5 Simple Details

I notice that I tend to focus on getting the big stuff done in life. Spending time with God, loving my family, serving the church. I am judged and evaluated by others and by myself on how well I execute these things. But I have found that the small details often have the biggest impact. Things like praying for specific people, loving my wife and children in ways that impact them most, and taking the time to not only serve the church, but to care about each person individually.

I realize that if I ignore the details, the result of my labor is less than great. However, if I am careful to pay attention to the details, even small efforts can have a greater impact.

The same is true for our Bible study. The turn of words and phrases used in the Bible has great meaning. We should never run past a passage and miss the details that enrich it.

We have learned how to find the big stuff like Historical context and Literary context even the words of Grammatical context. Now we turn our attention to other partsof the sentence.

Let us focus on how words combine in meaningful ways

It is important to know how a word, phrase or clause operates in a sentence tounderstand that sentence.

1. Idioms

An idiom is an expression that has a meaning different from the sense conveyed by the individual words or by the elements that make up the expression. Some are easy to understand, but some require deeper study to understand the meaning.

For example, Son of God has at least three meanings in scripture.

A. It can mean descendant of i.e. Sons of Israel, Son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1)

B. It can mean characterized by i.e. Son of Encouragement (Acts 4:36), Sons of God (Mt 5:9; Rom 8:14), Sons of Thunder (Mk 3:17), Sons of Light (John 12:36).
[The idiom ‘son of light’ displays the ethical qualities of ‘light’, and that someone has become a disciple of the ‘light’. (1 Thess. 5:5; Eph. 5:8)]

C. It can be a title i.e. Son of Man, as used in the book of Ezekiel and Daniel 8:17

Many translations like the NIV and NLT replace idioms with clear English which makes this task a bit easier. (Matthew 6:27; 19:12; Luke 4:44; John 9:24)

2. Contrasts

Look for ideas or objects that are contrasted with each other focusing on their differences. This is used by many authors to better clarify or define an idea. In poetry, contrasts use two or more stanzas with opposite meaning.

A few examples:

Proverbs 15:1
             A gentle answer turns away wrath,
             but a harsh word stirs up anger.

A gentle answer is contrasted with a harsh word. And the results are also contrasted as turns away wrath is the opposite of stirs up anger.

John 3:36
             He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but
             he who does not obey the Son will not see life,     (NASB)

John’s gospel holds that belief and obedience are one and the same by the use of contrasts. The one who believes is opposite the one who does not obey, and only the one who does not obey has God’s wrath on him.

Romans 6:23  
             For the wages of sin is death,
             but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The wages of sin leads to death, but the gift of God (forgiveness in Jesus) leads to eternal life

3. Comparisons

Look for ideas or objects that are comparted with each other focusing on their similarities. This, like contrast, is used to better clarify or define an idea. In poetry comparisons use two or more stanzas with similar meaning.

A few examples:

Psalm 7:13
             He has prepared his deadly weapons; 
             he makes ready his flaming arrows.

Here the comparison is made where preparing deadly weapons is similar to making ready flaming arrows.

Isaiah 40:31
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
             They will soar on wings like eagles;
             they will run and not grow weary,
             they will walk and not be faint.

In this passage, three comparisons are made that highlight having renewed strength. They are soaring on eagles wing; running and not growing weary; and walking and not being faint.

1 Samuel 15:22
             To obey is better than sacrifice, and
             to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Obedience and heeding are compared. This passage emphasizes that doing what God says is more desired than making offers of worship to Him.

4. Cause and Effect

This construction of phrases allows you to probe a passage deeper. Knowing the cause of something and the effect of something helps us to better understand the situation. We don’t need to guess here.

A key word is usually used to indicate cause and effect such as ‘for’.

For example in Acts 2:38, the passage says, “Be Baptized for the forgiveness of your sins” indicating a result of biblical baptism.

The beatitudes in Matthew 5 are a series of verses that talk about being blessed by God describing the result with a phrase using the word ‘for’.

The words ‘so’ and ‘so that’ also indicate result and can be used to show cause and effect.

Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

People are without excuse in following God, because He has made himself clearly known my His creation.

1 Corinthians 9:22
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

Paul worked hard to be what people needed him to be in order that he could save some. This shows that if we become what others need, we may be able help to save some.

5. Figures of Speech

A figure of speech is an image used in a sense other than the normal literal sense

Luke 14:26
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters– yes, even his own life– he cannot be my disciple.”

The word hate is not used normally, but figuratively. Jesus used a figure of speech here called hyperbole. It is a deliberate exaggeration for dramatic effect.

Jude 12–13
These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. ¹³ They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.

This passage uses several metaphors to describe false brothers. A metaphor is a comparison in which one thing represents another.

1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

This passage uses similes where two things are compared using the words ‘as’ or like’. These are easier to identify than metaphors.

Once you identify a figure of speech, you should stop and think about these images. Try to visualize what the author is saying.

What do you think about studying the phrases used by Bible in context? Is it helpful for your bible study? Please comment below so we can discuss if further.

Unless otherwise indicated, all the passages used above are taken from the NIV.