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The word is evidently of foreign origin, and the first thing we must do is to "translate"
the term. Hermes is the name in Greek Mythology which was given to the son of Zeus,
the messenger of the gods; and so the god of science, commerce, eloquence, and many of
the arts of life, is called "Mercury" by the Romans, or "Hermes" by the Greeks. The
reader may feel a certain reluctance in using the name of a false god in connection with
so sacred a task as the interpretation of Holy Writ, and so the next step must be to enable
the reader to see that no such reluctance is manifested by the writers of the Scripture.
Hermes and Mercury. The idolatrous people of Lystra when they saw the miracle and
heard the Apostle speak, said:
"The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas,
Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker" (Acts 14: 11, 12).
Here, the idolaters indicated some reason for their choice, Mercury, or Hermes as the
word is in the Greek of the N.T., being associated with speech. Hermes had become a
proper name among the Greek, as Rom. 16: 14 will show, while among those who
turned away from the Apostle at the end was one named Hermogenes.
The verbs hermeneuo, diermeneuo, and methermeneuo are found in the N.T. all with
the meaning "to interpret". Let us consider the way in which these words are employed
by the inspired writers.
Hermeneuo.
"They said unto Him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master)" (John 1: 38).
"Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone" (John 1: 42).
"Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent)" (John 9: 7).
"First being by interpretation King of righteousness" (Heb. 7: 2).
Diermeneuo.
"He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures" (Luke 24: 27).
"A certain disciple called Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas" (Acts 9: 36).
"Do all interpret?" "Except he interpret." "Pray that he may interpret."
"Let one interpret" (I Cor. 12: 30; 14: 5, 13, 27).
Methermeneuo.
"Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matt. 1: 23).
"Which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise" (Mark 5: 41).
"Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull" (Mark 15: 22).
"We have found the Messias, which is being interpreted, the Christ" (John 1: 41).
"Surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation)" (Acts 4: 36).
"Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation)" (Acts 13: 8).
In addition we have interpretation hermenia (I Cor. 12: 10; 14: 26); and interpreter
diermeneutes (I Cor. 14: 28).