The Somerset reporter., 1885-07-15
The .NeU Terston of the Old Tes-
lament

When the revision of the New Tesla.
ment appeared few years ago, temperance
/ reformers looked eagerly for some new
/ version If the texts hurled at us so often
! BY saloon-keepers' conventions AMI mod
erationist-. Nor were they disappointed.
"Let your moderation he known unto all
men, became Let Y3nr fDrbearance be
known, etc Paul's advice IL Timothy
vas sDftened 10 mere medical preserip.
ton in the rendering BE no longer
driuker If water" showing that Timothy
ID oeen a consistent abstainer while IN
health.
N1w that the new version Of the Oh
Testament l. given ~ the pubic, there ID
even more -ollcitude concerning the dispO-
sltion made Of gahn and tirCsh AMI ahsfs.
We learn that the America Revision Com
pany suggested : hat ttr0sh be uniformly
iran lated ''uew wine ana % d istingui-hed
from yqhtH. or ''wiue. This suggestion,
However, was no. adopted and such chang
- a. are made seem u msuy Biblical schpl.
ars. quite unauthorized by the text Ilrosh
and ygbtn re still used somewhat indis-
cfimnate.y, and 10 o case. Nehemiah IL
II, where the Old version gave tr0sh its
true.t rendering, "new wine the new has
Changed It to wine" Distinctions ap.
pear however il the Disappearance Of the
chase f1goD OF wine which becomes
'tcske Of raisin;" aud Dayid'- generous
gift 70 every man and woman Of Israel u
"a cake Ct pread, a good piece 0! flesh and
iagon Of wine Fer the recovery OF the
ark i. reduced in the last expression 70 "a
cake Of raisin."
IN Psalm. 60 o. instead Of the "wine 81
astonishmeni," ~e have the more express
i've wine Of -taggerng;" and "the vine
foameth" for "lhe wire Is red 10 the seY-
enty.1fth Psalm.
strong drink too gets new condemna-
lion in the change from strong drink IS
raging to "strong drink is brawl-r, and
whose erreth thereby Is no. wise. The
picture presented by the proger1 i far
more complete 10 the new translation, aud
besides greater responsibility seens
thrown upon the sinner than in the old YER
sion which makes nim rather a victim,
being deceived.
The familiar proyerb beginning who
hsta woe,r reads now, "WAo hath WOE:
who hath sorrow? who hath conten.ion-f
who hath coupidiaing for babbliDg) :"
Aud little further on the closing phase Of
the text. Look not on the wine, etc. Is
rendered, when it goet. down smoothly"
Instead Of 'when il rnoveth itself ight.'
10 view OF this last change some fanciful
Interpreters who tried to see In this "mOy-
eth aright" the air bubbles moving upward
iu right lines, will have 10 change thar
version.
But The most helpful alteration is one al
ready nUted, and made again in Cantc!es
> d. where Say me with fiaons, Is
translated. "Stay me with raisins." Il will
pc remembered Just here, that Sir william
Gull seYe al years ago recommended ras~-
ms Instead Of wife IL times oi fatigue, AMI
this because of his own personal expert
ence The nutriment aud stimulating prop
critics Of the grape, fresh OF dried, are said
by such authority 20 be vastly superior 20
the fertneDted product, and now Sculpture
aoefs scituce.
While the drinker has ailei responsible
i.y thrown upon him in the new versi r,
the saloon Keeper. suffer no dIminutiot.
The woe unto aim Who gyeth his neigh.
Dor drink" j. made even more woful BY the
phrase following, which reads that add->t
thy venom thereto, which may have din
reference to some osous with whica even
then the seller OF dr adulterated tue boz
tie put to bis neighbours lips. The venom
of alcohol however, is suificien, coudemua-
lion.
Ii the conservatism OF the revisers has
not given Us the distinctions which We be-
Heve are embodied in the text, We may BE
sure of this, that our oppouents viii not
get much aid and comfort from their worh.
The Thirteen 0lUtrent Hebrew or dfetk
terms which have been, an are still COLI
fused 10 the one word wine are . OF Yet
dlstri Duted in >!gnitcauce Is We are taught
to believe they may be, but still con-erva-
tisnl ha- It's uses Morr radical changes
might have endangered acceptance, and the
Word Of Col is not bound even by reyi--
ers, while His Spirit is in the hearts II
men He who shall lead Us into all truth,
Is with Us, and on the promise Of His re-
yealing, We may confidently rely Union
Signal.