历史语言学方法在圣经阐释中的运用

Historical Linguistics Method in Biblical Studies

本文首先详细介绍了历史语言学方法在希伯来语圣经研究中的运用,展示出该方法的若干方面,包括其研究历史、框架、现状及成果。继而通过语音、词汇、语法等方面的几个典型例子,来说明该研究方法的一些特色。文章着重就《创世记》24章中的阿拉米语语言现象进行了分析,试图揭示出历史语言学是如何利用多方面数据来断定该章可能的写作背景和相对的写作时间的。文章最后列举了历史语言学研究方法的一些局限性。

This article uses the historical linguistics method as an example to explore deeper into one methodology and discusses its various aspects. The article covers the history of historical linguistics in the field of Biblical Studies, its research framework, its current status, achievements and significance. Examples touch upon phonology, vocabulary, and morphology. The main effort is to illustrate two scholars' different approaches in using the prominent Aramaism found in Genesis 24 to determine the composition date of the chapter. Emphasis is on the various aspects one need to consider when judging whether the Aramaism is simply due to the late composition time of the piece or due to the literary need of the composer. Besides Aramaism, other criteria such as concentration of Standard Biblical Hebrew features vs. Late Biblical Hebrew features in the passage are very important to make a final conclusion. The last part of the article discusses the limitations of the historical linguistics school.