Scripture

The purpose of this project is to properly interpret a biblical text. You can do this! If you follow these steps, you will become a biblical exegete.

Read your pericope carefully in your translation of choice. Notice the context. Have these verses been placed here for a reason? How does the broader context help you to interpret the individual verses?
Read the text in two more translations. You might want to use the Douay-Rheims to get an idea of how Saint Jerome translated it in the Latin Vulgate. Record which translations you have compared with your initial translation. Then, if there are significant differences between them, highlight them and comment on them. (Explain what different conclusions you might reach depending on which translation you used).
Form an initial opinion/interpretation. Share your initial response to the text in your work.
Do a word study. Here are the steps that I want you to follow.
? Select at least five words that you think are significant to the proper interpretation of the text.
? Look them up in a concordance.
? Record anything that is interesting to you about how these words are used in other passages of Scripture. Does it shed light on your text? Let me know!
? Now look up these same words in a Bible dictionary. I recommend the “Anchor Bible Dictionary.”
Go and see what at least three commentaries have said about your text. Respond to their interpretation, and tell me whether or not you agree with them based upon your own personal study. Share what you think the commentators have contributed to our appreciation of the text, as well.
Now, at last, you should know enough about the text to venture an interpretation of the passage: tell me what you think it means.