What is Biblical Hermeneutics?
After teaching on the topic of hermeneutics for years, it’s always entertaining to see students first reactions whenever the term hermeneutics is used. The term is typically in the title of the course, but for some unknown reason, the reaction remains constant. While it is an odd word, deriving its roots from the Greek god, Hermes, it is an important concept and topic to grasp. Before approaching the why and how of hermeneutics, it is first worth exploring the “what”.
What is hermeneutics? In short, it’s the principles of interpretation. Formally, I would define hermeneutics as a set of principles utilized for the translation or interpretation of any given communication. Hermeneutics are the rules utilized behind the action of interpretation. It is the guidelines for decoding the communication, allowing one to discover and process the knowledge transferred from one person to another through language.
Think of it this way; whenever someone communicates via language, the individual is endeavoring to take some bits of knowledge, package them in an understandable way and use language as a vehicle to transfer that knowledge to someone else. The receiver of that communication then has the task of decoding the language to attain the knowledge which was sent to them. It’s similar to giving someone a gift. At Christmas, you may find yourself taking a gift, wrapping it in opaque paper, and giving it to someone. That someone has received the gift but does not know what the gift is until it is unwrapped. The principles governing that person’s unwrapping process is like the interpretive principles of hermeneutics which governs one’s interpretive process.
Some others would define it this way:
“It is the science (principles) and art (task) by which the meaning of the biblical text is determined” – Roy Zuck
“…hermeneutics is a science, since it provides a logical, orderly classification of the laws of interpretation…hermeneutics is an art, for it is an acquired skill demanding both imagination and an ability to apply the ‘laws’ to selected passages or books.” – Grant Osborne
“Hermeneutics describes the task of explaining the meaning of the Scriptures…Hermeneutics describes the principles people use to understand what something means, to comprehend what a message…is endeavoring to communicate.” – Craig Blomberg
“…hermeneutics may be regarded as the theory that guides exegesis…” – Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
“…a set of principles.” – Robert Thomas
These are generally great definitions for various reasons. I would disagree with Zuck, Osborne, and Blomberg in that I would distinguish the principles of interpretation (hermeneutics) with the process of interpretation (exegesis/eisegesis). Kaiser distinguishes between the principles and the process very well, although I would suggest hermeneutic principles can also lead to eisegesis (providing meaning to the text), not just exegesis (deriving meaning from the text). Thomas is humorously over-simplified. In his book, however, the context reveals what the principles are tied to, but he doesn’t make it explicit in his definition.
Hermeneutics may simply be understood as the principles driving the interpretation of any given communication, but what is Biblical hermeneutics. Many may conclude that it’s a set of interpretive principles revolving around understanding the Biblical text. That is not how I intend to define it. God actually used language[1] like any other text such as a newspaper, Shakespearean poetry, presidential address, or even your favorite novel. The Bible is unique in that it is God’s words[2], as God moved men to write utilizing human language[3].
Instead, I would define Biblical hermeneutics as those principles of interpretation which are derived from the Scriptures themselves–the principles are Biblical. For example, I wrote another article focusing on the speech acts of God in the book of Revelation. The study provided some interesting conclusions–but led to Biblical principles for interpretation.
I would formally define Biblical hermeneutics as the set of principles derived from the Biblical text utilized for the translation or interpretation of any given communication.
Sources
[1] The origin of language is a very important topic whenever discussing hermeneutics. In short, language has a supernatural origin (Genesis 1; 11) and is utilized/adapted by mankind.
[2] 2 Tim 3:16-17
[3] 2 Pet 1:21
