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Some Additional Comments about John Wyclif's
Guidelines for Understanding Scripture

 

It Will Greatly Help You, For Understanding Scripture:

If you pay attention not only to WHAT is spoken or written,
But also OF WHOM it was spoken or written,
And TO WHOM,
With what CHOICE OF WORDS,
At what TIME (in history),
WHERE (what country or town),
For what PURPOSE,
In what CIRCUMSTANCES;
Considering also WHAT IS SAID BEFORE (previous verses)
And WHAT IS SAID AFTER (the following verses).

JOHN WYCLIF



The above is my "translation" of John Wyclif's words into modern English.

The original (in an old form of English called "Middle English") is given below. It was copied from "The Treasure Chest," Charles L. Wallis; New York, Harper & Row, Publishers, 1965, p. 37. That book does not give the original source of the quote.



HOW TO READ THE BIBLE

It shall greatly helpe ye to understande Scripture,
If thou mark
Not only what is spoken or wrytten,
But of whom,
And to whom,
With what words,
At what time
Where,
To what intent,
With what circumstances,
Considering what goeth before
And what followeth.

JOHN WYCLIFFE*

 

*(NOTE - His last name is spelled differently by different historians.)

My translation: Dennis Hinks © 1992
071118