Definition:
The science of interpretation.
Origin:
"interpretive,", from Greek hermeneutikos "interpreting," from hermeneutes "
interpreter," from hermeneuein "to interpret,".
The word hermeneutics is said to have come to us from the name of the Greek god
Hermes. Hermes was
Zeus's messenger, the one he would send down to the world of humans whenever he wanted to tell the ancient Greeks something. That is, Hermes would have to interpret Zeus's wishes to the humankind.
The grammatical work of
Rabbi Jonah extended,
moreover, to the domain of rhetoric and biblical hermeneutics, and his
lexicon contains many exegetical excursuses.
He was appointed professor of Oriental languages and hermeneutics in the University of Chicago.
