Notes on Notes

“A text without a context is a pretext.” –Brent Walters

The layers of Biblical meaning are so intricate and sometimes hard to find that you’re cutting yourself short if you’re not coming at it from every angle possible.

The Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek. Our English translations are not only biased, but oftentimes simply literal translations. Religious scripture is not like translating “see Jane run.” Scripture has metaphorical value, poetic value, and allegorical value (among others) which are lost with literal translations. That’s why scholarly research and cultural understanding are important.

For example: During Jesus’ trial, Jesus tells Peter that he will betray him [x times, depending on version] before the cock crows. If we read that at face value, we’re imagining some rooster chillin’ in Jerusalem. However, if you understand the context, you know that 1) the “cock crow” was a term for a horn which signaled the switching of guards in the city and 2) there’s no way there would be a rooster running around in Jerusalem because it’s a holy city and such unclean animals were not allowed within its gates. In the context of this story, “before the cock crows” meant: “before midnight.” This is a small misunderstanding that is the result of ignorance on the part of translators, but imagine how many other times this happens (hello, the Bible’s kinda big) and how many other situations where that translation error could hold a lot more weight. The creation story is a shining example of this type of problem.