The Bible Interprets Itself: Methods of Inner-Biblical Interpretation

Many believe that the process of interpreting the Bible began only after its writing and editing had been completed, but this is not the case. The writing of the various biblical books spanned hundreds of years, and a rich dialogue, interpretive in nature, takes place among the different texts. There is hardly a literary unit in the Bible that does not interpret another unit or is not interpreted by it. It seems that the interpretive process began with the transition from oral to written literature, when the writers adapted ancient traditions to their own world of beliefs and ideas.

In this series, we will examine the different methods of interpretation and their motivations. We will discuss inner-biblical interpretation and the point at which the interpretive process began; the interpretation of words and names; the proximity of passages as an interpretive tool; the interpretation of law; and the interpretation of proverbs in narrative, prophetic, and wisdom literature. We will compare the interpretive methods found in the Bible with those familiar to us from post-biblical literature, particularly the literature of the Second Temple period and rabbinic literature.

Yair Zakovitch is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Bible Studies at the Hebrew University. His research areas include the Bible as literature, inner-biblical interpretation, and early biblical interpretation.