Bible as the infallible Word of God. They regarded even the letters as
(2) What was the prevalent conception of the method of interpretation?
(3) What qualifications were regarded as essential in an interpreter of the Bible?
The first two questions are of a more perennial character than the last one, and naturally require a greater amount of attention.
B. Principles of Interpretation among the Jews
For the sake of completeness, a brief statement is given of the principles which the Jews applied in the interpretation of the Bible. The following classes of Jews must be distinguished.
1. THE PALESTINIAN JEWS. These had a profound respect for the Bible as the infallible Word of God. They regarded even the letters as holy, and their copyists were in the habit of counting them, lest any of them should be lost in transcription. At the same time, they held the Law in far greater esteem than the Prophets and the Holy Writings. Hence the interpretation of the Law was their great objective. They carefully distinguished between the mere literal sense of the Bible (technically called peshat) and its exposition of exegesis (midrash). "One controlling motive and feature of midrash was to investigate and elucidate, by all exegetical means at command, all possible hidden meanings and applications of Scripture" (Oesterley and Box, The Religion and worship of the Synagogue, p. 75.f.). In a broad sense, the Midrashic literature may be divided into two classes:
(a) interpretations of a legal character, dealing with matters of binding law in a strict legalistic sense (Halakhah), and
(b) interpretations of a free and more edifying tendency, covering all the non-legal parts of Scripture (Haggadah). The latter were homiletical and illustrative rather than exegetical.