PROGRESS OF VERSIONS EXEMPLIFIED. 39 discordancy between the original Hebrew MSS. from which they were made. Ch. xxvi. 19. An important verse, as containing a strong allusion to the doctrine of the resurrection, but labouring under much obscurity in the present translation. The violent ellipsis in the words "together with," and the strange metaphor in the words, "thy dew is as the dew of herbs," require consideration. Lowth has greatly improved this passage in his version. He reads: 66 Thy dead men shall live: my deceased they shall arise. For thy dew is as the dew of the dawn." The last phrase, which answers to that in our version "dew of herbs," and which seems at first sight to have but little point, is confirmed by several of the ancient versions. The fact, that at dawn the dews are most heavy, illustrates here what would otherwise be inexplicable. It is thus a reference to the morning of the resurrection. Paraphrasing a little, the sentence will come out thus: " Thy dew," i. e. the dew that rests upon the graves of the dead, "is the dew of the dawn," i. e. the dew significant of the dawn. We see in this example how much of the energy of the Hebrew may be compressed into a few words, and these, at the first view, scarcely intelligible. Ch. lii. 15. "So shall he sprinkle many nations." As containing a supposed doctrine, this verse is too remarkable to be overlooked. Simon says, the Hebrew verb here employed means "exultare faciet admiratione." The sense of greatly astonishing seems to be the true one, if the supposed parallelism of Hebrew poetry is to be admitted in this place; and this sense is sustained by all the ancient versions except the Vulgate. The examples we have now adduced, will suffice, we think, to satisfy most readers as to the propriety and necessity of an entire revision of this book. They might have easily been multiplied twenty-fold from our own collection, had space allowed. But with all existing defects in the present translation, we are free to allow, that the edition of the Bible in 1611 was a great improvement upon the previous ones in phraseology at least, if not in sense. To illustrate the progress of Biblical language in successive periods of our history, and thus to show what might be expected upon a further revision of this part of the sacred text, we shall now furnish two examples, which will, if we mistake not, be decisive as to this part of our argument. COVERDALE'S BIBLE. And therefore get Who is he this that cometh from Edom, with stayned reade clothes of Bosra : (which is so costly cloth) and cometh in so neēbly with all his strēgth? I am he y teacheth rightuousnes and am of power to helpe. CRANMER'S BIBLE. Get the up by tymes, ISATAH LX. 1, 2. GENEVAN BIBLE. 1. Arise, O (Jerusa- BISHOPS' BIBLE. Get thee up betymes, 2. For beholde dark-up upon thee. and cloude covereth enesse shall cover the What is he, thys yt cometh frō Edō wt redd coulored clothes of Bosra: (whych is so costly cloth) and cometh in so myghtilye wt all his strength. I am he that teacheth ryghtuousnes, and am of power to helpe. CHAP. LXIII. 1. 1. Who is this that! commeth from Edom, with red garments from Bozrah? he is glorious in his apparel, and walketh in his great strength: I speake in righteousnes, and am mightie to save. 2. For lo, whyle darknesse and cloude covereth the earth and the people, the Lorde shall shewe thee light, and his glory shall be seene in thee. KING JAMES'S BIBLE. 1. Arise, shine, for 2. For behold the What is he this that Who is this that commeth frō Edom cometh from Edom, with red coloured with dyed garments clothes from Bosra? from Bozrah? this that He is honourablye is glorious in his aparrayed and commeth parel, travelling in the in mightyly with his greatness of his power: I am he that strength? I that speak teacheth righteous- in righteousness mighty nesse and am of power to save. to helpe. DIGNITY OF STYLE ILLUSTRATED. 41 It is to be regretted that ver. 4 should be somewhat marred in the English version, by an alteration of the tense from the present to the future, so that the sublime personification of the Messiah speaking in the first person, thus loses much of its effect. In this the present translation adheres to the Targum, which renders: "I will tread them in mine anger," but departs in this from the Septuagint, Vulgate, and Arabic readings. The whole of the verses from 1 to 4, appear with so much greater advantage in Lowth's translation, that we shall place them here for comparison; and that the reader may judge of the manner in which such admit of improvement : 1. CHO.-Who is this, that cometh from Edom? With garments deeply dyed from Botsra? Marching on in the greatness of his strength? passages MES.-I, who publish righteousness, and am mighty to save. 2. CHO-Wherefore is thine apparel red? And thy garments as of one that treadeth the wine-vat? 3. MES.-I have trodden the vat alone; And of the people there was not a man with me, And I trod them in mine anger; And I trampled them in mine indignation; And their life-blood was sprinkled upon my garments; For the day of vengeance was in my heart; Here our review of this book might well close; but there is one passage more which will not perhaps be deemed superfluous, as it exhibits what we cannot but deem a fault in the English version—a want of sufficient dignity in rendering the anthropomorphic qualities attributed to the Divine Being according to the prophetic style. We shall here place side by side the Bible translation and that of Lowth, placing what we consider objectionable in the former in italics. BIBLE VERSION. Ch. xlii. 13. The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war; he shall cry, yea roar, he shall prevail against his enemies. LOWTH'S VERSION. 13. Jehovah shall march forth Like a mighty warrior shall he He shall exert his strength 14. I have long holden my peace: I have been still and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman: I will destroy and devour at once. 14. I have long holden my peace: shall I keep silence for ever? Shall I contain myself? I will cry out like a woman in travail. Breathing short, and drawing in my breath with violence. We must not quit this subject without remarking, that in more than one of the chapters of Isaiah (see chaps xiii. and xiv. especially), great scope will be found for the labours of those most conversant with the natural history of the Bible, in revising the names of several of the animals which here, and in the Pentateuch, have been greatly mistaken. This science is now in a far more advanced state than it was even in the days of Bochart or of Lowth; and hereafter, we can hardly doubt, that fabulous creatures such as unicorns, dragons, and satyrs, will be displaced from the volume of truth, to have their names supplied by others which are really the handywork of God, or the proper tenants of a wilderness like that of the present plains of ancient Babylon. JEREMIAH. Of the authorised version of this book we are not disposed to think that its revision, like that of Isaiah, would be very laborious or difficult. By the assistance of Dr. Blayney and other commentators, certain passages might no doubt be greatly benefited. The style of this prophet being much simpler than the former, and nearer to that of ordinary life, we may expect to find fewer matters for correction. But that there are some things here to amend, will be evident from the few following instances. הוּא Ch. xvii. 9. "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?" The expression "desperately wicked," introduced, by the last revision, has no authority from the Hebrew, or the ancient versions. The precise meaning of N N seems to be, "and humanity itself." As this passage is one upon which considerable stress has been laid by some divines, in support of the doctrine of the utter depravity of human nature, it seems only just to say that whatever countenance Scripture may give to that doctrine, it cannot be sustained from this text. In proof that the genuine meaning of it was a little overstrained at the last revision we submit the following tabular PASSAGES IN JEREMIAH. 43 view of the older translations of the English Bible from the time of Wicklif to the present. Ch. xx. 7. "O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived," &c. It has been objected to this passage that it savours of irreverence. The Hebrew verb л here used, means often to persuade; and the translation would be greatly improved if this word were introduced in the room of the present; and the verses 14 to 16, being now evidently out of place, should come in immediately after the 7th, to read with propriety as a continuation of the prophet's lament. Ch. xxii. 23. "O inhabitant of Lebanon . . . . how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee?" The precise meaning of the word gracious here, it would not be easy to tell, though probably it means, in the way of irony, condescending. The version "quam gratiosa eris," appears in Walton's Polyglott (in the interlinear Latin version), but is unsupported by any of the ancient versions. "How wilt thou groan!" is the sense of the Septuagint and Syriac, and so nearly the Vulgate. The meaning is evidently: "How shalt thou be pitied," or, "what favour shalt thou obtain?" If the preterite is here put, as Simon supposes, for the future, perhaps the best translation would be: "How pitiable an object wilt thou become!" Tremellius has " Quam gratulaberis!" None of the former English versions, except the Genevan, sanction the ironical sense. This has, How beautiful shall thou be!" Coverdale's Bible reads, "How great shall thy mourning be!" and Cranmer's and the Bishops' Bible, "O how little shalt thou be regarded!” 66 Ch. xxii. 29. "O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." The word earth, instead of land, in a prophecy that relates to Coniah only, is a blemish, inasmuch as it gives an unnatural importance to a declaration of a local nature, and the same thing has already been noticed (see Ps. lxxv. 3,) in a preceding note. |