BBST 515 – Exegetical Skills I

Instructor: Dong Sung Kim E-mail: dkim2@drew.edu

Class meetings: Thursdays 4:00 – 5:15 p.m. @ Seminary Hall 1091

Exegesis. See Reading. – “Index,” The Bible Culture & Collective, The Postmodern Bible.

[S]ometimes we just have to learn how to read. – Jonathan Magonet, A Rabbi Reads the Bible.

I. Course Description

This course is designed as a companion course to BBST 101 - Biblical Literature I. The course

will provide the members of the class with basic introduction to biblical exegesis and various

opportunities to practice the knowledge they would gain from both courses. Specifically, the

course content includes: 1) guidance in the practices of exegetical analysis (e.g., various

practices including the following: comparing and contrasting various translations, investigating

the semantic ranges of words and grammatical constructions, formulating critical questions,

exploring literary and socio-historical context, and learning how to do basic research in the field

of biblical studies); 2) incorporation and use of biblical studies research tools and, 3) an

introduction of the rudimentary features of Biblical Hebrew.

II. Course Objectives

Your primary objectives for this course would be:

- to understand the notion of “exegesis” with awareness of its contested and nuanced use in

the recent scholarly reception.

- to be able to read a biblical text critically, with close attention to textual details, lexical

meanings of words, historical and literary contexts, as well as with awareness of various

methodological angles attested in the secondary scholarly literature (i.e. commentaries,

journal articles, scholarly monographs and edited volumes, etc.).

- to be able to write a precise and critical notes about a given passage from the Hebrew

Bible.

By the end of the semester you should be able to:2

1. Use standard research tools such as lexicons, commentaries, and other relevant resources.

1 In case of inclement weather, please call 973-408-DUSC for announcements regarding campus closings. 2 The numerical orders in the following list does not reflect the priorities in the course.

2. Understand the basic rudiments of Biblical Hebrew that can be instrumental to one’s

exegetical work (for example, the alphabet, grammar, and syntax of the language).

3. Formulate a set of critical questions (some of which you might not have previously

considered or permitted yourself to ask) that can help you engage the scholarly discussion

on the text at your exegetical inquiry.

4. Identify the importance of context on a number of levels: as it relates to ancient

communities behind the biblical texts; as it relates to the placement of a biblical passage,

for example, within a larger story; and as it relates to the role of the reader/interpreter.

5. Engage in, and lead, discussion on a biblical passage with competence and confidence in

articulating the text’s complexity, as well as its reception in both religious and academic

traditions.

III. Required Text

Gunn, David M. and Danna Nolan Fewell. Narrative in the Hebrew Bible. Oxford: Oxford

University Press, 1993.

The Jewish Study Bible featuring The Jewish Publication Society TANAKH Translation.

Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. (JSB TNK in schedule)

The Harper Collins Study Bible. New Revised Standard Version. Wayne Meeks, ed. New York,

NY: Harper Collins, 2006. (NRSV in schedule)

IV. Course Requirements, Assignments, and Grading

This course will be most beneficial when you are well prepared for class and all the assignments

are completed on time. Each new skill builds upon previous weeks’ work. Thus, failing to

complete assignments or missing classes is will adversely affect your development.

Generally, students are expected to spend approximately 4 hours weekly outside of class in

preparation for this course.

Students will be expected to check regularly their Drew e-mail and our Moodle site for updates

or changes to our class schedule and weekly topics.

Grading will be determined as follows:

This class is Pass-or-Fail: Unexcused absences will result in a lowered grade; 3 or more will

result in a forfeiture of course credit. An average of 73% (or C) and above will be considered

a passing grade. The following grading scale will be used for the final assignment and course

grade: 93-100 A; 90-92.99 A-; 87-89.99 B+; 83-86.99 B; 80-82.99 B-; 77-79.99 C+; 73-76.99 C;

70-72.99 C-; 67-69.99 D+; 60-66.99 D; 0-59.99 F.

In order to keep each member of the class accountable and responsible for their learning, the

instructor will require them to fill out the Learning Performance Agreement (which can be

found on the Moodle).

The students’ progress in the course will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

1. Homework Assignments (40%)

Unless there is a legitimate excuse, late homework assignments (either turned in or posted after

the start of class) will not be accepted. Two or more missed homework assignments will

result in a lowered final grade for the course.3

Written homework assignments are due each session and may consist of completing worksheets,

reading and writing essays. Throughout the semester, a number of assignments will be given and

counted as part of your grade. These assignments should be posted on the Moodle before the

class begins.

2. Class Participation (30%)

Regular attendance and active participation in class discussion are crucial to your learning. Your

contributions in class should be informed and relevant to our topics and be expressed in language

that is respectful of other’s viewpoints. When the instructor or another student is speaking,

attentive and courteous listening is expected.

3. Final Assignment (30%)

Students are to produce an exegetical paper on Gen. 16, 21, or Joshua 9, in which they would

demonstrate a close-reading of the biblical text as well as their engagement with the original

language, historical and literary contexts, and various methods employed by biblical scholars.

Specific guide will be offered as the semester progresses. An outline of the essay with

bibliography must be submitted by November 28. The due date for the final paper is 6:00 pm

on December 11.

V. Instructions for Accessing Library Resources

In this course, you will be expected to access library resources on a weekly basis.

3 ESOL students may upload their first draft by each due date, and post the proofread version within a week after

they work with Prof. Brown or other ESOL TAs.

To access the library catalog:

1. Go to http://www.drew.edu/home/ and log in. Click on the Library Catalog icon in

the upper right corner.

2. For a search of materials in the Drew library, you may do a “Simple Search” by

entering a title, author or keyword. You may also do a more detailed search by

clicking on “advanced” or “exact” search in the upper right corner.

3. To access library databases (e.g. ATLA), click the “Research Resources” tab at the

bottom of the Library Catalog page. At the top of the Resource Research page, click

“Subject Databases.” You may then search the databases by title or by subject.

4. Once you have located a resource in a database such as ATLA, you will need to

check to see if the material is available in the Drew Library (if it is an article, it may

be available in PDF to download directly from the database). Otherwise, for journals,

click “Journal List” at the top of the “Research Resources” page and conduct a

search. For books, return to the Library Catalog page and conduct a search.

Instructions for posting homework assignments to the Moodle forums:

1. Complete the homework assignment in MS Word. Save it with your full name and the

assignment number included in the file name.

2. Go to our class the Moodle site.

3. Click on the appropriate forum link.

4. Click "Add a new discussion topic."

5. Give your post a title

6. Copy and paste your homework assignment into the "message" section.

7. Near the bottom of the page, find the "attachment" option. Click "choose file" and

select the MS Word file containing your assignment and attach it to your Moodle

post.

8. Click "Post to forum"

VI. Academic Accommodations

Students who require accommodations are instructed to contact the Office of Accessibility

Resources (formerly Office of Disability Services) , BC 119C, 973-408-3962, for a private,

confidential appointment. Accommodation Request Letters are issued to students after

documentation, written by a qualified professional, is reviewed and accommodations are

approved by OAR. Accommodations are implemented by faculty only after the student presents

the Accommodation Request Letter issued by OAR. Letters should be presented to the faculty at

least one week before the accommodation is needed. No accommodation can be implemented

retroactively.

VII. Academic Integrity

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students are expected to adhere to the Academic Honesty policy

of the University. The University standards of Academic Honesty will be enforced fully. If you

are uncertain as to what constitutes plagiarism, please consult the instructor.

Course Schedule

Week One (August 27): What is Exegesis?

Class Discussion:

Course Introduction

Discussion: What is Exegesis?

PowerPoint Presentation: What does the word, Exegesis, mean?

Introducing Hebrew Alphabet

Assignment for Week Two (Due Sept. 3):

Read David Gunn and Danna Fewell. Narrative in the Hebrew Bible. New York:

Oxford, 1993. Pp. 46-89 and pp. 101-128. Using the worksheet, “Discerning the Logic

of An Article” (posted on Moodle), answer the questions for either Chapter 3

(“Characters and Narrators”) or Chapter 5 (“Designs on the Plot”) of Gunn and Fewell.

Post your responses on Moodle.

Download the Hebrew alphabet information from the Moodle and begin to familiarize

yourself with them (you should begin with the Hebrew alphabet song and the PowerPoint

presentation explaining the differences between similar looking letters).

Week Two (September 3): Reading Hebrew Biblical Narratives

Class Discussion:

A close reading of Genesis 21:1-7.

Discussion on the passage with the new insights gained from the reading assignments.

Practice Hebrew Alphabet and Pronunciation.

Assignment for Week Three (Due Sept. 10):

Read the Abraham cycle (Genesis 11:26 – 23:20). Write a paragraph discussing the

broader literary context of Genesis 21:1-7, using the following questions as a guide. Post

your paragraph on the Moodle.

o How does the broader context of the Abraham story influence the way we read

Genesis 21:1-7? Does the context answer questions raised in the text or create

more questions for you? Does it offer more information about the characters or

change our perspective on them? Does it change the arc of the plotline in any

way? Do similar themes emerge and/or do other concerns come to light?

For a further thought, read Fewell and Gunn, “Keeping the Promise,” Gender, Power,

and Promise: The Subject of the Bible’s First Story (Nashville, TX: Abingdon Press,

1993, pp. 39-55 (posted on the Moodle).

Week Three (September 10): Translations

Class Discussion:

Hebrew Alphabet Quiz

Briefly discuss broader literary context of Genesis 21:1-7 and then specifically discuss

the relationship between Genesis 21:1-7, Genesis 21: 8-14, and Genesis 16:1-6. How

does the rivalry between Sarah and Hagar (and where it appears in the plot) influence

how we read the story of Sarah’s pregnancy?

In pairs, read Genesis 16 in parallel translations. List words and phrases that differ across

English translations. What concerns arise when the translation differs? What are the

implications for the overall meaning of the passage?

Assignment for Week Four (Due Sept. 17):

Database Scavenger Hunt - Use the library’s catalog and the ATLA database to find the

following items (See section III above for an overview of using the Library Catalog

online). When you have found them, jot down the call number (or download the article

from ATLA) and send your instructor your findings. If you have trouble with the

assignment, do not lose sleep, simply write down the questions you have about how to

use the library resources (however basic or complex your questions may be) and send

those to your instructor, along with whatever items you were able to find. We will be

meeting with Dr. Jesse Mann, our theological librarian, for a session on utilizing library

resources for exegesis. Be sure that Dr. Mann addresses your questions when you meet

with him! (Note: You can complete this assignment from home, using your computer

and web browser to access the library’s online catalog and databases).

Please find the following items and record the call number or download the PDF and

send your findings to your instructor via email (dkim2@drew.edu):

o Alter, Robert. Genesis: Translation and Commentary. New York: W.W.

Norton, 1996.

o Boolj, Thijs. “Hagar’s Words in Genesis 16:13b.” Vestus Testamentum

30, no. 1 (1980): 1-7. [Hint: Use ATLA]

o Brueggemann, Walter. Genesis: A Commentary for Teaching and

Preaching. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982.

o Claassens, L. Juliana M. “Laughter and Tears: Carnivalistic Overtones in

the Stories of Hagar and Sarah.” Perspectives in Religious Studies 32, no.

3 (2005): 295-308. [Hint: Use ATLA]

o De Troyer, Kristin. “Sarah and Hagar: What Have I To Do With Them?”

In Her Master’s Tools?: Feminist and Postcolonial Engagements of

Historical-Critical Discourse, edited by Caroline Vander Stichele, 159-

177. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2005.

o Fewell, Danna Nolan. “Changing the Subject: Retelling the Story of

Hagar the Egyptian.” In Genesis: A Feminist Companion to the Bible,

edited by Athalya Brenner, 182-194. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic

Press, 1998.

o Gossai, Hemchand. Power and Marginality in the Abraham Narrative.

Eugene: Pickwick Publications, 2010.

o Green, Roger. “Abraham and Archaeology: Anachronisms or

Adaptations?” In Perspectives on Our Father Abraham: Essays in Honor

of Marvin R. Wilson, edited by Steven A. Hunt. Grand Rapids: W.A.

Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2010.

o Kemp, Tracy Hartman. Letting the Other Speak: Proclaiming the Stories

of Biblical Women. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2012.

o Okoye, James C. “Hagar and Sarah: Genesis 16 and 21.” JSOT 32, no. 2

(2007): 163-175. [Hint: Use ATLA]

Week Four (September 17): Research & Bibliography

Class Discussion:

Library Visit with Dr. Jesse Mann. We will meet at 4:00pm in his office at the Drew

University Library (near where the copy machines are).

Assignment for Week Five (Due Sept. 24):

Identify one problem or question that has arisen for you in Genesis 16 so far.

Individually or in pairs, go to the library for a research scavenger hunt. Write a

bibliography of your resources reflecting the results. Be sure to find those resources that

are most relevant to the question or problem you have identified in the text. Find the

following:

o 2 academic commentaries

o 1 book/monograph

o 2 articles (in a journal or an edited volume)

o 1 entry in a Biblical concordance

o 1 entry in a Bible dictionary

o Hint: Use your reference librarians if you need help!

Week Five (September 24): Language, Part I

Class Discussion:

Overview: various types of academic texts and what they are used for.

Basics of Hebrew Grammar

Online Resources and Bible Software (e.g. Bible Hub and Bible Odyssey)

Assignment for Week Six (Due Oct. 1):

Look back on the translation comparison exercise and identify 5 Hebrews words from

Genesis 16 that you would like to investigate further. Look these words up in a

concordance, and answer the following questions for each word. Post your responses to

Moodle:

o Approximately how many times does this word appear in the Hebrew Bible?

Where does the word occur (Which books of the Bible? Does it occur more in the

Torah, Prophets or Writings? Does the word appear in a particular genre more

than others, such as narrative, poetry or law?

o What does the word seem to mean? Are there are a range of meanings?

o How does the word get translated in English in the NRSV and the Jewish Study

Bible? Looking at the range of meanings listed in the concordance, do you agree

with the translation? What additional questions arise for you?

Week Six (October 1): Language, Part II

Class Discussion:

Discuss research findings in pairs.

Lexicons

Wrap up grammar, software, and any other research topics covered thus far.

Assignment for Week Seven (Due Oct. 8)

Look at two of the following resources (on reserve at the library):

Rad, Gerhard von. Genesis: A Commentary. Old Testament Library. Philadelphia:

Westminster, 1972 (rev. ed.). Pp. 190-97; 230-35.

Sarna, Nahum. Understanding Genesis. New York: Schocken, 1966. Pp. 127-29; 154-57.

Vawter, Bruce. On Genesis: A New Reading. New York: Doubleday, 1977.

Speiser, E.A. Genesis. Anchor Bible. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1964/80.

Pp. 116-21; 153-57.

Make a list of any new and significant ideas or information presented in these two works.

Choose one commentator and answer the following questions regarding his work. Post your

responses to Moodle:

o What sorts of questions are being raised and addressed in this work?

o What critical methods are being employed? (Often reading the introduction or

preface to the book will help to clarify for you what the work is attempting to do

and how the author is going about her or his task.)

o What kinds of presuppositions underlie this commentator’s reading?

o How do the author’s presuppositions, cultural and religious background, and

choice of method affect his interpretation of the text?

o How does this commentator answer questions that you had previously raised

about these texts?

Week Seven (October 8): Social Location: Who’s Reading? Does It Matter?

Class Discussion

Recap & review the commentaries in the reading assignment list.

Discussion: the strength and weakness of historical critical methods; the strength and

weakness of commentaries as exegetical resource.

Assignment for Week Eight (Due Oct. 15)

Utilizing all your work on Genesis 16 and 21 so far, investigate further how other critical readers

have understood this text. The following essays have been put on reserve and/or on Moodle for

you:

Tamez, Elsa. “The Woman Who Complicated the History of Salvation.” In New Eyes for

Reading: Biblical and Theological Reflections by Women from the Third World. John S.

Pobee and Barbel von Wartenberg-Potter, eds. Geneva: World Council of Churches,

1986; Bloomington, IN: Meyer-Stone, 1987. Pp. 5-17.

Mbuwayesango, Dora R. “Childlessness and Woman-To-Woman Relationships in

Genesis and in African Patriarc[h]al Society: Sarah and Hagar from a Zimbabwean

Woman’s Perspective (Gen 16:1-16; 21:8-21).” In Reading the Bible as Women:

Perspectives from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. (Semeia 78). Phyllis A. Bird,

Katharine Doob Sakenfeld, and Sharon H. Ringe, eds. Atlanta: Society of Biblical

Literature, 1997.

Pp. 27-36. (This text is downloadable through Moodle or ATLAS.)

1. Read the essays above which critically engages in the interpretation of Gen. 16 & 21.

2. Make a list of any new and significant ideas or information presented in these works.

3. Choose one of the two articles and answer the following questions regarding her work.

Post your responses to Moodle:

a. Identify and summarize the author’s thesis. What are her major arguments regarding

Genesis 16 and 21? (Hint: Use the worksheet on “Discerning the Logic of An

Article”)

b. How does the author support her thesis? What is her process for reading the text?

What steps of exegesis has she performed and how? What specific questions or

problems (e.g. translation problems, textual uncertainties, literary context) does she

deal with?

c. Evaluate the scholar’s argument. Do the elements of her exegesis support her

argument? If so, how? If not, why not?

d. Are you persuaded by her conclusions? Are there gaps in her logic or questions she

does not address? How might you exegete the text differently?

e. How do the author’s presuppositions, cultural and religious background, and choice

of method affect her interpretation of the text?

Week Eight (October 15): Social Location (cont.)

Class Discussion:

Review homework assignment

Discuss on the methodological issues in exegetical works in general.

Assignment for Week Nine (Due Oct. 29):

Williams, Delores S. “Hagar in African American Biblical Appropriation.” In Hagar,

Sarah, And Their Children: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives. Phyllis Trible

and Letty M. Russell, eds. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006.

Hassan, Riffat. “Islamic Hagar and her Family.” In Hagar, Sarah, And Their Children:

Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives. Phyllis Trible and Letty M. Russell, eds.

Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006.

1. Read the essays above which critically engages in the interpretation of Gen. 16 & 21.

2. Make a list of any new and significant ideas or information presented in these works.

3. Choose one of the two articles and answer the following questions regarding her work.

Post your responses to Moodle:

a. Identify and summarize the author’s thesis. What are her major arguments regarding

Genesis 16 and 21? (Hint: Use the worksheet on “Discerning the Logic of An

Article”)

b. How does the author support her thesis? What is her process for reading the text?

What steps of exegesis has she performed and how? What specific questions or

problems (e.g. translation problems, textual uncertainties, literary context) does she

deal with?

c. Evaluate the scholar’s argument. Do the elements of her exegesis support her

argument? If so, how? If not, why not?

d. Are you persuaded by her conclusions? Are there gaps in her logic or questions she

does not address? How might you exegete the text differently?

e. How do the author’s presuppositions, cultural and religious background, and choice

of method affect her interpretation of the text?

Reading Week: October 19 - 23

No Class Meeting

Please read the following article and write your response and reflection (appx., 300 words) on

the Moodle by 6:00pm, October 23:

Phillips, Gary A. "Exegesis as Critical Praxis: Reclaiming History and Text from a

Postmodern Perspective." Semeia 51, (1990): 7-49.

Week Nine (October 29): Practice, Praxis, and Ethics: Exegetical Skills

Class Discussion:

Review/Discussion on the previous materials (i.e. exegesis, methods, and interpretation).

Read Joshua 9 together.

Assignment for Week Ten (Due Nov. 5):

Exegesis worksheet: For the next four weeks, we will be working through the exegesis

worksheet in order to perform an exegetical work on Joshua 9 together. Each week, you

should read the passage and select some library resources (commentaries, articles,

monographs, etc.) of your choosing to help answer the questions. We will review the

worksheet in class each week.

For the next week, answer questions 1-2 on the worksheet. Make sure to include your

study of two or more translations and a word study with the aid of lexicon and

concordance. Post your answers to Moodle.

Week Ten (November 5): Practice (cont.)

Class Discussion:

Review exegesis assignment.

Assignment for Week Eleven (Due Nov. 12):

Read Joshua 9 and offer your answers to the questions 3-6 on the exegesis worksheet.

In your answers, make reference to two or more commentaries or monographs/edited-

volumes on the academic study of the Book of Joshua. Make sure to make appropriate

citations.

Week Eleven (November 12): Practice (cont.)

Class Discussion:

Review exegesis assignment

Assignment for Week Twelve (Due Nov. 19):

Complete the exegesis worksheet (questions 6-8) using library resources.

Read one of the following articles/chapters (posted on the Moodle):

Miles, Johnny. “The ‘Enemy Within’: Refracting Colonizing Rhetoric in Narratives of

Gibeonite and Japanese Identity.” In Postcolonialism and the Hebrew Bible: The Next

Step, edited by Roland Boer, 129-168. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2013.

Warrior, Robert Allen. "Canaanites, Cowboys, and Indians." Union Seminary Quarterly

Review 59, no. 1-2 (2005): 1-8.

Thanksgiving Recess: No Class November 26

An outline of the final paper assignment must be submitted, including the bibliography, by the

end of the Thanksgiving break (Nov. 28). (Utilize the Exegesis Worksheet to make an outline of

your paper.)

Week Twelve (December 3): Recap & (Dis)Closure

Class Discussion

Review exegesis assignment

Write & share your response to the question 9 in the Exegesis Worksheet.

Share tips on “writing an exegetical paper.”

Final Assignment:

You may write an exegetical essay on Genesis 16, 21, (or 16 & 21) or on Joshua 9.

Write a brief essay (750-1,000 words). Be sure to consider the following checklist:

Does the essay reflect careful and close reading of the text (i.e. Hebrew text and other

several translations)?

Does the essay demonstrate my engaged effort in listening and responding to the

academic discussions on the passage as they appear in the secondary scholarly sources?

Does the essay display a study of the text’s literary and historical context?

Does the essay demonstrate my consideration of the ethical issues in the biblical text?

Does the essay include my (tentative) interpretive conclusion and application (i.e. my

voice)?

Does the essay display a skillful and precise manners of writing, citation, and formatting?

Please, submit your final paper by 6pm on December 11. Please, contact the instructor, in

advance, should you need an extension for a legitimate cause.

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