Biblical Hermeneutics Glossary

The science and art of interpreting texts, especially the Scriptures. It establishes the principles and methods for correctly understanding the meaning of a biblical text in its original context and applying it to the present.

From the Greek exēgeisthai ("to lead out"). The process of extracting the original meaning of a biblical text through analysis of the historical, literary, grammatical, and theological context. It stands in direct opposition to eisegesis.

From the Greek eisēgeisthai ("to lead into"). The erroneous practice of reading the biblical text based on preconceived ideas, imposing a meaning that does not arise from the text but from the reader. It is the most frequent interpretive error.

Doctrine that affirms that the biblical writers were guided by the Holy Spirit in such a way that what they wrote constitutes the Word of God. It does not imply mechanical dictation but divine influence that preserved God's intention and message.

Work of the Holy Spirit that enables the believer to understand and apply the Scriptures. Unlike inspiration (unique to the biblical authors), illumination is continuous and available to every reader of the Bible.

Act by which God makes Himself known. It is distinguished into general revelation (nature, conscience, history — accessible to all) and special revelation (Scriptures, Christ — necessary for salvation).

From the Greek kanōn ("rule, measuring rod"). Official list of books recognized as inspired Scripture. The Protestant canon has 66 books (39 OT + 27 NT); the Catholic canon also includes the deuterocanonical books.

Indispensable frame of reference for correctly interpreting a text: historical (time period, culture, author, recipients), literary (genre, structure, paragraph), and theological (place in God's redemptive plan).

Doctrine that affirms that the Bible, in its original autographs, is free from error in everything it affirms. The infallibility is a broader concept: the Bible cannot fail in its redemptive purpose.

Set of assumptions, experiences, and beliefs that the reader brings to the text before reading it. Gadamer speaks of a "fusion of horizons": the interpreter must be aware of their preunderstanding so as not to distort the reading.

The original manuscript written by the biblical author. No autograph exists today; what we have are copies (manuscripts). The doctrine of inerrancy applies strictly to the autographs, not to copies or translations.

German expression meaning "setting in life." It describes the original social, cultural, and liturgical context in which a text or literary genre arose. A key concept in form criticism.

Inductive method of Bible study in three steps: Observation (What does the text say?), Interpretation (What does it mean?) and Application (What should I do?). It is the most taught method in evangelical seminaries and study groups.

An interpretive approach that seeks the original meaning of the text by considering its historical context (era, culture, author) and its grammatical structure (words, syntax, original language). It is the standard method of evangelical hermeneutics.

Identifies people, events, or institutions of the OT (types) that prefigure realities of the NT (antitype). Unlike allegory, typology respects the historical meaning of the type and recognizes the explicit fulfillment in the NT.

Seeks a hidden spiritual meaning behind the literal sense. Used by Origen and the Alexandrian Fathers. It has value in explicitly allegorical texts (Galatians 4:24), but its indiscriminate use distorts the biblical message.

Discipline that studies the biblical manuscripts to determine the original text. It compares variants among manuscripts, papyri, and ancient versions to reconstruct the text closest to the autograph.

It studies how the biblical authors edited and organized their sources to communicate a specific theological message. The evangelists did not merely collect facts: they presented them with defined theological purposes.

Principle that affirms that the text should be interpreted according to its natural and ordinary sense, taking into account the literary genre. It is not hyper-literalism: it is respecting what the author intended to communicate in his context.

Analyzes texts as stories with a narrative structure: setting, characters, plot, conflict, climax, and resolution. Recognizes that the narrative form itself carries theological meaning.

A method that starts from the text itself to reach conclusions, rather than imposing a prior doctrinal framework. It stands opposed to the deductive method. It includes careful observation, asking questions of the text, and evidence-based interpretation.

In the application process, it is necessary to distinguish between what was cultural/situational in the original text and the eternal principle that underlies it and does apply to all times and cultures.

Predominant genre in the Bible (~40% of the text). It recounts historical events with a theological purpose. Not all narrative is prescriptive (a model to follow); many are descriptive (a record of what happened, not necessarily divine approval).

It uses parallelism, imagery, and rhythm to express theological truths and human emotions. The Hebrew parallelism is its main characteristic: synonymous (repeats the idea), antithetical (contrasts) and synthetic (expands). It includes Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs and Lamentations.

It includes messages from God through prophets with two functions: forthtelling (prophetic denunciation of the present) and foretelling (prediction of the future). Not all prophecy is predictive: much of it is the application of the law to the prophet's historical context.

Formal letter of the NT addressed to specific churches or individuals. It follows the Greco-Roman format: greeting, thanksgiving, doctrinal body, practical exhortations, and farewell. Interpreting it correctly requires knowing the occasion and the recipients.

It uses visions, symbols, and figurative language to reveal heavenly realities or future events. It arose in contexts of persecution to give hope. It requires understanding the cultural symbolism of the OT before interpreting it literally.

Reflects on life, suffering, justice, and the created order. It includes Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Proverbs are general principles, not absolute promises or individual guarantees.

It includes the legal codes of the Pentateuch: moral law (the Ten Commandments), ceremonial law (sacrifices, purity), and civil law (Israel's governance). For the Christian, each category has a distinct hermeneutical status.

A short narrative that illustrates a spiritual truth through a comparison with everyday situations. Jesus used ~40 parables. Key hermeneutical rule: each parable has one central point; the details are scenery, not doctrine.

Literary structure in mirror form (A-B-C-B'-A') where the elements correspond symmetrically and the central point is the main theological emphasis. Very common in the Hebrew literature of the OT.

Defining characteristic of Hebrew poetry. Three main types: synonymous (the second line repeats the idea with other words), antithetical (the second line contrasts with the first) and synthetic (the second line expands on or completes the first).

"Word," "reason," or "discourse." In John 1:1-14 it describes Christ as the eternal Word of God, preexistent and creative. It connects divine revelation with the Greek philosophy of logos as the ordering principle of the universe.

Unconditional, sacrificial, and volitional love. Distinct from eros (romantic) and philia (friendship). In the NT it describes God's love for humanity and the love believers are to have for one another, independent of merit or feeling.

Appointed time, decisive moment charged with meaning. Distinct from chronos (chronological and sequential time). In the NT it describes the time of salvation: the moment when God acts decisively in human history.

"Faith," "trust," or "faithfulness." It is not merely intellectual assent: it includes personal trust and active loyalty. The related verb pisteuō (to believe) appears 248 times in the NT, more than in any other ancient Greek corpus.

"Spirit," "wind," or "breath." The Greek equivalent of the Hebrew ruach. It describes the Holy Spirit, the human spirit, and at times the wind. The context determines which of the three meanings applies in each passage.

Hebrew term with no exact translation into English. It combines love, loyalty, mercy, and faithfulness in the context of a covenant relationship. It describes God's committed and unwavering love toward His people, even when they fail.

It goes far beyond "absence of conflict": it means fullness, complete well-being, and harmony in all relationships (with God, with others, with creation). It is the state of flourishing that God designed for His creation and that Christ came to restore.

"Spirit," "wind," or "breath of life." It describes the physical wind, human breath, and the Spirit of God. In Genesis 1:2 the ruach of God moves over the waters; in the NT it is translated as pneuma.

"Word," "matter," or "event." In Hebrew thought, the word of God is not just sound: it is effective action that accomplishes what it declares. The word of God creates, judges, heals, and fulfills. It connects directly with the logos from the prologue of John.

"Truth," "faithfulness," or "firmness." In the OT, truth is not merely a philosophical concept but a relational quality: something or someone is emet when it is reliable, stable, and fulfills what it promises. Root of amen.

"Glory," literally "weight" or "heaviness." The glory of God is His manifest presence, His honor, and His revealed character. In the NT it is translated as doxa (Greek). The glory of God is the ultimate end of all creation and redemption.

"Justice" or "righteousness." A central term in Paul's epistles. It describes both the righteous character of God and the righteousness that God imputes to the believer through faith in Christ. It is the basis of the doctrine of justification.

Discipline that studies the progressive development of God's revelation through biblical history, respecting the canonical order. It is distinguished from systematic theology, which organizes doctrines by themes that cut across the entire Bible.

The unified biblical account of salvation: creation → fall → redemption in Christ → consummation. It is the metanarrative that gives coherence to all 66 books and the hermeneutical framework for interpreting each passage in its proper place.

Study of the final events and the destiny of humanity: the second coming, resurrection, final judgment, new heavens and new earth. In the NT it has the tension of "already but not yet": the kingdom has already come in Christ, but awaits its full consummation.

"Fuller sense": the additional meaning that God may have deposited in a text beyond what the human author consciously understood. A debated concept: it must be used with caution so as not to open the door to subjective readings.

Hermeneutical principle holding that the Scriptures do not contradict one another: an obscure passage must be interpreted in light of clear passages. The interpretation of any text must be consistent with the overall message of the Bible.

The study of the doctrine of salvation. It includes: election, calling, regeneration, conversion, justification, adoption, sanctification, and glorification. Each term describes a distinct aspect of God's redemptive act in Christ.

Study of the person and work of Jesus Christ: His divine and human nature (hypostatic union), His incarnation, ministry, atoning death, resurrection, and exaltation. It is the center of all Christian theology.

Study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit: His deity, personality, ministries (conviction, regeneration, illumination, sanctification), and gifts. Fundamental for understanding biblical hermeneutics from a Christian perspective.

A solemn agreement between God and His people that defines the relationship, the obligations, and the promises. The Bible is structured around progressive covenants: Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and the New Covenant in Christ.

An attempt to justify the goodness and justice of God in the face of the existence of evil and suffering. It is not a problem that the Bible resolves with philosophical arguments, but rather it addresses it from trust in the character of God.

Specialized dictionary of the biblical languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) that defines the semantic range of each word according to its actual usage in texts from the period. The most used: BDAG (NT Greek) and HALOT (OT Hebrew).

Exhaustive index of every word in the Bible with its references. It allows you to study how a term is used throughout Scripture. The best known: Strong (with original word numbering), Young REFX Cruden's.

A work that explains a biblical book verse by verse. Types: expository (pastoral application), critical (academic analysis of the text), technical (I work in the original languages). Golden rule: use it after your own study.

Greek translation of the Hebrew OT made in Alexandria (3rd-1st centuries BC). It is the version most often cited by the NT authors and the one used by the diaspora synagogues. Key to understanding how the NT interprets the OT.

A handwritten copy of a biblical text. The most important: Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Vaticanus, Bodmer Papyri, and Chester Beatty Papyri. There are more than 5,800 Greek manuscripts of the NT, the basis of all modern textual criticism.

From the Greek "said only once." A word that appears only once in the entire Bible (or in a specific corpus). It poses interpretive challenges because its use in other passages cannot be compared to determine its meaning.

From the Greek "to cut around." A section or biblical passage that forms a complete unit of thought. The pericope is the minimal unit of interpretation: one should never interpret an isolated verse without understanding the complete pericope to which it belongs.

The relationship that a biblical text establishes with other texts of the same Scripture through direct quotations, allusions, or thematic echoes. The NT is saturated with intertextuality with the OT: understanding it deeply enriches interpretation.

Digital platforms that integrate Bibles in the original languages, lexicons, concordances, commentaries, and grammatical analysis tools. They democratize access to academic resources that previously required specialized libraries.

Two main approaches: formal equivalence (word for word, more literal: KJV, NASB, ESV) and dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought, more readable: NIV, NLT, The Message). Each approach has advantages depending on the purpose of reading.