Interpreting Scripture in Its Original Historical Setting

The New Testament authors recognized Scripture as a collection of sacred writings "given by inspiration of God," referring primarily to what we now call the Old Testament ^[2]. This understanding shaped how early Christians approached these texts—not merely as ancient documents, but as divine revelation requiring careful interpretation within their historical contexts.

The Physical Form and Transmission of Scripture

The biblical texts were ordinarily written on skins rolled into volumes, resembling modern synagogue scrolls ^[1]. This physical format influenced how Scripture was read and interpreted in ancient communities. Paul himself employed amanuenses to whom he dictated his letters, affixing his own salutation "with his own hand" ^[4]—a practice mirroring that of contemporary Roman letter-writers like Cicero or Pliny. Understanding this compositional process helps modern readers recognize that these were real documents produced in specific historical circumstances, not timeless abstractions.

The practice of public Scripture reading transferred directly from Jewish synagogues to Christian assemblies ^[6]. When Jesus read from Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue, or when Paul's letters were read aloud in Thessalonica, these communities were engaging texts within living traditions of interpretation. The New Testament writings themselves, once recognized as inspired by those with the gift of discerning spirits, were read alongside the Old Testament from the earliest period ^[6].

Language and the Need for Translation

After the Babylonian exile, Jews no longer familiar with classical Hebrew required their Scriptures translated into Chaldaic or Aramaic—giving rise to the Targums ^[3]. This linguistic shift created the first major interpretive challenge: how to render ancient Hebrew texts for communities whose primary language had changed. Ancient versions became "important helps to the right interpretation of the Word" ^[3], establishing a principle that remains vital—Scripture must be understood in terms accessible to its readers, yet faithful to its original context.

Paul's instruction that those reading prophetic declarations in their original tongue should "pray to God that he may so understand them himself, and receive the gift of interpretation, that he may be able to explain them in all their depth and latitude to others" ^[7] acknowledges both the divine and human dimensions of interpretation. The interpreter must grasp the text's original meaning before explaining its significance to contemporary audiences.

Scripture's Self-Interpreting Character

The early church understood that "all that God caused to be recorded in the Old Testament has supreme relevance to believers, who experience the fulfillment of God's plan" ^[11]. This conviction meant that historical context was not merely antiquarian interest but theological necessity. Paul wrote that "such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us" ^[11], establishing that understanding the original setting illuminates present application.

Timothy's education illustrates this principle. His Jewish grandmother Lois and mother Eunice provided his instruction in the Old Testament Scriptures from childhood ^[10]. Their teaching was rooted in the texts' historical particularity—the stories of Israel, the prophetic oracles, the wisdom literature—yet these ancient writings gave "the wisdom to receive... Christ Jesus" ^[10]. The historical setting did not limit Scripture's meaning but grounded it.

The Inspired Text and Human Authors

Paul's declaration that Scripture is "inspired by God" (literally "God-breathed") does not negate the active involvement of human authors ^[8]. This dual authorship requires interpreters to attend both to divine intention and human expression. The prophets wrote in specific historical moments, addressing concrete situations in ancient Israel and Judah. Recognizing these circumstances prevents eisegesis while enabling genuine understanding.

Josephus, writing his Antiquities for the Roman official Epaphroditus, claimed to present "the history of five thousand years... taken out of our sacred books" ^[5]. His work demonstrates how even ancient interpreters recognized the need to explain Israel's history and texts to audiences unfamiliar with their original contexts. The challenge of bridging historical distance is not modern but perennial.

The textual variations between manuscripts—such as the Septuagint's omission of certain verses in 1 Samuel 17 that appear in the Codex Alexandrinus ^[9]—remind us that recovering original historical settings requires careful attention to textual evidence. Interpretation begins with establishing what the text said before determining what it means.

Sources

Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Old Testament — I. TEXT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.-- + History of the text. -A history of the text of the Old Testament should properly commence from the date of the completion of the canon. As regards the form in which the sacred writings were little doubt that the text was ordinarily were preserved, there can be written on skins, rolled up into volumes, like the modern synagogue rolls. (Psalms 40:7; Jeremiah 36:14; Ezekiel 2:9; Zechariah 5:1) The original character in which the text was expressed is that still preserved to us, with the exception of four letters, on the M”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Scripture — Invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:15, 16; John 20:9; Gal. 3:22; 2 Pet. 1:20). It was God's purpose thus to perpetuate his revealed will. From time to time he raised up men to commit to writing in an infallible record the revelation he gave. The "Scripture," or collection of sacred writings, was thus enlarged from time to time as God saw necessary. We have now a completed "Scripture," consisting of the Old and New Testa”
Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Version — A translation of the holy Scriptures. This word is not found in the Bible, nevertheless, as frequent references are made in this work to various ancient as well as modern versions, it is fitting that some brief account should be given of the most important of these. These versions are important helps to the right interpretation of the Word. (See SAMARITAN [653]PENTATEUCH.) 1. The Targums. After the return from the Captivity, the Jews, no longer familiar with the old Hebrew, required that their Scriptures should be translated for them into the Chaldaic or Ar”
Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: New Testament — It is proposed in this article to consider the text of the New Testament. The subject naturally divides itself into-- I. The history of the written text; II. The history of the printed text. I. THE HISTORY OF THE WRITTEN TEXT.-- + The early history of the apostolic writings externally, as far as it can be traced, is the same as that of other contemporary books. St. Paul, like Cicero or Pliny often employed the services of an amanuensis, to whom he dictated his letters, affixing the salutation "with his own hand." (1 Corinthians 16:21; 2 Thessalonians 3”
Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Against Apion, Introduction, section 1: Produced by David Reed AGAINST APION. [1] By Flavius Josephus Translated by William Whiston BOOK 1. 1. I Suppose that by my books of the Antiquity of the Jews, most excellent Epaphroditus, [2] have made it evident to those who peruse them, that our Jewish nation is of very great antiquity, and had a distinct subsistence of its own originally; as also, I have therein declared how we came to inhabit this country wherein we now live. Those Antiquities contain the history of five thousand years, and are taken out of our sacred books, but ar”
1 Timothy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Timothy 4:13: Till I come--when Timothy's commission would be superseded for the time by the presence of the apostle himself (Ti1 1:3; Ti1 3:14). reading--especially in the public congregation. The practice of reading Scripture was transferred from the Jewish synagogue to the Christian Church (Luk 4:16-20; Act 13:15; Act 15:21; Co2 3:14). The New Testament Gospel and Epistles being recognized as inspired by those who had the gift of discerning spirits, were from the first, according as they were written, read along with the Old Testament in the Church (Th1 5:21”
1 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 14:13: Pray that he may interpret - Let him who speaks or reads the prophetic declarations in the Old Testament, in that tongue in which they were originally spoken and written, pray to God that he may so understand them himself, and receive the gift of interpretation, that he may be able to explain them in all their depth and latitude to others.”
2 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Timothy 3:16: 3:16-17 These verses elaborate on 3:15 by explaining Scripture’s effectiveness, its source, and the ways that it gives wisdom to live out our salvation. Paul was speaking of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), but his statement can now apply to all Scripture, including the New Testament (see, e.g., 2 Pet 3:15-16). 3:16 The fact that Scripture is inspired by God (literally God-breathed, breathed out by God’s own speech; see also Heb 4:12-13; 2 Pet 1:20-21) does not negate the active involvement of the human authors. But it does affirm that God is fully re”
1 Samuel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 17:12: The 12th verse, to the 31st inclusive, are wanting in the Septuagint; as also the 41st verse; and from the 54th to the end; with the first five verses of 1 Samuel 18, and the 9th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th, and 19th of the same. All these parts are found in the Codex Alexandrinus; but it appears that the MS. from which the Codex Alexandrinus was copied, had them not. See observations at the end of this chapter, Sa1 17:58 (note). Dr. Kennicott has rendered it very probable that these portions are not a genuine part of the text. Notwithstanding what Bishop Warburton a”
2 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Timothy 3:14: 3:14-15 from childhood: Timothy’s Jewish grandmother and mother, Lois and Eunice (see Acts 16:1-3), provided his education in the Old Testament Scriptures (see 2 Tim 1:5), and their lives reinforced their teaching. • The Old Testament Scriptures give the wisdom to receive . . . Christ Jesus. In turn, Jesus Christ is needed to understand the Old Testament Scriptures fully.”
Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 15:4: 15:4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us: All that God caused to be recorded in the Old Testament has supreme relevance to believers, who experience the fulfillment of God’s plan.”

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