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Introduction to Biblical Interpretation
The authors of this book have combined years of expertise and devotion to Scripture to provide a truly unique volume that sets forth concise, logical, practical guidelines for discovering the truth in God's Word. Ten years after its initial publication, the authors now have thoroughly updated it in light of the latest scholarship.
"This is a remarkably comprehensive study of the whole area of biblical interpretation. Thoroughly evangelical, it also interacts with nonevangelical interpretational stances. No other volume available on biblical interpretation does so much so well."- Douglas Stuart, Professor of Old Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
"This is a remarkably comprehensive study of the whole area of biblical interpretation. Thoroughly evangelical, it also interacts with nonevangelical interpretational stances. No other volume available on biblical interpretation does so much so well."- Douglas Stuart, Professor of Old Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
576 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 1993
230 people are currently reading
704 people want to read
About the author
William W. Klein
15 books18 followersDr. William W. Klein is professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary and serves as Chair of the Division of Biblical Studies. He earned the Ph.D. degree from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, the M.Div. degree from Denver Seminary, and a B.S. degree from Wheaton College.
Dr. Klein has written articles for several biblical dictionaries and encyclopedias and has published chapters or essays in several books and Festschrifts. His articles and reviews can be found in major journals as well as popular magazines.
He edited and was the major contributor to An Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, wrote the commentary on Ephesians in the revised Expositor's Bible Commentary, and has consulted on several recent Bible versions, serving as chief exegetical consultant for the New Testament portion of The Message.
Dr. Klein has written articles for several biblical dictionaries and encyclopedias and has published chapters or essays in several books and Festschrifts. His articles and reviews can be found in major journals as well as popular magazines.
He edited and was the major contributor to An Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, wrote the commentary on Ephesians in the revised Expositor's Bible Commentary, and has consulted on several recent Bible versions, serving as chief exegetical consultant for the New Testament portion of The Message.
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May 15, 2012
Review of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr.
Most evangelical Christians would agree that Scripture was “given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.” Most would agree that it is the highest rule of faith and life for the Christian. However, the Scriptures are God’s written Word, which means they have to be read, interpreted, and applied for their rule to be more than just empty talk (not to mention, they must be obeyed). This begs many questions like, “How can one learn what the Bible says?” or “How can we read and interpret the Bible faithfully so we can apply it to our lives?” The challenge of these questions is heightened when we remember that the Bible was written down in three different languages, by many different men, in many different genres, in many different life situations, and over the span of about 1,500 years. How do we understand and apply a message that was not written in our language, culture, or time? The task of interpreting the Bible is a challenging one but one that Christians are called, privileged to take up for “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Instructing believers in this task is the goal that Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard (Denver Seminary professors) have taken up in their work Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. They have combined their years of expertise and experience in Old and New Testament studies to provide concise, logical, and practical guide to biblical interpretation. In the below review, we will summarize this text and then offer some comments about value of this work.
Right from the beginning, in the Table of Contents, one can see how well organized this book is. The triad of authors has broken down the subject of interpretation into five main parts: The Task of Interpretation, The Interpreter and the Goal, Understanding Literature, Understanding Bible Genres, and The Fruits of Interpretation. Each section is broken down into chapters, and each chapter is further broken down into headings, sections, and sometimes even sub-sections. This, along with the authors’ proclaimed intent that “each chapter was designed to be self-contained in scope,” makes this work an excellent resource and reference material for any Bible interpreter to have on his personal library shelf.
In Part I of this book, the authors’ look at the task of interpretation. In this part there are four chapters that lay the foundation for biblical interpretation. Chapter one lays part of this foundation by defining what the method of interpretation is and why it is necessary. Therefore, they introduce the subject of hermeneutics, which they define as the art and science of biblical interpretation. Learning hermeneutics is crucial for proper interpretation because the Bible was written within a historical perspective and under certain circumstances. By contrast, the interpreter lives in the midst of different circumstances with another historical perspective. He is separated from the original author and audience by time, culture, geography, and language. He has certain presuppositions and preunderstandings that are different from the original author and audience. That, however, does not mean he is doomed never to understand but that he needs tools and approaches that will guide him in the process interpreting meaning through understanding the text, the author, and the audience. With proper hermeneutics, one can interpret the eternal relevance of God’s Word to His people so that the Scriptures and guide and affect readers today.
In chapter two, the authors briefly survey this history of interpretation. They start in the inter-testamental period by looking at Jewish methods of interpretation. Then they proceed through the first century, the Patristic Period, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and all the way to the mid-twentieth century. Chapter three follows up chapter two by looking more deeply at recent approaches to interpretation like narrative criticism, poststructuralism, liberation theology, feminist theology, and cultural criticism.
In chapter four, the authors take a look at the biblical canon and translations. They define the canon as the collection of Scriptures which the Christian Church accepts as uniquely, authoritatively God’s Word. They then briefly overview the development of the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT) and look at the criteria for canonicity in both Testaments. Next, the authors introduce the readers to text criticism, the critical texts, and translation techniques. This gives them the tools necessary to give the readers advice on choosing an English translation. When choosing a translation, they advise the readers to take note of the extent to which the translation utilizes the findings of modern textual criticism, what translation philosophy the group adopted (formally equivalent, dynamically equivalent, or paraphrase), and the purpose or occasion for reading the Bible. In this chapter, the discussion of textual criticism gives the authors the opportunity to reassure that readers that, even though we do not have the original autographs, “the vast majority of the Bible is textually secure.” They also give advice for handling sections of the Bible that are textually uncertain, which can be summed up by saying, “one must not derive theological or ethical principles solely from passages that are textually uncertain.”
In Part II of this work, the authors turn their attention to the interpreter himself and the goal of interpretation. Chapter five addresses the interpreter. They first list what they believe to be the necessary qualifications of an interpreter of Scripture: a reasoned faith (he must personally know the God the Scriptures reveal), obedience (willingness to hear the text the way it was intended), illumination (regeneration by and indwelling of the Holy Spirit), church membership (for the nurturing of requirements for truly hearing the text and accountability), and appropriate methods. They next list what they believe to be the necessary presuppositions for an interpreter of Scripture: the Bible is God’s inspired revelation to His people, it is authoritative and true, it is of spiritual value, it is one unified whole yet diverse, it is understandable, and the canon is complete and closed. The authors are quick to note that unbelieving scholars who do not have the above presuppositions and qualifications can grasp much of its technical meaning, but they cannot understand the true significance of the message. A few more presuppositions for hermeneutics follows, particularly the goal of hermeneutics, which they define as arriving “at the meaning of the text that the biblical writers or editors intended their readers to understand.” Finally, the authors look at “preunderstanding,” which they define as the body of assumptions and attitudes that a person brings to the interpretation of any aspect of reality. Presuppositions are part of an interpreter’s total preunderstanding of a work. Particularly of note is their idea of the “hermeneutical spiral.” The spiral is the process through which preunderstanding affects understanding and understanding then alters preunderstanding. It is a spiral because the interpreter does not go around in circles but progresses to a (hopefully) closer understanding of the meaning of the text.
In chapter six, the authors address the goal of interpretation, which is to discover the meaning that is already in the text. In this, they pose the question, “Does a text have only one possible meaning?” In answering this, they first draw the helpful distinction between meaning and significance, the former being fixed by the author while the later can change with proper application. They then look at several options for meaning(s) in the text and come to the conclusion that “the author-encoded historical meaning of these texts remains the central objective of hermeneutics.” At this point, we disagree slightly with the authors. We believe they do not do justice to the historical idea of a sensus plenior (fuller sense intended by the Holy Spirit) in the text, particularly the OT. They dismiss the idea as impractical because “traditional historical, grammatical, and critical methods of exegesis cannot detect or understand such a fuller sense.” However, did not Christ Himself say, “[I]t is [the Scriptures] that bear witness about me”? Was it not Christ who “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself”? If the “all the Scriptures” really were about Christ, then we must admit there was a deeper meaning unknown (or at least, not completely understood) to the original authors. The authors ask how one can access the deeper meaning, and the answer is the light of Christ. He provides the hermeneutical key to understand the whole OT. As B. B. Warfield’s analogy goes, the OT is like a richly furnished but dimly lit room. Only when the light is turned on do the contents become clear, and that light is Christ as seen in the NT testimony of Him. They are right to a degree—we need to understand the author-encoded original meaning of the texts. However, when it comes to the OT, we need to look at it in the light of Christ, as the apostles did, to see how it witnesses to Him. In the final section of this chapter, the authors give a checklist to use to help validate interpretations: the interpretation is possible according to the norms of the language, it accounts for each linguistic component, it follows the conventions of the genre, and it makes sense. To this the authors add that when Christians disagree, grace must prevail in disagreements.
In Part III of this work, the authors look at general rules for interpreting literature, particularly the difference between prose and poetry. In chapter seven, they first look at prose and give general interpretive principles for its interpretation. They show that it must be understood within its own literary context (the meaning that is consistent with the sense of the literary content in which the passage occurs), historical-cultural context (the historical and cultural background in which the text was written and received), word meanings (the normal meaning of the words in the context in which they occur), and grammatical-structural relationships (what the structure of the words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs reveal about meaning). Each section is investigated at length, and the authors give principles of interpretation with many examples to aid in understanding.
In chapter eight, the authors give an introduction to biblical poetry. They start out by looking at the dynamics of poetry in general, and then they zero in on Hebrew poetry by looking at the sounds in Hebrew poetry, the structure of Hebrew poetry, and the language of Hebrew poetry. Their sections on rhythm, meter, and parallelism are very helpful. Conspicuously absent, however, in their section of structures is acrostic. They cover techniques like the various forms of parallelism, ellipsis, and chiasm, yet they leave out acrostic. It is mentioned nowhere in this book. This is hard to believe since there are numerous examples of it in the Psalms (Psalm 119, the longest psalm!) and Lamentations whole structure is built on it. While this chapter is a very good introduction, it cannot be considered complete since such an important poetic technique is omitted.
In Part IV, the authors further breakdown the basic literary categories of prose and poetry. Chapter nine tackles the genres of the OT. The goal of this chapter is to give readers literary competence in the genres of the OT so that they can read the text in light of its own medium and purpose. They cover narrative (40% of the OT!), law, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom literature. They break each type down further into sub-genres and give the reader interpretive principles for each sub-genre. Given the extent of the introduction to each genre, we believe that if readers follow the advice of the authors, they will achieve literary competence in the OT genres.
Chapter ten tackles the NT genres. Again, the authors want to give readers literary competence in the genres so that they can read the text in light of its own medium and purpose. The task is slightly different here, however, because the NT genres are unique adaptations of existing NT-contemporary genres. The books may formally parallel existing genres but materially they “prove uniquely Christian.” Therefore, the Gospels are theological Hellenistic biographies, Acts is theological history, the epistles are didactic, theological letters, and Revelation is a combination of epistle, prophecy, and apocalyptic. As with the previous chapter on OT genres, each genre is broken down into sub-genres (when necessary) and principles are given for interpretation in each. Also as with the previous chapter, we believe that if readers follow the advice of the authors, they will achieve literary competence in the NT genres.
In the final part, Part V, the authors look at the fruit of interpretation. In chapter eleven, they look at the using the Bible in various areas today. They give advice for gaining understanding, worship, liturgy, theology, preaching, teaching, pastoral care, spiritual formation, and pure enjoyment. For the most part this chapter gives good principles and insight, yet their section on theology, in our opinion, does not give confessions and creeds their proper respect. They specifically state, “Nor… ought we naively consider that Confession (or any other one) to be a timeless statement of Christian theology… contemporary Christians require theologians living now to express what the Christian faith means today.” While we agree that no confession or creed has the authority of Scripture, we do not agree that they cannot be statements of timeless Christian theology. Certainly, every period has their own theological emphases and agenda, but if, as the authors state, the goal of hermeneutics is to find the original, intended meaning of the author and that meaning does not change, would not statements of theology be timeless insofar as they are biblical? If that is so, confessions and creeds should have greater weight than merely “mentors” and “advisors.” We hold that creeds and confessions give us boundary authority in which we can do our “theologizing.” They are not boundaries like those Scripture provides but they do provide points where we are reminded that we must have strong Scriptural reasons for going beyond.
In the final chapter, chapter twelve, the authors look at the subject of application. As they state, “[F]or the practicing Christian, the process begun with interpretation is incomplete if it stops at the level of meaning.” Application, or “significance,” is an essential part to interpretation. They give and elaborate on a four-step process for application: 1) determine the original applications intended by the passage; 2) evaluate the level of specificity of the applications in their context and how transferable they are to other cultures; 3) if the original applications are not transferable, identify the broader principle(s) that undergird the original application; and 4) find appropriate applications for today based on those principles. In the second and third steps, they elaborate further by giving ways to look at the applications or principles so that readers do not just toss them out because they do not want to transfer them. Before ending the book, they look again at the role of the Holy Spirit and stress the necessity of His illumination for proper application.
This is an extensive introduction to biblical interpretation that methodically covers all the areas necessary for a good biblical hermeneutic. There are a few reservations we have had about a few specific points (mentioned above) but, for the most part, we believe this book is extremely helpful. It is written in such a way that pastors, seminary students, or any other Christian can comprehend and apply. There are several overarching aspects of this book that we believe make it essential to every Christian’s library. First, the hermeneutic is a very good one. Though, we do believe that it would need to be supplemented by another work that gives proper credence to the light of Christ illuminating the OT. Second, the book is written in such a way as to make it an excellent reference resource. Each chapter can be read on its own and each section and sub-section is full of good examples that show how to apply what the authors teach. Finally, the book is full of great footnotes that can give the eager reader enough supplementary reading to fill many, many hours of study on all the subjects they present. For these reasons, we highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a better understanding of how to interpret Scripture.
Most evangelical Christians would agree that Scripture was “given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.” Most would agree that it is the highest rule of faith and life for the Christian. However, the Scriptures are God’s written Word, which means they have to be read, interpreted, and applied for their rule to be more than just empty talk (not to mention, they must be obeyed). This begs many questions like, “How can one learn what the Bible says?” or “How can we read and interpret the Bible faithfully so we can apply it to our lives?” The challenge of these questions is heightened when we remember that the Bible was written down in three different languages, by many different men, in many different genres, in many different life situations, and over the span of about 1,500 years. How do we understand and apply a message that was not written in our language, culture, or time? The task of interpreting the Bible is a challenging one but one that Christians are called, privileged to take up for “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Instructing believers in this task is the goal that Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard (Denver Seminary professors) have taken up in their work Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. They have combined their years of expertise and experience in Old and New Testament studies to provide concise, logical, and practical guide to biblical interpretation. In the below review, we will summarize this text and then offer some comments about value of this work.
Right from the beginning, in the Table of Contents, one can see how well organized this book is. The triad of authors has broken down the subject of interpretation into five main parts: The Task of Interpretation, The Interpreter and the Goal, Understanding Literature, Understanding Bible Genres, and The Fruits of Interpretation. Each section is broken down into chapters, and each chapter is further broken down into headings, sections, and sometimes even sub-sections. This, along with the authors’ proclaimed intent that “each chapter was designed to be self-contained in scope,” makes this work an excellent resource and reference material for any Bible interpreter to have on his personal library shelf.
In Part I of this book, the authors’ look at the task of interpretation. In this part there are four chapters that lay the foundation for biblical interpretation. Chapter one lays part of this foundation by defining what the method of interpretation is and why it is necessary. Therefore, they introduce the subject of hermeneutics, which they define as the art and science of biblical interpretation. Learning hermeneutics is crucial for proper interpretation because the Bible was written within a historical perspective and under certain circumstances. By contrast, the interpreter lives in the midst of different circumstances with another historical perspective. He is separated from the original author and audience by time, culture, geography, and language. He has certain presuppositions and preunderstandings that are different from the original author and audience. That, however, does not mean he is doomed never to understand but that he needs tools and approaches that will guide him in the process interpreting meaning through understanding the text, the author, and the audience. With proper hermeneutics, one can interpret the eternal relevance of God’s Word to His people so that the Scriptures and guide and affect readers today.
In chapter two, the authors briefly survey this history of interpretation. They start in the inter-testamental period by looking at Jewish methods of interpretation. Then they proceed through the first century, the Patristic Period, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and all the way to the mid-twentieth century. Chapter three follows up chapter two by looking more deeply at recent approaches to interpretation like narrative criticism, poststructuralism, liberation theology, feminist theology, and cultural criticism.
In chapter four, the authors take a look at the biblical canon and translations. They define the canon as the collection of Scriptures which the Christian Church accepts as uniquely, authoritatively God’s Word. They then briefly overview the development of the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT) and look at the criteria for canonicity in both Testaments. Next, the authors introduce the readers to text criticism, the critical texts, and translation techniques. This gives them the tools necessary to give the readers advice on choosing an English translation. When choosing a translation, they advise the readers to take note of the extent to which the translation utilizes the findings of modern textual criticism, what translation philosophy the group adopted (formally equivalent, dynamically equivalent, or paraphrase), and the purpose or occasion for reading the Bible. In this chapter, the discussion of textual criticism gives the authors the opportunity to reassure that readers that, even though we do not have the original autographs, “the vast majority of the Bible is textually secure.” They also give advice for handling sections of the Bible that are textually uncertain, which can be summed up by saying, “one must not derive theological or ethical principles solely from passages that are textually uncertain.”
In Part II of this work, the authors turn their attention to the interpreter himself and the goal of interpretation. Chapter five addresses the interpreter. They first list what they believe to be the necessary qualifications of an interpreter of Scripture: a reasoned faith (he must personally know the God the Scriptures reveal), obedience (willingness to hear the text the way it was intended), illumination (regeneration by and indwelling of the Holy Spirit), church membership (for the nurturing of requirements for truly hearing the text and accountability), and appropriate methods. They next list what they believe to be the necessary presuppositions for an interpreter of Scripture: the Bible is God’s inspired revelation to His people, it is authoritative and true, it is of spiritual value, it is one unified whole yet diverse, it is understandable, and the canon is complete and closed. The authors are quick to note that unbelieving scholars who do not have the above presuppositions and qualifications can grasp much of its technical meaning, but they cannot understand the true significance of the message. A few more presuppositions for hermeneutics follows, particularly the goal of hermeneutics, which they define as arriving “at the meaning of the text that the biblical writers or editors intended their readers to understand.” Finally, the authors look at “preunderstanding,” which they define as the body of assumptions and attitudes that a person brings to the interpretation of any aspect of reality. Presuppositions are part of an interpreter’s total preunderstanding of a work. Particularly of note is their idea of the “hermeneutical spiral.” The spiral is the process through which preunderstanding affects understanding and understanding then alters preunderstanding. It is a spiral because the interpreter does not go around in circles but progresses to a (hopefully) closer understanding of the meaning of the text.
In chapter six, the authors address the goal of interpretation, which is to discover the meaning that is already in the text. In this, they pose the question, “Does a text have only one possible meaning?” In answering this, they first draw the helpful distinction between meaning and significance, the former being fixed by the author while the later can change with proper application. They then look at several options for meaning(s) in the text and come to the conclusion that “the author-encoded historical meaning of these texts remains the central objective of hermeneutics.” At this point, we disagree slightly with the authors. We believe they do not do justice to the historical idea of a sensus plenior (fuller sense intended by the Holy Spirit) in the text, particularly the OT. They dismiss the idea as impractical because “traditional historical, grammatical, and critical methods of exegesis cannot detect or understand such a fuller sense.” However, did not Christ Himself say, “[I]t is [the Scriptures] that bear witness about me”? Was it not Christ who “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself”? If the “all the Scriptures” really were about Christ, then we must admit there was a deeper meaning unknown (or at least, not completely understood) to the original authors. The authors ask how one can access the deeper meaning, and the answer is the light of Christ. He provides the hermeneutical key to understand the whole OT. As B. B. Warfield’s analogy goes, the OT is like a richly furnished but dimly lit room. Only when the light is turned on do the contents become clear, and that light is Christ as seen in the NT testimony of Him. They are right to a degree—we need to understand the author-encoded original meaning of the texts. However, when it comes to the OT, we need to look at it in the light of Christ, as the apostles did, to see how it witnesses to Him. In the final section of this chapter, the authors give a checklist to use to help validate interpretations: the interpretation is possible according to the norms of the language, it accounts for each linguistic component, it follows the conventions of the genre, and it makes sense. To this the authors add that when Christians disagree, grace must prevail in disagreements.
In Part III of this work, the authors look at general rules for interpreting literature, particularly the difference between prose and poetry. In chapter seven, they first look at prose and give general interpretive principles for its interpretation. They show that it must be understood within its own literary context (the meaning that is consistent with the sense of the literary content in which the passage occurs), historical-cultural context (the historical and cultural background in which the text was written and received), word meanings (the normal meaning of the words in the context in which they occur), and grammatical-structural relationships (what the structure of the words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs reveal about meaning). Each section is investigated at length, and the authors give principles of interpretation with many examples to aid in understanding.
In chapter eight, the authors give an introduction to biblical poetry. They start out by looking at the dynamics of poetry in general, and then they zero in on Hebrew poetry by looking at the sounds in Hebrew poetry, the structure of Hebrew poetry, and the language of Hebrew poetry. Their sections on rhythm, meter, and parallelism are very helpful. Conspicuously absent, however, in their section of structures is acrostic. They cover techniques like the various forms of parallelism, ellipsis, and chiasm, yet they leave out acrostic. It is mentioned nowhere in this book. This is hard to believe since there are numerous examples of it in the Psalms (Psalm 119, the longest psalm!) and Lamentations whole structure is built on it. While this chapter is a very good introduction, it cannot be considered complete since such an important poetic technique is omitted.
In Part IV, the authors further breakdown the basic literary categories of prose and poetry. Chapter nine tackles the genres of the OT. The goal of this chapter is to give readers literary competence in the genres of the OT so that they can read the text in light of its own medium and purpose. They cover narrative (40% of the OT!), law, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom literature. They break each type down further into sub-genres and give the reader interpretive principles for each sub-genre. Given the extent of the introduction to each genre, we believe that if readers follow the advice of the authors, they will achieve literary competence in the OT genres.
Chapter ten tackles the NT genres. Again, the authors want to give readers literary competence in the genres so that they can read the text in light of its own medium and purpose. The task is slightly different here, however, because the NT genres are unique adaptations of existing NT-contemporary genres. The books may formally parallel existing genres but materially they “prove uniquely Christian.” Therefore, the Gospels are theological Hellenistic biographies, Acts is theological history, the epistles are didactic, theological letters, and Revelation is a combination of epistle, prophecy, and apocalyptic. As with the previous chapter on OT genres, each genre is broken down into sub-genres (when necessary) and principles are given for interpretation in each. Also as with the previous chapter, we believe that if readers follow the advice of the authors, they will achieve literary competence in the NT genres.
In the final part, Part V, the authors look at the fruit of interpretation. In chapter eleven, they look at the using the Bible in various areas today. They give advice for gaining understanding, worship, liturgy, theology, preaching, teaching, pastoral care, spiritual formation, and pure enjoyment. For the most part this chapter gives good principles and insight, yet their section on theology, in our opinion, does not give confessions and creeds their proper respect. They specifically state, “Nor… ought we naively consider that Confession (or any other one) to be a timeless statement of Christian theology… contemporary Christians require theologians living now to express what the Christian faith means today.” While we agree that no confession or creed has the authority of Scripture, we do not agree that they cannot be statements of timeless Christian theology. Certainly, every period has their own theological emphases and agenda, but if, as the authors state, the goal of hermeneutics is to find the original, intended meaning of the author and that meaning does not change, would not statements of theology be timeless insofar as they are biblical? If that is so, confessions and creeds should have greater weight than merely “mentors” and “advisors.” We hold that creeds and confessions give us boundary authority in which we can do our “theologizing.” They are not boundaries like those Scripture provides but they do provide points where we are reminded that we must have strong Scriptural reasons for going beyond.
In the final chapter, chapter twelve, the authors look at the subject of application. As they state, “[F]or the practicing Christian, the process begun with interpretation is incomplete if it stops at the level of meaning.” Application, or “significance,” is an essential part to interpretation. They give and elaborate on a four-step process for application: 1) determine the original applications intended by the passage; 2) evaluate the level of specificity of the applications in their context and how transferable they are to other cultures; 3) if the original applications are not transferable, identify the broader principle(s) that undergird the original application; and 4) find appropriate applications for today based on those principles. In the second and third steps, they elaborate further by giving ways to look at the applications or principles so that readers do not just toss them out because they do not want to transfer them. Before ending the book, they look again at the role of the Holy Spirit and stress the necessity of His illumination for proper application.
This is an extensive introduction to biblical interpretation that methodically covers all the areas necessary for a good biblical hermeneutic. There are a few reservations we have had about a few specific points (mentioned above) but, for the most part, we believe this book is extremely helpful. It is written in such a way that pastors, seminary students, or any other Christian can comprehend and apply. There are several overarching aspects of this book that we believe make it essential to every Christian’s library. First, the hermeneutic is a very good one. Though, we do believe that it would need to be supplemented by another work that gives proper credence to the light of Christ illuminating the OT. Second, the book is written in such a way as to make it an excellent reference resource. Each chapter can be read on its own and each section and sub-section is full of good examples that show how to apply what the authors teach. Finally, the book is full of great footnotes that can give the eager reader enough supplementary reading to fill many, many hours of study on all the subjects they present. For these reasons, we highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a better understanding of how to interpret Scripture.
October 8, 2024
Incredibly dense, yet still readable. A great resource for those looking to walk deeper into scripture interpretation.
November 24, 2014
This book does a good job as a comprehensive introduction to hermeneutics. Especially helpful is the authors' extended introduction covering the history of interpretation. This helps give a lot of perspective on the journey hermeneutics has taken in the past 2000 years. One thing that would have helped this book is more concrete examples of the entire exegetical process. It does have a few and seminary classes that use it surely will practice, but this would have improved its usability for pastors. Another downside is that reading this can be extremely boring at times, which is perhaps par for the course when it comes to hermeneutics. I do like this book however as a "one-stop shop" for an INTRO to hermeneutics since it includes the history, various steps, and sections on each genre. However, someone wanting to become better equipped in interpreting the bible will need to seek more resources (Like Tom Schreiner's "Interpreting the Pauline Epistles" to get a better grasp on how to interpret each genre better.
March 9, 2017
William Klein, Craig Blomberg, and Robert Hubbard, Jr. have teamed to give us one of the best hermeneutics textbooks that is in print today. It’s been popular with students since it was first written in 1993 and this third edition ensures its use for years to come. It has an attractive hardback cover to complement its substantial contents. I’ve perused several of these volumes on biblical interpretation that’s on the market today, and find this book to be one of the top choices.
Coming in at over 600 pages, this book deserves the label of in-depth. It might be a little tough to those who have never studied hermeneutics before, but those who have will love this volume. Don’t misunderstand me – it’s well-written, accessible, but covers a lot of information.
Chapter 1 on the need for interpretation drew a nice portrait of why hermeneutics are so important in studying the Bible. Without proper hermeneutics, the Bible gets to mean what anyone wants it to mean. When that happens, it means nothing. The next three chapters on history, literary and social-scientific approaches, and the canon and translations were not as interesting to me as what followed. In fact, some of the social scientific approaches gave credence to groups whose voice is off-base in interpreting the Bible. If those things are your interest, you will find those chapters well done.
Chapters 5 and 6 serve to allow the reader to see his or herself in the process of interpretation. Chapters 7 through 10 are the heart of the book. Those chapters cover the nuts and bolts of hermeneutics. There are a few things discussed the strike me as splitting the hair a little too fine, yet every hermeneutics textbook will discuss these things today. You will appreciate the choice writing that illuminates some rather technical information. There’s good help for interpreting different parts of the Bible and in both Testaments.
After chapter 11 delved into what we gain from proper interpretation, chapter 12 discussed the immensely important subject of application. Without application, interpretation is a hollow exercise. The authors did a good job in giving hints at how to make application after interpretation is done.
I’ve had the chance to study this subject in great detail, and I picked up a few key points in this book that I really appreciate. I don’t see how you can go wrong getting this book and I highly recommend it.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Coming in at over 600 pages, this book deserves the label of in-depth. It might be a little tough to those who have never studied hermeneutics before, but those who have will love this volume. Don’t misunderstand me – it’s well-written, accessible, but covers a lot of information.
Chapter 1 on the need for interpretation drew a nice portrait of why hermeneutics are so important in studying the Bible. Without proper hermeneutics, the Bible gets to mean what anyone wants it to mean. When that happens, it means nothing. The next three chapters on history, literary and social-scientific approaches, and the canon and translations were not as interesting to me as what followed. In fact, some of the social scientific approaches gave credence to groups whose voice is off-base in interpreting the Bible. If those things are your interest, you will find those chapters well done.
Chapters 5 and 6 serve to allow the reader to see his or herself in the process of interpretation. Chapters 7 through 10 are the heart of the book. Those chapters cover the nuts and bolts of hermeneutics. There are a few things discussed the strike me as splitting the hair a little too fine, yet every hermeneutics textbook will discuss these things today. You will appreciate the choice writing that illuminates some rather technical information. There’s good help for interpreting different parts of the Bible and in both Testaments.
After chapter 11 delved into what we gain from proper interpretation, chapter 12 discussed the immensely important subject of application. Without application, interpretation is a hollow exercise. The authors did a good job in giving hints at how to make application after interpretation is done.
I’ve had the chance to study this subject in great detail, and I picked up a few key points in this book that I really appreciate. I don’t see how you can go wrong getting this book and I highly recommend it.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
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July 29, 2011Review:
Hermeneutics is a field that can be daunting at times because of its largely technical vocabulary and principles that it uses to interpret and understand the text. Unfamiliarity with the subject and the terms can erode concentration as well as wane interest in the perspective student. That is why I think “Introduction To Biblical Interpretation” written by a collaboration of three prominent scholars; William W. Klein, Craig L. Bloomberg, Robert L. Hubbard, Jr., have done a wonderful task to bridge the complexities of the subject in an understandable manner.
Another strength of the book lies in how the authors divide parts of the book systematically but also noting that each part or chapter can be studied alone with slight “overlap and repetition.” This actually helps readers remember previous chapters and gives a sense of coherence when one reads it from cover to cover. The author’s coverage of the historical development of interpretation over the years was vastly helpful namely to illustrate the strenuous task earlier generations of biblical interpreters took to work out methods of interpretation to understand as well as apply the text in their era and context. There is also a chapter on recent developments in hermeneutics which further enhances the scope of the book in its outlook.
There is also great stress on context, historical and cultural background as well as the mention of the varying genres in the bible. Space is also given to countless examples to how all this things work out. The reader is thus not left alone on the dark with just methods but examples in how they are used. The only negative remark that can be mentioned, all be it a minor issue, is on the last part on application where it seems like the authors hurried through the process of assembling it. But overall, “Introduction To Biblical Interpretation”, does more than introduces the reader to the world of interpretation but in one book holds a wealth of resources. http://jon.active.my/2009/a-review-of...
Hermeneutics is a field that can be daunting at times because of its largely technical vocabulary and principles that it uses to interpret and understand the text. Unfamiliarity with the subject and the terms can erode concentration as well as wane interest in the perspective student. That is why I think “Introduction To Biblical Interpretation” written by a collaboration of three prominent scholars; William W. Klein, Craig L. Bloomberg, Robert L. Hubbard, Jr., have done a wonderful task to bridge the complexities of the subject in an understandable manner.
Another strength of the book lies in how the authors divide parts of the book systematically but also noting that each part or chapter can be studied alone with slight “overlap and repetition.” This actually helps readers remember previous chapters and gives a sense of coherence when one reads it from cover to cover. The author’s coverage of the historical development of interpretation over the years was vastly helpful namely to illustrate the strenuous task earlier generations of biblical interpreters took to work out methods of interpretation to understand as well as apply the text in their era and context. There is also a chapter on recent developments in hermeneutics which further enhances the scope of the book in its outlook.
There is also great stress on context, historical and cultural background as well as the mention of the varying genres in the bible. Space is also given to countless examples to how all this things work out. The reader is thus not left alone on the dark with just methods but examples in how they are used. The only negative remark that can be mentioned, all be it a minor issue, is on the last part on application where it seems like the authors hurried through the process of assembling it. But overall, “Introduction To Biblical Interpretation”, does more than introduces the reader to the world of interpretation but in one book holds a wealth of resources. http://jon.active.my/2009/a-review-of...
May 7, 2015
I would have rated the book higher, but it was very uneven in its handling of the issues. The book finished strong (with examples of interpretation and discussion on applying what the Bible says). Its theoretical approach gave priority to the culture of the original author and reader (or listener), at the expense of the text itself. Instead, the starting point is "what does it say?" And then, in contextualizing what it says, the original Sitz in Leben is examined. I would not recommend this as a first book on hermeneutics to be read by someone unfamiliar with the topic. I think Ramm, Osborne, or to reach back, Terry, would be superior. Then reading this book would be useful.
July 19, 2016
Ekstremt god bok som gir et solid grunnlag for å bedrive eksegese. Som de sier, lever vi i en tid med mye tolkningsanalfabetisme, og denne boken er et stort steg i motsatt retning.
February 23, 2013
The book Introduction to Biblical Interpretation was a very enjoyable read. The authors William M. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg and Robert L. Hubbard Jr did a very good job at conveying the topic of hermeneutics in a very detailed way yet not so scholarly that it wasn’t readable. I feel that this book was very informative and covered a broad spectrum of issues involved in hermeneutics. This paper will critique the major points of the book as well as discuss the strengths and weaknesses.
Part one of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation focused on defining Hermeneutics and demonstrating the crucial need for careful and valid hermeneutical principles. This section was broken down into four major chapters discussing the need, historical overview, contemporary approaches and philosophies, and the biblical canon and translations.
In the chapter The Need for Hermeneutics, the authors described hermeneutics as the task of explaining the meaning of a piece of writing. They pointed out that it describes “the principles people use to understand what something means, to comprehend what a message–written, oral, or visual–is endeavoring to communicate.” (Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, p.4) The book goes on to ask the question of why we need hermeneutics. The answer I retained from the reading was “to establish, explain, and demonstrate guidelines and methods to guide those who want to understand Scripture correctly” (p. 5).
One of the major challenges that hermeneutics faces is distance. Distance was divided into distance of time, cultural distance, geographical distance, as well as the distance of language. Each of these distances truly separates the reader from the author. The distance has to be filled in with extra information gathered from external sources. This becomes a challenge when considering which external sources are appropriate and which are viable to use.
In chapter two, the authors gave a historical overview of hermeneutics and how different cultures interpreted and analyzed the biblical texts. As the authors took the reader through history they pointed out philosophies, such as neo-orthodoxy and Biblical Theology Movement, which arose in response to the challenge of hermeneutics. The authors also introduced readers to popular thinkers over time and their concepts that helped to shape the way we interpret the bible today.
Chapter three described the major approaches to contemporary hermeneutics, literary/narrative criticism and social-scientific. Literary criticism, according to Aida Spencer, is made up of fifteen distinct definitions including analysis of authorship, date, place of writing, original audience, linguistic style, sources, tradition and redaction, integrity, and purpose (p. 64). Each of these definitions provides a detailed analysis of the text and further illuminates its meaning. The second approach to contemporary hermeneutics is narrative criticism, which evaluates biblical texts as any other literary genre such as Shakespeare or Cicero. Narrative criticism “analyzes plot, theme, motifs, characterization, style, figures of speech, symbolism, foreshadowing, repetition, speed of time in narrative, point of view”, and more (p. 65).
On the other end of the contemporary approaches is the social-scientific. The authors stated that “these social-scientific studies fall into two broad categories: research that illuminates the social history to the biblical world and the application of modern theories of human behavior to scriptural texts” (p.78). To me, the social-scientific criticisms are much more subjective to ones opinions and are easily led in an inaccurate interpretation.
In chapter four, entitled The Canon and Translations, Klein, Blomberg and Hubbard discuss the development of the Old and New Testament Canons as well as discuss the order of the canon and what criteria enabled a text to be included in the biblical text. The chapter also discussed a rather lengthy description of the challenges involved in the texts themselves and biblical translations we have available today. This chapter was especially fascinating to me.
Part two of the book Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, considered the interpreter itself, the qualifications, presuppositions necessary, and appropriate for the task of biblical interpretation. Some of the qualifications necessary for an interpreter include, but are not limited to a reasoned faith, obedience, illumination, membership in the church, and appropriate methods. Only with these qualifications in place can someone approach the process of interpretation with an open mind.
The authors also discussed some presuppositions about the nature of the bible that the interpreter must have to appropriately approach biblical interpretation. The presuppositions included the interpreter’s views of revelation and inspiration, their views of the authority of the bible, and use of and purpose of biblical study. The interpreter must also understand that the bible is a unit, and yet diverse and must accept the bible in its entirety if they are to ever truly interpret it as a complete work.
Chapter four also discussed the issue of the interpreter’s preunderstanding of biblical text. This chapter was really interesting and helped me to see that an interpreter’s background, experiences and motivation can all effect the interpretation of a text. The authors state that “every interpreter begins with a preunderstanding. After an initial study of a biblical text, that text performs a work on the interpreter... as the newly interpreted interpreter proceeds to question the text further, out of this newly formed understanding further questions emerge. New understanding results” (p. 166). This process of allowing the preundertanding to evolve as questions are answered allows for true growth in the individual interpreter.
Introduction to Biblical Interpretation next discussed the goals of interpretation. This chapter first explains that the goal of interpretation is to understand the meaning of the text. The authors said that there are three potential aspects of meaning: the meaning the author intends to convey, the grammatical and lexical meaning of the words configured on the page, and the meaning the reader understands. Each of these meanings can be different and must be interpreted very carefully, other wise unsound doctrines will ensue. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation draws from E.E. Hirsch’s knowledge and says that there are four criteria to establish that an interpretation is sound: true to the norms of the language, able to account for each linguistic component in the text, must follow the conventions for this type of literature, and it must be coherent (p. 202). In a word, context. Towards the end of this chapter on the goals of interpretation, the authors propose a statement for conflicting interpretation that I really appreciated. They said, “I don’t agree with you conclusions, but in light of who you are and your community of faith, in light of how these biblical texts have been interpreted throughout history, and in light of the diligence and care with which you attempt to understand and life in conformity to the bible’s teachings, I concede your interpretation. You have responded to the Bible in a valid manner” (p. 208). Following this statement, the authors say that “we must allow that both options are possible, ‘agree to disagree,’ and support each other as brothers and sisters in the life of faith” (p. 209).
Part three of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, established basic principles for understanding how literature functions. It described the general rules for prose such as literary context, historical-cultural background, word meanings, and grammatical-structural relationships. It also discussed the general rules for poetry. This section of the book went in to great detail to describe and define various poetic terms such as rhyme, meter, sound, structure, imagery, and comparisons.
In Part four, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation introduced the reader to the specific kinds of literature found in the bible, and gave an overview of the appropriate methodologies for understanding the meaning conveyed by each. These chapters went in to great detail discussing both the old and New Testament genres. In the Old Testament, it discussed narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom. In the New Testament, it discussed the gospels, acts, epistles, and revelation.
Part five of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation sought to make accessible the practical wealth of the bible by briefly investigating the various ways it ministers to God’s people. This was the application section of the book. It explained the different ways we use the bible today. Most people use the bible for one, or more, of the following: information, worship, liturgy, theology, preach, teach, pastoral care, spiritual formation, or aesthetic enjoyment.
The final chapter entitled Application, discussed avoiding mistakes in interpretation and application. The authors suggested a four step methodology for legitimate application of biblical text. Step number one is to determine the original application. Step number two is to evaluate the level of specificity of the original applications. Step number three is to identify the cross-cultural principles. Finally, step number four is to find appropriate applications that embody the broader principles as well as implement them. I also found the ten questions for better understanding the broader interpretations very useful.
I feel as though the strengths out weigh the weaknesses of this book. The strengths I enjoyed is that it is very detailed in describing the methods, approaches to bible study and provided multiple views on subjects leaving the reader with the principles to formulate their own biblical beliefs. The weaknesses I see in this book is a tendency toward pluralism. Since there was no position taken on doctrinal issues, or on what the bible says there is a subtle thought that people should think and reason for themselves. While this self owned theology is good, some people are not spiritually mature to do it on their own and need the council (as the book mentioned) to seek a larger church body to study the issues together to safeguard against heretical or unbiblical doctrines.
To summarize the book Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, I would say that it was very informative and insightful, readable, as well as a great reference book for those seeking to better understand how to approach the bible and apply its teachings to their lives. I felt that the authors had a very balanced perspective of the bible and did not become dogmatic at any point in the book, not did they seem to try and force their views of scripture on the reader. I felt like the authors have a very good grasp on the bible and its teachings. I feel that the authors respect the bible as well as understand its diversity.
Part one of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation focused on defining Hermeneutics and demonstrating the crucial need for careful and valid hermeneutical principles. This section was broken down into four major chapters discussing the need, historical overview, contemporary approaches and philosophies, and the biblical canon and translations.
In the chapter The Need for Hermeneutics, the authors described hermeneutics as the task of explaining the meaning of a piece of writing. They pointed out that it describes “the principles people use to understand what something means, to comprehend what a message–written, oral, or visual–is endeavoring to communicate.” (Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, p.4) The book goes on to ask the question of why we need hermeneutics. The answer I retained from the reading was “to establish, explain, and demonstrate guidelines and methods to guide those who want to understand Scripture correctly” (p. 5).
One of the major challenges that hermeneutics faces is distance. Distance was divided into distance of time, cultural distance, geographical distance, as well as the distance of language. Each of these distances truly separates the reader from the author. The distance has to be filled in with extra information gathered from external sources. This becomes a challenge when considering which external sources are appropriate and which are viable to use.
In chapter two, the authors gave a historical overview of hermeneutics and how different cultures interpreted and analyzed the biblical texts. As the authors took the reader through history they pointed out philosophies, such as neo-orthodoxy and Biblical Theology Movement, which arose in response to the challenge of hermeneutics. The authors also introduced readers to popular thinkers over time and their concepts that helped to shape the way we interpret the bible today.
Chapter three described the major approaches to contemporary hermeneutics, literary/narrative criticism and social-scientific. Literary criticism, according to Aida Spencer, is made up of fifteen distinct definitions including analysis of authorship, date, place of writing, original audience, linguistic style, sources, tradition and redaction, integrity, and purpose (p. 64). Each of these definitions provides a detailed analysis of the text and further illuminates its meaning. The second approach to contemporary hermeneutics is narrative criticism, which evaluates biblical texts as any other literary genre such as Shakespeare or Cicero. Narrative criticism “analyzes plot, theme, motifs, characterization, style, figures of speech, symbolism, foreshadowing, repetition, speed of time in narrative, point of view”, and more (p. 65).
On the other end of the contemporary approaches is the social-scientific. The authors stated that “these social-scientific studies fall into two broad categories: research that illuminates the social history to the biblical world and the application of modern theories of human behavior to scriptural texts” (p.78). To me, the social-scientific criticisms are much more subjective to ones opinions and are easily led in an inaccurate interpretation.
In chapter four, entitled The Canon and Translations, Klein, Blomberg and Hubbard discuss the development of the Old and New Testament Canons as well as discuss the order of the canon and what criteria enabled a text to be included in the biblical text. The chapter also discussed a rather lengthy description of the challenges involved in the texts themselves and biblical translations we have available today. This chapter was especially fascinating to me.
Part two of the book Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, considered the interpreter itself, the qualifications, presuppositions necessary, and appropriate for the task of biblical interpretation. Some of the qualifications necessary for an interpreter include, but are not limited to a reasoned faith, obedience, illumination, membership in the church, and appropriate methods. Only with these qualifications in place can someone approach the process of interpretation with an open mind.
The authors also discussed some presuppositions about the nature of the bible that the interpreter must have to appropriately approach biblical interpretation. The presuppositions included the interpreter’s views of revelation and inspiration, their views of the authority of the bible, and use of and purpose of biblical study. The interpreter must also understand that the bible is a unit, and yet diverse and must accept the bible in its entirety if they are to ever truly interpret it as a complete work.
Chapter four also discussed the issue of the interpreter’s preunderstanding of biblical text. This chapter was really interesting and helped me to see that an interpreter’s background, experiences and motivation can all effect the interpretation of a text. The authors state that “every interpreter begins with a preunderstanding. After an initial study of a biblical text, that text performs a work on the interpreter... as the newly interpreted interpreter proceeds to question the text further, out of this newly formed understanding further questions emerge. New understanding results” (p. 166). This process of allowing the preundertanding to evolve as questions are answered allows for true growth in the individual interpreter.
Introduction to Biblical Interpretation next discussed the goals of interpretation. This chapter first explains that the goal of interpretation is to understand the meaning of the text. The authors said that there are three potential aspects of meaning: the meaning the author intends to convey, the grammatical and lexical meaning of the words configured on the page, and the meaning the reader understands. Each of these meanings can be different and must be interpreted very carefully, other wise unsound doctrines will ensue. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation draws from E.E. Hirsch’s knowledge and says that there are four criteria to establish that an interpretation is sound: true to the norms of the language, able to account for each linguistic component in the text, must follow the conventions for this type of literature, and it must be coherent (p. 202). In a word, context. Towards the end of this chapter on the goals of interpretation, the authors propose a statement for conflicting interpretation that I really appreciated. They said, “I don’t agree with you conclusions, but in light of who you are and your community of faith, in light of how these biblical texts have been interpreted throughout history, and in light of the diligence and care with which you attempt to understand and life in conformity to the bible’s teachings, I concede your interpretation. You have responded to the Bible in a valid manner” (p. 208). Following this statement, the authors say that “we must allow that both options are possible, ‘agree to disagree,’ and support each other as brothers and sisters in the life of faith” (p. 209).
Part three of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, established basic principles for understanding how literature functions. It described the general rules for prose such as literary context, historical-cultural background, word meanings, and grammatical-structural relationships. It also discussed the general rules for poetry. This section of the book went in to great detail to describe and define various poetic terms such as rhyme, meter, sound, structure, imagery, and comparisons.
In Part four, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation introduced the reader to the specific kinds of literature found in the bible, and gave an overview of the appropriate methodologies for understanding the meaning conveyed by each. These chapters went in to great detail discussing both the old and New Testament genres. In the Old Testament, it discussed narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom. In the New Testament, it discussed the gospels, acts, epistles, and revelation.
Part five of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation sought to make accessible the practical wealth of the bible by briefly investigating the various ways it ministers to God’s people. This was the application section of the book. It explained the different ways we use the bible today. Most people use the bible for one, or more, of the following: information, worship, liturgy, theology, preach, teach, pastoral care, spiritual formation, or aesthetic enjoyment.
The final chapter entitled Application, discussed avoiding mistakes in interpretation and application. The authors suggested a four step methodology for legitimate application of biblical text. Step number one is to determine the original application. Step number two is to evaluate the level of specificity of the original applications. Step number three is to identify the cross-cultural principles. Finally, step number four is to find appropriate applications that embody the broader principles as well as implement them. I also found the ten questions for better understanding the broader interpretations very useful.
I feel as though the strengths out weigh the weaknesses of this book. The strengths I enjoyed is that it is very detailed in describing the methods, approaches to bible study and provided multiple views on subjects leaving the reader with the principles to formulate their own biblical beliefs. The weaknesses I see in this book is a tendency toward pluralism. Since there was no position taken on doctrinal issues, or on what the bible says there is a subtle thought that people should think and reason for themselves. While this self owned theology is good, some people are not spiritually mature to do it on their own and need the council (as the book mentioned) to seek a larger church body to study the issues together to safeguard against heretical or unbiblical doctrines.
To summarize the book Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, I would say that it was very informative and insightful, readable, as well as a great reference book for those seeking to better understand how to approach the bible and apply its teachings to their lives. I felt that the authors had a very balanced perspective of the bible and did not become dogmatic at any point in the book, not did they seem to try and force their views of scripture on the reader. I felt like the authors have a very good grasp on the bible and its teachings. I feel that the authors respect the bible as well as understand its diversity.
July 18, 2017
There are few books that have had a more lasting influence on biblical interpretation than Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. This volume has been used in colleges and seminaries across the world as a trusted guide and authoritative introduction to the field of biblical hermeneutics for over two decades.
This newly revised and updated third edition of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation offers an up-to-date discussion on various developments in the field (and even related fields) of biblical hermeneutics and biblical scholarship, as well as refined and polish the previous work. As the authors note in the preface, “what we veteran Bible teachers write here builds on more than one hundred years of combined teaching and study. We believe our refinements in this volume reflect our more mature (and we hope more adequate and correct) thinking about this critical task” (p. 27). For most readers, these updates will be approached as a welcomed addition to an already astonishing work, while others may be seen as less than appealing. That said, the overall impression of the volume boasts a clear and consistent presence of fine-tuning towards an appropriate and needed end.
Those acquainted with the previous editions will be met by the same overall layout and familiar organization as before. The book is divided into five major sections appropriately aligned to bring the reader from point A to point B: (1) the task of interpretation, (2) the interpreter and the goal, (3) understanding literature, (4) understanding Bible genres, and (5) the fruits of interpretation. Each section is subdivided into various chapters on a number of related or sub-related topics. The chapters and sections hang together as a cumulative case that builds from page to page but also function well as standalone items for future reference.
The highlights of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation will depend upon the readers own personal conviction. The book overall is extremely helpful, well-organized, and both easy to use and read. Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard demonstrate an exceptional level of skill at navigating difficult hermeneutical issues or tasks with ease and clarity. Moreover, the comprehensiveness of the volume brings a level of clearness to nearly every aspect of biblical interpretation, from the history of interpretation to the application of the task itself. That said, among other things, some readers may find the authors treatment of interpretation by “advocacy groups” (such as liberation hermeneutics, cultural hermeneutics, feminist hermeneutics, and LGBT hermeneutics; p. 144-163) unsettling or demonstrative of compromise, particularly for those coming to the book with a clear, unhealthy attachment to conservatism. As a conservative myself, I found the treatment to be very helpful and informative, and, in fact, appropriately sensitive to the approaches of these various groups. There will be some readers who may jump to polemical conclusions regarding the revisions, but to do so, in my opinion, is simply unwarranted.
Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. is a work of unparalleled quality in the arena of introductory literature on the field of biblical hermeneutics. As stated above, it is used in colleges and seminaries across the world as a trusted and authoritative primer, and this third edition only makes its usefulness more relevant and refined. Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard have evaluated every corner of the intersections that the beginning (and even intermediate) student would need to know, and have provided a clear and persuasive presentation on how to read the Bible and read it properly. This is a book that deserves placement on the shelf of every serious student of the Bible. So, be sure to make room if you haven’t already.
This newly revised and updated third edition of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation offers an up-to-date discussion on various developments in the field (and even related fields) of biblical hermeneutics and biblical scholarship, as well as refined and polish the previous work. As the authors note in the preface, “what we veteran Bible teachers write here builds on more than one hundred years of combined teaching and study. We believe our refinements in this volume reflect our more mature (and we hope more adequate and correct) thinking about this critical task” (p. 27). For most readers, these updates will be approached as a welcomed addition to an already astonishing work, while others may be seen as less than appealing. That said, the overall impression of the volume boasts a clear and consistent presence of fine-tuning towards an appropriate and needed end.
Those acquainted with the previous editions will be met by the same overall layout and familiar organization as before. The book is divided into five major sections appropriately aligned to bring the reader from point A to point B: (1) the task of interpretation, (2) the interpreter and the goal, (3) understanding literature, (4) understanding Bible genres, and (5) the fruits of interpretation. Each section is subdivided into various chapters on a number of related or sub-related topics. The chapters and sections hang together as a cumulative case that builds from page to page but also function well as standalone items for future reference.
The highlights of Introduction to Biblical Interpretation will depend upon the readers own personal conviction. The book overall is extremely helpful, well-organized, and both easy to use and read. Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard demonstrate an exceptional level of skill at navigating difficult hermeneutical issues or tasks with ease and clarity. Moreover, the comprehensiveness of the volume brings a level of clearness to nearly every aspect of biblical interpretation, from the history of interpretation to the application of the task itself. That said, among other things, some readers may find the authors treatment of interpretation by “advocacy groups” (such as liberation hermeneutics, cultural hermeneutics, feminist hermeneutics, and LGBT hermeneutics; p. 144-163) unsettling or demonstrative of compromise, particularly for those coming to the book with a clear, unhealthy attachment to conservatism. As a conservative myself, I found the treatment to be very helpful and informative, and, in fact, appropriately sensitive to the approaches of these various groups. There will be some readers who may jump to polemical conclusions regarding the revisions, but to do so, in my opinion, is simply unwarranted.
Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by William W. Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. is a work of unparalleled quality in the arena of introductory literature on the field of biblical hermeneutics. As stated above, it is used in colleges and seminaries across the world as a trusted and authoritative primer, and this third edition only makes its usefulness more relevant and refined. Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard have evaluated every corner of the intersections that the beginning (and even intermediate) student would need to know, and have provided a clear and persuasive presentation on how to read the Bible and read it properly. This is a book that deserves placement on the shelf of every serious student of the Bible. So, be sure to make room if you haven’t already.
August 16, 2021
Introduction to Biblical Interpretation is an excellent textbook, and I benefitted much from it. I really appreciated the position they took to ground an objective, literal meaning of the text based on the grammatical-historical method of exegesis while still allowing for varying significances and applications and not dogmatically stating that each text has only one meaning. Instead, they opted for an approach of a fixed meaning (inherently in the text) that may be multi-faceted, which I think is a much more tenable approach. I also really enjoyed the sections on the history of interpretation and on application of the text. However, I do think the authors’ view of typology and the sensus plenior is deficient. For example, they write, “This need not imply that the OT authors actually intended, in a prophetic kind of way, the type that the NT writer later discovered. Typology is more a technique of a later writer who ‘mines’ prior Scripture for similarities to God’s present activities” (130). They also deny any sensus plenior. While I appreciate their approach and concerns, I decided to look to Doug Moo’s “The Problem of Sensus Plenior, in Hermeneutics, Authority, and Canon, which these authors referenced as a differing view, and I found myself in much more agreement:
“It appears, then, that typology does have a ‘prospective' element but the 'prospective' nature of specific Old Testament incident could often be recognized only retrospectively. In some cases, certainly, the Israelites themselves will have recognized the symbolic value of some of their history […] the prospective element in Old Testament types, though intended by God in a general sense, would not have been recognized at the time by the Old Testament authors or the original audience. Without confining valid types to those specifically mentioned in the New Testament, then, it is nevertheless true that we would not know of some types had the New Testament not revealed them to us and that any types we may suggest lack the authoritative status enjoyed by those singled out by the inspired authors” (Moo 197).
“The sensus plenior is to be distinguished from typology; the former has to do with the deeper meaning of words, the latter with extended meaning of things. The bronze serpent in the wilderness may be considered a ‘type’ of Christ on the cross, but the application to Christ of Psalm 2:7 (‘you are my son’) involves a ‘deeper sense’ of the words themselves” (Moo 202).
“In the debate over whether we can ‘reproduce the exegesis of the New Testament,’ then, our answer must be carefully nuanced. On the one hand, we do not have the same revelatory authority to make the specific identifications made in the New Testament. But, on the other hand, we can usually see the theological structure and hermeneutical principles on which the New Testament interpretation of the Old rests; and we can follow the New Testament in applying similar criteria in our own interpretation” (Moo 206).
“It appears, then, that typology does have a ‘prospective' element but the 'prospective' nature of specific Old Testament incident could often be recognized only retrospectively. In some cases, certainly, the Israelites themselves will have recognized the symbolic value of some of their history […] the prospective element in Old Testament types, though intended by God in a general sense, would not have been recognized at the time by the Old Testament authors or the original audience. Without confining valid types to those specifically mentioned in the New Testament, then, it is nevertheless true that we would not know of some types had the New Testament not revealed them to us and that any types we may suggest lack the authoritative status enjoyed by those singled out by the inspired authors” (Moo 197).
“The sensus plenior is to be distinguished from typology; the former has to do with the deeper meaning of words, the latter with extended meaning of things. The bronze serpent in the wilderness may be considered a ‘type’ of Christ on the cross, but the application to Christ of Psalm 2:7 (‘you are my son’) involves a ‘deeper sense’ of the words themselves” (Moo 202).
“In the debate over whether we can ‘reproduce the exegesis of the New Testament,’ then, our answer must be carefully nuanced. On the one hand, we do not have the same revelatory authority to make the specific identifications made in the New Testament. But, on the other hand, we can usually see the theological structure and hermeneutical principles on which the New Testament interpretation of the Old rests; and we can follow the New Testament in applying similar criteria in our own interpretation” (Moo 206).
July 1, 2020
A very insightful book. It reads like a text book but lacks the prerequisite boring element that text books tend to have. I was a little concerned going into it because the book is written by three authors and I did not want the book to be disjointed. Thankfully it was not. It actually flows rather well as it starts of with definitions of hermeneutics and then the history of it before getting into specifics and lastly application.
The history part might seem rather tedious at first but I would not recommend skipping past it as it lends to a thorough experience of the written material and connects a lot of dots later on in the book. The book is also very well referenced, leaving the reader with several good recommendations of books to look into once you are done with this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the history of hermeneutics.
The explaining of the genres of scripture, particularly the Old Testament was also excellent. I read this at the time when I was reading through Isaiah and Revelation in my personal Bible reading and it really helped me make sense of things. It also led to a practice I long to continue as I read through the word of God, which is to do a mental or written recap of the previous days reading before diving into the reading for the day. This helps in giving the ready a greater application for the context of the passage that is being read.
The application portion of the book is also excellent. It highlights some errors that we tend to make in our Bible reading and understanding and shows why they are wrong. The book also makes a strong statement against non-exegetical preaching through the word of God. Equating it to starving one's flock, congregation or audience.
All in all, a very good book
The history part might seem rather tedious at first but I would not recommend skipping past it as it lends to a thorough experience of the written material and connects a lot of dots later on in the book. The book is also very well referenced, leaving the reader with several good recommendations of books to look into once you are done with this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the history of hermeneutics.
The explaining of the genres of scripture, particularly the Old Testament was also excellent. I read this at the time when I was reading through Isaiah and Revelation in my personal Bible reading and it really helped me make sense of things. It also led to a practice I long to continue as I read through the word of God, which is to do a mental or written recap of the previous days reading before diving into the reading for the day. This helps in giving the ready a greater application for the context of the passage that is being read.
The application portion of the book is also excellent. It highlights some errors that we tend to make in our Bible reading and understanding and shows why they are wrong. The book also makes a strong statement against non-exegetical preaching through the word of God. Equating it to starving one's flock, congregation or audience.
All in all, a very good book
August 14, 2022
An excellent introduction and examination of the broad topic of biblical hermeneutics. Their survey of the history of interpretation was very good, and their analysis of the literary genres was also well done and incredibly helpful. The appendices and list of recommended resources for a plethora of topics is also invaluable. Generally, I agree with their proposed/preferred methodology and most of their theological takes on the task of interpreting. However, there seems to be a bit of a hole in their view of biblical theology informing interpretation. At times, the line between what was originally intended and what was superintended is not so clear as they make it out to be in parts of this book. There is right concern for letting presuppositions drive interpretation - no doubt. But where is the line drawn between original intent and super-intention by the Holy Spirit? Especially concerning prophecy, apocalypse, etc.? It’s a difficult topic no matter, but I’m not sure I align with their assumption position. On the whole however, I learned a ton and this is a wonderful tool on how to do proper and quality interpretation.
July 19, 2025
Reminder for myself what happened in this book so I can remember later….this isn’t a moral judgment on the book:
Felt like they didn’t have a target audience. Some stuff extremely basic info, some oddly complicated. Lots of anecdotes so pretty easy to skim. The structure of this book drove me crazy. It’s like it felt they were summing up a chapter and then a whole new section was uncovered and that just annoyed my sense of accomplishment LOL. Also the whole explanation for why it wasn’t actually unfair for women on their period to be considered unclean was really not well researched for the female biology lol and just didn’t make sense 😅 also the book got preachy at times!
But had really good info on genres in the Old Testament (the main thing I’ll probably come back to it for!!). Sometimes felt a bit arbitrary but it’s helpful to see. Also lots of charts which are nice!
Felt like they didn’t have a target audience. Some stuff extremely basic info, some oddly complicated. Lots of anecdotes so pretty easy to skim. The structure of this book drove me crazy. It’s like it felt they were summing up a chapter and then a whole new section was uncovered and that just annoyed my sense of accomplishment LOL. Also the whole explanation for why it wasn’t actually unfair for women on their period to be considered unclean was really not well researched for the female biology lol and just didn’t make sense 😅 also the book got preachy at times!
But had really good info on genres in the Old Testament (the main thing I’ll probably come back to it for!!). Sometimes felt a bit arbitrary but it’s helpful to see. Also lots of charts which are nice!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 28, 2023
I enjoyed this introduction to Biblical Interpretation. The chapters were long and this is most definitely a textbook, but it was full of information and not just endless dribble. I particularly enjoyed the thorough history of the conception of the biblical text and also the emphasis on cultural sensitivity to Biblical interpretation. I also think Klein did a great job of talking you through different interpretive methods without telling you how to think. This was definitely more of a let me give you a rundown of all the different interpretive methods throughout history and how they work and then how you can employ them in your research. If you're looking for a really thorough deep dive, this would be the book to read!
October 9, 2018
Read this in two classes I took at Moody Bible Institute. I've read many books on hermeneutics before, but only two textbooks. I greatly preferred the other (Grasping God's Word by Duvall/Hays) to this one. One reason was the amount of stances they took on issues that I disagreed with, such as women's ministry. But the other was just clearer and a more enjoyable read. Having said that, I gave the book three stars because there was a lot of great content in it as well. It is a fine intro to biblical interpretation, just not the cream of the crop.
October 25, 2020
This is an in depth resource that does not fell to introduce readers to biblical hermeneutics. It accomplishes this goal by providing extensive examples and calls to practice what each chapter lays out. A strength of this book is its thoroughness to define and lay out the necessities of biblical hermeneutics, however at times the charts associated with each section were more helpful than than the wordy paragraphs. This is not a resource for everyone, and is not an accessible resource to those without some experience in the topic.
December 6, 2019
An excellent up-to-date introduction to the theory and practice of biblical hermeneutics. The authors are evangelical so the method is conservative but informed by the latest scholarship and issues within NT and literary studies. Some chapters are repetitious (for example, I can’t count how many times I read about the dangers of subjectivist hermeneutics for pages at the time) but overall the book is an enlightening and interesting read for anyone interested in the topic.
January 3, 2023
This caught me off guard:
"The entire denomination known as the Metropolitan Community Church, for example, was founded in large part to provide a safe, supporting place for LGBT Christians. Apart from their understanding of the key biblical passages on homosexual behavior, the rest of their doctrine and ethic follows historic evangelical contours, and we acknowledge our spiritual kinship with them." (ch. 3)
"The entire denomination known as the Metropolitan Community Church, for example, was founded in large part to provide a safe, supporting place for LGBT Christians. Apart from their understanding of the key biblical passages on homosexual behavior, the rest of their doctrine and ethic follows historic evangelical contours, and we acknowledge our spiritual kinship with them." (ch. 3)
January 14, 2019
I believe one of the biggest problems with Christians is bad readings of the Bible. This happens on both liberal and conservatives sides. There is a need for a resource that is both evangelical and scholarly. This is that book. This was a textbook for one of my wife's classes and I took the opportunity to read it. It is one of the best books on hermeneutics I have read.
May 7, 2019
Was a required text for a hermeneutics class this semester. There were a few areas where I disagreed with their conclusions about interpretation, but overall an excellent text. I imagine I’ll be returning to it again and again, both for clarifications on interpretation and to mine the extensive bibliographic notes and footnotes.
October 7, 2020
Concise and informative with true intention to teach. However, it is cerebral and dry. Try not to read this if there is any chance of fatigue or a desire to quickly jump to a sensible point for review, or exam reference. It’s fairly painful. I wish the authors and editors would remember that writing doesn’t have to read like the most dull thesis paper.
June 18, 2021
While this book might be geared more toward a theology student, it is an excellent read for most anyone wanting to get a better understanding of the Bible. Some real insights are offered into how the Bible was assembled, the various genres represented in the Bible, and how its teachings should be applied. This is really a reference book that should be available for frequent reading.
November 4, 2024
I can not stress enough how important this book is for those who profess to follow Christ. The faith is fat with tourists and with mediocre readers who spew nonsensical axioms allegedly based on Scripture. This textbook teaches us how to interpret the Bible. I wish that I had this early on in my walk with Him. Please, please, please study this one.
May 11, 2019
Very in depth book on hermeneutics. This is a slow and laborious book. It is very well written, but a ton of information packed in. Not only is it already a long book, but it is fine print and heavy content. I'm glad I read it. And I'm more glad it's over.
December 3, 2019
I highly recommend this for anyone studying biblical and/or literary interpretation. As the back cover explains, this is "concise, logical, practical guidelines for discovering the truth in God's Word." Tips for understanding the Bible and applying it in contemporary settings.
May 20, 2020
This book carried so much detail about digger deeper in the word, and going about understanding it piece by piece. It made a lot of great points, and I learned so much about interpretation rather than assumption.
March 1, 2021
A great well balanced explanation on how to properly study scripture and apply it to our culture. The main focuses are read in context and look at what the writer meant and what the recipients would have understood of that meaning.
December 30, 2023
Very good theologically. I enjoyed reading this as a text book for my hermeneutics class (along with the work book). However, it is a higher level of reading and some parts were difficult to understand. But overall, this was a very good book with practical tools on how to exegete Scripture.
August 18, 2024
This is a graduate level hermeneutics textbook. As such, it is about what you would expect. It does downplay the role of the leading of the Spirit in the interpretive process, but that isn't really something that can be taught. And to be fair... what else would you expect from a group of baptists?
July 20, 2025
This is a thorough explanation of hermeneutics. It's a "how to" and a "because this," not a collection of insights. It's a textbook. In short, it's not light reading. While it may not be the most engaging, this is a helpful guide for those new to theological studies.
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