The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-02-13
BIBLE REVISION.

BIBLE REVISION.
The New Revision Of the Old Testament
Soon to BE Published-Old Versions
Curious Renderings Of the Scriptures.
The New Revision of the Old Testament be
gun In 1870, with the New Revision Of the New
Testament, the publication of which two
years ago was the sensation of the day, Is now
completed and will be published within few
weeks, This New Revision was instituted by
the Convocation of Canterbury In February,
1870, by which a committee was appointed for
the purpose, who were authorized 70 invite
the cooperation of any persons eminent for
scholarship, TO whatever nation or religious
mittees-one for the Old Testament and one
for the New-were many OF the most dis
tinguished Biblical scholars of all religious
denominations. The first meeting OF the New
Testament Company was held June p, 1870,
and that of the Old Testament Company June
30, 1870. From that time forward until the
completion of their work both companies held
sessions OF four days every month In the
Deanery OF Westminster, one occupying the
celebrated Jerusalem Chamber.
Shortly after the Canterbury Committees
began their labors, the cooperation of dis
tinguished American scholars was invited,
and under the direction of DIR. Philip Schaff,
of the Union Theological Seminary OF New
York company composed exclusively Of
Americans was formed. The Old Testament
Company was constituted as follows: DIR. u.
J. Conant tBaptist. Brooklyn; N. T.; Dr. e.
Day tCongregationalisb, New Haven, Conn;
DIR. ]. Dewitt (Reformed), New Brunswick,
n. j.; DIR. g. e. Hare lEplscopalian), Phila-
delphia, Penn; DIR. q. p. Krauth Nutheranl.
Philadelphia, Penn; DR.. ]. Packard Eplsco-
pallanl Fairfax, Va: DR.. c.. Stowe, Con
gregationalist), Cambridge, Mass; DIR. J.
strong Methodist), Madison, N. j.; DR.. C. A.
Van Dyck, missionary, Berout Syria, CORE
spending member; DR.. I. Lewis lReformed),
Schenectady, N. Y. To the company were
later added: DR.. @. A. Aiken, of Princeton, N.
j.; DIR. Q. M. Mead, OF Andover, Mass; Dr. II.
0sgood, Flushing, l.. !. This company entered
upon their work in October, 1882.
For their guidance In the prosecution OF
their labors the revisers, both English and
American, adopted a programme of general
principles, OF which the more important were
TO introduce as few alterations rs possible
into the text of the authorized version Tor ono
now in common use among Protestants)
consistent with faithfulness; to limit, as far
us possible, the expression OF such alterations
20 the language of the authorized aud earlier
English version; that each company should
70 twice over the portion TO be revised; that
the text adopted be that for which the evi-
dence should be decidedly prepondsrating;
that TO make no change In the text except
upon two-thirds vote, and 10 revise the head
ings Of chapters, pages, paragraphs, italics
and punctuation.
The Character Of the alterations that viii be
made In the New Revision of the Old Testa-
ment is, 10 some extent, indicated In the New
Revision of the New Testament. The princi-
pal defects of the present version corrected
win be the doubtful renderings Of words, in
correct renderings, needless distinctions
made, real distinctions effaced, faults OF gram
mar, faults of lexicography, treatment of
proper names, official titles, archRisms, de-
fects in English and errors of the press To
aid them in this work they have older Greek,
as well as a wider knowledge OF the history
and geography Of the Bible texts than we're
accessible 10 the revisers of former years.
There have been number OF versions OF
the Scriptures, only few Of which, however,
have obtained celebrity, and fewer still have
been adopted for use The Oldest and most
important translation OF the Old Testament
Ia the Septuagint, which was made in Alexan.
dria, Egypt, about three hundred years before
Christ. The transators are unknown. There
Is ia tradition that II was made by command
OF King Ptolemy, who employed for this pur-
pose seventy-two Hebrew elders sent TO him
from the Jews OF Jerusalem. IL was highly
esteemed by the Hellenistic Jews before the
time of Christ, and an annual festival was
held at Alexandra 10 commemorate It's com
pletlon. Among the later versions of the Old
Testament have boen the following: The
Yetus Latina, supposed 10 have been made in
made by Jerome was the first book printed
from movable types by Gutenberg. which
took place between 1850 and 1855, many cen.
turtles after Jeromes death.
Wyclife's Bible was the first translation OF
the entire Bible into English. This was made
about 1880, and was prepared for the common
people. Notwithstanding the invention OF
printing within a century after Wycllfe's
death, no part OF his translation was printed
until lSsa, nearly FIVE hundred years after II
was made, and the entire Bible was moi
printed until 1850 Tyndales Bible was begun
IN 1926, and printed secretly. Miles Cover
dale's Bible was translated between lb29 and
535 in which year II was printed at Antwerp
by Jacob Van Meteren. "Matthews' Bible" !"
the real editor OF which was John Rogers
was printed in 1877. II was chiefly valuable
for It's numerous marginal notes and com
ments. Traverner's Bible was tho transla
ton OF an eccentric lay preacher OF that name
Il was printed in 1910. The Great Bible" wai
revision Of Matthews Bible, and derived IL
name from It's size. the pages being fifteen
inches by nine, and larger than those Of any
other then in existence. By order Of th,
. this Bible. TO be set up In convenient place
within the church, and the people were urged
10 read II. The rGeneyan Bible, published Y
.t15G0, was tho Joint production of number o
scholarly refugees in Geneva, and was mainly
- the work OF William Whittingham, Anthon,
English Bible printed I'm lEioman types th,
,ltlryt brokenpp into 1verses, After tho plinl o.
The present versions oie arst TO uae italIoa Z
yrsPfesent words suPplied n Che taot Iators
the family Bible OF IT'S day. Tho -Blshops
Bible, issued In 1858 by Matthew Parker, wa
tho pro1uCt - De lhDofs ~ Twelve or fiftoef
earned men, t14 majority of whom wer,
UlBnOI@t .|0|| UP |"UtfA uibunkulsnmt
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sSSa Ss5 tss AZ Z; n:s &c.. rSisi 1St;
.,'<| "A IN III ,Suctd- 1rs| a Douay
lated by@e1|el commaa ol Jshes T., an
was tbblNh in l6ll. ty-fppnofstbe mos
4. ;.'ssS 7; ;:: ;::'s <. ssS!:: Ss;; ;;
W. - jssI7 xsrlIjs "a M The q
Tor the German-speahdngw world. IL was ppt
ilshed in 1894, and has ever since been, and
' SIN TIE only bfbledn common use By eerna
( ! Tss history ofths dsyelophheSt md sfottl
~ ynnmerOus VERSIONS of tho Old and Ieptf
1%psnisd %ins soia%ss. fSe fSiiorias aisf spsc
mfn1 .s...sS ..g, ~ = t.s,,sa., Al M IN