Ex. 18:10; Ps. 126:3, 4; 144:9-10

Psalm, Community Praise (long)

o

1)      Exhortation

2)      Introductory summary

3)      Looking back at time of need

4)      Praise

5)      Report of God's acts

6)      Ending

Ps. 124, 129

Psalm, Individual lament

o

1)      Address and complaint

2)      Lament / confession

3)      Confession of trust

4)      Petition / imprecations

5)      Support reasons

6)      Vow of Praise

7)      Assurance of being heard

Ps. 142, 102, 13, 22

Psalm, Individual praise

o

1)      Proclamation

2)      Introductory summary

3)      Looking back at time of need

4)      Report of deliverance

5)      Renewed vow of praise

6)      Psalm of descriptive praise

Ps. 66:13-20; 30; 40; 18

Psalm, Instructional/ Exhortation

O

Generally class as some other form as well. This outline based on Psalm 49.

1)      Call for hearer's action

2)      Problem statement

3)      Righteous principles/examples

4)      Call to hearers' action (conclusion)

Psalm, Descriptive Praise (Hymn)

o

1)      Call to praise

2)      Praise

3)      Conclusion

Ps. 8; 29; 33; 65; 100, 145-150

Psalm, Penitential

O

Sub-group of individual lament psalms

1)     Address to God

2)     Confession and listing of sins

3)     Cry for mercy

4)     Assurance of forgiveness

5)     Vow of praise

Psalm, Thanksgivings

O

1)      Invitation to give thanks or praise to the Lord

2)      Account of trouble and salvation

3)      Praise to the Lord, acknowledgements of His saving work

4)      Offertory formula and presentation of sacrifice

5)      Blessings on participants

6)      Exhortation

Prohibition

f

"You shall not"

Prophecy of punishment

o

1)      Preliminaries ("The word of the Lord came …" Name of prophet. Name of subjects. Etc.

2)      Reasons for the punishment

3)      "Therefore" + "Thus says …" (Messenger formula)

4)      Announcement of the punishment by God to "you" or "they"

Prophecy of salvation

o

1)      Preliminary formulas

2)      Announcement of God's salvation proper.

3)      Results.