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Stevenson says in his introduction:
`The Twenty -third Psalm commends itself to the heart of the believer
by its own internal excellence.
Natural in its structure, simple and perspicuous in its language, and
elegant and attractive in its imagery, it breathes forth sentiments of
confidence towards God, of gratitude, and of joy. There is a depth of
meaning in every sentence -- a rich variety of experience in every
verse -- and a fulness of joy from its commencement to its conclusion,
which comprehends all that is needed in life and in death, in time and
throughout eternity'.
We commend these works, each written from its own special angle as
useful tools for the unashamed workman.
Works on the Principles of Biblical Interpretation
A useful little work that gives a great deal of help in
the matter of Biblical interpretation is the translation of Ernesti's
Institutio Interpretis, entitled:
Principles of Biblical Interpretation, by Charles H. Terrot, D.D.
The
translator says in his preface:
`Every man who attaches a meaning to a text of Scripture, so far acts
as an interpreter of Scripture. And in an age when almost all can
read, and when, it may be hoped, many more than at any former period
are seriously occupied with the study of the Word of God, it cannot be
considered a useless undertaking, to endeavour to fix some Principles
of Biblical Interpretation'.
The following extracts from the Table of Contents will indicate the
type of teaching that is found in this book.
On the signification of words.
On the different kinds of words and their various uses.
On the proper investigation of the sense, or on the rules of
interpretation.
On the method of discovering the usage in ancient languages, and in
particular authors.
The Third Part of the book is devoted to the hermeneutical apparatus
and its proper use (Hermeneutics is the Science of Interpretation).
The apparatus necessarily includes the books of the New Testament, and
a part of this section is devoted to the question of the authenticity of the
New Testament, the Manuscripts and their use, the cause and origin of various
readings, the Septuagint, the Talmud, etc. In the development of this
section, the writer speaks of the different methods of interpretation, viz.
the allegorical, the mystical, the grammatical and the dogmatical.