Are we comparing apples with apples when reading biblical narratives?

Considering the basic communication model (see Communicating the Message), we see that the Author wants to communicate a message to his reader(s) by means of a text. In or through the text a “new world” is created. This world need to be distinguished from the real world as it is only a representation of the real world. According to Tate (2008, p. 106), “The real world is the actual world in which the author lived when the text was written” whereas “the story world is the world found only in the text”. The story world is one created by the author and is limited to what is represented in the text.

If we look at the picture at our right, we will agree that what we see is an apple on top of two books. The reality is that, although they might look real, they aren't. The apple might look so real that it might even stimulate my senses. If I’m very hungry, my saliva glands might start to work overtime. The fact is, what I see is not real but only a representation of that which is real. Although the picture is real, I cannot pick up the apple and eat it or take the one of books and page through it. Furthermore, I’m limited to what the photographer ‘shows’ me in the photo. Thus, what I see is only a representation of that which is real and I can only see it from the perspective that the photographer granted me to see.

Coming back to our distinction between story and narrative in my previous blog, we may equate the real apple and books of which the photo was taken, with ‘story’ (event) and the photo of the apple and books with ‘narrative’ (representation of events). The story is that which really took place, whereas the narrative is an artful representation of those events. In the same way I'm limited by the photographers perspective, I'm limited to what the author of the narrative decides to reveal in the narrative.

Tate (2008, p. 104) differentiates between historical narrative and mimetic narrative. The major difference would be that fact that historical narrative “endeavours to present an account of real historical events, persons, and places in their chronological order” in an objective factual manner, whereas mimetic narrative is an artful representation of either fictional or real events. Thus, the narrator employs all sorts of literary devices to communicate his/her message. What is important though, is to recognise that “mimetic narrative transcends history.” In other words, it communicates more than the sum of the events – it guides “the reader into the discovery of some universal truth” (Tate, 2008, p. 105). Although a narrative is limited in the sense that we can only see what the author shows us, it is also more, in that it communicates more than just the events it represents. 

Thus, what we can say in regards with biblical narratives are, that although they are only a representation of what really happened, they were written to communicate more than just what had happened - they were written to communicate theological meaning. Biblical narratives invite us into the world of God's journey with his people. It wants to show us who and how God is through his dealings with his people. It does it with the purpose to help us come to a better understanding of the character of God. However, to understand the character (of) God, we need to enter this world and experience it as if we are part of it.

See also "The Bible, stories and fiction"

Tate, W. R. (2008). Biblical Interpretation: An Integrated Approach. Hendrickson Pub.

Should we distinguish between Story and Narrative?

Up to now, I have used the terms narrative and story interchangeably. It will, however, soon become clear that these terms refer to two different things or worlds. According to Du Plesis and Greyling  (2004, p. 33) a story refers to that which actually happened (it may be fictional or real). A narrative on the other hand, refers to the artistic representation of what had happened. A distinction is thus made between what happened (in the past) and the way it is represented.

A similar distinction may be made between history and historiography. History refers to the events that have taken place in the past while historiography refers to the writing about those events (Dillard & Longman III, 1995, p. 21). Although Long (1999, p. 84) find this distinction useful, he reckons, from a practical point of view, that these definitions are seldom maintained. For him, history refers to both “significant past events and interpretive accounts or representations, of significant past events” (italics Long’s).  

Long’s view may also apply to our differentiation between story and narrative. For the purpose of this study I will, however, maintain the differentiation between story and narrative.

For believers, one of the major obstacles when talking about story and narrative is the idea that stories are necessarily fictional (Ryken, 1990, p. 7) (see my blog on Stories and Fiction).  Here it is important to keep die above differentiations between story and narrative, and history and historiography in mind. What we have in front of us when reading narrative or historiography is the result of an author’s representation of a story or history. As we have made clear, stories may either be real (history) or fictional. As believers, we believe that what is presented to us in Scripture is based in what really happened. Thus, story and history, in terms of the Bible refer to the same thing – significant past events. If I may borrow from the New Testament, we should, however, also recognise that some stories in the Bible might be fictional. Jesus’ parables, for example, were not necessarily based on real events.

The difference between historiography and narrative then is the way these significant past events are presented. We are not presented with cold, hard facts about the past in the Bible (at least in the modern sense of historiography) but rather with a literary piece of art. Tate (2008, p. 105) refers to “’storicized’ history”. In terms of our distinction, we might call it ‘narratised’ history (just to make it a bit more complicated). In other words, when reading Genesis to Esther (and some other parts) we are presented with an artistic representation of significant past events (stories) in the literary form (genre) known as narrative.

See also: The Bible, Stories and Faith, The Bible, Stories and History

Brink, A. P. (1987). Vertelkunde:  ’n inleiding tot die lees van verhalende tekste. Academica.

Dillard, R. & Longman III, T. (1995). An Introduction to the Old Testament. Apollos.

Long, V. P. (1999). Old Testament History: A Hermeneutical Perspective, in: VanGemeren, W. A. (Ed.), A guide to Old Testament theology and exegesis: an introductory articles from the New International dictionary of Old Testament theology and exegesis, (pp. 83–99). Grand Rapids  Mich.: Zondervan.

du Plessis, H. & Greyling, F. (2004). Skryfkuns, Studiegids Vir SKRS 111A. Potchefstroom: Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoër Onderwys.

Ryken, L. (1990). Part 1: “Words of Delight”: The Bible as Literature. BSac, 147(585), 3–16.

Tate, W. R. (2008). Biblical Interpretation: An Integrated Approach. Hendrickson Pub.

Analysing narratives, why bother?

Analysing (exegeting) biblical texts asks many hours of intense hard work. Getting to the bottom of what a text communicates does not always come easy – and, as we have said before, because of all the issues to be considered and the role of one’s own presuppositions, one can never really sit back and say, “I’ve nailed it”. The question is, “Why bother?”

For a start, focusing on narratives, more than a third of the Old Testament consists of stories, or narratives. According to Bar-Efrat (2004) the biblical narratives “are of the highest artistic quality, ranking among the foremost literary treasures of the world”. From a pure literary perspective, it make sense to make a study of the Old Testament narratives for its “beauty, craftsmanship, and technique” (Ryken, 1992, p. 16). For me, as a Christian, this means that we are not dealing with a dull book or message communicated in a dull manner. The artistic nature of Scripture calls for enjoyment, not only for what is communicated, but also the manner in which its message is communicated (Ryken, 1992, p. 22).

For Christians and Jews alike, there is more to the study of Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) than for its aesthetic value. The Bible is a faith book. The biblical narratives displays people’s lack of faith, the rich dimensions of people’s faith in God and how God initiates faith in people (Human, 2011, p. 54). In these stories, we discover something about who we are before God – with our little or much faith. As we read about God’s journey with his people, we often stumble on reflections of ourselves and what we are like – see ourselves in the story and its characters. Exactly because narratives invite us to enter its world and identify with its characters, we many times find ourselves confronted with our own reflection in it. Thus, we do not only find comfort in how God deals with those of little faith, but we are also challenged to put our trust in God alone.

In the third instance, the biblical narratives are about God’s journey with his people. Through these stories, God reveals himself to us – who he is and what he is like. Ryken (1990, p. 134) is correct in stating that God is the protagonist of the biblical story and that “The characterization of God is the main concern of the Bible, and it is pursued from beginning to end”. Through these stories, we see how God deals with his people (and those who are not his people). By studying and understanding biblical narratives, we come to know the character of God better. After all, it is all about him.

Lastly, whatever ministry God calls us to, we are in the first and the last place, Ministers of the Word of God. Whether one is a pastor, a youth worker, a chaplain, a counsellor, or a witness in the workplace, the pivot of your ministry is the Bible. As Ministers of the Word of God, we want to deal with his Word in a responsible and accountable manner. This means that we will take this major genre of his word serious – that we want to know how it works and how we may understand it better. We also want to be able to give good account of what we believe Scripture communicates based on a good understanding of the text itself.

According to Mangina (2004, p. 4), Karl Barth’s departing advice to his students when he was banned from Germany was, “exegesis, exegesis and yet more exegesis! Keep to the Word, to the Scripture that has been given to us”.

Bar-Efrat, S. (2004). Narrative Art in the Bible. London, New York: T & T Clark International.

Human, D. J. (2011). Die Uitdagings Van Bybellees, in: Vos, C. and Human, D. J. (Eds.), Vaste rots op wie ek bou, (pp. 53–78). Kaapstad: Lux Verbi.BM.

Mangina, J. L. (2004). Karl Barth: Theologian of Christian Witness. Westminster John Knox Press.

Ryken, L. (1990). Part 2: “And It Came to Pass”: The Bible as God’s Storybook. BSac, 147(586), 132–143.

Ryken, L. (1992). Words of Delight: a Literary Introduction to the Bible, in: (p. 540 p.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House.