Why Context matters
The Bible is one of the most important books in human history. It has shaped cultures, influenced laws, and provided the foundation for how much of the Western world views life and faith. But here’s the thing, it wasn’t written with our culture in mind. Theologian John Walton says, “The Bible was written for us but not to us.” The Bible was written thousands of years ago in a world vastly different from ours, the ancient Near East. If we want to truly understand the message of Scripture, we need to start by understanding how the people of that time thought. It’s easy to assume they had the same concerns and questions we do, but their world was different, and so were their priorities.
How Ancient People Thought
When we approach the Bible, it’s easy to think ancient people must have been asking the same questions we ask about life, the universe, and everything in between. But their mindset was shaped by their context. Today, we’re used to thinking about topics like the structure of the solar system, biology, or even something like the Big Bang. We think in terms of science and technology. But the ancient Israelites didn’t have access to that knowledge. Their world wasn’t filled with debates about quantum mechanics or physics.
Instead, their thoughts centered around questions of theology, ethics, and the order of life. The Bible reflects that. So, when we read Scripture, we need to remember that it’s not concerned with modern scientific questions, it’s addressing the concerns and realities of the ancient world. This shift in mindset helps us let the Bible say what it wants to say, without imposing our modern assumptions on it.
Translations: A World of Difference
Another thing we need to be aware of when we read the Bible is that it wasn’t originally written in English or any modern language. It was written in ancient languages like Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. What we read today is a translation, and while translations are extremely helpful, they can only take us so far.
A translation gives us the gist of what the original authors were saying, but it can’t always capture the full meaning. Think of it like this: the Bible was written in a world that was 10 or 12 cultures removed from our own. It’s like reading a letter that has been passed through many different hands before it reaches us. We can understand the basic message, but we might miss some of the deeper layers. This is where scholarship helps fill in the gaps, giving us a better understanding of the cultures, languages, and customs that shaped the Bible.
For example, English is a language that revolves around nouns, we focus a lot on objects, places, and things. But in Hebrew, verbs are the central focus. This means that ancient Hebrew often describes the world through actions and processes rather than static objects. This difference in language reflects a deeper cultural difference in what people thought was important. When we ask, “What is that thing?” the ancient Hebrew mind was more likely to ask, “What is this doing?” or “What’s happening here?”
The Richness of Hebrew
Another key to understanding the Bible is realizing that ancient Hebrew doesn’t work like modern languages, especially English. Hebrew is a language with a smaller vocabulary, but that doesn’t mean it’s simplistic, quite the opposite! Hebrew packs a lot of meaning into fewer words. One Hebrew word can have multiple meanings depending on how it’s used and what vowels are added to it. This gives Hebrew a rich tapestry of meaning, where words often have double meanings or even hidden layers of interpretation.
In English, double meanings might pop up as clever puns or wordplay, for example “I used to be a baker, but I couldn’t make enough dough” or “The best way to stop a charging bull is to take away his credit card,” but in Hebrew, it’s a normal part of communication. This means that when we read the Bible in translation, we might miss some of the deeper, poetic richness that was obvious to the original audience.
Why This Matters
So why is all of this important? Because if we’re going to understand the Bible deeply, we need to approach it with an awareness of the world in which it was written. The Bible is not just a static text; it’s a living story that was shaped by the ancient cultures and languages that produced it.
As modern readers, we need to take a step back and let the Bible speak on its own terms. This means setting aside some of our modern assumptions about the world and trying to hear the text as its original audience would have. It’s a challenge, but it’s also a beautiful invitation to dive deeper into God’s Word and discover the richness that has shaped the faith for thousands of years.
In future posts, we will dive into specific cultural concepts and how understanding them helps unlock the deeper meaning of different parts of the Bible. This is just the beginning!