“…Hermeneutics properly begins, and aims to establish the principles, methods, and rules which are needful to unfold the sense of what is written.”

(Terry, Milton S. Biblical Hermeneutics: A Treatise on the Interpretation of the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 19)

“The necessity of a science of interpretation is apparent from the diversities of mind and culture among men.”

(Terry, Milton S. Biblical Hermeneutics: A Treatise on the Interpretation of the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 20)

(Excerpted from Biblical Hermeneutics by Milton S. Terry, ebook)

“Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation.” (Loc 960 of 12019)

“Biblical or Sacred Ilermeneutics is the science of interpreting the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.” (Loc 976 of 12019)

“It is of the first importance to observe that, from a Christian point of view, the Old Testament cannot be fully apprehended without the help of the New.” (Loc 988 of 12019)

“… it is equally true that a scientific interpretation of the New Testament is impossible without a thorough knowledge of the older Scriptures.” (Loc 991 of 12019)

(“…Hermeneutics properly begins, and aims to establish the principles, methods, and rules which are needful to unfold the sense of what is written.” (Loc 1009 of 12019)

“The necessity of a science of interpretation is apparent from the Necessity of diversities of mind and culture among men.” (Loc 1032 of 12019)

What is Hermeneutics?

“Hermeneutics is about communication, meaning and understanding. ‘Hermeneutics’, according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, is a plural noun. Common usage applies the plural word to the process of interpretation. So we will frequently use ‘hermeneutics’ as meaning the formal (academic) discipline, and treat it as a singular noun with a singular verb. Definitions of hermeneutics that are found in the recent literature include the following: [1] The study of the locus of meaning and the principles of interpretation [W. Randolph Tate, 1991, xv]. [2] The science of reflecting on how a word or an event in the past . . . and culture may be understood and become existentially meaningful in our present situation [Carl Braaten, 1966, 133]. [3] The task of finding out the meaning of a statement for the author and for the first hearers or readers, and thereupon to transmit that meaning to modern readers [A. B. Mickelson, 1963, 5]. [4] Defining the rules one uses when seeking out the meaning of Scripture [Donald McKim (Ed.), 1986, xiii].”

(Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation, Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP Academic, 2006, 24-25)

Hermeneutics

“‘Hermeneutics’—literally, ‘interpretation’—comes from hermeneuin, the Greek word for ‘to interpret.’ Per se, both words designate the same reality, the first coming to us from Greek and the second from Latin. But the second has entered into common use, and so has diminished in precision. Accordingly, ‘hermeneutics’ is preferred for designating, especially, three aspects of interpretation that must be spelled out.”
“First and foremost, the ‘privileged locus’ of the hermeneutical function is the interpretation of texts. We shall see later what else is implied in this statement. Secondly, it is a matter of common knowledge that all interpreters condition their reading of a text by a kind of preunderstanding arising from their own life context. Thirdly—and this is not always well defined, but it will have a central place in my development of the subject of biblical hermeneutics—the interpreter enlarges the meaning of the text being interpreted.”

(J. Severino Croatto, Trans. from Spanish by Robert R. Barr, Biblical Hermeneutics: Toward a Theory of Reading as the Production of Meaning, Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1987, 1)

Hermeneutics: First Mention Principle

(Conner & Malmin)

Definition: The First Mention Principle is that principle by which the interpretation of any verse is aided by considering the first time its subject appears in Scripture.

Amplification: In general, the first time a thing is mentioned in Scripture it carries with it a meaning which will be consistent throughout the entire Bible.

In writing Scripture, God used the literary method of first mention in that He indicated by the first mention of Scriptural subjects the truths, in His mind, that were to be connected with those subjects in subsequent mentions. This can be illustrated in six major areas which involve the use of first mention: (a) Principles, (b) Events, (c) Symbols, (d) Persons, (e) Places and (f) Prophecy.

Qualification: Never refer only to the first mention of a word in the Bible, rather try to discover if the principle of that word has been demonstrated previous to its use.

The first mention principle should never be used alone to interpret a verse, as it is insufficient for a full interpretation. This principle must be used in conjunction with others.

(Kevin J. Conner and Ken Malmin, Interpreting the Scriptures: A Textbook on How to Interpret the Bible, Portland, Oregon: Bible City Publishing, 1983, 55-56; Excerpts from Chapter 7, The First Mention Principle)