Defining Biblical Hermeneutics
How Biblical interpretations, or hermeneutics of the Bible, affect the way we read the scriptures
This vellum copy of the Gutenberg Bible is owned by the Library of Congress. The Gutenberg Bible, the Vulgate (Latin) translation, is the first book printed using moveable type. Printed in the 1450s in Mainz Germany, this is one of only 48 copies that still survive (11 in the United States), and is considered to be one of the most valuable books in existence. Photo: Raul654’s image is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
For as long as there have been Biblical texts, there have been Biblical hermeneutics, or Biblical interpretations. One definition of hermeneutics (given by Bernhard W. Anderson in a piece he wrote for Bible Review) is that Biblical hermeneutics are “modes of [Bible] interpretation[s].” In another Bible Review article, James A. Sanders offered a Biblical hermeneutics definition as “interpretive lens[es]” through which one reads the Bible. Going a step further, the Merriam-Webster dictionary extends its hermeneutics definition to include not only the methods or principles of the interpretations but also the study of those very Biblical interpretations. In short, the hermeneutics of the Bible are the many ways people read the Bible.
Biblical hermeneutics even take place within the Biblical text itself. In the Hebrew Bible, the authors of the Psalms and the prophets often referred back to the Torah and incorporated their own interpretations and understanding of the text from their social locations
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In the years leading up to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 C.E., several different Jewish groups had risen to prominence, including the Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes. Although they were all Jewish, each group had very different Biblical hermeneutics. Definition of what happened to the soul after death, proper temple sacrifice and the importance of studying the law differed among these groups because of their varying approaches. Christianity also began as a Jewish sect, but as Jesus’ followers developed their own hermeneutics in relation to the law and the role of the messiah, it became a distinct religion.
Today there are many hermeneutics applied to the Bible. These methodologies range from historical-critical, to post-colonial, to rhetorical, to cultural-critical, to ecological to canonical-critical. These are all types of Biblical hermeneutics. Part of the reason that so many hermeneutics exist is that interpreters have different goals. For example, if you want to understand how Moses’s life in the wilderness differed from daily life in the ancient Levant, you would use an archaeological/anthropological hermeneutic. However, if you want to understand the gender politics between Miriam and Moses in the wilderness, you would use a feminist or womanist approach to the text. Different hermeneutics lead to different types of interpretations. Cheryl Exum famously wrote two articles on Exodus 1-2:10 focusing on the women in the narrative. Her conclusions in these articles appear contradictory, but that is because she used two different hermeneutics (rhetorical and feminist) and each method focused on different elements of the text, which led to different interpretations of the text.
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Even archaeology, which is the focus of BAR, is a Biblical hermeneutic. By studying the remains of ancient people and how they lived, and comparing their finds to the texts, archaeologists are able to offer exciting new interpretations. For example, the sacrifice of Isaac is one of the most interpreted stories throughout history. The disturbing narrative about a God who orders his follower to sacrifice his son, but ultimately withdraws this command at the final moment, has caused great discomfort in readers for several reasons. Many of these reasons revolve around the modern revulsion regarding child sacrifice. The world of archaeology provides insight into the practice (or non-practice) of sacrifice in the ancient world, as well as the hilltop altars, which appear in the story. For more on this topic see “Infants Sacrificed? The Tale Teeth Tell” by Patricia Smith in the July/August 2014 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
There are many ways in which you can approach the text, and your method will determine your interpretation. It is important then to be transparent about what is essential to you as a reader and recognize how that impacts the interpretations that you develop. Your interpretive goal will ultimately determine your Biblical hermeneutic.
FREE ebook: The Holy Bible: A Buyer's Guide 42 different Bible versions, addressing content, text, style and religious orientation.
Ellen White, Ph.D. (Hebrew Bible, University of St. Michael’s College), was the senior editor at the Biblical Archaeology Society. She has taught at five universities across the U.S. and Canada and spent research leaves in Germany and Romania. She has also been actively involved in digs at various sites in Israel.
Read how noted scholars arrive at a definition of Biblical hermeneutics:
Bernhard W. Anderson, “The Bible: Word of God in Human Words,” Bible Review, June 1997.
James A. Sanders, “’Spinning’ the Bible,” Bible Review, June 1998.
This Bible History Daily article was originally published in July 2011. It was updated and expanded by Dr. Ellen White on October 13, 2014.
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The methods of interpretation of all scared text have flaws. The most notable flaw, common to all, is best illustrated with the simple notion of “rendering” in image processing. First consider an analogue TV verses a digital TV verses a HD TV. Assuming all are viewing a blank blue wall with respective cameras, then each will show a blue wall. The HD TV may show small irregularities in the wall or perhaps see false patterns from random irregularities. The old analogue TV will provide the best “rendering” of the blue wall in terms of relevant information.
Likewise, many approaches to interpretation seek to “render” information from sacred text that is just not there. They fail to recognize the actual fidelity of the text itself and therefore arrive at different, even, false interpretations. However, readers seek detailed answers for questions which are not addressed by scared text. The quest of the masses for answers to spiritual questions and life uncertainties create religious leaders and advisors who provide all the answers from imagined information and/or historical answers. Both of which often exceeded the fidelity scared texts!
Today religious scholars are trying to maintain their relevance by so-called multidiscipline approaches to interpretation. Most of these approaches are answers looking for questions. This is not to say all such endeavors are fruitless. The first rule of hermeneutics should be to determine the baseline information content of a portion of text and recognize its limits of use. The second rule is to avoid its application beyond its limits. Perhaps the last rule of hermeneutics should be to embrace the uncertainty inherent in the interpretation of scared texts. It is better to say we do not know than offer guesses as learned judgment.
Some people fail to realize that endlessly quoting their favorite verses is not going to convince anybody of anything. TL;DR is an understatement. I wouldn’t read it if it was two lines. I always read comments, hoping to find a new way of looking at things, but too often just find nonsense.
Another example of when the comments are more interesting than the article.
GOD HAS A NAME! And knowing His name is important! …
Firstly, Jesus said in the prayer often called “Our Father”: “hallowed be your name”. But what is God’s name? It is not ‘Lord’, ‘Eternal’ or ‘Almighty One’. These are descriptive titles. It is also not Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said in a prayer to his father: “and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”’New American Standard Bible).
In spite of the fact that God’s name occurs more than 7000 times in the Bible, see our page “what explanation”, over past centuries many efforts have been made to send the name into oblivion. This is in contradiction with Bible texts such as Jeremiah 10:6, John 17:6. 26; Romans 10:13, 14 and many more texts.
The sole aim of our Internet site is to bring God’s name into the spotlight. Further information is given on our page “explanation”. By means of the other pages you will see that our Internet site focuses especially on “showing”. By means of many photographs and documents we show the use of God’s name in archaeology, literature, music and on exceptional objects. We transcend the borders of religion – God’s name is indeed found in many religions, on places and objects of which the visitors themselves perhaps are even not aware.
We hope that the many items that we present will interest you.
You can find Gods name in the: Archaeology,Bibles,books,coins,museums,music,poets,quotations,remarkable,worldwide.
http://www.divine-name.info/index.htm
2 Peter 1:20 KJV
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
Means what it says, and says what it means. We simply let the Bible interpret itself.
Thanks D., Ellen it’s an excellent research
I think anti-semitism has, even before the days of the church fathers, heavily influenced hermeneutical designs on interpretation, particularly in the area of scriptural interpretational consistency. Scripture has to agree with scripture, Most current opinions, is more of an attempt at upholding the issues of 325 AD, than making a sincere effort at accuracy.
Everything is debatable when truth is just a matter of opinion but common sense prevails when the evidence speaks for itself. Therefore If anyone speaks an ounce of truth whatsoever, then they’ll be strictly obedient to those perfect laws of liberation. Note: the whole world lies under sway of the wicked one – Satan the devil. So there’s bound to be different levels of comprehension on Biblical interpretation. Although we Christians are in the world, then we’re not of the world, so you would think naturally that the quality of truth manifests. But unfortunately many Christians have one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom. So ifsoever such divine quality of truth happens to manifest; it would be through sheer dedication to applying oneself entirely to God and Christ by maintaining their complete utter devotion to those spiritual guidelines or hand written requirements called the LAW. The light does shine within when you’re doing something good but only the darkness takes control, when you’re doing something evil. Bare in mind that Jesus Christ said; If you love me obey my commandments (Jn 14:15) but whosoever says I definitely know him ie: (God thru Christ) and obeys not his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him (1Jn 2:4). So behave yourself and shine like a bright morning star, so that way the truth will be seen in full view.
Luke 24:27 tells us the basis of right interpretation.Luk 24:27: “And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” it is all about Christ not us.
Origen invented hermeneutics, and here’s what he had to say on the matter
This first Bible scholar analyzed the Scriptures on three levels: the literal, the moral, and the allegorical. As he put it, “For just as man consists of body, soul, and spirit, so in the same way does the Scripture.” Origen, in fact, preferred the allegorical not only because it allowed for more spiritual interpretations, but many passages he found impossible to read literally: “Now what man of intelligence will believe that the first and the second and the third day … existed without the sun and moon and stars?” In any event, Origen’s method of interpretation became the standard in the Middle Ages. Origen’s main work, De Principiis (On First Principles), was the first systematic exposition of Christian theology ever written.