MCC Sacred Scripture Exegesis 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'Sitz im Leben' refer to in biblical exegesis?
- The original Hebrew manuscript tradition
- The social or institutional setting in which a text originated (Correct answer)
- The canonical order of Old Testament books
- The method of allegorical interpretation
Correct answer: The social or institutional setting in which a text originated
'Sitz im Leben' (German for 'setting in life') refers to the social context or institutional setting in which a biblical text or tradition originated and was used.
Question 2: Which type of biblical criticism focuses on the final, canonical form of the text rather than its compositional history?
- Source criticism
- Redaction criticism
- Canonical criticism (Correct answer)
- Form criticism
Correct answer: Canonical criticism
Canonical criticism, associated with scholars like Brevard Childs, interprets Scripture in its final canonical form as received by the faith community.
Question 3: The 'Deuteronomistic History' encompasses which books of the Old Testament?
- Genesis through Numbers
- Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (Correct answer)
- Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah
- Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel
Correct answer: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings
The Deuteronomistic History refers to Joshua, Judges, 1–2 Samuel, and 1–2 Kings, edited by the Deuteronomist school using theological themes from Deuteronomy.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a 'pericope' in scriptural study?
- To identify the author of a biblical book
- To isolate a self-contained unit of text for detailed analysis (Correct answer)
- To compare parallel versions in different manuscripts
- To trace the etymology of Greek words
Correct answer: To isolate a self-contained unit of text for detailed analysis
A pericope is a discrete, self-contained passage of Scripture selected for study, preaching, or liturgical reading.
Question 5: According to Catholic teaching, what is the relationship between Scripture and Tradition?
- Scripture alone is the sole source of divine revelation
- Scripture supersedes Tradition in cases of conflict
- Scripture and Tradition together form one sacred deposit of the Word of God (Correct answer)
- Tradition interprets Scripture independently of the Magisterium
Correct answer: Scripture and Tradition together form one sacred deposit of the Word of God
Dei Verbum teaches that Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition 'form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church' (DV 10).
Question 6: What is 'intertextuality' as applied to biblical exegesis?
- Comparing texts across different language translations
- The way a biblical text alludes to, echoes, or cites earlier texts (Correct answer)
- The study of inter-denominational biblical interpretations
- Cross-referencing the New Testament with the Catechism
Correct answer: The way a biblical text alludes to, echoes, or cites earlier texts
Intertextuality examines how biblical texts reference, echo, or rework earlier scriptural material, illuminating layers of meaning.
Question 7: The technical term 'hapax legomenon' refers to what in biblical scholarship?
- A word or expression that appears only once in the entire biblical corpus (Correct answer)
- A scribal error found in a single manuscript tradition
- A doublet narrative repeated twice in the same book
- A prophecy fulfilled in a single historical event
Correct answer: A word or expression that appears only once in the entire biblical corpus
A hapax legomenon is a word or phrase occurring only once in the biblical text, making its meaning difficult to determine from context alone.
MCC Sacred Scripture Exegesis 2
What does the term 'Sitz im Leben' refer to in biblical exegesis?