Survey of Biblical Hermeneutics: Session 3
For detailed observation, one makes specific and descriptive observations about every significant detail in a (brief) passage.1 Then one raises interpretive questions of each observation made.
This category involves all observations relating to individual words in a passage, including such things as the root of the word (its basic dictionary or lexical form), its inflection (changes in the form of the word that indicate case, gender, number, tense, person, mood, voice), and type of term (whether the term is literal or figurative)
Grammatical observations pertain to the grammatical function, or syntax, of words or phrases within the sentence, for example, as a subject, predicate, or prepositional phrase.
Structural observations involve the literary structural relationships (e.g., contrast, substantiation, climax) that were discussed under “Major Structural Relationships”
Logical observations involve the logical function of a term or statement: the type of meaning expressed by the term or statement or the issue that it addresses.
Contextual observations have to do with identifying points of connection between details observed in the passage under examination and elements in the surrounding context.
Literary observations form a broad category pertaining to any features of the passage that may strike the reader as potentially significant in the communication of the sense of the passage.
These questions serve as the bridge between observation and interpretation. They arise from observations made (in this case, from structural observations pertaining to the book-as-a-whole), and they form the basis for interpretation.
The three primary types of questions correspond (as we shall see) to the three major phases of interpretation:
• The definitive or explanatory question: what does this mean?
• The rational question: why is this included, and why here?
• The implicational question: what does this imply?
There are also four auxiliary questions:
• The identificational question: who or what is involved?
• The modal question: how is this accomplished?
• The temporal question: when is this accomplished?
• The local question: where is this accomplished?
Recurrence
Recurrence: repetition of the same or similar terms, phrases, or other elements
Questions: What is the primary meaning of this recurring element (specify what recurs)? How do the individual occurrences relate to and illumine one another? Why this recurrence? What are the implications?
Semantic Structures
Contrast: association of things whose differences are stressed by the writer
Key terms: but, however
Questions: What major differences are here emphasized by the writer? What is the precise and specific meaning of each of these differences, and why did he deal with them as he did? What are the implications?
Comparison: association of things whose similarities (likeness) are stressed by the writer
Key terms: like, as
Questions: What are the major points of similarity here? What is the precise and specific meaning of each? Why did the writer stress these similarities, and why did he deal with them as he did? What are the implications?
Climax: movement from lesser to greater, toward a high point of culmination and intensity (implicitly involves an element of contrast, and usually of causation)
Questions: How does this unit reach its climax in (specify the climactic passage)? How does this climactic development illumine the climactic passage and the material leading to it? Why did the writer include this climax? What are the implications?
Particularization: movement from the general to the particular (implicitly involves preparation/realization)
Questions: What is the meaning of this general statement? How is the general statement particularized in the material that follows? How do the particulars illumine the general statement? Why did the writer include this movement from general to particular? What are the implications?
Generalization: movement from the particular to the general (implicitly involves preparation/realization)
Questions: What is the meaning of the particular statement? How is the particular statement generalized in the material that follows? How does the general statement illumine the particulars? Why did the writer include this movement from particular to general? What are the implications?
Causation: movement from cause to effect (implicitly involves preparation/realization)
Key terms: therefore, consequently
Questions: How does this cause produce this effect? What are the major elements involved in this movement from cause to effect, and what is the meaning of each? Why did the writer include this causation? What are the implications?
Substantiation: movement from effect to cause (implicitly involves preparation/realization)
Key terms: for, because, since
Questions: How does the substantiatory passage cause (that is, support or give reason for) the preceding passage? What are the major elements involved in this movement from effect to cause, and what is the meaning of each? Why did the writer include this substantiation? What are the implications?
Cruciality: device of the pivot to produce a radical reversal or complete change of direction (implicitly involves recurrence of causation and contrast)
Questions: How does this cruciality illumine the material on both sides of the pivot? Why did the writer include this cruciality? What are the implications?
Summarization: an abridgment (summing up) either preceding or following a unit of material (sometimes similar to a general statement, but contains more specifics than a general statement)
Questions: How does this passage summarize the material that precedes (or follows)? How does the preceding material illumine this summarization? Why did the writer include this summarization? What are the implications?
Interrogation: a problem or question, followed by its solution or answer (implicitly involves preparation/realization, and often causation; problem/solution type involves contrast)
Questions pertaining to problem/solution type: What is the meaning of the problem presented here? How is this problem solved? What are the major elements involved in the movement from problem to solution, and what is the meaning of each? Why did the writer include this interrogation? What are the implications?
Questions pertaining to question/answer type: What is the meaning of this question? How does the answer address this question, and what is the full and precise meaning of this answer? Why did this writer include this interrogation? What are the implications?
Preparation/realization: background or setting of the events or ideas
Questions: What is the meaning of this background material? How does it prepare for what follows? Why did the writer prepare for what follows? Why did the writer prepare for what follows in this way? What are the implications?
Instrumentation: movement from means to end (implicitly involves causation), which takes the forms of either statement of purpose or description of means
Key terms: in order that, so that (statement of purpose); by, through (description of means)
Questions pertaining to statement of purpose: What is the meaning of the purpose statement itself? How does it illumine the means? How does it illumine the end? How does the means cause or produce the end? Why did the writer include this purpose statement? What are the implications?
Questions pertaining to description of means: How does the writer describe this means or agency, and what is the meaning of this description? What is the meaning of the ways in which this means produces the end? Why did the writer thus present this means in such a way as to produce this end? What are the implications?
Rhetorical Structures
Interchange: exchanging or alternation of blocks of material (a-b-aʹ-bʹ)
Questions pertaining to contrast by interchange: What are the major differences presented here, and what is the meaning of each? How does this interchange strengthen this contrast, and how does it illumine the major differences? Why did the writer emphasize these differences? Why did he thus support or strengthen the contrast by this use of interchange? What are the implications?
Inclusio: repetition of the same word(s) or phrase at the beginning and end of a unit, thus producing a bracket effect
Questions pertaining to comparison by inclusio: What are the major similarities presented here, and what is the meaning of each? How does this inclusio strengthen the comparison, and how does it illumine the major points of similarity? Why did the writer emphasize these similarities? Why did he thus support or strengthen the comparison by this use of inclusio? What are the implications?
Chiasm: repetition of elements in inverted order (a-b-{c}-bʹ-aʹ)
Questions pertaining to contrast by chiasm: What are the major differences presented here, and what is the meaning of each? How does this chiasm strengthen this contrast, and how does it illumine the major differences? Why did the writer emphasize these differences? Why did he thus support or strengthen the contrast by use of chiasm? What are the implications?
Intercalation: insertion of one literary unit in the midst of another literary unit
Questions pertaining to comparison by intercalation: What are the major similarities presented here, and what is the meaning of each? How does this intercalation strengthen this comparison, and how does it illumine the major points of similarity? Why did the writer emphasize these similarities? Why did he thus support or strengthen the comparison by use of intercalation? What are the implications?