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Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible
In this introduction to Scripture, Leland Ryken organizes biblical passages into literary genres including narratives, poetry, proverbs, and drama, demonstrating that knowledge of a genre's characteristics enriches one's understanding of individual passages.Ryken offers a volume brimming over with wonderful insights into Old and New Testament books and passages--insights that have escaped most traditional commentators.
548 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
49 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Leland Ryken
128 books139 followersDr. Ryken has served on the faculty of Wheaton College since 1968. He has published over thirty books and more than one hundred articles and essays, devoting much of his scholarship to Bible translations and the study of the Bible as literature. He served as Literary Chairman for the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible and in 2003 received the distinguished Gutenberg Award for his contributions to education, writing, and the understanding of the Bible.
He is the father of Philip Graham Ryken
He is the father of Philip Graham Ryken
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 4, 2022
I'm glad I read it, but also glad to be finished. It was interesting to look at the Bible as literature, and I'm sure I'll be noticing the literary elements every time I read it from now on, but I wouldn't call this a must-read.
August 8, 2016
This book has changed the way I view and read the Bible.
Perhaps it hasn't drastically changed the way I view and read the Bible. But it has changed it nonetheless. I have always understood what the Bible is and have generally understood the basics of how to read it. But this book pulled the veil away to show me just how literary the Bible is, and how its literary nature should change the way we read it--particularly all of the narratives and poems. Ryken taught me new categories for how to view the Bible, and I learned a lot about literary terms and concepts in general throughout this book--and so much more about how those concepts apply to the Bible!
I'd always understood intellectually that the Bible was a great story. After reading Ryken, though, I feel like I can now really feel what that looks like. The way Ryken walked through different biblical narratives and fully explained all the storytelling elements that are going on in the depiction of the biblical events is simply masterful. And so I now fully understand why it is that the Bible contains the best stories known to man. It's all there for us to read and understand and enjoy. But we need to know what sort of things we're supposed to be looking for. And on that front, Ryken does an amazing job of explaining how exactly the Bible should be read in reference to its literary qualities.
Now, as I read the Bible and look with the literary eyes that Ryken recommends, I find new things in the Bible that I wouldn't have found otherwise. Has this book transformed the way I view the Bible? That might be taking it a bit far. But it has certainly shifted the way I view it in a very real way. I understand more fully now that the Bible isn't just a book on theology: it's a book of (historically accurate) stories and a book of poetry, and these stories and poems aren't just to be read to mine them for theological truths. They're to be read for beauty as well. And I find myself constantly looking for this beauty and these different literary concepts now as I read the Bible each morning.
I could talk more about this book, but I'd probably be exhausting my vocabulary of superlatives to do so. Needless to say, this is a masterful book that awed me time and time again with the literary beauty that God has poured out into the Scriptures, and every Christian would benefit from reading it. Words of delight indeed. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating: 5-5.5 Stars (Masterpiece).
Perhaps it hasn't drastically changed the way I view and read the Bible. But it has changed it nonetheless. I have always understood what the Bible is and have generally understood the basics of how to read it. But this book pulled the veil away to show me just how literary the Bible is, and how its literary nature should change the way we read it--particularly all of the narratives and poems. Ryken taught me new categories for how to view the Bible, and I learned a lot about literary terms and concepts in general throughout this book--and so much more about how those concepts apply to the Bible!
I'd always understood intellectually that the Bible was a great story. After reading Ryken, though, I feel like I can now really feel what that looks like. The way Ryken walked through different biblical narratives and fully explained all the storytelling elements that are going on in the depiction of the biblical events is simply masterful. And so I now fully understand why it is that the Bible contains the best stories known to man. It's all there for us to read and understand and enjoy. But we need to know what sort of things we're supposed to be looking for. And on that front, Ryken does an amazing job of explaining how exactly the Bible should be read in reference to its literary qualities.
Now, as I read the Bible and look with the literary eyes that Ryken recommends, I find new things in the Bible that I wouldn't have found otherwise. Has this book transformed the way I view the Bible? That might be taking it a bit far. But it has certainly shifted the way I view it in a very real way. I understand more fully now that the Bible isn't just a book on theology: it's a book of (historically accurate) stories and a book of poetry, and these stories and poems aren't just to be read to mine them for theological truths. They're to be read for beauty as well. And I find myself constantly looking for this beauty and these different literary concepts now as I read the Bible each morning.
I could talk more about this book, but I'd probably be exhausting my vocabulary of superlatives to do so. Needless to say, this is a masterful book that awed me time and time again with the literary beauty that God has poured out into the Scriptures, and every Christian would benefit from reading it. Words of delight indeed. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating: 5-5.5 Stars (Masterpiece).
Want to read
August 9, 2021From Words of Delight (1992): "This revised edition of Words of Delight incorporates into it a volume that was originally a separate book—Words of Life: A Literary Introduction to the New Testament. The literary approach that I develop in this combined volume parallels that in my book How to Read the Bible as Literature (Zondervan, 1984), but this book contains actual explications of texts lacking the the other book" (p. 9).
September 18, 2022
Not an easy read, but a good read. If you're feeling a need to get beyond the same level of Bible reading you feel stuck in, this takes you deeper. Not merely scholarly, it was, for me, an encounter with the living Word.
June 11, 2009
This book is like a super-magnet. I thought I would just read the section on poetry to help me prepare for some teaching I was doing. It was so good, I just couldn't stop re-reading the rest of the book (this was my second time reading it).
Ryken is an English professor, and he brings all of his literary expertise to bear on his analysis of the Bible. At times, it can probably seem a little tedious (especially since his goal is only to analyze the literature of the Bible, rarely to apply it). But to the lover of literature, this book is simply beautiful and attractive.
He spends about 150 pages on narrative, followed by 100 pages on poetry. Then another 100 pages on other OT genres like proverb, drama, and satire. Finally, he spends about 200 pages on NT literary forms. I thought the section on poetry was the best, closely followed by the chapter on gospel narrative.
I'm sure I'll avoid reading this again for another 5 years or so (since it's so long). But then something will cause me to flip through it for a reminder or assistance in some particular area. Then I simply won't be able to put it down again. I think I'm forever doomed to repeat the cycle with this book.
Ryken is an English professor, and he brings all of his literary expertise to bear on his analysis of the Bible. At times, it can probably seem a little tedious (especially since his goal is only to analyze the literature of the Bible, rarely to apply it). But to the lover of literature, this book is simply beautiful and attractive.
He spends about 150 pages on narrative, followed by 100 pages on poetry. Then another 100 pages on other OT genres like proverb, drama, and satire. Finally, he spends about 200 pages on NT literary forms. I thought the section on poetry was the best, closely followed by the chapter on gospel narrative.
I'm sure I'll avoid reading this again for another 5 years or so (since it's so long). But then something will cause me to flip through it for a reminder or assistance in some particular area. Then I simply won't be able to put it down again. I think I'm forever doomed to repeat the cycle with this book.
December 20, 2010
Words of Delight - Isn't that a wonderful title for a book about God's Word? I purchased the book to teach the Bible as literature to Nick (and maybe Matthew). Have you ever thought of how our God made sure that "His Story" would be written so beautifully, so elegantly that we would delight in reading it? Shouldn't we be ecstatic that He gave us a book that reveals not just His amazing love and awesome grace, but also His absolute beauty and, ultimately, open heaven to us in His word?
This book is not a quick read. However, consciously considering God's Word as it is written, the care which God chose the authors of His Story, and the insightful, clever, and intriguing methods used to convey His Message to His children makes me more aware of how precious He desires His Words will be to us.
This book is not a quick read. However, consciously considering God's Word as it is written, the care which God chose the authors of His Story, and the insightful, clever, and intriguing methods used to convey His Message to His children makes me more aware of how precious He desires His Words will be to us.
June 21, 2013
This "literary introduction to the Bible" indeed brings fresh delight to biblical study. Ryken renders literary study accessible to the non-specialist. The genres are explored through examples rather than discussed theoretical. It also contains detailed readings of Song of Solomon and Revelation. Ryken's form of literary analysis is fully compatible with a theological or religious reading of the Bible. The book is perhaps a bit stronger on the Old Testament than the New.
March 2, 2018
Overall, I really like this book. The author brings a much-needed perspective on reading the Bible. My only critique is it at times I think he unhelpfully pits a literary reading against a theological reading of Scripture.
October 31, 2023
That the Bible is a compendium of different genres, and that each part of the Bible should be interpreted according to its genre seems obvious, however the author has found this type of approach to be lacking all too frequently. Mr. Ryken points out that much of the Bible is literary in nature, and the literary sections speak using poetic images and stories. They speak to the imagination more than to the intellect and should be approached in more of an experiential than a doctrinal level. He also contends that interpreting a section of the Bible should look first to determining the main point of the section. This will be more helpful than a piecemeal approach of looking for proof texts.
Ryken, a professor of English, then goes on to identify various genres and gives examples of interpreting scripture within the framework of each genre, using the procedures commonly used to interpret secular literature. He explains the literary frameworks of such forms as hero stories, epics, and tragedy. He points out how interpreters can go astray by not recognizing the use of parallelism and hyperbole in Biblical poetry. He helpfully points out that much of the New Testament can be identified as “oratory.” Beyond the speeches which are quoted or described in the Bible, many of the epistles were expected to be read aloud. Ryken’s book concludes by describing how literary interpretive techniques can render the book of Revelation (relatively) easy to understand.
Much of what the books says seems easy and obvious, except that it wasn’t as obvious before reading it.
Ryken, a professor of English, then goes on to identify various genres and gives examples of interpreting scripture within the framework of each genre, using the procedures commonly used to interpret secular literature. He explains the literary frameworks of such forms as hero stories, epics, and tragedy. He points out how interpreters can go astray by not recognizing the use of parallelism and hyperbole in Biblical poetry. He helpfully points out that much of the New Testament can be identified as “oratory.” Beyond the speeches which are quoted or described in the Bible, many of the epistles were expected to be read aloud. Ryken’s book concludes by describing how literary interpretive techniques can render the book of Revelation (relatively) easy to understand.
Much of what the books says seems easy and obvious, except that it wasn’t as obvious before reading it.
December 30, 2023
This joins Ryken's edited anthology The Christian Imagination as one the most treasured volumes in my library. It affirms, explicates, and solidifies what I had always intuitively known about the Bible and what I wish everyone knew about it—that it is the Great Story, not just a collection of abstract truths. If you're unfamiliar with the basic grammar of literary study or you slept through it in high school, this is the book for you, as it doubles as a superb introduction to literary terminology in general. You will find that your approach to Scripture is sublimely transformed if this is the case—especially the New Testament. And if you're already immersed in literature, it provides plenty of substance for you as well. I really can't recommend it more highly. The only noticeable flaw in my estimation is due to its nature as a combined volume of what was originally two different books about the two Testaments. The New Testament section repeats, sometimes word-for-word, a lot of the earlier points, which is something some elementary editing could have caught. It's better for reading in chunks as circumstances demand anyway, not necessarily straight through.
April 25, 2018
read for my ancient lit class//
June 28, 2022
This was a very interesting way to study while reading through the Bible in our Rhetoric homeschool study of the Ancients.
July 2, 2024
Exhaustive, which frequently made it exhausting. Read the sections on biblical narrative and biblical poetry and skim the rest.
September 3, 2024
Great for home schooling upper grades. Our kids loved the insight into scripture. He is a phenomenal writer and I want to read more!
July 3, 2025
This took me 2 years to read. I loved it and recommend it to anyone who loves their Bible.
February 20, 2021
This was my first foray into the world of Ryken and it made me a permanent fan! This book sparked a deep interest in me for an appreciation of the literary aspects of the Bible. Much of my Church upbringing emphasized the importance of a literal reading of Scripture. This book taught me to also read it "literarily." Hugely influential!
May 29, 2012
Ryken's book not only helps us appreciate the beauty of scripture but it also deepens our understanding of it. The authors of scripture often used standard literary structures, devices, and figures to enhance the meaning of their words. Understanding the artistic choices enhances our reading.
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September 19, 2012This is required for a Bible as literature class I'm enrolled in.
May 17, 2010
This is a wonderful tool for anyone who would like to teach their children using the Bible as a core text.
April 12, 2017
Ryken's literary look at Scripture brings to light many aspects of the Bible that I have missed out on. Bringing his depth of knowledge about literature and Scripture, Ryken has breathed a deeper appreciation and love into me for the Word of God. I think anyone wanting to be a student of the Bible should read this book!
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January 1, 2018- Ryken's determined to prove that the Bible mastered every established literary form (e.g. drama, nature poetry, encomium, hymn, etc.), and he succeeds, I guess, though it makes for pretty dull reading and his determination to Fit Scripture to a Literary Form often means some parts of the Bible are also made dull.
- for example, acc. to Ryken, "Song of Solomon" can only be considered romantic poetry in the pastoral tradition which progresses through strictly topical units, not as spiritual allegory, or drama, or narrative, or any other form, whereas I don't see why "Song of Songs" isn't all of these things).
-the first half of the book has several insights in the language of the psalms, including Psalm 23, though the chapter on the Psalms is rather vague, too.
- for example, acc. to Ryken, "Song of Solomon" can only be considered romantic poetry in the pastoral tradition which progresses through strictly topical units, not as spiritual allegory, or drama, or narrative, or any other form, whereas I don't see why "Song of Songs" isn't all of these things).
-the first half of the book has several insights in the language of the psalms, including Psalm 23, though the chapter on the Psalms is rather vague, too.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews