Hillel for Dummies

Hillel the Great had 7 rules for how to understand the Bible.  These rules basicly help us to know how to read it by pointing out the literary techniques used by the authors.  In short, minus their Hebrew titles, they are:

1. Light & Heavy:  Some verses give a light statement followed by a heavy one.
   "If A is true, how much more so is B!"
2. Similar Sayings: One passage illuminates another through a common phrase.
   "A and B must be related!"
3. One Foundation: A conclusion can be reached based on one supporting verse.
   "B is true because it follows A"
4. Two Foundations: A conclusion can be reached based on two supporting verses.
   "C is true because it follows A&B"
5. Wide & Narrow: A general statement gets clarified with a specific one.
   "B makes A more clear"
6. The Equalizer: A third verse explains/resolves two conflicting ones.
   "C makes A=B"
7. Context: The surrounding verses affect the meaning of the one in question.
   "Don't take A out of the alphabet"

Our first question in reading the Scriptures should never be, "what does this mean to me?"  The first thing we should ask is, "What did this mean to the original audience?"  Hillel's rules help us to do just that.