Reference: Interpretation
American
Revealing the true meaning of supernatural dreams, Ge 41; Da 2:4, unknown tongues, etc., 1Co 12:12,30; 14:5,13.
For the right interpretation of the word of God, the chief requisites are, a renewed heart, supremely desirous to learn and do the will of God; the aid of the Holy Spirit, sought and gained; a firm conviction that the word of God should rule the erring season and heart of man; a diligent comparison of its different parts, for the light they throw upon each other; all reliable information as to the history and geography, the customs, laws, and languages, the public, domestic, and inner life of Bible times. Thus to study the Bible for one's self is the privilege and duty of every one.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Then the Chaldaeans said to the king in the Aramaean language, O King, have life for ever: give your servants an account of your dream, and we will make clear to you the sense of it.
For as the body is one, and has a number of parts, and all the parts make one body, so is Christ.
Are all able to take away disease? have all the power of tongues? are all able to give their sense?
Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church.
Hastings
This word and its cognates are found throughout the Bible with a wide variety in their use. 1. In the earlier stages of the history of mankind dreams were looked upon as manifestations of Divine intervention in human affairs, and it was regarded as of the first importance that their mysterious revelations should be explained for those to whom they were vouchsafed. From the story of Joseph we learn that a special class at the court of the Pharaohs discharged the function of interpreters of dreams (cf. 'magicians' Revised Version margin 'sacred scribes'] and 'wise men,' Ge 41:8), A similar body of wise or learned men is mentioned in the Book of Daniel, for the same object at the court of Babylon (Da 2:2 ff; Da 4:6 f.). The idea that dreams were a means of communication between the Deity and men was also current amongst the Hebrews from a very early date. In the NT we find that dreams occupy the place of direct visions or revelations from God, and no difficulty seems to have been experienced by the recipients as to their precise meaning (Mt 1:20; 2:12-13,19,22).
2. Turning again to the history of Joseph, we find there an incidental remark which leads us to believe that there was an official interpreter, or a body of interpreters, whose work it was to translate foreign languages into the language of the court (cf. 'the interpreter,' Ge 42:23). The qualification to act as interpreter seems to have been required of those who acted as ambassadors at foreign courts (cf. 2Ch 32:31). That prominent politicians and statesmen had this means of international communication at their disposal is seen in the translation by the Persian nobles of their letter from their own language into Aramaic (Ezr 4:7). As the Hebrew tongue ceased to be that of the common people, interpreters were required at the sacred services to translate or explain the Law and the Prophets after the reading of the original (see W. R. Smith, OTJC [Note: TJC The Old Test. in the Jewish Church.] 36, 64n, 154). In the NT, examples are frequent of the interpretation in Greek of a Hebrew or Aramaic phrase (Mt 1:23; 27:46; Mr 5:41; 15:22,34; Joh 1:38,41 f., Ac 4:36; 9:36; 13:8); and in this connexion it is Interesting to recall the extract from the writings of Papias preserved by Eusebius, in which Mark is called 'the interpreter of Peter' (see HE iii. 39)
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And in the morning his spirit was troubled; and he sent for all the wise men of Egypt and all the holy men, and put his dream before them, but no one was able to give him the sense of it.
They were not conscious that the sense of their words was clear to Joseph, for he had been talking to them through one who had knowledge of their language.
However, in the business of the representatives sent by the rulers of Babylon to get news of the wonder which had taken place in the land, God gave up guiding him, testing him to see what was in his heart.
And in the time of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his friends, sent a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia, writing it in the Aramaean writing and language.
If now there may be an angel sent to him, one of the thousands which there are to be between him and God, and to make clear to man what is right for him;
Then the king gave orders that the wonder-workers, and the users of secret arts, and those who made use of evil powers, and the Chaldaeans, were to be sent for to make clear to the king his dreams. So they came and took their places before the king.
And I gave orders for all the wise men of Babylon to come in before me so that they might make clear to me the sense of my dream.
But when he was giving thought to these things, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, have no fear of taking Mary as your wife; because that which is in her body is of the Holy Spirit.
See, the virgin will be with child, and will give birth to a son, and they will give him the name Immanuel, that is, God with us.
And it was made clear to them by God in a dream that they were not to go back to Herod; so they went into their country by another way. And when they had gone, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream, saying, Get up and take the young child and his mother, and go into Egypt, and do not go from there till I give you word; for Herod will be searching for the young child to put him to death.
But when Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord came in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
But when it came to his ears that Archelaus was ruling over Judaea in the place of his father Herod, he was in fear of going there; and God having given him news of the danger in a dream, he went out of the way into the country parts of Galilee.
And about the ninth hour Jesus gave a loud cry, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why are you turned away from me?
And taking her by the hand, he said to her, Talitha cumi, which is, My child, I say to you, Get up.
And at the ninth hour, Jesus said in a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, My God, my God, why are you turned away from me?
And Jesus, turning round, saw them coming after him and said to them, What are you looking for? They said to him, Rabbi (which is to say, Master), where are you living?
Early in the morning he came across his brother and said to him, We have made discovery! It is the Messiah! (which is to say, the Christ).
And Joseph, who was given by the Apostles the name of Barnabas (the sense of which is, Son of comfort), a Levite and a man of Cyprus by birth,
Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, that is, Dorcas: this woman was given to good works and acts of mercy at all times.
But Elymas, the wonder-worker (for that is the sense of his name), put himself against them, with the purpose of turning the ruler from the faith.
And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:
Are all able to take away disease? have all the power of tongues? are all able to give their sense?
Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church.
For this reason, let the man who has the power of using tongues make request that he may, at the same time, be able to give the sense.
What is it then, my brothers? when you come together everyone has a holy song, or a revelation, or a tongue, or is giving the sense of it. Let everything be done for the common good.
Being conscious in the first place that no man by himself may give a special sense to the words of the prophets.