Showing papers on "Exegesis published in 2021"

Philosophical hermeneutics and contemporary Muslim scholars’ approaches to interpreting scripture:

Abstract: Although the German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer was not a religious thinker or theologian, his work and approach have influenced thinkers in the field of theology. This article explores some ‘ov...

Exegesis of the Book of Isaiah 61:1–11: Redaction Criticism and Inquiry into the Identity of the Prophet Known as Trito-Isaiah

Abstract: The exegesis of Isa 61 demonstrated that the chapter is a separate composition, which comprises a framing device in vv. 1–3.10.11, and a middle section in vv. 4–9. This section did not have to originate as a single fragment. From the literarycritical standpoint, the suspect element is v. 3aa, which currently serves to connect Isa 61 with the adjacent chapters 60, and 62. However, it is best to interpret the pericope as a single whole, with the speaker being the prophetic “I,” stylised after the servantprophet from the Deutero-Isaiah’s Songs of the Servant of the Lord. Behind this “I,” there are probably the tradents of Deutero-Isaiah’s traditions, updating his promises and adding new ones. In that case, the prophet Trito-Isaiah, who was to be reminiscent of the earlier prophets, speaking before the people, never existed. That, however, does not alter the fact that the tradents did consider themselves to be the servant of the Lord, and regarded their mission to be a prophetic one.

Experimentar el paso de Dios: diálogo entre exégesis, teología y tradición en Ex 33,12-23

Abstract: This work investigates the results obtained from the diachronic exegesis applied in the pericope of Ex 33,12– 23, and highlights the theological contribution of the redactional criticism in the context of the literary unity of the Pentateuch; this, as a methodological proposal that favors the pericope understanding from the holistic view of ancient sources and other different pre-exilic materials that make up this literary block. These results are also considered the basis or foundation to obtain the theological keys of the pericope from the conceptual categories of Law and worship, which consider the two editorial units of the same, located as follows: first, v. 12 to v. 17; second, v. 18 to v. 23. This is how the theologies emerging from worship and the Law are key to reading in the theological framework of the covenant. In this way, their analysis and interpretation contribute to the understanding of the narrative and thematic core of the Pentateuch. In turn, the contributions that the interpretative traditions of Halakite and Haggadite origin, typical of the rabbinic midras and its middot, are theological references that allow new categories of study, analysis and updating of the biblical contents, present in the study pericope and throughout the Pentateuch. This process of exegesis, theology and biblical interpretation is proposed as an investigative and pedagogical alternative for a greater and better approach to integral study, and the comprehensive study and broader understanding of the first five books of the biblical canon, which provides and incorporates tools for updating the revealed message, both in the ethical, legal, and liturgical perspectives of the Jewish faith and the Christian faith experience.

Księgi natchnione i ich interpretacja. Inspirujące przesłanie Josepha Ratzingera – Benedykta XVI

Abstract: The book is about the road from God’s revelation to the inspired witness about this revelation. It deals with the issue of relation between the Tradition and the Holy Scripture on the one hand, and the revelation on the other hand. It also reflects on the principles that should be taken into account when interpreting texts written under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. These principles arise from the nature of Bible considered as both divine and human work. Joseph Ratzinger – Benedict XVI is a guide in discovering biblical inspiration and principles governing the studies of the Holy Scripture. The book is not only an exposition of the pope emeritus’s opinions, but it is also their creative development. The latter made itself heard in the strongest way in issues regarding the role of sensus fidei in exegesis and in appraising biblical fundamentalism. The monograph tackles the problem of “hermeneutics of faith” postulated by the pope emeritus. This hermeneutics of faith consists in combining faith and reason, and more precisely: in coexistence of theological principles and scientific methods in biblical exegesis. The publication offers theological base for scientific methods in exegesis. It also points out a theological basis for the so-called great principles of biblical interpretation. Contents of the first seven chapters of the treatise are organised according to two notions mentioned in the title: “inspired scriptures” and their “interpretation”. The last chapter focuses on rules that, according to Benedict XVI, should govern the interpretation of documents of the Second Vatican Council. The so called “hermeneutics of reform” is regarded here as one from occurrences of “hermeneutics of faith”.

Apocalyptic symbols of the book of revelation in the interpretation of tertullian

Abstract: The article examines the interpretation of the Book of Revelation by the western theologian Tertullian. The specifics of the interpretation of the symbols of the Book of Revelation and theological concepts of the latin exegete are highlighted. The hermeneutic principles of interpretation of the biblical apocalyptic and Tertullian ’ s view on the fulfillment of prophecies are studied. It is established that Tertullian used a tropological and allegorical method of interpretation. In the first place Tertullian put the spiritual and moral meaning of the biblical text. The importance of the Old Testament texts in the interpretation of the Book of Revelation is pointed out and the shortcomings of excessive allegory. Prospective for further research is clarify the influence of Tertullian's eschatological views on the work of later theologians. Key words: Revelation, Apocalypse, hermeneutics, Tertullian, prophecy, exegesis, apocalyptic literature, eschatology.

Hippolytus of rome: a comprehensive analysis of the interpretation of dan. 8

Abstract: The article is devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the interpretation of Hippolytus of Rome (170-235 AD) of Dan. 8 of the book of Daniel. The hermeneutic principles of the theologian in the interpretation of apocalyptic symbols of Dan. 8 are presented and showed their specifics. It has been found that Hippolytus first interpreted the symbol of the "little horn" (Dan. 8:9-12) as Antiochus IV Epiphanes among early Christian writers. This interpretation is followed today by the Preterist and Futurist schools of interpretation. The arguments of both the supporters of Hippolytus' interpretation and his opponents are highlighted. It is established that the theologian's interpretation, according to which the small horn in Dan. 8 symbolizes Antiochus Epiphanes has weaknesses and contradicts the biblical context of the apocalyptic symbols of both the eighth chapter and the entire book of Daniel. It is investigated that the arguments of the historicistl school allow us to conclude that the small horn in Dan. 8 symbolizes Rome. Promising for the future continuation of the study is seen in a deep exegetical study of the apocalyptic symbols of Dan. 8 and the influence of Hippolytus' interpretation on the hermeneutics of later Christian theologians. Key words: Book of Daniel, Hippolytus of Rome, hermeneutics, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the small horn, exegesis, apocalyptic literature, eschatology.

Die hermeneutiese proses onderliggend aan Paulus se eksegese van Eksodus 17:6 en Numeri 20:7–11 in 1 Korintiërs 10:1–4

Abstract: The hermeneutical process underlying Paul’s exegesis of Exodus 17:6 and Numbers 20:7–11 in 1 Corinthians 10:1–4. In this article, Paul’s use of the Old Testament in 1 Corinthians 10:1–4 comes under scrutiny. In contrast with the theory of some modern scholars that Paul uses, ‘fanciful analogies’, ‘startling figurative claims’ and metaphors that ‘should not he pressed’, in reaching his conclusion that ‘the rock was Christ’, in 1 Corinthians 10:4c, it is indicated that Paul is indeed taking the original text, the Old Testament’s interpretation of the text, and the Jewish tradition of the interpretation of the text, seriously, in the light of the Christ-event. To prove this claim, research of the text (Exodus 17:6 & Numbers 20:7–11), that Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 10:1–4, is followed by research of the ‘world in front of that text’ (Deuteronomy 32, the Psalms and Second Temple Judaism). Contribution : The conclusion that is reached indicates that Paul established within the context of contemporary Jewish practices, a true dialogical relationship between an intertextual handling of the text, and his interpretation thereof in the light of the relevance of the Christ-event for the conflict in the Church of Corinth.

The trees in the middle of Paradise (Gn 2:9) during the Great Lent: Orthodox hymnography as biblical interpretation

Abstract: The article examines the interpretation of the Scripture in Byzantine hymnography during the Great Lent. Some notable recent contributions focus on Andrew of Crete’s and Romanos the Melodist’s compositions, illustrating the hymnographic way of understanding the Scriptures. The author of this study presents a selection of stanzas from hymns of the Triodion that refer to the trees of Paradise. Hymnography perceives the trees in Genesis 2–3 in direct connection with the cross. Only rarely is the tree of life a metaphor for Jesus, as the shadow of the tree of the cross is seldom a metaphor for protection. Another interesting aspect in relation to hymnography is the fact that it represents a type of intertextual exegesis of biblical texts. Hymnographers interpret passages from Genesis by using texts from Psalms, Prophets and especially from the New Testament, combining images and biblical texts in the depiction of liturgical moments. Contribution: Compared with previous research, this article discusses some rare hymnographic interpretations (shadow of the cross; cross in the middle of the earth). The analysis accentuates that the hymnic approach to the Scripture is a form of intertextual exegesis.

The Apocalypse of John: the architectural symbolism of visual exegesis

Abstract: A hermeneutic literary criticism of the last text of the New Testament canon can be complemented by an architectural criticism of metaphorical and rhetorical structures and plots, presented as an ultimate resolution to fundamental problems, posed both by the kerigma and by the Hellinised religious experience of the Old Testament (apocalyptic and epistolary genres). The text of the Revelation has staging structures that imply its performative reading, and suggested radical eschatological ways of resolving conflicts allow for equally radical exegetic methods, with a feminist orientation, for example. Analytical metaphors that we have employed, taken from the arsenal of art history, such as ‘polyptich’ or ‘non-figurative painting’, prompt us to use an experimental paradigm of diagrammatics: a visualization of compositional schemata as the equivalents of a cognitive apparatus. The hearer/reader has the opportunity to set off on an eschatological journey with the author of the Revelation but also to have an epistemological walk with its exegetes and commentators.

Some Remarks on the Art of Exegesis in the Kalophonic Style

Abstract: The present article focuses on the technique and art of the so-called exegesis , the traditional interpretation of the kalophonic piece Ἀπόλαυe τῶν θαυμάτων τὰς ἰάσeις – Enjoy, seing the miraculous healings , in honor of St Demetrios, by St John Koukouzeles, in the first authentic mode. It is based on the manuscripts Zakynthos 7, Metochion Panagiou Taphou 728, and three Anthologia from the Music School of the Putna Monastery, and highlights several exegetical procedures through microsyntactical and generative analyses of chosen passages of the piece. The profile of the kalophonic melody revealed through the slow exegesis is mainly characterized by stepwise up-and-down movements of the voice around and between the structural notes, with few skips only, and in a perfect balance with the poetical text, which emerges for the singer and the listener syllable by syllable, carried on a continuous melodic flow, a sort of Byzantine ‘unendliche Melodie’.

The Key to the Bible: Bonhoeffer’s Approach to the Psalms as Theological Interpretation

Abstract: Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s approach to the Book of Psalms as the hermeneutical key to all of the Bible can help to combine historical and theological readings of the Bible. This article highlights four ...

Eksegese van 2 Petrus 3:1–2 en die hermeneuse daarvan met spesifieke verwysing na standpunte van die sogenaamde Nuwe Ateïste

Abstract: Exegesis of 2 Peter 3:1–2 and its significance for contemporary Christians with specific reference to views of the so-called New Atheists. Die Bybel: 2020-vertaling, in Afrikaans translation of the Bible, has been introduced at a time when the Bible, the God of the Bible and believers who accept the Bible as the Word of God are seriously under suspicion. The question is how Christians are supposed to act and react in the light of these developments. The religious conviction of Peter’s first readers was under great pressure as a result of false teachers. This article exegetically indicates the guidance that Peter gives to his readers according to 2 Peter 3:1–2 and points out its significance for contemporary Christians. The exegesis in the article is concentrated on 2 Peter 3:1–2 within the context of the letter and is done according to the grammatical-historical model as practised in the Reformed tradition. The article cites examples of the New Atheists’ questioning of the Christian faith. Reference is then made to 2 Peter 3:1–2, regarding what believers must do when their faith is questioned. The article found that Christians today, like Peter’s first readers, are still under great pressure because of atheists’ hostile actions. Like Peter’s first readers, modern-day believers need guidance so that they do not succumb to the pressures on their steadfastness. Christians must think purely of the Old Testament prophets and the apostles of Jesus Christ and the revelation they received from God and Jesus Christ. When Christians think purely about prophets and apostles, they will understand the meaning of these people’s message in their present circumstances and will be able to act appropriately. 2 Peter 3:1–2 provides guidance to Christians whose faith is under pressure due to the hostile actions of unbelievers. Contribution: The article contributes to the understanding of the guidance that Peter gave to his first readers according to 2 Peter 3:1–2 and provides guidance to Christians whose faith, like Peter’s first readers, is being questioned.

Alegorisasi Hagar Sebagai Gunung Sinai dan Yerusalem dalam Penafsiran Paulus: The Allegorization Hagar's as Mount Sinai and Jerusalem in Paul's Interpretation

Abstract: This article aims to explain the allegorization of Hagar and Mount Sinai in Paul's theology as written in Galatians 4:24-25 as a result of exegesis studies. To achieve this goal, the author uses a historical-grammatical approach. In addition, the author presents the interpretation debate by New Testament theologians about the text as consideration for deciding the interpretation following Paul's intent. In conclusion, Paul uses an allegorical interpretation of Galatians 4:24-25 by explaining that Hagar as Mount Sinai and Jerusalem is an allusion to the Old Testament and legalistic Judaism, not grace.

The strategy for planning the future of a Christian believer in the exegetical context of James 4:13–15

Abstract: This article deals primarily with the examination of two key and exegetically demanding expressions in the text of the General Epistle of James, which relate to fundamental biblical principles on planning the future of the believer and reconciling human life with God’s will expressed in Holy Scripture. The first one is the hapax legomenon Ἄγe νῦν, the significance of which is closely related to updating of the affected principles with practice. The second term is ποιήσοµeν, which, in most translations, translates as ‘remain’ and does not reflect the core idea of the examined verse. We prove that a more authentic and appropriate translation is ‘work’. Our aim was to find out what new interpretive possibilities the original biblical text offers. The constitutive starting point for research is Novum Testamentum Graecum – Editio Critica Maior. We then compared these texts with the Slovak Ecumenical Bible. The method of our exegetical work was not primarily comparison, but a linguistic analysis and historical-critical exegesis, the result of which is a completely new proposal for the translation of the scrutinised texts. Auxiliary materials were the most important patristic and exegetical commentaries. In conclusion, we state that the analysis made it possible to find a new translation of the researched text, which can really contribute to the improvement of further review and publication of the ecumenical translation of the Bible into various languages. Contribution: The article examines the source Greek biblical text of James 4:13–15 and reveals a new interpretation of it. This interpretation brings a new, biblical light into the field of planning, which is one of the most current topics nowadays. With its content and especially its conclusions, it contributes to the goals of this theological journal, the subject of which is also the research of Greek biblical manuscripts.

Scripture in Context: James A. Sanders’ Contributions to Biblical Studies:

Abstract: James A. Sanders, Scripture in Its Historical Contexts. Vol. I: Text, Canon, and Qumran and Scripture in Its Historical Contexts. Vol. II: Exegesis, Hermeneutics, and Theology. Edited by Craig A. E...

African and Rwandan Translations of the Bible

Abstract: The article offers a concise presentation of the project linked to the Library Fund of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, namely, to study the inculturation of the Christian faith by relating the documentation on the editions of the Bible to the catechisms in the territories entrusted to the pastoral care of the Congregation for Evangelization of peoples. The vastness of the project itself is marked today by the difficulty of using more extensive documentation than that present in the Fund of the same Library. However, more limited segments of the indicated material of interest can already be identified. More specifically, the African continent shows quite a varied phenomenology of the editions of the Bible: from translations of the Latin Vulgate into local languages, to translations from English or French, themselves translations from Latin. In the post-conciliar period, the translations of the Bible from the original biblical languages emerge. This is the case of the Kinyarwanda versions of the NT (1988, 1989) and of the OT-NT in a single volume (1990, 1992), in which, alongside pastoral purposes, the results of modern biblical exegesis are evident, to the point of proposing categorizations of literary bodies of biblical literature from an interconfessional and also interreligious perspective.

Rumo à animação bíblica da vida e da pastoral da Igreja no Brasil

Abstract: The text analyzes the Biblical turnaround promoted by the Second Vatican Council, highlighting some guidelines. 1o) Before this Conclave, the evangelizing work with Sacred Scripture was understood as a “biblical movement”, with the purpose of distributing and making known the book of the Bible. 2o) With the Council, the work with Sacred Scripture came to be understood as a pastoral service of the Church. The text highlights the particular work of the CNBB in Brazil and indicates that it came to formulate the following pastoral objectives: “Valuing the Word of God in the Bible as a source of community experience and of the Church's mission” and “calling the whole Church to be a permanent listener of the Word of God, assimilating it and confronting it with life” (Document of CNBB 90). The General Guidelines for Pastoral Action - 1991-1994, elaborated then, opportunely stated: “The emphasis given to the biblical dimension comes at a good time to respond to the dynamism of ecclesial communities, apostolic groups and movements that approach Sacred Scripture, with new methods and new sensitivity” (Document of the CNBB 89) The Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum of Vatican II, promoted great advances in the scope of exegesis and in the pastoral, catechetical, liturgical and transformational use of Sacred Scripture in the Church in Brazil. The text concludes with an indication of the steps taken to disseminate the biblical text in the Church of Brazil.

Gêneros do discurso e Sitz im Leben: a origem comum e a relação entre os conceitos teóricos

Abstract: This essay proposes the existence of relations between Bakhtin’s theory on speech genres and the concept of Sitz im Leben of the German Biblical Exegesis. The submitted hypothesis is that both have in common the influence of the German idealistic philosophy and, more particularly, of Romanticism. Given the understanding that the concepts come from the same philosophical source, but their theoretical applications are made to different objects, one can seek to develop a broader understanding of speech genres so that it is also applied to biblical studies, associated with the concept of Sitz im Leben.

(Ad)Dressing Foreign Women: Ancient Exegesis of Numbers 25 and Roman Prostitution

Abstract: Does the infinitive לזנות in Num 25:1 suggest that the foreign women were prostitutes? Analyzing four Roman-period Jewish sources—Biblical Antiquities 18:13–14; Philo, Moses 1.294–304 and Virtues 34–50; and Sifre Numbers 131—this article demonstrates that the public exposure of naked bodies in LAB reflects Roman norms relating to prostitutes. Philo even more explicitly depicts the women as brothel prostitutes, projecting the Roman repugnance towards upper-class men openly entering such establishments onto the Israelites and presenting them as immoral by dressing them in the elaborate costume typically worn by courtesans in Greek sources. Sifre Numbers 131 is a satirical variation on the theme, the Israelites being tricked into entering the prostitute’s cubicle due to their ignorance of the (male elite Roman) stereotyping of female vendor markets as prostitutes and old women as bawds.