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Background Study

The document discusses background study as a tool for understanding biblical texts. It explains that background study focuses on the political, social, cultural, and religious context of the time period and author. The document then provides steps for doing background study, including analyzing the context of the passage, determining the relevant subject for background research, and referring to scholarly sources. It applies this method to 1 Samuel 12:17, researching the agricultural seasons in ancient Palestine. The background study helps explain that rain during wheat harvest was unusual and served to emphasize Samuel's message to the people.

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222 views18 pages

Background Study

The document discusses background study as a tool for understanding biblical texts. It explains that background study focuses on the political, social, cultural, and religious context of the time period and author. The document then provides steps for doing background study, including analyzing the context of the passage, determining the relevant subject for background research, and referring to scholarly sources. It applies this method to 1 Samuel 12:17, researching the agricultural seasons in ancient Palestine. The background study helps explain that rain during wheat harvest was unusual and served to emphasize Samuel's message to the people.

Uploaded by

roadtothebariceman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 18

BACKGROUND

STUDY

Pointers
Tools
Examples

Background Study

Context study and word study are tools


that focus on the text itself. Historical
background study focuses outside the
text.
It studies the political, social, cultural
and religious world of the text and the
author who wrote it.

The Text is King

It is not word study or historical


background study that dictates the
meaning of the text.
It is the meaning of a passage in its
context that determines its sense.

Steps in Background
Study

1. Do a context study of the passage being studied.


2. Determine the main subject for background study
that will help in identifying the meaning of the text.

Doing background studies on subjects unrelated to the


central point of the passage may produce irrelevant
information that has no connection at all to the
meaning of the text. Thus, it is still important to start
with an analysis of the contextual meaning of the text.

Steps in Background
Study

3. Refer to standard works helpful for


background study.
Unlike context study that may not require
reference books other than the bible,
background study will need commentaries,
dictionaries, encyclopedias and other journals
as references. Examples of these reference
books are as follows:

Study Tools:

a) Exegesis portion of the text in better commentaries


like Word Biblical Commentary (OT and NT), New
International Commentary of the Old Testament, New
International Commentary of the New Testament,
etc...
b) Competent encyclopedias and dictionaries like
International
Standard
Bible
Encyclopedia
(4
volumes), the Anchor Bible Dictionary, and the New
Bible Dictionary (cheapest but good)
c) Journal articles and Ph.D. dissertations that discuss the
particular passage (NTS, OTS, JSNT, JSOT, etc...)
d) Various books that deal with OT and NT backgrounds.

Example 1

1 Samuel 12:17
Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the
LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will
realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of
the LORD when you asked for a king. NIV

Step 1: Contextual
Study

Contextual Limits of 1 Samuel 12:17


Section: 1 Samuel 8-12 (Israel asking for a King)

Chapter 1-7 is a narrative of Samuel as the Prophet


and Judge of Israel
Chapter 13-15 shifts to another narrative, that of King
Saul.

Unit :1 Samuel 12:1-25

The location: Gilgal


The occasion: the people were assembled after
affirming Sauls kingship, and were listening to
Samuel speak.
Chap. 11-concludes the war to the Ammonites and
the doubt Israel had over Saul as king. While chap. 13
starts the story of Saul as 1st King of Israel.

Pattern of Samuels
Speech:
Samuels testimony
as an authentic
prophet and judge (v.
1-6)
Recollection of
Israels
unfaithfulness. It
ends with their
asking for a king,
thus rejecting God as
their King (v. 7-13)
Charge to obedience
and warning on
disobedience (v.14-

God listens to
Samuel. He is an
Rain and authentic prophet and
Thunder judge. (v.18)
during
Israel recognizes with
the
fear their
wheat
unfaithfulness,
harvest worsened by their
(v. 1617)

request for a king.


(v.19)

Charge to obedience
and warning on
disobedience (v.20-

Interpretation

1 Samuel 12:17
The rain and thunder during wheat harvest was a
Powerful confirmation of Samuels prophetic
words.
If Israel and its king obey Gods commands,
then they will receive the rewards. But if they
are disobedient then they will receive
punishment.

Step 2: Determine
the Subject to be
on
studied

Subject:
Seasons in Syro-Palestine during the OT Period
What did Samuel mean when he said: Is it
not wheat harvest now?
What is the significance of wheat harvest
season to the message of Samuel in 1 Sam
12:17?

Step 3: Refer to
Study
Tools

Books:
Word Biblical Commentary, NICOT
Bible Encyclopedia
Introduction to the Old Testament (Lasor,
Dillard, etc.)

Bible Works
Resources Tab Bible Dictionaries:

ISBE Dictionary
Easton Bible Dictionary

Background Study:
Seasons in Palestine

The year in Palestine was divided into six agricultural periods:


1. SOWING TIME. Tisri, latter half (beginning about the autumnal equinox.)
Marchesvan. Kisleu, former half. Early rain due = first showers of autumn.
2. UNRIPE TIME. Kisleu, latter half. Tebet. Sebat, former half.
3. COLD SEASON. Sebat, latter half. Adar. Veadar. Nisan, former half. Latter
rain due De 11:14 Jer 5:24 Ho 6:3 Zec 10:1 Jas 5:7 Job 29:23
4. HARVEST TIME. Nisan, latter half. (Beginning about vernal equinox. Barley
green. Passover.) Ijar. Sivan, former half., Wheat ripe. Pentecost. Few rain
5. SUMMER (total absence of rain) Sivan, latter half. Tammuz. Ab, former half.
6. SULTRY SEASON Ab, latter half. Elul. Tisri, former half., Ingathering of fruits.
The six months from the middle of Tisri to the middle of Nisan were occupied with
the work of cultivation, and the rest of the year mainly with the gathering in of
the fruits.
Agriculture, Easton Bible Dictionary. Bibleworks, 2009.

Background Study:
Harvest Season

<har'-vest> (Heb: qatsir; Grk: therismos): To


many of us, harvest time is of little concern,
because in our complex life we are far removed
from the actual production of our food supplies,
but for the Hebrew people, as for those in any
agricultural district today, the harvest was a
most important season (Gen 8:22; 45:6).
James A. Patch, Harvest, ISBE Bible Dictionary. Bibleworks,
2009.

Harvest season

Between the barley harvest in April and the


wheat harvest, only a few showers fall,
which are welcomed because they increase
the yield of wheat (compare Am 4:7).
Such an unusual storm of excessive violence
visited Syria in 1912, and did much damage to
the harvests, bringing fear to the superstitious
farmers, who thought some greater disaster
awaited them.
James A. Patch, Harvest, ISBE
Bible Dictionary. Bibleworks,

In relation to the context:

Samuel made use of the unusual


occurrence of rain during the wheat
harvest to strike fear into the hearts
of the people (1 Sam 12:17).

Samuels Speech:
Samuels testimony
as an authentic
prophet and judge (v.
1-6)
Recollection of
Israels
unfaithfulness. It
ends with their
asking for a king,
thus rejecting God as
their King (v. 7-13)
Charge to obedience
and warning on
disobedience (v.14-

God listens to
Samuel. He is an
Rain and authentic prophet and
Thunder judge. (v.18)
during
Israel recognizes their
the
unfaithfulness,
wheat
worsened by their
harvest request for a king.
(v. 1617)

They see that God is


not pleased (v.19)

Charge to obedience
and warning on
disobedience (v.20-

Interpretation of
1 Samuel 12:17

Samuel made use of the unusual occurrence of


rain during the wheat harvest, as a Powerful
Confirmation of his words, to strike fear into the
hearts of the people so that they:
Recognize that God is The Almighty God, who
they neglected as king.
Recognize that the one who anointed the king is
Samuel, a true Servant of God
Remember to obey Gods covenant (Divine
Retribution/Reward)

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