The theories and methods of studying a text.
3
votes
2answers
37 views
Is the water jar in John 4:28 a symbol?
At the end of Jesus' conversation with the woman by the well, John records
28 So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to
the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me all ...
5
votes
4answers
161 views
How can we determine when an image is a symbol?
Put simply, a symbol is a tangible representation of an intangible idea. Authors, both ancient and modern, use symbolic images to convey abstract concepts. The problem with symbols, however, is that ...
26
votes
6answers
561 views
How do Jewish scholars differ from Christian scholars in their approach to the Tanakh?
What are the characteristic differences between how Jewish scholarship approaches the text of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and that of Christian scholars? If their approach was the same I assume they ...
3
votes
4answers
201 views
Was the angel of the Lord the pre-human appearance of Messiah? [closed]
I have noticed some commentators interpret the phrase "Angel of the Lord" ("מַלְאָךְ יהוה" mal'ak YHWH) in the Hebrew Scriptures to refer to a pre-human appearance of Messiah?
I am considering to ...
6
votes
1answer
77 views
Is translation a subset of exegesis?
This site is in an odd position. Questions about the site are also questions that are valid for the site. This is another such question.
It seems that there has been discussion on chat multiple ...
6
votes
2answers
166 views
What are the strict set of rules followed by sensus plenior?
I realize there are similar questions posted but not seeking an exact explanation where it can be shown rationally that three or more independent people, not talking to each other, can come out with ...
9
votes
2answers
139 views
Whose meaning are we trying to find?
If hermeneutics is the study of the meaning of a text, whose meaning are we trying to find when we study the Bible? How does Scripture being inspired by God but penned by men affect our ability to ...
2
votes
1answer
88 views
How does a less Messianic reading of Song of Solomon interpret 5:16 “He is altogether lovely”?
Song of Solomon is a book with some seriously divergent interpretations. I have just started reading a pamphlet by John Flavel called Christ Altogether Lovely on this verse:
His mouth is sweetness ...
0
votes
2answers
105 views
Reading the Bible via verse and chapter and not getting the intended meaning? [closed]
I have noticed a very discouraging and confusing trend when reading the Bible verse for verse, chapter for chapter—more like a book.
I completely understand that we must consider context, time, ...
8
votes
3answers
450 views
What is morphological analysis, as it relates to Bible study?
As far as I can tell, morphological analysis is a technique used by Bible students to better understand the original languages in context.
How does one go about using a tool such as Robinson's ...
11
votes
4answers
659 views
What is “Midrash” and how does it relate to Christian principles of hermeneutics?
What is the Midrash method of interpreting a Biblical verse and what application does it have in Christian studies as a hermeneutic principle?
14
votes
2answers
425 views
How can we determine if a text is sarcastic?
What hermeneutical principles help in understanding whether a particular passage is to be understood as sarcastic?
For instance,
Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! ...
6
votes
6answers
174 views
What are the limits to the Christological hermeneutic?
According to Wikipedia:
The Christo-Centric Principle: "The mind of deity is eternally centered in Christ. All angelic thought and ministry are centered in Christ. All Satanic hatred and ...
9
votes
5answers
369 views
Is Ecclesiastes a book of negative wisdom?
When I was younger, I thought that because Ecclesiastes was so dour, it was a sort of negative wisdom—something like, "This is how crazy you get when you don't follow God." However, this ...
3
votes
2answers
217 views
How are verses indicating that God is a God of war, and others indicating that he is a God of peace reconciled to not be contradictory? [closed]
Sometimes, skeptics note that the Bible makes contradictory statements about God. For instance, is God warlike:
Exodus 15:3—The Lord is a man of war.
Psalm 18:34—He teacheth my ...
14
votes
6answers
436 views
What role does the Holy Spirit play in hermeneutics?
As Christians in the NT age of the Church it is understood that believers have an indwelling of the Holy Spirit who acts as a counselor and guide, enabling them to rightly understand God's word. How ...
5
votes
2answers
67 views
To what degree is understanding the feelings of a biblical author necessary in exegesis?
I find that miscommunication is often about feelings and not words. Ancient writings requires linguistics, history and cultural knowledge to provide accurate English versions that convey the original ...
8
votes
2answers
101 views
What is the “systematic typology” hermeneutic method and how does it work?
There's a hermeneutic method that's been used on this site called "systematic typology". What is it? How does one apply it? Are there contexts where it is considered to be a particularly good or ...
7
votes
2answers
98 views
Does “days” in prophecy equal “years” (Daniel 9 - Seventy Weeks)
A lot of theologians take Daniel's seventy weeks and interpret the seventy weeks to be 490 years, a year for each day. From a hermeneutic standpoint, I seek to know if this type of calculation is ...
14
votes
4answers
2k views
What is the difference between exegesis and hermeneutics?
What is the difference between exegesis and hermeneutics? Are they the same, is there overlap, or does one pick up where the other leaves off?
0
votes
2answers
101 views
Does the Gospel of Thomas help in reproducing the hermeneutical methods of the apostles?
The assumed genre of a work affects how it is interpreted. Most have assumed the Gospel of Thomas is a Gnostic work and attempt to interpret it literally as such.
This question has nothing to do ...
4
votes
2answers
130 views
A word for the fallacy of assuming whatever brings God the most glory is the correct interpretation a text?
I ran across the word somewhere in my reading, but I can't find it. It is a word that has the idea that it is not right to assume that an answer to any given question is right because it is assumed to ...
9
votes
1answer
117 views
What are the seven middoth (Hillel's rules for interpretation)?
The "middoth" were Rabbi Hillel's rules for interpretation. There are seven of them. What are they? Please list them and include one or two clear examples for each.
1
vote
2answers
36 views
Is their a name for a hermeneutic that includes experiential esthetics as a criteria of truthful exegesis?
This question is about the experience of a text. It is therefore a little lengthy because I have to provide some sample experience that I mean.
Background:
As a young man I was introduced to a ...
4
votes
4answers
74 views
Is synoptic parallelism a valid hermeneutic?
I'll give an example:
Matt. 4:17 (KJV)
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mark 1:15 (KJV)
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and ...
5
votes
1answer
65 views
Which hermeneutics follow the tradition of Friedrich Schleiermacher?
Friedrich Schleiermacher is often referred to as "the father of modern hermeneutics." He was a Protestant, and is highly respected by many Protestant interpreters for his contributions to the field.
...
8
votes
2answers
166 views
Is dispensationalism a theological framework or a hermeneutical approach?
I most often hear about dispensationalism in the context of a theological framework where God's relations with men are understood to be divided up into different periods of time or dispensations each ...
8
votes
1answer
68 views
How is literary dependence or relationship established?
I see many claims that texts are related to or dependent upon each other in many publications. For example:
Although Paul did not write Hebrews, the text possesses a crucially important ...
5
votes
3answers
275 views
How do I find out when a Bible passage applies to me?
Can I read a Bible passage and personalize it? Meaning, does it apply to me? How do I know when it is for me or for someone else ?
For example, Isaiah 54:4:
“Do not be afraid; you will not be put ...
4
votes
1answer
84 views
Was Origen Adamantius an “allegorist” in the modern sense of the word?
Allegory is often referred to in a negative way (at least by Protestant interpreters) to signify a sort of irresponsible replacement of authorial intent with some subsequent spiritualization of each ...
4
votes
1answer
40 views
What is socio-rhetorical criticism?
I've heard David DeSilva and Ben Witherington III associated with the term "socio-rhetorical criticism" and Witherington even has a series of commentaries titled the "Socio-Rhetorical Commentary" ...
12
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the difference between historical-grammatical and historical criticism?
The historical-grammatical method and historical criticism are both hermeneutical approaches seeking to uncover the original meaning of the text.
What is the difference between the two?
5
votes
1answer
57 views
What is the “New Hermeneutic”?
I have come across the term New Hermeneutic a number of times in Christian hermeneutics books and articles, but I can't really find a clear definition for what this is referring to. (Most of the ...
5
votes
3answers
100 views
To what extent do deductive approaches consider authorial intent?
Bottom-up approaches start analyzing a text by first determining the original intent of the human author of a text. From there, they use inductive reasoning to construct theories of broader meanings. ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
What are the exegetical supports for each side of the debate concerning annihilationism? [closed]
In HELL: ETERNAL TORMENT OR ANNIHILATION? (Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D., Andrews University), the author presents compelling evidence for the theory that at death the unbeliever is sentenced not to ...
5
votes
4answers
351 views
What does Paul mean by allegory in Galatians 4:24?
Paul's method of interpretation in Galatians 4:21-31 seems a bit unusual as compared to most modern methods. He says these things may be "interpreted allegorically." What is his method of exegesis? ...
11
votes
3answers
239 views
Where does the “slippery slope” of allegorical interpretations start?
Besides the Grammatical Historical Approach to hermeneutics, various allegorical or metaphorical approaches exist. It seems to me that if you approach a text with the assumption that the whole thing ...
5
votes
5answers
165 views
Are there any rules on which things in Revelation must be interpreted literally and which symbolically?
Are there any rules on which things in Revelation must be interpreted literally and which symbolically? The one that comes from the back of my mind is that if a certain thing or a character is already ...
5
votes
3answers
219 views
What's the difference between “sensus plenior” and “inspired sensus plenior”?
What's the difference between "sensus plenior" and "inspired sensus plenior"?
Are the terms interchangeable? If "the deeper meaning intended by God but not intended by the human author" (sensus ...
9
votes
3answers
957 views
What is the “fourfold sense of Scripture”?
During the Patristic Period in the Middle Ages practiced an exegetical tactic known as the fourfold sense of Scripture. What are these four senses and do these ideas about the nature of Scripture ...
5
votes
3answers
106 views
Does Paul intend that what follows after 1 Corinthians 7:25a have less authority?
In some of Paul's writings, he maintains that his teachings have the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ. But in 1st Corinthians 7:25, Paul specifically states that his next advice comes not ...
13
votes
2answers
583 views
What is Sensus Plenior and how does it impact the field of hermeneutics?
What is the Sensus Plenior view of Scripture?
Without trying to resolve it's ultimate validity or not, what significant implications does the idea hold for Biblical hermeneutics in theory and ...
5
votes
1answer
108 views
What is the Hermeneutical significance of the lack of direct mention of God in Esther?
It is a fairly well-known piece of trivia that Esther (minus the apocryphal chapters) is the only book of the bible that does not directly mention God. Which of the accepted schools of Hermeneutics ...
6
votes
1answer
115 views
Has Pesharim left any mark on modern hermeneutics?
I understand that the Qumran monastic community—those primarily responsible for having collected and preserved the Dead Sea Scrolls and other works—endorsed the Pesharim approach to scriptural ...
12
votes
1answer
150 views
When is allegorization of scripture productive?
If I were to run into the story of the three little pigs accidentally used as a bookmark in my Bible I might draw these conclusions:
Clearly the wolf is the Devil trying to devour sinners who are ...
11
votes
2answers
214 views
Bart D. Ehrman - respected critic?
I found Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why troublesome to my understanding of the translation process of the bible. It has made me review my understanding of the bible. ...
2
votes
2answers
221 views
Are all major hermeneutical methods compatible?
I am trying to learn more about Biblical Hermeneutics, including the different philosophies Christians have about how Scripture should be interpreted. So far I have heard a wide variety of different ...
3
votes
1answer
168 views
Catholic explanation of the “spiritual sense” of Scripture?
In Catechism of the Catholic Church we read the following, pertaining to Biblical Hermeneutics:
115 According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the ...
4
votes
3answers
497 views
Jewish interpretation of Genesis 1:26?
I am under the impression that the Trinity is a Christian idea, and that the Jews did not view God as "three in one and one in three". How, then, was the following passage interpreted by the people ...
3
votes
1answer
205 views
How many “layers” are there to the Scriptures?
In my quest to understand hermeneutics, I am at the stage of reviewing the different "layers of meaning" to the Scriptures. So far I have identified two layers; a "literal" meaning and a "divine" ...
