If a guy gets pushed out a window in a movie, is it tragic or funny? Depends on one thing: the genre. If it’s a drama, we shriek in horror, but if it’s a comedy, we laugh.
Isn’t that fascinating?
Every piece of writing is written in some kind of genre. Genre just means “type of writing.” And the Bible has tons of different genres: history, epic, poetry, wisdom literature, prophecy, etc.
And it’s just as important to know what genre you’re reading in a particular Bible passage as it is when a guy gets pushed out a window in a movie.
So, how do I figure out the genre??
Probably the easiest way is to get yourself a good study Bible (ESV Study Bible, NIV Application Bible, etc.).
These will have introductions to each book of the Bible where they give you the author, date, themes, and the genre of that book.