CONCORDANCE, the name assigned to a book which gives the words contained in the Holy Scriptures in alphabetical order, with a reference to the place where each may be found. This is the essential idea of a concordance. Other ancil lary information may be presented in concordances, such as a separate order of proper names, the meanings which, in the compiler's opinion, impor tant words are found to bear, and the etymological signification of appellatives, etc. There are two great distinctive principles on which concordances may be constructed—either to present every word found in the Bible, or only the leading and most important words. The adoption of the first neces sarily swells a book to inconvenient dimensions, and renders its use in the ordinary purposes of study somewhat onerous and inconvenient. But great judgment is requisite in compiling a concord ance on the other principle, lest words of less im portance should be preferred to those of greater ; and as importance is altogether a relative matter, the selection made by the author may omit words which some, if not many, readers would desider ate. The Germans also make a distinction be tween concordances of things and concordances of words ; the first comprising in detailed and alpha betical form the subject-matter of the sacred volume ; the second corresponding with the ordi nary English notion of a concordance. Concord ances, too, vary with the languages in which, or for which, they are constructed, as for the original Hebrew and Greek, or for the several versions of the Scriptures, such as the Vulgate, the German, the English, etc.
It is not here intended to present a full or a chronological history of all the concordances which have been produced, but to put down those particulars which seem to combine interest and utility.
Writings of this kind imply that the sacred Scriptures are regarded with reverence, held to be authoritative in religion, and are made the subject of appeal alike in learning, teaching, and dispu tation. It is to the wide-spread conviction of the
plenary and even verbal inspiration of the Bible, that the world is indebted for the care, diligence, learning, and self-denial which have been em ployed in constructing and perfecting the concord ance.
The utility of concordances in the way of ex egesis, is based on the position that the several parts of divine revelation are consistent with each other and form harmonious elements in one grand system of spiritual truth, so that by comparing to gether parallel passages, what is clear may be exemplified and confirmed, and what is dark may be expounded. Books of this sort, too, are of service to the Christian teacher, as affording facilities by means of those fragmentary recollec tions of words and things which the mere hearing of the Scriptures read leaves in the mind, for readily discovering the particular book and verse where any desired passage is to be found ; and also as enabling him, with comparatively little trouble, to take a survey of what the Bible con tains in regard to any particular subject which he may have to handle.
Antony of Padua (born A.D. 1195, died 1231) is said to have produced the first work of the kind, entitled Cancanlantix Morales, which was formed from the Vulgate translation. Hugo de Santo Caro, better known as Cardinal Hugo, a Domi nican monk, who died about 1262, followed An tony in 1244, by compiling for the Vulgate a con cordance of the Scriptures. Having given himself sedulously to the study of holy writ, with a view of writing a commentary thereon, he was, in order to facilitate his labour, led to project and undertake to form a concordance, calling to his aid his brother monks to the number of no fewer than five hundred. Their labours have been a rich store house for subsequent compilers. The concordance thus made was improved by Conrad of Halber stadt, who flourished about 129o, and by John of Segovia in the ensuing century.