Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

How to interpret the Bible?
RAMcGough
Site Admin
Posts: 139
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2025 6:18 pm
Contact:

Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by RAMcGough »

Alex wrote: Thu Feb 26, 2026 4:02 pm I think Hermeneutics (How to interpret the Bible?) is a bit unnecessary as my opinion is that the Bible interprets itself.
However, if that category is there to explain difficult verses then I see the point of it.
Alex,

Hermeneutics is literally the "science of interpretation".

The Bible is made of words. Words must be interpreted. I can't think of any study more important than Hermeneutics. How do you understand all the different interpretations between sincere believers? Do you feel like all your personal interpretations are infallible?

Looking forward to an awesome discussion here in our brand new Hermeneutics forum.

Richard
Praising God all the day long!
Alex
Posts: 406
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2025 8:31 am
Location: Norway
Contact:

Re: Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by Alex »

I used to study at The Restored Church of God's website rcg.org and that is generally the best church I know for Biblical knowledge.
And their standpoint is that the Bible interprets itself when it comes to prophecy.
That was what I really meant. So yeah I can understand that you reacted to that one.

I just mixed it up there but then I remembered that it was the Bible interpreting itself regarding prophecy.
owner of 777codes.com
RAMcGough
Site Admin
Posts: 139
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2025 6:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by RAMcGough »

Alex wrote: Thu Feb 26, 2026 4:25 pm I used to study at The Restored Church of God's website rcg.org and that is generally the best church I know for Biblical knowledge.
And their standpoint is that the Bible interprets itself when it comes to prophecy.
That was what I really meant. So yeah I can understand that you reacted to that one.

I just mixed it up there but then I remembered that it was the Bible interpreting itself regarding prophecy.
Thanks for the explanation. But it's really funny, because prophecy is the most disputed aspect of the whole Bible. I read the other day that 98% of Christians agree to the Nicene Creed. We can't say that about Bible prophecy! It's common for Christians to agree about nearly everything except prophecy.
Praising God all the day long!
Geert van den Bos
Posts: 216
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2025 2:01 am

Re: Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by Geert van den Bos »

Luke 24:27 has the risen Jesus interpret the Hebrew bible for the travelers to Emmaus

καὶ ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν προφητῶν διερμήνευσεν αὐτοῖς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς γραφαῖς τὰ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ.
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

διερμηνεύω - to interpret
https://biblehub.com/greek/1329.htm


from "dia" and "hermeneuo"

ἑρμηνεύω = to translate
https://biblehub.com/greek/2059.htm

ἑρμηνευτὴς = translator

LXX Genesis 42:23 has ἑρμηνευτὴς for Hebrew הַמֵּלִ֖יץ,
αὐτοὶ δὲ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν ὅτι ἀκούει Ιωσηφ· ὁ γὰρ ἑρμηνευτὴς ἀνὰ μέσον αὐτῶν ἦν.
Hebrew
וְהֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ יוֹסֵ֑ף כִּ֥י הַמֵּלִ֖יץ בֵּֽינֹתָֽם

Rashi https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cd ... rashi/true
for the interpreter was between them. For whenever they spoke with him, the interpreter, who knew both Hebrew and Egyptian, was between them, and he would interpret their words for Joseph and Joseph’s words for them. Therefore, they thought that Joseph did not understand Hebrew.

Hebrew and Egyptian are fundamentally different languages!
Hebrew is "the holy tongue" ("lshon hakodesh") written with the 22 letters "from Alef to Tav" (the holy script)

Rashi: הַמֵּלִיץ. זֶה מְנַשֶּׁה
the interpreter. This was Manasseh.
("menasheh" written with the same letters as "neshamah"= heavenly soul)

In Hebrew translations from Greek NT the Paraclete is translated with הַמֵּלִיץ.

John 14:26 ὁ δὲ παράκλητος, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὃ πέμψει ὁ πατὴρ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐκεῖνος ὑμᾶς διδάξει πάντα καὶ ὑπομνήσει ὑμᾶς πάντα ἃ εἶπον ὑμῖν [ἐγώ].
https://www.sarshalom.us/resources/scri ... hn.html#14
But the Comforter, [even] the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.
וְהַמֵּלִיץ הוּא רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִשְׁלָחֵהוּ הָאָב בִּשְׁמִי יְלַמֶּדְכֶם אֶת־כֹּל וְאָז תִּזְכְּרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־הִגַּדְתִּי לָכֶם

The Paraclete being the risen Jesus!
https://biblehub.com/greek/3875.htm

the third person of trinity

without third person no trinity ;)
RAMcGough
Site Admin
Posts: 139
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2025 6:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by RAMcGough »

Geert van den Bos wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 12:30 am Luke 24:27 has the risen Jesus interpret the Hebrew bible for the travelers to Emmaus

καὶ ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν προφητῶν διερμήνευσεν αὐτοῖς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς γραφαῖς τὰ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ.
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

διερμηνεύω - to interpret
https://biblehub.com/greek/1329.htm


from "dia" and "hermeneuo"

ἑρμηνεύω = to translate
https://biblehub.com/greek/2059.htm

ἑρμηνευτὴς = translator
Thanks Geert. Now everyone can see that the word "hermeneutics" comes straight from the Greek.
image.png
Geert van den Bos wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 12:30 am The Paraclete being the risen Jesus!
https://biblehub.com/greek/3875.htm

the third person of trinity

without third person no trinity ;)
LOL = that's hilarious. You've committed a classic hermeneutical error in this thread discussing hermeneutics. The fact that the same word can be used to describe Jesus and the Holy Spirit does not mean they are the same Divine Person. But the fact that the Holy Spirit is called both the "Spirit of God" and the "Spirit of Jesus" is a pretty good argument for the divinity of Jesus, which is a central aspect of the doctrine of the Trinity.

And while we are speaking of the Trinity, what do you think about the Shema? It is designed on four nested multiples of 13 (echad), which is the value of its central claim:

13 = One/Echad
13 x 2 = YHVH
13 x 3 = YHVH echad = The Lord is ONE = 3 x 13 = 3 x ONE => The Doctrine of the Trinity
13 x 86 = 1118 = Sum of Shema = ONE (13) x GOD (86)

I call this the Unity Holograph.I think this is one of the most stunning holographs God encoded in the Bible. What do you think?

Richard
Praising God all the day long!
Geert van den Bos
Posts: 216
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2025 2:01 am

Re: Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by Geert van den Bos »

RAMcGough wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 10:21 am

LOL = that's hilarious. You've committed a classic hermeneutical error in this thread discussing hermeneutics. The fact that the same word can be used to describe Jesus and the Holy Spirit does not mean they are the same Divine Person. But the fact that the Holy Spirit is called both the "Spirit of God" and the "Spirit of Jesus" is a pretty good argument for the divinity of Jesus, which is a central aspect of the doctrine of the Trinity.
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print ... he-trinity

Jesus repeatedly speaks of the Holy Spirit as a Paraclete whom he will send to help us: “The Advocate [parakletos], the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name-he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:26; cf. 15:26, 16:7-8).

A facet of the Greek text not obvious in translation is that in the three verses just mentioned (and others), Jesus applies the masculine pronoun ekeinos to the Holy Spirit. The personal character of a paraclete is further illustrated by the fact that Jesus also serves as our Paraclete before the Father: “My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an Advocate [parakletos] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1)
Geert van den Bos
Posts: 216
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2025 2:01 am

Re: Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by Geert van den Bos »

RAMcGough wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 10:21 am

And while we are speaking of the Trinity, what do you think about the Shema? It is designed on four nested multiples of 13 (echad), which is the value of its central claim:

"shema" = hear!

I bet this resounds in

"whoever has ears to hear let him hear" (Mark 4:9, Ὃς ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω )

you might know very well that the parbale of the sower turns around the hundredfold yield
(Mark 4:8, καὶ ἄλλα ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν καλήν, καὶ ἐδίδου καρπὸν ἀναβαίνοντα καὶ αὐξανόμενα, καὶ ἔφερεν ἓν τριάκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν. )

and that "hundredfold" = Hebrew "meah shearim" with gematria 666.

In the Hebrew bible the letter "ayin" ,last letter of "shema", is written large -- it is an "ayin gadol" = Greek Omega -- great eye
Also the letter "dalet", last letter of "echad" is written large - "dalet gadol"- great door

Gematria of "delet" (= door) is 434.
434 happens to be the amount of words with which Genesis 1 is written, "hashishi"in Genesis 1:31 being the 434th.

"the door of perception of heaven and hell" ;)

since "hashishi" without the letter "hey" would turn "yom hashishi" into "yom shishi" with gematria 666, and the name of God "hashem" in the initialletters of "yom hashishi vay'chullu hahsmayim" wouidn't be there - wouldn't be one -- The profane (sixth day) an the holy (seventh day) would be two .

A jew on his deathbed would try to speak the "shema" in such a way that his last breath goes with the "duh" of "echad"

I thought this also to be the thought behind Simeon in Luke 2 ( so called after "shim'on" son of Jacob = the one who hears)

v.29, Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ·
RAMcGough
Site Admin
Posts: 139
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2025 6:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by RAMcGough »

Geert van den Bos wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 11:18 am "shema" = hear!

I bet this resounds in

"whoever has ears to hear let him hear" (Mark 4:9, Ὃς ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω )
Yes indeed! Christ and the Jews agree, the Shema is the "greatest commandment". And in it God His names:

13 x 2 = 26 = YHVH
43 x 2 = 86 = Elohim
13 x 43 = Ο Πατηρ (The Father)

2 = 13 x 43 = 1118 = The Sum of the Shema => 111 x 8 = 888 = ΙΗΣΟΥΣ (JESUS)

111 = Aleph!

The name above all names = JESUS = rings with the resonance of God. Like a trinity of octaves reminding everyone of that he makes all things new.
Geert van den Bos wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 11:18 am you might know very well that the parbale of the sower turns around the hundredfold yield
(Mark 4:8, καὶ ἄλλα ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν καλήν, καὶ ἐδίδου καρπὸν ἀναβαίνοντα καὶ αὐξανόμενα, καὶ ἔφερεν ἓν τριάκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν. )

and that "hundredfold" = Hebrew "meah shearim" with gematria 666.
And you know that Solomon collected 666 talents of gold each year:
image.png
See https://biblewheel.com/GR/GR_666.php
Geert van den Bos wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 11:18 am In the Hebrew bible the letter "ayin" ,last letter of "shema", is written large -- it is an "ayin gadol" = Greek Omega -- great eye
Also the letter "dalet", last letter of "echad" is written large - "dalet gadol"- great door
Yes because that spells Ayin Dalet = ED (Witness) to God's Unity.

Deu 5:20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness (ed) against thy neighbour.

And again:

Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

This forms a primary link between Bible Book 43 and Isaiah 43. It is a mathematical projection from the 3D Bible to the 2D image in the Book of Isaiah:
image.png
image.png (41.51 KiB) Viewed 5270 times
The exact Greek of Isaiah 43:10 LLX is reproduced in the text of John 10:37f (TR) and it appears nowhere else in any Scripture. God designed this as a sign so that YOU may know and believe the Jesus is the Christ, the "I AM" that spoke in Isaiah 43:10.
Praising God all the day long!
RAMcGough
Site Admin
Posts: 139
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2025 6:18 pm
Contact:

Re: Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by RAMcGough »

Geert van den Bos wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 10:48 am
RAMcGough wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 10:21 am

LOL = that's hilarious. You've committed a classic hermeneutical error in this thread discussing hermeneutics. The fact that the same word can be used to describe Jesus and the Holy Spirit does not mean they are the same Divine Person. But the fact that the Holy Spirit is called both the "Spirit of God" and the "Spirit of Jesus" is a pretty good argument for the divinity of Jesus, which is a central aspect of the doctrine of the Trinity.
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print ... he-trinity

Jesus repeatedly speaks of the Holy Spirit as a Paraclete whom he will send to help us: “The Advocate [parakletos], the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name-he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:26; cf. 15:26, 16:7-8).

A facet of the Greek text not obvious in translation is that in the three verses just mentioned (and others), Jesus applies the masculine pronoun ekeinos to the Holy Spirit. The personal character of a paraclete is further illustrated by the fact that Jesus also serves as our Paraclete before the Father: “My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an Advocate [parakletos] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1)
He said "ekeinos" not "I". You think he was talking about Himself in the third person?

Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Sure sounds like Jesus is talking about someone other than Himself.
Praising God all the day long!
Geert van den Bos
Posts: 216
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2025 2:01 am

Re: Is Hermeneutics needed? Isn't the Bible self-interpretting?

Post by Geert van den Bos »

RAMcGough wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 7:36 pm
He said "ekeinos" not "I". You think he was talking about Himself in the third person?

Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Sure sounds like Jesus is talking about someone other than Himself.
John 16:7 portrays the historical Jesus versus the risen Jesus, two different realities that became/were one

there was a song "two together that makes one, baby, two together" ;)

Secret worded in Matthew 19:6
ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο ἀλλὰ σὰρξ μία. ὃ οὖν ὁ θεὸς συνέζευξεν ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω.

Paul had that too in 1Corinthians 15:54,
ὅταν δὲ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν, τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος, Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος.

ἐνδύω
https://biblehub.com/greek/1746.htm
Post Reply