Chap. iii. Analysis of various renderings in St Mark. Mark. Act. xxviii. 4 suffereth not to live. hath not suffered (Gen.) (non sivit (Beza): servanda præteriti temporis significatio). Comp. I John v. 4 vicit. Eph. iv. II blindness. hardness (Gen.). obdurationem (Beza). I Pet. i. 17 If ye call on the Father... If...ye call him Father... (Gen.). Si patrem cognominatis eum qui... (Beza). And still further, some right renderings of Beza are neglected both by the Genevan revisers and by our own: Mark vii. 4 tables. lectorum (Beza: so Vulg.: beds Wycl. and Rh.). 1 Tim. vi. 5 that gain is godliness. quæstui esse pietatem (Beza)1. If we apply the same test as before and examine the sources of the various renderings given in St Mark, the same authorities, as we have already noticed, reappear, and not disproportionately distributed. i. 4 for unto Rhemish (1) 10 opened: cloven Genevan (2) or rent (se fendre Fr. 1588) (3) 34 to speak because they knew him: to say that they knew him (to speak that Rh.) so Beza as alternative and Fr. (4) 1 Archbp. Trench, to whom I owe (p. 37): Acts iii. 15; Hebr. ii. 10; the references to most of the examples just given, has collected some very instructive instances of improvements (p. 121): Hebr. iv. 1: Acts xii. 19 (Beza's note): John i. 3, 4: Acts i. 4 (Beza); and striking phrases xii. 1. The list might easily be increased. It is unfortunate that Archbp. Trench, like many other writers, confounds the Genevan Testament of 1557 with the New Testament of the Genevan Bible. ii. 14 at the receipt of custom: at the place where the custom was received (au lieu du peage Fr.) (5) - 21 new: raw Rh. (6) or unwrought (new and undressed Gt. escru Fr.) (7) iii. 5 hardness: blindness Tyndale, Great Bible, Rh. (8) 10 pressed: rushed (Vulgate and Erasmus irruerent) (9) 19 into an house: home G. (10) - 21 friends: kinsmen (kinsfolk G.) (11) iv. 29 brought forth: ripe adolevit Castalio. (12) (13) 20 observed him: kept him Rh. (le gardoit en prison Fr. mg.) (14) or saved him (15) - 27 an executioner: one of his guard (erant spiculatores principum : satellites Beza) (16) -45 unto Beth.: over against Beth. Beth. oppositam B. (17) -56 him: it (so B. as alternative) (18) vii. 2 defiled: common Ty. &c. (19) 3 oft: diligently (summo studio B. note) in the ori- 4 tables: beds Rh. B. (21) 26 Greek Gentile Rh. (23) ix. 16 with them: among yourselves G. (24) -- 18 teareth him: dasheth him Rh. (25) 43, 47 offend thee: cause thee to offend G. (26) x. 42 are accounted qui reputantur (Tremellius): think good (qui font estat Fr.) quibus placet B. (27) 52 made thee whole: saved thee Ty. &c. (28) xi. 22 Have faith in God: have the faith of God (have faith of God Rh.) (29) Chap. iii. Chap. iii. xi. 29 question: thing Ty. &c. (30) Internal General review of 1 John. xiv. 3 spikenard: pure nard (nard that was pure...T. &c.) (31) or liquid nard (so B.) (32) 12 killed: sacrificed G. (33) 26 hymn psalm (34) 72 he wept: he wept abundantly (35) or he began to weep Ty. &c. (36) xvi. 14 at meat: together G. (37) Thus of the thirty-seven alternative renderings nearly one-half agree with the Genevan Version (2, 7, 10, 11, 24, 26, 33, 37) or Beza's (3, 4, 16—18, 20, 21, 26, 32); six agree with the Rhemish Version (1, 6, 14, 22, 23, 25); three more or less with the French (3, 5, 13); six with the earlier English versions; one with Castalio (12); and one with the Vulgate (9). Once again: the examination of the first Epistle of St John will shew very fairly how far K. James' revisers generally availed themselves in the New Testament of earlier labours and how far they impressed a special character upon the Version. In six (four) places, if I reckon rightly, they have altered the construction of the text: i. 3 and truly our fellowship is with...' so Beza) for 'know ye that...' so marg. 'ye have known' (G.) iii. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because..." (B.) for 'hereby perceive we (have we perceived G.) love, that (because Great Bible)... iv. 17 'Herein is our love (love with us marg. so B.) made perfect, that...' for 'Herein is the love perfect in us, that...' v. 6 'This is he that came by water and blood, even for 'This Jesus Christ is he that came...' (Tyn- or 'This is that Jesus Christ that came...' (G.) The changes of words are far more frequent, and of these a large number introduce phrases identical with those used in the Rhemish Version. Examples occur i. 9 confess for [ac]knowledge: ii. 2 (iv. 10) 'he is the propitiation for...' for 'he it is that obtaineth grace for...: iv. 10 'to make agreement for...' (propitiatio Vulg.): ii. 17 'he that doeth...' for 'he that fulfilleth...': ii. 20 'an unction' for 'an ointment': ii. 26 seduce for deceive (seducunt Vulg.): ii. 28 (iii. 21, v. 14) 'have confidence' for 'be bold' (habeamus fiduciam Vulg.): iii. 15 murderer for manslayer: v. 20 'an understanding that...' for 'a mind to... (sensum ut cognoscamus Vulg.)'. In other cases the revisers aimed at a more literal exactness, as in iii. 14 have passed for are translated: iv. 18 'is made perfect' for 'is perfect': iii. I bestowed for shewed: iii. 9 'doth not commit sin' for 'sinneth not': iii. 22 (article): v. 9, 10 (tense); or at consistency of rendering, as ii. 27 abideth (dwelleth): iii. 10 manifest (known); or at clearness, as ii. 24, iii. 8 'that he might destroy the works of the devil' for 'to loose...' (iv. 3, v. 16); or at emphasis, as ii. 3 do know... Once an unhappy combination of renderings is attempted, iii. 17 1 Other coincidences are found: ii. 2 The converse change of 'record' 8 which thing...: ii. 9 until now...: ii. to 'witness' in v. 8 is quite inexplica10 occasion of stumbling (marg. scan- ble. dal): (ii. 5): iv. 15 shall confess. Chap. iii. History. Chap. iii. 'Bowels of compassion...' (Bowels Rh. compassion Tynd. &c.) once a neater word is introduced, iii. 3 purifieth (purgeth)'. This analysis, in which I have endeavoured to include all the variations introduced into the Authorised Version, will shew better than any description the watchful and far-reaching care with which the revisers fulfilled their work. No kind of emendation appears to have been neglected; and almost every change which they introduced was an improvement. They did not in every case carry out the principles by which they were generally directed; they left many things which might have been wisely modified; they paid no more attention than was commonly paid in their time to questions of reading; but when every deduction is made for inconsistency of practice and inadequacy of method, the conclusion yet remains absolutely indisputable that their work issued in a version of the Bible better-because 1 The substitution of 'torment' for 'painfulness' in iv. 18 is less completely successful: neither word renders κόλασις. The scrupulous and watchful care with which the revisers worked is nowhere seen more remarkably than in their use of italics to mark the introduction of words not directly represented in the original. The detail may seem at first sight trivial, and Luther neglected it entirely; but in reality it involves much that is of moment. It is of importance as marking distinctly that the work is a translation; and yet more the use distinguishes in many cases an interpretation from a rendering: e.g. Hebr. x. 38. This question has been exhaustively treated by Dr Turton in his pamphlet on The Text of the English Bible (1833), who shews conclusively that the Cambridge text of 1638 bears clear marks of repre senting very exactly the true form of the Authorised Revision. In the use of italics it is far more consistent than the editions of 1611, which seem to have been hastily printed. 2 I have given an account of the Greek text followed by the revisers in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, 11. 524 n. But the question is of no real importance, as they do not appear to have been influenced by any consistent critical views, and the variations are too superficial to admit a general classification or discussion. An examination of the headings of the chapters, the running headings, and the marginal references does not fall within my scope, though in itself interesting. Some remarks on these points will be found in a paper by Mr Kegan Paul in the Theological Review for 1869, pp. 99 ff. |