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It may be questioned if these critical notes about MSS. and versions can be useful to the general reader. They are very brief, and will often suggest no intelligible idea to the minds of those who are not scholars. The Vatican, the Alexandrine, the Sinaitic, the later Vatican, the Parisian, the Clermont MSS., need not be paraded before common readers. Nor are such remarks as "the testimony of the ancient MSS. is divided," "these words are not found in several of the most ancient MSS., but are contained in others," "the ancient authorities are divided," "several of the oldest MSS. read" so-and-so, of any practical benefit to the persons for whom his revision was intended. Besides, the notes cannot be relied on implicitly, because they are not always correct. The author has been hasty, or imperfectly acquainted with the evidences on which readings rest, Thus in Ephesians v. 22 the short reading, "Ye wives unto your own husbands as unto the Lord" is said to be supported by "the oldest MSS.;" whereas of the three oldest, only the Vatican reads so; the other two, the Sinaitic and Alexandrine, do not. In the same epistle (v. 28) the word "also" is said to be the reading of the oldest MSS., whereas it is not of the Sinaitic. In Revelation iv. 11 the Sinaitic reading is erroneously given. It is not "O Lord who art our Lord and end," but "O Lord who art our Lord and God." In Revelation xviii. 3 "the wine of" is not omitted by all the most ancient MSS. It is in the Sinaitic and the later Vatican. The omission is sanctioned only by one old MS., the Alexandrine. A note on Matthew xvii. 21 states that the verse is found in the other ancient MSS., versions, and Fathers, except our two oldest MSS. This needs limitation, for it is in the Curetonian Syriac, a version older than any known MS. The note on Galatians v. 16 has no meaning. "Walk by the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil," etc., is said to be the reading of the most ancient MSS., but the received version is taken from the very same text as the revised one here presented, and there is no various reading among the ancient MSS. The note is meaningless or misleading.

Regarding the translation offered by the Dean, it is undoubtedly an improvement upon the received one. Where it departs from the latter, the deviations commonly express the sense more accurately. Not only is the original text represented by the translation better than the usual one; the translation itself is superior to that so long in use among English-speaking people. The Dean has done good service, and deserves commendation for it. His revised version, however, is not satisfactory. Perhaps he undertook a work for which he had not the necessary qualifications. His knowledge of Greek was not sufficiently comprehensive or exact. It seems too that he worked rapidly, performing tasks perfunctorily which required more time and labour then he expended on them. In support of these remarks it is only needful to produce a few examples of blundering.

In Matthew xxvi. 15 the incorrect rendering of the verb is retained, "covenanted with him," instead of "weighed to him."

The version of Colossians ii. 3, "wherein are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge" is erroneous; for the adjective hidden is the predicate.

Hebrews vi. 1 is rendered "therefore leaving discourse concerning the beginning of Christ," etc., which gives a meaning foreign to the original.

In Luke viii. 29 Toλλois xpóvoiç is translated "often times," a meaning obviously wrong. The phrase can only mean "for a long time."

In Acts xxiv. 14 aipeous is wrongly rendered heresy. The word means a schismatical party or sect.

There is also a mistranslation and misapprehension of the original in Hebrews x. 20, "by a new and living way, which he inaugurated," etc. These words following immediately "by the blood of Jesus," in the nineteenth verse, suggest a meaning which the writer of the epistle did not intend. The preposition by at the beginning of the twentieth verse perverts the sense; and the true rendering "a new and living way," etc., shows that this language characterizes the oodov or "access" of the nineteenth verse.

1 Timothy vi. 10, "For the root of all evils is the love of money." This should be, " the love of money is a root of all the evils."

Hebrews i. 9, "therefore God, even thy God, anointed thee," etc. This should be, "therefore, O God, thy God anointed thee," etc.

Hebrews x. 27, "But a certain fearful receiving of judgment," etc. The alteration of the received version is wrong. The word here translated receiving means nothing but a looking for or expectation.

Hebrews xii. 26, 27, an adverb is rendered once more which means once, and nothing else.

Acts xii. 5, "without ceasing" is erroneous. It should be earnestly or urgently.

Acts xxii. 25, "And as they bound him down with the thongs," etc. Here the verb cannot mean bound down, but stretched out; and the true rendering is," they stretched him out for the cords," or lash.

In Acts xxiv. 3 "always" is a meaning which the adverb ávrη does not bear. It signifies in every way.

In Acts xiii. 48, "as many as were disposed to eternal life believed" is not the right sense, for the verb can only mean "as many as had been appointed or ordained to eternal life," etc. The divine purpose lies in it.

In 1 Corinthians viii. 8, "meat shall not be reckoned to us before God" is in every respect an erroneous rendering. It should be "meat will not present us before God," or "will not represent us to God."

It would be easy to multiply examples of incorrect tenses, as in John vi. 44, "I raise him up," where the present should be a future; Luke xxi. 8, "The time draweth near," where it should be "the time is at hand;" 2 Corinthians iv. 4, "hath blinded" for "blinded;" 2 Corinthians xiii. 10, "the Lord hath given me" for "gave me;" Galatians iii. 1, "who hath bewitched you" for "bewitched you;" 1 Corinthians xvi. 15, "have set themselves" for "set themselves." In Romans xi. 34, 35 three tenses are wrongly rendered,

Nor has the use of the article been properly attended to, as is evident from Matthew x. 24, where the disciple and the servant should not be. In like manner, in Galatians iv. 4, 5, "the law" should be "law;" the resurrection" in Acts xvii. 32 "a resurrection;" "the church" in 1 Corinthians xiv. 4 "a church."

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The omission of representatives of Greek words in the translation also mars its accuracy, as appears from John xvii. 25, “O righteous Father, the world knew thee not." Here the conjunction is neglected, "O righteous Father, and the world knew thee not!" The insertion of words having no representatives in Greek is equally prejudicial, as in Matthew xxvi. 26, "blessed it," which gives a wrong meaning.

While the author has contributed to uniformity of rendering, often translating the same word or phrase into the same English wherever it occurs, he has not carried out the principle far enough. Thus in Revelation ii. 14, 15, the same Greek word is teaching in one verse and doctrine in the next. And the same verb in 1 Corinthians xv. 1 and Galatians i. 11 is make known and certify, without reason. Again, in Romans ii. 18 and Philippians i. 10 the same words are differently rendered; "approvest the things that are more excellent" in the one place, and "discern the things that are more excellent" in the other. Why also should the same verb in the same verse be differently translated release and let go in John xix. 12? Conversely, it is wrong to render two different words in the same manner, unless there be a necessity, which does not exist, as in James i. 15, “bringeth forth;" in Revelation xvii. 17, where "fulfil" stands for different Greek verbs in the same verse.

The Dean's work, notwithstanding its many defects, has been useful in showing the need of a fresh revision of the English New Testament. Whatever may be thought of his capacity or knowledge in matters of textual criticism and Greek translation, his services deserve recognition. It is also creditable to him that he tried to be impartial, without allowing theological prepossessions to override the knowledge

of the scholar. In a very few cases perhaps his leanings may be detected; but it is almost impossible to be absolutely impartial. His judgment indeed was not of the highest order. That it lacked fineness of discernment is plain enough from the proposed version of Philippians ii. 6, where "deemed not his equality with God a thing to grasp at" introduces something like an absurdity. “He deemed not what he had a thing to grasp at!" The insertion of the little word his is totally unwarranted, and mars the right version of the words.

Another revision of the common English version was undertaken by a company called "The American Bible Union," and the result of their labour was published in 1872, in different forms.* Here a diplomatic text has been taken, but one much nearer the received than that of Dean Alford. We cannot praise it, for it is unsatisfactory, having good and bad readings in almost equal proportions. On the whole it does not incline to the most ancient with sufficient prominence. A few notes are given, both respecting other readings and renderings. Some are expository. So many important variations are unnoticed that the few given are of little use. As far as we can see, the editors followed no fixed principle in selecting various readings for notice. Thus at Matthew xxiv. 42 it is remarked that many ancient copies read "in what hour," for "in what day;" but the well-attested "only-begotten God" for "only-begotten Son" in John i. 18 is unnoticed. In 2 Peter iii. 9 a note states that some ancient copies have "toward you" for "toward us;" but Mark xv. 28 stands in the text without remark, though undoubtedly spurious. In 2 Peter iii. 16 the various reading in the relative pronoun is unnoticed; and in Galatians iv. 25 the right reading is also unnoticed. So in Ephesians v. 30. In 1 Timothy iii. 16, " God was manifested in the flesh," etc., is the textual version; a note stating that ancient copies have "who was manifested, or which was manifested."

The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The common English version, corrected by the final committee of the American Bible Union. Second revision. New York, 1872.

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