The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-05-22
BIBLE REVISION.
Publication of the New Testament
i'm its Revised Form.
Familiar Passages Which Appear
in a New Dress.

tOln JeuS HSW NtTSlOu Vi Ullb DlDlO was pre-
sented to the queen separated into five gor-
geous Volumes royal edition. At midnight
copies in inexpensive form were delivered
TO the press for comments. The public
here and in America will be given an oppor-
tunity to purchase it next Tuesday, which, by
remarkable coincidence, will be the Feast of
Pentecost, which commentaries, according
to tradition the revelation on Mount Sinai of
the Decalogue.
The committee of revision was appointed
by the Established Church convocation on the
9th of May, 1870. OF the sixteen members
then appointed only six survive. The re-
visers sat altogether 1872 days OF six hours.
The whole work was gone over in session
three times. The first time bare
majority carried an alteration. The
alterations then made were printed
and circulated among the revisers. who had
the advantage before the second revision
began Of suggestions by the American revi-
sers. On the second revision a two-thirds
aiority was necessary to confirm the alter
ations. The third revision was devoted to
objections and points reserved.
The new Bible appears with both OF the
Testaments bound together. The preface
opens with statement of the general princi-
pies on which the revision has been conduct
ed The revisers have borne in mind their
duty not to make new translation, but to re-
wise that already existing, and have departed
from it only where they disagreed with the
translators of 1911 upon the meaning of a
word or sentence. The terms of natural his
tory are only changed where it is certain
that the authorized version is incorrect
Where it is doubtful or there is an alternative
the rendering is given in the margin.
In some words OF frequent occurrence, the
authorized version being either inadequate or
inconsistent changes have been introduced
with as much uniformity as practicable. For
instance, Tabernacle of the congregation"
has been everywhere changed to tent OF
meeting" In regard to the word Uehovah,"
the usage of the authorized version is followed,
the revisers not thinking it advisable to insert
it uniformly in place of Lord" or God"
which, when printed in small capitals, repre-
sent the words substituted by Jewish custom
for the Ineffable Name. The word grove"
Judges vi. PSI has been replaced by ''ashera"
with its plurals "asherim" and Ashcroft"
In the poetical books "sheol" replaces "hell,"
which has been changed in prose passages to
''the grave" and 1.-THE pit" with ''sheop in
the margin
In Isaiah xiv, where " he'll" is used in more
of its original sense, the revisers have left
"hell " in the text, putting "sheol" in the
margin "Abaddon,n which has hitherto been
known to English readers of the Bible only
from the New Testament Revelations tx, 1D,
has been introduced in three passages-once
in Job and twice in Proverbs. The term
] meat O1erlng mas Deen changed lnUO meal
Offering" the former term having ceased to
be the generic name for all food. A new
plural - peoples" - has been introduced,
although sometimes this becomes "Gentiles,"
when the contrast to the chosen people is
marked.
All headings of chapters have been dropped,
as in the revised New Testament, and the
text has been divided into paragraphs, but
the old chapter and verse divisions have been
retained Ill the margin for convenience OF
pxrt l., tIn rax-iea Il
been enabled to reioin Psalm x. to Psalm tx,
and Psalm xiii. to Palm xii, and to begin
Isaiah lii. at chapter lii, verse -.
The several days Of the creation are made
prominent by breaks of line between the
verses. This expedient has enabled the re-
visers to make use of the dialogue form and
to show the dramatic character of the Song
of Songs the first chapter of which, for ex-
ample, is divided into seven speeches.
The Psalms are definitely divided into five
books, the last four beginning respectively at
Psalms xiii, xiii, Xc, and evil striking
improvement is the printing of all poetical
passages in poetical form. This has been done
in the Psalms Proverbs, Job and the Can't
cles but the Prophets have been left in prose
form. The songs of Lamech, Jacob, Miriam,
Moses, Deborah, and Hannah, the psalms of
/ Jonah and Habakkuk, and Davlds Lament,
; in second Samuel, l., appear in versified bal
lad. The origin of Joshua's miracle "Sun,
stand thou still upon Gideon" is indicated by
cry of Samson Judges, XIV, 16l.
Examination of the more familiar pas
sages and phrases discoses the fact that care
was taken in preserving intact household
words of the Old Testament The old liter
airy form has been held sacred, and the re-
visers cannot be charged with any pedantic
straining after the original text; but not all
the familiar features of the Scriptures have
escaped untouched. The high priest no
longer casts lots for the scape- goat; he does
SO for Azazel
The summary Of each days work at the
creation now runs according to the formula,
"And there was evening and there was morn
ing oneday,n there was evening and there
was morning a second day, land so on, giving
suggestion of successiveStages,w with long in
tervals.
The "apples of gold" of Proverbs XIV. II
are now encased in figured work. of silver
not in pictures"
VANITY and vexaton of spirit" Fccesi-
astes xii. ~ has become, VANITY and striv-
ing after wind
"Happy is the man that hath his culver full
Of Them Psalms cXXvii., 81 has been changed
into Happy is the man that hath filled his
culver with them"
Reuben's curse Genesis Xix verse "Un-
stable as water thou shalt not excel" now
reads, Unstable as water, have not thou the
eGcelency.n
The following changes also CRATE against
associations: The authorized Genesis, chapter
vi, verse A; "There were giants in the earth,
in those days. isrevised. "The nephelim We're
in the earth in those days.
! In the authorized edition, Job XXI, verse
30. ooh, that one would hear me! Behold,
my desire is that the Almighty would answer
me, and that mine adversary had written a
book" is revised, "Oh, that one would hear
me! Behold, my desire is that the Almighty
would answer M, and that had the indict-
ment which my adversary hath written"
The authorized Psalm viii, verse >. 'For
thou hast made him little lower than the
angels is revised, "For thou hast made him
n little lower than God" The authorized
Psalm cxvi., verse II, 81 said in my haste, all
men are liars" is revised, IL said when
made haste to escape, all men are a lie"
Ecclesiastes xii, IL. LET us hear the con-
clusion of the whole matter-Fear Gol,h sc.
has been revised To read: "rhis is The end
of the matter; all hath been heard. Fear
God" &c.
Proverbs xiv, O. Fools make a mock at
sin: but among the righteous there is favor. y
Revised reads: THE foolish scorn the guilt
offering, but among the upright there is good
will ~