Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-04-29
Popular Book.

Few books, at the present time, are at
tracing more attention, or receiving
higher concentrations from learned men,
or are meeting with larger sales, than the
Dictionary Of the Bible edited by VIM.
Smith, LII. D, Classical Examiner of the
University Of London.
There are, at least, three or four reprints
Of this work, entire or abridged, sold in
this country, beside the imports Of the diff
ferent English editions.
There is but one ex~pression-that of
high praise, respecting the great value of
this work compared with other Bible die
tionaries. The necessity for such a work
has long been felt by all Bible readers, as
well as by critical Bible students.
The question naturally arises, which of
these editions is the best, and which will
be most satisfactory 10 the purchaser? We
suppose every one will require that a work
of this kind should be sufficiently compre
hensiye and thorough to embrace a full
and satisfactory exposition of the many
topics introduced. A small abrldgment
would be incomplete in IFS exposition, and
always dissatisfy the reader. 1t would be
necessary, also, that the book should be
sold at q price so reasonable as to be
available for ordinary Bible readers, aud,
at the same time, furnish the largest posi-
bic amount of reading matter for the price.
There is one reprint OF DR.. Smiths IN
abridged edition, published by q New
York house, in numbers, and costing, com.
plete, about SOS. Its expensiveness will
probably limit It to the libraries OF q few
professional critics
Another reprint, BY 8 Hartford firm, is
= Ill AL-l-.-N E-=4 .=..,al =
England in duOdeciIBo form of about six
hundred pages. The reprint is in larger
type than The original, occupies nearly
eight hundred octave pages, and is sold for
$3.50, being seve'ty five cents more than
the genuine London edition, imported by
the National Publishing Co, of Cincin-
natl.
1t seems to US that a work of this kind,
that Is TO be used for a lifetime, and for
constant reference, should be q comprehen-
sive one, and that this small abridgment,
usually known as the ~jsre1iie edition, is al
together too condensed Tor popular use.
The other reprint, also issued by the
National Publishing Co., Cincinnati, ap-
pears 20 combine conlprehenSiUeless and
cheapness, the requisites that we consider
essential for such 3 work. This edition
has over one thousand closely printed
octave pages, over two hundred engravings
and maps and more than tOios the reading
matter Of the small ~abr1dgHseHt. At the
same time, it has all the matter OF the vol
luminous work, except numerous disgust
tons and criticisms on original Hebrew
and Greek terms, which are Of no practi-
cal value to the general English student.
1t Is sold, too, at u very reasonable price,
and is thus made available to all who de-
sire to possess it. We commend this COM
p-ehensIve edition 10 our readers, and ad-
wise them to exercise proper caution, lest
they should be misled and purchase the
~dzUenile edition.
If a low-priced dictionary is desired for
the use of the smaller children of the
school or family, we would c~ertainly
recommend the imported London edition.