or covert, of the divine side, manifests itself in a cold, skeptical criticism, which denies or explains away all that is supernatural in the Bible; which, instead of seeking to discover and unfold that unity of plan and harmony of parts which belong to every work of God, delights rather in exaggerating the supposed inconsistencies and contradictions of the sacred writers, and in arraying one part of Scripture against another; and which, having no faith itself in the Bible as containing a revelation from God, infuses doubts respecting its divine origin into the mind of the reader.  It is only by keeping steadily in view these two sides of revelation, which mutually supplement each other, that we can attain to a true knowledge of the inspired word.

FIRST DIVISION.

INTERPRETATION VIEWED ON THE HUMAN SIDE.

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CHAPTER XXXIV.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION.

1.  Since the Bible addresses men in human language, and according to human modes of thinking and speaking, the interpreter’s first work is to ascertain the meaning of the terms employed.  Here he must proceed as in the case of other writings, seeking by the aid of grammars, lexicons, cognate languages, ancient versions, ancient interpreters, and whatever other outward helps are available, to gain a thorough knowledge of the language employed by the Holy Spirit in his revelations to men.  To these external sources of knowledge he will add all the internal light which comes from a careful consideration of the context, of the author’s known use of terms, of parallel passages, etc.

In the case of the New Testament, a knowledge of classical Greek will not be sufficient.  The interpreter must superadd a thorough acquaintance with the peculiar dialect of the New Testament (Chap. 24, No. 5), and also the special usages of particular writers.  The apostle John, to adduce a single instance, applies the term Logos, Word, to the Son of God.  But we cannot argue from this for a like usage by other writers; as, for example, in the well-known passage:  “The word of God is quick and powerful,” etc.  Heb. 4:12.

Usage alone is often insufficient to determine the meaning of a word in a particular passage; for (1) the term may occur nowhere else, (2) it may have in current usage two or more different significations.  In the former case, the interpreter must avail himself of all the external helps above specified, and especially of the light shed upon the meaning of the term in question by the context.  In the latter case, the context must be his chief guide.  The same Greek word, for example, signifies stature (Luke 19:3) and age (Heb. 11:11).  In the interpretation of Matt. 6:27, where our version reads:  “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” the question may naturally enough arise in which of these two senses the Saviour employed it.  Whatever may be the decision, it must have for its basis not simple usage, which is ambiguous, but the connection of the word in the context.  Many like examples might be adduced.