Biblical Hermeneutics

PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL HERMENETICS ; M. M. NINAN
Rabbis Hillel and Shamai were competitive leading figures in Judaism during the days of
Yeshua's youth. Hillel was known for teaching the Spirit of the Law and Shamai was known
for teaching the letter of the Law. Yeshua's teaching largely followed that of the School of
Hillel rather than that of the School of Shamai (an exception being Yeshua agreeing with
Shamai regarding divorce in Matthew 19:9).
For example, Yeshua's famous "golden rule": Whatever you would that men should
do to you, do you even to them, for this is the Torah and the Prophets. (Matthew
7:12)
This reads very closely with Hillel's famous statement: What is hateful to you, do not do to
your neighbor that is the whole Torah ... (b.Shabbat 31a)
Upon Hillel's death the mantle of the School of Hillel was passed to his son Simeon. Upon
Simon's death the mantle of the school of Hillel passed to Gamliel. This Gamilel spoke in
defense of the early Nazarenes (Acts 5:34-39). He was the teacher of Shaul/Paul (Acts 22:3).
In 2 Tim. 2:15, Paul speaks of "rightly dividing the word of truth." What did Paul mean by
this? Was he saying that there were right and wrong ways to interpret the scriptures? Did
Paul believe there were actual rules to be followed when interpreting (understanding) the
Scriptures? Was Paul speaking of the Seven Rules of Hillel?
Paul was certainly taught these rules in the School of Hillel by Hillel's own grandson Gamliel.
When we examine Paul's writings we will see that they are filled with usages of Hillel's Seven
Rules (several examples appear below). It would appear then that the Seven Rules of Hillel
are at least part of what Paul was speaking of when he spoke of "rightly dividing the Word of
truth."
Rules given to the sons of Bathyra by Hillel I. as the chief guides for the interpretation of the
Scriptures and for the deduction of laws from them (Tosef., Sanh. vii.; the introduction to the
Sifra, ed. Weiss, p. 3a, end; Ab. R. N. xxxvii.).
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