The Pulpit Commentary — Genesis — Section 2

important than any other kind of knowledge, doM not entitlo any one to an opinion of the smnllest '\"Rlne on the removal of exegetical difficultiM, or on difficult nnd dubioue questions of fart or doctrine. The remark of St. Jerome, that in hie day there wns no old womRn Bo ignorRTit and eo stupid ae not to hold hereelf entitled to lay down the lnw on matters of theology, ie true in this day; and it appliee also to Biblical interpret• ation. But he v,ho would aspire not only to found upon Scririture texte a moral and spiritual exhortation, but to 11.Bcertain and unfold the actual meaning of Scripture,-to decipher the oracles of God as the inspiring light gle1tms over the lettere of the jewelled Urim,-mm1t have at his command a multifarious knowledge. Without this ho mny be at home in the shallows which the child can ford, but not in the depths where the clephnnt must swim. Piety and charity are far more important than learning for the sympathetic 1tppreciation of Divine revelation; nnd prayer is most important of all. "'ithout these a man may know the Ilible by heart, and yet possess no effectual, no epirituRl knowledge of a single line; but even toi,tl,, these there are many passages "·hich, without study and learning, can never be rightly understooa. On such pas- sages no unlearned nnd untrained person should profess the ability to form an opinion of anJ· ,al ue. The discovery of the true meaning of many pa.gee of Scripture, the power of looking at it in its right perspective, is only rendered possible by an acquaintance with the original languages, and with the historic and other conditions under which the Scriptures were written. But, in the last few years especially, the results of accumulated study on all questions connect.ed with sacred literature have been placed ·within the reach of even the humblest students. To neglect these sources of inform- ation is inexcusable in any who really reverence the word of God. Without holi- ness and sincerity their thoughts on Scripture may be useless for the omelioration of mankind ; but even if they possess these spiritual gifts, their teaching, not only on minor matters, but even in matters of extreme importance, will be liable (unless it be very humble and very careful) to be defaced by incessant errors of ignorant misin- terpretation, which will be all the more dangerous in proportion as it is more dog- matic. The duty of study, in order to ascertain the true rendering and the original sense of Scripture, c&nnot be impressed too earnestly on all who are to profit by a Homiletic Commentary. It is study alone which has in any degree rescued the Bible from maeses of untenable exegesis, traditionally repeated in dull catence and biassed commentaries. It is study alone which can keep alive and incrl!aee the light which has been kindled in recent years. , - • There are, says Coleridge, some truths so true that they lie in the lumber-room of the memory side by side with the most exploded errors. Now there are two con- 6iderntions, which are often overlooked from their very obviousness, which are yet of primary importance to the understanding of Scripture. One is, that in reading the Old Testament we m11Bt always bear in mind that it is not a Bingle book, but a collectwn of books, written by authors very differently situated during a peri?d of nearly 1000 years ; that in .fact we a.re dealing not with a book, but with a library and a literature. The otb81' is, that the divisions which we call te:i;ts and chapters are entirely modem. There are some readers who may perhaps regard these suggestions as almost impertinently superfluo11B ; but they are made not onl! under the strong conviction that their steady realisation would save us from multi- tudes of difficulties, but also with the proof historically before us that it _is the n?g• lect of these very considerations which has caused many of the worst errors which the misuse anl misinterpretation of Scripture bas ever inflicted, and still continues to inflict, upon mankind. L In the first place, then, the Old Testament is not " a talisman sent strai&ht down  GENERAL INTR0Dt70TION TO THE OLD TESTAm:NT. iii