1	Jewish Interpretation of Scripture The intertestamental period saw the splintering of Judaism into a variety of "sects." Part of what gave identity to each group was a distinctive method of interpreting Scripture.
2	Rabbinic Judaism The Legacy of the Pharisees In the time of Christ the Pharisees produced two primary kinds of scripture interpretation: Halakah - which dealt with the interpretation of the Torah Haggadah - which dealt with the interpretation of the narrative portions of the Hebrew Scriptures
3	The Halakah Organized around themes of Old Testament law - Sabbath, temple worship, rules for purity and uncleanness, etc. Existed for several centuries in the form of oral traditions Came in written form c. 200 C.E. – Mishnah Talmud, consisting of Mishnah plus Gemara (commentary) appeared in the 4th century.
4	E.g. Mishnah Shabbat 1:5 The House of Shammai say, “They do not on Friday afternoon soak ink, dyestuffs, or vetches, unless there is sufficient time for them to be fully soaked while it is still day.” And the House of Hillel permit. . . . The House of Shammai say, “They do not give hides to a gentile tanner or clothing to a gentile laundryman, unless there is sufficient time . . . while it is still day.”
5	E.g. Babylonian Talmud Sabbat Gemara on Sabbat 1:5 - Who is the Tana that maintains that putting water on ink constitutes the final work on it? Said R. Joseph: (If one put flour (in a vessel) and another one put water on it, the latter is culpable (of the act of kneading); so is the decree of Rabbi.” R. Jose, however, says that one is not culpable until he kneads it.
6	The Haggadah Tended to exist in the form of commentaries and sermonic materials Also was transmitted orally for several centuries Haggadah is less organized than halakah and did not become as influential in Jewish theology.
7	Midrash Midrash is the exposition of Scripture in Judaism. The term midrash is used in a variety of ways, but may include either halakah or haggadah. Midrash is often used (inappropriately) in modern scholarship for any Jewish interpretation of Scripture.
8	The Seven Middoth of Hillel Hillel was the most famous of the rabbinic “pairs” teaching shortly before the ministry of Jesus. These rules or canons became the first set of instructions on Jewish Hermeneutics
9	1. Qal wahomer What applies in a less important case will certainly apply in a more important case.
10	2. Gezerah shawah Verbal analogy from one verse to another; where the same words are applied to two separate cases it follows that the same considerations apply to both.
11	3. Binyan ab mikathub ‘ehad Building up a family from a single text; when the same phrase is found in a number of passages, then a consideration found in one of them applies to all of them.
12	4. Binyan ab mishene kethubim Building up a family from two texts: a principle is established by relating two texts together; the principle can then be applied to other passages.
13	5. Kelal upherat The general and the particular; a general principle may be restricted by a particularization of it in another verse; or conversely, a particular rule may be extended into a general principle.
14	6. Kayoze bo bemaqom ‘aher As is found in another place; a difficulty in one text may be solved by comparing it with another which has points of general (though not necessarily verbal) similarity.
15	7. Dabar halamed me’inyano A meaning established by its context.
16	Second Century Developments Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha Developed 13 middoth Rabbi Eliezer ben Jose ha-Galili later developed 32 middoth
17	Later Rabbinic Developments Rabbinic Judaism developed “an atomistic exegesis, which interprets sentences, clauses, phrases, and even single words, independently of the context or the historical occasion, as divine oracles; combines them with other similarly detached utterances; and makes large use of analogy of expressions, often by purely verbal association.”
18	The final four middoth of Rabbi Eliezer Gematria: (a) computation of the numeric value of letters; (b) secret alphabets or substitution of letters for other letters. Notrikon: breaking up a word into two or more, exposition of the single letters to stand for just as many words which commence with them.
19	The final four middoth of Rabbi Eliezer Mukdam shehu’ me’uhar ba-‘inyan: something that precedes which is placed second. .Mukdam u-me-‘uhar shehu’ beparashioth: many a biblical section refers to a later period than the one which precedes, and vice versa.
20	Three of Hillel’s Middoth are Prominent in the New Testament Qal Wahomer - from light to heavy. A meaning applied in a less important situation also applies in a more important context. The key phrase indicating the use of this hermeneutical rule is "how much more."
21	Luke 11:11-13 ¹¹Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? ¹²Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? ¹³If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
22	Romans 5:8-11 ⁸But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. ⁹Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. ¹¹But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
23	Three of Hillel’s Middoth are Prominent in the New Testament Gezerah Shewa Where the same word(s) appear in two texts the two passages then may be used to interpret each other. Form a family of interpretation.
24	Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 . . . See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
25	Are Combined in Mark 1:2-3 ²As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; ³the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ”
26	Gezerah Shewa in Romans 4 Verse 3 quotes Genesis 15:6 Verses 7-8 quote Psalm 32:1-2 Verses 9-11 uses dabar halamed me ‘inyano to argue that Abraham was reckoned to be righteous before he was circumcised.
27	Genesis 15:6 Quoted in Romans 4:3 Genesis 15:6 - And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Romans 4:3 - For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
28	Psalm 32:1-2 quoted in Romans 4:7-8 Psalm 32:1-2 - Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.²Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Romans 4:7-8 - “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;⁸blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.”
29	Qumran Exegesis The Pesher Method
30	Pesher Interpretation Pesher is the exposition of texts from an eschatological perspective. The Qumran community used this method to describe themselves as the end-time community that would fulfill the OT prophecies. An example is their use of Isaiah 40:3ff. They were the voice crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord.
31	Pesher in the New Testament Luke 4:16ff - the synagogue sermon from Isaiah 61:1 - today, this scripture is fulfilled in your ears. Matthew especially used the pesher method of interpretation in Matthew 1-2. This is that which was spoken of by the prophet . . . This is that or a similar phrase is characteristic of the pesher method.
32	Hellenistic Judaism Diaspora Judaism developed a distinctive approach to the Bible. The most famous example of Hellenistic Judaism is Philo (c. 15 B.C. to 40 A.D.).
33	Philo His goal was to show that Greek philosophy had been anticipated by Moses. He lived in Alexandria, Egypt, and made extensive use of the allegorical method.
34	Philo’s Use of Allegory Genesis 2:10 - A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. Philo argued that the river represented goodness, while the four branches represented the four great virtues of Greek philosophy - prudence, temperance, courage, and justice.
35	Allegory in the New Testament Paul appealed to an allegorical interpretation in Galatians 4:21-31. The interpretation of Melchizedek in Hebrews 6-7 also makes use of allegory. Some of the parables in the form they appear in the gospels are allegorical in nature, e.g., Parable of the Vineyard and Tenants.
36	Literal Exegesis All of the Jewish “sects” also practiced “literal” interpretation. Consider the following comments from the Mishnah Sanhedrin 8:4 commenting on the “stubborn and rebellious son” passage from Deuteronomy 21:18-22.
37	"“If his father was..." “If his father was willing [to accuse him] but his mother was not willing, or if his father was not willing but his mother was willing, he cannot be condemned as a stubborn and rebellious son; but only if they both were willing. R. Judah says: If his mother was not fit for his father he cannot be condemned as a stubborn and rebellious son. If either of them was maimed in the hand,
38	"or lame," or lame, or dumb or blind or deaf, he cannot be condemned as a stubborn and rebellious son, for it is written, Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him – so they were not maimed in the hand; and bring him out – so they were not lame; and they shall say – so they were not dumb; this our son – so they were not blind; he will not obey our voice – so they were not deaf.”
39	Typological Interpretation Typological exegesis seeks to discover a correspondence between people and events of the past and of the present or future. The correspondence is not necessarily discovered within the written text, but within the historical event. Typology is based on a conviction that God acts in consistent ways and that earlier acts of God "prefigure" later acts of God.
40	Typology in the New Testament Matthew 12:40 - Jesus draws a parallel between Jonah's three days in the belly of the whale and his own approaching death and burial. Matthew 24:37 - a parallel between the days of Noah and the coming of the Son of Man.
41	Typology in the New Testament John 3:14 - the serpent lifted up in the wilderness is a pattern of Christ's coming crucifixion. Romans 5:12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 45 make significant use of an Adam typology for the sake of Christology.