How important are the original languages in studying Scripture?

[Bold Believer]

Does anyone else believe it's important to have at least a working grasp of the original languages when you study Scripture beyond the basics? I find that understanding some Greek and Hebrew comes in extremely handy when things don't make sense in English.

[traveller]

Absolutely! As well as what was going on at the time.

[Fez]

A grasp of Hermeneutics, and access to translations is important. I would not say one has to speak the language, but finding definitions is important.

[Joshua-777]

Does anyone else believe it's important to have at least a working grasp of the original languages when you study Scripture beyond the basics? I find that understanding some Greek and Hebrew comes in extremely handy when things don't make sense in English.

I believe it's extremely important, not saying we should all fully learn Greek, and Hebrew, just they use words differently, and have wider ranges of definitions, I think the more understanding we have on the original words, the bigger understanding of the meaning we can get.

[OneLight]

I agree, but even more so with Traveller. We need to understand the culture of the times the books were written in order to fully understand how the words were used.

[Fez]

I agree, but even more so with Traveller. We need to understand the culture of the times the books were written in order to fully understand how the words were used.

From wiki...

Techniques of hermeneutics

In the interpretation of a text, hermeneutics considers what language says, supposes, doesn't say, and implies. The process consists of several steps for best attaining the Scriptural author's intended meaning(s). One such process is taught by Henry A Virkler, in Hermeneutics: Principles and Processes of Biblical Interpretation (1981):

1.Lexical-syntactical analysis: This step looks at the words used and the way the words are used. Different order of the sentence, the punctuation, the tense of the verse are all aspects that are looked at in the lexical syntactical method. Here, lexicons and grammar aids can help in extracting meaning from the text.

2.Historical/cultural analysis: The history and culture surrounding the authors is important to understand to aid in interpretation. For instance, understanding the Jewish sects of the Palestine and the government that ruled Palestine in New Testament times increases understanding of Scripture. And, understanding the connotations of positions such as the High Priest and that of the tax collector helps us know what others thought of the people holding these positions.

3.Contextual analysis: A verse out of context can often be taken to mean something completely different from the intention. This method focuses on the importance of looking at the context of a verse in its chapter, book and even biblical context.

4.Theological analysis: It is often said that a single verse usually doesn't make a theology. This is because Scripture often touches on issues in several books. For instance, gifts of the Spirit are spoken about in Romans, Ephesians and 1 Corinthians. To take a verse from Corinthians without taking into account other passages that deal with the same topic can cause a poor interpretation.

5.Special literary analysis: There are several special literary aspects to look at, but the overarching theme is that each genre of Scripture has a different set of rules that applies to it. Of the genres found in Scripture, there are: narratives, histories, prophecies, apocalyptic writings, poetry, psalms and letters. In these, there are differing levels of allegory, figurative language, metaphors, similes and literal language. For instance, the apocalyptic writings and poetry have more figurative and allegorical language than does the narrative or historical writing. These must be addressed, and the genre recognized to gain a full understanding of the intended meaning.

I find these good guidelines when analyzing any scripture

Blessings

[Guest ScarletCape]

I have been participating in a precepts study at my church for about 2 years now and we definetly study the Hebrew and Greek meaning of words in the study. It does really help to make the meaning of scripture clearer. Sometimes it even brings a new meaning to scripture I already thought I understood. I think the studying the Greek and Hebrew meanings is fascinating.

[nebula]

Hello ScarletCape!

Welcome to the Board.