worketh," &c. In this case no comma, if great precision is desired, ought to follow so in Greek, or "God" in English, so that this divine name might the more clearly appear as the true antecedent of %s. The German and French might employ the comma, as the gender of the relative would prevent any misunderstanding. This is the interpretation preferred by Bengel and most recent commentators (see Lange's Bibelwerk ad loc.) The Vulgate, too, sustains this view, as qui refers to Dei, and not to verbum. An analogous case, 1 Pet. i. 23, will be found below. In both an homiletical interest predominates.

1 Thess. iv. 14. "Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." English version. The German essentially concurs, adhering even more closely to the Vulgate per Jesum. Martin (French) agrees precisely with the English. This punctuation, which closely connects xoμηθέντας with διὰ τοῦ ̓Ιησοῦ, is adopted by Calvin, Grotius, Bengel, &c., and Knapp even places a comma after 'Incoũ. Ostervald (French) differs widely; he connects zone. with ağ, but evidently supposes that one of Winer's half-commas, referred to above, would be appropriate after the participle, and accordingly translates: "God will bring again (ramènera) through Jesus those who shall be dead." The question here arises: Ought any point, even if only a half-comma, to be inserted before or after dia roũ 'Inooû? In the former case, Ostervald gives the apostle's true meaning; but in the latter, the Engl., Germ., and French of Martin alone are correct. The expression "to sleep in Jesus" is a favourite one. Still, recent commentators generally (see Riggenbach, Lange's Bibelwerk ad loc.) sustain Ostervald, on philological and other grounds, by connecting διὰ τοῦ ̓Ιησοῦ with ἄξει.

2 Thess. iii. 14. "If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man." This is the text of the English version; but our translators insert in the margin a version determined by a different punctuation, viz. "signify that man by an epistle. This marginal version is precisely the one found in the German. The former, which is also that of Martin and Ostervald, places a comma after iToro?, and this punctuation is preferred by Olsh., De Wette, Riggenbach (Lange's Bibelwerk). But according to the German and the marginal rendering of the English a comma precedes dià Ts Tirons. Such is the punctuation of Calvin, Grotius, Bengel. It is also fully sanctioned by Winer (sec. 18, 9 ult.), if we assume that Paul expected an answer to his epistle, in which case the presence of ris is fully explained. The position of the comma decides whether the editor understands by dià rãs ÉTIσTOλñs this second Epistle to the Thessalonians, or one that was to be written by the latter.

1 Tim. i. 17. "The only wise God." "The only wise God." English version

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The German and two French versions essentially concur. (We take the Textus Receptus as we find it, since we are not now occupied with the variae lectiones; oop is now generally cancelled, on the authority of manuscripts, including Cod. Sin.; the Vulgate had already omitted it: soli Deo). If commas are inserted after the preceding adjectives respectively, the question arises whether one ought not also to be inserted between μóv and oóp The present version seems to imply that other gods are not wise, while their existence is implied. A comma after Móve would give emphasis to the truth that there is only one God, thus: "To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only One, the wise One, to God be honour," &c. We cannot apply the same remark to John xvii. 3, as róv is not repeated before ἀληθινόν.

1 Tim. iii. 15, 16. Besides the very serious difficulty which editors find in deciding on the true reading of this passage, another is connected with the punctuation. The English, German, and two French versions agree both as to the reading and the punctuation, but editors and commentators differ materially even with respect to the latter point. The versions connect the words "the pillar truth" by a comma with "church," as expressive of a predicate of the latter, and begin v. 16 with “And without controversy," &c. This punctuation is sanctioned by Chrysostom, Theodoret, Ecumenius, Luther, Calvin, Calovius, Grotius, De Wette, Huther, Wiesinger (Olsh. com.) &c., although they differ in their respective modes of interpretation. Others, and first of all the Basel edition of the New Testament of 1540, with Bengel, Mosheim, Olsh. (in his manuscript), Knapp, &c., place a full stop after "living God" (so avros), and regard the following words: "the pillar

truth," as expressing a predicate of "the mystery of godliness." With them the most recent commentator, Oosterzee (Lange's Bibelwerk) essentially agrees; he also reads ös in place of sós, and introduces parenthetical marks in his translation, thus: "the living God (a pillar . . . of godliness) who was manifest," &c. He remarks that each mode of punctuation has been defended by learned and devout men.* Titus i. 6. << Having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly." In some of the earlier editions of the American Bible Society, e.g. the royal 8vo Reference Bible of 1833, the smaller

* This passage illustrates another point-the importance of the punctuation (depending on the exegesis) in controversies. The force of an argument or citation adduced by one party may be materially weakened, or exercise no influence whatever on the other party that punctuates differently. A writer, for instance, in the Mercersburg Review (July 1867, p. 410) makes the following remark, which will have force only with those who adopt the punctuation of the modern versions :-"The Bible itself, when asked, 'What is truth?' says, the church is the pillar and ground of the truth.'

Reference Bible of 1853, &c., a comma was unfortunately inserted after "children," thus implying that the elders should not be "accused. . . . unruly," whereas the original (réxva άvUTóraxтα) shews that Paul refers to the children of the elders, and this is the sense distinctly presented in the Vulgate, German, and two French versions. This comma is properly cancelled in the latter editions of the American Bible Society. It disfigured even some of the earlier British editions. Titus i. 9. The English version, not recognising a comma after vyaobon, implies that a bishop should be able "by sound doctrine to exhort the gainsayers," and "by sound doctrine to convince the gainsayers." The Vulgate, German, and both French versions, on the other hand, concur in assuming, in accordance with the whole construction of the original, that a comma is indicated after iya., which Stier omits, but which Knapp has inserted. The sense then is, that the bishop should be able to perform two distinct acts: first, to exhort (edify) his hearers, or believers generally, by sound doctrine; and secondly, if any contradicted him, to refute them.

Tim. ii. 4. "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands," &c. The English, German, and two French versions essentially agree in their construction, and Knapp even inserts a comma after ràs veas which, however, Stier omits. This translation implies that a Greek verb exists in the original for "to be sober," in the infinitive, and assigns a disproportionately full meaning to owpgoví(wo, thus tautologically anticipating opgovas in the next verse (translated discreet). The verb owogovi is not found elsewhere in the New Testament. Etymologically considered, the word is, according to Wahl (Clavis New Test.), equivalent to facio aliquem owpgova, i.e., mentis compotem, but the definition which he gives is: in officio contineo, adhortandi sensu. Robinson (Lex.) also defines it here as signifying to moderate, to correct, to teach. This interpretation is sustained by Oosterzee and by Wiesinger (continuation of Com. of Olsh.) The latter regards owpgovíle as very nearly equivalent to vouderen or taideen, as Theophylact explains it. If this view is correct, no comma should follow véas, and the translation would be: "Teach (admonish, exhort) the young women to love their husbands."

Titus ii. 13. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God," &c. In the several British and American editions of the English Bible, a comma is inserted after "hope," and the article "the" follows. According to the punctuation of the Greek which this version implies (independently of the indefiniteness of the phrase "to look for a hope," and the inaccuracy of rendering the article rý,, which occurs only once, by the demonstrative "that," which no

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various reading supports), two objects are looked for: "that hope" and "the appearing," &c. The French versions of Martin and Ostervald make the same distinction. The German, on the contrary, does not recognise a comma after ixaída, but exhibits the following: "waiting for the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of the great God," &c. This punctuation is sustained by eminent authorities (De Wette, Wiesinger, Oosterzee, &c.). According to it, "hope" stands here for the object of hope, and the words which immediately follow, without the intervention of a comma and a second article, are taken epexegetically, that is, the (object of the) believer's hope is "the appearing," &c.

The same verse suggests another grave question, as the punctuation may or may not express a fundamental doctrine. Does the name," the great God" refer specially to the Father, and should a comma indicate that the following words refer to the Son, or do both appellations, not separated by a comma, refer to the same subject, i. e. Jesus Christ? Here a wide difference of opinions exists among commentators. Winer had, in earlier editions of his Grammar, held the former opinion; in the sixth edition (sec. 19, 5, Aum. 1) he concedes (note 2) that on grammatical grounds the latter interpretation (viz. that both so and owrngos, as two predicates, refer to one subject, namely, Jesus Christ) is quite tenable, but dogmatical considerations, derived from the Pauline system, still prevent him from adopting it. The English version, by omitting a comma after "the great God," very distinctly and satisfactorily teaches that this divine name, like that of "Saviour," is applied by the apostle to Jesus Christ.

Heb. iii. 9. "When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years." English version. In Ps. xcv. 9, 10, the passage quoted, as Stuart remarks, the words "forty years are joined in the Hebrew with the following verse (Forty years was I grieved, &c.). But this depends on the punctuation system of the Masorites," &c. (Com. ad loc.). But Stuart appears to overlook the circumstance that the Septuagint (much older than the Masoretic system) conforms to the present Hebrew text. Moll's explanation (Lange's Bibelwerk) of the point is somewhat more satisfactory than that of Rosenmüller (Scholia in Ps. ad loc.). Indeed, the sacred writer himself in this chapter (v. 17) recognises the present pointing of the Hebrew. The German is as follows: "When your fathers tempted me; they proved me, and saw," &c. This punctuation connects only "proved" and "saw" with "forty years; it is preferred by Stuart and Ebrard, and essentially agrees with that of Knapp and Stier. Moll follows a different reading.

Heb. vi. 2. "Of the doctrine of baptisms," &c. English

and both French versions. "Of baptism, of (the) doctrine." German. The omission of a comma between Barrioμv and didaxis produces the English version; the insertion necessarily leads to the German. While editors and commentators generally prefer the former punctuation, they differ widely with respect to the construction of the entire passage, and variously explain the connection of the several genitives, &c.

Heb. x. 12. The position of the comma before or after is TÒ dinvezés decides whether Christ "offered one sacrifice for sins,' and then "for ever sat down," &c., or whether he “ offered one sacrifice for sins for ever," and then "sat down," &c. The former punctuation was adopted in the earlier American editions of the English Bible, and implied that Christ's sitting on the right hand of God was eternal. But the later editions, like those of the British and Foreign Bible Society, exhibit the comma after " for ever," implying the perpetual validity of the one sacrifice offered by Christ. This is also the sense of the German (Ein Opfer ..... das ewiglich gilt), while Martin and Ostervald connect "for ever" with "sat.' Editors and commentators are here much divided in opinion, and are guided by exegetical and other considerations in assigning a place to the comma. In an homiletical respect the question possesses much importance.

Heb. xi. 1. In this case, the early or Erasmian punctuation of the Greek text seems to be generally abandoned. A comma had been placed after iors by Erasmus, and his Latin translation appears in the following form: Est autem Fides, earum rerum quæ sperantur substantia, &c. Knapp retained this punctuation, and Winer sanctioned it in the earlier editions of his Grammar. The sense would then be: There is (or de T.) a faith, i.e. Faith has been already exhibited in its reality and power, as the following cases, found in the Old Testament, will demonstrate. According to this interpretation, the words after TIGTIS and the comma are in apposition, or are epexegetical. But the modern versions and later interpreters regard or simply as the copula, and the words "the substance tain the predicates. Winer subsequently changed his opinion, and in the fifth and sixth editions (sec. 7, 3) seems inclined to cancel the comma after riors, and adopts the prevailing opinion that the verse is intended to furnish a definition of faith. Other questions belong strictly to the exegesis of the passage.

seen con

Heb. xii. 22, 23. "To an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church," &c. English version. The same punctuation appears in the German and two French versions, and it is adopted by Calvin, Beza, Calovius, Grotius, &c. A comma is here placed, not before, but after dyysλar, hence "innumerable company of angels." But others place a