How to Do a (Shorter) Synthetic Study
May 2011
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Copyright © 2011 by Dr. David A. Dean.
All Rights Reserved.
How to Do a (Shorter) Synthetic Study
of a Book of the Bible
The purpose of this paper is to teach you how to do a (shorter) synthetic study of a
single book of the Bible.1 This is a skill that will help you to gain a clear understanding of the
meaning and message of a complete book of the Bible. First, the nature and purpose of a
synthetic study will be explained. Next, you will find a sequential set of instructions on how
to do a synthetic study. I will provide to you, along with this paper, two supplements: a
sample synthetic study done on the book of Hosea, and a handout on the biblical covenants
(which you will find helpful in answering the interpretive questions). Keep this paper and
these additional handouts. You will (I hope) use them frequently in the future as you continue
to study God’s Word and to share it with others.
What Is a “Synthetic Study”?
What is a “synthetic study”? The key word here is “synthetic.” We are using the word
“synthetic” with the meaning of “gathering all of the information together into a coherent
whole.” In other words:
A synthetic study is a detailed examination of a single book of the Bible,
with the purpose of trying to discern the overall, unified message of that
particular book as a whole.2
In order to do a synthetic study, you will have to do both analysis and synthesis.
Let’s consider these important concepts briefly.
❖ What is the difference between synthesis and analysis?
We are all familiar with analytic Bible study, though we may not use that term. The
word “analytic” as I am using it here means “breaking it down to see the parts” or “looking at
the details.” Most of us instinctively look for the details of the biblical text when we read
Scripture. We examine words and phrases. We select particular Bible verses, and memorize
them for the vital statements they make. The care with which we examine the details of the
text is evidence of the fact that we value every bit of God’s written Word to us.
For example, many of us have memorized Romans 8:28, and have used it to comfort
ourselves and others in difficult times. This is good!
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are the called according to His good purpose. (Romans 8:28, NKJV)
While it is good to memorize verses, it is even better to memorize blocks of verses or even
whole paragraphs, because when we memorize just a single verse we may lose vital context
that clarifies the true meaning of the verse. For example, looking at the next verse after
1 This is an updated guide to doing a synthetic study, with the number of interpretive questions reduced
to 6 from the earlier 8.
2 Keep in mind that when we say “book of the Bible” some books of the Bible actually have two parts.
For example, 1 & 2 Samuel together form a single book. The same is true of 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles.
If you do a synthetic study on any of these books, you must do the entire book, not just part (in other words, it
would be a mistake to do a synthetic study on just 1 Samuel without also including 2 Samuel).
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How to Do a (Shorter) Synthetic Study
May 2011
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Copyright © 2011 by Dr. David A. Dean.
All Rights Reserved.
Romans 8:28 will show us that the “good” to which Paul is referring here is not just any
benefit, but a very specific one:
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are the called according to His good purpose. For whom He foreknew,
He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be
the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:28-29, NKJV)
Looking at the verses together reveals that the specific “good” to which Paul is referring is
the benefit of being conformed to the image of Christ.3 This is an example of a general
principle of Bible interpretation called “contextual interpretation”:
➡ The principle of contextual interpretation: In order to properly
understand any particular text of Scripture, we must examine that text
within its context.
When we do a synthetic study of a book, we are really applying the principle of contextual
interpretation at the scale of an entire book.
Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. Analytic study is both necessary and
useful when we want to understand God’s Word properly. But a complete study of an entire
book of the Bible requires two steps, not just one:
(1) First, we do analysis by examining the details of the text.
(2) Then we do synthesis to discover how those details work together to reveal the
message of the book as a whole.
If we only do analysis, there is a danger that we will take a text and interpret it without
paying proper attention to the context and the flow of the author’s thought (what we call the
“argument” of the book).4 It takes both analysis and synthesis to discover the full message of
a given book of the Bible. (Actually, the same rule applies even to selected portions of
Scripture, or “texts” as we sometimes call them. We should always consult the context when
we try to interpret any part of Scripture.)
Analysis and synthesis go together. It is a little like a child examining a mechanical
clock. Taking the clock apart (analysis) reveals the many intricate details of all those gears
and levers and springs. But it is only by putting the clock back together (synthesis) that one
can really learn what a clock is and how it works, and then use it for for its intended purpose.
❖ Why should we study the Bible synthetically?
Why is it important that we do synthetic studies of complete books? It is important
because each book of the Bible, like other well-written pieces of literature, was written by its
3 Christians often quote Romans 8:28 when hardships or calamities occur, in order to express the idea
that the “bad” thing that has just happened will lead to other “good” things. For example, suppose that a
Christian sister’s marriage engagement falls apart. I quote Romans 8:28 to her and say, “God must have
prepared a better man for you to marry.” If I do that, I am misusing the verse. In fact, the failed engagement may
mean that the friend will never marry at all. If that is the case, a more accurate application of Romans 8:28
would be to recognize that a life as a single woman is both God’s will for her and it is “good,” because that is
God’s chosen way to bring my Christian sister into conformity with the image of Christ.
4
In Bible study, the sequential flow of the author’s thought is often called his “argument.” The idea is
that the author is presenting a logical flow of thoughts in order to convey a well-organized message that will be
clear and convincing to the reader.
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How to Do a (Shorter) Synthetic Study
May 2011
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Copyright © 2011 by Dr. David A. Dean.
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author for the purpose of communicating a unified message.5 For example, the book of
Judges contains many different stories. It recounts the actions of a number of “judges” or
human deliverers in Israel, from the time of Joshua’s death up until the time when Saul
became king. There is much detail in these stories, and each of the individual stories can
stand on its own. Yet the book as a whole delivers a single message, and if we only consider
the stories as separate units, we will never see the message of the book as a whole. But
studying the book as a whole might lead to a summary message something like this:
During the time of the judges, Israel repeatedly falls into spiritual failure,
leading to discipline by God and then deliverance by the judge chosen and
empowered by God, demonstrating the lack of effective spiritual leadership
in the nation and indicating the need for a godly king.6
The difference between synthetic study and analytical study can be further illustrated
by an example. If we study the story of Samson in Judges 13 to 16 in isolation without
considering how it functions within the book as a whole (analysis), we will surely learn
something significant about Samson and God’s working in his life and the lives of the people
of Israel. We may also discover some general principles that are applicable in our own
personal walk with the Lord. Obviously, there is value to analytic study. But if we want to see
the larger message that the author of Judges is communicating in the book as a whole, we
need to study the book as a whole, and this requires a synthetic examination of the book.
How to Do a Synthetic Study of a Bible Book
Below I provide you a recipe for doing a synthetic study of a Bible book as a whole.
Each step is listed and explained. You will notice that the first steps of the synthetic study are
analytical. In other words, we look at the details (the parts of the book) before trying to
discern how those parts work together (the whole book). Please note that it is vital that you do
the steps in the order that is listed below. You must do analysis first before doing synthesis.
Please note also that doing a synthetic study takes time––a lot of time. Once you do a
synthetic study, you will discover that the effort pays off. You will gain a deeper
understanding of God’s message to you and other believers in the book as a whole, and that
understanding will benefit you and others to whom you minister for the rest of your life.
❖ Getting ready to do a synthetic study
Before you start, make sure you have the following things available to use as you
undertake the synthetic study.
5 When we speak about the “author” of a given book of the Bible, we are really speaking about the two
authors of that book: the human writer, and the divine author, God the Holy Spirit, who supervised the writing
of the book (see 2 Peter 1:20–21 and 2 Timothy 3:16–17). This “dual authorship” is unique, found in no other
writing. And yet, because the human and divine authors worked together, the books of the Bible, like other wellwritten books, demonstration a cohesive message that can be discovered by analysis and synthesis.
6 This sentence, summarizing the message of the book of Judges as a whole, is an example of a
“message statement.” It expresses my understanding of the book as the result of studying the book synthetically.
The goal of a synthetic study of a book of the Bible is exactly this: a single, well-crafted statement that captures
the message of the book as a whole. You will learn how to build message statements as we work through this
paper.
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How to Do a (Shorter) Synthetic Study
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Copyright © 2011 by Dr. David A. Dean.
All Rights Reserved.
your Bible: You need at least one good literal translation (in English, I would
recommend the NASB or NKJV, or the NIV if English is not your first language).
Ideally, you want a Bible that you can mark up (using underlining, circling key
words, drawing arrows, etc.–whatever helps you to take note of the things that you
observe as you read the text. You will often find it helpful to have another
translation to consult in difficult or unclear passages.
a way to record your observations: This could be a notepad or your computer
word processor. Save your observations! You may want to look at them again in
the future, and add to them when you return to study the book later.
paper on which to draw: You will be drawing a visual chart of the Bible book.
Although it is tempting to do this on your computer, you will find that drawing the
chart by hand on paper will allow you to work more quickly and freely as your
understanding of the book expands. (You can “clean it up” and produce a final
version on the computer later, if you like.)
lots of time: Doing a synthetic study takes time. Expect to spend at least 7–8 hours
for a short book, and more for a longer book. This is not a one-afternoon or onenight project. Your study will be much more enjoyable and fruitful if you spread it
out over several days or even weeks. Doing a bit at a time will allow your mind to
“percolate” and mull over the observations that you make as you explore the
book. The more time you take, the more depth your observations (analysis) and
your conclusions (synthesis) will have. Think of the time you put into your study
as a glad sacrifice of your time to the Lord.
❖ The steps of a synthetic study
Here are the steps of a synthetic study. Remember, you need to do them in order. It is
OK, however, to go back to earlier steps if you discover that you need more observation to
complete the later parts of the study, or if you decide that you need to revise earlier parts as
your understanding of the book deepens.
✓ Step #1: Read, and reread the book.
Read and reread the book. Try to read the entire book in a single sitting. Then take a
break–let your mind percolate for a day or so. Then read it again! In this kind of reading you
are trying to get familiar with the book as a whole. Don’t get bogged down in the details–read
quickly. Try to read the book as you would read any other book or short article. If the book is
short (like Ephesians or Haggai) read it six or seven times! Most of us have never read an
entire book of the Bible in one sitting. We tend to just read short bits of one or two verses
(this is reading them without context). Reading the entire book several times is probably the
single most important part of doing a synthetic study. Don’t shortchange this step.
✓ Step #2: Do general observations on the book.
Observe the details of the book. This is the first step of analysis. Here you are looking
for the “building blocks” from which the book as a whole is constructed. Every writer uses
different building building blocks. Some of these are simple parts: key words, phrases,
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Copyright © 2011 by Dr. David A. Dean.
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figures of speech. Others are structures or ways of connecting these parts: comparisons,
contrasts, progressions, cause and effect, etc., and chiasms.7 Take notes on what you observe.
You can do this in two different ways. (1) Write in your Bible. Underline or circle the
“building blocks.” Use arrows to show connections between the parts of the book. Write
notes in the margins of your Bible to make sure you can remember why you circled or
underlined or connected different verses or words or phrases. (2) Take notes on your paper
pad or your computer word processor. You may find it helpful to use a table to record your
observations. (In the sample synthetic study, I will give you some examples of my own
observations and note-taking.)
Remember, superficial observation will lead to superficial synthesis, and deeper, more
careful observation will lead to deeper and more profound synthesis.
✓ Step #3: Make an outline of the book.
Outline the book. Here we are talking about an ordinary, multilevel outline. Any Bible
book outline that you make should have at least two levels; a one-level outline cannot express
sufficient depth of observation to be of value to you in constructing a synthetic study. But the
outline that you need to construct here is not a topical outline. We need a sentence outline.
Every level of the outline should be expressed in a complete, grammatically correct sentence.
For example, if you were outlining the book of Judges, you would have a sub-level on
Samson. Consider these examples:
3. The judgeship of Samson (chapters 13–16). ☹ WRONG!!! (This is wrong
because the entry is only a topic or label.)
3. The judgeship of Samson demonstrates that God provided supernatural
empowerment to the judges not for their own benefit but for the benefit of the
children of Israel and for the glory of God’s name (chapters 13–16).☺ RIGHT!
Can you see the difference? Constructing a topical outline is easy and quick, because
it doesn’t contain much information or take much thought. But constructing a sentence
outline forces you to think about (a) what this part of the book is about [the topic] and (b)
what this part of the book says about the topic [an assertion or statement or principle
concerning that topic]. Building a sentence outline takes more time, but it is much more
useful than a topical outline.
When you have finally constructed your sentence outline for the book, you will gain
several benefits that a simple topical outline cannot provide.
‣
‣
‣
You will already be thinking about what the author is saying.
You will have an outline that is actually recording your observations. When you
return to your outline in the future, you will be able to remember why you built
your outline as you did, and what you understood the author to be saying.
You will be able to use the outline to help you teach portions of the book to others
in the future.
Be patient in this step. Constructing a sentence outline takes time, but it is well worth the
effort.
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For a good discussion of the building blocks of the Bible (and other literature) see Roy B. Zuck, Basic
Bible Interpretation (Wheaton, IL; Victor Books, 1991).
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How to Do a (Shorter) Synthetic Study
May 2011
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Copyright © 2011 by Dr. David A. Dean.
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✓ Step #4: Make a structural chart of the book.
Make a structural, visual chart of the book. This step is fun–and if you made a good
sentence outline of the book, it should be easy. Here we are talking about a chart that
identifies the key parts of the book and shows how they are assembled as a whole. A simple
hand-drawn chart is sufficient (and doing it by hand, in pencil, will give you more freedom
than trying to do it on your computer).
There are lots of different ways to chart a book. I will give you an example in the
sample synthetic study. Don’t make your chart too complicated. It won’t be able to contain all
of the observations that you have made, nor will it be able to express all of the content of
your sentence outline. But it will enable you to begin to synthesize the observations that you
have already made into a picture of the book as a whole.
At this point, don’t worry about whether the chart is suitable for use in teaching
others. The most important thing is that it helps you to visualize the book as a whole that is
composed of the parts that you have discovered. You can “clean up” the chart later and make
it suitable for teaching others.
✓ Step #5: Ask and answer the 6 interpretive questions.
Ask and answer the six interpretive questions. There is nothing “inspired” about this
list of questions. However, I think that you will find that answering these questions is an
excellent way of discovering and clarifying the meaning and message of the book in your
own thinking.
Keep in mind that these are open-ended questions. In other words, you can supply a
short answer or a longer one. The longer your answers are, the more thorough your study will
be. But sometimes keeping your answers relatively short (by highlighting only the most
important factors that answer the questions) will keep you focused on the big picture of the
book and help you to avoid getting lost in the details. Let’s list the questions, and then discuss
each one and offer some examples of how to answer them. The first four are the most
important.
1. What is the historical and theological setting of the book?
2. What situation, occasion, or problem provides the setting for the book?
3. What is God doing or revealing in the book, and how does He do it?
4. Identify (but do not quote) one to three key verses or passages for the book.
5. Construct a message statement for the book. ***[The goal of the study!]***
6. [Optional] Relate the message of the book to the appropriate biblical covenants.
[NOTE: For some books (like the NT epistles) there may be nothing to be said on
this question. In such cases, you can skip this question.]
Those are the six interpretive questions. Now let’s discuss and explain each one
briefly.
1. What is the historical and theological context of the book? By “historical context”
we mean the place in history where the events of the book occurred (and/or when
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Copyright © 2011 by Dr. David A. Dean.
All Rights Reserved.
the book was written).8 By “theological context” we mean the context of the book
within God’s interactions with mankind and God’s revelation to mankind.9 Here
we also want to consider what promises, warnings, or expectations were in effect
when the book was written or when its events took place. For example: God’s
covenant promises to Israel (the four “biblical covenants”) will be of interest for
OT books; Christ’s promise in the Great Commission will be important for the
book of Acts. You may have to do some research in a good Bible dictionary or
encyclopedia to help you with this step and with the next step.
2. What situation, occasion, or problem provides the setting for the book? Here the
question address the purpose of the book.10 Some possibilities are personal danger
(see some of David’s psalms), the threat of foreign invasion (see the book of
Jeremiah), the outrage of perfunctory religion (see the book of Malachi), the
danger of doctrinal deviation in the church (see the book of Jude), or the need for
the church to fulfill its purpose of glorifying God (see the book of Ephesians).
3. What is God doing or revealing in the book, and how? Here we are concerned
with what the book tells about God’s interactions with His creation (with people,
angels, the earth, the church, etc.), or what God is teaching through the book. In
Exodus, we see God acting to bring Israel out of Egypt (here the emphasis is on
what God does). In Ephesians, we Christ building and guiding His church, and the
Holy Spirit providing gifts and unity to the church (here the emphasis is both on
what God does [Christ’s work] and what he reveals [Paul’s direct teaching]).
Sometimes God works through special people (Moses) or miracles, or prophets, or
events, or through His covenants or His written Word. Obviously, God is at work
in everything, but we are looking for (a) His actions and the ways in which He
acts that are highlighted or most important in the book and (b) direct teaching.
4. Identify (but do not quote) one to three key verses or short passages for the book.
For each verse or passage, give an explanation of why it is important for your
understanding of the message of the book as a whole.
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Sometimes it is important to pay attention to both (a) when the events of the book took place, and (b)
when the book was written. For example, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles cover similar periods in Israel’s
history. But 1 & 2 Chronicles was written much later. An examination of the two books suggests that Kings
deals with reasons why the kingdom of Israel fell, while Chronicles deals with the importance of restoring the
worship of God in the temple after it was destroyed in 586 BC. Paying attention to when Chronicles was written
(sometime after the proclamation of Cyrus in 538 BC [see 2 Chronicles 36:22–23]) helps us to discern the
author’s context of writing and to see that rebuilding the temple is a major concern in his message.
9 For example, Genesis 1 and 2 concerns events before the Fall of mankind into sin (see Genesis 3).
There is no discussion of sin or man’s need of a savior in these chapters. But all of the Bible from Genesis 4 to
Revelation 20 concerns the period of time during which sin affects mankind. We see that these two portions of
Scripture have very different theological contexts. We also see that earlier books of the Bible have less previous
revelation as their context. For example, when God promises to Abraham in Genesis 12:1–3 that “in you all the
families of the earth shall be blessed,” Abraham could only guess at the meaning of that blessing. But when the
book of Acts was written, it was revealed that the blessing was the coming of Jesus Christ (see Acts 4:25–26).
10 For example, the book of Philemon was written to address the problem of the slave Onesimus. He
had run away from his master, Philemon. Under Roman law, running awayt was an offense that could be
punished by death. Paul wrote the letter to Philemon to deal with this situation as Onesimus (now a Christian)
returned to his master.
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How to Do a (Shorter) Synthetic Study
May 2011
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Copyright © 2011 by Dr. David A. Dean.
All Rights Reserved.
5. Construct a message statement for the book. This is really the goal of the synthetic
study! Here we want a single, grammatically correct, full sentence that expresses
the overall message of the book. Look back to the example that I gave you earlier
of a message statement from the book of Judges. Try to keep your message
statement under about 30 words. Remember, you won’t be able to express all of
the content of the book! You are looking for “the big picture.” Go back to your
sentence outline, and try to combine the ideas that appear in the first level of that
outline into a meaningful sentence. You will discover that circumstantial clauses
(“Despite the failure of . . .” or “After the death of . . .” or “Through the teaching
of Paul . . .”) are helpful in constructing message statements.
6. [Optional] Relate the message of the book to the appropriate biblical covenants.
For an introduction to the biblical covenants, see my separate handout on this
topic. This final interpretive question will apply to every OT book, and many of
the NT books. In the case of some of the NT epistles, (for example, the book of
Colossians or Philemon) you may decide that there is not much direct connection
between the biblical covenants and the book you are studying, and if this is the
case, you can skip this question. This question may have some overlap with
question (1).
❖ The final goal of the synthetic study
In one sense, the final goal of the synthetic study is the summary statement (question
#5). DON’T EVEN TRY TO WRITE THE SUMMARY STATEMENT UNTIL AFTER YOU
HAVE DONE ALL OF THE PREVIOUS PARTS OF THE STUDY! If you can express the
message of the book in a single sentence that really captures its message, you have taken a
major step not only toward understanding that particular book, but also toward putting
together a comprehensive understanding of the Bible as a whole. Remember, however, that
unless you arrive at your summary statement by going through the entire synthetic study
process, you won’t really understand the book. To put it bluntly, borrowing someone else’s
summary statement will be of little use to you. You have to go through the entire process of
the synthetic study to gain your own deeper understanding of the book. May God bless you,
and guide you, as you as you explore and think deeply about His precious, eternal Word!
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