Definition and Origin:
Midrash is a term derived from the Hebrew root "darash," meaning "to seek" or "to inquire." It refers to a genre of rabbinic literature that provides commentary, interpretation, and expansion on the Hebrew Scriptures. The Midrash seeks to explore the deeper meanings of the biblical text, often filling in narrative gaps and offering moral, theological, and legal insights. It is both a method of interpretation and a body of work that includes various collections of these interpretations.

Historical Context:
The development of Midrash began during the Second Temple period and continued to evolve through the early centuries of the Common Era. It became a central component of Jewish exegesis, with its roots in the oral traditions of the Jewish people. The Midrashim were eventually compiled into written form, with some of the most notable collections being the Midrash Rabbah, the Mekhilta, the Sifra, and the Sifre.

Types of Midrash:
Midrash is generally categorized into two main types: Midrash Halakhah and Midrash Aggadah.

· Midrash Halakhah focuses on legal aspects and is concerned with deriving laws and commandments from the biblical text. It often addresses questions of Jewish law and practice, interpreting the Torah's legal sections.

· Midrash Aggadah deals with narrative and ethical teachings. It includes accounts, parables, and homilies that provide moral lessons and theological insights. Aggadic Midrashim often explore the lives of biblical characters, offering imaginative expansions on the biblical narratives.

Methodology:
The methodology of Midrash involves various interpretative techniques, including:

· Peshat: The plain or literal meaning of the text.
· Remez: The allegorical or symbolic interpretation.
· Derash: The homiletical or sermonic interpretation, often involving creative storytelling.
· Sod: The mystical or esoteric interpretation.

These methods allow the Midrash to uncover multiple layers of meaning within the biblical text, providing a rich tapestry of interpretation that has been influential in both Jewish and Christian traditions.

Significance in Christian Theology:
While Midrash is primarily a Jewish interpretative tradition, its influence extends into Christian theology, particularly in the way early Christian writers approached the Old Testament. The New Testament itself reflects a midrashic style in its use of Old Testament quotations and allusions, as seen in the writings of the Apostle Paul and the Gospel authors. For example, the Apostle Paul often employs a midrashic approach to interpret the Hebrew Scriptures in light of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Biblical References:
The concept of seeking deeper understanding and interpretation of Scripture is echoed in the Bible. In the Berean Standard Bible, Proverbs 25:2 states, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out." This verse highlights the value placed on exploring the hidden depths of God's Word, a pursuit central to the practice of Midrash.

Influence and Legacy:
Midrash has had a lasting impact on both Jewish and Christian exegesis. It has shaped the way Scripture is studied, taught, and understood, emphasizing the dynamic and living nature of the biblical text. Through its creative and multifaceted approach, Midrash invites believers to engage deeply with Scripture, seeking to uncover the divine wisdom contained within its pages.(n.) A talmudic exposition of the Hebrew law, or of some part of it.MIDRASH

mid'-rash (midhrash): The Hebrew word corresponding to the King James Version "story" and the Revised Version (British and American) "commentary" in 2 Chronicles 13:22; 2 Chronicles 24:27. A midrash is properly a story developed for purposes of edification.

See COMMENTARY.

3131. manna -- manna
... 'As was the first Redeemer,' so ran the Midrash, 'so shall be the final Redeemer;
as the first Redeemer caused the manna to fall from heaven, even so shall the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3131.htm - 7k4097. midrash -- study, exposition, midrash
... 4096, 4097. midrash. 4098 . study, exposition, midrash. Transliteration: midrash
Phonetic Spelling: (mid-rawsh') Short Definition: treatise. ...
/hebrew/4097.htm - 6k

List of Abbreviations Used in Reference to Rabbinic Writings ...
... Bemid R. The Midrash (or Commentary) Bemidbar Rabba, on Numbers. Ber. ... Ber. R.
The Midrash (or Commentary) Bereshith Rabba, on Genesis. Bets. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/list of abbreviations used in.htm

Appendix x. On the Supposed Temple-Synagogue.
... PUTTING aside, as quite untenable, the idea of a regular Beth ha-Midrash in the
Temple (though advocated even by W?�nche), we have to inquire whether any ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix x on the supposed.htm

Teaching in the Temple on the Octave of the Feast of Tabernacles.
... In a very interesting passage of the Midrash [4043] we are told, that, while commonly
windows were made wide within and narrow without, it was the opposite in ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter viii teaching in the.htm

Chronicles
... What sort of production it was may be inferred from the reference in 2 Chronicles
24:27 to the "midrash of the book of the Kings." Doubtless the book in ...
/.../mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/chronicles.htm

List of Authorities
... Ikenius: Dissertationes Philologico-theologic??. Jellinek: Beth ha-Midrash. Joel:
Blick in d. Religionsgesch. ... im Talmud. Midrash Rabboth. Midrashim. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/list of authorities.htm

The Three Parables of Warning: to the Individual, to the Nation ...
... compares man to the weasel, which laboriously gathers and deposits, not knowing
for whom, while the Midrash [4446] tells a story, how, when a Rabbi returned ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvi the three parables.htm

The Jewish Dispersion in the West - the Hellenists - Origin of ...
... penetrate into the Divine mysteries. The Palestinian also searched into
them, and the result was the Midrash. But, whichever of his ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ii the jewish dispersion.htm

Footnotes
... Still the Midrash maintains that Daniel, or the person writing in his name, was
no prophet, like Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, but a man of visions, an ...
//christianbookshelf.org/davidson/the canon of the bible/footnotes.htm

The Three Parables of the Gospel: of the Recovery of the Lost - of ...
... Perhaps, however, this is a more apt parallel, when the Midrash [4490] relates how,
when Moses fed the sheep of Jethro in the wilderness, and a kid had gone ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvii the three parables.htm

Integrity and State of the Text.
... And in the Syro-Chaldee version, given in Midrash Rabbah de Rabbah, Bel has
a subscription, and the Dragon a fresh title (see Ball, 345a). ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/integrity and state of the 3.htm

Midrash
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. MIDRASH. mid ... 27. A midrash is properly a
story developed for purposes of edification. See COMMENTARY. ...
/m/midrash.htm - 6k

Monthly (11 Occurrences)
... zum Altes Testament, 91) holds that we have here an example of a midrash, ie according
to LOT, 529, "an imaginative development of a thought or theme suggested ...
/m/monthly.htm - 93k

Prophet (315 Occurrences)
... zum Altes Testament, 91) holds that we have here an example of a midrash, ie according
to LOT, 529, "an imaginative development of a thought or theme suggested ...
/p/prophet.htm - 49k

Hebrew (37 Occurrences)
... he'-broo: 1. Philo Judaeus 2. Targum 3. Midrash 4. Talmud 5. Karaites 6. Middle
Ages (1) Saadia ben Joseph (2) Rashi (3) Joseph Kara (4) Abraham ibn Ezra (5 ...
/h/hebrew.htm - 77k

Games (2 Occurrences)
... GJ V4, III, 255). There are also many short stories in the Haggadic portions
of the Talmud and the Midrash. 5. Dancing: Dancing, that ...
/g/games.htm - 40k

Midnight (14 Occurrences)

/m/midnight.htm - 12k

Jehoshaphat (79 Occurrences)
... Ammonites. No doubt he made use of a current historical Midrash. Many find
the historical basis of the Midrash in the events recorded in ...
/j/jehoshaphat.htm - 51k

Books (16 Occurrences)
... (6) The Midrash of the Book of the Kings (2 Chronicles 24:27). ... (2 Chronicles 35:25).
Josiah. (20) The Midrash of the Prophet Iddo (2 Chronicles 13:22). Abijah. ...
/b/books.htm - 101k

Thorn (30 Occurrences)
... 28:24). Genesis 3:18 uses the words qots and dardar for "thorns" and
"thistles." Midrash Rabba' to Genesis (Midr. Gen. Rabba' 20 ...
/t/thorn.htm - 35k

Talmud
... back to the 1st century AD; very old, perhaps even older, is also the formal adjustment
of this material to the Pentateuchal Law, the form of Exegesis (Midrash...
/t/talmud.htm - 37k

What is the Mishnah? What is a midrash? | GotQuestions.org

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Midrash: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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