Biblical-Historical Light and Law

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I herewith deliver in God's name the second volume of the explanation of the holy books of the Old Testament, and first of all most humbly praise God, who has graciously granted me the strength of body and soul in undisturbed health for this purpose. For to him alone I have to thank that I have not only quietly finished it in the two-year time I initially set for myself, but have also been able to edit two smaller treatises; namely, the one on Universal Grace original: "Allgemeine Gnade", and the one on Sacred Hermeneutics original: "HERMENEVTICA SACRA" in the Latin language.

Since I have now, through God's grace, finished with half of the collective books of the Holy Scripture, if I count the larger volume edited on the Apostolic Letters along with the smaller one prepared on the Revelation of John; I will now be strengthened in my faithful hope that, according to the gracious will of God, the other half in the remaining three volumes will likewise still be brought to completion. Then in such a manner, over two years, the explanation of the Psalms of David and the Solomonic writings, and after these those of all the Prophets, and then for the conclusion also those of the four Evangelists and the Acts of the Apostles, will be able to follow, namely around the time of my seventy-year age, should I live to see it by God's gracious will, since I am now only in my sixty-fourth. And since the volume on all the Prophets might well become too strong for one volume, I will pull the Prophet Daniel into the next, or third volume: as he is, even without this, counted among the so-called HAGIOGRAPHIS Holy Writings; Kethuvim according to the Jewish division of the Holy Scripture, along with the Psalms of David and the writings of Solomon.

As far as the manner of the treatise is concerned, I refer to that which I have presented regarding it in the preliminary report on the Mosaische Licht und Recht Mosaic Light and Law, partly also in that on the Apostolic [work] with several [points]. Namely, since I have been accustomed from youth indeed to the reading of good books, but yet even more to my own contemplation; I also guide myself accordingly in the Biblical work: that is, I indeed often look up what others have [written] about this and that