When it comes to reading and dissecting the Bible, one may come across a plethora of genres. Each chapter or story of the Bible plays an important role in the overall construction of the Bible. The genre may be poetic, a letter, a narrative, a source of instruction or even a proverb, no matter what the genre may be, each genre is distinct in its own way. By looking at multiple pericopes, one can learn to identify the genre and determine if the designation fits the purpose of the passage.
Exodus 15: 1-18
When reading through Exodus 15:1-18, a vibe of musical distinction rings through. This pericope contains many characteristics of a hymn. In the first verse of this pericope, the words "Israel sang this song to the LORD" are scribed. Not only are hymns sung to the Lord, but also an entire collection of hymns is placed together within the book of Psalms. A second clue to that this pericope is a hymn is because of the placement in the Bible.
Within the text of the Bible, a sub-heading is given to this pericope. The sub-heading is "The Song of Moses and Miriam". The word song within the sub-heading is representing that chanting voices sang the following verses to the Lord, either. Michael McGehee's book, The Bible Doesn't Have to be Hard to Read, "majority of psalms were hymns, which believers chanted or sang as a group" (28). Not only is it Moses lifting these words of praise up, it is the people of Israel joining in with him. McGehee also states that "words, phrases, and ideas in hymns are usually the composition of an individual, and they typically express a particular interpretation of life and faith" (29). McGehee presents two valid ideas. Both of these ideas direct ...