New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1881-09-07
THE NEW VERSION.

In considering the Revised Version it is well to
remember that during the period between 1880 and
l6ll there were no less than eight transatons and
versions.
Our present Bible, called King james, Version,
ls not translation from the original as ia common
~ supposed; Only about one eighty fourth part
OF the New Testament ana one thirty third part Of
the Old Testament wAs translated out of the origin
al tongues. twas based upon Syndalis version,
now two HUNDRED and seventy since the
lation. Since that time there have been great i'm
plovements IN our own language and in the knowl-
edge Of the Greek SIN respect to the uses and sig
Indication OF words, tho force Of lenses ana words
the laws respecting the article, the distinction be-
tween propositions, in fact all the nicer shades of
meaning ana me mlnntcr grammatical relations,
Which 80 much depends III such an artistic langu
| age as the ancient Greek, the more perfect under
standing which has been attained is of the highest
importance to the translator"
Great progress has also been made in the eyi
dence We possess to determine the actual words Of
| the sacred authors. This evidence is new and of
the Si highest value Us We will now illustrate.
| King Jnmes's translators worked from cOrruDt
| ana imperfect texts The manuscripts then known
were few compared with those now in the posses
sion OF scholars. They were Of more recent origin
| ana on that account less valuable. Our common
version was made from y text formed largely from
me last EDITIONS OF Erasmus. But Erasmus WAS
not vel furnished with q critical apparatus. In
the gospels he had but three manuscripts; but the
one ne used was not the best or earliest one; but
I one OF the fifteenth century. -Four modern manu-
scripts served him in the Acts and Catholic Ep!st-
! tilated '''''' ''"o ''e'l ma
Great advance has been made since then in the
! critical resources OF the New Testament Wecan-
not 60 very fully into this; but will indicate some
! what
Mill, who published Greek Testament in 1907,
spent tn1rty years collecting material. Wetstetn's
Greek Testament published in 1751-52 represents
forty years Of arduous work. He greatly increased
our knowledge Of the manuscripts.
bengai, Alter, Birch, Matthei and the Roman
Csthonc scnoiz added greatly to our information
OF the text Of the New Testament.
l. GriesbaCh, L0chmann, LechcnCorf and Greuaj-
! les have each done vast work in collecting and
arranging the manuscripts. 1t was Lischendorf
who found the Sinai Manuscript, of the fourth
century, containing the new testament absolutely
complete The history Of this discovery 10 Of great
interest. = - e~''
TO give some idea of the vast enlargement OF
our critical materials since the time Of the common
English version will quote an article written by
Prot. Ezra Abbot, d. D. IL D. i
we have now for the Gospels 60 uncials, rang
ing from the fourth century to the tenth, and more
than Elk hundred Ourselves, dating from the tenth
Eplsels, II uncials and 200 Ourselves; for the
l1aune Epistles 20 uncials and over $50 cursiyes;
tor the Revelation, uncials and about 100 Ourselves
70 these are to be added over $40 Evangeleslarics
containing the Lessons from the Gospels and tho
Acts and Epistles read in the service of the
church,
Uncial manuscripts are so called from the char
acter Of the writing and belong to the period be-
tween the third and tenth centuries. The cursiyl
indicates another class OF different style of writ
Besides these we have an important class Of ma
teria in early translations that were made for thu
benefit OF the Christian converts.
1t VIII be seen from this very briefand imperfec
! sketch that the material in hand for new Revi
writings Of the New Testament may be reproduced
8. P. cAAMpL1N.