Key Terms
Parallelism — The main building block of Hebrew poetry — where the second line echoes, contrasts, or develops the first line
Proverb — A short, memorable observation about how life generally works — not an unconditional promise from God
Lament — A prayer of grief, pain, or complaint directed at God — not a sign of weak faith, but a model of honest relationship with God
Imagery/Metaphor — Language that paints a picture to convey truth — when the psalmist says God is a rock, they mean He is solid and dependable
Key Concepts
- Poetry communicates through imagery and parallelism, not direct propositions
- Proverbs are observations about life, not unconditional promises
- Lament is not doubt — it is faith expressed honestly in pain
Scripture Focus
Psalm 23 (imagery and metaphor)
Proverbs 22:6 (observation, not guarantee)
Psalm 88 (lament without resolution)
Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
Learning Objectives
- Identify parallelism in Hebrew poetry and explain how it carries meaning differently than prose
- Read proverbs as wisdom observations rather than unconditional promises — and explain why this distinction matters practically
- Appreciate lament as a legitimate, faithful form of prayer and interpret psalms of lament without assuming they reflect spiritual failure
Resources
Download the companion handout for this lesson to review key terms and concepts offline.
Download Lesson Handout (PDF)