Questions to Ask When Studying the Bible: A Cross-Faith Guide

In Jewish tradition, questioning isn't just permitted — it's expected. The Talmudic method is built on relentless inquiry, and the rabbis modeled this approach for centuries. When King Josiah's scribes discovered the Torah scroll, his immediate response was to inquire — not simply to read passively 2 Chronicles 34:21. That instinct captures the Jewish approach to Bible study beautifully.

Deuteronomy 13:14 offers a template that scholars like Nehama Leibowitz (20th century) applied directly to Torah study: enquire, search, and ask diligently Deuteronomy 13:14. These three verbs aren't redundant — they represent escalating depth of investigation. Ask what the text says. Search what it means. Inquire what it demands.

Practically, questions to ask when studying the Bible from a Jewish perspective include:

• What does the plain meaning (peshat) say? Don't skip past the literal text.
• What do the classical commentators (Rashi, Maimonides, Nachmanides) say? Jewish study is communal across time.
• What is the historical and literary context? Jeremiah 23:37 models this — asking "What did GOD speak?" demands attention to the specific prophetic moment Jeremiah 23:37.
• What does this passage demand of me (halakhah)? Jewish study always moves toward action.
• Where does this text appear elsewhere in the Tanakh? Intertextual reading is central to Jewish hermeneutics.

It's worth noting there's genuine disagreement among Jewish scholars about how much weight to give allegorical versus legal readings — Maimonides and Nachmanides famously differed on this. That tension itself is productive for study.

Christian Bible study has a rich tradition of structured inquiry going back to the early church fathers. Origen (3rd century) developed layered reading methods, and the Reformation — particularly through figures like William Tyndale and Martin Luther — democratized personal scripture engagement, insisting every believer could and should ask hard questions of the text.

In Mark 9:16, Jesus himself models the questioning posture: he asks the scribes directly, "What question ye with them?" Mark 9:16 — a reminder that even in the midst of ministry, interrogating what's happening in a text or situation is a legitimate, even divine, practice.

Key questions Christians are encouraged to ask when studying the Bible include:

• What does the text say? Observation before interpretation — a principle emphasized by Howard Hendricks in his 1991 work Living by the Book.
• What did it mean to the original audience? Historical-grammatical exegesis asks this first.
• What does it mean universally? Moving from then to now.
• How does this passage point to Christ? Christocentric hermeneutics, especially in Protestant traditions, reads the Old Testament through the lens of the New.
• What is God calling me to do? Application is the goal of study, not mere information.
• What do trusted commentators and the church tradition say? No one reads alone.

There's real disagreement between Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions about the role of church authority in answering these questions — Catholics and Orthodox give significant weight to magisterial interpretation, while many Protestants emphasize sola scriptura. That disagreement shapes which questions feel most urgent.

Deuteronomy 13:14's call to "enquire, search, and ask diligently" Deuteronomy 13:14 is equally embraced in Christian study as a model of intellectual seriousness before the text.

Islam doesn't treat the Hebrew Bible or New Testament as authoritative scripture in the same way Judaism and Christianity do — Muslims believe those texts have been altered over time (tahrif). However, the Qur'an itself addresses the practice of consulting earlier scriptures and asking questions of those who possess them, making this topic partially applicable.

Qur'an 10:94 is striking in this context: it instructs that if there is doubt about revelation, one should "ask those who have been reading the Scripture before you" Quran 10:94. This verse, directed at the Prophet, acknowledges that earlier scriptural traditions carry knowledge worth consulting — though always subordinate to Qur'anic authority.

Similarly, Qur'an 68:37 poses a rhetorical challenge: "Or do you have a scripture in which you learn" Quran 68:37 — implying that genuine scriptural learning requires a valid, reliable source. Muslim scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah (14th century) and, more recently, Ismail al-Faruqi, have discussed how Muslims may engage with Biblical texts critically and comparatively, asking:

• Does this passage align with or contradict Qur'anic teaching?
• What does this text reveal about the original, uncorrupted message of the prophets?
• How do Islamic commentators (mufassirun) understand parallel Qur'anic passages?

It's important to note that most Muslim scholars discourage deep immersion in Biblical study without strong grounding in Islamic sciences first, to avoid confusion. The questions Muslims ask are filtered through a different hermeneutical framework than Jewish or Christian readers bring.

Core study prompts, drawn from the Tanakh’s own study-moments:

• Have I inquired and investigated the matter diligently, testing whether a claim is true? (Derived from the command to “enquire… make search, and ask diligently… if it be truth.”) Deuteronomy 13:14
• What does God require of us in light of this passage, especially where covenant obedience is in view? (Modeled by Josiah’s directive to “Go, inquire of GOD… concerning the words of the scroll.”) 2 Kings 22:13
• How should our community respond if we’ve fallen short of what’s written? (Josiah fears wrath for not doing “all that has been prescribed.”) 2 Kings 22:13
• What did God answer here—what did God speak? (Jeremiah instructs, “What did GOD answer you? or ‘What did GOD speak?’”) Jeremiah 23:37
• Who should we consult when a hard matter arises? (Kings and Chronicles portray turning to recognized prophets and priests to seek God’s word.) 2 Kings 22:13 2 Chronicles 34:21

These questions keep study tethered to truth-testing, communal responsibility, and discerning God’s specific word, themes repeatedly modeled in Israel’s life. Deuteronomy 13:14 2 Kings 22:13 Jeremiah 23:37

New Testament study often begins with Jesus’s own practice of asking incisive questions and clarifying the issue at hand:

• What question are we actually debating, and have we heard the text speak to that issue? (Jesus asks the scribes, “What question are you discussing?”) Mark 9:16
• Have we examined the matter carefully rather than rushing to judgment? (Christians also receive Israel’s pattern to “enquire… and ask diligently” when weighing claims.) Deuteronomy 13:14
• What response or obedience does this passage call forth from the community? (Echoing the royal charge to “inquire of GOD… concerning the words of the scroll.”) 2 Kings 22:13
• Are we asking, “What did God answer you?”—seeking God’s voice rather than merely our opinions. Jeremiah 23:37

In short: clarify the real question, test claims diligently, and seek what God has said and requires, not just what we prefer. Mark 9:16 Deuteronomy 13:14 2 Kings 22:13

Not applicable. Concerns Biblical study methods within Jewish and Christian scripture; no direct counterpart is required in Islamic practice here.