letter Summary and Overview

in Rom. 2:27, 29 means the outward form. The "oldness of the letter" (7:6) is a phrase which denotes the old way of literal outward obedience to the law as a system of mere external rules of conduct. In 2 Cor. 3:6, "the letter" means the Mosaic law as a written law. (See WRITING T0003841.)

LET'TER . The letters mentioned, 2 Sam 11:14, 2 Kgs 10:1; Ezr 4:11, were in the form of rolls, not unlike those used in the East at the present day. Thus the Arabs roll up their letters, and then flatten them to the breadth of an inch and paste up the end instead of sealing them, and the Persians make up their letters in the form of rolls, about 6 inches long, and paste a bit of paper around them with gum and seal them with an impression of ink. When sent to inferiors they were often Part of a Turkish Firman. sent open, Neh 6:5; but when sent to equals or superiors they were enclosed in a purse or bag. See Writing.