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. Even the historical sense alone requires many aids: it is hidden in Hebrew and Greek idiom, in a style different from all others.
Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture
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Chapter II: On the Object and Breadth of Sacred Scripture
— Scripture embraces all knowledge even in the literal sense alone, which holds the first place and must above all be pursued.
"Sacred Scripture, in its sense — not only the mystical, but even in the literal sense alone, which holds the first place and which above all must be pursued — embraces all knowledge and everything knowable"
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Chapter III: On the Difficulty of Sacred Scripture
— From the four senses you can scarcely attain even one genuine sense.
"from these you can scarcely attain even one genuine sense; how then will you so easily and rashly promise the other three?"
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Chapter III: On the Difficulty of Sacred Scripture
— Even the historical sense alone requires many aids: it is hidden in Hebrew and Greek idiom, in a style different from all others, often soaring to great heights.
"as for the historical sense, even if that alone were to suffice for you, how many and how great are the aids required? How often is it hidden! How deeply concealed in the Hebrew or Greek manner of expression"
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The Author's Method (paragraph 48)
— Lapide's stated method: first track down the historical sense with exact investigation; prefer the reading most consonant with the text; defend the Vulgate edition.
"I may first track down the historical sense with exact investigation; wherever it will be different among various authors, I will indicate it; and in so great a multitude of opinions... I will prefer and select the one most consonant with the text"