Interpreting the Bible 14 – The Law of Recurrence

(This is a continuation of the “Interpreting The Bible“ video blog series.  This post assumes the prerequisite watching of earlier videos in the series.  Click the link above to watch the entire series up to this week’s installment.)

This week’s installation involves what is known as The Law of Recurrence.  This principle exists throughout the scriptures as an event narrated in two or more “passes.”  In such cases, frequently a story is told very generally, and then told again from the beginning but providing additional detail.

Not only is such recurrence very frequent in scripture, it is in fact the technique by which scripture begins itself in the account of creation.  Many have seen this particular instance of recurrence as an argument for two separate creation accounts.  Others have seen this recurrence as the very frequent literary device that it is: a story told in passes of varying detail and focus.

Today’s consideration of the law of recurrence includes a good deal of example from scripture to assist the interpreter in the understanding of the principle.

Bible Interpretation Pt. 14 from Jeff Kluttz on Vimeo.