Your top priority in Bible study is to discern the author’s main point. And to discern that main point, one of the most important observations you can make is the passage’s structure. The structure of the text refers to how the author has arranged of the parts.
However, before you can see an order or arrangement of the parts, you have to be able to identify the parts!
What are the parts?
We can identify units of thought on different scales. What are the divisions of a whole book? What are the parts of each division? What are the paragraphs or stanzas within each part? Ryan addressed some of these different scales when he asked how much of the Bible we should study at a time. Because the skills of observing units of thought carry over from the smaller scale to the larger scale, I’ll address that smaller scale (dividing the text into paragraphs or stanzas) first.
When in doubt, you can begin by following the editors of your favorite translation, who have typically broken up the text into paragraphs or stanzas for you. But different translations have divided the paragraphs or stanzas in different places, so no single committee is always right! For example, take Proverbs 3:27. The ESV handles it as the end of a stanza (Prov 3:21-27), but the CSB treats it as the beginning of another (Prov 3:27-35). I’m inclined to agree with the CSB on this one, on account of the structure of the argument.
How do you recognize the parts?
But how do you go about making such a decision? How do you identify coherent parts or units in the passage without simply dissecting the whole thing like a bin full of Lego minifigure heads? It all depends on the text type.
- In a narrative, units of thought are generally defined by scenes. Sometimes (especially in the gospels) scenes contain one complete plot arc—for example, Luke 5:1-11. Sometimes (especially in Old Testament narratives) a single plot arc can stretch over a few scenes—for example, 1 Kings 18:1-46.
- In a poem, units of thought are generally defined by coherent metaphors or persons. When the metaphor shifts, or the address shifts from talking about one person to talking to or about another, you may be observing distinct units of thought. For example, Psalm 80 shifts from the metaphor of a saving shepherd (Ps 80:1-3) to that of an angry provider (Ps 80:4-7) to that of a ravaged vine (Ps 80:8-19)—marking three units of thought.
- In a discourse, units of thought are generally defined by conclusions and premises. The authors of letters and speeches seek to persuade their audience through argumentation, so they mark their units of thought by means of their conclusions. For example, Heb 1:13 argues that God has spoken by his Son. Heb 1:4-14 argues that this Son is superior to angels. Heb 2:1-4 argues that we must pay closer attention to the Son’s message that we would to the angels’ message. And so on. Track the flow from one conclusion to the next, and you’ll discern the units of thought.
Conclusion
I’m not suggesting a simple one-size-fits-all approach to any of these text types. Such literary analysis can get quite complex and requires careful thought. But if you start with these basic skills, you’ll improve at recognizing when you need to expand your toolset to other sorts of skills as well.
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