RTS Papers / Hebrew 2 / Spring 2017
Reflections on John Currid's Calvin and the Biblical Languages
In Chapter 1 of Currid’s Calvin and the Biblical Languages, we are given a picture of Calvin’s progress in the Word. This meant more than a shift from allegory in the Middle Ages to the literal sense of the text, but also a mastery of the original languages. So how proficient was Calvin and what do we know of his acquisition? The record would suggest that Calvin’s education in Hebrew coincided with the beginning of his Christian life in 1531. He would go deeper, first at Basel (1534), and then in his Strassburg exile (1538-41). As to Greek, he first learned it from Wolmar during those years studying law in France, sometime between 1528 and 1533. Just as with Hebrew, so in this case his knowledge would expand while in Strassburg.
It is the statement ascribed to Melanchthon that challenges me in my own studies: “the Scripture cannot be understood theologically unless it be first understood grammatically” (20). A good enough witness to this came in class just yesterday, as we compared the difference in meaning between the substantival sense of “all of the fullness” in Isaiah 6:3 as opposed to “the whole earth is full of his glory.” The former makes glory and creation co-extensive; the latter treats the world as a sort of container. I am convicted to not assume I can be a “Hercules” of systematic theology apart from this same mining of the text.
The second chapter moves from Hebrew grammar to exegesis in Calvin’s ministry. The sheer volume of preaching demanded that he know the ancient language well enough to make quick, accurate translations. Both the substance and the style of the Reformer’s preaching made his Hebrew learning absolutely vital.
As to the substance, Calvin was ultimately an exegete. He saw the preacher as the mouthpiece of God (23). In this way the path to him hearing from God went through the language the original text. As to style he would preach directly from the Hebrew Bible (24). I have heard critics of Calvin say that he knew “nothing of Hebrew,” or at best that his slight references to a Hebrew word in a commentary was little more than an etymological study. But this does not match up to his known pulpit practice. He also preached without notes. That makes his style doubly impressive.
Not that it is necessarily preferable in the pulpit or classroom, but I would certainly make it my aim to spot translate. However I think my main takeaway from this is to do the heavy lifting in Hebrew exegesis in my study each week, so that the congregation has only what Calvin preferred as a simple and brief product that is sure to stick.
Having been a pastor for over a decade I went into this chapter already agreeing with the title “King of Commentators” about Calvin. Others excelled his works in Greek and Hebrew exegesis, not to mention tiresome, obscure debates between German scholars, but none could approach Calvin in simple insight into the text. Currid shows us why. These treasures were rooted in his pastoral speech with his congregation (31). But they were also sophisticated given the primitive stage of language studies only then recovered by the humanists.
Calvin was conservative in the weight he would put on the root of a word, which is good in light of modern studies on semantic range. That same spiritual discernment that marked the way his commentaries read was employed in deciding against majority rabbinical opinion on Psalm 22:16—a prophecy of Christ—suspecting textual corruption because of their disbelief (36). His Greek text criticism was much more proficient.
Currid writes of his Greek that “his work came on the shoulders of others” (40). We can be thankful that contemporary language studies have come as far as they have and that still more advances are being made. Even this early, Calvin stood in the stream of modern knowledge of languages, and he acknowledged his dependence on colleagues and mentors. This is an excellent example and increased motivation to dive deeper into academic commentaries when back in the preaching arena.
(#languages #biblical #Greek #Hebrew #Calvin #Scripture #hermeneutics)
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