Difficulty of Sacred Scripture
Sacred Scripture is far more difficult to understand than all profane writings, requiring knowledge of Hebrew and Greek idiom, reading of the Fathers, and divine assistance, not merely natural intellect. It expresses four meanings in a single phrase and encompasses the thoughts of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the eternal Word.
Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture
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Chapter III: On the Difficulty of Sacred Scripture
— Scripture is far more difficult than all profane writings because it expresses four meanings in a single phrase.
"I maintain that Sacred Scripture is far more difficult to understand than all profane writings — Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and any others"
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Chapter III: On the Difficulty of Sacred Scripture
— The sacred books encompass the thoughts of the Holy Spirit; one must raise oneself aloft to soar through divine utterances to divine thoughts.
"the sacred books encompass in their words the thoughts of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the eternal Word: so that one must not creep along the ground, but raise oneself aloft"
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Chapter III: On the Difficulty of Sacred Scripture
— Understanding Kings, Maccabees, Daniel requires knowledge of Gentile history, monarchies, customs of nations, geography, and cosmography.
"how much Gentile history of various kinds must be known! How many monarchies — of the Assyrians, Medes, Persians, Greeks, and Romans — must be thoroughly learned!"
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Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers
— The difficulty is increased by Hebrew and Greek idioms; Augustine teaches that knowledge of languages is a great remedy against unknown signs.
"against unknown signs," says Augustine, chapters 11 and 13, "a great remedy is the knowledge of languages." For there are certain words which cannot pass into the usage of another language through translation"
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Chapter IV: The Judgments and Examples of the Fathers
— St. Chrysostom asserts there is not a syllable in the sacred Letters in whose depths some great treasure does not lie hidden.
"there is not a syllable, not even a single stroke in the sacred Letters, in whose depths some great treasure does not lie hidden"