Why does the bible keep repeating itself, again and again?

I used to think the bible was very repetitive. I would be reading along and find words or phrases repeated in the same sentence....which I thought completely unnecessary!

And if I'm honest, I thought it was due to bad editing. I assumed the repetition was because of some sort of cultural difference or language difference, or just because the writers really wanted to emphasize their point. I thought good writing should be more efficient. Say something once, say it well, and move on.

Turns out the problem wasn't the writing. It was that I didn't understand how to read the writing.

Once I started learning more about the Bible's literary design through Tim Mackie and The Bible Project, I discovered something that completely changed the way I read Scripture.

Biblical authors did this deliberately. Their repetition wasn't a sign of poor writing. It was one of their most powerful literary tools. In fact, repetition is often the key to understanding what the authors are trying to communicate.

There are a few things that repetition does:

1 - Repetition emphasizes importance.

Sometimes the reason something is repeated is beautifully simple: it's of utmost importance. I tell my kids to put sunscreen on daily. I tell them a few times a day. I don't enjoy repeating it, but I do it because it's important for them to be protected from the harsh UV rays.

It's not because I've forgotten that I said it. But because I really want my children to remember, and actually do it.

So when something is repeated, pay attention. It's likely important.

2 - Repetition creates motifs.

The bible has plenty of images, themes, and ideas that appear throughout the entire story. A mere word or phrase can generate a whole encyclopaedia of meaning, precisely because the word/phrase has been repeated throughout the canon in different scenarios and stories.

Water. Trees. Mountains. Wilderness. Bread. Light. Sheep .... these aren't random details scattered throughout Scripture. They are threads woven through the whole biblical narrative. A story about water isn't just about water. It connects back to every other place water appears. Every repetition adds another layer of meaning, so much so that by the time Jesus offering living water, this phrase carry a meaningful weight of everything that came prior to that narrative.

The bible is its own commentary. So the next time you notice a repeated word/phrase/theme/image, ask yourself "where have I seen this before, and what is the author trying to connect together?"

3 - Repetition highlights differences.

Repetition is a great tool to highlight an exception. Repetition creates a pattern that feels familiar, much like skip counting: 2, 4, 6, 8, .....? (the obvious answer here would be 10). It sets the tone and the rhythm for what's coming.

Which is why when the pattern is broken, the difference is even more stark. It makes you sit up and take notice - which is precisely the author's intent.

The difference, however tiny, is often the important message they're trying to convey.

Looking back, it's quite funny that the thing I once thought was 'useless' has become one of the things I admire most. I thought repetition meant that the authors lacked creativity or vocabulary. Turns out, the repetition reveals just how creative they were.

The bible isn't just written, recorded information. It is an epic, true narrative that has been carefully and meticulously crafted. It invites us to notice, compare, remember, and discover our family history.

So the next time you find yourself reading a passage and thinking, "why so many repeated words?", don't rush past it. Pause and look closer.

Because repetition is the author's way of saying: "there's something here you don't want to miss."