The Introduction to

Biblical Exegesis
The Origin and Nature of the Bible

Dr. Sergio M. Sarza

Faculty, CRE
In order to get
to know a new
person, one of
the first
questions one
must ask about
that person is
where he
comes from.
When I realize that the kind of
bible I have at hand comes
from someone’s work of
translating a more ancient
document, then I realize that
I have to treat the Bible that
I am using, not as if it were
the original document
itself, but rather as what it
is – translation, meant to
facilitate my
understanding.
Biblical Translation
(Where do the translations of the Bible
come from?)
They come from people who
translate them first and from the
various sources they use
• The quality of translation depends on the
credentials and expertise of the
translators and the quality of the sources
used

1. Catholics produce Catholic translations.

2. Protestants produce Protestant translations
3. Translation based on another translation
would be a secondhand translation
4. Translations based on copies of the text in
the original languages would be firsthand
translation.
Versions/Translations Translators
Good News Bible • Made by the United Bible
Today’s English Societies and here in the PH
Version and its Filipino by the Philippine Bible Society
Translation which is governed by
Protestants
• No mention at all who were
the translators, much less their
corresponding credentials
• Some of their copies carry
deutero-canonicals, the
Catholic Church allows their
use by Catholics, thereby
making this translation an
ecumenical version
Versions/Translations Translators
New American Bible • Title page states: “translated
from the original languages
with critical use of all the
ancient sources by members
of the Catholic Biblical
Association of America.”
• Introductory pages:
1. Nihil Obstat: nothing hinders
2. Imprimatur: it may be printed
3. A letter from Pope Paul VI
affirming its Catholicity
4. List of editors and translators
with their corresponding
educational qualifications.
The Basic Sources:
The Ancient Manuscripts

Hebrew

Ancient
Manuscripts

Aramaic Greek
 Old
Testament

Texts and
Masoretic Dead Sea
versions of
Text Scrolls
Septuagint
 Types of Manuscripts
Manuscript
Masoretic • Originated from Hebrew root verb
masar which means “to hand
down”
Refers to what is handed down or to
what is traditional
• Traditional Hebrew text of the Bible
• Dated between 930 – 1009 AD
• Consists of only 39 books and
traced to the Jewish rabbis who
were successors of the Pharisees
during the time of Jesus
 Types of Manuscripts
Manuscript
Dead Sea • Oldest manuscripts which we have
Scrolls of the Bible discovered recently
since 1947, mainly at a deserted
placed called Qumran
• Dated from 1000 BC to 100 AD

• The only complete scroll is that of

Isaiah while all the other scrolls are
in fragments
• Traced to the community of
Essenes during the time of Jesus
 Types of Manuscripts
Manuscript
Septuagint • Greek version of a Hebrew text earlier
than that of the Dead Sea Scrolls
• Means 70 (rounded number of the
legendary 72 translators [6 from each
of the 12 tribes of Israel] who were
supposed to have come with the text
• Actual composition dates between
300-250 BC, but the earliest
manuscripts we have of it date
between 100-400 AD
• Consists of 46 books ( 7 more books
than those of the Masoretic text)
 Types of Manuscripts
Manuscript
Septuagint • Handed down to us because the texts
were used mainly by the first Christians,
especially by the apostles and gospel
writers, who were preaching and
writing also in Greek
Present day • Masoretic text (Jewish bible consists
Jews only of 39 books
Catholics (both • Septuagint and the New Testament
of the Roman (Inherited from what the first
and Greek Christians handed down by tradition):
rites), the Greek 46 books in the OT and 27 books in the
orthodox and NT = 73 books
Anglicans
Other Christian • Their main origin can be traced to the
Groupings early 16th century or even much later
take OT from Masoretic Text and
select what they want from the NT

• They consider 7 extra books

(Septuagint but not in the Masoretic)
as apocryphal.
 Other •Apocryphal
• Books are writings which
Christian are ancient and holy but
Groups not biblical and inspired

•Biblical
•Deutero (second) and
Catholics canonicals (books
considered to belong to the
and Bible
Anglicans •Canon of Scripture
(authoritative listing of the
biblical books

•Based themselves on some

Newly- particular Christian tenets
founded and consider Bible what
they simply receive through
religious any translation and remain
sects ignorant of these sources
from the original languages
 New
Testament

Papyri
Codex
Scrolls
 Types of Manuscripts
Manuscript
Papyri Scrolls • Very difficult to classify since we
have too many manuscripts at
hand
Oldest form of manuscripts

• Classified into different families

• They do not represent the whole of

the NT but simply contain varied NT
writings
 Codex
(book form)

Written in Greek capital

Written in Greek small
letters (majuscules or Other Sources
letters (minuscules)
uncials)

Lectionaries and
From which we have a
Ancient versions of the citations from the
complete Christian Bible
texts writings made by the
(OT and NT)
Fathers of the Church

Fathers of the Church:

Codex Codex Codex Latin Vulgate, Itala,
the direct descendants
Syriac, Coptic,
Vaticanus Sinaiiticus Alexandrinus of the apostles as
Arimenian, Gothic
regards the faith

The only codex still in its Found in London

partially
proper place Museum

Editions of the Greek New Testament

In knowing these manuscripts,
we get to know the concrete
evidence from where the Bible
comes. From this concrete
evidence we can properly
base our judgment and
understanding of claims of the
Church as the mother and
guardian of the Word of God.
 Bible

Old New
Testament Testament

Masoretic Dead Sea Septuagint Papyri

Codex
Text Scrolls Text Scrolls

The concrete evidences demonstrate that the

Bible did not just come from God directly. The
Word of God came to us mainly through
different sources.
The written and oral
sources of the Bible
did not just happen
by themselves. There
were things that had
happened that in a
way occasioned
that words be
spoken and written
to give meaning to
what happened.
(½ crosswise)
Identify 3 learnings
or discoveries based
on the discussion
today by looking
into your belief,
knowledge or
information in the
past that are
clarified or
corrected today.
Kindly elaborate or
explain.
 OLD TESTAMENT NEW TESTAMENT
A. Gospels C. The Letters/Epistles
A. Pentateuch C. Wisdom Books D. Prophetic Books
Romans Rom
Genesis Gn Job Jb Isaiah Is Matthew Mt First Corinthians 1 Cor
Exodus Ex Psalms Ps Jeremiah Jer Mark Mk Second Corinthians 2 Cor
Leviticus Lv Proverbs Prv Lamentations Lam Luke Lk Galatians Gal
Numbers Nm Ecclesiastes Eccl Baruch Bar John Jn Ephesians Eph
Deuteronomy Dt Song of Songs Sg Ezekiel Ez Philippians Phil
Wisdom Wis Daniel Dn B. Acts of Apostles Acts Colossians Col
B. Historical Books Sirach Sir Hosea Hos
First Thessalonians 1 Thes
Joel Jl
Amos Am
Joshua Jos Second Thessalonians 2 Thes
Obadiah Ob
Judges Jgs
Jonah Jon First Timothy 1 Tim
Ruth Ru Micah Mi Second Timothy 2 Tim
1 Samuel 1 Sm Nahum Na Titus Ti
2 Samuel 2 Sm Habbakuk Hb Philemon Phlm
1 Kings 1 Kgs Zephaniah Zep Hebrews Heb
2 Kings 2 Kgs Haggai Hg James Jas
1 Chronicles 1 Chr Zechariah Zec
First Peter 1 Pt
2 Chronicles 2 Chr Malachi Mal
Second Peter 2 Pt
Ezra Ezr
First John 1 Jn
Nehemiah Neh
Second John 2 Jn
Tobit Tb
Third John 3 Jn
Judith Jdt Note: Red font are
Jude Jude
Esther Est deuterocanonicals or
1 Maccabees 1 Mc deuterocanonical
D. Revelation Rv
2 Maccabees 2 Mc books