4. Interpreting the Holy Bible for Spiritual Growth
I. Every Reader Interprets:
A. Introduction
The purpose of this brief article is to provide you, the reader of the Scriptures, with further insights into interpreting the Scriptures without misuse and with practical application as guided by the true teacher, the Holy Spirit. Thus this fourth article is intended for those growing in the knowledge of God and having begun to live a life with the Lord. Guidance for a new person to a Christ-centered life is provided in the first article in this series, “1. A Guide for Private Study of the Holy Bible.” The two intervening articles, “2. Establishment of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures” and “3. Translations of the Holy Bible for the Common Person,” provide historical framework on which to continue the discussion of interpretation for spiritual growth.
For those espousing the Judeo-Christian religious system, the Scriptures (used interchangeably with the Bible) is God, the ever-living Spirit of creation, explaining and showing in human terms how to live the spiritual life for which you are created. First God desires you to elect to be bonded to God by the Spirit of God (for some this may be more familiar as Holy Spirit). The Spirit of God counsels and guides you through human life to a relationship of eternal spiritual life. To explain in human terms, God inspired human writers over centuries who wrote in their understanding for their times. Thus the Scriptures, as it is today, is ancient literature that was written over a thousand years in three languages, Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. By the year 286 BCE the Hebrew Scriptures had been authenticated and translated into Greek, i.e. the Septuagint.1
B. Human Communication
Human beings are created with a communicative ability that is a limited reflection of the Living Spirit. All human communication is interpretation. First the originator of oral or written communication is interpreting his/her thoughts in words that are not able to convey all of the nuances that are engendered in a thought. And secondly the hearer or reader then further interprets what he/she hears or reads based on what the words mean in his/her own experiences in life. Any language is actually a systematic set of code or symbols for describing ideas, things, events, etc. For example the English word man, meaning human male gender, is in German Mann, in French homme, in modern Greek, άντρας, in Biblical Greek ανήρ and in Hebrew איש. Just as English has other words for man so do these other languages.
As you consider life, you find human infants expressing oral communication, and later in life learning written communication. So you can expect that oral communication preceded written communication as a system for written communication had to be developed. When you are speaking orally, you have at your disposal: tone, inflection, facial expression and body language in addition to words to convey the interpretation of your thoughts to another person or persons. Whereas in written communication a writer doesn’t have non-verbal factors and has to use words to paint a picture that the reader formulates with his/her imagination to understand the message the writer intended to convey.
Besides the literal meaning of words, this picture painting by words uses many literary figures of speech that convey a message different from the actual literal meaning of the words. Some examples of figures of speech are apostrophe, euphemism, hyperbole, idiom, irony, metaphor, metonymy, paradox, personification, play on words, simile, and synecdoche. All languages use these, and they may not be directly translatable into another language to convey the meaning in the original language. Idioms are particularly difficult as they are understood only by the people living in a specific area and have a sense very different from the literal meaning of the words. Figures of speech are then used in larger language structures, such as axioms, hymns, legal codes, legends, letters, oration, poetry, prayers, proverbs, sermons, and short stories, etc. In these structures the same word may again take on different shades of meaning.
Thus the challenge to you, the reader, is to first understand the message of the writer to its intended audience, then to interpret it for application, if applicable, to your life. This process is usually easier to do with scientific writings than with literary writings. In literary writings you are encouraged to enter into the world that the writer has created to send his/her message. The same is true for the Scriptures, only more complicated because of the times, people, cultures and languages that are vastly different from modern times.
You often have a better understanding of an author’s message if you know something about the author’s life and interactions with others both in relationships and circumstances that the author experienced. Thus it is important to read not only what the author wrote, but also the history of others of that same time and circumstances, if available. Thus you are encouraged to read what else is written about peoples and cultures during the times of Biblical authors.
The challenge to the Bible translational scholars is to study and understand all that has been said above and convert into understandable modern English these ancient codes or symbols, each with its own unique syntax and writing styles of authors from different time periods and cultures. Because scholars have disagreements as to meanings of these codes and symbols with all their possible nuances as well as newer understandings over time, there are over 100 English versions of the Scriptures. You may find additional insights to word meanings and the context of a passage in reading more than one version.
As you read or study the Scriptures, i.e. both Hebrew Scriptures and Christian Scriptures, you automatically interpret the Scriptures in light of your understanding and experiences in life. Interpreting the Scriptures requires you to understand not only what it says through its various literary forms, but also how you may apply it for your spiritual growth. As you read and study the Scriptures, one must be guided by the Spirit of God, the source of inspiration for the writers, to understand what is truly meant for your life and to avoid being deceived and led away from your walk with the Spirit of God.
II. Ancient Interpretation
Thus far basic considerations of interpretation as associated with language itself have been explored. Now let’s look at the further development of interpretation in the context of the messages in this ancient literature known as the Scriptures.
A. Within Scripture
The first place to look for an understanding of interpreting Scriptures is within the Scriptures itself. The later writers of the Scriptures interpreted the earlier writings for application in their day. For example, Ezekiel tells the condition of Sodom and Gomorrah from Gen 18:16-19:29 to compare it to the condition of Judah and Samaria in Ezek 16:44-63. The after-the-Babylonian-captivity writer of 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles, repeats much from 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings and 2 Kings, not to rehash Jewish history but to illustrate the message of God’s faithfulness to the covenants given to their ancestors. Thus Chronicles are an encouragement and a warning to the Jews of the second temple period to be faithful to their inherited covenants with God or suffer the consequences of disobedience. The writers of the Christian Scriptures referenced the Hebrew Scriptures and interpreted them as prophesying about Christ.
Because writers of the Scriptures interpret other parts of the Scriptures, you could look up all the references to a topic in the Scriptures to gain a better understanding of the topic. In a manner you could think of the Scriptures as a giant jigsaw puzzle spread out on the floor. Then as you pick up each piece, you fit it into its mating pieces. For example Sodom is referenced in the following books in order of probable times of writing: Genesis, Deuteronomy, Amos, Isaiah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Romans, Jude, 2 Peter, Matthew, Luke, and Revelations. By ordering in time of writing, later writers may have had access to earlier writings and/or interpretations on which to base their interpretation. Thus when you have all the passages, i.e. the pieces of the puzzle, you should come to a better understanding of the issues with Sodom, i.e. the pieces fitting in with its mate.
When you approach interpretation in this manner you should be able to avoid selective passage interpretation that happens all too often. For example often only the Genesis and Jude passages about Sodom are quoted to suit one’s views on homosexuality. Over time this selective passage approach creates the problem of freezing the truth of the matter.
Two possible interpretative sources existing at the time of the Christian Scriptures’ authors and possibly influencing their writings are:
The Targums, rabbinical explanations of the Hebrew Scriptures in Aramaic, probably starting with the Babylonian captivity.
The premises described in the following section.
B. Rabbinical Interpretation 300 BCE – 100 CE
The time period, 300 BCE to 100 CE, marks the first time one finds interpretation of earlier Hebrew writings and begins a pattern of reference and interpretation that continued in the development of the Christian Scriptures and to modern times. In 300 BCE Israel had existed for approximately 150 yrs following the last exiles’ return to Jerusalem from captivity under Babylonia and Persia. This began the Israelite history that is recorded as the Second Temple Period and ended in 70 CE with the destruction of the Temple. Since the language of the common people was no longer Hebrew, they could not read the writings written in Hebrew. The office of the prophets had ceased as known in the Israelite period before captivity. The Levites and spiritual leaders were left with religious writings, some of which will later become the Hebrew Scriptures and the Apocrypha. Under these conditions the Levites and spiritual leaders began to turn their attention to the meanings of these writings, and how to apply them to life as they were experiencing it.
For example, the books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Chronicles in the Hebrew Scriptures indicate that some Israelites looked upon the captivity as punishment for disobedience to the law of God. They avowed to live this law and not to fail God as their forefathers had done. As the law had not been practiced for a long time, it became very important to understand what the Hebrew Scriptures said and how it could be applied under their current circumstances.
In the study of interpretations from this period 300 BCE – 100 CE, which influences interpretation today, scholars have identified a set of premises used by the interpreters of the Hebrew Scriptures regardless of the various methods, styles, and genres expressed in their interpretation:2
The Hebrew Scriptures is fundamentally a cryptic (incomplete) document with only details considered important included. The concept is: if A is said, B is meant or implied in A, i.e. additional details may be added. In other words Hebrew Scriptures may be interpreted to have hidden or esoteric meanings which one does not normally apply to literature or other writings. Let’s apply this concept to Sodom and Gomorrah:
Gen 19:4-5 TANAKH3 reads, “They had not yet lain down, when the townspeople [Hebrew: mortals4 or humanity5, i.e. men and women; Septuagint6, Hebrew to Greek translation from this period: male gender], the men [mortals] of Sodom, young and old—all the people to the last man [one]—gathered about the house. And they shouted to Lot and said to him, “where are the men [mortals] who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may be intimate [know meaning to ascertain by seeing] with them’ ” From this text there is little for the ancients as well as modern-day interpreters to go on as to what life in Sodom was like. And only two other verses in Genesis give little insight, i.e. Gen 13:13 states that Sodom was wicked and sinning greatly against God. Gen 18:19 says the Sodom’s outcry to God was so grievous that God came down to see the condition for which God plans its destruction in Gen 18:17. Some ancient interpreters, seeking to describe this very grievous sin, saw the sin of Sodom as male-to-male sexual acts (most probably viewed from fertility cult worship and/or humiliation by male rape of war prisoners) whereas other interpreters used Ezek 16:49-50 to see Sodom’s sin as arrogance and stinginess or inhospitality.
This example shows how interpreters from this period have used the concept that A (mortals surrounding the house and wanting to know the visitor) has B (male-to-male sexual acts or inhospitality) implied.
The Hebrew Scriptures is one great book of instruction, therefore it is fundamentally relevant. The instructions and the laws are applicable and Scriptures’ godly people are role models for later times. As you study the writings of the prophets, you find references to earlier works such as the Torah (first 5 books of the Hebrew Scriptures), Psalms, Proverbs and preceding prophets. For example Isa 1:2 recalls Deut 32:5; Isa 1:10-16 reflects Ps 50:7-23; Isa 1:15 quotes Prv 1:28; and Isa 4:3 repeats Ob 1:17. Thus as the Hebrew Scriptures appeared to be completed with Malachi (c 400 BCE), the postexilic rabbis of 300 BCE found within the Hebrew Scriptures itself a basis for interpreting the writings and possibly how to adapt the writings to be relevant to their time. Also these interpreters chose to deny the humanness of Biblical leaders and their families and would rescue them from humanness by thinking something else must be meant. For example, interpreters reasoned that Lot’s daughters were not to be blamed for conspiring to have the incestuous relationship with their father as they were isolated from other humans and thought that the three were the only ones left in earth. Thus they needed to keep humanity going by getting pregnant by their father.
The Hebrew Scriptures is in perfect harmony with its various parts despite apparent inconsistencies and human interventions. The Hebrew Scriptures were deemed to speak with one voice, even though they were written over centuries and under different human conditions of purposes, cultures and languages. Thus inconsistencies were expected and are present in the writings. For example, over time several prophets compared the wickedness of Israel (Samaria or the northern tribes) and Judah to be greater than that of Sodom and Gomorrah as shown in the following list from the TANAKH. Their comparisons are consistent with Gen 13:13 (TANAKH) “Now the inhabitants of Sodom were very wicked sinners before the Lord,” but they are inconsistent with Gen 19:4-11 relating to mob violence.
The Israelite prophet Amos (c 760 BCE) states in Amos 4:1-5:17 the sins of Israel are spiritual adultery and injustice.
The pre-exile Judean prophet Isaiah (c 720 BCE) says in Isa 1:2-17 that Judah was guilty of impure worship and injustices, and in Isa 2:2-3:15 sorcery, arrogance, idolatry, and injustice.
The Judean prophet Jeremiah (c 600 BCE) around the time of the exile states in Jer 23:9-14 that Judah sins are sorcery, adultery, bribery, and encouraging of wickedness.
The exile Judean prophet Ezekiel (c 580 BCE) says in Ez 16:43-63 that Judah is guilty of undefined depravity and abominations from arrogance and improper use of wealth and inhospitality.
Also desolation of non-Jewish lands is compared to Sodom and Gomorrah for Babylon by Isa 13:19 and Jer 50:40, for Edom by Jer 49:18, and for Moab and Ammon by Zeph (c 615 BCE) 2:8-9.
The above conditions describing Israel and Judah may be truly those of Sodom and Gomorrah but they are inconsistent with Gen 19:4-11 relating to mob violence. No form of male-to-male sex is mentioned by the prophets, and if it was truly an issue in Sodom and Gomorrah, it may have been considered the idolatry associated with the Baal fertility cult worship. Likewise heterosexual licentiousness is not mentioned either, except for adultery. These shortcomings may have been considered part of idolatry, depravity and abominations.
The Hebrew Scriptures is divinely sanctioned and divinely inspired. This was a later development from the above assumptions and was not universally applied. Some interpreters thought there was both human and divine inspiration with divine being only associated with the phrase “God said.” Early Greek-influenced interpreters were the source of the belief that the divine origin of all writings was in God before expression by the human writers. For example, the writer of the book “Jubilees”, written c 135-105 BCE considers all canonical writings to be in the divine tablets before human writing. (This book professes to be Scriptural in character but is not canonical or considered inspired.)7
C. Application to Christian Scriptures and Today:
As one studies the Christian Scriptures, one sees these Rabbinical premises of interpretation applied to the Hebrew Scriptures to authenticate Jesus as Messiah (Christ) and His life being foretold throughout ancient times. However one also must wonder how much these premises influenced the Christian writers. For example, Jude 1:7 (NRSV) states unnatural lust as the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah; was Jude influenced by the interpretation that the sin was male to-male sex or does unnatural lust possibly have its roots of meaning in inhospitality or depravity?
These interpretation premises discussed in II.B form the basis for modern interpretation along with textual criticism, study concerning the authorship and time of composition of the individual writings in the Scriptures. Today both views for the inspiration of the Scriptures are still held:
Inspired writers expressed their own experiences with God.
God’s literal word is expressed through human instruments.
The latter is the more visibly held view. Interpreters with this view hold to earlier interpretations and are more rigid in what are acceptable meanings of Scriptures to one’s life. They also are unwilling to revisit carefully the words and original circumstances or intentions of the writers, such as, that the Genesis writing of Sodom and Gomorrah is actually a mob scene of all men and women, wanting to do harm to the visitors.
Also today there is much more willingness to see Biblical characters in their humanness and to derive meaning for one’s life from their humanness.
III. Being Informed Interpreters:
There are two generally accepted approaches that you may use in your study and interpretation. These are the devotional approach or reading for current inspirations for one’s life and the questioning approach or serious study for deeper understanding in application. These two approaches should not be confused with each other, but may be used side-by-side.
A. The Devotional Approach
Devotional reading is prayerfully reflecting on a short passage of the Scriptures, such as Psalm 23, seeking to be drawn into a deeper personal communication with God. Because you cannot see God, a spiritual being, sometimes it is hard to meet with God. Thus using the Scriptures, God’s word written from others’ experiences, helps you to enter into communion with God.
Devotional reading may be done as simply as randomly opening the Scriptures and reading and reflecting on one or several verses, or more systematically as reading with reflection through all the Scriptures in one year. The former has blessed many people and aided them with a deeper growth that God truly cares for them, particularly babes in accepting God and Christ into their lives. The latter blesses those who are seeking a much greater depth of communication with God and the insight that is to be expressed to them on this day.
In devotional reading you often receive insights for handling current circumstances. These insights are uniquely for you, the reader. Thus you must be careful not to conclude and explain insights as if they were doctrine that comes from serious study covering many fields related to the history, social conditions and languages of the Scriptures. Much confusion has resulted when these insights are stated as doctrines or dogmas.
B. The Questioning Approach
People throughout time, whether studying literature or solving an every day issue in life, ask basic questions for understanding the opportunity at hand. To gather basic facts, ask these same questions when studying the Scriptures:
Who is speaking and to whom?
What is the event, topic or literary figures of speech, if any?
Where is the event or topic occurring?
When is the event or topic occurring?
Why is this event or topic occurring?
How are the topic and/or event being approached?
Even if one of these questions appears to be non-applicable, it still supplies information for understanding. The tendency is to dismiss negatives answers to questions, but they are just as important for gaining understanding as positives for they answer the type of question, “It is or it is not?”
Once the facts have been gathered, then you ask questions of how the facts are related to each other. Facts by themselves are not really helpful, what is important is how have these facts interacted with each other. Some relational questions for fuller Scriptural interpretation are:
Are the facts similar or in contrast to each other?
Is a timeline inferred (either forward or backward)?
Is there a general idea developing or a specific one, or vice versa?
May a cause and effect be inferred?
Are there commands and consequences for obeying and disobeying the commands?
How do the figures of speech change the meaning of the literal words? Are any of the following devices used?
Trope—a literary or rhetorical device using words in other than their literal sense.
Allegory—representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.
Anagoge—spiritual interpretation or application of words, particularly hidden meanings regarding future life.
Since the Scriptures were written over time, you need to ask also:
Is the event or topic discussed or referenced in another book or a passage within the same book?
If the topic is referenced in a book written later, how is it being applied in that time and culture?
Is the topic influenced by earlier interpretations of religious leaders?
The fullest understanding and the avoidance of misinterpretation are achieved by studying related passages simultaneously, as in the discussion of Sodom and Gomorrah above in II.B.3. To these you need to add the Christian Scriptures passages for Sodom and Gomorrah keeping in mind the interpretive premises that may be invoked by the writers of the Christian Scriptures (II.B and II.C).
To find the additional passages key words or verses, you should utilize cross-references, concordances, Bible dictionaries and other study books. When reading these materials, keep in mind that the authors will be presenting their point of view.
B. Pitfalls to Avoid:
Since the Scriptures are both history and literature with some science, there are many literary forms used in the original languages that may and may not be translatable into your common language. The proper application of the questions above requires you to interpret Scriptures in agreement with these literary forms.
Some pitfalls in interpretation of Scripture are:
To attempt to explain everything with physical reasoning, i.e. applying the scientific method, and thereby denying the supernatural power of God in events.
To attempt to explain everything allegorically, i.e. referring only to the spiritual, and thereby denying again the supernatural power of God intervening in physical realities, or historical and social contexts.
To misinterpret the Scriptures by adhering dogmatically to what some religious institution or religious leader or nagging doubt says a passage means when there is a clear sense otherwise.
To be too literal, thereby denying
The proper usage of the figures of speech in the Scriptures
The spiritual sense.
To expect that application is achieved by interpretation alone. You may have the knowledge to perform a certain task, but until you do that task, you cannot know whether you were successful or not.
To expect that application is achieved during a heartfelt emotional response to a passage. Although you may lament, weep, or be deeply moved while studying a passage of Scripture, this emotion is just the first step towards application. It should be a good motivator. However, practice always precedes effective application.
IV. Conclusion:
Having surveyed the interpretive process from earlier times you see that interpretation is the first important step for growth; it gives the mental knowledge needed. It is not the end but the beginning in prayer for:
“How can I change my life to align with God’s ways?”
To answer, the most important things are your motivation, and willingness to practice, and relying on the Spirit of God for guidance: There is a saying, “Practice makes perfect.” This saying infers that growth is a process of small steps of applying knowledge, and to be effective, you need the community of others. This is not easy work as you are often beset at times by hindrances, such as, procrastination, frustration and desiring instant results.
As you apply the Scriptural principles to your life little by little, you enjoy a heart experience with God. In human interpersonal relationships you first get to know something about a person before proceeding into a deeper relationship. Likewise as you interpret and apply the Scriptures as seen through the eyes of those who have gone before, you know more about God and may enter into a deeper relationship with God and to do God’s will.
V. References
1Brenton, Sir Lancelot C.L., “Preface and Introduction, An Historical Account of the Septuagint Version,” The Septuagint with Apocrypha, Hendrickson Publishers
2Kugel, James L., “The Bible as It Was,” The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA 1997
3JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, PA 1999
4Strong, James, “The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible,” Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN 1995
5Brown, Francis, Driver, S>R., and Briggs, Charles A, “The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon,” Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA
6Brenton, Sir Lancelot C.L, “The Septuagint with Apocrypha”, Hendrickson Publishers
7Charles, R. H., “The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament” Clarendon Press 1913, Internet: http://www.ccel.org/c/charles/otpseudepig/jubilee.
© 2004 Christ the Master Ministries
Contact: Jerome V. Scholle
Email: jscholle@christianbear.org