Read Like a Jew: 8 Rules of Basic Bible Interpretation for the Christian

by Eitan Bar

NEW RELEASE!
We are living in an era where the Bible is not just read regularly by Christians, but with the advent of social media, it seems almost everyone nowadays is sharing their own interpretation of it. However, despite the considerable time many individuals spend reading the scriptures, a significant number overlook or are unaware of the fundamental rules or principles of interpreting ancient texts correctly. This oversight can lead to misinterpretations of the biblical text with far-reaching consequences.

On the other side of the spectrum, scholars, including Christian scholars, dedicate a lifetime to learning how to read and interpret ancient texts like the Bible before daring to present their ideas and insights publicly.
Similarly, the Jewish people, religious and non-religious alike, have been studying the Bible for thousands of years, sometimes beginning as early as age three, and have developed unique interpretative methods distinctive to Jewish people.

Dr. Eitan Bar, a Jewish-Christian scholar with advanced degrees in Bible, apologetics, and theology, is a unique combination. As a native Hebrew speaker and Bible scholar, he combines his Jewish background with his Christian education and faith to offer an accessible guide to understanding the Bible "like a Jew."

In his work, Dr. Bar shares eight fundamental yet profound rules or principles on how to read the Bible and understand what it actually says. He presents these principles in an easy-to-understand language enriched with relevant examples.- Relevant to ALL Christians -Contrary to widespread perception, understanding the Bible is not an exclusive privilege of a select few pastors, gifted individuals, or scholarly elites. The Bible is intended to be read and comprehended by everyone – from casual readers to seminary students. This small book offers unique insights into the Bible and can dispel many misconceptions, enabling you to grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your life in the twenty-first century without getting lost in the text.
By applying these eight rules, you will acquire the ability to evaluate any teaching, whether in written form, video, or a church sermon and determine whether the interpretation aligns with proper boundaries or not.--- Scroll Down for a Sample ---

Genres: Christianity

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 18, 2023

About the author

Dr. Eitan Bar (born 1984, Tel Aviv) is a Bible scholar, author, and Israeli-Jewish follower of Jesus with multiple advanced degrees in Bible and theology. His unique background—living in Israel, being a native Hebrew speaker, and possessing advanced Christian education—provides a fresh and timely perspective on Christian beliefs and doctrines.

Dr. Bar co-founded ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry, a Messianic Reformed Baptist non-profit and Bible college. He later left the organization in 2022 and deconstructed his Baptistic-Calvinistic beliefs, becoming an independent author of several books, including a few best-sellers (available on Amazon.com)

Eitan frequently lectures worldwide, primarily in Europe and the U.S., and his Hebrew-language videos, with over 25 million views, have made him a widely recognized figure in Israel for representing faith in Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus).

Reviews

[Jenny Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally, I would hold my recommendation to the end of my review, but this is a brilliant book by Eitan Bar that anybody who leads a Bible Study should read. In the introduction, Bar admits, as few will, that studying the Bible is hard. He elaborates on why with chronological, cultural, geographic, semantic, literary, and bias gaps. It can also be due in part because Christianity approaches Bible study differently than they do in Judaism. Add to that a lack of understanding of the variety of genres in scripture and how those genres should be read, it’s no wonder Bible study is challenging. It’s no wonder scripture is misunderstood and misinterpreted–and that’s not even half-way through the book.

I’ve been studying how to study the Bible for several years and I still learned from Bar. I will definitely be getting more of Bar’s books. And you really should read this book.

I bought this book and this is my honest and unbiased review.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 bk 168. I appreciate Bar's breaking down of the differences between modern day Christian reading of the Bible and Bible interpretation and how those raised in the Jewish faith are taught. Our lives mirror our interpretations unless we allow different perspectives to enhance our view point. Not all of his rules were unknown to me. I did learn some new things, I added some points to ponder as I read the Bible. I appreciate Bar putting down in words suggestions on how to gain new perspectives and personal insights into passages. Most of all I liked the reinforcement of not reading out of context, which we so frequently do as modern Christians.

[Chin Kheng Boon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives good handles for young people and lay persons to grasp the complexity of reading an ancient document. I wish Eitan could go further with some rules but for a short book, it was fair to give him a 5-star rating for distilling the essential tools and methodologies for interpreting the Bible through the lens of a Jew. I sensed his intellectual honesty when he pointed out the good and bad of both Jewish and Christian hermeneutics. Thank you, Eitan, for writing in refreshing and succinct ways for young minds and the laity :)

[Autumn Kearney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a great deal from reading this book. The author offered insightful perspectives that made me view the Holy Bible in an entirely new light. Additionally, I expanded my vocabulary by looking up many unfamiliar words he used. I couldn’t help but wonder whether he uses such advanced vocabulary in everyday conversations or if he was intentionally using difficult words to elevate the perception of Jewish schooling compared to regular education. The words were so advanced that I had never even encountered them on Jeopardy.

[geoffrey ellerby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on biblical interpretation

I would recommend that before you begin to read the Bible, take time to read this book as it will give you principles that you can apply to make sure that you are interpreting what you read with understanding. The principles in this book have aided my own reading and interpretation of the Scriptures. I believe that they will also aid others who read the Script as well.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

It turns out that Jews read the Bible like everyone else. The 8 principles here are principles that you'd find in any basic Bible study book. The author doesn't break new ground and I came away wondering how the Jewish method of interpretation of the Bible is any different than anyone else's. Not that the principles are bad, they are good and this is a good, basic, introduction to interpreting the Bible, just nothing new.

[Bruce Coats · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insightful?

The eight rules are things that can be read in nearly any Christian book about hermeneutics. I have been teaching all eight for years, as a Christian teaching about how to study the Bible. That makes the title and underlying assumption more than inaccurate. Nearly EVERY Christian book on this subject outlines these same issues, making the premise far less insightful than one would hope.

[Matt Wilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

This book strengthened my understanding of the Bible from the literary perspective. This perspective is leading to a much richer knowledge of the whole story and a deeper faith. Dr Bar, please produce materials for our group Bible study! This framework makes the Bible much more approachable and would help increase Bible literacy in our churches. Blessings to you for your great work!

[Chris Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and concise with substance

I enjoyed this book for many reasons for interpretation. but most importantly the Rules remind us we are not reading scripture without context. Even if we are unaware of the context, we need resources to allow us an even playing fie

[Stephanie Oaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Cant wait yo dive deeper into his other books. Understanding context and history and audience is critical to understanding the scriptures. He does a great job of explaining this to those that may not have understood this to be the case.

[Marie Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening

Read Like a Jew, helped me to more clearly understand how to interpret the Bible from a Jewish perspective, and how to read the scriptures through the lenses of God being a loving father.

[larry Thoms · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book.

Very good book for happen to understand the Bible and for learning how to approach and interpretation of scripture, I would recommend it to anyone.

[Darryl L. Rowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basic, yet with a useful viewpoint.

A different viewpoint introduced in a good step by step manner. Give it a read and let's compare notes. I like it.

[Wayne Hartzler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Challenge

if you agree or disagree with Eitan, he makes some key arguments. we all could be using Bible maps, other translations and other helps to learn about the scriptures.

[Steve Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book

While i disagree with Eitan Bar on some theological details, he is an excellent communicator. This is a very good read, and I recommend it for all.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple theology

I was challenged at first but there's a great rhythm and good theology for we who are able to reason at a minimal level. THNX