Lesson 2 | The Context of Cfs

Original Language Cf Context

As with parallel passages, we want to consider original language cross-references on their own terms. That is, we must remember that the verse you are sent to is in the middle of an argument, exhortation, narrative, or the like. Being ignorant of such context will significantly increase the likelihood of you misunderstanding what is being said.
Remember, cross-references are meant to clarify or give context. Original language cross-references do both of these, so these are the questions you should be asking yourself when examining them:
What does this cross-reference tell me about the meaning of the words or phrases used in my passage of focus? (clarify)
How does this cross-reference add to my understanding of the truths being communicated in my passage of focus? (context)
Take the time to investigate the context of an original language cross-reference whenever you aren’t sure how it helps you answer either of these questions.

Example
Let’s take a look at a cross-reference for Isaiah 4:2.


After a devastating chapter of pronounced judgment on Jerusalem, the capital of God’s Old Covenant people, we discover there is still hope for those who will survive. We are told that “the branch of the LORD” will be glorious. What is this “branch” being spoken of? From Isaiah 4 alone, it would seem that it refers to the surviving remnant of the people. The great city Jerusalem has fallen like a tree, yet a new growth springs out of the stump, and it is beautiful. 


But in the four cross-references provided, “Branch” clearly speaks of a particular man—not all those who remain of a broken nation. Moreover, they speak of the Man—the promised savior king from the line of David. So what does this mean for Isaiah 4? To be sure, Isaiah doesn’t give us any hint that an individual is in view—at least not here. But as you continue reading through the book, it becomes more and more clear that a promised individual (the Messiah) is to come and be the ultimate representative of God’s people. In fact, he is called a “branch” in Isaiah 11:1-2, though a different Hebrew word lies behind that occurrence (and thus it is not included in the list of cross-references). So it seems that the Christ is, in fact, already subtly in view in Isaiah 4:2—something our cross-references helped us to see.