Revised English Bible. London, 1877; Min., 8vo., Par. Ref. This edition claims to give, 1. a revision of the Authorized Version, 2. an improved arrangement of the text. The Pentateuch was revised by Rev. F. W. Gotch, M.A., LL.D., and the remainder of the Old Testament by Rev. Benjamin Davies, Ph.D., LL.D., the New Testament by Rev. G. A. Jacob, D.D., and Rev. Samuel G. Green, D.D.

Gen. i. 3, And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.

Ps. cx. 3, Thy people are willing* in the day of thy power,

In the beauties of holiness;

From the womb of the morning,

Thou hast the dew of thy young men.

Is. liii. 8, He is taken off by oppression and by judgment,
And who considereth his generation? .

Jer. xxi. 15, A voice is heard in Ramah,

The wail of bitter weeping,

Rachel, weeping for her children,

Refuseth to be comforted for her children,
Because they are not.

Matth. v. 21,

.....

whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause I shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca! 2 shall be in danger of the Council: but whosoever shall say unto him, Moreh! 3 shall be in danger of hell-fire.1

1 Many good authorities omit without a cause. 2 i. e., Worthless fellow. 3 i. c., Rebel! or Fool! 4 Gr., the Gehenna of fire.

The renderings exhibiting excellent judgment and advanced scholarship mark this edition.

Among the various attempts to make the Bible disclose its meaning and sense by typographical devices in what are called emphatic New Testaments, there is one published in 1854,† giving the text of the Authorized Version with the various readings of the Vatican Manuscript, and another published in 1878,‡ professing to be a new translation from the text of Tregelles; the principles are radically different as exhibited by an example in both versions, showing the emphatic rendering of the authors.

*Heb., are free-will offerings.

↑ The Emphatic New Testament, according to the Authorized Version, with the various Readings in English of the Vatican Manuscript. By John Taylor. London, 1854, 8vo.

The New Testament: newly translated (from the Greek Text of Tregelles) and critically emphasized, with an introduction and occasional notes. By Joseph B. Rotherham. London, 1878, 8vo.

[The single-under a word marks slight, the double = stronger, emphasis. Black letter is used for emphatic pronouns.]

These emphatic editions, being generally marked by very strong individualism in the interpretation, cannot get into general circulation.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE ANGLO-AMERICAN REVISION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; OR, THE WESTMINSTER VERSION.

In addition to the long list of titles bearing on revision given at the close of the preceding chapter the following notes, and titles of other works, may be consulted as tracing its history.

Lightfoot, in a sermon preached before the House of Commons in 1645, recommended it "to think of a review and survey of the translation of the Bible," that "the three nations might come to understand the proper and genuine study of the Scriptures, by an exact, vigorous, and lively translation. "'*

In 1653 a bill was brought in to the Long Parliament, which, after a long preamble, recommended that,

"For the reforming, rectifying, and repairing of the former injury to the new translation, and for preventing of so great inconveniences of such dangerous consequence, and for the furtherance (what in us lieth) and

* Works, I., xv. Ed., Pitman, London, 1825.

the benefit and edification of many, be it enacted, that no person or persons whatsoever within the dominions of England, Scotland, and Ireland, without the approbation of persons hereafter named or to be named by authority, shall presume to print or publish any such translation of the Bible or of the New Testament;

And that these persons, viz.: Dr. John Owen, Dr. Ralph Cudworth, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. William Greenhill, Mr. Samuel Slater, Mr. William Cowper, Mr. Henry Jessey, Mr. Ralph Venninge, and Mr. John Row, Hebrew professor in Aberdeen, in Scotland, shall be and hereby are constituted, appointed, and authorized, in and about all these particulars following to be performed by them in the fear of the Lord, for the good of His people, namely:—

That these or any three or more of them may search and observe wherein that last translation appears to be wronged by the Prelates, or printers, or others; that in all such places, as far as in them is, it may be rectified and amended therein, and the evident and most material failings that do in a special manner call for reformation (some particulars whereof to us have been presented for consideration), and that this may be performed with all speed before there be any further printing of the Bible:

And further, because it is our duty to endeavour to have the Bible translated in all places as accurately and as perfectly agreeing with the original Hebrew and Greek as we can attain unto, to remove (whatever in us lieth) the stumbling-blocks and offence of the weak, or the cavils of others when they hear in sermons preached or printed, or in other treatises, that the original bears it better thus and thus. Be it [enacted] that the persons beforesaid may seriously consider the translation of Mr. H. Ainsworth, and of any other translations, annotations, or observations made or that may be made by any of themselves, or of any others that they know of, or may confer withal (who are desired to add unto them their best assistance for the general good of all) and consider of the marginal readings in Bibles, whether any of them should rather be in the line. And what they, after seriously looking up to the Lord for His gracious assistance in so weighty a work, and advising together amongst themselves, shall judge to be nearest to the text, and to the mind of the Lord, they may give thereunto their approbation, and this with all speed that conveniently they are able:

And be it further enacted, that Dr. Thomas Goodwin, Dr. Tuckney, and Mr. Joseph Caryl, are hereby appointed and authorized to be super visors of what is so approved, and that what those persons shall so approve of, shall accordingly be printed and published for the general edification

and benefit of the whole nation, to be read both privately and in the public congregations."

The project, for all practical purposes, remained a dead letter and became fruitless by the parliament's dissolution. * The proposal for a revision (in 1655), emanating from a member of the committee appointed by the Long Parliament, ran as follows:

For ye bettering of ye Inglish translation of ye Bible (1st printed A.D. 1612) by Mr. Jno. Row, 'tis offered. That these five things are to be endeavoured:

I. That evil and unmeet divisions of Chaptrs, verses, and sentences be rectify'd, and made more proper, rationall, and dexterous, wch will much

clear ye scope.

II. That needles transpositions of words, or stories, prtending to Hypall or Synchyses, be waryly amended; or noted if they cannot.

III. That all vseles additions be lop't off, yt debase the wisdom of ye spirit;-to instance

1. All ye Apocryphall writings; being meerly humane.

2. All popish and superstitious prints, plates, and pictures.

3. Apotheosing and canonizing of some (not othrs) as Sts., St. Luke; not St. Job...

4. Spurious additions or subscriptions (to Epistles), words and sentences. IV. That all sinfull and needles detractions be supply'd; and yt lies in 6 things-viz.,

1. Let all sentences, or words detracted, be added in ye text.

2. Epitomize ye contents and chaptrs better at ye topps of ye leafe.

3. The parenthesis ought not to be omitted where 'tis.

4. Exhaust not the emphasis of a word (as Idols, thirteen wayes exprest). 5. Nor the superlative, left only as a positive.

6. Notifactum, not noticed at all.

V. As respecting mutation, or change, 4 things are needful, namely— 1. That nothing be changed but convinc't apparently, to be better. 2. Yet a change not hurting truth, piety, or ye text, may be just and needfull.

3. Many evil changes are to be amended, as these 9 in particular. (1) When words, or sentences, are mistaken.

Eadie, l. c., ii. 344-347.

(2) When ye margin is righter than ye line, as in 800 places (and more)

it is.

(3) When particles are confounded.

(4) When a word plurall is translated as singular.

(5) When the active is rendered as if a passive.

(6) When the genders are confounded: as mostly ye cantic bee.

(7) When Hebrismes are omited, in silence, or amisse.

(8) When participium paül, is rendered as if it were nyphall.

(9) When conjugatio pyël is Inglish'd as if kal.

4. (On the other hand) 9 good changes are to be warily endeavour'd, viz.:

(1) Put the titles of ye true God (all ouer) literâ capitali.

(2) Let majistrates correct misprinting of Bibles.

(3) Put more in Inglish (even propria nomina:) less in Heb., Gr., and Latin terms.

(4) That Ingl. words (not understood in Scotland) be idiomatiz'd.

(5) That all be analogical to Scripture termes, not toucht wth our opinion, or error.

(6) Something equivocal to Keri, and Kethib, be noticed.

(7) That letters, poynts, and stopps, be distinctly notified.
(8) The paralel places ought to be well noted, in the margin.

(9) Things not amiss, may be endeavored to be bettered. The like is (as to ye N. T.) to be endeavored, many words wanting their owne native idiom and import, and sometimes ye translation overflowes in ye Inglish; or els is defective: and some words confounded: (Ex., gr. vvaμis, power, and ɛ§ovórα, in 70 or near 80 places translated power wch is properly authority, etc.).

All this has been essayed by divers able Hebritians: as Mr. H: J: Mr. Jn. C., &c., whose notes and pains are yet conceal'd in private hands, but may come to light, and publick use, in due time.*

An Essay toward the Amendment of the last English Translation of the Bible. By Robert Gell, D.D., folio, London, 1659. He charges the translators with Calvinistic leanings, and favors cabbalistical interpretation.

An Essay for a New Translation of the Bible. By H. R. [Hugh Russ], a Minister of the Church of England, 1702.

Reasons for revising by Authority our present Version of the Bible, 8vo. Cambridge, 1788.

*Eadie, l. c., 1., pp. 322-324.