Exegesis

• Methods
  • Allegorical Interpretation — The principles and limits of allegorical (mystical) interpretation of Scripture — a true sense intended by the Holy Spirit, grounded in the historical sense
  • Exegetical Method: Literal and Moral Exposition — Lapide's exegetical approach combining literal and moral exposition, enriched with allegories, typology, and patristic examples
  • Lapide's Exegetical Method — Cornelius a Lapide's stated methodology: tracking down the historical sense first, reconciling Hebrew with the Vulgate, presenting the mystical sense from the Fathers, proceeding with brevity
  • Literal Sense of Scripture — The primacy of the literal/historical sense as the foundation upon which all other senses must rest, and the difficulty of attaining even this one sense correctly
  • Moses and Christ: Typological Parallels — The elaborate typological correspondence between Moses and Christ in nineteen parallels, showing Moses as the express sign and type of the Messiah
  • Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture — The principle that Scripture has a spiritual sense beyond the letter, requiring divine revelation to be understood, with Christ as the hidden key to all Scripture
  • The Four Senses of Scripture — The doctrine that Scripture expresses at least four meanings in a single phrase: literal/historical, allegorical, tropological (moral), and anagogical
  • Typology — The reading of Old Testament persons and events as prefigurations (types) of New Testament or ecclesial realities — Moses as a type of the bishop, Nazirites as types of religious
• Textual Criticism
  • Authorship and Composition of the Pentateuch — The Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch and the later editorial additions by Joshua or others
  • Jerome's Translation of Scripture — Jerome's role as translator of the Vulgate, praised by the Fathers for his mastery of three languages and fidelity to Hebrew sources, and celebrated as the greatest Doctor raised up for scriptural interpretation
  • Textual Criticism and Hebrew Exegesis — Lapide's engagement with the Hebrew text and its root meanings (bereshit, bara, elohim, tohu vebohu, rakia, merachephet, etc.), comparing LXX, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodotion, and Onkelos
  • The Septuagint Translation — The translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek by 72 interpreters under Ptolemy Philadelphus, their miraculous agreement, and the subsequent history of Greek and Latin translations
  • Vulgate: Authority and Authenticity — The Latin Vulgate's status as the authentic edition of Scripture for the Catholic Church, its history from Jerome's translation through the Clementine revision, and its superiority over other Latin editions
• Patristic Scripture Study — The labors of the Church Fathers over sacred books night and day — their commentaries, schools, methods, and lifelong devotion as models for every age