A postil or postill was originally a term for Bible commentaries. It is derived from the Latin post illa verba textus, referring to biblical readings. The word first occurs in the chronicle of Nicolas Trivetus, but later it came to mean only homiletic exposition, and thus became synonymous with the homily in distinction from the thematic sermon. Finally, after the middle of the fourteenth century, it was applied to an annual cycle of homilies.
