Literal and spiritual senses

Early in the Summa theologiae , Thomas defends the fourfold interpretation of the Old Testament Scripture by saying that the words of Scripture refer univocally to things, and that God providentially uses those things to signify later things.

In this, he was anticipated by Hugh of St. Victor. In his De scripturis et scriptoribus , Hugh argues that “to be ignorant of the letter is to be unaware of what the letter signifies, and of what is signified by the letter. For that which is signified by the first [the letter] signifies still a third thing.”

Again, “In other writings, the philosopher knows only a signification of words ; but in the sacred pages the signification of things is surely more remarkable than the signification of words. For simple use establishes the latter, but the former is dictated by nature. In the one case we have the voice of men; here we have the voice of God to men. The signification of words comes from man’s good pleasure; the signification of things is natural, arising from the operation of the Creator who wishes certain things to be signified by other things.”

And in his De sacramentis , Hugh summarizes the point: “It is apparent how much Divine Scripture excels all other writings in subtlety and profundity, not only in its subject matter, but also in its method of treatment, since indeed in other writings words alone are found to have meaning, but in it not only words but also things are significative.”