scripture

Everyday

1. (church, Bible) Scripture (or the Scriptures) means the holy writings of the Bible for Christians. tree →
2. (religion) The holy writings of any religion, such as the Qur'an, the Torah or the Vedas. tree →
3. (old use, UK schools) A school subject for Bible study, now called Religious Education. tree →

In the lessons

In religious education Christians read Scripture in church services; Jews read the Hebrew scriptures; Muslims recite the Qur'an. In stories, a preacher quotes Scripture. Phrases: «Holy Scripture», «a passage of scripture», «quote Scripture», «according to scripture».

Examples

• The vicar read a passage from Scripture. tree →
• Christians call the Bible the Holy Scriptures. tree →
• Hindu scriptures include the Vedas. tree →
• The Torah is the most important scripture for Jews. tree →
• My grandmother can quote Scripture from memory. tree →
• Long ago, monks copied the scriptures by hand. tree →
• We compared stories from the scriptures of different religions. tree →
• Listening attentively, he heard her reading the Buddhist scriptures with great devotion. tree →

Note

Often with a capital S for the Bible. Uncountable («Scripture says…») or countable («the scriptures of Hinduism»). Adjective: scriptural. Related: verse, gospel, testament.

In Jewish tradition

Interpretation: Jews call their holy writings the Tanakh, with the Torah as the first and most important part. In the primary lessons: In religious education Christians read Scripture in church services; Jews read the Hebrew scriptures; Muslims recite the Qur'an. In stories, a preacher quotes Scripture. Phrases: «Holy Scripture», «a passage of scripture», «quote Scripture», «according to scripture».

Note

Often with a capital S for the Bible. Uncountable («Scripture says…») or countable («the scriptures of Hinduism»). Adjective: scriptural. Related: verse, gospel, testament.