ACCOMMODATION. A term used in the interpretation of Scripture having, generally, one of two meanings: (1) a reference to some meaning other than the literal meaning which is given to Scripture, (2) the recognition of the necessity that was God’s to reveal Himself in terms of man’s understanding.

In the interpretation of Scripture the literal meaning is always to be followed unless there is some indication that a fig. meaning was intended by the author. There are situations, however, in which the interpreter is entitled to go beyond the specific meaning of a passage. This is called “accommodation.” When the passage under consideration makes a particular application of a general principle, the interpreter is legitimately entitled to apply that principle in areas different from the specific consideration of the author. To act in this fashion is not to reject the author’s original meaning but simply to offer a broader context to the same principle enunciated by the author.

Another example of accommodation would be in connection with the literary device known as “double entendre” in which the author writes in such a way as to open the possibility of two interpretations. Generally one meaning only is to be ascribed to a passage, but the double meaning is intended in some cryptic passages. The writings of John in the NT are especially characterized by this device.

Allegory is also a literary device in which the interpreter accommodates the interpretation to the fact that the original plain meaning was not the intended meaning of the author. Paul’s reference to the law and Sinai would be a clear example (Gal 4:21-31). The use of allegory has been much abused and care must be exercised not to treat poetical and metaphorical passages as if they were allegorical.

In interpretation it is necessary to acknowledge the anthropomorphic nature of Scripture. God had to accommodate the divine revelation to the human mind. The Bible speaks of the corners of the earth. This does not discredit revelation. It simply acknowledges that men thought of the earth as flat and having corners. When God spoke, He used the thought forms of the day and not the scientific terminology of a later cent. Heaven is described in terms of human values: gold, silver, jewels. Hell is described in terms of fire and brimstone. God Himself is spoken of as having a face, eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet, etc. In no way does this accommodation affect the truth or the religious value of the passage. That which is declared is real, but only intelligible to men through their language and in their thought forms.