De Moor II:1: The Denomination of the Word as Sacred Scripture

The Revealed Word of God is wont to be called Sacred Scripture, which contains the Principium of Revealed Theology, even indeed by its Biblical denomination, in which there is very frequent mention of γραφῆς/Scripture,[1] γραφῶν/Scriptures, but also of γραφῶν ἁγίων, Holy Scriptures, Romans 1:2.  And with complete accuracy indeed is it thus called; namely, because the divine Word by divine command was committed to Books for the use of the Church, as we shall see in § 4.  Now, this Scripture deserves to be called Sacred, not only from its Object, which treats of Sacred things; but also from its End, because it earnestly commends Holiness to man, delivers to him the norm of this Holiness, and causes the same to be instilled in him, with the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit being added:  although this is generally common to the divine Word with human writings treating sacred things:  but especially from its Origin, that it is inspired by the Holy Spirit, and also from its proper Use, that it is to be received by us with a Holy veneration of soul:  both of which are taught by Peter, 2 Peter 1:19-21, where in verses 19 and 20 he commends a reverent use of the Scripture, in verse 21 he affirms the divine origin of the same:  see my Commentarium on the passage.  Commonly κατ᾽ ἐξοχὴν, by way of eminency, we call the Sacred Scripture the Bible, that is, the Books, on account of their superiority to all human Books.  Among the Hebrews the Word is called the Law; consult VRIEMOET’S[2] Adnotationes ad Dicta classica Veteris Testamenti, tome 3, chapter XIV, page 132.  Concerning other Hebrew denominations of Sacred Scripture ready to hand in the writings of the Jews and here mentioned by our AUTHOR, or similar denominations, consult HOTTINGER’S[3] Thesaurum Philologicum, book I, chapter II, section III, pages 88-105.  Concerning the dubious Sense of the word מִקְרָא/Mikra/reading in Nehemiah 8:8,[4] consult below § 39, 45.  The remaining things that pertain to the Synonyms and Homonyms of the word, Sacred Scripture, are able to be sought out of our AUTHOR.

[1] For example, 2 Timothy 3:16:  “All scripture (γραφὴ) is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…”

[2] Emo Lucius Vriemoet (1699-1760) was a Dutch Reformed Theologian and Orientalist, serving as Professor of Oriental Languages at Franeker.

[3] Johann Heinrich Hottinger (1620-1667) was a Swiss Reformed theologian philologist.  He served as Professor of Church History, Oriental Languages, and Rhetoric at Zurich (1642-1655), and later as Rector of the same (1661-1667), with a brief stay in Heidelberg as Professor of Oriental Languages (1655-1661).

[4] Nehemiah 8:8:  “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading (בַּמִּקְרָא).”