Meaning & significance

聖經的經文，我們應以如此地角度來看 太太說看不懂我在寫什麼，要補充一下。

當我們在讀聖經時，第一個問題通常是：「這是什麼意思？」每一段經文都應該有它自己的「原意」，也就是該卷書成書時，聖靈透過作者所留下給當時的人的信息，他們可以明白的概念，在當時有其獨特且唯一的意指。而當我們把經文連結到我們自己，或是其他的事件時，就代表它的意義，而意義就可以衍申出更多了。

Meaning (原意):

is that which is represented by a text; it is what the author meant by his use of a particular sign sequence; it is what the signs represent.

- E. D. Hirsch

is that which is represented by a text; its grammar, and the author's truth-intentions as indicated by his use of words.

- Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

Toward an Exegetical Theology, p. 32

Significance (意義):

on the other hand, names a relationship between that meaning and a person, or a conception or a situation.

- E. D. Hirsch

merely denotes a relationship between (note well, it must be linked) that meaning and another person, time, situation, or idea.

- Walter C. Kaiser Jr.

Toward An Exegetical Theology, p.32

舉例來說，有名的經文以賽亞書 7:14 “因此，主自己要給你們一個兆頭，必有童女懷孕生子，給他起名叫以馬內利。”當以賽亞對亞哈斯說這句話時，並且被記載在以賽亞書，對亞哈斯及特別是當時讀者是有原意的。並不是簡單一句話「這預言耶穌」就可以帶過的。