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I. Background of the
passage
A. Main theme of
the book?
B. Author’s purposes?
C. Author’s background?
D. Historical setting?
E. What kind of literature is this? Parable, poetry,
apocalyptic, teaching?
F. Reader’s Understanding/Context - To Whom Written?
G. Usage of Other Scriptural Concepts - Quotations?
II. Immediate
Context
A. Read passage in
at least three different translations.
B. What immediately precedes and follows the passage?
C. Are any definitions provided by the immediate context?
D. What is the main argument of the entire chapter?
E. What is the main point of the passage itself?
F. What is the consistent understanding of the passage in this
context?
III. Broad Context
A. Does my
interpretation make this passage contradictory with
1. the author
himself?
2. other Biblical passages?
3. common sense?
B. What other
passages in Scripture bear directly on the issues raised in this
passage?
The above steps are
normally sufficient for most purposes of interpretation. However,
should further study be needed, the following steps are helpful:
I. Identification of
Key Terms
A. List the “key”
words in the passage.
B. Are their meanings clear? How do the translations differ at
this point?
C. Consult a concordance for the meaning of the words in the
original languages.
D. Examine the usage of the word (in original language) by the
author, then in other books.
E. If a NT passage, see how terms were used in OT. If OT, see
how concept is picked up by NT.
F. Determine if the phrase is an idiom of the language.
II. Word
Studies/Syntactical Studies
A. Consult
linguistic dictionary on usage of term in Scripture/secular
literature.
B. Study occurrence of each word in context each time it is used
in Scripture.
C. Study possible cognate terms (Greek-> Hebrew/Hebrew->Greek)
and relationships.
D. Examine the grammatical form of the word in the context, and
determine syntactical relationships.
III. Textual Studies
A. Consult a
critical text of the passage in the original languages.
B. Examine any textual variants that effect meaning.
C. Determine possible effect of acceptance of various readings.
There are numerous
resources available for the performance of all of the above steps -
the trick is finding them and learning how to use them. An
exhaustive concordance is a must, a good Bible dictionary is very
helpful. Always try to work through the passage on your own before
turning to the commentaries. Many good commentaries are available,
but they are never infallible. They are meant as aids only. The best
commentary on the Bible is the Bible itself, particularly the Bible
as it was originally written. If Greek and Hebrew are unavailable to
you, invest in at least three different translations for comparative
purposes
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