The Doctrine Of The Interpretation Of Scripture (Hermeneutics)
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, November 19, 2025 (Donate)
What Is Hermeneutics?
Hermeneutics, in its simplest form, is about how to interpret Scripture correctly. More properly, hermeneutics is the method of interpreting written texts. The point of hermeneutics is to use consistent rules so that meaning is drawn out of the text, not read into it.
In other words, we are trying to see what the text of the Bible is saying to us, as opposed to taking our own ideas as superior and reinterpreting God’s Word (usually Genesis by Moses) to fit modern cultural opinions.
Proper hermeneutic method is called the historical-grammatical approach, which is about finding the plain and natural meaning of the words and sentences and surrounding context as understood by the original audience.
Good hermeneutics is done by looking at the grammar, context, and style of what is written (poem, literal history, genealogies, laws, metaphors, songs, etc.). There is a biblical basis for this methodology by the way. Consider:
· “All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
nothing crooked or perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who
understands, and right to those who find knowledge.” (Proverbs 8:8–9, NKJV)
· “But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not
walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by
manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in
the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2, NKJV)
· “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives
understanding to the simple.” (Psalm 119:130, NKJV)
· “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:8, NKJV)
All Scripture is God-breathed, without error, and internally consistent; therefore, the Bible must interpret the Bible, and the meaning revealed in Scripture stands above human traditions, changing scientific models, or changing cultural assumptions.
Hermeneutics begins with the Scriptural presupposition that the Bible speaks truthfully about history, including creation, the Flood, time, chronology, and people groups. Since all knowing God of perfect truth is the ultimate author, His Word is fully trustworthy in all matters it addresses. A sound hermeneutic therefore starts with God’s Word as the foundation for understanding reality.
Because of this, good hermeneutics doesn’t ignore the Bible’s own claims about its passages. Often, other passages of Scripture help clarify a certain text—this is called interpreting Scripture with Scripture. God is His best interpreter. So, we often used other verses to help us understand the meaning of ones that you might be confused on.
Exegesis vs. Eisegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis means “to draw out.” It is the process of discovering the author’s intended meaning by carefully examining the words, grammar, historical context, and literary style of the passage. Exegetical hermeneutics submits to the text, allowing Scripture to speak for itself.
The historical-grammatical method, which takes the plain, natural reading of Scripture as the default unless the text signals a different genre. Thus, the exegetical approach uses historical-grammatical method. Exegesis honors the authority of God’s Word above modern assumptions, scientific models, cultural opinions, or theological traditions.
Exegesis basically is:
·
Letting the Bible
interpret the Bible
·
Reading passages
in their full context
·
Recognizing
Scripture as inerrant and internally consistent
· Affirming that the original meaning is knowable and authoritative
Exegetical hermeneutics produces interpretations rooted in what the text actually says, not what the reader wishes it said. When the historical-grammatical method is neglected and man’s ideas are used to interpret God’s Word, this is no longer good exegesis but become eisegesis. Let’s discuss that.
Eisegesis
Eisegesis means “to read into.” It is the act of inserting one’s own ideas, experiences, expectations, meanings, or external/outside ideas, myths, whims, and secular perspectives into Scripture, trying to force the text to conform to them.
This often occurs when readers impose modern naturalistic assumptions, evolutionary timelines, or philosophical preferences onto Genesis—for instance. Instead of allowing the text to define its own meaning, eisegesis starts with a preconceived conclusion and bends Scripture to fit it.
Eisegesis includes:
·
Redefining the
Genesis days as long ages because of evolutionary timescales
·
Treating Adam and
Eve as symbolic rather than historical
·
Interpreting the
global Flood as a local event based on modern geology
· Turning Genesis 1–11 into myth or allegory to fit secular models
Eisegesis undermines biblical authority and erodes foundational doctrines such as sin, death, redemption, and foundation of the Gospel with the Last Adam (Christ). It can be a dangerous slippery slope. Exegesis is the proper method for interpreting Scripture where eisegesis distorts the meaning of the biblical text by elevating human reason to supersede God’s Word.
Applying Hermeneutics To Early Genesis
Genesis 1–11 is written as historical narrative, not poetry or myth. Later Bible authors and Jesus Himself took it as literal history, so therefore it is. A proper hermeneutical analysis confirms this.
The Bible repeatedly treats early Genesis as literal history. Jesus referred to Adam and Eve as real individuals created “at the beginning” of creation. New Testament authors ground doctrines of sin, death, marriage, atonement, and the need for Christ in the historical events of Genesis. A consistent hermeneutic requires that Scripture interpret Scripture.
Moses wrote Genesis for ancient Israel to explain real history: Creation, the Fall, marriage, sin, bloodshed, clothing, redemption promised in Genesis 3:15, the genealogical line to Noah, the global Flood, and the origins of nations at Babel. A hermeneutic that honors intent must read the text as Moses expected it to be understood—a straightforward account of real events.
The Hebrew grammar and structure of the text uses the same narrative verbs forms found in the rest of Old Testament history books, including the use of waw-consecutive verbs—standard markers of sequential historical events.
The repeated phrase “evening and morning” paired with ordinal numbers (“first day,” “second day,” etc.) signals literal, normal days. A historical-grammatical method therefore interprets the “days” of creation as ordinary 24-hour days, not symbolic ages.
Genesis contains detailed genealogies with specific ages and relationships, showing it intends to provide an actual historical timeline, not open-ended eras. These genealogies continue seamlessly into Exodus, 1 Chronicles, and Luke’s Gospel.
A sound hermeneutic is foundational to core doctrines that depend on Genesis being real history. The doctrine of the Fall, the origin of death, the need for redemption, and the Last Adam (Christ) versus the first Adam all collapse if Genesis is interpreted figuratively. Thus, an exegetical hermeneutics must be applied to Genesis and be understood as the literal, historical foundation for Christian doctrine.
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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
