Sitz im Leben

In Biblical criticism, Sitz im Leben (German pronunciation: [ˈzɪts ʔɪm ˈleːbm̩]) is a German phrase roughly translating to "setting in life". It stands for the context in which a text, or object, has been created, and its function and purpose at that time. The Sitz im Leben is also used to refer to the social, ethnic and cultural setting of a site at a particular era. When interpreting a text, object, or region, the Sitz im Leben has to be taken into consideration in order to allow a proper contextual interpretation.