New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-05-20
EMENDING THE SCRIPTURES.
The New Revision Of the Old Testament
Finally Given to the Waiting Public
In London.
Synopsis Of Changes Made in the Old Familiar
Text, and Sketch Of the Work Of
Revision

| Synopsis Of Changes Made In the Old Familiar
Text, and Sketch Of the Work Of
| Revision.
The New Old Testament.
| LONDON May 15.-Copies of the revised
version of the Old Testament were given to
the newspapers at midnigft last night. All
the papers this morning contained extracts
from the work. The Times says:
Finally an international work of fourteen
Of the New Testament was issued in Mag, 1881,
and now the revised Old Testament will soon
| be published in all parts of the English speak
ing world. This revision is the most important
event in the history OF the English Bible since
the publication of the King James translation in
| 1911. The success of the Old Testament may
more than million copies were sold on the day
of publication, and more than three million
of copies before the close of the year, but it will
probably be more favorably received and less
severely criticised, for it involves changes of
the Hebrew text, no older manuscripts than the
Masoretic having been discovered, and the idiom
| of the authorized version is most carefully pre-
| served out of regard for the conservative
feeling of the church in its attachmentaor the
language OF the old version. All errorsnf trans
| lation, however, have been removed, and the
revision will be pronounced by every competent
Bible reader to be a very great Improvement It
presents the results OF the combined labor of a
scholars of England and the United States, most
OF them professors OF Hebrew in universities
and seminaries. 1t has, moreover; the3sadvant-
age OF the vast advances of the last fifty years in
Oriental philology, biblical geography, history
| and antiquities. all OF which were but Fzmper-
fectIy understood by the forty trans lators
version in the place Of bad one, but a great
| improvement OF good VERSION. The movement
| for the present version was inaugurated by the
convocation of Canterbury, the mot her church
OF Anglo-Saxon Chrstendom, May 2 /, 1870 by
the adoption of the following resolutions:
THE FIRST STEPS.
"That it is desirable that a revision o the
authorized version OF this Holy Scripture
be undertaken: that the rewision be soecon-
Quoted as TO comprise both marginal re1der
| ings and such emendatiOns as it may be found
necessary to insert in the textsof the authorized
version; that we do not contemplate any grew
translation of the Bible, OF any alteration OF
language, except where, in the jud gment of the
most competent scholars, slach change is nea2s-
sary; that in such necessary changes the styk of
! language employed in the existing version .5e
closely followed; that it is desirable that the
convocation should nominate a. body of It's osSn
members to undertake the work of revision N.ko
shall be at liberty to invite thesso- operation of
any eminent for scholarship, to whatever natipzs
or religious body they may belong" Steps
| toward the formation of an American committee
OF revision were taken almost iHllEed iatey after
the organization OF the English committees The
first meeting of the New Testament committee
in England was held June 90, 1870 On the 9TH
! OF July following the two houses OF con-
VOc5JlOu VOUeu TO invite cooperation OF
some American divines, and to Bishop WILDER
force and Dean Stanley was assigned this task
The result was the selection of certain gentle
men who were fitted for The work and were
likely to be regarded as authorities in biblical
learning by the American public, aEwl the sub
| mission OF their names to Bishop E1licott and
Dean Stanley as representing the English body.
s flew months later, on Jan. 13, 1871, Dean
Sd anley wrote to DR.. Schatf, who wSs in the
Lglited States, Offering suggestions jr the way
| facilitating communication between tbs English
| nd tive hi
present the matter to Bishop Potter OF New
York. representing the Protestant Episcopal
chnrch and arrange amode OF cooperation. On
the same subject Bishop Wilberforce addressed
two letters to Bishop Potter. which we've sub
mitteti to the house OF bishops in New York
That:body decided to take no official part in the
work, but left individual members free to act as
they 'night. Final arrangements for the American
commission were not made until the summer of
1877 In the autumn the commission begaH its
work Though nearly two years later than the
English companies in beginning the work, they
passed forward with such1 activity that they
were enabled to complete it temporaueousfy
W it'll their English brethern.
TIE BOOK ITSELF.
The Bh5le appears bound with the New Testa~
nent. 1ae preface opens with a statement Of
the general principles on which the revision has
been conducted The revisers have borne in
mind their duty not to make new translation,
but to revise that already existing, and have de-
parted FROM it only when it disagreed with the
translators OF 1911 upon the meaning OF a word
or sentence. The terms of natural history are
only changed when it is certain that the author
lied version is incorrect Where it is doubtful
or there. is an alternative, the rendering is
given on the margin. In 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
Jehovah, the usage of the authorized version
Is followed, the revisers not thinking it advis-
able to insert it uniformity in place of Lord" O.
God, which, when printed in small capitals,
represent the words substituted by Jewish Gus
tom for thd infalable name of technical terms
from the Hebrew, or, in three seem to have
pen generally introduced il The word Grove.
with it's plurals "Asherini and "Asheroth."
In the .peetical books "shool" replaces hell"
y Which has been changed in prose passages to
margin OF these renderings hell" saws the
preface If it could be taken i'll it's original sense
as used in the creed would be fairly adequate
commonly understood as the place of torment
That to employ it frequently would lead to inev-
liable misunderstanding. TN Isaiah xiv, where
rs IN eft IF Its original bs the
sheof in the margin. .Abaddon' which has
hltherto been known to English renders of the
blole only from the New Testament (Rev. ix:2),
aas been introduced in three passages-once in
'oD and TWICE IN Proverbs. The term
MEAT OFFERING"
has been changed into meal offering, the former
Term having ceased to be the general name for
all food. A new plural-peoples- been in
PRODUCED, although sometimes this becomes
Gentiles when the contrast to the chosen peo-
pie 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 Oh the margin for convenience of
reference. By this means the reyisers have been
enabled TO- rejoin psalm K: to psalm tx. and
psalm xiii. to psalm xii, and to begin
isaih lii at chapter lii, verse 10. The several
days OF the creation are made more prominent by
breaks of a line between the verses. This ex-
pcdient has enabled the revisers to make use of
the dialogue form, and to show the dramatic
character OF the song of songs, the first chapter
Of which, for example, is divided into seven
speeches. The Psalms are definitely divided into
i've books. the last four beginning respectively
At Xiii, xiii, &c, and evil. striking improve
ment is the printing of all poetical passages in
poeticai form. This has been done in the Psalms,
Proverbs, Job and the canticles but the Prophets
have been left in prose. however passionate their
outcry; the songs of Lamech, Jacob, Miriam,
Moses, Deborah and Hannah: the psalm Of Jonah
s saad,i H s, and Dayids lament in
second samuel appear in a versified ballad
the origin of Joshuah miracle. Sun, stand thou
stll upon Gideon, is indicated by it's verse
CHARACTER. SO, also In the triumnhAnt crv ~