Chapter Four: "What's the Big Idea, Anyway?"

In chapter four, Sailhamer ends the first part of his book ("Approaching the Text as Revelation") with a methodological discussion regarding the task of "finding the big idea in the final composition of the text."

There is a wide-ranging discussion in this chapter, so I won't attempt to cover all of it! I'll focus here on Sailhamer's definition of a "big idea," his criteria for finding that big idea, and his tentative take on the big idea of the Pentateuch, as he sees it.

What's a Big Idea?
After reaffirming that the proper pursuit of an interpreter should be the "verbal meaning of the author" (150), Sailhamer states that a biblical author's overall "verbal meaning" is the "big picture" that he is painting through his words. He writes,

A big idea is like the picture on the cover of a jigsaw puzzle box. Ultimately, everything in the Pentateuch is meaningful, insofar as it is part of its central meaning. That is how whole texts such as the Pentateuch work. . . .

The meaning of the Pentateuch as a whole effects [sic] our understanding of the meaning of its parts. The big picture tells us how we should understand the smaller parts. It shows us how the parts fit together. (151) 

How does one find a Big Idea in a biblical book?
After granting that a big picture exists, how does one find it?  Sailhamer here basically outlines two essential elements of a compositional approach: Reading and Humility.

1. Reading and Rereading: "We find the big idea by reading and rereading the text in its parts and as a whole. As we read the text, we begin to formulate a sense of what the text is about (subject matter), and where the author is going with it (compositional strategy)" (151).
2. Humility: "Finding the big idea of the Pentateuch also requires humility. If our understanding of the Pentateuch does not appear to fit our reading of it, we must be willing to admit that and attempt to reformulate our big idea" (152). Here he also gives a shout out to the history of interpretation of biblical books.

By what criteria? 
How can we make sure our "big idea" relates to what is really in the text? Here is the principle Sailhamer follows: "The best (most valid) big idea is the one that explains the most and most important parts of the Pentateuch" (152).

The exegetical warrant that one might marshal in support of a given "big idea" includes "four levels from which our understanding of the meaning of biblical narratives can be assessed and validated":

1. The Verbal Level: "The starting point in approaching the meaning of biblical narrative is located in the words themselves . . .  Whatever is said about the narrative and its structure must ultimately find its support in the words of the author and the ways they are grammatically constructed" (157).
2. The Level of Narrative Technique: "The study of the narrative technique of a biblical text concentrates on the technical means that the author uses to replicate events in the real world" (157). E.g., the backgrounding and foregrounding of certain elements.
3. The Level of Narrative World: "The nature of the narrative world depicted in the Pentateuch is a function of the author's use of narrative technique" (159). The world of the Bible reveals God's world, which we as readers see "through the eyes of [a] privileged narrator" (159). 
4. The Thematic Level: The themes found in the narratives, and these "Biblical theological themes should be grounded in the narrative world, the narrative technique used in depicting that world, and the words of the Bible that convey that world by means of its narrative technique" (159).

In sum, "an exegetically warranted interpretation of a biblical text such as the Pentateuch must be grounded in each of these levels of narrative" (160). 


What is the Big Idea of the Pentateuch? 

Sailhamer sketches his understanding of the Pentateuch's big idea, saying that "the 'big idea' of the Pentateuch is about both 'obedience to the Mosaic law,' and 'living by faith'" (156). 

Possible areas of Reflection: 

1. What do you make of Sailhamer's strong emphasis on a "big idea" of a biblical book? Is this just common sense, or are there legitimate critics of this notion?  
2. What do you make of these four levels of criteria for finding the big picture? Would they provide sufficient validation of an overarching "big idea"? Does he follow and adequately support this method in the rest of the chapter?
3. Sailhamer writes that "Commentaries and books about the Pentateuch may be helpful, but ultimately, it is reading and rereading that tell us what the Pentateuch is about and what it intends to say" (152). In light of his approach and this statement, what role does academic scholarship play in the interpretive task? I'm thinking here theoretically (what does the ideal relationship look like?) and also pragmatically (when you go to prepare a sermon/exegesis paper, what do you do first?). This question could also relate to a previous discussion of the nature of Sailhamer's interaction with current evangelical scholars.

As always, feel free in the comments to fill in other elements of the chapter or to bring up related topics (e.g., tasty recipes, movie reviews, tweets you've recently favorited, etc).