Reference: Canon of Scripture
Fausets
(See BIBLE.) The collection of sacred books constituting the Christian church's authoritative RULE (Greek canon) of faith and practice. The word occurs in Ga 6:16; 2Co 10:13-16. The law, i.e. the Pentateuch or five books of Moses, is the groundwork of the whole. The after written sacred books rest on it. The Psalms, divided into five books to correspond with it, begin, "Blessed is the man" whose "delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law will he meditate day and night." In Joshua (Jos 1:8) similarly the Lord saith, "this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night." Moses directed the Levites, "Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God" (De 31:25-26). "The testimony," or Decalogue written by God's finger on the tables of stone, was put into the ark (Ex 25:16; 40:20; 1Ki 8:9).
Hilkiah "found the book of the law in the house of the Lord," where it had lain neglected during the reigns that preceded godly Josiah's reign (2Ki 22:8; 2Ch 34:14), "the law of the Lord by (the hand of) Moses." Joshua under inspiration added his record, "writing these words in the book of the law of God" (Jos 24:26). Samuel further wrote "the manner of the kingdom in a book" (1Sa 10:25). Isaiah (Isa 8:20) as representative of the prophets makes the law the standard of appeal: "to the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." The earlier sacred writings by his time seem to have been gathered into one whole, called "the book of the Lord": "seek ye out of the book of the Lord" (Isa 33:16; 29:18). Just as our Lord saith" Search the Scriptures" (Joh 5:39).
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And you shall put inside the ark the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] which I will give you.
And you shall put inside the ark the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] which I will give you.
He took the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] and put it into the ark, and set the poles [in the rings] on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.
He took the Testimony [the Ten Commandments] and put it into the ark, and set the poles [in the rings] on the ark, and put the mercy seat on top of the ark.
He commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord,
He commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you.
Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you.
This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.
And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God; and he took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was in [the court of] the sanctuary of the Lord.
And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God; and he took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was in [the court of] the sanctuary of the Lord.
Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom [defining the position of the king in relation to God and to the people], and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home.
Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom [defining the position of the king in relation to God and to the people], and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home.
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord! Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord! Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.
[Direct such people] to the teaching and to the testimony! If their teachings are not in accord with this word, it is surely because there is no dawn and no morning for them.
[Direct such people] to the teaching and to the testimony! If their teachings are not in accord with this word, it is surely because there is no dawn and no morning for them.
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and out of obscurity and gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and out of obscurity and gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
[Such a man] will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; water for him will be sure.
[Such a man] will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; water for him will be sure.
You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me!
You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me!
Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule [who discipline themselves and regulate their lives by this principle], even upon the [true] Israel of God!
Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule [who discipline themselves and regulate their lives by this principle], even upon the [true] Israel of God!
Morish
The word ????? signified a rod or rule by which things were tested. It is thus used by Paul in Ga 6:16; Php 3:16. As to the scriptures the expression refers to what books should be included: thus the 'canon' of scripture is often spoken of, and the books are called 'canonical' or 'uncanonical.' Happily most Christians are not troubled with such questions. In christian simplicity they believe that in the Bible they have nothing but what God caused to be written, and that it contains all that He intended to form a part of His book. Still, as everything is now challenged it may be well to examine the subject a little.
In the first place, the Church of Rome boldly declared that it was only 'the church' that could decide what books were canonical: as early as the Council of Carthage (about A.D. 400) lists of the books were made out, and at the Council of Trent they dogmatically settled what books constituted the scripture. They decided to include the books now known as the APOCRYPHA (q.v.), as may be seen in the Latin Vulgate, which is the version used by that church. Now the scripture informs us that to the Jews were committed the oracles of God, Ro 3:2, and as is well known they most carefully guarded the O.T. scriptures for centuries before there was any christian church. The books were written in the Jews' language
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Much in every way. To begin with, to the Jews were entrusted the oracles (the brief communications, the intentions, the utterances) of God.
Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule [who discipline themselves and regulate their lives by this principle], even upon the [true] Israel of God!
Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.