Questions to Ask When Studying the Bible: A Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Perspective

In Jewish tradition, asking questions isn't just permitted — it's a sacred obligation. The Talmudic method, developed by rabbis like Hillel (1st century BCE) and later codified by figures such as Maimonides (12th century CE), treats every verse of Torah as worthy of relentless interrogation. When studying a biblical passage, a Jewish learner is expected to ask: What does this command require of me? and Is this claim actually true and certain? Deuteronomy instructs the faithful to "enquire, and make search, and ask diligently" before drawing conclusions Deuteronomy 13:14.

A foundational question in Jewish Bible study is: What does this passage reveal about the fear and knowledge of God? Proverbs promises that disciplined inquiry leads directly to that goal Proverbs 2:5. Moses himself modeled institutional inquiry — the people came to him specifically "to enquire of God" Exodus 18:15, establishing a precedent that seeking answers through scripture is a communal, not merely private, act.

Isaiah's rhetorical questions — "Have ye not known? have ye not heard?" Isaiah 40:21 — remind Jewish readers to ask whether they've truly absorbed what has already been revealed. Scholar Nehama Leibowitz (20th century) built her entire pedagogical method around asking what is new or surprising in this verse?, a question that remains central to Jewish Bible study today.

Christian Bible study has always centered on the question of comprehension: Do I truly understand what I'm reading? Jesus himself tested his disciples with exactly this question after teaching in parables Matthew 13:51. The implication is clear — reading scripture without actively interrogating its meaning falls short of genuine engagement. When studying any passage, Christians are encouraged to ask: What is this text saying about Christ? because, as Jesus declared, the scriptures themselves "testify of me" John 5:39.

Paul's letter to the Ephesians suggests that repeated, careful reading unlocks deeper comprehension: "when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ" Ephesians 3:4. This points to a key question every Christian student should bring to the text: What mystery or deeper truth is being revealed here? Scholars like N.T. Wright and earlier figures like John Calvin (16th century) both emphasized that scripture has layers — a surface reading and a deeper theological meaning that rewards persistent questioning.

Mark records Jesus asking the scribes, "What question ye with them?" Mark 9:16, which models the practice of surfacing the real question beneath a debate. Christian hermeneutics, from Augustine onward, has encouraged readers to ask not just what does this say? but what does this mean for my life and salvation? These two levels of questioning — exegetical and applicational — remain the backbone of Christian Bible study methods today.

Islam's relationship with the Bible is nuanced. Muslims regard the Torah (Tawrat) and Gospel (Injil) as originally revealed scriptures, but believe they've undergone alteration over time — a position known as tahrif. Classical scholars like Ibn Hazm (11th century) and Ibn Kathir (14th century) wrote extensively about how Muslims should approach biblical texts. The key question a Muslim brings to any biblical passage is: Does this align with or contradict what the Quran and authentic Hadith confirm? This comparative question is foundational to Islamic engagement with the Bible.

Despite this critical stance, Islamic tradition deeply values diligent inquiry into divine truth. The Quran repeatedly urges believers to ask, reflect, and reason — echoing the spirit of Isaiah's challenge: "Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning?" Isaiah 40:21. Muslim scholars would apply similar questions to any sacred text: What has God already made plain? What does this passage reveal about divine unity (tawhid)?

The practice of Moses as a figure of inquiry — with people coming "to enquire of God" Exodus 18:15 — resonates strongly in Islamic tradition, where Musa (Moses) is one of the most frequently mentioned prophets in the Quran. A Muslim studying the Bible would ask: Where does this passage affirm the prophethood of Muhammad or the oneness of God? That question, while foreign to Jewish and Christian frameworks, is central to how Islamic scholarship has historically engaged with biblical content.