believing and unbelieving scholars often commented on the
LITERATURE: Elliott, Hermeneutics, pp. 35–50; Cunningham, Theological Lectures, Lect. 48.
D. The Style of Scripture: General Characteristics
The style of Scripture is discussed here only in a very general way, and from an exegetical rather than from a literary point of view. Only those general peculiarities are indicated that have some bearing on the interpretation of the Bible, and that are more or less unique.
1. THE SIMPLICITY OF THE STYLE OF SCRIPTURE. Both believing and unbelieving scholars often commented on the simplicity of the Bible. The most exalted subjects are treated there in a way that is at once profound and simple, the result of an immediate and perfect insight into the truth. The evident simplicity of style is characteristic of the Hebrew language, and, in a measure, also of the Greek of the New Testament. Notice the following:
a. In the Hebrew language, nearly all roots consist of three radicals. There are only two tenses, the perfect and the imperfect; and but two genders, the masculine and the feminine. Compound verbs and nouns are few, and nearly all sentences are coordinate.
b. The relation between the different sentences is in many cases indicated by the simple copulative vav (and), where the logical connection would require a more specific conjunction. Hence this particle, though in itself only a general connective, may indicate several special relations. It may be explicative (even), Amos 3:11; 4:10; adversative (and yet, while yet), Judg. 16:15; Ps. 28:3; inferential (then, so then, therefore), Ezek. 8:18; causal (for, because), Ps. 5:12; final (in order that), chiefly with the cohortative and the jussive. In the New Testament kai is often used in much the same way.
c. The frequent occurrence of the hendiadys, in which two words connected by a conjunction express the same idea as a single word with a qualifier, e.g., "—and let them be for signs, and for seasons,