Steve Young

BE504: Fall 2013

Dr. Coberly
Zuck Book Review

Roy B. Zuck. Basic Bible Interpretation. Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 1991.

Dr. Zuck served as senior professor emeritus of Bible Exposition at Dallas
Theological Seminary as well as editor of Bibliotheca Sacra. In this introductory survey
of the literal interpretive methodology, he aims to introduce proper hermeneutics (p.
12) to counter other texts that use more spiritualized methods and promote the
recognition of symbols and allegories scattered on every page of Scripture. His focus is
proper interpretation because only that results in proper application (p. 14). The common
thread running through Zucks book is the definition and use of a uniform approach to
interpretation that is consistently applied, no matter the genre of the individual Bible
passage.
In Chapter One (The What and Why of Bible Interpretation), Zuck covers several
basics that relate to interpretation. One of those basics is the why? of interpretation.
Zuck rightfully states, Heart appropriation, not merely head apprehension, is the true
goal of Bible study (p. 13). Application, then, is the goal. But incorrect interpretation
can lead to misguided application, which has the potential to set off course both
individual and corporate ministry. There are things that hinder moving simply from
reading the Bible to applying it to ones life and Zuck identifies these challenges. They
include the various gaps between the reader and the text (e.g. literary and cultural gaps)
and also the challenge of a readers unwilling, unrepentant, or unyielding heart. These
obstacles must be addressed if proper interpretation, leading to proper application, is to
occur.
If application is the goal and correct application comes through correct interpretation,
a look at the history of interpretive methods is helpful. Chapter Two (Bible
InterpretationThen and Now) presents a compact survey of interpretation beginning
with how the Jews interpreted their Scripture all the way through recent models. Zuck
groups these methods into five main categories that Bible students over the centuries
have taken [in their] various approaches to the Scriptures: literal, allegorical, traditional,
rationalistic, and subjective (p. 27). He follows the trajectory of interpretive methods
from the early church when the literal method dominated and then waned as the
allegorical method became favored in Roman Catholicism, and waxed again with the
Reformation and Post-Reformation. With the Enlightenment came the eventual
application of scientific method to all areas of life and doubt about the supernatural works
of the God in the Bible, giving way towards rationalistic and subjective methods. More
recent approaches include structuralism, liberation theology, feminist theology, and
ethnohermeneutics, the four of which Zuck defines briefly.
With this rich interpretive landscape and so many options on the continuum from
wholly literal to wholly spiritual methods, the obvious question is, Which to choose?
Zuck covers this in Chapter Three (Whose View is Valid?). Zuck frames his discovery
upon the two essential observations the Christian would make about the Bible: One, it is a
human book, that is, it is written through human authors; Two, it is a divine book with a
single, divine Author. From this, Zuck concludes that a balance between the two
extremes is needed. If we look on the book as only human, then we approach the Bible
rationally. If we look on the book as only divine while ignoring its human elements, we
approach the Bible as a mystical book (p. 75). Being a human book, one cannot ignore
the elements of human authorship found in the Bible, including rules of grammar, figures
of speech, form, logic, (human) authorial intent, and the like. Likewise, being a divine
book, the interpreter must consider the Bibles authority to speak in the readers life, its
unity and non-contradiction, its inerrancy, as well as the inherent mystery contained
within.
Beginning in Chapter Four (Bridging the Cultural Gap), Zuck delves into the core
interpretive methodology of the book. He states at the start of the chapter, Disregarding
the context is one of the greatest problems in Bible interpretation (p. 76). Further, a
valuable yet often ignored element to include in ones evaluation of context is the
historical-cultural environment of that time when it [the passage] was written (p. 77).
Zuck makes the case that the spheres of activity present in any culture influenced what
the author wrote and are therefore important for the reader to be aware of. He presents
these influences in 11 categories: political, religious, economic, legal, agricultural,
architectural, clothing, domestic, geographical, military, and social (p. 80). He then
investigates whether the applicability of certain teachings in the Bible are limited by
ancient cultural influences or are still relevant to later readers (they are, in limited
fashion). Understanding the cultural influence can help the interpreter discern how best to
approach the Scriptures for instruction.
Human authorship necessarily indicates the use of human language, which, though
consistently used in written form for communication in all epochs of history, differs
significantly across different people groups and times. There is a gap, then, in written
communication that must be carefully taken into account by the interpreter if he hopes to
arrive at a valid application. Zuck covers this gap in Chapter Five (Bridging the
Grammatical Gap), and it is here that he makes his case for the grammatical half of
grammatical-historical interpretation. If we neglect the meanings of words and how they
are used, Zuck writes, we have no way of knowing whose interpretations are correct
(p. 99). He breaks down grammatical interpretation into four areas of focus: (a) the
meaning of words (lexicology), (b) the form of words (morphology), (c) the function of
words (parts of speech), and (d) the relationships of words (syntax) (p. 100). He also
takes care to amplify the importance of context, and outlines how context should be
considered in expanding scope, from the immediate placement of the passage to its
relevance in the whole body of Scripture. Throughout this chapter, Zuck gives his readers
procedures, examples, and exercises for applying grammatical interpretive principles in
their own studies.
While Chapter Five addresses the interpretive importance of language at its most
basic level, Chapter Six (Bridging the Literary Gap) increases the scope to consider the
styles and forms in which words are used. If the Bible student is to derive the correct
meaning and application, he must be aware of the genres used by biblical authors, the
structure in which a body of text is arranged, and the various figures of speech employed
to add color to the text (p. 124). Genre recognition is particularly important as it keeps the
readers from making more of the passage than we should or from making less of the
passage than we should (p. 135). Zuck provides a brief survey of the genres present in
the Bible, covering legal, narrative, poetry, wisdom literature, gospels (which he presents
as a separate narrative form), logical discourse, and prophetic literature. He then provides
an overview of structural analysis in interpretation, honing in on the various types of
patterns found throughout Scripture and the importance they bring to a full understanding
of the text.
Chapter Seven (Figures of Speech) provides an exhaustive review of these many
colorful literary mechanisms found in Scripture. Zuck also provides a few thoughts as to
why figures of speech are used and reconciles how the literal interpretive approach to
Bible reading can still accommodate the presence of these non-literal elements. He closes
the chapter by guiding the reader through the correct interpretive approach to figures of
speech.
Differing slightly from figures of speech are the types and symbols that appear in the
Bible. Whereas the former are deliberate constructions of the human author for enhancing
the ideas he has been given to express, the latter are constructions built into the historical
narrative on a larger scale by the Divine Author. Gods purpose for types (such as
Melchizedek being a type of Christ) is to bridge the Old and New Testaments (p. 169). If
the reader is not careful, however, he may find types where there are not intended to be
types at the risk of reading into Scripture a meaning that is not there. In Chapter Eight
(Testing the Types and Sensing the Symbols), Zuck holds forth as six characteristics
some helpful boundaries for discerning types: Resemblance; Historical Reality;
Prefiguring; Heightening; Divine design; Deliberate Designation in the New Testament.
If just one of these is missing, the interpreter may be overstepping his bounds in
identifying a type. Zuck also provides a brief summary of properly interpreting types.
Also in Chapter Eight, Zuck covers guidelines for finding and interpreting symbols in the
Bible. Symbols, like types, can be misidentified and misinterpreted by the overzealous
reader, and so Zuck provides guidance for grounding ones study. Symbolic numbers,
names, and colors are the categories in which Zuck groups the Bibles symbols together,
and he provides ample biblical examples of each as well as the meanings derived from
those examples using his interpretive guidelines.
Chapter Nine (Probing the Parables and Analyzing the Allegories) deals with
parables and allegories, two additional forms of figurative language used throughout the
Bible to illustrate important ideas. After discussing generally what parables are and what
Jesus intended them for, Zuck elaborates on the characteristics and classification of
Jesus parables. He then provides guidelines for interpreting the parables that are
grounded in the grammatical-historical method. While parables seem to command a more
spiritualized interpretive approach, Zuck is quick to remind the reader to follow the
same steps you use in interpreting any portion of Scripture (p. 218) in interpreting
parables. As to parables, Zucks literary approach to allegories maintains the same
reasonable interpretive grounding applied throughout his book and notes the biblical
passages that are generally considered allegories (p. 222). He also describes the
differences between actual allegories and the errant approach of allegorizing a Scripture
passage. With this and the provided interpretive guidelines, Zuck builds a protective
fence around this particular literary tool, keeping the reader from reading too much into a
given passage and squeezing out hidden meanings.
Readers of any text are prone to allowing their own presuppositions to influence their
interpretations. In similar fashion, what one believes about certain major biblical
doctrines can color how one interprets certain portions of Scripture. Such is it with
eschatology and the interpretation of prophecy. For this reason, Zuck dedicates a good
portion of Chapter Ten (Interpreting Prophecy) to investigating competing
eschatological views. He looks at the various views on Revelations thousand-year reign,
as well as the broader covenantal and dispensational paradigms. Zuck himself falls
clearly into the premillennial dispensational camp and addresses some of the arguments
for opposing viewpoints. He obviously considers this set up critical to the rest of the
chapter as he devotes more space to it than to the actual methods of interpreting
prophecy. If the reader was left wanting after Chapter 8 for more guidance on how to
approach the many symbols in Scripture, though, he will find more satisfaction here. As
he is persistent to do throughout the book, Zuck reminds the reader of the importance of
the grammatical-historical method in approaching the dizzying world of biblical
prophetic literature.
The relationship between the Old and New Testaments has been a source of
interpretive difficulty since the Church was born. The rampant allegorizing of the Old
Testament, for example, resulted from early Church fathers not knowing what to do with
the those writings in light of the dispensation of grace. Yet the two go hand-in-hand as
the completion of Gods revelation of himself and his redemptive plan to man. [I]n
interpreting the New Testament, Bible students cannot neglect the Old Testament (p.
252). In Chapter Eleven (The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament), Zuck
accomplishes several things. First, he shows how tightly the two testaments are
intertwined, evidenced by how many of the New Testament books cite Old Testament
passages and how much raw content from the Old is reflected in the New. Second, he
indirectly makes a defense of biblical inerrancy by addressing those cases where Old
Testament citations are not reflected in the New Testament with perfect, textual fidelity.
Third, Zuck explores the New Testament writers motives in citing the Old Testament
and demonstrates how questions about motive are useful in sound interpretation. He next
looks at whether the Old Testament writers actually knew what they were writing about,
given certain passages were appropriated for different meanings by New Testament
authors, and whether those cited passages necessarily have more than one meaning.
Lastly, Zuck provides a list of steps the student can use to interpret and apply New
Testament quotations of the Old Testament.
While the preceding eleven chapters hold a smattering of guidelines for application,
Chapter Twelve (Applying Gods Word Today) is dedicated to just that. It is,
undoubtedly, a critical conclusion to this book, for Neglecting to apply the Scriptures
reduces Bible study to an academic exercise that will profit the readers life very little
(p. 279). Zuck rightly acknowledges the healthy balance between interpretation and
application, cautioning against leaning too far towards one and away from the other. The
questions that undergird the task of applying an interpretation involve relevance (How is
this interpretation relevant to ones life?) and response (What is one to do with this
knowledge?). With these questions in mind, Zuck provides nine steps for the reader to
use in applying the Bible to his life, culminating in a list of 90 action verbs (p. 291) to
create transformation goals, and a necessary admonition to involve our paraclete, the
Holy Spirit himself, in progressing towards these goals.
In twelve chapters, Zuck broadly covers just about every interpretive situation a Bible
reader may encounter, and provides ample examples of the application of his interpretive
methods. Perhaps the most difficult passages the Bible student will encounter are those
involving figures of speech, symbolism, and allegory, due to the ease in which ones
mind, when unbridled, wanders into finding meanings that are just not in the text. While
Zuck does set forth guidelines to interpret and apply these easily mishandled passages,
more space could have been invested in walking the reader through examples of right and
wrong handling. Zuck should have also acknowledged the wide range of attitudes
regarding the presence of allegory in Scripture. There are respected pastor-teachers
even in literal interpretive campswho definitively state there are no allegories in the
Bible. On the other hand, there are also those who find allegory and hidden meaning in
many places it is not. Zuck is helpful in providing his list of well-acknowledged
allegories (p. 222), but is remiss in not citing any sources to substantiate his inclusion of
these and exclusion of others.
Basic Bible Interpretation is a solid and balanced resource for those studying
Scripture for personal development, small group teaching, or expository preaching. The
grammatical-historical approach is woven into just about every chapter, highlighting the
holistic value of that system. In his presentation of interpretive guidelines and methods,
Zuck is faithful to honoring both human and divine authorship, discounting neither.