The spirit-key to an understanding of God's Word is surrender of will and
life to His mastery. "He that is willing to do His will will know of the
teaching." The mental-key to a grasp of the contents of that Book is
_habitual broad reading_. It cannot be too insistently insisted upon that
wide reading from end to end of the Book, and from end to end of the year,
is _the_ simple essential to a clear understanding and a firm grasp of the
Bible. It is the only possible salvation from the piece-meal, microscopic
study of sentences and verses that has been in common use _clear out of
all proportion_. Such disproportionate study steals away very largely the
historical setting, and the simple meaning in the mind of speaker and
writer. Wide reading habitually indulged in should come first, and out of
that will naturally grow the closer study. This is the true order. In
giving references it is needful to mark particular verses. Yet this is to
be regretted because of our inveterate habit of reading only the marked
verses instead of getting the sweep of their connection. The connection is
a very large part of the interpretation of any passage. The references
here are meant to be indices to the whole passage in connection. They are
not meant to be full, but simply to start one going. They should be
supplemented by others suggested by one's own reading, by marginal
references (those of the American Revision are specially well selected),
and by concordance and topical text-book. What a student digs out for
himself is in a peculiar sense his own. It is woven into his fibre. It
helps make him the man he comes to be. Those who may want a course to
follow rigidly without independent study will find these notes
disappointing. For those who want a daily scheme of study the allotment
for the day can be by certain designated pages of reading with the
corresponding paragraphs in the Study Notes. The paragraphing will be
found to be in some measure, though not wholly, a sub-analysis. The
American Revision is used here.