The PaRDeS Model: Four Levels of Biblical Interpretation

What Is PaRDeS?

PaRDeS is a Hebrew acronym representing four levels of biblical interpretation that Jewish scholars have used for centuries. The word itself means “orchard” or “garden” — evoking the idea that scripture is a rich landscape to be explored at many depths.

The four levels are:

Each level builds on the others. Jewish tradition holds that a passage of scripture can operate on all four levels simultaneously — the plain meaning doesn’t cancel the deeper meaning, and the mystical reading doesn’t replace the historical one. All are valid dimensions of the same divine text.

Peshat: The Plain Meaning

Peshat is the starting point — what the text says in its historical and literary context. This includes:

• Grammar and vocabulary: What do the Hebrew words actually mean?
• Historical setting: What was happening when this was written?
• Literary context: How does this passage fit within the larger narrative?
• Authorial intent: What was the writer communicating to the original audience?

Good Bible study always begins here. Before asking “What does this mean for me?” we ask “What did this mean when it was written?”

LDS parallel: This corresponds to careful scripture study — reading footnotes, consulting the Bible Dictionary, understanding the historical background of a passage before drawing personal applications.

Remez: The Hint

Remez looks for what the text implies beyond its surface meaning. This includes:

• Typological connections: How does this person or event foreshadow something greater?
• Intertextual echoes: Where does this language appear elsewhere in scripture, and what connections does that create?
• Symbolic patterns: What do recurring images (water, mountains, numbers) suggest?

When a word or phrase appears in one passage and echoes another, Jewish readers pay attention. These connections are not accidental — they are hints planted in the text for attentive readers to discover.

LDS parallel: We practice remez whenever we identify types and shadows of Christ in the Old Testament — Isaac on Moriah foreshadowing Gethsemane, the Passover lamb pointing to the Lamb of God, Moses lifting the serpent prefiguring the crucifixion.

Derash: The Inquiry

Derash is the interpretive and homiletical level — the domain of midrash. Here the reader asks:

• What moral lesson does this teach?
• How do we reconcile apparent contradictions?
• What can we learn by comparing this passage with others?
• What practical application flows from this text?

Derash is where the text becomes alive for the community. It is not bound to a single historical meaning but explores what the text can teach across generations. This is where the great midrashic traditions developed — creative, reverent engagement with scripture that fills gaps, resolves tensions, and draws out ethical implications.

LDS parallel: Gospel Doctrine discussions, general conference applications of scripture, and personal journal reflections on “what this scripture means to me” all operate at the derash level. When a speaker takes a verse from Isaiah and applies it to modern challenges, that is derash.

Sod: The Secret

Sod refers to the deepest, most hidden layer of meaning — the mystical and spiritual secrets embedded in the text. In Jewish tradition, this is the realm of Kabbalah and esoteric interpretation. It includes:

• Numerical values of letters (gematria)
• Hidden divine names encoded in texts
• Cosmic and metaphysical truths expressed through narrative
• The relationship between God’s attributes and creation

Sod requires careful guidance and spiritual preparation. Jewish tradition teaches that these deeper meanings are not for casual study but for those who have first mastered the other three levels.

LDS parallel: Temple symbolism operates at the sod level — sacred meanings that are not discussed publicly but are understood within a context of covenant and spiritual preparation. The idea that certain truths are “mysteries” available only to the spiritually prepared resonates with the sod tradition.

Why PaRDeS Matters for Bible Study

The PaRDeS framework teaches us that scripture is not flat. A single verse can simultaneously:

• State a historical fact (peshat)
• Point forward to Christ (remez)
• Teach a moral principle (derash)
• Reveal something about God’s nature (sod)

This is liberating for readers who feel they must choose between a “literal” and a “spiritual” reading. PaRDeS says: both are valid. The historical meaning of the Exodus is real, and it symbolizes spiritual liberation, and it teaches about faithfulness, and it contains deeper mysteries about God’s redemptive plan.

An Example: Genesis 28 — Jacob’s Ladder

Consider Jacob’s dream at Bethel through all four levels:

Peshat (Plain): Jacob, fleeing from Esau, stops for the night, uses a stone for a pillow, and dreams of a ladder with angels ascending and descending. God promises him the land, descendants, and protection.

Remez (Hint): The ladder connecting heaven and earth hints at the future Temple — a place where heaven and earth meet. Jesus references this in John 1:51: “You shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

Derash (Inquiry): Why do the angels ascend before they descend? Midrash explains: the angels who had accompanied Jacob in the Holy Land were returning to heaven, while new angels were descending to escort him in the diaspora. This teaches that God’s protection adapts to our circumstances — different seasons of life may bring different forms of divine help.

Sod (Secret): The Zohar teaches that Jacob saw four kingdoms rise and fall on the ladder — Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome — a prophetic vision of Israel’s future spanning millennia.

All four readings are true. All four operate simultaneously. Together they reveal the richness of a single night’s dream in the wilderness.

Using PaRDeS in Your Study

You don’t need to be a rabbi or a Kabbalist to benefit from PaRDeS. Simply asking four questions of any passage can deepen your study:

1. What happened? (Peshat) — Read carefully and in context.
2. What does this point to? (Remez) — Look for types, symbols, and connections to other scriptures.
3. What does this teach me? (Derash) — Draw applications and moral lessons.
4. What deeper truth is here? (Sod) — Prayerfully seek the Spirit’s guidance for personal revelation.

This framework honors both the scholarly and the devotional dimensions of scripture study — exactly the balance that Come Follow Me encourages.

Related: Seeking Out the Best Books — A Latter-day Saint Introduction to Jewish Sacred Literature