Tt is but fair to add that, in two at least of the books, Wisdom and 2 Esdras, the Versions have been freely resorted to, and with happy effect. In 2 Esdras, more particularly, the Greek original of
* In an able review of the revised Apocr., which appeared in the Times of Nov. 19, 1895, this charge is pressed home.
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VERSIONS (ENGLISH)
VERSIONS (ENGLISH)
which is not extant, many passages have been corrected through this means. A single chapter will furnish sufficient instances. In 2 Es 38 the AV has ‘thou didst set fast the earth,’ which does not suit the context. The verb in the Arabic version is rendered by Gildemeister concussisti, which justifies the translation of the RV, ‘Thou . . . didst shake the earth’ (as if écecas had been corrupted to éornoas). Inv.**is asingular diversity of rendering: ‘and so shall thy name nowhere be found but in Israel’? (AV); ‘and so shall it be found which way the scale inclineth’ (RV). _ The Arabic again bears out the RV. In the Latin, as Hilgenfeld suggested, momentum may have got perverted to nomen twum. Other examples will be found in vy.?! 83° of this same chapter. But, on the whole, the Oriental Versions might have been consulted with profit to a much greater extent than they appear to have been.
There are a few instances of conjectural emen- dation of the text, one or two of which deserve mention. One of the most felicitous is noted in the margin of 2 Mac 7°. By the slight change of memraxact to memoxact the construction is simplified, and the sense altered from ‘having endured a short pain that bringeth everlasting life, have now died under God’s covenant,’ to ‘having endured a short pain, have now drunk of everflowing life under God’s covenant.’ Another, the merit of which is assigned to Dr. Hort,* is admitted to the text of 2 Mac 44. It consists in reading Mevechéws, ‘son of Menestheus’ (as in v.”!) for the inappropriate maivecOat €ws (or rather, ws), ‘did rage as,’ etc. In 2 Es 1** the Revisers give ‘ O father’ (pater, Cod. 8) in place of ‘brother’ (AV). But neither is suitable, the speaker being God. Bensly suggested that the true reading in the Greek might have been zept- BrePor, circumspice, and that the contracted form of zept had got mistaken for one of rdrep. But this conjecture, though ingenious, was not acted upon. +
Subjoined are some examples of changes of rendering made by the Revisers, which have met with approval, or the reverse :—
(A) Changes generally approved.
AV 1611.
Sir 2211 make little weeping for the dead, for he is at rest.
Bar 56 God bringeth them unto thee exalted with glory, as children of the kingdom.
Pr. Man! O Lord, Almighty God of ... etc.
1 Mac 271 God forbid...
1 Mac 1163 purposing to re- move him out of the country,
2Mac 49 to write them of Jerusalem by the name of An- tiochians.
2 Mac 820 the battle that they had in Babylon with the Gala- tians,
RV 1895.
Sir 2211 weep more sweetly for the dead, because he hath found rest. * \
Bar 56 God bringeth them in unto thee borne on high with glory, as on a royal throne. +
Pr. Man! O Lord Almighty . . . thou God of, etc.
1 Mac 221 Heaven forbid... tf
1 Mac 1163 purposing to re- move him from his office. § :
2 Mac 49 to register the in- habitants of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch. ||
2 Mac 820 the help given in the land of Babylon, even the battle that was fought against the Gauls. J
(B) Changes not so approved, or not made where needed.
AV 1611.
1 Es 499 With her there is no accepting of persons or re- wards.
Jth 1611 Then my afflicted shouted for joy, and my weak ones cried aloud; but they (m. the Assyrians) were astonished : these lifted up their voices, but they were overthrown.
Wis 87 she teacheth temper- ance and prudence, justice and fortitude.
Wis 1115 being deceived they worshipped serpents void of reason, and vile beasts.
Sir 62 that thy soul be not torn in pieces asa bull [straying alone].
Sir 2414 I was exalted like a palm tree in En-gaddi.
RV 1895. 1 Es 439 (the same).**
Jth 1611 Then my lowly ones shouted aloud,
And my weak ones were terrified and crouched for fear:
They lifted up their voice, and they were turned to flight. tt
Wis 87 she teacheth soberness and understanding, righteous- ness and courage. tt
Wis 1115 they were led astray to worship irrational reptiles and wretched vermin. $§
Sir 62 that thy soul be not torn in pieces as a bull. |||)
Sir 2414 I was exalted like a palm tree on the sea shore. [J
* 4di0v zAavooy z.7.2., Modicum plora (Lat.).
t as Opovov Boersrsins. Lat.), followed by the AV.
For 6pévey some MSS read visds (jilios,
{ As the Revisers note in their Preface, the words ‘God’ and ‘the Lord’ never occur in the best Greek text of 1 Maccabees. See the point fully discussed in Fairweather and Black’s ed. of 1 Mac. (Camb. Bible), 1897, Introd. p. 46.
§ xpeias, ‘office,’ is a better supported reading than ydpas, ‘country,’ which has very little authority.