Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-03-17
THE COMING NEW VERSION
A HISTORIC1L SKETCH or II;s
ORIGIN.


are to Bring II Out.
The Rev. L. T. Chamberlain, d. D., OF
the Broadway Church, Norwich, Conn,
has written short history OF the Anglo
American revision of the New Testament,
| which, in connection with the wides pread
| and restless feeling of curiosity regarding
the coming volume, forms leading topic
in New England just now. Indeed, 50
general has the interest become that
articles concerning the work are already
appearing in the local press. The tone OF
these letters, in many cases, shows thai
almost utter ignorance in relation to the
"New Version" as it is popularly called,
prevails among the great majority OF the
people, and the methods, nature OF its
changes, and value, are likewise TO them
a sealed book. DR.. Chamberlain's history
will, in a great measure, satisfy the de-
| mands of the uninformed in the search 0f
knowledge concerning it.
| In the 270 years which have elapsed
since the former revision of the Bible,
known as the King James version, much
additional light has been gained in the
| Greek of the New Testament. Manu-
script evidence has been multiplied many
fold. The great labors of such scholars
as MILL Bengel, Wetstein, Griesbach,
Lachmann, Tischendorf and Tregelles
have yielded great results. There have
been discovered one manuscript-theS Sin
aitic-containing the entire New Testa-
ment, and another-the Vatican-con-
tanning the larger portion, and these
| probably written as early as the middle
of the fourth century; two others, the
Alexandrine and the Ephraem, belonging
to the middle of the fifth century, and the
Cambridge manuscript of the gospels and
acts, of the century following. In all
there are now extant 27 ancient and
authentic manuscripts of the Gospels, 10
of the Acts and General Epistles, II OF
the Pauline Epistles and five of Revela-
tion. On the other hand, the editors of
the King James version possessed only
la small number of inferior
and comparatively modern manuscripts,
and those imperfectly collated. 1t is by
reason of this increased knowledge that
the revision has been made, and, conse-
quently, on the 9Th of May 1870, the Con-
vocation of Canterbury appointed a COM
mittee of biblical scholars of the Church
of England to revise, for public use, the
authorized version of the Bible, giving
the committee power to associate with
| themselves representative scholars of
other denominations. In 1871, by inyi-
tation of the English revisers, a similar
American committee was formed, kcom-
posed of distinguished scholars of all the
evangelical denominations, and divided,
like the English Committee, into two COM
panies, one for the Old Testament and
one for the New.
| Among the more widely known of the
names on the English side are Right Rev.
DR.. Browne, Bishop of Winchester (chair-
man o. To-; Archbishop Trench, Bishops
Thirlwall, Ellicott Chairman N. IT,,
Lightfoot and Wilberforce, Deans Afford,
Scott and Stanley, Rev. Professor Leathes,
| Canon Westcott and Prebendary SERVE
ner. On the American side are such men
as Philip Schaf, d. D., LII. D. (president
of committee); Professor William Henry
Green, D. D., LII. D. Chairman o. IT,;
ex-President 7. d. Woolsey, D. D., LII. D,
Chairman N. To-; Chancellor Howard
Crosby, d. D., LII. D.; Professor Timothy
Dwight, D. D.; Professor Matthew B.
Riddle, D. D.; Professor Thos. ]. Conant,
D. D.. Professor H. B. Hackett, D. D.,
LII. D.; Professor ]. Henry Thayer, DID,,
and Professor Ezra Abbott, d. D., LII. d.
The two international committees have
been engaged in one and the same work.
| The labors of the English committee have
| been submitted to the American COM
mittee and uice versa. No changes have
been made except by two-thirds vote,
and after examination by each member,
as well as consultation in committee.
Each company has gone over the ground
twice, and in difficult portions three
| times. Reference has been made to
divines, scholars and literary men, not
members of either committee. In cases
of unadjusted differences, the opinions
are to be submitted in the work itself.
Their work is believed to be entirely un-
UNCONVENTIONAL. The active members of
English committee have numbered So OF
| the American committee, 27. Their SER
vice has been continued for ten years OH
the other side of the ocean and for nine
years on this, and it is claimed that, to
say nothing of an improved Greek
| scholarship, they have access to such
original manuscript authority as was
beyond the reach or knowledge of their
| predecessors.
Among the many claims for its value
may be stated the following: AS it is the
outcome of researches of the highest
knowledge in restoring the Sculptures to
their textual purity, to the unlearned
even more than to the learned will the
new version be profitable. The meaning
of the Word will be made clearer and
| scepticism will become disarmed. The
changes made are not fundamental. They
touch nothing which is essential to
Christianity. 1t is new revision and
not new translation. The chapters
aHi iverses of the old work are done away
with, although marginal notes show
where they formerly existed, and the
matter is simply in narrative style, para
graphed throughout each book. The
sections changed are reproduced in foot
notes as they read in the former volume.
Obsolete words are replaced by those ii
common use, as in II. Chronicles, Ix., II.
''chapmen" is set aside by ''marketmen;"
Exodus xxvn., 2, touches" by
Sockets" or Exodus xxxIv., 2l, Gear
ing" by 'ploughing." Obsolete signiti-
XVII, 8, where admiration is translated
"wonder" Ga former meaning of the
word); Acts XXI, Is, Carriages"
is translated "baggage !" James xl.,
y, convince" is now rendered convict
Proper names are harmonized in the Old
and New Testaments, as Joshua and Jesus,
Jonah and Jonas, Elisha and Eliseus, &c.
| The Greek lenses are regarded. The new
version gives, Matthew, W., II, 'as We
have forgiven" instead of tive forgive -
Acts, XIX, 2, "Did We receive the Holy
Ghost when ye believed" instead OF
''Have ye received the Holy Ghost since
ye believed" &c. Poetry is rendered in
something of a metrical form. These are
but few of the many advantages claimed
for the work. That much comment will
be provoked there can be no question, and
while there is little doubt that the new
process is sure eventually to claim general
acceptance among the people, it is also
certain that this condition of things will
eyentuate slowly, and many good folk
will be panied and perplexed by the
change, for large class of the most de-
vout readers of the Bible-seven-tenths
perhaps--have never had the question OF
accuracy in translation once raised, and
are welded by long usage to the exact
words of the Book which they revere.
Every scholar who has studied the Bible
devoutly has doubtless made for himself.
by the aid of such helps as scholars have,
most of the changes which the new version
adopts. These will not, therefore, he
likely to be disturbed by the changes, nor
will they cause in such minds distrust or
skepticism.
When the publication of the revised
New Testament was put of from February
| lst till May 1st. the delay naturally