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In the Hebrew Testament, a rhythmic beat (usually 3 to 4 beats per line) and heightened poetic language can be found in Wisdom Writings and The Prophets. In Psalms, you’ll also find poetic forms such as the acrostic where the first letters of lines combine to spell a word or where each verse begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For instance, Psalm 119 demonstrated an intricate pattern of eight-line stanzas for each of the 22 letters from Aleph to Taw.
In the original language of Hebrew and, later, Greek and Aramaic, Bible verses often had amusing puns or wordplays that unfortunately got lost in translation. A better-known feature of Bible poetry translates well into parallelism, which means that a line contrasts, compares, repeats, or completes one or more other lines. Then subsequent lines expand or clarify the meaning of the opening line. For example, Proverbs 8:1 says:
“Does not wisdom call,
does not understanding raise her voice?”
In Isaiah 41:10, God speaks poetically through the prophet to say:
Fear not, for I am with you.
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
Similarly, in Matthew 11:30, Jesus poetically promises:
“Come to me, all who labor
and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.’
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