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midrash
midrash Early Jewish commentary on scripture. The purpose is to bring it up to date for readers of each generation; it is a kind of interpretation, and also a work of reconciliation—explaining an original narrative by the insights of a later age. Thus, in 2 Sam. (24: 1) it is said that God, in anger, incited David to take a census of the people, for which David, or rather the people, were punished by a pestilence (2 Sam. 24: 15). But by the time of 1 Chron. (21: 1) the proposal is said to be imparted to David by Satan, which is more in tune with the theology of the Chronicler.
In the Qumran community the narratives of the OT were retold and the commentators composed stories based on them, in the manner of preachers. Paul explains in 1 Cor. 10: 11 that scripture has, over and above its original meaning, a derivative meaning, applicable to his own day, which he endeavours to tease out. In the gospels Matt. is particularly adept with the midrashic method. Much of this gospel is a re-writing of Mark, using the methods of midrash, but in the case of the infancy narratives, where he had no predecessor, Matt. uses a variety of OT texts to expound his belief about Jesus as the Christ. Events of the OT that happened to Moses and David, among others, are repeated in Jesus, who is thus the New Moses destined to lead his people into a new Promised Land. The genealogy established that Jesus was of the house of David—a ‘Son of David’ was part of Messianic expectation. These narratives are not therefore historical in the modern sense, though they contain historical material. |
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "midrash." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "midrash." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-midrash.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "midrash." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-midrash.html |
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Midrash
Midrash [Heb.,=to examine, to investigate], verse by verse interpretation of Hebrew Scriptures, consisting of homily and exegesis, by Jewish teachers since about 400 BC Distinction is made between Midrash halakah , dealing with the legal portions of Scripture, and Midrash haggada, dealing with biblical lore. Midrashic exposition of both kinds appears throughout the Talmud . Individual midrashic commentaries were composed by rabbis after the 2d cent. AD up to the Middle Ages, and they were mostly of an aggadic nature, following the order of the scriptural text. Important among them are the Midrash Rabbah, a collection of commentaries on the Torah and the Five Scrolls (the Song of Songs, Esther, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes), and the Pesikta Midrashim, concerning the festivals. This body of rabbinic literature contains the earliest speculative thought in the Jewish tradition.
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"Midrash." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Midrash." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Midrash.html "Midrash." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Midrash.html |
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Midrash
Midrash (Heb., ‘investigation/study [sc. of Scripture]’). The term is commonly applied to the whole tradition of Jewish biblical exegesis, but it primarily denotes rabbinic interpretation of the Bible as it flourished in Palestine and, to a lesser extent, in Babylonia, from the 2nd to the 8th cent. AD. In all the midrashic texts, Scripture is seen as the primary source of all wisdom and truth; it originated in the mind of God and so is inerrant and totally coherent. The aims of the expositor are to explain apparent errors, harmonize contradictions, and draw out the teaching of the Law and apply it to Jewish life. To this end he may resort to extreme techniques of text-manipulation. Despite the chronological problem, the rabbinic Midrashim have been used to elucidate NT exegesis of the OT, and they shed light on the works of Origen and St Jerome.
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Midrash." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Midrash." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-Midrash.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Midrash." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-Midrash.html |
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Midrash
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JOHN BOWKER. "Midrash." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Midrash." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Midrash.html JOHN BOWKER. "Midrash." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Midrash.html |
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Midrash
Midrash an ancient commentary on part of the Hebrew scriptures, attached to the biblical text. The earliest Midrashim come from the 2nd century ad, although much of their content is older.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Midrash." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Midrash." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Midrash.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Midrash." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Midrash.html |
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midrash
midrash Jewish commentary on the Hebrew scriptures. XVII. — Heb. midhrāš, f. dāraš investigate, search.
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T. F. HOAD. "midrash." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "midrash." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-midrash.html T. F. HOAD. "midrash." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-midrash.html |
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Midrash
Midrash •abash, ash, Ashe, bash, brash, cache, calash, cash, clash, crash, dash, encash, flash, gash, gnash, hash, lash, mash, Nash, panache, pash, plash, rash, sash, slash, smash, soutache, splash, stash, thrash, trash
•earbash • kurbash • calabash
•slapdash • pebbledash • balderdash
•spatterdash • backlash • backslash
•whiplash • eyelash • goulash
•newsflash • thunderflash • mishmash
•gatecrash • Midrash • potash
•succotash
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"Midrash." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Midrash." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Midrash.html "Midrash." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Midrash.html |
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