The Bible Story

Wisdom Literature

Letters

Varied Styles

4. The Literary Value of the Books of Prophecy

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Hosea

Amos

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Haggai

Zechariah

5. The Bible-an Inspiration to Writers

Poems Inspired by the Bible

The following well-known poems were inspired by passages in the Old Testament. Bring out some of the beauty and power which the poets saw in these passages by comparing them with the poems.

Story Suggested by the Bible

Read the following stories from the volume, "The Life of Jesus," with your reading of Van Dyke's beautiful story, "The Other Wise Man," and note the interesting correspondence. Alternate Van Dyke's story with THE BIBLE STORY and read as follows:--

Book Titles Taken from the Bible

The fact that many books of every style and content bear names taken from the Bible and develop themes suggested by the Bible is a tribute to the beauty and picturesqueness of Bible diction and indicates the extensive scope of its writings. What would you expect the theme of each of the following books to be, judging by the thought which the titles suggest?

(These are only a few of the many books that have drawn their titles from the Bible.)

THE BIBLE'S GIFT TO OUR LANGUAGE

How often in listening to a speaker or in reading our everyday literature we find our imagination stirred by a forceful phrase taken from the Bible. If we know the part of the Bible from which the phrase comes it always throws a flood of light upon the message. But due to ignorance of the Bible, too many of us grope for the phrase's meaning.

Ignorance of the Bible a Handicap to the Student

In these days even high school and college graduates cannot explain the simplest Bible allusions. Charles Dudley Warner, writing in Harper's Magazine, says that a "boy or girl at college, in the presence of the works set forth for either to master, without a fair knowledge of the Bible, is an ignoramus, and is disadvantaged accordingly. For example, in Shakespeare there are quotations from fifty-four books of the Bible, thirty-one from Genesis alone; in Tennyson there are two hundred and one quotations or allusions from the Old Testament. Wholly apart from its religious or its ethical value, the Bible is the one book of which no intelligent person, who wishes to come into contact with the world of thought, and to share the ideas of the great minds of the Christian era, can afford to be ignorant."

Dramatic Terms Used by a Greek Scholar

The Bible indeed holds supremacy over all other sources of literary allusion in the addresses and writings of public men. The Independent calls attention to a eulogy written by a prominent university professor in which were found, in an article of less than six pages, fourteen expressions from the Bible: "Every good word and work," "Fountain sealed," "Discernment of spirits," "Hid treasure," "Sinned with their lips," "Faith in his high calling," "Seeing him who is invisible," "Time would fail me," "Slept or slumbered," "Egyptian taskmaster," "Bloweth where it listeth," "Make a plain path," "Recompense of reward," and one direct quotation, "This is the way; walk ye in it." Against these fourteen cases is only one use of classical {126} phrases and one allusion each to Milton and Wordsworth. And Professor Gildersleeve is not known as a Bible scholar; he is past master of all our Grecians, and master also of a most delightful style. "He could have spattered his address over with Greek and Latin references and expressions without winking, so easy would it have been for him, but they could not have fitted into the serious purpose of plain and tender address as do the words of the two Testaments."

Superficial Knowledge of the Bible Prevalent

It makes no difference what a man's profession may be; whether he be a literary man, a lawyer, a teacher, or a clergyman, Bible words will unconsciously drop off his tongue, so familiar have the striking terms and phrases of the Bible become. And yet a mere superficial knowledge of the Book of books prevails to-day to such an extent that many grotesque mistakes and misquotations occur. London's leading newspaper solemnly affirmed one morning that if the Government of the day came to grief it would "fall, like the walls of Jericho, before the noise of empty pitchers." Can you discover the mistake in this simile? (287 H.T., 329 H.T.) A great lecturer on one occasion alluded to "Pharaoh and his hosts being overwhelmed in the Jordan." What two events are confused in this quotation? (184 H.T., 285 H.T.)

Whenever such an expression presents itself and is found to be vague or confusing, turn to the following list of allusions, which are those in most common use, and arranged alphabetically for easy reference. [Footnote: Note there are two lists of allusions, both alphabetically arranged.] Clear up the obscurity by reading the Bible passage that explains the doubtful phrase.

Each of these allusions has been used many times in common speech or in our great English writings, as illustrated by the many quotations that follow. A knowledge of the meaning and derivation of such phrases opens up a new world of interest and understanding and the ability to use them correctly infuses speech and writing alike with a new power of graphic expression.

How many of these allusions recall definitely a certain incident or story to your mind?

From reading these literary passages can you clearly explain the incident or story each Bible phrase suggests?