Bible Interpretation, Student Workbook, SW05

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B I B L E I N T E R P R E T A T I O N

B. The Additional Tools

1. Several different English translations of the Bible

2. Bible atlas

3. Bible handbook

4. Topical Bible

5. Dictionary of theology

6. Theological commentaries

III. Using the Basic Tools : Obtain a Good Translation of the Bible

Using the Basic Tools

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The key to understanding various tools for biblical interpretation is our desire as Bible students to overcome the gap between our culture and that of the biblical authors and audiences. The first and most important step of biblical interpretation is bridging the distance between these two worlds and peoples. A “translation,” by definition, is the first step to bridging the various gaps between the biblical world and our own. A translation of the Bible is one that has been translated directly from the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. (This is different from a “paraphrase” which is a rewording of an existing translation in order to make it more understandable to a particular modern audience).