COMMENTARY.
(1) Meaning. By commentary, in its theologi cal application, is usually meant an exhibition of the meaning which the sacred writers intended to convey ; or a development of the truths which the Holy Spirit willed to communicate to men for their saving enlightenment. This is usually ef fected by notes more or less extended—by a series of remarks, efitical, philological, grammatical, or popular, whose purport is to bring out into view the exact sentiments which the inspired authors meant to express. The ideas contained in the Old and New Testaments arc thus transferred into other languages and rendered intelligible by the help of oral or written signs. There is a high and holy meaning in the words of holy men who spake as they were moved. To adduce this in a per spicuous form is the important office of the com mentator. As there never has been, and from the nature of the case there never can be, a universal language, God selected for the revelation of his will those languages which were in all respects the fittest media for such a. purpose. Hence arises the necessity of transplanting from these individ ual dialects the momentous truths they were se lected to express ; and of clothing in the costume of various people, as far as that costume can be adapted to such an object, the precise sentiments which were in the minds of the inspired writers. It is true that this can be only imperfectly done, owing to the various causes by which every lan guage is affected ; hut the substance of revelation may be adequately embodied in a great variety of garb.
The following may he noticed as: (2) Characteristics. (I) An elucidation of the meaning belonging to the words, phrases, and idioms of the original.
(2) Another characteristic of commentary is an exhibition of the writer's scope, or the end he has in view in a particular place. It ascertains the precise idea he intended to inculcate in a given locality, and how it contributes to the general truth enforced.
(3) In addition to this, the train of thought or reasoning pursued throughout an entire book or epistle, the various topics discussed, the great end of the whole, with the subordinate particulars it embraces, the digressions made by the writer— these, and other particulars of a like nature, should be pointed out by the true commentator.
(4) Another characteristic of commentary is, that it presents a comparison of the sentiments contained in one book, or one entire connected portion of Scripture, with those of another, and with the general tenor of revelation. A beautiful harmony pervades the Bible. Diversities, indeed, it exhibits, just as we should a prior: expect it to do; it presents difficulties and mysteries which we cannot fathom : but, with this variety, there is a uniformity worthy of the wisdom of God.
(3) Differs from Translation. Prom what has been stated in regard to the constituents of commentary. it will also he seen that it differs from translation. Its object is not to find words in one language corresponding to those of the original language of the Scriptures, or nearly re sembling them in significance, but to set forth the meanings of the writers in notes and remarks of considerable length. Paraphrase occupies a mid dle place between translation and commentary; partaking of greater diffuseness than the former, hut of less extent than the latter.
(4) Different Kinds. There are two kinds of commentary which we shall notice, viz., the crit ical and the popular: (I) Critical. The critical contains grammat ical and philological remarks, unfolds the gen eral and special signification( of words, points out idioms and peculiarities of the original languages, and always brings into view the Hebrew or Greek phraseology employed by the sacred writers. In a word, it takes a wide range, while it states the processes which lead to results, and shrinks not from employing the technical language common to scholars.