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Article 10. Whether in Holy Scripture A Word May Have Several Senses?

This document discusses whether words in Holy Scripture can have multiple meanings or senses. It raises three objections. First, that multiple senses could produce confusion and fallacies. Second, that Augustine described four different senses than the four mentioned. Third, that there is also a parabolic sense not included in the four. It concludes that as the author of Scripture is God, he can use words and things to signify meanings, so the things described can themselves have further signification beyond the literal sense.

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49 views1 page

Article 10. Whether in Holy Scripture A Word May Have Several Senses?

This document discusses whether words in Holy Scripture can have multiple meanings or senses. It raises three objections. First, that multiple senses could produce confusion and fallacies. Second, that Augustine described four different senses than the four mentioned. Third, that there is also a parabolic sense not included in the four. It concludes that as the author of Scripture is God, he can use words and things to signify meanings, so the things described can themselves have further signification beyond the literal sense.

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figure of nobler bodies, especially for those who could think of nothing nobler than

bodies. Secondly, because this is more befitting the knowledge of God that we have in
this life. For what He is not is clearer to us than what He is. Therefore similitudes drawn
from things farthest away from God form within us a truer estimate that God is above
whatsoever we may say or think of Him. Thirdly, because thereby divine truths are the
better hidden from the unworthy.

Article 10. Whether in Holy Scripture a word may have several

senses?

Objection 1. It seems that in Holy Writ a word cannot have several senses, historical
or literal, allegorical, tropological or moral, and anagogical. For many different senses in
one text produce confusion and deception and destroy all force of argument. Hence no
argument, but only fallacies, can be deduced from a multiplicity of propositions.
But Holy Writ ought to be able to state the truth without any fallacy. Therefore in it
there cannot be several senses to a word.

Objection 2. Further, Augustine says (De util. cred. iii) that "the Old Testament has a
fourfold division as to history, etiology, analogy and allegory." Now these four seem
altogether different from the four divisions mentioned in the first objection. Therefore it
does not seem fitting to explain the same word of Holy Writ according to the four
different senses mentioned above.

Objection 3. Further, besides these senses, there is the parabolical, which is not one
of these four.

On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. xx, 1): "Holy Writ by the manner of its speech
transcends every science, because in one and the same sentence, while it describes a
fact, it reveals a mystery."

I answer that, The author of Holy Writ is God, in whose power it is to signify His
meaning, not by words only (as man also can do), but also by things themselves. So,
whereas in every other science things are signified by words, this science has the
property, that the things signified by the words have themselves also a signification.
Therefore that first signification whereby words signify things belongs to the first sense,

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