The Portland daily press., 1880-09-16
Bible Revision.
Some of the Changes Made.

The American Sunday School Union has
tracts from the book "Bible Revision" and
announces that the revised translation of the
New Testament will probably be ready during
1881. The Rev. w. Henry Green, d. D.,
points out some errors in names and mistakes
in meaning. He says
"a few instances occur in which words of q
peculiar formation have been entirely mis-
taken by our translators, and divided into two
translated thick clay, Habakkuk ii, 6, is not
a compounded term yielding this sense, but
reduplicated form from a single root, and
means pledges or goods taken in pledge by
an extortionate creditor; and shameful spew-
ing, verse 16, is but single word meaning
'ignominy.' The awkward expression, Hosea
iv IS, her rulers with shame do love, Give
ye,' should be rendered, her rulers are in love
with shame The 'scape goat of Leviticus
xvi, 8, is one word, not two, and mas no refer
ence to the goat at all.
The cases are frequent in which the mean
ings of words are altogether mistaken although
the forms are not msconceived nor the words
improperly divided. Thus the word trans
the plain Of Mureh', Genesis xiii: 6, ought to
be the oak of Moreh'; the groves, so fre-
auently spoken of in connection with idola-
trous services, as Exodus xxxiv: Is, were not
groves but upright pillars, JOB XVI: 13, does
not speak of the crooked nor Isaiah xviii,
of the piercing serpent the epithet, which is
the same in both cases, is 'heet,' The psalmist
does not say, Psalms Xxi: "a, Il will sing with
the harp, but will play with the harp
Huldah did not dwell in the college,, Second
Kings xxi: II but in the second ward Of the
city. Since that time, Isaiah xvi: 13, should
be 'of old; 'flagons of wine,' Hosea iii:1,
should be cakes Of pressed grapes; 'gallares,'
Canticles vii: 5, should be 'curls,' or locks of
hair Hosea xi: II, does not use the language
of praise, Judah yet ruleth with God, but of
censure, he roveth or runs wild in his dealings
with him Isaiah tx: l, does not contrast for
mer light affliction of Galilee with subse-
quent more grievous affliction of the same re-
gion, but the period of dishonor with the glory
that was to be shed upon that region by the
coming Redeemer. AL that make sluices and
ponds for fish, Isaiah xix: 10, is mere guess
from the connection and should be rendered,
all that work for hire are sad at heart. Sam
son did not go down to the top OF the rock
judges KY: s, but to the cleft of the rock
The children of Israel die not by divine direc-
tion borrow, Exodus xi: =, Of the Egyptians
what they never intended to return; they
asked for and received gifts. 'Chariots with
flaming Torches Nahum lis, are chariots with
flashing steel;' and the fir trees Of the same
verse are lances made of cypress. Hunt souls
to make them fly Ezekiel xiii: 20, should be
rendered hunt souls as birds, and the 'un-
tempered mortar verse 10, should be white
wash.'"
A chapter on "True conservatism in respect
to changes in the English and the Greek text"
is written by Timothy Dwight, ID. d. He
Says J..
our debts as we forgive our debtors, the reading
should be. as we also have forgiven our debt
ors; the thought being that the petitioner
should not ask forgiveness for himself until he
has already forgiven others. Matthew K: 70,
When they persecute you in this city flee into
another, should read Flee ye into the next,
thus conveying not merely the idea OF going to
some other place, but to the next town, and so
on until they had proclaimed the gospel every
where. Mark L.: q, What thing is this? what
new doctrine is this? for with authority COM
mandeth he even the unclean spirits, etc..
should read, What is this? a new teaching!
with authority he commandeth even the un-
clean spirits, ETC., thus expressing the aston
| ishment of the beholders at the miracle they
had seen in a far more natural and striking
way. Mark tx. %, %, where the father ask
| ing for the healing of his son, says, Ii thou
| canst do anything, have compassion on US, and
| help us, the authorized version makes Jesus
reply, If thou canst believe, all things are pos
sible to him that believeth. But the approved
| text reads, If thou canst! All things are nos
| sible to him that believeth. The force of this
| form, which expresses surprise that the ques-
| ton of ability should arise, when to the be-
lever everything is possible, cannot iail to be
| felt in comparison with that given in the old
| version.
The Rev. DR.. Howard Crosby writes of ar
| chalsms or obsolete words or phrases used in
the Authorized Version, and points out many
| examples.
1.-The fats shall flow with wine and oil,
Joel H.: 24,) for watts Lest he hale thee to
| the judge Uuke xiii: 5S,) for haul, and
'hoised up the mainsail to the wind, (Acts
xvii: 40,) for 'hoisted.' He overlaid their
| chapters with gold,' Exodus xxxvi.: 38) for
| Capitals And sat down astonied,' ezra TX. !:
| 81 for 'astonished.' Or ever the earth was,
| Proysrbs viii 23,l for ere So we find be-
wray (betray) magnifical, (magnifcent,) and
| delicates, (delicacies.) Many Of these arch
| aisms in spelling have been omitted in more
| modern editions of our version, of leese for
| lose' sith for since cloke for CLOAK The
| old plural 'hosen, however still remains, in
| Daniel iii: 21, for hose
| "'And they shall pass through it hadly be-
| stead Isaiah vii: q for served. Beside
that which chapmen and merchants brought
| Second Chronicles tx: 14,) for 'marketmen.
| old shoes and clouted upon their feet, Josh
| ua tx: 5,) took thence old cast clouts, (Jere-
miah xxxviii: H. for patched and patches
| Neither is there any daysmen betwixt rs,
| Job tx: 33) for umpire Thou shalt make
them to be set in ouches of gold, Exodus
| xxyiiiD for sockets Doves tabering upon
| their breasts Nahum ii: ~ Tor drumming.
| The lion filled his den with ravin,' (Nahum