Peshatist
/ˈpɛʃətɪst/noun
A scholar or interpreter who emphasizes the peshat, or plain and contextual meaning, of a biblical text.
Did you know?In Jewish interpretive tradition, peshat is often contrasted with derash, the imaginative or homiletical meaning drawn from a passage.
Etymological Timeline
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
פשט (p-sh-ṭ)
“To strip off, spread out, or make plain; the underlying Semitic root associated with removing coverings.”
Rabbinic and Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
peshat
“The plain, contextual, or straightforward sense of a biblical passage.”
Late Antique Syriac
Syriac
Peshitta
“The “simple” or commonly received version; the name traditionally given to the standard Syriac Bible.”
Medieval Jewish Exegesis
Hebrew
baʿal peshat
“A person devoted to interpreting scripture according to its plain sense.”
Modern English
English
peshatist
“A specialist or advocate of peshat-oriented biblical interpretation.”