Bible Dictionary
BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
One of the first sciences that anyone who wants to study the Bible must know is Hermeneutics, or biblical interpretation.
“Hermeneutics”, from the Greek “hermenevein”, is the “art of interpreting texts”, and precedes exegesis.
It aims to understand, as far as possible, the process by which the author (in our case the hagiographers) composed his text and make it understandable to the modern reader.
The same apostle Peter, speaking of the Scriptures, says that “there are some that are difficult to understand, which the unlearned and unstable distort, as well as the other Scriptures (those of the Old), to the destruction of themselves” (2 Pet. 3: 16).
The Holy Spirit is the first interpreter of the Scriptures and assists believers to understand them and apply them to their lives, but it is necessary to remember that the varied circumstances that occurred in the production of the wonderful book require the expositors to carefully study and always “in accordance with science” and hermeneutical principles.
The biblical interpretation has a double aspect:
(a) The problem of language, which includes the study of the text, and
(b) the meaning of the Message.
Discovering the true meaning of all the words and terms in a biblical passage is the beginning of interpretation. An interpretation of the language is required, and this involves different disciplines, such as textual criticism, which is only within the reach of specialists and translators, since such ancient, rare and difficult books, it is not strange that they have been copied many times, and sometimes with variants of a given passage that must necessarily be clarified following precise rules that apply to the most faithful manuscripts. The text of the Bible has been fixed with great accuracy in our days thanks to the patient analysis of famous scholars.
There are many auxiliary sciences in interpretation, such as biblical geography, history, literature, psychology, numismatics, etc. As believers know well, the Bible, when read as a book of salvation, is simple and communicates its message that makes the believer “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:14- 17).
When read with faith, Scripture speaks simply and clearly; Everywhere one finds messages of forgiveness of sins, of Christian duties, of practical wisdom, of inspiration to solve everyday problems.
Things to keep in mind:
(A) It is necessary to read the text paying attention to the context, because the Bible is its own interpreter, the Bible is explained by the Bible itself; Thus, a dark passage is understood by others that are clearer and more luminous.
(B) It is necessary to take the words in their usual and ordinary sense as far as possible; This simple rule is of utmost importance, because forgetting it runs the risk of giving Scripture an arbitrary and capricious meaning. Here the Hebraisms and peculiarities of the oriental style, the customs and way of proceeding of the Jews must be taken into account.
(C) It is necessary to take the words in the sense indicated by the whole sentence, because a word can have different meanings depending on the context and depending on the subject matter the author deals with. Here we must take into account the message that the author is trying to communicate and place the word in the discourse.
(D) It is necessary to take the words in the sense indicated by the context, namely, the verses that precede and follow the text under study. Here we come across, at times, abrupt interruptions of the story, with divisions that obscure the text, because as is known, the division into chapters and verses dates back only a few centuries and was made to facilitate study, but was not known by the sacred authors.
(E) It is necessary to take into consideration the object or design of the book or passage in which the obscure words or expressions occur. Thus, for example, some of Paul’s epistles were written on the occasion of the errors, which the Judaizers or “false teachers” tried to implant with great harm.
If we read these passages in the light of the apostle’s ministry, his personal history, his struggles, etc., we will understand them better. Some passages were written to be used in the Temple liturgy or to be sung by a choir, such as some psalms that have the subtitle “graduals” and were sung while climbing the steps of the Temple.
(F) It is necessary to consult the parallel passages, as the Greek text says in 1 Cor. 2:13: “Explaining spiritual things by spiritual things.” Thus, in addition to clarifying the passage, exact biblical knowledge is learned regarding Christian doctrines and practices.
Here it is worth remembering that there are parallels of words, parallels of ideas and parallels of general teachings. When consulting this type of parallels, one must first clarify the meaning of the dark word in the same book or author in which it is found, then in the other books of the same time and finally any book of Scripture.
This method, combined with the historical-grammatical method, is excellent for arriving at the original meaning of the Scriptures. When we are humble, the Spirit opens the Scriptures to us just as Christ opened them to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24:25).
The Bible scholar knows very well that there are things that escape the reference books that he must necessarily use in his research. Dictionaries, grammars, history books are precious to understand what an author says and what he means by what he says, but the key to reading the Bible Christianly is faith in Christ Jesus.
BETHEL
is the name of a Canaanite city in the ancient region of Samaria, located in the center of the land of Canaan, northwest of Ai on the road to Shechem, 30 kilometers south of Shiloh and about 16 kilometers north of Jerusalem.
Bethel is the second most mentioned city in the Bible. Some identify it with the Palestinian village of Beitin and others with the Israeli settlement of Beit El.
Bethel was the place where Abraham built his altar when he first arrived in Canaan (Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3). And at Bethel Jacob saw a vision of a ladder whose top touched heaven and the angels ascended and descended (Genesis 28:10-19).
For this reason Jacob was afraid, and said, “How terrible is this place! It is nothing other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven »and he called Bethel the place that was known as «Light» (Genesis 35-15).
Bethel was also a sanctuary in the days of the prophet Samuel, who judged the people there (1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 10:3). And it was the place where Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, Isaac’s wife, was buried.
Bethel was the birthplace of Hiel, who sought to rebuild the city of Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).
When Bethel did not yet belong to the people of Israel, Joshua had to battle against the king of Bethel and other kings and defeated them (Joshua 12-16).
When the people of Israel had taken possession of the promised land, in the division by tribes it was assigned to the Tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18-22), but in later times it belonged to the Tribe of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:19).
It was one of the places where the Ark of the Covenant remained, a symbol of the presence of God.
In Bethel the prophet Samuel judged the people.
Then the prophet Elisha went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some boys came out of the city and mocked him, and said to him: “Go up, bald man; Come up, bald! When he looked back and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the forest and tore to pieces forty-two boys” (2 Kings 2:23).
After the division of the kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam I, king of Israel, had a golden calf raised at Bethel (1 Kings 21:29) which was destroyed by Josiah, king of Judah, many years later (2 Kings 23:15). .
Bethel was also a place where some of the Babylonian exiles who returned to Israel in 537 BC gathered. (Ezra 2:28).
The prophet Hosea, a century before Jeremiah, refers to Bethel by another name: “Bet-Aven” (Hosea 4:15; Hosea 5:8; Hosea 10:5-8), which means ‘House of Iniquity’, ‘House of Nothingness’, ‘House of Vanity’, ‘House of Nullity’, that is, of idols.
In Amos 7: 12-13 the priest Amaziah tells the prophet Amos that he flee to Judah and no longer prophesy in Bethel because it is the king’s sanctuary, and the head of the kingdom.
The prophet Jeremiah states that “the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel” (Jeremiah 48:13), because of their idolatry and, specifically, the worship of the golden calf.
PUTEOLI
(lat.: “small fountains”).
Two days after arriving in Rhegium, the ship carrying Paul arrived at Puteoli, which was then an important maritime city.
The apostle found Christians there, and enjoyed their hospitality (Acts 28:13).
It was located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Naples, near the site of present-day Pouzzoles.
The entire surrounding region is volcanic, and the Solfatare crater rises behind the city.
PUT
Name of a nation related to the Egyptians and neighbors of their country (Gen. 10:6).
Put is mentioned with Egypt and other African countries, especially Libya (Nah. 3:9) and Lud (Ez. 27:10; Is. 66:19 in the LXX. Put appears between Cush and Lud in Jer. 46:9; Ez. 30:5).
In the LXX he is translated as Libyans in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Josephus also identifies it with Libya (Ant. 1:6, 2), but in Nah. 3.9 is distinguished from the Libyans.
Current opinion is divided between Somalia, Eastern Arabia and Southern Arabia (Perfume Coast).
PURPLE
A coloring substance that is extracted from various species of mollusks. The ancient Tyrians used two types of them: the “Murex trunculus”, from which the bluish purple was extracted, and the “Murex brandaris”, which gave the red.
The ink of its coloring matter varies in color depending on the region in which it is fished.
Piles of murex shells, artificially opened, have been discovered in Minet el-Beida, port of ancient Ugarit (Ras Shamra), which gives evidence of the great antiquity of the use of this purple dye (see UGARIT).
Due to its high price, only the rich and magistrates wore purple (Est. 8:15, cf. the exaltation of Mordecai, v. 2, Pr. 31:22; Dan. 5:7; 1 Mac. 10 :20, 62, 64; 2 Mac. 4:38; cf. v 31; Luke 16:19; Rev. 17:4).
The rulers adorned themselves in purple, even those of Midian (Judg. 8:26). Jesus was mocked with a purple robe (Mark 15:17).
Great use had been made of purple-dyed fabrics for the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:4; 26:1, 31, 36) and for the high priest’s vestments (Ex. 28:5, 6, 15, 33; 39: 29). The Jews gave symbolic value to purple (Wars 5:5, 4).
PURIM
(Heb., plural of “luck”).
Haman cast lots to determine a day of good omen for the destruction of the Jews.
As Haman’s designs were undone, the liberation of the Jews was marked by an annual festival (Est. 3:7; 9:24-32) on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar.
This festival is not mentioned by name in the NT, although there are exegetes who assume that it is the one referred to in Jn. 5:1.
This festival continues to be celebrated within Judaism: the book of Esther is read, and curses are pronounced on Haman and his wife, blessings are pronounced on Mordecai and the eunuch Harbonah (Est. 1:10; 7: 9).
PURIFICATION, PURITY
In the Mosaic Law four ways to purify oneself from contamination were indicated:
(a) Purification of contamination contracted by touching a dead person (Num. 19; cf. Num. 5:2, 3),
(b) Purification from impurity due to bodily emissions (Lev. 15; cf. Num. 5:2, 3).
(c) Purification of the woman in labor (Lev. 12:1-8; Luke 2:21-24).
(d) Purification of the leper (Lev. 14).
To this, the scribes and Pharisees added many other purifications, such as washing hands before eating, washing vessels and dishes, showing great zeal in these things, while inside they were full of extortion and iniquity (Mark 7: 2-8).
In Christianity the necessary purification extends:
to the heart (Acts 15:9; James 4:8),
to the soul (1 Pet. 1:22), and
to the conscience through the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:14).
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BETHEL
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