The Poems and Psalms of the Hebrew Bible

Poetry was a key art-form for the ancient Jews, the most distinctive way in which they tried to depict the relationship between God and his people. The Poems and Psalms of the Hebrew Bible introduces the reader to the full range of the poetry of the Old Testament, both outside the Psalter and within it. After considering the essential elements of Hebrew verse, it looks at the most familiar poems—the Psalms, the Songs of Solomon, and the poetry of Job and Proverbs—as well as at less familiar examples of poems which by contrast are embedded in narrative, such as war poetry, harvest hymns, elegies, prayers of protest, and thanksgiving songs. The book is addressed to both specialists and non-specialists; no knowledge of Hebrew is presumed, and a bibliography following each chapter offers suggestions for further study.