The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-04-09
VOL. XVII.-NEw SERIES.
The Integrity of the Old Testiment.
Bl CHARLES NOISE.


to the fuitilmcnt of prophesy, all believers
revelation must agree upon one point, viz
that the word of God as expressed in the
Old Testament must be pure and perfect
1--we believe that God did reveal himself
to Moses aad the Prophets, and that He
promulgated laws for the guidance Of His
chosen people, then it seems t. follow, that
such revelation and such laws must be un-
assailablc.
Yet for how many hundreds Of years
have persons of both religions been mislcd by
improper translations aud imperfect knowl-
edge, to attribute to the Most High, action,
and ordinances which are wholly inconss-
tent with Divine Justice and Divine Wis.
dom.
Take for example the fmiliar expression,
borrowing from the ESyptians.' If We
couldbeleve that our Heavenly Father com-
mauded His people, when about to leave
the land of their cruel bondage, to act with
hypocrisy and deception towards their task
must necessarily be weakened For, though
God dealt then, as He deals now, with frail
and sinful beings, yet lie never did aud
never could sanction, much less command,
a departure from truth and honesty.
What then must be our amazemcnt to find
that the ordinary English translations of
the Bible make it appear that God Himself
directed the Israclitcs to borrow from the
Egyptiaus.'
Leaving the land Of oppressinn never to
return, to leave borrowed jewels of silver
and jewels of gold and raimcut, would have
been the srosscst and most unjustitiablc
deception. But when we remember that
these articles were needed not for the use
of the people, but for the adornment Of the
Tabernacle, the sanctuary in which God
deigned to meet with Moses and there to
manifest Himself and Ills glory, how much
greater would have been the wrong, in pro-
curing by fraud and deception valuables
for such sacred purpose
For let it be remembered, that the people
could not have had any possible use for the
precious metals in their forty years wan
derings in the Wilderness Nor dill they
need raimcnt Tor it is cmphatically stated,
In the sacred narrative, that their clothing
did not wear out, but served them without
impairment. during their long and weary
march.
But we need feel ~ uncasircss rs TO the
subject, if We apply to this portion of Scrip,
turc the ordinary rules Of Biblical cxcgcsis
We will then discover that the words and
idea OF borrowing from the Egyptians arc
confined entirely to the English translation.
They can not be found in the original
Hebrew, nor any of the translations into
ancient or modern languages, (English
alone cxccpted.) The III .brcw word shaal'
signifies in its primary sense asked, rcqucs-
ted, demanded and Roy in his excellent
dictionary refers these meanings to the very
passage in Exodus (lll 22), which is trans
lated i'll the common English version 'bor-
row.
The Scptuagint renders it 'aitesci,' (ask)
the vu.guc, 'postulabit (dcmaulcd).
Some very old English translations Of
the Bible, for example. the Geneva Bible,
and Barkcr's Bible, 1918, translated the
word '.ske.'
In every modern language the Hebrew
worl 'shaal is translated BY word cquv>
allen: to 'dcmsnd.' In Spanish it is rendered
'piia in Portuguese 'pcdc,' in French de-
maudc in German erhttc,' &c.
Besides these, there arc other circum-
stances which confirm the statement that
this erroneous Translation is confined to the
English version Of the Bible.
The learned work of Rabbi Manassch
ben Israel, called the '%onclator' was
published in Holland in 1852, twcnty-three
years before the author visited England
In that book there arc some six hundred
reconciliaiions of apparently contradictory
or difficult passages of Scripture. The sub
ject Of borrowing from the Egyptians is
not mentioned BY that profound scholar.
This shows that he hal never heard Of it,
because, if hc bad. there is 10 doubt he
would have considered il in his very cx-
haustivc work.
Again, the learned Noltarc, the most bit
ter enemy Of Judaism as well as Of all re-
veacd religion, exhausted the resources of
his great intellect in vain efforts to injurc
the character Of the Oiarostamcnt 50 far
did he carry his vcnomous attacks asainst