Bible Verse Lookup
Conclusion
In sum, our survey of the Bible in the Jewish philosophical tradition makes it clear that the Bible stood at the center of the Jewish philosophical enterprise. Through translations, interpretations, and commentaries, Jewish philosophers were able not only to negotiate the differences between Judaism and other cultures, but also to rethink Judaism anew by using new philosophic tools and theoretical paradigms. As each generation of Jewish philosophers asked, “What does the Bible say and what does it mean?” they were able to respond flexibly to changing historical circumstances and ponder the meaning of Judaism. Premodern and modern Jewish philosophers approached the Bible quite differently. Whereas the former presupposed that the Bible contains abstract, universal truths that are either identical to philosophy or can be explicated by philosophy, most (though not all) modern Jewish philosophers regarded the Bible as the record of divine‐human direct, unmediated encounter. Accordingly, whereas the premodern Jewish philosophers composed philosophical commentaries on the Bible, modern Jewish philosophers have regarded the Bible as the source from which springs their Jewish theology. For all Jewish philosophers the pursuit of wisdom to which Israel is called by God can be accomplished through the encounter with the Bible itself.
[HAVA TIROSH‐SAMUELSON]
