BIL 402 WORKSHOP 2.3 WORD STUDY ON ‘PROPHESY’
Download Assignment 3: Word Study on ‘Prophesy’ ( naba') 1. Read the Word Study Essay by Dr. Steve Lennox found at the end of your student guide in Supplemental Documents. 2. Based on the instructions given in this essay, develop a complete word study of the Hebrew word behind the English word “prophesy” [as the word appears in Jeremiah 25:30]. Note that although Old Testament writers may use other words which hold similar meaning (often translated into English as ‘wisdom’) you should focus on the one Hebrew word that is translated “prophesy” in the KJV translation of Jeremiah 25:30. Give approximately five hours to this study. [State at the top of your paper how long you spent on this project.] ( naba') 3. Your study should include the following: a. Cutting and pasting every Bible verse that contains this Hebrew word into a Word file. b. Review each appearance of your word in the Old Testament verse. You do not have to record information in relation to each use of the word, but do compile a list of information you gain and trends you see as you work through this list of verses. You might find it helpful to come up with a set of questions, and then list answers you find in your study. [For example, you might want to look for answers to questions such as the following: What does it mean to prophesy? Who prophesies? [Who does not prophesy?] Where does one prophesy? In what state of being does one prophesy? Who enables prophesying? What kind of things does one say when one prophesies? Does all prophesying produce truth? If not, what is the difference between true prophesying and false prophesying? Not all verses will give answers to all questions, but you might want to look at each verse asking the broad question, “What would I learn about ‘prophesying’ if this were the only verse in the Bible that used this word?” Repeating instructions from above, you do not have to record information in relation to each use of the word, but do compile a list of information you gain as you work through this list of verses. c. Give the information you find in your study of prophesying in lists, tables, or paragraphs explaining your most significant findings. In your lists, tables, or paragraphs, do list specific chapter and verse references to support each of your significant findings. d. Finish with a summary paragraph or two in which you list your most significant insights in relation to the Old Testament use of the word “prophesy”? e. If you would find this helpful, do feel free to consult a variety of Bible translations in this assignment. (If you consult dictionaries, lexicons, commentaries, you must cite and reference them.) f. No one will be monitoring your use of secondary sources in your inductive work for this course. Do your best, however, to focus your time and attention on the biblical documents, rather than secondary sources. Use secondary sources primarily as guides to help you maneuver around the biblical material, not substitutes for spending time in the biblical material. Your grade for an assignment may be significantly reduced if it is obvious that your work depends more on secondary sources than the biblical text. Do remember to place all quotations from the biblical material and secondary sources in quotation marks. The only citation you need to give for a biblical quotation is the book, chapter and verse reference. [If you consistently use a version other than the NIV, indicate that at least once in each assignment. If you choose to quote (a small number of times) a version other than the NIV, indicate that at the end of the quotation.] When either quoting or paraphrasing
material from other sources, please give appropriate credit to your source[s]. [Although not placed in each set of assignment instructions, these paragraphs’ content is valid for all assignments in this course.]