Purpose: To research a biblical passage in greater depth; provide its literary, historical and theological contexts; and offer a thoughtful and organized presentation of the passage’s interpretation and significance.
Book of Judges Chapter 2, verses 1-23
– You should look at one word-for-word, one thought-for-thought and one blended approach in order to get a perspective on the translation issues/concerns. This is note differences in translation in different Bibles. The website, www.biblegateway.com, provides an option to view multiple versions simultaneously
– Then, read the immediate (literary) context for your passage. What comes before the text? What comes immediately after the text? Where does the passage fall in the overall flow/ argument of the book? Write this out. Note any key words or repetition, any literary structures or other literary techniques you observe.
Suggestions:
(a) First, consult a Bible dictionary to explain any words that you did not understand. The Anchor Bible Dictionary and IVP Dictionary (of the Old Testament, of Jesus and the Gospels, of Paul and His Leaders) are two excellent options with articles that explain difficult concepts/terms (such as the kingdom of God, conquest of Canaan and the Hebrew concept of harem, and the Gospel of Thomas). These academic resources contain brief topical subjects which can provide very succinct yet informative background information.
(b) Next, consult a background commentary for your biblical book. There are now books that are dedicated to specific genres, and there are standards that introduce the historical, cultural, geographical contexts of the Old and New Testaments (e.g., Yohanan Aharoni’s The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography, The Zondervan Atlas of the Bible (Carl Rasmussen) or Thomas Brisco’s Holman Bible Atlas) or (e.g, .John Walton’s IVP Bible Background Commentary: OT, Craig Keener’s IVP Bible Background Commentary: NT). (c) Now, turn to a few key commentaries for your biblical book. Limit your selection to 4 commentaries (at least four academic commentaries are required). Commentaries provide much more detail on your specific book (compared with the dictionaries