The Wilmingtonian., 1885-05-23
THE REVISED BIBLE.
The Victorian Revision now In the
Hands of the People.

The Victorian Revision now In the
| Hands of the People.
The revised Bible, including the corrected
version of both Old and New Testaments, is
issued to the public this week.
Barring certain not unexpected divergence
of opinion among the critics and colabora-
tors engaged upon the work we may all feel
satisfied that we have in our hands, the best
results in a collective sense, that can be OBJ
tanned from the scholars of our day.
The Bible student or the citizen of the
world may sit down with this revised copy
before him and no apprehension or fear need
enter his mind that the narrative he contem-
plates is other than authentic, or that its
literary qualities as the rescript of an an
cient document have been trihed with.
For many years of course, this new revis-
ion will be of use more peculiarly as book
of reference or comparison. Tuis will nee
essarily be the first step towards its ultimate
adoption throughout Christendom.
In the important sense of expediency the
appearance of the revised version will be
looked upon by all intelligent people with
quiet commentator. A great deal of the
Bible terminology has become obsolete, and
therefore needed correction.
Words, like animal and vegetable life,
have their birth, maturity, and death. Their
existence is anomalous to those conditions
that rule in ordinary life. Words of vigor-
GUS origin which exactly describe an idea,
have a longer life than those whose applica-
tion is not readily apprehended
The weaker expression after certain
term Of existence becomes obsolete or dies.
Siuce the days of the first appearance of
King James version, two centuries ago, this
fate has befalen an appreciable number of
words contained in that book Even some
of the more vigorous terminology, through
other conditions STILL has fallen into disuse
and consequent condemnation by the re-
|
main causes, also, of the Victorian revis-
ion.
Obsolete words are condemned, and very
properly. There is no reason or logic in
, their perpetuation for the simple reason that
they are found in Holy Writ. Accordingly
as words die out of the language, or change
their meaning, their further retention is
i wrong, it tends to misleading and possibly
to eontrYersy. When the theory of the
n transiitis,na afnihpte of wordsSis, once
y y eress, .pe paiieoSzIx o; IN wnl DC
It conoede by candid thinkers
# The revlsers have been very careful, how
e ever as regards obsolescent words. AS a
n rule they are untouched; action in revision
+ has been confined to terminology actually
:, obsolete, or to Technology whose local appli
r cation is an obsolete one.
v The general character of alteration has
n been different as regards phrases. The ar,
chaic, or solemn form Of expression has al,
ii ways been retained.
Il Certain indelicate passages, indelicats
g. now solely through the transitional process
e. that our language has undergone since the
|. Elizabethan or Sbakespearian period Of oul
70 literature, have been altered but with the
r. strictest attention to the theory that the al
I'd teration exactly reflect the value of tn,
te original according to our present mode o
expression.
Taking these few points into consideration
we will all undoubtedly feel satisfaction
that the Bible, the most ancient and prec
Q ious compilation that the civilized worl
owns, has fallen into the hands of such
discreet, scholarly and conservative counci
of reyisers. Those even who are not believ
ers in its tenets hold it as a literary archive
= - the most precious that any library coul
contain. In Ernest Remains recent lecture
before Oxford University this fact was mos
= significantly dilated upon.
The Victorian version will most probabl
| replace bne mug JdlItS YeIsloh ht d Ihuc
earlier date than the latter did the Geneval
The Genevan aud the King James versio
were not found in every family, Indeed a
that date comparatively few people coul
read. We all remember that fine picture
the interior of st. Paurs Cathedral, wher
in the foreground lectern stood brace
against massive pillar. Upon the de'
was huge Bible, a heavy chain fixed
bolts at either end to the back Of the boo
and the pillar. In front stood a surplc'
reader, and around him was grouped lar
concourse of people of all grades of societ
The noble, in rich velvet and handsor
cavalier costume, and the poor man in fu
tian, but all devotedly listening to the rea
70 er. Books were scarce in those days al
readers still more scarce. This may accou
for the fact that it took fifty years for t
King James version to replace the Geneva
though backed by royal decree.
,r" With our advantages the change will
lso.
pIore rapid.
NY Another Blunder.