SCHOLIUM

A biblical scholium may be defined as a brief exegetical explanation of a passage that is difficult on account of variant readings, obscure historical or geographical allusions, grammatical difficulties, and the like. Scholia are usually found in the margin of the text, less frequently at the foot of the page. The author as well as the collector of scholia is called a scholiast.

While this definition agrees with the usage of contemporary authors, it requires certain qualifications. As worded, it is intended to distinguish a scholium from a gloss and from a commentary. Unfortunately all Christian biblical literature does not justify quite so clear-cut a definition of the term. The works to which it has been applied range from a scholium as just defined (Origen) to a full-fledged commentary (Arethas of Caesarea on Revelation).

Once the term's meaning is understood to roam about in this way, we may claim the remains of numerous biblical scholia. Perhaps the earliest are those of Clement of Alexandria in his Hypotyposis of which only fragments survive. Others, to list a few, are those of Origen, Hippolytus, Gregory Nazianzen, Jerome, Hesychius of Jerusalem, Procopius of Gaza, and Arethas of Caesarea.

To consult these and all others, the exegete is obliged to call on the patrologist to help him locate the most accurate available editions. Still a desideratum is a corpus of biblical scholia in the sense defined above.

Bibliography: j. schmid, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 9:448–449. a. gudeman, Paulys Realenzyklopädie der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft, ed. g. wissowa, et al. 2A.1 (Stuttgart)(1921) 625–705. g. zuntz, "Die Aristophanes-Scholien der Papyri," Byzantion 14 (1939) 547–594.

[c. o'c. sloane]