Pesher

Pesher, meaning “interpretation,” describes an approach to reading Scripture in which a biblical passage is explained as referring specifically to present circumstances. Rather than treating the text as general instruction or past history, pesher interpretation applies it directly to contemporary people, events, or conflicts. This method is best known from texts found at Qumran, associated with the Dead Sea Scrolls, where scripture is quoted and then explained line by line as fulfilled in the community’s experience. Pesher assumes that the true meaning of scripture becomes clear only when its relevance to the present is discovered and revealed.