POET (ποιητής, G4475, a maker, doer, poet). A poet is an author who expresses his ideas about God, the world, or man in imagery using literary devices such as simile and metaphor in such a form as to inculcate rhythm. Any definition that insists upon rhyme is inadequate, since primitive poetry, Heb. poetry and much modern poetry, had some rhythm but no rhyme.

1. Poetic devices. Figurative speech is particularly prominent in the Heb. poets, i.e., the Song of Moses (Exod 15:1ff.), the Song of Deborah (Judg 5:1ff.), parts of Job (38:28ff.; 41:1ff.), and the Psalms.

Parallelism of several different kinds is very common. a) Synonymous: the repetition of similar ideas (Ps 49:1; cf. Ps 104). b) Synthetic: the second line adds to the first (Ps 55:6. c) Antithetic: the second line expresses a contrast to the first (Ps 1:6). d) Climactic: the second line amplifies the first (Ps 55:12, 13). e) Binorphic: the first line is followed by different parallels (Ps 45:1). See Hebrew Poetry.

2. OT Poets. The best known is David, who wrote most of the Psalms. Another is the writer of the Book of Job with his epigraph on chastening in the life of the believer. Solomon’s name is ascribed to several books that qualify as poetry, namely, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon. From Moses comes the “Song of Moses” (Exod 15). Some earlier snatches of poetry are to be found in Genesis for which no author is given. Jacob blessed his sons before his death in poetical words (Gen 49).

3. NT poets. Paul was at times poetical (Rom 8:31-39; 1 Cor 13), as was James. John wrote poetically in Revelation 18:2f., 21f. Jesus used Heb. poetical forms in Matthew 10:24 (synonyms); Luke 6:41 (antithetic parallelism) and spoke other poetic utterances (Matt 5:3ff.; Luke 7:31, 32).