Biblical Word Study

Word study is important, as words are the fundamental mechanism for conveying thought. But a single word does not function independently and is of little communicative value apart from a broader context. Therefore, the aim of word study is to try to understand what the inspired author was seeking to convey by his use of a particular word in a particular context.¹

Selecting Which Words to Study²

It is not practical to do an in-depth study of every single word in a lengthy text, but certain words ought to capture our attention more than others. Here are some basic guidelines for word-study selection: 

·      Words that are central to the passage, without which the message would lose its meaning, purpose, or emphasis; e.g. “love” in John 21:15-19, or “faith” in the 11th chapter of Hebrews.

·      Repeated words, indicative of a theme or special emphasis; e.g. “blessed” in Matt. 5:1-12, or “conscience” in 1 Cor. 8:7-12; 10:25-29, or “comfort” in 2 Cor. 1:3-7.

·      Figures of speech, wherein word pictures convey a meaning beyond the literal sense; e.g. “bread” in John 6:35, “light” in John 8:12, “door” in John 10:9, etc.

·      Words that are unclear or difficult; e.g. “phylacteries” in Matt. 23:5, or “not under bondage” in 1 Cor. 7:15, or “vessel” in 1 Thess. 4:4.

As exegetes our job is not to determine the meanings of biblical words but to contextually discover the meanings as originally intended.³ Let us also be aware, “as important as word studies are, it is very doubtful if profound understanding of any text or of any theme is really possible by word studies alone …. semantics, meaning, is more than the meaning of words.”⁴ In our next post we will list a number of recommended word-study tools.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Gordon D. Fee, New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors. 3rd ed. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2002): 79.

     ² See J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays. Grasping God’s Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible. 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012): 167-70; also Grant R. Osborne, The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Rev. ed. (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2006): 109-10.

     ³ Duvall and Hays 163.

     ⁴ D. A. Carson, Exegetical Fallacies. 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996): 64.

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