QBNERAL PRfiFACfi.
toararepiwertyof kftdingihe «»dw immedSaidyisa^ A w eflition of Itto WO* wifli ooiwiderable vkLtiona, hu beoi latolr umoanocd by the Rev. JbMpA Beruon, from whose leanuDft pw^'. uw raaologicol knowledge, much may be expected, if the eonfined limiu of hie plan (one voL folio) do not prevent ium from •nndiiur the work with bia own vahaUe eriticunu and obeervatiooi. _, ^,
■nie lue nnforttuMla Or. Wouam Dood rnddiahed a oommentary on die Old and New TestamentB, in three vols, folio. Land. 1770. It ie ehieflT taken from the oemment of Fa&er Calmet, already deecribed j but he hae enrich«l hiiTwork by many Talmble nobM, which he iottiacted from the inedited paavn of Lord Clarendon, Dr. Waterkad, and Mr. Locke. He haa alM borrowed many important noiee from Father HoahiguL Thu woA, on the whole, n by far the bait comment thai haa yet uoesnd in uie£nflM&laiigua|%. • A wwk, entitled An Bbulntim Sacrtd WriHngs, waa puUMied by Mr. aoadby,»X. Sbobome: it contains maor jndieioua note* { faaagoM thraagfa>ewaIedituHia;ftad whileii eum* to bo orthodox, u wntten euirujr DO the Anon hypotbeiie.
Hie Rev. Thomas GotM, LL. D. hae lately publi^ed a eommentery on the Old and New Testamente, in lix vole. 4to. TtoM i% in lh« main, a reprint of the work of Dr. Dodd, witli several retreuchmenta, and some unimportant ■ddidoitaw lliough the major part of the notea and even the maaertatuma of Dr. Dodd, are here republished wihaiU the atrffcor** name; yet all the marginal readings and parallel texis are entirely omitted. The abeeooe of theae wouU be ioeXdnable in any Btble beyond the size of a duotUeimo. Of the important of tbeu eee the following aheet of ihie prnikee.
Dr. Cok^s edition is, in geaeral, well printed, and has had B very extensive sale. The orwnal work of Dodd was both Marce and dear, and Iherefora a new edition became necessary) and bad the whole of the original work, with the margin*! readings, parallel taxbs Ac been preserved, Dr. Coke's poUication would have been mwh more useful.
The Sev. T. Somr, rector <^ Aston Sanford, has laeently pubUahed, and is now r^blidiing, a commenUiy on the Old and New Testaments, in five vols. 4to. tlM author's aim seems to b^ to apeoA: plain trutit to plain man; and for this purpose he has interspersed a multitude of practical observations all through the text, which cannot from (he spint of sound piety wbiui they breathe, of being very useful. I am informed that this work has been extensively «ireolated, and has already done much good.
He late Dr. iVieriley compiled a body of notes on die (Ad and New Testaments, in 3 vols. svo. published liinberland, in Amok*, IBM: tbou^ the Doctor keeps bia own creed {ttTtUarianUm) continually in view, espeeialty vhcn c<msidMring those taxoi niiicE other religious people adduce in &vour of theirs, yet his vrork. contains muy invahnble notes and observations, especiaUy on- the philoaofihy, natural history, geography, and chronology of iho Scriptures: and to these subjects, few men in Europe were better quahficd to do justice.
In ctoaing this part of the list, it woiild be nnpaiwmdble to omit a class of eminently learned men, wfao, by their labours on select parts of the Scriptures, have rendered the highest services both to religion and literature.
Otmpagimt VurinMay who wrote a learned and most excellent comment on the Vxlk of the prophet Isaiafa, in 2 vols, folio I the best edition of which was printed in 1724. He died in 172S.
Dr. R. LowTH, Bishop of Ltxidon, is author of an excellent worit, entitled Iujab e anete fransfofion, o pro- Kminary DuwtatUm, and Nottt eritieal, phUologieal and tsplattatory i 4to. Lood. 1779, first edition. Hie pr»- liminary dissertation contains a fund of rare and judicioua criticism. The translation, formed by the assistance of the ancient versions, collated with the beet MSS. of the Heln^w text, is clear, simple, and yet dignified. The concludii^ notes, which show a profound knowledce of Hetavw criticiam, are always judicious, and generally useful.
The late nnhbiiliop of Armagh, Dr. Newcomb, has gpubliahed a translation of the minor {xropheta with learned ootee t it is a good worl^ but creeps slowly after its great predecessor. Hs has also published a translation of the New Testament, with notes: not much esteemed.
<hi tne same plan, the Rev. Mr. Blaney translated and published the prophet Jeremiah with notes, 1784.
JoHM Albbbt BcMoai, is snthor of an edition of the New Testament, with varunu readinn, and such a judidooa division of it into paragr^s, as has never been equalled, and perhaps never can be excelled. He wrotsa very learned comment on the Apoealypae, and short notes on (be New Testament, which he entitled OnoTTum Neni TVstanenfl in 9UO «T tv^iva verborum ti, ttmpliciUu, pnifundUat, conctnntta«, taiubritaa sensfim (keleitium tndieatur. In nin were united two tare yialificatiros— the deepest piety, and the most extensive leamfng.
A commentary on tne same pfauv and with proneuy the tarn* Mtf^ was published by PMt David Bitrkiua, no the twelve minor pro|dtet% 4ta Heilbronno^ 17S% which Was followed by bis Onomtn. Psa/morum, 2 vols. 4to. Stutgnrdin, 1760. Ilese are, in many respects, valuable works, written m a pure strain of piety, but rather too much is a technical form. T^vy are seldom to be met vnAt in this country, and are eenetally hi^ priced.
The late pious Bishop of Norwich, Dr. Borne, publiriied the book -of Psalms with notes, which breathe a spirit of the purest and moat exalted piety,
HaiMAi* VsHSMA, is kncnvn only to me by a comment on Holochi, some dissertations on sacred subjects, correct cdittons of some of Vittinga's "nieological Tracts, and a roost excel tent and extensive cemmmtajy on Ac PtalTnt, in 6 vole. 4to. printed Leovardis, 1762— 7. Tlirongh its great searot^'.tfie work is litthlnMrvn in C&eu What was said by David of Ooliab's sword, may be jiMly eatd ofYenetnas omnmentary on the book of Psalms: "lliereui none Kke it.".
rv. On the FOURTH CLAS9, containing compilations and eriHaU eoUedttm, a few words must suffice. Ammw the eompilaiimu uar be ranked what are termed caUna of the Greek and Latin fathers: these consist of a comwetM ■eries ot different writers on the same text. The work of ChlfridaM, or Waffridua Straho, already described, is of ttiis kind; it contains a catena, or connected eeries of die expodtiona of all the fothen and doctors prior to lilo tins. A vei^ vabxdrfe catena on the Oetaleuch, etmtainingaM comments of idmitlUlLyareAfathaOu^ boon published at Leipsic, 1792, in 2 vols, folio: it is all in Greek, and therefore of no tue b> common readers. The work of VnuraNa Beae, already noticed, is prafossedly of the same kind.
Father D* Ai Baye, in wliat waa called the Biblta S^tgna, 1643, K vols, felio, and afterward Biblia Maxima, 1660, 19 vol. folio, besides a vast number of critieal dissertations, prefoea^ Ac inserted the whole notes of Nu^aa dt ijyra, Menoddtt*, Gagnw, Etthta, end the Jesuit Tirin.
Several minor compilations of this nature have been made hy needy writers who, wishing to get a little money, have, widiout scruple or eeremoi^, borrowed from those 'vdioee reputation was well estabtisbed with the ptd>lie; ana, by taking a little from oite, ana a little from another, pretended to give the marrme of all. These pretensions have been rarely justified: it often requires the genhia of s voluminous writer to make afinthfol abridgment of his work; but m most of ihae compilations, the love of moiwy is much more evident than the capacity to do justice to the original author; or the ability to instruct and profit mankind. To wbax a vast number of these minor compilations hes the excellent work of Mr. Matthew Henry given birth I every one of which, while professing to lop off his rtdundaneiet, and supplvhisdejicienciat, foUs, by a semi-diameter of die immenee orb of Uterature and religion, short of the emineaea of the aotnor himsell
Tht most important cottseNon of biblical critics ever made, was diat tprauii under Uie direction of Biahop Paaraojtt Mm Pearamt, Anihmy ScatUrgaod, and Janets Oouldman, printed hv ComeKua fee, London, 1660, in 9 vols, folio, under (be title of CRirici SArar, intended as a companion for the Polyglott Bible, puUiahed hy Bishop Walton, ib lo57. This ^reat work was republished at Amsterdam, with additions, in 12 vols, folio, in 1699. Two volumes, called Tluanurt Diaatriationnm EUgmtHorum, Ac. were printed as a supplement to this work, at Frankfort, on the JCaine, in 1701—2. Of tfiis supplemeid it may be said, it is of leas consequence and utility than is generally supposed, as die sufoetanoe of several treodses in it is to be found in tfie ime^Kng voiainea, Tbe wmt coalain> a vast variety of valnride materials for errtira, cfaronolagists, &e.
Tb» principal erittcs on the Old TesUiaeDt, ooDtaiiKd in tnefonign edition of this great eOIlet»ion, which tel^for lheitaKconiplete,ai«diefoOowiiK: SebastioM Mwpiter, P«al Rgms, P^aneis Valatti^ CMhm fcthwHue, Bebia
BMidet the above, who arc regular eommentaton on the Old Teetuunt, than are vaiiona important ■^Tr-fnh'mw and Irocto on the principal mimetM in the lav and pro^eta, by the feUowin^ critics.-—Joaeph Seadiger, Lewi* CmhIkm, Hartin Helvicus, Alberic Gentilia, Hoaea bar Cuiha, Cbruunhef Helvieua, John Butm, Matthew HoAia, Fnoeh Honcteua, Peter Pithmii, Oeorge RitiienhuaitHi, Hidtael Bothardw, Leo Alkinia, Oaaper VvratiuiL Willna ScMokvdtia, ^^|ut>" JuatiniamM, Bend. Anaa Hmitaina^ Bon. Com. BertmaHi^ Peter Oudmh, CaipMF Waaei^ and Edward
On the New Teetament the foUowing oommnUaton are inclitded: — Sebaatian Munater, Lanrentioi Talla, Jbnua Jteviut, Daideriu* Sratmtu, Pianeis Vaiablua, Sefaaatian CaaUlio, Indore Clarhu, Andier Haaiua, AMsloa Za> gtruf, Lucas Brtieenais, Henry St^ene, John Druaiua, Joseph Scalwer, Jnute CaMubon, John CavunL Jamm ComUtw, Lffwii Ct^wllus, Otho GuaUperiita, AbnAM SehtUthu, Ibigo Grotina, aul John Prioeua.
Diaaertationa on the moat impwtant subjecta in ibe New Teatament, tnaerted hen, wen written by Lewia Capellaa, NicoUu f^ber, William Klebiliua^ JMbrguorrf SVAarus, AvdMJiM Utiur, Mal^MW Hcataa, /. A. Vandtr-iStiimi OatuUta Salmatitu, under the fcigned name <rf Jahmnet 8im§Matu, Jbau» (Mk^idtiM, Philip CoAatmTSn^ ham Schultetua, WUtiam Adtr, Jon Dmama^ Jae. Loptm SoMiea, Deaider. Enanua, Angtbu Caninwt, PM«r PithcBua, Nieephonu, potriardi of Conatantinople, Adriani lawpge ctmi notia Dav. Hceacbelii, B. C. Bertram, Anion- M6r«Mim«, iVicatea /fitter, Samtd Petit, John Ongviy, ChuriaL Oaitwrigbt, Mm Cfapptniurg, and Pei. Dan. Jfnct. Ifioee marked in itaiia, an not ineladed in the eritioa cm the Old TraHimriil Iw THawwina fh'aiiria Maatm SUfatUUmtm, pidiliabed aa a-aiqiplemant tn dna woA, by TbodL Bastnu and Cmnd Ikmiut, in »m TshimcB, faSe, coataiiu upward* o< atte hundrtd mmdJiflf additwoal writera. Sooh a eoMtellaliOB of leaned Bwn cnn Maraehr be equalled in aiqr tgfi or eountry.
be made mora oaefiillrr being nwibodiMd I with inmenaa laheuh liinied ttie work well known anioag diTinea, br title of Sjptoptis Crilieortm, a general view of the eritica, via. thoae in the nine volumea of the CrSUi Saeri montioDed above. Tlie printing of tfiia work benn in 1660, and waa finiahed in 1674, 6 vola. foUo. Hert^ the aritiea no longer occtmr diatinet plaoea aa the; do is ibe Critici Baeri, but an ^1 oonaelidaied, on* geuaral comment beii^ made out <tf the whole; the namea of the writer* being rcfenvd to far ihetr initiaU in the ntaiig^ To the critics nhns named, Mr. Pode haa added aeveral iMben of equal Ma, and be intos aW to du laeat important w andmodem. The learned author apant tea yean ia nwnpiling thia work. In point of aiae, the woA of Mr. Poole hM mai^adnntaMOTCrlfaeCritiri efaerit fautnonU) iriw iaaevMintedvilhbodi woik^ will ew mfa the Smonaia to the original. '
Perfa^M no eity in die world Aa boaat of having jprodooed, ia ao riiort a period, ao maay important werka on the vaat Tohimea, folio^ wwe begun and finidied in the ei^ of LONDO^ by the itukutrj/ and u the emenae of a fcw Ew^di divinea and noblemen, in the comparatively anort ostapaaa m alwM twea^ yeara 1 To complete ita TTffinftK^ in SiUieol litenUun, and to place itaelfat the head of all the atiea in the univtrae, Z<<m^oH haa only to add a note aad tmproeed edition of ita own Polvolott.
To the above liat be added, those who have illuatrated the aaued writinga by uuaages drawn from Jeacpfaua aad the Qreek end Roman daaaica i aaoi^ which the fbUowirs an worthy of pftrtieular regard: Jo. Tobia Ebbsu ObaervationH in Nov. Tea lain, i Flap. Joaarao^ 8vo. Lipa. 1764. Geo. Dm. Ktpks ObMrvationea in Novi F«ederis Libm, ex auEtortfrua, potiseimum QrtKia, 2 vola. 8vo. Vratialavia, 1766. OtorgU RaFaaut Aonotatioaw in iSacram Scripluram, ac. Lugd. 1747, 2 vob. Svo. Krtbt throwa much light on duTereat &cu and forma of ■peech in the New Teatament, bv hia quolatiooM from Joeephua. Kypke does the aame, by an appeal to the Oratk aniten in general. And JtaikdiuM eivea hialorical elucidationa of the Old, and philological ebaeri«tM»a on the New Testament, drawn paniculaTly from jCtttopkm, Palybnm, Adrian, and Hervdtntu:
To these might be added aavaial azcaUent names who nave nndered cooaiderable services to aacred litemtun aad eritioiam W their learned WMon t Sir Asrton Smatdtiuirt Ofaoervationa, BaUetft Critical Notes, Bwytr'a Coo* jaeturea, Leigh't AnnotatiODa^ Ac. A«. to whom maj be added thoae wha have illuatrated innumerable paaMoa, «b- Bcun and difficult, in Lexicons and Dictionariea for the Hebrew Bible and Greek Teatameiu, £)uia^ CSeawwi^ AKnta^, Paw, Sdioattgenna, Stoekiut, Kreb*^ CojnM, MAadU, Edward Leigh, Schvix, Dr. T^ylir, SUmu^ ner, and Park/aint; a particular account of which would far exceed the limila of inis pnface.
Having said thua muoh on commentaries in geoMsl, it may be neoeaaary to give some account of that now offered to the public, the reasona on which it has been undwtaken, and the manner m whiob it Jiaa been compiled.
The work which ia now offered to the public has long occupied a conatderable share of my attention and atudiea. Indeed I may aay, that to understand the Sacred Writings, and to ilhistrate them, baa been the principal <d>ject of tfao last thirty years of my UEb. Peihi^ a short hialoiy of the rise and progress of the present work may not be unaoceptable to the reader. At an early age I took for my motto, Prov. xviii. 1. Through dtsire, a man, having »tparattd hifna^f, ttekeA and inttrnieadUtk vUh ail wisdom. Beiw convinced that the Bible waa the source whence all the principles of (rue wisdom, wherever found in du worH haa been derived, my dtaire to comprehend adequately ita great design, and to penetrate the meaning of all its parts, led me to acparole myt^ from ever^ pursuit that dra not lead at least indirectly to the accomplishment tit this end; and while Mtking and intermeddhng with diffitreat Wanches of human knowledge, I fsit each study under cootributioB to the object ol jay pursuit; endeavourii:^ to moke •very thing eubiervient to the infoflnalion of own Blind, iW, as far aaDiviiie Provident think proper to employ me, fmight be the better ^pialined to instmet others. At fira^ I read aad studied, scarcely committing any thing to paper, having my own edification alone in view, aa I could not tlwn hops that any thing I wrote could be of sufficient uaportanee to ennge the attention or promote toe welfara of the public. But as I proceeded, I thought it best to nota down the result m my studies, especially aa fiu as they related to the SepUtagint, which about the year 1786 I began to read regularly, in order to acquaint myself more fully with the phraseology of the New Teatament; aa 1 tound that this truly venerable version was that to iriiich the evangelists and apostles appear to have had constant lecours^ wdfnm which in general they make their quotations. Tlie atuih this verajon agved more to illvtminate and expand my mind, than all the dieological mAB I had ever flonsulted. I bad proceeded but a abxat way in it, bdbn Iwaa convinced that the prejudices against it were utterly tndbuitdedf aad that it was of inctdculabte advantage toward a proper underatanding of the literal sense of SeripUire. About nine yean after this, my health having been gnatly impaired by the severi^ of my labours, and fearing that I should soon be obliged to relinquish my public employmeatj i formed the purpose at writiu short notes on ifaa New TestameoVcoUaiing the common printed text with all the MS8. and colloctiona from Ho8. to which I could have aceeai. Scanely nad I piujeotea this wor^ when I was coovinced that another waa previously aeceasair, vix. a catefiil perusa] of me origtnal text. I buan ibis wotk; aad aooa £Mind that it waa perfeet^ poasible to raoo, and not undentaad. Under thia conviction I nt down, rtWrmiiwd la trantlate the whole, befon I aUempted ai^ eonment, that I i^jjit hava the Sacnd text die nuna deeply inpnstcd tn my memoiy.
I accordingly b^ian my tnodation; eollating the orj;giRaZ Uxi with all the oneienf and with several of the tMdtrm vertUma; ctu^lly weigiiing the value of the moat important ffartou# reading's found in those versions, aa well as those wbicb I waa aUe to ccueet from the most aulhentio copies of the Greek texL A worse vfit vi health eneuiag^ I im oUigid ID /tmit alnmt all amiiealion to tfndy, and the woifc waa thrown aiids hi nearly two Tsan >— Bamqf monad to it i*)mb a ■tata of eompantive oon-ralaMsaoett took place, I found I M not gOM thno^ the whete of my dawn on the differant dtaptor^ oad venea, meix tfamn u afftuei to me of moat importance; uUcoding the work w on oMiiiM tor one on a more extenaive acnle, itom it please Ood t» aporo my life, nod give me health aai leiaure to complete ic In this prelimiDarr work I epent a little more than ai%e yaar and /too months; in which time i trBBsleied amry aeateoce, Heorev uid Chaldefc in the Old TeatamenL In such a. -work, it would be obauid to pi«- tand llait I had not met with many diAcultiet. I was attempting to ilhutratfi the most ancient uid most learned Itook in the uniwae, replete with aUuaiona to arte that are loat,— to nationa that are extinct, — to custome that are no longer obaerred,— and ahwi"*iig in modea <^ apeedi and tuma of phraaeolonr, wliich can only be traced out through the uedium of (he cognate Aaiatic languagea. On these aeeoanta I waa wSien much perplexed; but I could not proceed till I had done die uttaost in power to make anry thing pUin. The firequent oec^rrence of ouch difficulitee led me dowJy to exmntnc ivd corap«re aH the original lerti and mraionB, na dinr eland in tlie Polyglott; and from thaac, e»- pefsally tlie StLtfiM^lrnr, Clinldn'F! Tar^jm^ Srpl'Lia^iiT, tuiij Vu]r;:Htc 1 oerivad the moat asaiatanee } though all the
Almost ta eoou aa chia work u na fi^iUlicd. 1 begun iry cou^incrt outhefbur GkMpela; and ROtvithatanding iheprepmMum ^lil nrfji Bvidc^ and mj iiid«iaLi[;Bt>le tf.pl teation, nrly luid late, to (he work, I did not reach the end of (he lotirlh tfvaagetial, (ill df^Ueen uoniha afier \U u>iiunaic«meDL Previoualy to thia^ I had purposed to coounit what I had nirrtuly- ifoAi' th« pTW; biit wlieii I had nil my armngemeatamade^ a specimen actually set tut and printed, and otjvrTiia'Mi'.fiL^ t'irfiLlAi.-d; a Hudd^n rise La ibe price of pj^ptT, vhiih I fondly M^ted would not be of long eontinuanoai 'prevFcicvl 111V;imrr-r:4in[;, Wtii-n this >iop« vanithcd, Dnoitier voA oo (he Senpturea, by a friend, was extensively ■oewm-vt: OS i roii1>l ii>3t War liie tji^iu^hi cf tvcn Hk uioqI ilivant appearance of opposition to any men, I gave '■laee) beiuff Jelenrmii.'J iioi 10 aneinpt M) Siviiip the aiifntion of Uin pubho mind, nor hinder die genend spread of a WOKk Wtu^ £h anjjht L Ihtn knaw, nught luparReciB tbenece^Bity of mine. fHuU work has been lor some time comsiMdk Kriaw«HBKRHB Mkaafben supplied wiih their copies. My plan however ia untouched i and atill findina ftanteaiAef *«iy jadirfSBsfrimahand etp«cLa1ly of my brediran in the miniaury, who have kms been ncquaintS vtdl ray mderlakine and iln prOgren, tli&t the »ligiOUx puhhc would gladly receive a work on the plan which I ^d|Sfeiioui<ly jj^nuniLctJ; 1 lukvt, »1W nucli ti£»itat)oa, made up my mmd, and in the name Goo, with a simple ^■■M H add my mM to iii« ircsHury^ kuivin^ re^oiiiinenc^ thr rc'^'isiu and improvement of my patera, BOW present dHn (o th£ publiet keartklv glul liiai fiiviiiif^ Pri^vidtiiirc ha<i »c r.rdered it, that ihe publication haa hem bidmto dabyed; aa Ibe yean whidi \iav« tlaiiHed viiK-; ttiv Eirai iriif-niiiii-iL c-t printing, have afforded me a mom ample t^tportunAr (0 ncmmAa end esHeet hid before done, avd w> mnlu many improvements.
SbduM 2 be Miestioiwd mm of HM^Hd eUMtD^JMngay Una woA befsre the religious world, at a time when vorka of a strntlnr rmvm iAoqad i ivntdd obplf miwer, I wWi to do a little good also, and eontribnte my ijuota to en9M>^ Dii'ji rh.- Itp^m-T lo urntirs'^d tlii? fcorJa of ttitir!:.-*KniiL".n. That I am in Dostility to no work of this kmd, the precediug pngea will prove; luui 1 lititirtfi my i A ll, long aa in prudence 1 can. My tide is turned; life is lut "M^og out, and wTtst I do in this way, I must oo tum>, or reSmniidi the design fbr ever. This I would most kUly do; but I have been too lone and too de^^ pledged to the public, to permit me to indulge mv ovm feelings ia Otis rMpeet. Others are doing muen to eJucidaie the Scriptures t I wish them all, God's qiecd. I also will ^low mj 4qninoa of tbeae Divine Record^ and do a little in the same way. I wish to assiat my fellow-labourers in the vineyard to Jsad men lo Him, who ia the faiMXain of all excellence, goodneas, tnith, and h^ipiness, — to magnify his law and tnldn h booourable, — to show the wooderfiil provision made in his Gospel for the recovery and saltation' of a ainfiil w<vld,*— to prove diat God's great design >■ to make his creatures happy; and that such a salvation as it becomes God to give, and such aa man needs to receive, is within the grasp of every human soul. He who carehilJy and eonacienttously receives the truths of Divine Revelation, not merely as a creecL but in rel^nce to his practiee, cannot &il b^ig an omameat to civil and religious society. It is my endeavour therefore to set these trutbs fairly and fidly befoR die eyes of those who may be inclined to consult my work. I do not say that the principles conUuned in my craed. and whidi 1 oertaioly hava tut studied to ooaceaL are all essentially neeaaaary lo every maa's salvBtion ] and 1 dKNila be aorry to nndiriMianiaa ai^ perse^ apeeia difircnt from mine; I am aura (hat all aineem ChriatianB are agreed on what are oallad die aaseodal trutha of Divine Reveluion; and I feel no reluctance to acknowledge, that m^ eminent for viadom, leamkig, piaqr, mid uaeftilneaa, have differed among themselves and from me, in many points vriiid) I daem of great importance. vniileCiod bean with and doea tis good, we may readily bear with each other.
Of die copy of die sacred text used far this work, it may be necessary to say a few words. It is staled in the litlo, <hat Am tut " is taken tnm the moat eorreet coi»es of dM present authorized tranriotion." As sevar^ uae thia term, who do not know ita meaning for dieir sakes I shall explain iu A resolutioa was formed, in consequence of a te^nat Biade hy Dr. BeynoMa to King Jamea I. in the cminrefiea heU at BamtUm-Omrt, KKO, that a new tmnda* tmi, or rather a reviaion of what waa called the BiAajfa aibU, printed in 166& riumM be made, l^yhf-fmir tnaalatori^ divided into sir companies, were appointed for the accomplishment of diis impwtant work. Seven of these appear to have died bribre uie work commenced, as only forhf-Men are found in Fuller's list. The names of the £«rton^ the vtaen where employed, and the nroportioa oi wonv aUotted lo eadi eompai^, and the ncies laid down King James for their dSreetioii, Igive from lb-. nlWa Chnrdi Hiatoty, book x. ^ 44, Ae.
Bdbre I insert dua aeooanl, it ns^ be neoeaaary to slate Dr. BtjvtMn re^neat in me BamptoB-Coort eonfereoe^ md King Jamea'a aoawer.
Dr.^ynoUs. " JSay your mueaty be pleaaed that dw Bibla be MW traaalaiiad i Midi aa an otaM not answering Ifaa origiiud.'* [Btn h*gin» a Jhg txaiKpUa^
Wmap of Ijmdm^ "a every mon'a humour migbt be followed, there would be no end of tianslating."
l%eJHiig. "I ptofess'I eoold never yet see a Bible well tranklated in Englidit but I thbik, that <rf all, that of Qtneta is the worst. I wish some speml pains were taken for an uniform translation, whieb should be dime by the beat learned In both universities i then reviewed W the biAopa; presented to the pru>y courcU; lastly, ratified royal anthori^, to be reed in the whole (WcIl and no other."
The bishop of London in this, as in every other ease, opposed Dr. Reynidda, till ha saw that the proieet pleased iht Mag, and itiat he appeared determined to have it executed. In oonaafosBea of thia reeotaitio^ the Mmn^ laamad ■aa Jadictava men were dtoam for the executita of (his wwk.
waa moeh rdlei aa for the fliMe oflba TabanuMla ani
Tbsraautaadi: tbe story Arotn Joabaa, to lbs first Book of
Ibe Chronicles exdaslvely. Dr. Aodraws. PsHow sad Masisr of Penbroke Halt, la Cam. wyio; tbsa Daaa of WeatalasMr, aAsr Biahqp of Win-
Dr. Ovecall. Fallow of IMalty CoU. MasUr of Kath. HalL la CsnhtUie t ifeoa Deaa of Bt. ranl-a, aAsr Bishop •THorwlcb.
rnatlNnnNaribaCkroaidss,wiih the not of iha atwy and the SafionaplM, vis. Jo^ Psalaw, Provarbit CanUdee, EedesUstsa. MMNrEdwarl lively.
of PeUr-hcMiM. than of Trio. Col].
Mr. Owdetton, after D. D. FeUon, Itnt of Cbrial Coll. ibta Haiter of Emmsnaer.
Hr. DilliD|h>m. Fellow of Chriat Coll. beaefloed at in BodfordMiire, wbere Im dtod ■ aini^ and a waalUijr man.
Mr. Andrew*, after D. D. brother to Iba fliahap of Wlaskester. and Maater ot Jtaa* CqII.
Mr. Bins. Fellow of PeUr-boate, ia Camferidae, and Hebrew Profeaaof tlwnlB.
Tbs Ibor gfMter Propbeta, with the Lammtatfoaa, and the twelve IcMer Propbeta. Dr. HardiDf, Preajdenl of Maplalett Coll. Dr. Beynolda, Preaidenl of Corpua Cbriail Cotl. Dr. UtOland, Rector of Eieter Colt, and King'* Proftaaor. Dr. Kilbr, Rector of Lincoln Coll. and Rcflua Proftaaor. Maater Smiib. after D.. D. and Btahop of Olouceater. Ha mad« Uie learned and Klifloua Prabre to Iba Trauilatloa. Mr. Brett, of a worafaifAiI nDiilr, baaeioed at CUuiMtoa In
Tbfl Prayer of Manitaeh, and the real of the Avperytbx. Or. Duport, Prebend of EIr, and Mailer of Jeaua Coll. Dr. Bralnthwall, lint. Fellow of Emmanuel, Umu Maater of
OonTil and Calue Coir. Dr. RadelTlIb, one of tbe Senior PeHowa of Trin. CoU. Haatar Ward, EmniBn. after D. D. Master of Bimv CoU.
of Boxworth, In CambrMaeshire. Mr. VpardJUnI, after D. A Prebend of OMcfcwtar. Beetor et
Tbe fbar Goapela, Aeta of tba ApocilMi, Apoealrpae. Dr. Raria, Dean of Cliriat.cbuMti, afterward Bialiop of Lon nte Bplatlea of St. Paul, and the Canonical Epiatlaa. m. Barlowe, of "raalt* Hall, in Cambrtdn, Oaaa of Chaaler, after Biahop of Loadoa.
"Now.fbTtbe belter erd^Bf or tbeir proeeodiBie, Ua M«- Jeatj recommended ||w fbllomng tnlea, W ibem to be hmc eareAiHy obaerred.
i. Theonlinuy BiMeread In tkeebui«b,eoniDMnlrealM tka Biabap>B Bibie, to be followed, and aa Uitle tuiniif S!
original will permit. 9. Tlje name* of the propbeta. and the holy wriien. with ibe other name* in the teit, to be reuined aa near a* may be accoFdlngly ai Ihey are vulgarly uaad. *
3. The old eccleciaaiical wordi lo be kept, via. as the word (church) not lo be iraovlated eoegregaiioo, Ac.
4. When any word bath direra algolaealiona, ibat to be keaa which bath been moat Eommonly need by the most emlneat fttbera, being agreeable to tbe prt^irieiy of Ibe place, and tbe analogy of niih.
5. Tbe divlnon of the ebaptera to be altered eKber not at all or aa little aa may be, if neceasily to require.
e. No maqinal notea at all to be afllied. but only for the ex- Idanatioo of the Hebrew or Greek words, wbteh cauot, without tome circumlocntion, so brtefly and flllyhtf mnisss ed in the teit.
7. Such tjuotatlona of places U> be marginally aet down aa shall serve fbr tbe flt rehrence of one scripture lo anoiher.
8. Bvery particular man of each company to lake the aaroe chapter, or ebaptera; and having tranaUtad or amended them severally by blmself, wben he thinks good, all to meet together, confer what tbcy have done, and agree for thetr part what ahall aland.
9. As any one company hath deapaidied any one book in thia manner, tbeyaholl send It to tbe rest, lo be oonaidered of seriously and Judidouriy; fbr liis majesty is verycareAil on thia point.
10. If any one company, upon tbe review of Ibe book so sent, shall doubl, or difibr upon any places, to send Ibem woid thereto note the placet, and therewithal send their reaiona; towblch,if theyconaeni not, tbe dlfireocelo be compounded at the geaeral meeting, which ia to he of the chief persona of each company, at tbe end of tbe work.
11. Wben any ptaee of special obesurity fa donbted of, leUaia to be directed by authority, to send to any Jeanted ia tba land, for bin Judgmeut In luch a place.
IS, Lettera to be sent Crom every bishop to the rest oTUa clergy, adroonlahlng them of this iranBlailon In hand; and lo move and charge aa many as, being ■ktinil in the tonauee, have taken paina in that kind, to aeud hla particular obaer> vationa lotha company, either at Weaimlnster, Camlvidge, or Oxfbrd.
13. Tbe directora in each company to be tba deana of Weatminater and Chester for that place; and tite Uag'B profensors la Hebrew and Greek in each univer>lt»
14. These transtalions to be used, when tbey ame better with tba text than tbaBtaKoM Blhta llaelf, via.
Besides tbe said directions before-mentiotud, three or four of the moat ancient and grave divines in Mtber of th« tuivarsitiea, not emjrioyed in tranalatii^ to be asnsned bjr the viee-dumcellor upon conference with ihe reel id tbe hend^ to be ovsneeraof tbs tnuulukn% aa wall Hraraw m Oreel^ tor tbe batter ctarvMioD of iht jourtk ruk above uecified.
''Ana now, after long ezpectadon and great desire," aaj* Hr. Fuller, "came fortli the new translation of tbe Bible {moot beautimUy priDied) a ttlect ana compcfciU number of divitua appointed lor that purpose; not being too jaany, lest one should trouble another; aiKi yet many, lest many tbinga might bt^ly eacap^ them. Wbo neither cov- «tiiag praise for expedition, nor fsaiing reproach for slackness (seeing in a business of moment, none.deeerve blame £>r convenient slowoeaa) had ezpeoded almost thret years in the work, not only examining the AanneU by the Jbuntain, traiulations with the or^^no^ which was absolutely neoeasary, but auo comparing dumneU with dumixUa, iriueh WM abundantly useftil in the Spanish, Italian, French and Dutch (German) languages. These, with Jacob, rtjledjauay the stone from, the mouth of ioeil qf lyft: so that now, even RacheTa weak women may freely come both to dnnJe themselves, and water the fioda <f tl^ famitiu at the same."
" Leave we then those worthy men now all gtubered to their fatliers, and gone to Ciod, however they were remiiled on earth, well rewarded in heaven for theif worthv work. Of whom, as also of thai gracious king that employed them, we may say, Whsrttetter the BibU akatt ot prtaehed or read in the lehole worlds thtre mall alto thia uuit /Aey AOM done be Cold in memorial qf them."
The cltaracter of James ^ Jfr^ 1ms bean greatly underrated. In the Hampton-Court Conference he certainly showed a clear and ready compreheiuion of every subject brought before him; extensive reading, and a remarkably sound judgment. For die 6es( tranalaiUM into any language, we are indebted under Ciod to king James, who was called a hypocrite by those wbo had no religion; and n. pedant by perstme who had not half his leamiTig. Both piety and justice require, that while we are thankfiil to God for me gift of his word, we should revere the memory of Ota man who was the instrument of ctmTeyiog tbe water of life, through a channel by which its purity has been M woBderfiillr preaervML
Thoee who nave eompared most of the European tnnalatima with tbe tn-iginal, have not scrupled to say,.thai the EngU^ tramlation cf 0%e Bible, mada vnder A* dirteiion qf King James the first, is the most accuraie and faW^iil the wbrfe. Nor is thia its only praise; the translators have seized the very spirit and soul of the original, and cxprnaed diia almost every where, with pathos and energy. Besides, our translauwa have not only made a standard translation; but they have made their traaalation the standard of our language: the English tongue in their day was not equal to >ueh a wotIg — "but God enabled them lo stand as upon Mount Sinai," to use the expresaion of a learned friend, " and erons up dieir oountry'a language to the dignity o€ the originals, so that after the Iwae 300 years, the Engliab BUda is, with very few enieptions, inc standard of tne puritf and excellence of die Enarndi tongue. The original, from which it was taken, is, alone, superiw to the Bible translated by the audtority of King j;«mea." Ttus ia an opimon, in which mj heart, my judgment, and my conacaesca coineide.*
• It Is not nnknowa that, at the Hampton-Coart Cos fere nee. several alteratioiis were proposed by Dr. Reynolda,and Ma ■aaeelales to he miMie In die Itiarry then in eoma>oa nsa, as well as in the JKUe. These nowevcr were in general objficuA u Mr the Ung, and only a ft* cCai^ mida,iAtoli rimll be menttoned below. WUle on tUa pari of the anfttaet, |t asay
*ntti Bifaje wtM tegun in 16D7, but was not eompleted and publutiod till 1611; and there hre oopio of it whidi, in ttieir liile-fMieea, Ittve the dates 1612 and 1613. Ilia imnalation was corrected, aztd monv parallel texts added, bjr Dr. Beattergood, in 1663; Dr. Lleyd, bjahofi of London, in 1701} and afterward hy Dr. Paris, at Camhridge: but the most thorough revision «w made by Dr. Blimuy, in the yen 176% under the direction of the vice-chuicellor and - delegates of untTersitr of Oxford; in vritH^ 1. The punttuation baa been thoroughly revised! 2. The words printed in ilalict examtaeo, and eorreoted by the Hebrew end Cbeek originals; 3. The proptr names, to the etymology of which aUu*ions are made in the text, translated, and entered in die margin; 4. The headt and running tttUt corteeted; B. Some naleria] errors in the chronology rectified; and, 6. The marginal references re-examined, corrected, and their number greatly increased. Copies of this revision are those which ore termed above, the moH correct eoptes ^ the promt ttuihorixmt teraion; and it i« tfaii rovieion, re-cottaUd, r*-examintd, anil corrected from typo- - Mo^hical inaoeuneies, in a great variety of ptaoes, that has been followed for the text prefixed to these nofor. But, besidet diese coTreetioos, I have found it neceaary to re*examine all the ttalie§; by tbiDse, I mean the words interspersed throu^ die lext, avowedly not in the orinnal, but thought nepeasary by our tranalatora to emnidete the aeue^ and accommodate the idioms of the Hebrew and Greek to that of the Bnglish lanptage. In ibeae I found gross oorniptions, particularly where they have been changed for Roman characters, wbmlr^ words have been attributed to Ooi whien he never q>oke.
Tbe piautuatUm, which is a nutter of no small importance to a proper underotanding of the sacred text, I havo examined wiA the greatest core to me possiMe i by the insertion of commhs where there were none before putUnr wmicoloM for commas, die better to distii^idt the members of the sentences; changing oohns for semioolons^ and vice versa; uul MI points for e<4oiu^ I have been in monry instances, enabled (he better to pnsarve and distiDKuialt die sense, and carry on a nttntioa to iu dose without interrupting BH reader'* attention by the inlerventiDn of im- nJerencM I have in many places considerably aagroented, thoorii I have taken care to rqwint oH that Dr. Blayney tuu inserted in his edition, which I scruple not to say are the besi colleotiofl era edited; and I h(>peffieir iranh will si^er nodung by the addhifms I have made.
After long and Aligeuly weighing the diffi»ent systems of dtronologif, and hesitating which to adopt, I ultimately fixed on the system comnMnly received] as it appeared lo me on the whole, theiuh eneumbered with many difficulties, to be (be Iea5t objectionable. In fixiar the datef of ponicalar transaetions, I have found much difficulty; that this was never done in any edition of the Bible hitherto offered to the public, with any tolerable eorrectness, every peram aequointed with the snt^eee most oofeoowle^tee. I have endeavoured earefully to fix the date of each transoctioa ^Ure it occurs, (ood where it eould be sscertoined) dtowing throughout the wtiola of the Okl Testament, the year of flie vaM, and m yen- before Christ, wlwn H happened. Frm the beginning of JoAm, 1 have introduoad tlte years not be unaeeepuble to the re^er to hear bow tbe present UHfn wsi compiled; snd who tbe persons ware to whom ibis work was aMtgned: a work alwosi uttiverssRy esteened by the devout and pions of every dcMmlBaiioii, snd Ibe-freaicit •Art of lbs /^CarsMttM, nest to the irasslBtion of tbe Seriptures into tbe Engliib IsnfUBse. Tbe word lltursy, y*itvty>~ kma yrr,fra§er,MaiiSytv,wark, sigsida* literally, ibe awrit, or laiourof frayer. or luppUeatian; sod bepbo laUmr* not in his prayara. prays aot st all: or VMioupxta, from >.i.Ta,-, ■■Uic, and nf-f, wrk. the public or common prayer or service, in which sit abouU engBfe: and from Kitai,praytrt. cornea Uurnji. >.>ti>iji>o, tmpflieatim, a celltetim of fr«ftrt In the liturry. or puUic Mrviee of tbe church. Previoua to ihe reign of Henr7 Vffl. tbe liturry waa all aald or aung In LaUn, except lha ereei, tbe Xorrf'* rrayer, and iha tin nmmoadmmu, wbleli. In \SX, were irsnalaied into Englieh for the use of tbe eoiMDon people, by the king'a eonsMsd. Im 1545, (he "titargy was siso ftrmUui i> EngHiki'' ss Fuller expreaaes j|, "aDd this waa the IhnbeM pmt* tbe relbroMlioa *IW In Ibe relga of Henry ihe eighth."
Xb Ibe drat jear of Edirard Vf. 1547, it was reeoBimended to certain grave and learned biabopa and othen, then sapemUed byorder of the hio(,st Windsor Caslle,.ta draw upa eMtaiasiMMrmM, and to revise awl reform all other offices in tbe divine ■ervfce: tUs servke was aecordingly proposed and paUlshed, and strongly rscomnwnded by spedal letters firom Sifsuw, Lord fnrtcctor, snd the ether loniB of uta conacU. nie persons wbocompilM ttls work ware the foUowlag:
I. Thomas Cranmer. srcbbiabop of Caniatbory.
X Tboeiaa Good rick, biabop of £lv.
4. Joba Skip, Usbop of Hereford.
& Uenrr Holbeacti, Uahop of Lincoln.
«. Nicbotaa Rklley, bishop of Rochester.
7. ThomasThirl^.Usbnpof Westminster.
9. John Tsylor, then dean, afterward Usbop of Lincoln
10. Doctor Haines, dean of Exeter.
11. Doctor Roblaaon, afterward dean of Durham.
13. Doctor Jobn Redman, maeter of Triaiiy CoUete, Cambridge.
13. Doctor Richard Ca>, then almoner to the king, and aA«- wart bMiop of BIy. '*
It is worthy of remtrfc, that as tbe jIrM frvaairtan of the SerlptaM into the KngUik Ungiufe, wtre several of then, per. •saaMd otodHU* by tbe papiata, so. some of (be of tboss who troaalatsd the ^f CtsHaan J>raf n-, ( AicUd A(v Ortmmtr and BMton XUUi.) were bnrnt alive by the aaroe foction.
TUs waa what Mr. Puller calls tbe Jb^t *diU«n Ua Cmmim Pra%tr. Some abjections having been made lo (Ms work by Mr. iohn Calvin abroad, and aome learned men sthome, particularly In reference to the cMaMsiaraltas of tkeieoA, Ibe use of cArwaa. aad nirtmi aactfM, it waa ordered Iw a alatoie in Farliainent (3 and fl of Edwsrd VL) tJU( it elumtd be fmiM^ttf sad /edftfp«rsjad,ixpteiasd,«ad m»dM fuUg perftel. Hm chief alteration a made In coaaaiiasnGe of Ihia order were tbeae: the gmmml eenftaaiaw and aiiafWaw wars aoM, knd the ceauiNnjm eervUe was made to bMia with tbe tta temmmiulmtnU; Ibe ■ee of eii Is ran^rmssfin and arinsw nacHsn were left out, also prs|m« ftr uU dttd, and certain nfreuint tbkt bad a Iondao^ to Mutsaaaoa IhsdoBtiiaa of trwunkaiaaiiatiaa.
The same pereone to whom tbs eoapillng of the comiaaaloB servtee was intmated, were employed ia this revisioB, whieh wss completed and paMlihed In IS48. On the accession of Qoeen Mary, this liinrsy was aboluhed, sad Ibe Prayer Book as it aiood in tbe last yesr of Henry VI(I. commended to be used In its piece. In tbe lirst year of the reign of Qaeen Elizabeth, 1559, tbe former titnrgy was restored, but It was subjected lo a fortber revtrioa, by whieh aome few passages were atlcred, and the petition In the litany Ibr being delivered frosi the tyranny and all lbs detestable enomtties of tbe Wahop of Rome, Ml «ot, la order dut tsaseientloas Oaibollea might not he prevanted Inm Jotnlat la the conunoa oerviee. TUs being done It was praseated to partiamnat. and w them received and eatahUsbsd. and tbs attforaBiformity. wUelilaasuaUy printed wllh the liMrgy, puMtsM by Ibe queen^s aatborlly, and sent itaraofluut the nation. Tbe persons emphved ia thisrevMon were the following:
1. Master Whitehead, once ehaplain to ftneen Anna Bolleln. I 3. James Pilklagton, afterward bWiopof Durham.
% Matthew Parker, afterward aiebMshap of Caaiertnty, C Doetor Hoy, deaa of St. Paal^ and master of Trinity Col-
4. ■lehaffd Ooa. aftstwaid Vabop of BIy. |7. Bir nomas Smith, priadpol aecretary of state.
Of these Dra. Coz and dWty were employed on the Ant edition of (his work, as appears by tbe preceding liat.
In tbe Drat year nf King Jamea. lt)03, another revlalon took place, and a ftw alterationa were made, which cooalsled principally In the eJdititn of some fmyer* and Uumktgiving*, aonJe iMttrtUn fn (he r«Mc« ralatlve to the oflice nf private bap. Hsm, and the sdditim of that psrt of Ibe cotaeAtMt which cnnialna tbe dectHne ^ tit* tmeramenU.
Ia iWa itaia tbe Book of Common Prayer eontioned liil tbe r^a of Cbarlea II. wbo, tbe SSih of October, inCO. " granted Ua oammMoa andar tbe great seal of Eoglaad, to several bishops and divines, to review tbe Book of Common Prayt-r, and to prepare saeh alterations and sddilinas as they thought At to offer.'* In tbe following yesr. tbe king aaSembled the convocationa of both Ibe provincea of Caaiar&sry and rarfc. and " authorised the preaidenta of tboee eonToeatlona, snd other, the hisbopa and clergy of the aeme, to review the said Book of Common Prayer,*' Itc. reqolring them, " after mslure conalderatfon, U> maka aoch alterations and addition! ae to ibeni ahooM seem merl and eonvenient." TMs was scsordinglK doa«, several prayers and soom wbote services added, and the whole poblUbed with tbe ««( it^ umifetmUy Is tbe Hib of Charles 11. Ml: since whkh time it has under|[one ao fortber revision. This is s ihon history of a work which all wbo are aomahiied with It, deem saperlor to every thing of the Had pndneed either by aaclenl or modera Umes.
It would be disingenuous not to ackanwledge, that the cMef of those prayers were in use In the Roman Cstbolk ehareh, wUeb the church of Bsgland reftvamii aad it would betray a want of aeqaainuaee with ecclesiastical aBthptiiy. to anppMs that those prayers and servkea origiaaiedln that ehareh. u sevml of them were la ass flom tbe bsl ages of nils- ■laai^.Bad n»ay of Umhsst of ibem.Mbta tbe.aaiMOf pi!peorpspt«T waafcaewafatboaanb.
wm Jaid, and ftbo introduced the Oh/mpiatU from Uie time of ifieir eommeneenMOt, m both iheM «ru aieof ttm uun>Mt u»e to all who read (he Sacred Wntinge, cotmected with the butoriea of the tiine% and peoples, to which the* frequemly refer. And who that read* hia Bible, wUl not be glad (o find at what time of the eacradhiuoir. thoee wnit ^T^? which he haa been accustomed to read in the Greek and Roman biatoriaiul "niw ia a gf^ifiminti which the pieRnt work will afTord from ■ simple inepeetiMi of the maigii^ at leaat aa ^ aa tboee facta and dMes have beea aac«rtained by the beat chronologista.
In die Pmtaleueh, \ have not introduced either the vean of Bone or the Otraqnada: because the ttananctions related in the Hoaaic writinga, are in general too remote from tbeae mna, to be at all a^ted by them; and I jivlind It early enough to commence with them at the time when larael was governed by the Judgti,
^ to mor^tea/ nodtn; «, I could, with very little trouble, have added many hundreds, if not thouaanda: btitaal made it a pomt of eonscieaea strictly to adhere to the present authorized vernm in the text, I felt obliged, by th« •ame principle, acnipuloualy to follow die marginal readinga without adding or omitting even on*. Had I inserted «»»M qf my own, then my text would be no longer the text i^th« authorixtd vmicn, but ao atttrad translation, for ths marginal readings conatiiule an integral part, properly ifieakii^ of the anthorizMl Torsion and to add any thine^ would be to aUer this version, and to omit any thing, would be to ruder it impeifect. When Dr. filayney reviaed **.P"»«°* «> ITfift »ad propowsd the inaction of the UanriMMUs of tone proper wmes, lo the etymology of which reference u made in the text, ao acnipuloua was he of making any change in this reraect, that be submUtod all hie propoaed alterations to a eolect committee of the university of Oxloid, the vice-chancellor and the principal of them, typographical errors and false italica excepted. Whatever tauadatmu I have propoaed, eidter from myself w others, Ihave included assong the not**. *
That the morguuU renctrnga in Oar audkoriaed trauladoa am iMMitial M the intosriftr the Tenioa itadt I ■enipte not to assert; and they are of so much importance, as to be in ■ercml inrtaaeao prefenhle to the Uxttial r*adhiga themselvea. Our coosciestioua trandators, not being able, in several easeo, to determine which of two meaningi borne by a word, or '^uch of two worda found in different oopiea, should be admitted into the text, adopted the measur* of receiving 6olk, placing one ia the margin and the other in the thus leavii^ the reader at hbeiW to adopt either, both of which, in their tqtpreheosioD, elood nearly on the Bne authoriQr. Oa thisveiy aecaaM, the marginBl readina are essential to our version } and I have found on eoUatiDg many of them with Ihaorigiaal^ that those mthe «mwSt are to be preferred to thoM in ttia fa^ia the proportion oTat leaat «tgU to fen.
TotlwgaMrapkyof tlwSMradWritiimltnTealBapi^tb^ I wished in every ease to be aUe to ascertain the ancient and modem namea of places, their situation, disianeea, dbc dbc. but in several matanoee, I have not been able to saiiafy myaell I have givw those optnions which aiqieared to me to be best founded t taking frequently the liberty to exiweas my own doubu or diaaatishetion. I must therefore bespeak the mader's indulgence not only in reference to the work in general, but in reepeot lo several points both in the Scripture g*»gnjA.y and dtrunology in particular, which may appear to him not satisfiuttorily ascertained | and hava only to say that I have spared no puna, to make every ihinz as correct and accurate as possible, and hope I may wiOioiu apply to nyaelf on (bcMndqeeta. with a sl^t change itfe^«ession, what was said by a great man, of a great woric: "For DM^imee or defiei«K(^ I han paili^io not need of mora sfnlogy dian the nature of the work will furnish: I havo left that inaoeurate, which eon never fre made exact t and that imperfoct, which con never completed."— JoHMBOit. For partieiUars under these heads, I must refer to Dr. BalufM elaboraie and oseftil work, entitled, A Nate Analvti* tf akrmold8y,2vola. 4u. 1909— 10.
1^ tMjnmaritM to each chapter are entirely written for the purpose, and fbrmed from a careful examination of the chapter, verse by verse, so aa to make them a fsitfaful table of coo tents, eonstantly referrii^ lo the versea ihemselvea. Bt this means, all the subjects of each chapter may be immediately seen, aoa^in mnnyoasei^ to preclude the neeesiii^ of coMulting a comoidaitee.
In ^ Aeooa m head-linea toendi pan IbMondeMoured to introduce aa flvaa the room wonld admit, (ha chief mMM of the cohnnns ondtcneath; so as inunediately (o catch the eye of (lia reader.
Qu(rfafian« from the original texts I have made as anaringtv as possible: those which are introduced, ' I have endeavoured to make plain by a Uteral translation, and by putting them in European ehancttra. llie reader will ^Merve, that though the ^>!6r«ir is here produced wiAoiif the pointo, ^t the reading given in Etuopean characters, is mmor^r^ to the pmntt, with very few exceptions. I have chosen this middle way to please, as for as poasible^ (he opposers and the rriends of the Maaorelie system.
The antrootn-aita among religious people I hava scareehr vm mentiijaed i having my sehiom referred lo (he creed efanTseetorpnrtyof Christiana: nor produeedni^ opinion, marelvio oonfiila or eotaUidi it. I simply propesa«k«< / MicM f* fre fh« nuoninjr o/" a passage; and maintain iriiat/Mftw IB ftefte lni£h, but searoely ever in neeiifr»< aerstof way. I think it quite possible to give mv own views of thedbetrineiof AaBiUe^ without introducing a aingle aentenoe at which any Christian might reasonably take oflteoa. And I hope that no provocaticc irtiidk I may reoeiv^ ritall induce me to depart from tliis line of oooduot*
It may be expected by smne, that 1 should enter at large inio the wooft of the wuAmHalm ^ DMne Rtedatiot%.-~ lliis has been done amply by others; and their works have been published in avaiy form, and with a very laudable leal, spread wkteW through die public: on this account, I thmk it umeeescarT lo eater profamedly into (he subject. Dm diflbrent portion* of the Sacred Writinga againat wfaidi the rimfti of infidtllty have beea UmlM, I have eareAiDy oon aide red \ and I hope, sufficiently defended, in the places wlare they reapectively occur.
For a eraaiderable time I heaitaHd whether I should attach lo each chapter what are eommooly called r^/haiont, ao diese do not properly belong to the provinee of ttie eemnsnlator. It is the busuues of the praadur, who haa the literal and obvious sense before him, to make refleetionsoneeleet pasaujea, pfovidential oceurreneeajand particular histories} tuid to apply the doethncB contained in them, to the hearts ana praetiees of his hearers. tIm coief buainaas of tfaa commenuior is critically to examine his text, give die true meaiung of every jwasage in rsfcienue to the ooniext, to explain words thataremfficultor of dubious import t iUustrale local UKlproTineial customs, nannar^ idiom^ laws^&e. and from the whole, to cfdlsct the great deai^ of the inqtired wiilsr.
Many are of opinion, that it is an easy thnw lo writs redectiau on the Seriptttrea.-~-Hy opinion is the reverse: eentmon-place observations which may arise on ne surface of the letter, may be easily made or any person possessinfr a little common sense, and a measure of piety; but refleetiena such as 'haame the orocie* af Qad{ are propariy tfitdbrnM raoaeatRga on the Jada stated, or the daetritiea delivered, and require not only a clear head, and a souna heeirt, but such a TTrrrjmrt and hshit of philos^ihio thou^t, such a power to diocem the end from the beginninjr, the eauae from its ^Kt, sad where several causes are at work, to ascertain dirar ra^taetita results, so that every efrect may be attributed to iu true cause, fella to the lot of but few men. Throngfa the flinwy, fiitik^ and Use dealing of the immense herd of sptritualizers, metaphor-men, and allegorists, pare religion has been often disgmcctL Let a man put his reason in ward, ttun conscience out of its province, aura throw the reins on the neck of his fensy, end he may write — refleetions widtont ra<L I^e former description of r^ectiona I rarely attempt for want of adequate powers; the latter my reason and ecn-
* BoRM Kentlamen who can know aothini of mr woik, becanse they have never seen one line of It, bave expreaaed, " freat ssiMf (a OM K paUiabsd. thai Uwy might tear It toflecesl" I abonid not have believed ihat to nnprlDclpled i man eoatd ba foand. yrolbaatng ta be a Cttrtatiaa anaijUr. had I act happened to be in the place (unknown) where one of Iheae fentlemen waa dedaring it to SBotber. It ta aot diOicult to U hiiuf and ao doubt, witb all my conicleniiotia care, mv work will DlmiA botts enow of tMs ktad for the uapriBd)iled uid the malevolent lo shoot at; from such aa the above, eandld erlUdsm eaa aever be eipeeted, wka, la oppoeilioa lo every dlcute of Jastiee and memr. eondemn without bearing:— and to serve a
Mrty er a s|M<*a^ eacrtin Jsesacy. pr^iety, boaeur. aad eoascienca. for (no credit of ths laai, aad partkulaily for Uw Boaonr of (ha CIrMisa mfMlilrr. f hops fiw siiBfcrtwnwIetias thiso «o to bs Ibaad.
apttntp prohibit — Let thia'btt my exeme with the inteUigent and i^otu reader. I Itave, however, in this way, done what looulcL I hm gntenlly, at the elon of each diapter, ■uramed up in a few perticulare, ihe facts or docMnet oootateed in it i moA fevB m&Kwmi to pmnt oat lo the reader, the apiritusl and practical uae he should make tXamn.. To tb«e iM/areiuet, impratttiutUa, or whatever elae they be celled, I have ^ven no epecific name, and of them can only ny ibat he who rearfa' dtem, though he may be (ometimee diiappointed, will not always loae hi> labour. At mo auo time, I beg leave to inform him, that I have not deferred miritual usee of important tezta to the end of the oiapter i where thCT ahould be noticed in the occurring verac, I have rarely passed them by,
Befbn! ooDclude, it may be neceuary to give some account of Uie original vxasioNs of the Sacred Writings, which have been often cooaulted, and to which occasitHtal references are made in the ensuing work. 'Riese are the Samar^n, Chatdaie, jEUUoj^ S^ptuaghti, with those of AguUa, Bfrnvwdau, and TfuodotUm; the Syriac, Vtdgat^ Arabic, Coptic, and j*crHm.
1. The SAMAajTAM verawn differs widely from the Samaritan text; the latter is pure Hebrew, m what are called tbe Saiooritan chancten; ^e former is a literal vmsioo of the Hebreo- Samaritan text, into tlie Chaldaico-Samaritan diftleet. Whm this was dooe it is impoaaible (o say, bat it is allowod to be very ancient, cMwidsE^ly prior lo the Chriatiannra. TltehuigiMceof thieversio* iseomnosedof pureHebrew, Syro-ChaldaiCi and Cuthite terms. Itiaalmotf needless to observe that the SanMuiten text woA Samaritan version extend no feirther than the five hooka of Hoaea: as the Samaritana reeeived no other parte of the Sacred Writing
2. llie CutuioVernoa or Tuame have already been descrmed among the commentatori^i^
SBmA«irr traiMlation, of aU the veraionacf the Sacred Writjngs, has ever been deemed of the greater importaikee by ampttcnt judna. I do not, however, design to enter into me contooversy concerning this venerable version; Am nistory 6t it Juistnas I consider, in Ae min to be a mere Esble, worthy to be classed with the tale of Bti and the Dragon, aiid the stupid story of Ivbit and KU Dog. Nor do I believe, with many of the Fathers, that " 9mtnty w Sn€ntjf-iv)0 elders, six out of each of the twelve tnbea, were employed in the work; thst each of theee tnaalatea the whole of the Saoed Books from Hebrew into Greek, while connned in separate cells in the Island of PIhvos;" or that they were so particularly inapired br God, that erary specie* of errour was prevented, and that the •evotty-two copiee, wben eompired togeiber, were round to he precisely the aanu, verbatim et titeradm. Bfly own mriaim^ on the eontrovmial part of the s<d>)ect, nar be given in • lew words. I believe that the five bo(^ of Meae& ne moat ceneot and aeearate part of the ■wnc^ mvrk, were translated firom the HMwtw fano Greek in (he Hme of Ptolam^ niUuielpltuM, king of Bn>yt, aboot 286 yean before the Christian sra: that this was done, not hy seemfjrtita, but probably by Jt»t leened and jodieioHo men; and that when eomfdrted it was examined, cmproved, and allowed m a. fcimnd version, by tiie Mosnly or Moen^-too ^dersj who oenstituted the Alexandrian Mmhedrim: and that the •dier boAs of ifae On Teetament weredpoe atdifRneDt ttmes, Wdifi«embaad^ as the neeessi^of the case demanded, or the nrovtdence of Ckw apyeiMsd. It to pret^ cerHtin, finn Ow ^aoiatiaaa Of tbeMan^elMfa the sposOe^ and dw jniml^ fafficr; that a cotrcpteU osrtfon into Oraok of die whole Old Testament, prcMbly celled by the name at dte SeplVMgint, was made, and in use Mbie the OuMaat ara 1 bat it ia likely that aoma the books of dwtaneieni version are new hMt I >nd that bobm odiers which now go under the nsBsaeof the Septaagint, were the prodoctioB of tinMO postertOT to Ae inettmation.
4. under the word TarMm, or OkaUae esraien, are inciaded the Targum of OnJMos, Jhnalhan, and that of Jer%^- aolem, for an account of \rtiich see pan i. of this prdaee.
6. "nte Qmik versions of Aquila, Sj/mmadtut, and T%eoArfi*n, are bwatuMf retenred to. Aqoila was first « luaAtn, Oao • Chrittian, and laady a Jew. He made a translation of the OM Tsawnent into CheeL ao verr lileraL ttat 9l Jerom nid, ft was a good dtetimary to give die genuine meaning of Ihe Hebrew wwds. He finiahed ana pd^tshed Ais work in the iwdfth year of tiie r«gn of the emperor Adrian, A. D. 138.
& Theodation was a Christian of the Ehiontte sect, and is repimed to have begun his translation of the Hebrew 8criplnres into Greek, meiely to serve his own par^: but from wttat remains of his vermon it oppean to have been very liteml, at least as far as tibe idioms of the two fangoasea would bear. Hia tranriation waa made i^ut the year et our Lord 180. All diis tnnriation is lost, except Mt « Ae pc^bet Damitl, and aome,/ra^eiU>.
7. 8gmmatk»u was oriraally a Sawnrflaw, taut became a oonrert to Christiani^, as poioaed by the Ehionitm. in fmnng his naalation, to appean IS ham niiMd Mrivii^ die am
Ka wotk aeema to have been eonpleied dbeot A. 'Sw.
"ntese diree vcrskms were puUished by Origeo, in his ftunoua work entitled Hcrapla, of which they formed the Atrd, J^ntrA, and six A ookunns. All the remaining fragments have been carefiilly collected 1^ Father HoDtftHWO% and fnifaliiiied in a work entitled HexvjAa OrigetAa qum npertunt, &c. Paris, 1713, X vols. foho.
B. The jEthiapie vermion eoinpidieods only the New IVetantent, Uie Psalms, some of ihe minor prophets, and a few fragments of ouer books, {t wns pnteblr made in the fourth century.
R The CqpHevwwea iiiehdwoMy Ihe five beoto of Moae^ and the New Testament It it Rppoeed to fane been liifwlw n Aa Ji^A eamuiy.
10. Thermae vernon to very vnhnMe and of great anthority. It was probablr made as ei^ly as the neond century.
It. "Hk 1'ufgnts or Latnwersion was fanned ^ SotntJermn at the command of Pope Damasus, A.D. SSI- Previma to this, (here were a great number of Latin veraiona made by different hnnds, extremely corrupt, and self-pintradietory. llwsevermns have the geneml name of the cM Italam AnlAitramffman. Jerom aroears to have formed Ua text, in general, oat of these: oollating tbe whole witfa the Hebrew ami Greek, from whidi no profcseee to have tranaklpd aevend books ontirB. The Now TeataneDt he is aapposed to have taken wliolly from the origindOre^t yet then an ttdkieBt evideneea OhK lie dkea regiilated even tUa text by die andent
IZ Tlie jtrgfcfejaaofveryaacieufwnaQBi hackof gMttow inaaeertaiiiii^aw aignificaliim of aevtnl Hdtrew wonb and fonns of apeeeh.
13. l^PsretentnclBdeeoidythefivebeektof MooeainriftafimrGhMpela. Hie former waa madefromdMHArew taxi, by a iew nemed yaemft TWes.' the latter, br a Cbriadan of fhe Oaflwlio piff^fi'P't Bifium Bm Twtff Afl JmAcem al TUreosas, aiboat 'die year of our Lwo, 1341,
These are the principal vneione which are deemid of authority In letding controversies relative to the text of die emginaL There are aeme others, bat of leas imaonanoe, audi as the SlaTOiii& Jbiglo-Saxon, Oolhie, Sabidie, and Armenian; for detailed aeomnta of wfaick, as abo of the precediiy, as far as the New Testament is coneemed, I beg leave to refer the reader to Jlf(cAo<fts*r Leetures, in the tmmlalion, and widi the notea of the Rev. Dr. Herbert MarA: and far farmer infcrmation ooneeiiiM JInrisfc and OMsKen oonmeiitntoriL he ia requested to ooniult fartofacaw'e AMIoAoM AaMinitfaa, aad Ihe Wwiftw TJbelasfas of fadw Colmsf.
EVERT bdienr ia DiviiM Bevdation finds hinuelf amply juMified in taking ftw granted that the Pentateu^ ia the wmk of lloaes. For more than 3000 yean, thia haa oeen the invariable opinitm of tboae vho were best qualified to form a correct judgment on ihk subject The Jewish church, from its moat remote antiquity, has oacnbed the work to DO odier mm; and the Christian church, from its foundation, has attributed it to the Jewish lawgiver alone.
moat nmectable heathens have concurred in this testimony, and Jesus Christ and his ^wsUes have completed the evidence, ano^^nii the question beyond the possibility of being doubted by those who profess to believe the divine ambentieiqr of the new Testament. M to unbelievers m general, they are worthy of little rcKard, as argument is lost on ibetr tnorincipled prejudice^ ud demonrtiatioo on ibeir iiuiid% because ever wilfiilly ctoaed againat the li^t. When iber wva proved ml Hoaaa is net dM at^cr of Ibia woA, toe advocates of Divine Bevekuion will zeeonsider diecrounaa of their faith.