Tag Archives | middot

While doing the research to understand the differences between the Jewish beliefs and practices of the Old Testament and those of the second temple period, I arrived at an area of interest that bears further exploration. As a matter of comparison between old and new covenant interpretation of Scripture, this is a useful reference between Judaism and Christianity. It so happens that from an earlier post, I also posted about the methods of interpretation from within the NT.

The Middot of Hillel

Middot in Hebrew means “measure” or “norms.” These are the seven principles, or methods used to interpret biblical meaning (OT) from Rabbi Hillel in the 1st century BC. An early form of Jewish hermeneutics around the study of Judaism that grew in number to 13 under Rabbi Ismael ben Elisha (100 A.D.) then to the 32 from Galilean Rabbi Eliezer ben Yose (150 A.D.). Beginning from the Greek influence of Hellenism upon Judaic thought, these principles remain in place for many centuries.¹

The beginning seven principles by name were as follows to have a bearing upon second temple Judaism.²

1. Qal wahomer
   Inference from the less important to a more important case (lit., light to heavy), and vice versa.
   
   
2. Gezerah shawah
   Inference by verbal analogy from one verse to another; where the same words are applied to two separate laws it follows that the same regulations and applications pertain to both.
   
   
3. Binyan ’ab mikathub ’ehad
   Building up a family from a single text; when the same phrase is found in a number of passages, then a regulation found in one of them applies to all of them.
   
   
4. Binyan ’ab mikathub ’ehad
   Building up a family from two texts; a principle is deduced by relating two texts together, and the principle can then be applied to other passages.
   
   
5. Kelal upherat
   The general and the particular; a general principle may be restricted by a particularization of it in another verse, or conversely, a particular rule may be extended into a general principle.
   
   
6. Kayoze bo bemaqom ʾaher
   Something similar in another passage; a difficulty in one text may be solved by comparing it with another that has points of general (though not necessarily verbal) similarity.
   
   
7. Dabar halamed meʾinyano
   A meaning established by its context.

Mitigating Jewish Beliefs & Practices

Old Testament to second temple Judaism differences and conditions at the time of Christ. Several factors had a bearing on how OT biblical interpretation and NT authorship originated.

1. There was a greater adherence and devotion to the law during the second temple period as compared to the prior Old Testament era.³
   
   
2. During the Old Testament, and second temple periods, Jews of Judaism placed primacy of scripture upon the Torah. Jews of Christianity, during the second temple period, placed an emphasis on the Nevi’im and Ketuvim.⁴
   
   
3. From the second temple period, there was significant weight placed upon the oral law to accompany the written law as a way to govern everyday Jewish life.⁵ Whether for ceremonial, traditional, or “fencing” purposes, the oral law set up a type of Judaism that extended well beyond covenant intent.
   
   
4. During the apostolic period, there were various sects that had a bearing on the Jewish way of life and beliefs. The Essenes of Qumran, the Sadducees who controlled the Jerusalem Temple, the Pharisees with their Hasidim background, and additional sects were new or distinct in Judaism as compared to the earlier figures and groups in the Old Testament.
   
   
5. Since the prophets fell silent during the intertestamental period, they were replaced by the Scribes of the second temple period concerning matters of authority around the scriptures.⁶ Torah observance was of prominent interest to the Jews of Judaism during the second temple period which gave rise to the class of “professional scribes”. ⁷

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¹ Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, Third Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003), 545.
² Tosefta. Sanhedrin 7.11; Aboth de R. Nathan 37; Sifra 3a
³ Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 3rdEdition. (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003), 539.
⁴ Ibid., 543.
⁵ Ibid., 542.
⁶ Valdizan, “Historical Background of the New Testament Course Notes,” Unpublished course notes, 2018, 133.
⁷ Valdizan, “Historical Background of the New Testament Module 6 Lectures,” Jewish Beliefs and Practices, Part 1.