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

2. It also has a listing for each book of the Bible (such as Romans) which often outlines the book, gives information about the date, the author and the original audience and lists historical or cultural information that is important for understanding the author’s message.

B. Use of the tool

1. Introductory materials and info : This is one possible starting point for finding out who wrote the book, when it was written, and what the concerns of the author and the original audience were.

2. Most “nouns” (persons, places, or things) that you come across while reading a Scripture verse can be looked up in the Bible dictionary to give you further insight into where they were, what they meant, or how they were used during biblical times.

C. Choice of a tool: The New Bible Dictionary (Eerdmans Publishing Co.)

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VII. Exegetical Commentaries

A. Definition of the tool

1. An aid to Bible interpretation which gives insight into the meaning of the Scriptures by sharing expert opinion on grammar, word meanings, higher and lower critical issues

2. Exegetical commentaries also provide understanding of the ways in which historical facts and cultural insights from the biblical world might influence our understanding of a text.