defection of the ten tribes and the making of that version. 84. In some instances, it does differ from the 70 version; and wherever, in these instances, it preserves the genuine reading, it shews, either that corruptions had crept into the Hebrew copies during that interval, or that that version has undergone changes; and may thus be the means of correcting errors which could not be otherwise corrected. Ken. Diss. 2. Diss. Gen. § 18. Exod. vii.-xi. In the Hebrew, the messages given by God, are recorded but once, generally as delivered by him to Moses; but once, ch. xi. 4. &c. only as delivered by Moses to Pharaoh.-Sam. All of them are recorded twice, as delivered by God to Moses, and then again as delivered by him to Pharaoh. This agreeable to ancient usage—a propriety in recording the execution of the divine commissions-preserves regularity throughout-probable that the omission was made by the authors of the 70 version. Ken. Diss. 1. p. 380.. Diss. 2. p. 307. Diss. Gen. § 24. [Deut. x. 6. No. 64.] 85. The Samaritan Pentateuch sometimes agrees with the Hebrew copies, in readings which, notwithstanding their concurrence, appear by other means to be faulty; which proceeds, either from some mistakes having crept into the copies before the defection of the ten tribes, or from the Samaritans having, in these places, supplied defect in their copies from some Hebrew MSS. Ken. Diss. 1. p. 365, 434, &c. Diss. Gen. § 84. 4, 5, 121. Deut. xxi. 23. "He that is hanged is accursed of God."Heb. Sam. 70. But the apostle quotes it. Gal. iii. 13. God "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."-Syr. probably added to the Heb. and 70 by the Jews, out of hatred to the Christians, and to the Sam. perhaps by Symmachus. Ken. Diss. Gen. § 81, 84, 4, 85. Deut. xxxii. 43. "Praise his people, ye nations." Heb. Sam. But quoted Rom. xv. 10. "Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people."-70. Eng.-ns or by omitted. Ken. ib. § 81, 84, 5, 108. c. 507. p. 82. note. 86. There being several MSS. of the Samaritan Pentateuch known, and their variations pointed out, its genuine readings can be better ascertained, and more successfully applied to the correction of the Hebrew copies, than at its first publication. CHAP. II. The Original Languages. 87. For explaining the Scriptures, some knowledge of the original languages in which they were written, is absolutely necessary; as without it, whatever sense a person puts upon them, must be taken wholly on the authority of others. 88. To be reduced to this necessity, is shameful in the teachers of religion; and, therefore to neglect the study of these languages, is also in them inexcusable. 89. Criticism presupposes the grammar of the particular languages; and is employed in applying the principles there laid down, to their proper use. 90. The languages in which the Scriptures are written, are the Hebrew and the Greek; on them it therefore is, that Scripture criticism must be exercised. SECT. I. The Origin of the Hebrew Language, and of the Greek. 91. Some have ascribed the invention of language, wholly to the natural powers of men ; others, wholly to a divine instruction.2 Most probably, the first language was formed by Adam and Eve for themselves, by the use of their own powers, but supernaturally assisted.3 1 Diod. Sicul. l. i. Lactant. de cultu. 1. 10. Greg. Nyss. cont. Eunom. or. 12. Simon, V. T. 1. 1. c. 14, 15. 2 The Jews in general. torf de ling. Heb. orig. Plato. Cratyl. Koran, c. 2. Bux Blair on Rhetor. L. 6. Walton, 3 Universal History, b. 1. c. 2. s. 5. 92. From our supposing the primitive language to have been formed not without divine assistance, or even from its having been immediately of divine original, it cannot be concluded, that it must have possessed an uncommon degree of perfection; for still, the wisdom of God would adapt it to the necessities of mankind at that period, and to the use which their unimproved faculties could make of it; and consequently, it is natural to think that it was narrow and unpolished. Univ. Hist. ib. Blair, ib. 93. Adam and his posterity continued to use the primitive language, only making some additions to it, as their occasions from time to time required. On account of the longevity of men, and their not being very numerous, nor widely scattered, that language probably remained with little variation, till the deluge; and the same language would, of course, be spoken by the family of Noah, for some space of time. Univ. Hist. ib. Simon, ib. Walton, Prol. 1. § 6. 94. This uniformity of language was broken by the dispersion of mankind at Babel; and when, in consequence of that event, the different tribes were formed into distinct nations, they would naturally run into different dialects, which would, in course of time, become more and more different from one another. Gen. xi. 6, &c. Cleric. in loc. Simon, V. T. 1. 1. c. 14. Scaliger, Exercit. in Cardan. Is. Casaubon, Diatrib. de ling. Heb. M. Casaubon de 4 ling. Wotton concerning the Confusion of Languages. Brett's Essay on the same. Buxt. de ling. Heb. confusione. Walton, ib. § 6, 7. 95. Some have thought that the primitive language is wholly lost; others, that it still exists, and that the Hebrew is that language. The truth seems to be, that in one sense it is lost, all the languages now known differing from it in many respects; but in another sense it still exists, to wit, in the several dialects derived from it, all which retain something of it. Greg. Nyss. ib. Simon, ib. c. 14. Grot. in Gen. xi. 1. 96. Of these dialects, that may most properly be reckoned the primitive language, which has deviated least from it: And, though claims have been urged in favour of many languages, particularly, of all the Oriental tongues, this character is shewn, by many plausible arguments, to belong to the Hebrew, in preference to all others. Theodoret. qu. 51. in Gen. Pocock. Pref. in Tograi. Buxt. ib. Chysost. hom. 30. in Gen. xi. August. de Civ. Dei. 1. 17. c. 11. Hieron. Comment. in Sophon. in Num. 1. c. 15. Simon, V. T. I. 1. c. 14, 15. ling. Arab. Walton, Prol. S. § 1—22. Origen, hom. 11. Bochart, Phaleg. 1. Schultens, Orat. de 97. The Hebrew language was not confined to the 1sraelites alone, nor even to the descendants of Abraham or of Shem; but was the same with that of the |