Nehemiah 8:8

Hebrew Bible

5 Ezra opened the book in plain view of all the people, for he was elevated above all the people. When he opened the book, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people replied “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—all of whom were Levites—were teaching the people the law, as the people remained standing. 8 They read from the book of God’s law, explaining it and imparting insight. Thus the people gained understanding from what was read.

1 Timothy 4:13

New Testament

12 Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity. 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have, given to you and confirmed by prophetic words when the elders laid hands on you. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress. 16 Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach. Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

 Notes and References

"... As far as the origin of Jewish exegesis of the Hebrew Bible is concerned, a strong argument could and indeed has been made for locating this in the expansions, variations and alternatives that are found for some earlier texts in their later occurrences in the Tanakh itself. There is even specific mention in Nehemiah (8:8) of the public exposition of the 'divine Torah'. One might also look upon the Septuagint as an early commentary on biblical Hebrew texts, as they were understood in the Hellenistic world of Egyptian Jewry. That world produced its own interpretation of the Bible, most commonly known from the work of Philo and Josephus but undoubtedly more variegated and extensive.15 Certainly the pesher method recorded among the Judean scrolls testifies to a Jewish belief in the eternal message of the Bible and a need to find guidance for today in the divine message of yesterday. If we define all such exegetical activity as 'Jewish', we enter into the controversial area of how, and to what degree, that sense of 'Jewish' differs from the later Jewish approach to Scripture and, indeed, from the early Christian understanding of sacred texts ..."

Reif, Stefan C. "Aspects of Jewish Contribution to Biblical Interpretation" in Barton, John (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Biblical Interpretation (pp. 148-150) Cambridge University Press, 1998

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