Textual Boundaries in the Bible: Their Impact on Interpretation

When turning up a newspaper, headlines immediately draw attention to the

subjects the editorial staff deemed most important. Headings of chapters

and paragraphs in a book help to understand the structure of the work.

Indentation and punctuation steer our interpretation in many unobtrusive

ways. Few people realize that these tricks to promote a particular

understanding of a written document were invented thousands of years ago

in the world of the Bible. The series Pericope is praised for its

introduction of the innovative method of delimitation criticism in

biblical scholarship.

This volume contains contributions on text division in ancient

manuscripts and modern Bible translations (examples from Genesis,

Numbers, Samuel, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah, Song of Songs, Ezra and Romans).

Layout often clarifies a writer’s intention, but is sometimes used to

force an interpretation on the reader that is clearly incompatible with

the writer’s goals. Required reading for translators as well as readers

of the Bible!