אבנימ

Biblical Hermeneutics Part Second Chapter 4

In working with words as vehicles of meaning, the interpreter must labor to ascertain the usus loquendi (current usage) of a word as employed by the writer. While the study of primitive meanings and etymological history is helpful, writers often use words in a particular and peculiar contemporary sense. Besides, many common words have lost their original meanings.

It is not possible to formulate a universally applicable and full-proof method for arriving at the usus loquendi, but the exegete does have a variety of tools with which to work. He must carefully select and apply these tools as apropos to each particular lexical quandary. The first and best, if available, is when the author himself provides a definition of the word he uses. Immediate context generally clarifies any peculiar meaning. The nature of a subject may give clarity to the usage of a word, as in the case of “house” and “tabernacle” in 2 Cor. 5.1-4, referring to the human body. The obvious use of antithesis or contrast may aid in understanding, as also the antithetic or synonymous parallelisms in Hebrew poetry. The subject and predicate of a sentence should be studied to see if the one will aid in grasping the meaning of the other. The comparison of parallel or related passages can often help explain an obscure passage in light of what is elsewhere plain.

While the meanings of common words are usually determined by general usage, rare words and hapax legomena must often benefit from comparison with whatever extra-biblical writings and ancient translations are available. The Septuagint is first on the list in this type of comparative study for Old Testament texts, since it far predates any extant Hebrew manuscripts, and was frequently quoted by New Testament writers. The Vulgate and other ancient translations may also be of help, but must be used with care. It is far more preferable to determine the usus loquendi from the language itself, which has more weight than the testimony of translations.