The single most common type of literature in the Bible is narrative. Narrative makes up over 40 percent of the Old Testament. The Old Testament books including Genesis, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Jonah, and Haggai are largely or entirely composed of narrative material. While reading these narratives we make common mistakes as readers trying to interpret the meaning of them. The 9 most common mistakes of interpretation are allegorizing, decontextualizing, selectivity, moralizing, personalizing, misappropriation, false appropriation, false combination, and redefinition. (1) Allegorizing is not concentrating on the clear meaning of the narrative. People usually tend to relegate the text to merely reflect another meaning beyond the text. (2)Decontextualizing is ignoring the full historical and literary context. (3) Selectivity involves picking and choosing specific words and phrases to concentrate on while ignoring the others and ignoring the overall sweep of the narrative. (4) Moralizing is the assumption that principles for living can be derived from all passages. (5) Personalizing refers to reading scripture and supposing that any or all parts apply to you. (6) Misappropriation is to appropriate the text for purposes that are quite foreign to the biblical narrative. (7) False appropriation is to read into biblical narrative suggestions or ideas that come from contemporary culture that are simultaneously foreign to the narrator’s purpose. (8) False combination combines elements from here and there in a passage and makes a point out of their combination. (9) Redefinition is when the plain meaning of the text leaves people cold producing no immediate spiritual delight or saying something other than what they wish it said. Narratives are precious to us because they so vividly demonstrate Gods involvement in the world and illustrate his principles and calling.