Interpretive Tools Exercise

Interpretive Tools Exercise - 20 Points

The purpose of this exercise is to familiarize you with two types of tools for academic biblical interpretation: Bible Dictionaries and One Volume Biblical Commentaries. Before going further, please read the following descriptions:

Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias are exactly what they sound like: parallel texts to language dictionaries and general encyclopedias. Entries are arranged alphabetically. In most bible dictionaries key persons, places, practices, objects, themes, and biblical books are covered. If you were reading Exodus 24: 1-19, for example, you might look up "Moses", "covenant," "Sinai," or "Exodus, Book of." If you were reading Galatians 4:21 - 5:1, you might look up "Abraham," "Hagar," "covenant," "Galatia," or "Galatians, Letter to the". A good bible dictionary or encyclopedia will usually have signed articles with a short bibliography either at the beginning or the end of each article. Some dictionaries are contained in one volume. Others are multi-volume works. The author of each entry is usually listed at the end or beginning of the entry. Sometimes initials are given. You can usually look up the full name of the author along with his/her academic or religious affiliation in a Table of Contributors. This usually is found at the beginning or the end of the volume. One way to find out which works scholars consider important and are worth consulting for your own research is to compare the bibliographies from similar entries in different bible dictionaries. If an article or book appears in more than one list, it is likely to be an important resource. In addition to a entries related to the bible itself, there are also some dictionaries that include entries on the methods and history of biblical interpretation. A few "companions" and dictionaries focus on this.

One Volume Commentaries.

A one volume commentary is a reference work that offers comments on each biblical book (Jewish or Christian Bible or section of such, e.g., Torah/Pentateuch). The entries on each biblical book usually offer introductory comments of a literary, historical, social scientific and/or theological nature. They then offer analysis on a section by section or verse by verse basis. There may also be additional general articles covering topics such as the history of the Ancient Near East or the formation of the canon. A good one volume commentary will make clear who the author of the commentary on each book is at the beginning or the end of an entry. Sometimes the author(s)'s full name appears. Sometimes initials are given. If initials are given, the reader must look up the person's name in a list of contributors. This often includes scholarly or religious affiliations. A good one volume commentary will also provide bibliographical references. Again, at the beginning or ending of each article. One way to find out which works scholars consider important and are worth consulting for your own research is to compare the biblical book entry bibliographies from several one/two volume commentaries. If an article or book appears in more than one list, it is likely to be an important resource.

Additional Information

Some dictionaries and commentaries are associated with a particular religious tradition and may reflect the history of interpretation or the concerns of that tradition. Others are produced solely for academic purposes and are non-denominational. Although there may be differences associated with religious commitments, you should find a great deal of overlap in scholarly works. Reading several dictionaries and commentaries will give you an idea of where there is consensus in interpretation and where differences emerge. In comparing both entries and bibliographies you should keep in mind the publication date. A work from 1992 will include references and scholarly developments through about 1991.

In addition to one volume commentaries that include multiple books of the bible, there are also commentaries that focus on the books of the bible in multiple volumes and monographs (a single book) which covers a single biblical book. Obviously, the latter will include a lot more information.

Go to Biblical Studies Reference Tools to see a list of good quality biblical dictionaries and commentaries our library owns. The one volume reference works and a few of the multiple volume ones are located in the first floor reference section of the UI library. The volumes of the JPS Torah Commentary are on two hour regular reserve under our course. The commentaries that focus on a single book are located in the 4^th floor stacks under BS for biblical studies. Some of the items on my list of good quality dictionaries or commentaries are available for preview on googlebooks at http://books.google.com/ or via the “Look Inside” feature on amazon.com.

Now please jot down answers to the following questions related to the entry, "covenant' in the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible and the commentary on the Book of Exodus from the Oxford Bible Commentary. Both are on e-reserve. Following these there are some extra credit questions that you may choose to do to gain extra credit points.

A. Questions on the entry on “covenant’ in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, pp. 288-292 and p. xiii added at the end of the pdf on e-reserve ( http://db.lib.uidaho.edu/ereserve/ ) - Herion, Gary A. "Covenant." Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000, 288-92, xiii.

1. List the headings and subheadings of the entry on “covenant” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible.

2. To what extent does the entry focus on each of the following: translation, historical and social scientific background, literary analysis, theology/philosophy, and/or history of interpretation/reception? Give an example of each if they exist in the entry.

3. Who is the author of the entry “covenant” in Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible? What is his academic affiliation (see list of contributors, p. xiii). If this page is missing from the e-reserve pdf. You can find it online in googlebooks at http://books.google.com/books?id=P9sYIRXZZ2MC&lpg=PP1&dq=eerdmans%20dictionary%20of%20the%20bible&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

B. Questions on the commentary entry on “Exodus” in the Oxford Bible Commentary on ( http://db.lib.uidaho.edu/ereserve/ ): Houston, Walter. "Exodus," from the Oxford Bible Commentary. Oxford University Press, 2001, pp. 67-91 and p. xi added at the end of the pdf.

1. What are the headings found in the introduction to the commentary on Exodus on pp. 67-69. Jot down a sentence about what you found most interesting in one of these sections?

2. The actual commentary begins on p.69 moving through Exodus verse by verse in sections. Read the part of the section on the Call of Moses 3:1-4:17 that is found on pp.70-71. To what extent does this section of commentary focus on each of the following: translation, historical and social scientific background, literary analysis, theology/philosophy, and/or history of interpretation/reception? Give an example of each if they exist in the entry.

3. List one of the items included in the bibliography on pp. 90-91.

Extra Credit - 4 points

Read the entry on “covenant” pp. 208-209 in Ref BS440.H235 1996 Achtemeier, Paul J., ed. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. 2d edition. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1996. This is available on e-reserve ( http://db.lib.uidaho.edu/ereserve/ ) and on the first floor of the library.

1. List one key point that this entry makes that is also in the “Covenant” entry in the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible.

2. List one point found here not in the Eerdmans entry.

3. List one entry that is found both in the bibliography of this dictionary's entry on covenant and the entry on covenant in the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible.

Extra Credit – 5 points

David L. Lieber and Jules Harlow, eds. Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary. Philadelphia: JPS, 2001 is a one-volume commentary on the Torah sponsored by the Rabbinical Assembly and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. The beginning portions of the commentaries on Exodus are on e-reserve ( http://db.lib.uidaho.edu/ereserve/ ) and the whole volume is available in the reference section on the first floor of the library with the call number Ref BS1222.L54 2001

Read the p’shat (middle section of the page) and d’rash (bottom section of the page) covering “Revelation at the Burning Bush” (Ex 3:1-6) and “The Divine Call” (Ex. 3:7-10) in Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, pp. 326-329.

Note: The top of the page has the Hebrew of the biblical passage on the right and the NJPS English translation on the left side. Nahum M. Sarna is the author of the p’shat on Exodus and the introduction to Exodus on p. 316. The p'shat is an abbreviated version of his commentary in the volume on Exodus in the JPS Torah Commentary series. Harold Kushner edited the d’rash. The book reads right to left, as Hebrew is read right to left.

1. In a sentence or three, what do you find characterizes the differences in content between the p’shat (middle section of the page) and the d’rash (bottom section of the page) commentary?

2. How do you see these p'shat and d'rash sections as similar to and different from the sections of the commentary on Exodus in the Oxford Bible Commentary that we read? This could be in terms of the type of material discussed and/or in terms of content.