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What to Observe: Grammar

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The philosopher Wittgenstein wrote, “Like everything metaphysical the harmony between thought and reality is to be found in the grammar of the language.”  My high school English teacher would say he was on to something.

Without grammar, it would be difficult to communicate.  For example, we wouldn’t have verbs.  Just subjects.  All the time.  No action.  Maybe objects.  Short sentences, though.  Loads of confusion.  Mass hysteria.  Need for clarity.  Little talking.  Aw, shoot; I couldn’t do it.

So once you’ve observed the words of a Bible text, you can move on to observing how the author put those words together into sentences.  This means observing the grammar.

“Grammar” can be a scary word, invoking memories of pimples, bullies, and parental pressure as we look back (sometimes unfondly) on what used to be known as “The Wonder Years.”  I’m here to tell you, however, that grammar can be fun.  Grammar can be exciting.  Grammar can, in fact, be the gateway into fruitful observation of the Bible.

Let’s take Luke 2:1-21, NET as our text again.  Let’s observe just the subject and main verb of each sentence (in other words, let’s do some simple grammar).  Look at what you get:

  • A decree went out
  • This was the first
  • Everyone went
  • Joseph also went
  • He went
  • The time came
  • She gave birth…and wrapped…and laid
  • There were shepherds
  • An angel appeared…and the glory shone…and they were
  • The angel said
    • Don’t be afraid
    • Listen
    • Your Savior is born
    • He is Christ
    • This will be a sign: you will find
  • An army appeared
  • The shepherds said
    • Let us go and see
  • They hurried off and located…and found
  • They related
  • All were astonished
  • Mary treasured up
  • The shepherds returned
  • Everything was just
  • He was named

What is the point of this exercise?  Simply that, by stripping away the detail and observing the basic sentence structure (subject and verb), we end up with a pretty good outline of the story in Luke 2.  Before we can move to interpretation (figuring out what the text means), we must observe what it says.  One way to identify what the author says is to observe the grammar.  This skill is important as we learn how to study the Bible.

Observing the grammar isn’t just for narrative, like that in Luke.  It helps in other genres as well.

For example, look at Philippians 2:5-11.  Boiling it down to the basic grammar gives us:

  • You should have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had
    • Who did not regard equality with God as somethingto be grasped
      • but emptied himself…
      • [and] humbled himself…
    • As a result, God exalted him

What does Paul want us to do here?  Be like Jesus.  When we give up what we deserve (empty ourselves) and take on what we don’t deserve (humble ourselves), there’s no telling what God might do in our community.

What to Observe: Words

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Douglas Wilson wrote, “Words are the bricks with which you build.  Buy the bricks before starting on the wall” (Wordsmithy, Moscow, ID: Canon, 2011, p.104).  He was advising aspiring writers to study etymology and ancient languages.  I’ll commandeer his point to encourage those who study the Bible to begin with the beginning.

Books of the Bible were constructed from stories.  These stories were built from episodes.  Episodes arose by gatherings of paragraphs.  Paragraphs disemboweled produce sentences.  Sentences dissect into words.  Words are our bricks.  Let’s observe them to start.

I’ll use Luke 2:1-21, NET for a sample text.  It’s a pretty familiar text for many Christians, so we’ll work hard to observe it well.

First, notice a theme to key words in the first few verses

  • decree
  • Caesar
  • Augustus
  • empire
  • registration
  • Quirinius
  • governor
  • Syria
  • city of David – 2 times
  • house and family line of David
  • firstborn son
  • Lord – 2 times
  • glory
  • Savior
  • Christ
  • vast, heavenly army – a phrase that explains what angels are

What stands out?  Major attention is drawn to power, glory, and governing authority.  There’s some tension between Imperial authority (represented in Caesar and his underlings) and God’s authority (represented in his son).

Let’s keep looking at another class of words

  • Joseph
  • Nazareth
  • Bethlehem
  • Mary, who was promised to be married to him
  • expecting a child
  • the time came to deliver
  • child wrapped in strips of cloth – 2 times
  • laid in manger – 3 times
  • no place for them in the inn

This group lends itself to another theme: that of unpredictable lowliness.

I’ll mention one final set of observations regarding word choice in Lk 2:11:

  • Today your Savior is born in the city of David
  • He is Christ
  • He is the Lord

The narrator, through the angel, communicates loads of information simply by his word choice.

  • What is a “Savior”?  One who saves.  A hero.  A rescuer.  He’s not the guy who runs out of the burning building to save his own life; he’s the guy who runs into the burning building to save others’ lives.
  • What is a “Christ”?  We need some background help on this one, but “Christ” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” which means “Anointed One.”  What on earth is an “anointed one”?  We don’t have those anymore!  Think of it as someone inaugurated and sworn into office.  The narrator wants us to know that Jesus has a job, and he’s authorized by God to execute that job.
  • What is “the Lord”?  It’s what the Jews of old would call God himself.  Flip through your Old Testament, and see how often the word LORD shows up in all caps.  That represents instances where God’s personal name (something like Yahweh, but we can’t know for sure how it was pronounced) was used in the Hebrew text, but translation traditions hand it down to us as simply “LORD.”  The narrator wants us to know, through the angel’s proclamation, that Jesus is, in fact, God.

I’m beginning to move into interpretation, so I’ll hold off until we get to that step in the OIA process.  Your take-home point for now is: the first part in how to study the Bible is to observe (not just see, mind you, but truly to observe) the words on the page.

Sometimes the Point is Clear

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Some Biblical authors are very clear about why they wrote their books.  When you study these books, don’t feel the need to be particularly profound.  If you don’t get to the stated point, you’re probably missing something.

  1. Proverbs – to know wisdom, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction, to give prudence, to understand a proverb (Prov 1:1-6).
  2. Luke – to give an orderly account, that we might have certainty concerning the things we have been taught (Luke 1:1-4).
  3. John – so you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, and have life in his name (John 20:30-31).
  4. 1 John – so you may know you have life (1 John 5:13).
  5. Jude – to encourage us to contend for the faith (Jude 3).
  6. Revelation – to reveal Jesus Christ and show his servants the things that must soon take place (Rev 1:1).

Please feel free to comment if I missed any.