Verbum Tip 4s: Bible Browser: Questions in the Bible
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Facet: Questions
Dataset
- DB:SD-BIBLE-QUESTION: BIBLE-QUESTIONS.lbssd
- Thompson, Jeremy. 2017. Questions in the Bible Dataset Documentation. Bellingham, WA: Faithlife.
Documentation
Data
There are two attributes for the Label Question. (1) Rhetorical question? which has a true/false value and (2) Type which classifies questions into groups. These groups are defined in the documentation (examples removed):
[quote]
Cause
A questioner asks what event led to a particular action, event, or state of affairs.
Comparison
A questioner asks how one thing is similar to or different from another.
Consequence
A questioner asks concerning the consequences of an event or action (i.e., “What then?,” or “What now?”).
Definition
A questioner asks what something means.
Description
A questioner asks about the qualities of a person or thing.
Expectation
A questioner asks why some expected event or action has not taken place.
Explanation
A questioner asks for an explanation of some event, action, or state of affairs and what consequences it may have.
Goal
A questioner asks about the motivation for an action.
Instrument
A questioner asks what instrument or procedure someone will use to accomplish a goal.
Means
A questioner asks what enables a person to do something.
Opinion
A questioner asks someone’s opinion, whether official (e.g., a legal decision) or unofficial, concerning some advice or idea.
Quantity
A questioner asks concerning the quantity of a variable (e.g.,“how much/many?”, “how long?”, etc.).
Request
A questioner issues a request or command in the form of a question.
This or That
The questioner is asking whether one thing or another is the case.
Wh- Question
A questioner asks what person, place, thing, or time fills a given role (i.e., “Who?”, “What?”, “When?”, or “Where?”).
Yes or No
A questioner asks whether something is or is not the case.[1]
Bible Browser
The Bible Browser has no unexpected behavior as it is used to find the passage of Abraham negotiating with God over the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Interactive
There is no interactive focused on Questions.
Context Menu and Information Panel
The Information Panel has the expected entry.
The Context Menu has the expected Copy and Search functions but lacks any Look up.
Search
From Verbum Help:[quote]
• Cause: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Cause}
• Comparison: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Comparison}
• Consequence: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Consequence}
• Definition: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Definition}
• Description: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Description}
• Expectation: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Expectation}
• Explanation: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Explanation}
• Goal: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Goal}
• Instrument: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Instrument}
• Means: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Means}
• Opinion: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Opinion}
• Quantity: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Quantity}
• Request: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Request}
• This or That: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ This or That}
• Wh- Question: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Wh- Question}
• Yes or No: {Label Question WHERE Type ~ Yes or No}
In addition, the search syntax can handle the rhetorical nature of the question as follows:
• {Label Question WHERE Rhetorical ~ false AND Type ~ Cause}
• {Label Question WHERE Rhetorical ~ true AND Type ~ Cause}[2]
QUIZ: How many questions are there in the NRSV? How many of them are Rhetorical?
2,230 out of 5,205 questions are rhetorical. Consider the counts to be estimates not absolutely accurate without further evaluation.
[1] Jeremy Thompson, Questions in the Bible Dataset Documentation (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2017).
[2] Jeremy Thompson, Questions in the Bible Dataset Documentation (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2017).
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."