Method of Interpretation
The method used by Philo in this work is straightforward and fairly uni-
form. A lengthy series of questions that closely follow the biblical text is
followed by answers. Most questions begin with “why”(dia ti)or “what”
(ti estin)and often incorporate direct quotes from the text. The length of
the answers varies considerably, ranging from a few lines to more than five
pages. Both literal and allegorical exegesis are practiced, with the exegete
often explicitly moving from the literal(to rh 3 ton)to the deeper sense(to
pros dianoian),for example inQG3.50;QE2.21. There is a greater focus on
the exposition of numbers through arithmology than elsewhere in Philo.Exegetical Origins, Affinities, and Context
The origin of the exegetical method employed in theQuestions and An-
swerscan partly be sought in Greek literature (Peripatos,Alexandrian Ho-
meric exegesis), but there is no precedent for the practice of making a run-
ning commentary.
There are considerable parallels between theQuestions and Answers
and Philo’sAllegorical Commentary.Scholars have pointed out that the
questions posed in the former work often form the nucleus of the more so-
phisticated allegorical work. It has been argued that the work can be seen
as a kind of prolegomenon to the other commentary (Sterling 1991), but
this view may not do justice to the role of the literal exposition. It also has
been argued that it precedes the other commentaries chronologically
(Terian 1991), but this cannot be considered certain.
When describing the meetings of the community of Therapeutae,
Philo tells us that their leader asks a question of Scripture or resolves a
problem posed by another (Contempl.75). The correspondence of the
commentary’s form with theparašiyyôtmay also suggest a synagogal con-
text. Nevertheless, given the scholastic form of the work, its social and in-
tellectual context is more likely to have been a school of exegesis or a circle
of exegetes. This does not preclude its use as a fund of material for preach-
ing and exposition in the synagogue.262
sterling, runia, niehoff, and van den hoekEERDMANS -- Early Judaism (Collins and Harlow) final text
Tuesday, October 09, 2012 12:04:07 PM