Furthermore, readers are also cautioned against the personalization of text. This refers to a situation where readers make passages about them.  They are not, the messaging is for a different audience under very different circumstances. Finally, the readers of narratives should also avoid misapplication errors. Some applications may be invalid, and valid application must have a basis in the meaning of the text.

There are ten principles that should guide readers of the biblical narrative. The first principle is that Biblical narratives do not usually teach doctrine directly; that is, whatever doctrines being taught must be deduced from the meaning of the text. Secondly, the doctrines illustrated in narratives are taught elsewhere and cannot thus be applied universally. Also, narratives usually depict how events occurred rather than how they should or ought to have happened. Also, the way people act or behave in these narratives should not be taken as a reflection of morality in society. The fifth principle is that the characters in narratives are not perfect as is the nature of humans. Therefore, the actions of these characters should not be taken as depicting acceptable morals. Moreover, the narrative comment is not always available to shed light on what has happened in the text, regardless of the fact whether it is good or not. The readers are supposed to infer meaning from the text.

Another principle to guide readers is the fact that narratives are not a comprehensive account of events and are often incomplete. For this reason, they do not always paint a complete picture which would make it easier to understand. Additionally, the purpose of narratives is not to address theological questions by the reader. Their incomplete and selective nature makes them inappropriate as well as inadequate for this purpose. Moreover, the teachings of narratives are both implicit and explicit; so while some of the text will be plain and simple to understand, some will have hidden meanings that requires a deeper understanding.  The last principle for reading biblical narrative is that the hero of every narrative is God. The implication of this is that readers should seek to learn from God rather than from the human characters who are not perfect.

Biblical Law

There are several considerations to be made when reading the law. These are the nature as well as the kinds of law in ancient Israel, and how such a rule applies to the Christian. According to Fee and Stuart (2014), even though the law is the inspired word of God to the Christian, it should not be interpreted as a direct command because its primary audience was ancient Israel. Also, the law forms the basis of the old covenant between God and the Israelites. However, modern-day Christianity is based on the new covenant. When reading the law, Christians should not only see the high standards of God, his justice as well as God's love, but also his mercy as well.

Moreover, the law is not comprehensive; that is, it only provides for a full range of the expected human behaviour. That being said, it is far from being exhaustive or complete. Additionally, the teachings of the law are not always direct quotations. However, the essence of the law is affirmed in the New Testament as well as in the word of the prophets. Last but not least, the law was the gift of God to the Israelites and should not be applied indiscriminately or arbitrary to limit the freedom of others.

Conclusion

In addition to the literary and historical context of a passage, the genre of biblical passages affects how it is interpreted as well. To interpret the Pentateuch properly, readers should seek to understand the main genres of biblical text including but not limited to law and narratives.