This series is designed to help people better understand the Bible and how it speaks to us. Read the series Introduction post to learn how this series is designed to help you.

Our previous post discussed how meaning resides with the author and that ‘context’ is something we rely on to interpret an author’s meaning.

Let’s dive deeper into how that works.

What Is Context?

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines “context” as, “the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed.”

Let’s break that down just a bit. According to that definition, context is a setting for an event, statement or idea. Okay, that makes sense. The 4th of July is a significant day in the United States, but the British might not share that same sentiment. The degree to which that day is celebrated depends on which nation you’re in. Thus, context matters.

Looking back at our above definition, ideas are also dependent upon their setting. An idea presented in a newspaper article should be viewed differently than the same idea presented in a book of poetry. It may mean something completely different.

When it comes to the Bible, there are two chief categories of context: Historical/Cultural and Literary. Let’s take a look at these categories to help us better understand Biblical communication.

Historical/Cultural Context

Historical/Cultural Context helps us understand the Biblical characters as historical figures in historical settings. Consider David as an example. What was it like to be the youngest son and a shepherd in ancient Israel? What opportunities were available to him? What did he expect from life? What were the philosophical and religious ideas of his day and culture? Answering these questions helps us better understand David and what he did as a character within the Biblical narrative.

Additionally, we need to understand the Historical/Cultural context of the Biblical writer. Who wrote 1 & 2 Samuel? Frankly, we don’t know. Whoever it was, what did they want us to conclude about David? How was David perceived by the Biblical writer? So, you see, historical and cultural context is like an onion: there are many layers to it. Our overall understanding of the Biblical material increases as we better understand the circumstances contained within those various levels.

Literary Context

If Historical/Cultural Context refers to why the Biblical writers wrote, then Literary context refers to what and how they wrote.

In the case of David, Literary Context informs us as to what the story is and how that story is presented. What information did the Biblical writer include? Why did he include that information? Why was it presented in this way? How does the narrative move forward and flow? Answering these questions helps us better understand the composition of the Biblical story and better discern its meaning.

Furthermore, Literary Context informs us about the rules the writer used when writing. Is the passage a narrative? Poetry? Prophecy? An Epistle? Each of these genres uses slightly different rules and techniques for conveying meaning. For example, poetry uses artistic imagery, and epistles use logically structured arguments. Imposing the rules of one genre on another will cause confusion, and will prohibit us from correctly understanding what the writer meant. Reading and studying within the rules of Literary Context helps us focus on what the Biblical writers, and by extension, God Himself, meant.¹

Context Conclusion

Context is vital to developing a proper understanding of the Bible, but it’s not always easy to discern. I can’t tell you that x+y=z when it comes to studying context. The best way to describe it is that it is like spaghetti. Everything overlaps and is entangled and wrapped up with everything else. The Biblical writers were inspired to write what they wrote, but that inspiration includes their historical and cultural circumstances. These circumstances influence, why, what, and how they wrote — they wrote from a historical milieu for a historical milieu. All these variables work together to determine what the writers meant by what they wrote. Discovering that meaning is the Bible student’s pursuit.

Happy Bibleing!

Footnotes

1. For example, it is telling that David’s life and actions are presented in the form of a narrative that also includes his failures instead of an epic poem that paints him as a grandiose hero of epic / divine origins. David is not Beowulf or Gilgamesh. This simple observation about the distinction between David’s narrative and epic poetry carries significant implications that we are meant to understand. ↩︎