What Is the Literal Sense?

Invariably, people who read Scripture are forced to answer the question, "What is the 'literal sense'?" This question is not new. In the seventeenth century, John Lightfoot--signer of the Westminster Confession of Faith and a master of Hebrew and of rabbinic writings--wrestled with the same question, and his conclusions had a profound impact in the world of hermeneutics. In an age of much animosity towards the Jews, Lightfoot embraced the insights found in the Jewish writings while staying groun