Qualifications of an Interpreter

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BmLIOAL HERlIENEUTI08. 111

CHAPTER IX.

Ql1ALI . IOATIONS O . AN INTBBPBBTBB.

IN order to be a capable and correct interpreter of the HolyScriptures, one needs a variety of qualifications, both natural andacquired. For thoagh a large proportion of the sacred volume isBUfticiently simple for the child to understand, and the common

people and the unlearned may find on every page much that isprofitable for instruction in righteousness, there is also much that

requires, for its proper apprehension and exposition, the noblestpowers of intellect and the most ample learning. The severalqualifications of a competent interpreter may be classified as Intellectual, Educational, and Spiritual. The first are largely native tothe soul; the second are acquired by study and research; the thirdmay be regarded both as native and acquired.

bTJ:LLBOTUAL QUALIFICATIONS.

First of all, the interpreter of Scripture, and, indeed, of any other

book, should have a sonnd, well-balanced mind. For Defeet1vemen-

dulness of apprehension, defective judgment, and an tal powel'B dill

extravagant fancy will pervert one's reason, .and qual1t7.

lead to many vain and foolish notions. The faculties of the mind

are capable of discipline, and may be trained to a very high degreeof perfection; but some men inherit peculiar tendencies of intellect.Some are gifted with rare powers of imagination, but are utterlywanting in the critical faculty. A lifetime of discipline will scarcely restrain their exuberant fancy. Others are naturally given toform hasty judgments, and will rush to the wildest extremes. In

others, peculiar tastes and passions warp the judgment, and someseem to be constitutionally destitute of common sense. Any and

all such mental defects disqualify one for the interpretation of theword olGod.

A ready perception is specially requisite in the interpreter. ITe

must have the power to grasp the thought of his au- Qulckandcltm'

thor, and take in at a glance its full force and bearing. peroept.ton.

With such ready perception there m1lst be united a breadth of viewand clearness of understanding which will be quick to catch, notonly the import of words and phrases, but also the drift of the

I Comp. the import of Wwol, ,"116"", and IKAJIUC1w in 2 Cor. iii, II, 8.



152 INTRODUCTION TO

argument. Thus, for example, in attempting to explain the Epistle

to the Galatians, a quick perception will note the apologetic toneof the first two chapters, the bold earnestness of Paul in asserting

the divine authority of his :lpostleship, and the far-reaching consequences of his claim. I t will also note how forcibly the personal

incidents referred to in Paul's life and ministry enter into his argument. It will keenly appreciate thtl impassioned appeal to the

"foolish Galatians" at the beginning of chapter third, and the natural transition from thence to the doctrine of J I1stification. The

variety of argument and illustration in the third and fourth chapters, and the hortatory application and practical counsels of the two

concluding chaptel"ll will also be clearly discerned; and then the

unity, scope, and directness of the whole Epistle will lie pictured

before the mind's eye as a perfect whole, to be appreciated moreand more fully as additional attention and study are given to min

uter details.The great exegetes have beeu noted for acuteness of intellect, a

AcuteDell of critical sharpness to discern at once the conuexion of

Intellect. thought, and the association of ideas. This q1!alifica-tion is of great importance to every interpreter. He must oe quick.

to see what a passage does not teach, as well as to comprehend itsreal import. nis critical acumen should be associated with a mas

terly power of analysis, in order that he may clearly discern all the

parts and r e l a t i ~ n s of a given whole. Bengel and De Wette, in

their works on the New Testament, excel in this particular. They

evince an intellectual sagacity, which is to be regarded as a special

gift, an inborn endowment, rather than a result of scientific culture.The strong intellect will not be destitute of imaginative power.

Imagination Many things in uarrative description mU!olt be left to be

=edbe C ! : ~ supplied, and many of the fin(,!At passages of Holy Writ

trolled. cannot be appreciated by an unimaginative mind. The

true interpreter must often transport himself into the past, and

picture in his soul the scenes of ancient time. He must have an in

tuition of nature and of human life by which to put himself in theplace of the biblical writers and see and feel as they did. But it

has usually happened that men of powerful imagination have beenunsafe expositors. An exuberant fancy is apt to run away with

the judgment, and introduce conjecture aud speculation in place of

valid exegesis. The chastened and disciplined imagination will as-

sociate with itself the powet· of conception and of abstract thought,

and be able to construct, if called for, working hypotheses to beused in illustratiou or in argument. Sometimes it may be expedient to form a concept, or adopt a theory, merely for the purpose



BIBLICAL HEIDIENEUTICS. 163

of pursuing some special line of discussion; and every expositorshould be competent for this when needed.

But, above all things, an interpreter of SCl'iptnre needs a sound

and sober judgment. His mind must be competent to Sober jadg_

analyze, examine, and compare. He must not allow 1Il8IIt,

himself to be influenced by hidden meanings, and spiritualizingpr<X'.esses, and plausible conjectures. He must weigh reasons forand against a given interpretation; he must judge whether hisprinciples are tenable and self-consistent; he must often balanceprobabilities, and reach conclusions with the greatest caution. Such

a discriminating judgment may be trained and strengthened, andno pains should be spared to render it a safe and reliable habit ofthe mind.

Correctness and delicacy of taste will be the result of a discrimi

nating judgment. The interpreter of the inspired vol- Com!ctanddel.

ume will find the need of this qualification in discerning bi le taIte.

the manifold beauties and excellences scattered in rich profusionthrough its pages. But his taste, as well as his judgment, must betrained to discern between the true and the false ideals. !fany amodern whim of shallow refinement is offended with the straightforWard honesty and simplicity of the ancient world. Prurientsensitiveness often blushes before expressions in the Scriptureswhich are as far as possible remo\'ed from impurity. Correct tastein sucb cases will pronounce according to the real spirit of the

writer and his age.

The use of reason in the interpretation of Scripture is everywhere to 00 assumed. The Bible comes to us in the

Vee of _D,

forms of human language, and appeals to our I'easonand judgment; it invites investigation, and condemns a blind credulity. It is to be interpreted as we interpret any other volume,by a rigid application of the same laws of language, and the samegrammatical analysis. Even in passages which may be said to liebeyond the province of reason, in the realm of supernatural revelation, it is still competent for the rational judgment to say whether,indeed, the revelation be supert16tural. In matters beyond its rangeof vision, reason may, by valid argument, explain its own incompetency, and by analogy and manifold suggestion show that thereare many things beyond its province which are nevertheless trueand righteous altogether, and to be accepted without dispute,Reason itself may thus become efficient in strengthening faith in

the unseen and eternal.But it behooves the expounder of God's word to see that all his

principles and processes of reasoning are sound and self-consistent.



154 INTRODUCTION TO

He mult not oommit himself to false premises; he must abstainfrom confusing dilemmas; he must especially refrain from rushing

to unwarranted conclusions. Nor must he ever take for granted

things which are doubtful, or open to serious question. .All suchlogical fallacies will neceBBarily vitiate his expoaitioDS, and makehim a dangerous guide. The right use of reason in biblical exposition is seen in the cautious procedure, the sound principles adopted,the valid and conclusive argumentation, the sober sense displayed,and the honest integrity and self-consiatency everywhere maintained. Such exercise of reason will always commend itself to the

godly conscience and the pure heart.ID addition to the above-mentioned qualifications, the interpretershould be "apt to teach" ( ~ ~ , 2 Tim. ii, 24).

Apt to &eacb. He must not only be able to understand the Scriptures,

but also to set forth in clear and lively form to others what hehimself comprehends. Without such aptness in teaching, all hisother gifts and qualities will avail little or nothing. Accordingly,the interpreter should cultivate a clear and simple style, and study

to bring ~ u t the truth and force of the inspired oracles so thatothers will readily understand.

EDUCATIONAL QU.4LIPIC.ATIONS.

The professional interpreter of Scripture needs more than a well.balanced mind, discreet sense, and acuteness of intellect. He needsstores of information in the broad ud varied fields of history,

science, and philosophy. By many liberal studies will his facultiesbecome disciplined and strong for practical use; and extensive and

accurate knowledge will furnish and fit him to be the teacher of

others. The biblical interpreter should be minutely acquainted with

Geography.the geography of Palestine and the adjacent regions.In order to be properly versed iu this, he will need to

understand the physical character of the world outside of Biblelands. For, though the sacred writers may have known nothing of

countries foreign to Asia, Africa, and Europe, the modem studentwill find an advantage in having information, as full as possible, of

the entire surface of the globe. With such geographical knowledgehe should also unite a familiar acquaintance with uui.versallnstory. The recordll of many peoples, both an

cient and modem, will often be of value in testing the accuracy of

the sacred wnters, and illustrating their ('xcellence and worth.

'Vhat a vast amount of light have ancient authors, and thed e ~ i -

phered inscriptions of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and Persia, shedupon the narratives of the Bible I

1U8t.oJ7.



BmLIOAL HERMENEUTICS. 1MThe science of chronology is also indispensable to the proper in

terpretation of the Scriptures. The succession of events,the division of the ages into great eras, the scope of gen- Cbr0n01ogy.

ealogica1 tables, and the fixing of dates, are important, and callfor patient study and laborious care. Nor can the interpreter dispense with the study of antiquities, the habits, customs,

d f h . H h ld · ... h .A.n&iqultlee.an arts 0 t e ancients. e s ou mqulre mto t e an-

tiquities of all the ancient natioDs and races of whom any records

remain, for the customs of other nations may often throw light

upon those of the Hebrews. The study of politics, in-

cluding international law and the various theories andsystems of civil government, will add greatly to the other accom

plishments of the exegete, and enable him the better to appreciate

the Mosaic legislation, and the great principles of civil government

set forth in the New Testament. Many a passage, also, can be illus

trated and made more impressive by a thorough knowledge of natu

ral science. Geology, mineralogy, and astronomy, are Naturallllll-

incidentally touched by statements or allusions of the sa- -

ored writers, and whatever the knowledge of the ancients on these

subjects, the modem interpreter ought to be familiar with what

modem science bas demonstrated. The same may be, said of the

history and systems of .peculative thought, the various

schools of p b i l ~ p h y and psychology. Many of these PIdlOlOPh1·

philosophical discussions have become involved in theological dogma, and have led to peculiar principles and methods of interpreta

tion, and, to cope fairly with them, the professional exegete shouldbe fiuniliar with all their subtleties. We have already seen how

aU-important to the interpreter is a profound and accu- Tbe II8CI'eCl

rate knowledge of the sacred tongues. Noone can be a t.oDguee.

master in biblical exposition without snch knowledge. TC? a thor

ough acquaintance with Hebrew, Chaldee, and Greek, he should

add some proficiency in the science of comparative phi- Comparative

lology. Especially will a knowledge of Syriac, Arabic, phDolOl7.

and other Semitic languages help one to understand the Hebrewand the Chaldee, and acquaintance with Sanskrit and Latin and

other Indo-European tongues will deepen and enlarge one's knowledge of the Greek. To all these acquirements the interpreter of

God's word should add a familiar acquaintance with gen- GeDeral llt-

eralliterature. The great productions of human genius, erature.

the world-renowned epics, the classics of all the great nations, and

the bibles of all religions, will be of value in estimating the oraclesof God.

It is not denied that there have been able and excellent exposi-





BIBLIC.U. HERMENEUTICS. 1157

how deep natures like his POS8e88 an intuition of godliness. Theirsouls yearn for the pure and the good, and they exult to find it allin God. Such tender affection is the seat of all pure love, whether

of God or of man. The characteristic utterance of such a soul is:"Beloved, let us love one another; because love is of God, andevery one that loves haR been begotten of God, and knows God• . . God is love; and he that abides in love abides in God, and Godin him" (1 John iv, '1, 16).The love of the truth should be fervent and glowing, so as to be

get in the soul an enthusiasm for the word of God. BntbU8lumfor

The mind that truly appreciates the Homeric poems the word.

must imbibe the spirit of Homer. The same is true of him whodelights in the magnificent periods of Demosthenes, the easy numbers and buming thoughts of Shakspeare, or the lofty verse of Milton. What fellowship with such lofty natures can he have whose

80ul never kindles with enthusiasm in the study of their works?So the profound and able ex('gete is he WllOse spirit God hastouched, and whose soul is enlivened by the revelations of heaven.

Such hallowed fervour should be chastened and controlled by n.

true reverence. "The fear of Jehovah is the begin- ReTereIlce for

ning of knowledge" (Prov. i, 7). There must be the God.

devout frame of mind, as well as the pure desire to know thetruth. "God is a Spirit; and they that worship him must worshiphim in spirit and in truth" (John iv,24). Therefore, they whowould attain the true knowledge of God must posse!!s the rever·

ent, truth-loving spirit; and, having attained this, God will seckthem (John iv, 28) and reveal himself to them as he does not untothe world. Compare Matt. xi, 25; xvi, 1'1.

Finally, the expounder of the Holy Scriptures needs to have lh-

ing fellowship and communion with the Holy Spirit. Communion

Inasmuch as "all Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Tim. 1Flth the HOlf

iii, 16), and the sacred writers spoke from God as they 8pfrB.

were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter i, 21), the interpreter of

Scripture must be a partaker of the same Holy Spirit. He must,by a profound experience of the soul, attain the saving knowledgeof Christ, and in proportion to the depth and fnlness of that experience he will know the life and peace of the "mind of the Spirit"

(Rom. viii, 6). " We speak God's wisdom in a mystery," saysPaul (1 Cor. ii, '1-11), the hidden spiritual wisdom of a divinelyilluminated hcart, which none of the princes of this world have

known, but (as it is in substance written in Isa. lxiv, 4) a wisdomrelating to "what things (d) eye did not see, and ear did not hear,and into man's heart did not enter-whatever things (80a) God



158 INTRODUCTION.

prepared for them that love him; for I to us God revealed them

through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all thing'll, even thedepths of God. For who of men knows the things of the man

except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also the thingsof God no one knows except the Spirit of God." He, then, who

would know and explain to others" the mysteries of the kingdom

of heaven " (Matt. xiii, 11) must enter into blessed communion and

fellowship with the Holy One. He should never cease to pray

(Eph. i, 17, 18) "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Fa-

ther of glory, would give him the spirit of wisdom and of revela-

tion in the full knowledge (hrlyvt.K7£r) of him, the eyes of his heart

being enlightened for the purpose of knowing what is the hope ofhis calling, what the riches of " he glory of his inheritance in the

saints, and what the exceeding greatness of his power toward us

who believe."

I We fo llow here the reading of Westcott and Bort, who receive )'d{' Into the ten.This reading haa the strong support of Codex B, and would have been quite liable to

be cbanged to" the more nume"rouely anpported reading 1St by reuoo of a failure to

apprebend the somewhat Involved collDeCtion of thought. The)'d{' gives the I'eUOn

why we 8peak God's mysterioue wladom, lor to t i l God it through the Spirit.

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Qualifications of an Interpreter