Bible with explanations. Bible interpretation Bible with explanations

Not only interesting, but also correct ... The Bible is important not only to read, but also to understand correctly. Today we want to present you a chapter from Steve Kinnard's book.

Principles of Bible Interpretation

"God's Word in the Bible is like a soul in a body." Peter Taylor Forsythe, Congregational theologian

When my family and I lived in Jerusalem for a year, I interacted with many of the archaeologists who live there. I spoke with a geologist who was studying new data from Hezekiah's tunnel at Siloam. I spoke with the chief archaeologist at the excavations of the Palestinian Caesarea. I spoke with an archaeologist who oversaw work at Bet Shin during the summer. Archaeologists often face difficulties when excavating. They find data in separate layers of the earth that contradict existing theses. When they find themselves in such a dead end, they have a tried and tested method to find a solution to the dilemma - to dig deeper. In archeology, when you need an answer, you dig deeper.

The same applies to Bible study. When you find material in a text that you don't understand, dig deeper. But what tools should we use to delve into the Bible? Below are four principles for interpreting (interpreting) the Bible to help you delve into the text. Examples are provided to clarify these principles. Happy diving!

First Principle of Bible Interpretation:
Interpret the Passage in the Light of Its Context

A passage of Scripture must always be seen in its context. An elderly village preacher once said to me, "A passage taken out of context is a cop-out." You can prove anything by taking passages out of context. You may have heard the story of the man who told God that he would open the Bible and point his finger at three passages. Whatever those passages said, the man was going to prove his faith in God by immediately obeying those three random passages. In the first attempt, his finger pointed to a passage in which it is written that Judas "came out, went and strangled himself." The second opened: "Go, and you do the same." The third attempt pointed to the ominous words: "What you are doing, do it quickly." Moral of the story: We will strangle ourselves by taking passages out of context.

Near context

When reading a passage, first look at the passages immediately surrounding the verse in question. This simple procedure will often help you understand the meaning of the verse. Isaiah 58:11 can be used to say that if a person is part of God's kingdom, their troubles will end. I have heard religious Israelis use similar verses to claim that God himself has ordained that the Israelis should control the territory of Palestine.

“The Lord will always guide you, He will feed your souls in dry lands and give you strength, You will be like a garden by the water, like a stream that never dries up.” 2

But when you consider the immediate context, you will see that this promise is based on the conditions laid out in verses 9-10. A careful reading of the near context may help clarify this verse:

“You should no longer bring trouble to people, you should not blame others and speak bitter words. You must feel compassion for the hungry and give them bread, You must help people in distress, Then your light will shine in the darkness, your sorrow will pass away, and you will shine like the noonday sun” (Isaiah 58:9-10).

Far context

The "distant context" is the context of the entire Bible. Consider how this passage or verse fits into its overall context. Verses 16-17 of 1 Thessalonians 4 are often used as evidence that there will be two resurrections, one for the righteous and later another for the wicked. They are also used as proof that after the first resurrection those left on earth will face a time of trials and tribulations. However, it is necessary to consider both the near and the far context of these verses.

In the near context, we see Paul addressing the question raised by the early church about what would happen to their dead brothers and sisters. He says that the dead in Christ will rise first. Then all who are alive will be lifted up with them in the clouds. In other words, there will be one resurrection for the dead and the living. First the dead will be resurrected, then the living will be taken to meet God. Continuing to read the following verses (5:1-3), we see that on the same "day of the Lord" "suddenly destruction overtook them (i.e., the wicked)." In context, it is clear that the resurrection of the righteous and the judgment of the wicked will take place on the same day and that no one will remain on earth. Now compare this passage with its distant context in the rest of the Bible. Jesus describes the resurrection in John 5:28-29 as a single resurrection of both the wicked and the righteous. Jesus says:

“Do not be surprised at this, for the time is approaching when all those lying in the graves will hear the voice of the Son of Man and will rise from their graves. Those who have done righteous deeds will be resurrected to life, those who have done evil will be resurrected to be judged” (John 5:28-29).

The distant context of the passage supports the claim that there will be one resurrection, not two. Therefore, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 must fit into the context of the rest of the Bible.

When we talk about viewing Scripture in the light of a distant context, we are advocating that Scripture interprets Scripture. Here are some basic principles.

• No passage of Scripture can be interpreted to contradict another. Always interpret a less clear passage in the light of a more understandable one.
• Read the Bible a lot and study it regularly so that you know its main ideas.
• Perhaps the most important question to ask constantly when studying Scripture is the question of context: "What does this passage mean in its context?" If you answer this question, the most difficult verses will become clear.

The second principle of Bible interpretation is:
Interpret According to the Correct Meaning of the Words

Words can have multiple meanings. For example, the word "heaven" can mean heaven above us, or it can mean an eternal home for the righteous. To interpret the Scriptures correctly, we must understand the correct definition of the words in the passage.

Unlawful change of concept

Matthew 24:34 is the main verse for understanding Jesus' teaching about the end time. If you study Matthew 24 carefully, you will see that Jesus answers two questions: (1) what will be the signs of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem; and (2) what will be the signs of the end time? Jesus answers the first question and then moves on to answer the second. Verse 34 is the transition from the first question to the second. Jesus says, “Truly I say, all this will happen in this generation.” "Generation" is a thirty-forty-year span of time. This is how the word is consistently used throughout the Bible. All the signs that precede this verse—wars and rumors of war, famines and earthquakes—refer to the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, which took place in 70 AD.

Supporters of the theory of the thousand-year reign of Christ 3 relate the above signs to the second question about the end of time. They are constantly monitoring political events around the world, trying to predict when Jesus will appear and establish what they call His "thousand-year kingdom" on earth. However, verse 34 gives them a problem. If the signs preceding verse 34 are from the generation of the first disciples, then they cannot be applied to the end of time. So they gave a different definition to the word "generation". For them, a "generation" becomes a distribution of historical periods 4 . They reject the usual, normal definition of the term (a definition that makes sense in the context of Scripture) and revise it to fit their doctrine. This is an example of how a play on words can lead to a false doctrine. But what are the basic principles for defining words?

Context, context, context

Often the context (the words immediately preceding or following the word in question) defines the word. For example, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 in the synodal translation sounds like this:

Almost every time I have studied this verse with someone, people have seen an obvious contradiction here between the words of Jesus and His character. Literally, Jesus is saying that his disciples should hate their families and themselves. But a literal interpretation of this passage contradicts everything we know about Jesus. How to explain the use of the word "hate" here? Jesus knew that the main deterrent to discipleship would be our closest relationships and our selfish natures. If one does not touch us, then another. Jesus uses a harsh, harsh word to make us wake up and pay attention to what He is saying. He uses a figure of speech called hyperbole: a blatant exaggeration. It does not mean that we literally have to hate (that is, be bitter, resentful, or vindictive) our families or ourselves. Jesus teaches us to love everywhere—even our enemies. But He wants us to be aware of the powerful influence of relationships and selfishness. 12

Grammar 13

When you read the Bible, you are reading it in a specific language. Each language has its own grammar rules. Knowing these rules can help you understand what has been written and make it easier to interpret. For example, the KJV translates 1 Corinthians 11:27 as: Wherefore who shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

In context, Paul writes about the celebration of the Lord's Supper in churches. Some use this passage as evidence that ours must be "closed," literally, that only disciples of Christ can participate in communion. Can this passage be used to support this idea? Does the word "unworthily" describe the person taking communion? No, it doesn't describe. "Unworthily" is an adverb, not an adjective. It does not describe a person, place, thing, or idea—an adjective does. An adverb modifies a verb. "Unworthily" describes how we partake of communion. We must examine our hearts and partake in the proper way—focusing on the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Other translations help in this case by translating "unworthily" as "in an unworthy manner". This makes it clear that an adverb is being used here, not an adjective.

Third Principle of Bible Interpretation:
Interpret Scripture in the Light of Historical, Geographical and Cultural Context

Of all the principles, interpreting the Scriptures in light of the historical, geographical, and cultural context of Biblical times is the most difficult to put into practice. This means going beyond the Bible and delving into texts about the history, geography and culture of Biblical times. It takes time and work, but of all Bible study principles, this one can pay the most dividends. The Bible can come to life for us like never before. For example, when we realize how Abraham lived, or what the political climate of first century Palestine was like, or how the crucifixion took place in the first century, it greatly enhances our understanding of the Scriptures.

Distorting glasses

For the average Bible reader today, perhaps the biggest problem is that we are reading the Bible through the glasses of Western thinking in the twenty-first century. The Bible is an oriental book written between 1500 B.C. e. and 100 AD. To properly understand the Bible, we must turn off our 21st century critical, historical, Western thinking and immerse ourselves in the world of the ancient Near East. John Stott, a Protestant writer, argues that we need to go back in time to understand the Bible. Life in the first century was different. Different views on the world, science, history and society. Of course, their culture and daily life are very different from ours. If we are aware of these differences, we can come closer to understanding what the Bible says in its context.

A good illustration of our tendency to interpret the Bible through our own context is Leonardo da Vinci's wonderful painting The Last Supper. Da Vinci depicted the apostles sitting around the table on chairs around Jesus, enjoying a joint dinner. In the first century, people reclined on pillows while eating. The tables were not more than 45-60 centimeters from the floor. Da Vinci took the biblical story and put it in his own context. We must do the exact opposite. We must leave our situation and enter into the context of the Biblical story.

Valuable details

When we delve into the context of the Biblical story, the Bible comes to life. Consider the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) in the light of some historical details. In the parable, a beggar named Lazarus is at the door of the rich man. He is hungry for the crumbs that fall off the table. Historically, we know that some of these falling pieces are yesterday's bread, which was used as napkins: people wiped their faces with them. They could take these pieces and throw them to the dogs. That's what Lazar wanted to eat. In addition, the tables were about 45-60 cm from the floor. Lazarus wanted to crawl under one of these tables and eat the crumbs and the rich man's used "napkins" - food meant for dogs. The dogs, however, were not interested in such food. They were more interested in licking Lazarus' wounds. To eat, Lazarus had to fight off dogs to get to the food. It's a pathetic, hopeless picture. However, the rich man did not take pity on Lazarus. He turned away from his need. Among other things, the end of the story shows the condemnation of such people.

Why do we need to spend time studying the socio-historical background of the Bible? The Bible was written in a cultural context. God chose to give universal truths by placing them within a specific cultural framework. We must be able to separate cultural phenomena from universal truth, but when we separate the images of the Bible from their cultural setting, it is like taking a play out of its historical context - the play will lose its meaning.

John Stott noted: “Although God's revelation is addressed to all people in all times and in all countries, each part of it was primarily addressed to specific people in specific times and in a specific country. Therefore, the unchanging and universal message of the Scriptures can only be understood in the light of the circumstances in which it was originally given. 14

History and politics

What should we consider when approaching the Bible from a historical and socio-political point of view? We must take into account the history of the group to which the passage is originally addressed. We can better understand the ceremonies of the Israelites when we have an understanding of their historical circumstances. It is necessary to study the physical and material parts of the environment. Knowing the geography of the Holy Land is very helpful and can add to our study of the Scriptures. Language and material culture (houses, household items, tools for work and tools for obtaining food, clothing, weapons, vehicles and other items used in everyday life by people) are also subject to study.

We must take into account the political climate of those days. We need to know whether Israel was free or enslaved when we read the Books of the Minor Prophets. We must examine the economy - what was the economic situation of the Jerusalem church in the first century? We must study the religious, moral and philosophical environment. All of these aspects must be taken into account when examining the historical setting of the Bible stories.
What principles should be observed when studying the historical circumstances of the background? Here are some of them.

• Cultural differences within the Bible. As we move from one book to another, we must change from one cultural environment to another. For example, we should be familiar with the changes in Judaism during the Babylonian captivity. Judaism in the first century AD differed significantly from Judaism before 586 BC, the time of the destruction of the temple.
• Biblical culture in comparison with modern. We must compare the culture of the studied text with the modern one. By comparing these two different cultures, we can separate cultural manifestations from universal truth. No doubt there will be some ambiguities and gray areas, but the serious student of the Bible must look for universal principles among cultural phenomena.
• Obscure and confusing places. Refer to external sources to find out the meaning of an unknown term. Look for direct, internal evidence in the Scriptures to define specific cultural terms or identify historical places or events.
• Initial, historical circumstances. Place yourself in the history of the text to determine what this passage meant to the people at that time. Only then can you move on to applying the passage to your modern life. This is a very important step. If we miss it, we will misinterpret Scripture.
• Seek to understand how such a meaning applies to contemporary culture, and do so. If we are going to change our lives and influence our society with the Word of God, we must discover the truth from the Bible and apply it.

Useful tips. T. Norton Sterrett, in his excellent book How to Understand Your Bible, provides the following useful insights into the cultural, historical context of the Biblical material.

• Study the Bible. Read, read, read it. The more familiar you are with the entire Bible, the more knowledge you will have to help you understand it.
• Keep notes as you read. Write down details about biblical figures, customs, and country characteristics.
• If you have a Bible with parallel references or indexes, use them.
  Use the maps in your Bible to locate geographical points.
• If other books are available, use them. The first is Bible dictionaries. They explain many cultural terms. 15

Cultural or universal truth

One of the most important problems facing the student of the Bible is the need to recognize the differences between temporary, cultural phenomena and unchanging universal truth. God chose to reveal His commandments through people in a particular cultural environment. The student must distinguish between the cultural obligations of the passage and the universal ones. Must separate cultural manifestations from universal truth, for which it is necessary to examine the cultural environment of the passage.

We must understand the cultural phenomena in the Bible so that we do not take such teachings from the history of Israel as a duty. modern people. How can a student distinguish a cultural doctrine from a universal one? One of the resources needed to use this is common sense. Another rule of thumb is to remember that if an injunction is culturally related, then it is temporary in nature. When a prescription is given in intercultural language, it is permanent.

For example, in 1 Corinthians 11, Paul uses cultural terms to communicate general principle. He uses phrases and terms like "veil", "shaved head", "hair is an honor" 16 and other cultural phenomena to show that there are different roles in society that men and women must assume. Men are to be husbands and fathers, and women are to be wives and mothers. When these roles are mixed up, everything falls apart.

The veil at Corinth in the first century was a long piece of cloth that sometimes reached to the ground. It was similar to the veils worn by women in many Islamic communities today. They were used to show chastity and respect for authority. If we were to say that women should wear them today, we should be consistent and wear the same veils as in the first century. The modern example of women from some denominations wearing cloth the size of a small napkin on their heads is not even close to what was worn then.

What about the length of our hair? The prostitutes of Corinth did not wear a veil. They often shaved their heads or were forced to shave them. It became a sign of their activities. The women in the church should not have wanted to look like such ritual prostitutes. Therefore, in first-century Corinth, long hair was the glory of a woman. The same is true for some societies in the world today.

Paul uses cultural elements and customs (coverage and length of hair) to teach a universal principle (women should be decent). Note that he states that nature or custom teaches that hair is glory, and that society teaches that a veil is glory. Both are obligatory only in Corinth of the first century. Today, in most Christian countries, we do not have traditions equivalent to a veil or length of hair, but the universal truth certainly applies to God's people. These types of cultural issues are important to our understanding when reading the Bible.

Fourth Principle of Bible Interpretation:
Seek Practical Applications of the Passage: "What Does the Passage Tell Me Today?"

"It's one thing to say the Bible has power because it's inspired, and it's another to feel your heart jump out and grasp its truth." Leslie Weatherhead, British minister and writer.

Imagine a person who goes to the doctor because of an illness that causes great pain. The doctor does not find the cause of the pain and prescribes a series of tests, trying to find both the source of the pain and the remedy for it. After numerous tests, the doctor finally determines the source of the pain and prescribes a pill that will fix the problem and help the patient. Now imagine that the patient who endured all the trials, paid the medical bills and spent time with the doctor, forgot to take the pill and continues to suffer. The question would arise - is he not a masochist, striving for pain? It is strange to undergo all the trials to ignore the treatment.

It is just as ridiculous to spend time and effort studying the Bible and then not apply the Bible to your life. I went through seminary and doctoral-level Bible classes taught by professors who knew more about the Bible than I ever hope to know. They had a knowledge of the Bible in Hebrew and Ancient Greek. They wrote books about the Bible. But in the lives of many of them, you would never know that they ever touched the Bible. For them, the study of the Bible was only an academic discipline. They failed to apply the Bible to their own lives.

The study of the Bible must end with the application of the Scriptures. Ask yourself, “What am I going to change in my life today from this Bible study?” Take time during the day to meditate on your Bible, study it, and let it change your life. After all, the goal of Bible study should be a changed life.

Why worry?

We live in a world torn apart by religious differences and schisms. There are hundreds of denominations that teach dissimilar ideas about the Bible. Sometimes they look like trivial questions, but upon closer examination they are not so trivial. Churches are divided in doctrines about salvation, baptism, the essence of God, divinity, the inspiration of the Bible, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the importance of the church.

How to make a way in such turbulent waters? Based on the Bible. If we know what the Bible says, then we can confidently state what we believe in matters of doctrine. Paul said to Timothy:

Do everything in your power to earn God's approval as a worker who has nothing to be ashamed of and who brings the word of truth with all frankness. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Jesus said:

“You will comprehend the truth, and the truth will bring you deliverance” (John 8:32).

He also said:

“The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words will be condemned by something else: My word will judge him at the last day” (John 12:48).

We can draw three conclusions from these verses. First, there is a right way and a wrong way to interpret the word of truth. We must be careful to handle it properly. Second, we can know the truth. Third, the Scriptures apply to us because we will be judged by them (also Acts 17:30-31). Since the Word of Jesus will judge us at the last day, doesn't it make sense to live according to His Word every day?

1. "A scripture taken out of context is a pretext" - approx. per.
2. Hereinafter - unless otherwise indicated - Modern translation of WBTC - approx. per.
3. The doctrine of premillennialism - approx. per.
4 The doctrine of dispensationalism - approx. per.
5 That is, “perfect” - approx. per.
6. Translation published by the World Bible Translation Center (WBTC).
7. Translation of the RBO 2011 - approx. per.
8. In a modern translation, this sounds like: "Rachel was beautiful, but Leah had a meek look." - approx. per.
9. Synodal translation - approx. per.
10. The rule of thumb is a decision rule whereby decisions are made based on the best option currently available. - approx. per.
11. Synodal translation - approx. per.
12. A popular explanation for this passage is that the word "hate" used here means "to love less" in Greek. This is not true. A comparison of this text with Matthew 10:37 might lead to this conclusion, but in Luke 14 Jesus uses the usual word "hate" but in an exaggerated manner. - approx. per.
13. In this section, the translator leaves examples in English without an analogy in Russian - approx. per.
14. John R. W. Stott, Understanding the Bible (Minneapolis: World Wide Publication, 1972), 224.
15. T. Norton Sterrett, How to Understand Your Bible (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), 81.
16. These specific terms are from my own translation. (Author's note)

Steve Kinnard

Chapter from Getting the Most from the Bible

Translation: Alexey Chernikin

The Bible: the Word of God and the Word of Man

Artyom Grigoryan

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God be perfect, to everyone good deed prepared” (2 Tim. 3:16:17). These famous words are known to almost every Christian. But in Scripture itself we do not find an explanation of what inspiration is. Is it the same as infallibility? Or even in the biblical text can an error creep in? If yes, how to explain it?

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3, 16.17). These famous words are known to almost every Christian. But in Scripture itself we do not find an explanation of what inspiration is. Is it the same as infallibility? Or even in the biblical text can an error creep in? If yes, how to explain it?

The rare Greek word θεόπνευστος is translated as “inspired, breathed in by God” (in Plutarch “inspired by the gods”) and thus means that God himself is the true author of the Scriptures, despite the fact that all the books of the Bible are signed by the names of specific people: prophets, evangelists and apostles. However, at the same time, it is impossible to discard the human aspect in Scripture, which is expressed in historical and chronological inaccuracies, anachronisms and discrepancies in the narrative. For example, if one reads all four Gospels in a "horizontal way", paying attention to the parallels, one finds considerable discrepancies between the evangelists. Thus, Matthew and Luke describe the story of the birth of Jesus in completely different ways. Mark is mistaken in the name of the priest, and Matthew confuses the name of the prophet (Mark 2:26; Matt. 27:9). John and Mark give different times for the crucifixion of Christ (Mark 15:25; John 19:14). All four evangelists describe the Resurrection of Christ in different ways (the number of eyewitnesses and angels, the places of the appearance of Christ, etc.). And the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews claims that in the Holy of Holies there was a golden censer altar, which actually stood in the sanctuary (Heb. 9, 4). Some Christians may be seriously puzzled by this.

Ten Great Bible Expositors

1. Ephrem the Syrian (306-373). His interpretations enjoyed extraordinary respect among his contemporaries.

2. Hieronymus of Stridon (342–420). His interpretations and commentaries on the books of the Old and New Testaments are valued for their historical context and knowledge of the original language.

3. John Chrysostom (347-407) - the most authoritative Orthodox interpreter of Scripture, nicknamed by tradition "the mouth of Paul."

4. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) wrote four books on the agreement of the evangelists, in which he tried to resolve the contradictions between the Gospels.

5. Andrew of Caesarea (VI-VII centuries) went down in history as the only Orthodox interpreter of the Apocalypse in the East.

6. Isidore Pelusiot (d. c. 449) - a disciple of John Chrysostom, who wrote 2013 epistles, containing a rich supply of manuals for the historical and literal interpretation of sacred texts.

7. Theodoret of Cyrus (393-457). His interpretations of various parts of Scripture are distinguished by brevity and accuracy of thought, and tradition puts interpretations of the Apostle in first place after John Chrysostom.

8. Maximus the Confessor (580-662) in his writings, resorting to various methods of interpretation, gave a detailed doctrine of God, the cosmos, man and their final reunion (deification).

9. Theophylact of Bulgaria (XI century) wrote a complete commentary on all the books of the New Testament, with the exception of the Apocalypse. It relies on the explanations of previous fathers of the Church, especially Chrysostom, adding his own valuable remarks.

10. Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894) wrote detailed comments on all the epistles of the Apostle Paul. The value of his comments is in bringing the best patristic interpretations and his own explanations, remarkable in depth of thought.

patristic view

Each biblical book has an individual stamp of authorship, expressed in a certain style. The Fathers of the Church were well aware of this. Commenting on the Epistle to the Ephesians of the Apostle Paul, St. John Chrysostom wrote: “He expressed his thoughts rather vaguely because he wanted to express everything all of a sudden.” “Jeremiah,” wrote Blessed Jerome, “seems rude in comparison with Isaiah and Hosea,” and St. Gregory the Dialogist noted that “Isaiah surpassed all the prophets in the beauty of style.” St. Dionysius the Great, speaking about the books of the New Testament, noted that the Gospel of John and his Epistles "are written not only without errors against the Greek language, but also with special elegance in expressions." (This applies equally to the refined style of the Epistle to the Hebrews, of which Origen wrote: "That the epistle is written in good Greek, everyone who is able to feel the difference in style will recognize.") Meanwhile, the Apocalypse, according to St. Dionysius, was written otherwise: "His speech and language are not purely Greek, but mixed with foreign sayings and in places incorrect." The saint believed that this difference could indicate that the authors of the books were different people. But even if we recognize one who wrote at different times, the very idea that the Word of God was transmitted to us in accordance with the linguistic features of the author is important. The stamp of individuality - sometimes bright and unusual - lies on all the books of the Bible. The dry and austere style of the legislative sections bears little resemblance to the dramatic description of the life of David or the fiery speeches of the prophets.

The view of the writers of sacred books as their full-fledged authors is quite widely represented in patristic literature. However, the same church authors speak of the state of ecstatic frenzy of the prophet who wrote the book, and of a clear realization of the truths revealed to him. The image of the sacred writer as a musical instrument on which a melody is played, widespread among early Christian apologists, reduces human participation to a minimum, and the gift of inspiration to divine dictation. This image is also widely represented later, for example, in the works of the blessed Jerome, who directly speaks of writing under the dictation of the Holy Spirit. But he also writes that the inspired translators of the Septuagint were afraid of the greatness of the Divine names referred to the Child in the original Hebrew text of the prophecy of Is. 9:6, and did not include them in their translation. Judgments about dictation from above can also be found in Blessed Augustine, who, however, did not deny the share of personal labor of writers. Medieval iconography of evangelists and other sacred writers almost always includes the image of the Holy Spirit dictating the text. Among church writers, one can also find mention of the inspiration of the creation of one of the fathers of the Church. For example, Gregory the Theologian wrote that Athanasius the Great “later taught with inspiration about the Divinity of the Holy Spirit.” This is not surprising: some patristic texts - especially the writings of the Cappadocian Fathers or Dionysius the Areopagite - were to some extent comparable in their authority to Holy Scripture. In general, it can be stated that the views of the authors of the patristic period on inspiration are not characterized by a specially elaborated and systematic approach to this issue.

Two theories

Although the question of the inspiration of sacred texts was dealt with by medieval scholastics, special interest in it arose after the Reformation. With the development of the historical-critical method of studying the Bible, this issue has become even more acute. The whole set of theories explaining the nature of inspiration can be reduced to two types: verbal, or mechanistic (biblical authors write down “under the dictation of the Holy Spirit” literally), and rationalistic (biblical books should be distinguished by the degree of inspiration, and the state of inspiration of writers should be understood rather as enlightenment of the mind by the Spirit, rather than as a direct suggestion). Both types of theories have their drawbacks. The first one cannot be reconciled either with the errors that are present in the text of Scripture, or with textual data (multiple discrepancies in ancient manuscripts). The second creates insurmountable problems for theology: how to find clear and objective criteria for determining the inspiration of a text? How to determine what exactly in the text belongs to God, and what belongs to man?

It is no coincidence that the Catholic Church in 1965 departed from the previously proclaimed verbal theory of inspiration and, as a result, from the absolute inerrancy of the Bible. Its official position reads: "The books of Scripture firmly, faithfully and without error teach the truth, which God, for our salvation, wished to seal in the Holy Writings." Thus, the absolute inerrancy of the books of Scripture is affirmed here only in the matter of salvation.

sacred dynamics

The Bible is the Word of God, clothed in human words. And this circumstance cannot but raise the question: to what extent are the words of Scripture the words of God Himself?

Archpriest Georgy Florovsky wrote that “the Bible is essentially historical… [in it] we hear not only the Voice of God, but also the human voice… Here lies the miracle and mystery of the Bible: we have before us the Word of God in human idioms.” The voice of God and many human voices are combined in a single text of Scripture. Not a single Word of God is written otherwise than in human words. Divine revelation did not take place in a vacuum, it is not given as pure gold, untouched by human breath. In order to inform a certain part of humanity of His will, to indicate the purpose of His revelation, God spoke through ordinary people, with all the limitations inherent in their language and knowledge. The great thinker Origen called the Bible the "babble" of God addressed to mankind. Saint John Chrysostom perceived Scripture as an expression of divine "indulgence".

God did not just dictate words and phrases to the biblical author, but entered into personal contact with his entire being, giving him the opportunity to actively perceive, interpret and communicate His will to others in accordance with the measure of their language and understanding. Although all Scripture is inspired by God, it is not equally inspired because of differences in human perception. The book of the prophet Isaiah differs in this criterion from Ecclesiastes, and the Gospel of John differs from the Epistle of Jude. Those who take the Scriptures literally (primarily conservative and fundamentalist neo-Protestants) adhere to the concept of inerrancy. They claim that the Bible is completely error-free and thereby force themselves to resort to artificial explanations and exaggerations. By turning a blind eye to historical and narrative complexities and ascribing to Scripture an absolute character that belongs to God alone, many fall into a kind of "biblio-worship."

The concept of the Bible as the Word of God refers primarily to the saving message of Scripture and cannot be applied literally to every word of every version of the Bible. Moreover, from the theological point of view, the mystery of the Living God is not expressed absolutely in the letter of Scripture. While revealing himself to us, God continues to remain hidden, for He transcends human language and understanding. That is why the human factor is so important in the perception of revelation and the compilation of biblical texts. It is necessary to recognize for each author, as an active participant in the divine-human interaction, his own personality, cultural context, understanding of phenomena, literary skill and level of spiritual insight. This position can be defined as a dynamic view of the inspiration of Scripture.

A brilliant example of such a dynamic view is Gregory of Nyssa's discourse on the biblical language of creation as functional, adapted to human possibilities and circumstances. It is “absurd and blasphemous” for him to think that God, when creating the world, actually uttered some words (one asks, to whom and in what language?!). St. Gregory claims that God did not speak Hebrew or any other language when communicating with such people as Moses and the prophets - but communicated His will "to the pure mind of these saints, according to the measure of grace, of which they were partakers ". And they, in turn, communicated to the people the will of God in their own language and in forms corresponding even to "the childishness of those to whom the knowledge of God has been granted."

It is important to note that inspiration encompasses not only the life of a particular author and the compilation of individual books, but also the religious community that stores these books, as well as the gradual allocation of books to the sacred collection (biblical canon). After all, it is not enough just to inspire the writer, it is also necessary to preserve his creation and correctly interpret it.

The Word of God and the Word of Man

Orthodox theology accepts neither a mechanistic nor a literal theory of inspiration. According to the words of the Apostle Paul, “the spirits of the prophets are obedient to the prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32), which means that a spirit-bearing prophet cannot be a passive puppet. “The Holy Spirit never deprives the mind of those whom He inspires, otherwise such an action would be demonic,” says St. Basil the Great. “For we are laborers together with God” (1 Cor. 3:9), writes the Apostle Paul. It is the cooperation or synergy between God and man that creates the divine-human nature of the Holy Scriptures. In the theses presented for the First Congress of Orthodox Theologians in Athens (November 1936), the Russian biblical scholar Boris Ivanovich Sove argued: “The mechanically literal understanding of the inspiration of sacred books - the property of Jewish and conservative Protestant theology - cannot be defended by Orthodox theologians as deviating into a kind of “monophysitism”, but should be corrected in the light of the Chalcedonian dogma about God-manhood. Participation in the writing of the Bible of the human element with its limitations explains the features of the Old Testament books as historical sources, their errors, anachronisms, which can be corrected by extra-biblical data, which have enriched the history of the Ancient East especially in recent decades. A false apologetic view of the Bible as an encyclopedia of historical and natural sciences should be left. The inspired writers of the Old Testament are primarily theologians and teachers of the law. From this point of view it is necessary to consider the doctrine of the creation of the world, the global flood, etc. The value of the Bible is in its theology.”

It is not entirely correct to say that Scripture is partly the Word of God and partly the word of man. It must be affirmed that the Bible is wholly and completely the Word of God and the word of man (Acts 4:25). And indeed, the most striking parallel to the dual nature of Scripture (of course, if we talk about analogy, and not about exact correspondence) is Jesus Christ himself, the incarnate Word of God (John 1, 14). Although He is the eternal Logos and Son, after the incarnation of Christ one could see and touch; He spoke and acted exactly like a man, including being able to experience hunger, grief and fear - but he was sinless (Heb. 4, 15; 5, 7). And, just as Christ, being one, had both divine and human natures, so the Holy Scripture, the verbal icon of Christ, combines both the divine and the human aspects. The divine aspect is found in the saving messages of Scripture about God, humanity, the gospel, the Church, grace, the commandments, the sacraments, and the hope of the coming Kingdom. This saving message does not proclaim abstract ideas, but reveals to us reality as the word of God, which, preached and accepted with faith, by the power of the Spirit becomes the living and transforming Word. The human aspect can be found in the specific human languages ​​in which the Bible is written, in the various literary forms and skill of its authors and editors, in its cultural and conceptual features inherent in any human activity.

For our readers: bible with explanations detailed description from various sources.

New Testament

• Gospel of Matthew
• Gospel of Mark
• Gospel of Luke
• Gospel of John
• Acts of the Apostles
• The Epistle of James
• 1 Epistle of Peter
• 2 Epistle of Peter

• 1 Epistle of John
• 2 Epistle of John
• 3 Epistle of John
• The Epistle of Jude
• Epistle to the Romans
• 1 Epistle to the Corinthians
• 2 Epistle to the Corinthians
• Epistle to the Galatians

• Epistle to the Ephesians
• Epistle to the Philippians
• Epistle to the Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians
• 1 Epistle to Timothy
• 2 Timothy
• Epistle to Titus

• Epistle to Philemon
• Hebrews
• Revelation of John

Old Testament

• Book of Genesis
• Book of Exodus
• Book of Leviticus
• Book of Numbers
• Book of Deuteronomy
• Book of Joshua
• Judges
• Book of Ruth
• 1 Kings
• 2 Kings

• 1 Kings
• 4 Kings
• 1 Book of Chronicles
• 2 Chronicles
• Book of Ezra
• Book of Nehemiah
• Book of Esther
• Book of Job
• Psalter
• Book of Proverbs of Solomon

• Book of Ecclesiastes
• Song of Songs book
• Book of Isaiah
• Book of the Prophet Jeremiah
• Book of Lamentations of Jeremiah
• Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
• Book of the Prophet Daniel
• Book of the Prophet Hosea
• Book of the Prophet Joel
• Book of the Prophet Amos

• Book of the Prophet Obadiah
• Book of Jonah
• Book of Prophet Micah
• Book of the Prophet Nahum
• Book of Prophet Habakkuk
• Book of Prophet Zephaniah
• Book of Prophet Haggai
• Book of the Prophet Zechariah
• Book of the Prophet Malachi

This Exposition of the Bible has been compiled from research conducted by learned theologians at the Dallas Theological Seminary.

About the edition:

Books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, canonical, in Russian translation with an explanatory introduction to each book of the Bible and notes by C.I. Scofield from the 1909 English edition.

Notable writings in this edition of the Bible:

• If necessary, the reader on each page can check the supporting material with the texts of Holy Scripture.
• All subjects related to each other by a common theme are placed in an analytical summary, in which the reader will find everything that the Bible says on this issue.
• The most important concepts of the Bible are conveyed in simple, accessible language.
• To facilitate the study and assimilation of Holy Scripture, each of the 66 books of the Bible is provided with an introduction and analysis with a corresponding subtitle.
• The entire Bible is divided into paragraphs by special subheadings. At the same time, the traditional division into chapters and verses has been preserved.
• The explanatory notes give the results of a modern study of the books of the prophets.
• The most important covenants of God, those that determine human life and Divine redemption, around which the entire Bible is centered, are subjected to a special analysis. the relationship between these covenants and the teachings of Christ is revealed.
• From the above footnotes and summaries, the reader will be able to understand what are the periods of God's economy, how God's relationship with mankind has progressed.

The Bible is a collection of sacred texts of Christians and Jews. On our website, we provide you with a great opportunity read bible online.

Why read the Bible?

For each person, the Bible has its own meaning, its own meaning. For believers, this is a code of norms and rules, a source of faith and meaning. For people of culture, this is a masterpiece of world culture, the literary heritage of our ancestors. For creative people, the Bible can become a source of inspiration, inexhaustible, endless... How often and for what purpose to read the Bible is everyone's business, but any person who considers himself intellectual and spiritual should read the Bible at least once in his life. We provide you with a good opportunity to read the Bible online. Our online Bible is replete with paintings by famous artists on Biblical motifs. We selected the pictures carefully and scrupulously so that you can fully feel the meaning of each chapter of the Bible.

The Bible is a book of books.

The word Bible itself or βιβλία is translated from Greek as "book", and therefore it is often called the book of books. 66 books of the Bible are canonical for all Christian denominations. To be precise, Protestants consider 66 books canonical, Catholics 73 books, and Orthodox 77 books.

bible books

The Christian Bible consists of the Old and New Testaments, while the books of the New Testament are the same for all denominations. The Old Testament consists of the books of the Tanakh - the Hebrew Bible and additional ones. The number of books of the Old Testament varies depending on the denomination.

Additional books of the Old Testament are called non-canonical in the Russian Orthodox Church, recommended reading in the Greek Orthodox Churches, deuterocanonical in Catholicism and apocrypha in Protestantism. Not only the number of books in the Bible differs, but also their sequence.

The Bible is Holy Scripture.

The Bible is often referred to as Holy Scripture or the Holy Bible. The entire canonical text of the Bible, and especially the book of Leviticus, is permeated with the idea of ​​holiness. The texts of the Bible are divinely revealed and inspired, which means they are written under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Thus, to read the Bible means to get acquainted with the primary source and the primary rule of faith.

In the 13th century, the English theologian Stephen Langton divided the books of the Bible into chapters. In the 16th century, Robert Etienne, a French printer and lexicographer, divided the Bible into verses. Today the Bible is quoted by book, chapter and verse. On the website, we follow a similar approach, so you will be able to read the Bible online comfortable and familiar.

The language of the Holy Scriptures.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, with the exception of some parts in Aramaic. The New Testament is written in ancient Greek. For a long time, the Jews managed to preserve the original text of the Holy Scriptures without distortion in content and language. However, after the Babylonian captivity, the original text of Scripture became incomprehensible to the Jews, who by that time had begun to speak Aramaic en masse. This was reflected in the texts of Scripture, which began to be translated / created in Aramaic.

Despite this, the ancient Hebrew language, no longer used in everyday life, remained the language of religion and the prophets who lived after the captivity wrote sacred texts in Hebrew.

Time of creation and authorship.

The Bible has been written since the 15th century. BC e. according to the 1st century n. e. (Some scholars date the Bible to a later period.). The Bible is a collective work, it is believed that the authorship belongs to at least forty authors. According to scholars Most of the books of the Old Testament and all the Gospels were written by anonymous authors, and the authorship was attributed to them in the second century.

Scholars believe that the books of the Old Testament were collected together by the inspired scribe Ezra, who lived around 450 BC. e. The books of the New Testament were canonized by the Christian Church at the Ecumenical Councils.

The most ancient manuscripts of the New Testament are the codices of the 4th century BC. n. e., written in Greek:

• Codex Alexandrinus
• Vatican Code
• Codex Sinaiticus

Bible translations

The Bible was translated into English in 1380 by John Wyclif, a professor at Oxford.

The Bible was first translated into Armenian in 431.

In the 9th century, Cyril and Methodius translated the Bible into a language understandable to the Eastern Slavs. Unfortunately, not a single text translated by Cyril and Methodius has been preserved, and therefore it is not known for certain which of the Slavic languages ​​the missionary brothers translated the Bible into. It was probably one of the variants of the Old Bulgarian. The fact of translating the Bible into one of the East Slavic languages ​​undoubtedly contributed to the baptism of Russia.

The Bible was translated into Western Russian by Francis Skorina in the first half of the 16th century.

The Bible in modern culture.

Several interesting facts about the Bible.

• The Bible is the best-selling book of all time (about 100 million copies sold annually);
• The Bible is the first example of popular literature;
• Bible stories are the most quoted in world literature;
• The name of the Bible is not in the Bible itself, such a name appeared in the IV century, used by John Chrysostom and Epiphanius of Cyprus.
• The current system of chapters and verses first appeared in the English Bible in 1560.
• Other religions draw inspiration from the Bible. For instance. In Unitarian Universalism, it is considered an important scripture.
• The Bible has been translated into 2377 languages ​​and published in its entirety in 422 languages
• The list of biblical characters has more than 1000 names
• The Bible has had a huge impact on European music - religious and secular. More masses, oratorios, cantatas, operas and other musical works are devoted to biblical themes than to any other topic.

Reading the Bible online is an easy way to get acquainted with this phenomenon of world culture, get in touch with the history of ancestors, immerse yourself in imperishable biblical stories, which for some have become the basis of faith, while for others they can become simple moral lessons.

Explanatory Bible Lopukhin(Russian doref. Explanatory Bible or commentary on all books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, edited by A. P. Lopukhin) is a popular biblical commentary published in 1904-1913. first under the editorship of A. P. Lopukhin (only the Pentateuch of Moses), and, after his death, by successors in the form of an appendix to the journal "The Wanderer" (as part of the "Public Theological Library").

Description

The preparation and publication in 1876 of a complete translation of the Bible into Russian posed a new task for domestic biblical scholars - to provide the specified text with popular scientific and theological commentaries in order to “give the pastors of the church, as well as all lovers of reading the Word of God, a guide to the correct understanding of the Bible, justification and protection of the truth from its distortion by false teachers, as well as a guide to the understanding of many obscure places in it ... ". In 1903, the outstanding Russian biblical scholar, professor of theology Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin, took on this task, who not only managed to assemble a highly professional editorial team (professors A.A. Glagolev, F. G. Eleonsky, I. G. Troitsky, archimandrite (then bishop) Joseph ( Petrovs), A.I. Pokrovsky and many others), but also so infect them with his idea that the publication did not stop for 9 years after the death of the organizer and was successfully completed in 1913.

The editor and his successors see in the publication primarily an educational role, therefore they deliberately refuse both exclusively theological and exclusively scientific commentary, trying to synthesize the interpretation of St. fathers with modern (at the time of publication) data biblical science. This innovative method is the secret of the longevity of the "Explanatory Bible": "unlike most works on biblical studies, which annually lose their relevance in the light of new discoveries of scientists, the patristic "backbone" of Lopukhin's text cannot become outdated by definition." Despite the fact that the work is intended for a wide circle of readers, its general availability does not in the least reduce the high scientific and theological level.

In 1988, the second, reprint, edition of Lopukhin's "Explanatory Bible" was published in Stockholm, timed to coincide with the celebration of the millennium of the baptism of Russia. This interpretation of the Bible was aimed at re-acquainting the broad readership of the Soviet Union with the pinnacle achievement of the domestic biblical-historical science of the pre-revolutionary period. The publishers did not set themselves the goal of making any changes to the text of the comments, limiting themselves to changing the format of the publication - for example, all twelve volumes of the original edition were placed in three volumes due to the use of especially thin paper, preserving the old pagination.

The founder of the Institute for Bible Translation, Dr. Borislav Arapovich, recalls:

In the summer of 1987, the Institute sent a letter to the Russian Orthodox Church, offering it 150,000 sets of reprinted Explanatory Bibles as a gift from the peoples of Northern Europe for the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Christianity in Russia... We needed about 20 million SEK and so we turned to the Bible Societies of the Nordic countries of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands and Finland, who organized a fundraiser in their countries. In addition, the Danish government added DKK 3.5 million, the Norwegian Parliament contributed NOK 3 million and the Faroe Islands DKK 150,000. The Institute organized the printing and transportation of books to Moscow, and also entered into official contacts with the Russian Orthodox Church, which transferred part of the gift to other churches and various scientific organizations in the Soviet Union. So the Bible in this gift united the peoples of Northern Europe and helped to strengthen their friendship with their eastern neighbors.

After the collapse of the USSR, Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible was repeatedly reprinted in Russia and Belarus. At the colloquial level, the name "Lopukhinskaya" was firmly entrenched in the Explanatory Bible. However, the name of Alexander Pavlovich was also preserved on the title pages of books published after his death - in all eleven volumes there is an inscription: "Edition of A.P. Lopukhin's successors."

Notes

1. Men A. prot. Explanatory Bibles // Bibliological Dictionary. - 2002. - T. 3. - S. 249.
2. "Wanderer". - 1903. - October. - S. 345.
3. Coscello A. Fighter for the People's Bible // Living Water. - 2014. - No. 9.
4. Men A. prot. On the History of Russian Orthodox Biblical Studies // Theological Works. - 1987. - No. 28. - S. 282.
5. Zverev N. Life and Works of SPbDA Professor Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin // Christian Reading. - 2006. - No. 26. - S. 158.

Edition

Edition of A.P. Lopukhin and his successors - in 11 volumes with additional. (1904-1913):

• 1st volume (1904) - The Pentateuch of Moses.
• 2nd volume (1905) - Books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth and Kings.
• 3rd volume (1906) - Books of Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith and Esther.
• 4th volume (1907) - Books of Job, Psalter and Book of Proverbs of Solomon.
• 5th volume (1908) - Books of Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom of Solomon, Jesus son of Sirach and Prophet Isaiah.
• 6th volume (1909) - Books of the Prophets. Jeremiah, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Epistle of Jeremiah, Prop. Ezekiel and Prop. Baruch.
• 7th volume (1910) - Books of Prop. Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
• 7th volume A (1913) - Books of Maccabees and the Third Book of Ezra.
• 8th volume (1911) - Gospel of Matthew.
• 9th volume (1912) - Gospels of Mark, Luke and John.
• Volume 10 (1913) - The Acts of the Holy Apostles, the Epistles of James, Peter, John, Jude and the Epistle of Ap. Paul to the Romans.
• 11th volume (1913) - Epistles of Ap. Paul: Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon and the Jews and the Revelation of St. John the Evangelist.
Score 5 voters: 3

”(interpretation of the Bible), published under the editorship of prof. (1852–1904). The first twelve-volume edition was published in St. Petersburg, from 1904 to 1913, as a free supplement to the Stranger magazine. One volume was printed annually, and in 1912 and 1913 two volumes each.

The beginning of the publication of the "Explanatory Bible" was announced in the October issue of the "Wanderer" for 1903. In the annotation of the forthcoming edition, in particular, it was said that when starting this edition, the editors believe that it is meeting the most urgent and urgent needs of our clergy and the whole society. From year to year Bible is spreading more and more both in society and in the clergy, and the time is not far off when it will become a reference book in every pious home. To give the pastors of the Church, as well as all lovers of reading the Word of God in general, a guide to the correct understanding of the Bible, justification and defense of the truth from its distortion by false teachers, as well as a guide to the understanding of many obscure places in it - this is the purpose of this publication.

"Explanatory Bible”, thus, is by no means a strictly scientific publication, because the authors’ desire for spiritual edification of readers, as well as the desire to reinforce the authenticity of the Bible with reference to positive science data, comes to the fore in it. The ratio of the scientific and spiritual-educational approach, as well as the level of comments differ from book to book, because a large number of authors, different in their scientific level and vision of the problem, participated in writing them.

Work on the Explanatory Bible began under the editorship of Professor of Theology Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin. But, unfortunately, Alexander Pavlovich died at the dawn of his creative powers in August 1904, and his successors continued work on this unique edition. The last volume was published less than a year before the First World War.

The death of the scientist, fortunately, did not lead to the termination of his main publishing projects. Continued by the successors of A.P. Lopukhin The publication of the Explanatory Bible was completed in 1913. Within ten years, twelve volumes were published, consistently offering the reader comments and interpretation of biblical texts on all the books of the Old and New Testaments.

Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin himself managed to prepare only a commentary on the Pentateuch of Moses, which compiled the first volume of the Explanatory bible". Starting from the historical books of the Old Testament of the Bible (the books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the books of Kings), outstanding Russian biblical scholars, Professor of the Kiev Theological Academy Priest Alexander Alexandrovich Glagolev, Professor of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy Fyodor Gerasimovich Eleonsky, Professor of the Kazan Theological Academy Vasily Ivanovich Protopopov, Professor of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy Ivan Gavrilovich Troitsky, Professor Archimandrite (later Bishop) Joseph, Master of Theology Priest Alexander Vasilyevich Petrovsky, Professor of the Kiev Theological Academy, Professor Vasily Nikanorovich Myshtsyn, Professor of the Moscow Academy Alexander Ivanovich Pokrovsky, Professor of the Kiev Theological Academy Mikhail Nikolayevich Skaballanovich, teacher of the Moscow Theological Seminary Nikolai Petrovich Rozanov, teacher of the St. Petersburg Seminary Pavel Smaragdovich Tychinin, priest Dmitry Rozhdestvensky, N. Abolensky, priest Mikhail Fiveysky, K.N. Faminsky, Archpriest Nikolai Orlov.

"Azbuka Vera" expresses its gratitude to the publishing house "Dar" for the provided text of the interpretation of the "New Testament". Starting in 2005 to republish this classic work of Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible, the publishing house sought to offer it to the reader in a new, more convenient and corrected form. To this end, comments on a particular place Holy Scripture follow immediately after the biblical text (in the original they are placed at the bottom of the page in small, unreadable type). In an effort to preserve the original text in all originality, the editors eliminated only obvious flaws and typos, which are found in large numbers in the original edition and reproduced in the Stockholm edition of 1988. A continuous editing of Greek and Latin words and expressions was carried out, which are found in a large number of comments in the text, since in them, unfortunately, the number of errors initially exceeded any allowable measure. At the same time, in the new edition, it was decided to refuse to give the Hebrew words in their original spelling and use Cyrillic transcription, as accurately as possible conveying the sound of the words of the Hebrew language.

Moreover, an attempt was made to verify the numerous (about 50,000) references to various places Holy Scripture encountered in the course of the commentary, and to correct the inaccuracies of the first edition of Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible (the number of which turned out to be very significant).

Thus the interpretation of the Bible Lopukhin in the new edition is one of the best to date.