only affording interpretations which denote different wording and pointing, but often introducing whole verees or clauses which have no representative in the Hebrew. It is evident that when this version was made, the Hebrew text was still unsettled, and what we now receive was not universally recognized. Very probably under these variations are concealed genuine readings which would otherwise be lost. Many of these are noticed in the Exposition. The Syriac translator has made free use of the Septuagint, and laid great weight on its renderings, often endorsing its mistakes ·and paraphrastic explanations. The Latin V ulgate, the work of St. Jerome, is also· greatly indebted to the LXX., though he has not always slavishly followed it against the authority of the present Hebrew; when he does do so, it is in cases where the text seemed unintelligible without the help of the Greek, or where the pointing was not determined by any traditional decision. What nee he made of the old Itala cannot be determined, though it seems to be assured that many of the additions found in his version occur also in the more ancient. Of the Septuagint Version, as the most important of all, there is more to be said. When it was made it is impossible to say, though it must have been in existence before Ecclesiasticus was written, as it seems clear that Ben-Sira had it.before him when he translated his senior's work.. The trans- lator was well acquainted with Greek literature, and aimed rather at pro~ ducing a respectable literary work than offering a simple representation of the original. He renders freely, paraphrasing where he thought. it neces- sary, and even, as it seems, altering words or phrases to make his meaning clearer, or his sentence more :flowing. The version shows traces of more than one hand being concerned in arranging the present text; as we find some- times double renderings of the same passage, and sometimes two incompa- tible translations blended confusingly into one. Thus, eh. i. 27, after, "When affi.iction and siege come upon yon," is added, "or when. destruct-ion shall come upon you; " eh. ii. 2, "Thine ear shall listen to wisdom, thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and thou shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son; " eh. vi. 25, " Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou captured with thine eyes, neither be thou caught with her eyelids ; " eh. iii. 15, " She is more valuable than precious stones, no evi?, thing shall oppose her; she is well known to all who approach her, and no precious thing is worthy of her." There is also evidence of carelessness and want of precision here as in other portions of the Greek.Version. But there can be no doubt that many of the variations are owed to a different original. That the LXX. had not onr Masoretic text before them is proved by more than one consideration. In the first place, the order of chapter and verse1 so to speak, was not the same as in our present book. Up to eh. xxiv. 22 the two for the most part coincide, though there is some variation in oh. xv. and xvi. ; and again in eh. xvii. and xx. single verses are dislocated and inserted elsewhere. But at_ eh. xxiv. 23 a notable change occurs. Here is 'l'HE PROVERBS. xxxi
introduced eh. xxix. 27; then follow four distichs not found in the Hebrew; then eh. xxx. 1-14, succeeded by eh. xxiv. 23-31,; then comes the rest of eh. xxx., viz. from var. 15 up to eh. xxxi. 9. Thus the words of Agnr are divided into two sections; and the superscriptions there and at the begin- ning of eh. xxx. being removed, the proverbs of Agur and Lemuel are joined without reserve to those of Solomon. The praise of the virtuous woman closes the book, as in the Hebrew. What led the translator to make these changes is a difficult question. Hitzig considers that the writer confounded the columns of the manuscript before him, two being on each page, and the proverbs of Agur and Lemuel being ranked before eh. xxv., and understood traditionally as Solomon's. That this was the trans- lator's idea we see from the inscription which he has inserted at eh. xxiv. 23, "These things I say to you who are wise," where the speaker must necessarily be Solomon. Instead of "The words of Agur " ( eh. xxx. 1), he writes, i• Fear my words, my son, and receiving them repent;" and in eh. xxxi. 1, again, he finds no proper name in Lemuel, but renders, "My words.have been spoken by God the King." Another circumstance which shows that :the Greek tran1:1lator had before him a different text from ours is that he presents us with many passages which are not found in the Hebrew, and omits many which now have a place therein. The list of such variations would be very large. Among the additions we may notice the following: At the end of eh. iv., which seems to close somewhat abruptly, we have two verses, "For the ways which are on the right hand God knoweth, but those. on the left are crooked; and he it is who will make thy tracks straight, and will guide thy goings in -peace." In eh .. ix. there are two great additions : after ver. 12, " He that stays himself upon lies, he ehepherdeth winds, and he will pursue birds as they fly; for he has forsaken the ways of his own vineyard, and has caUBed the axles of his own field to go astray, an.d he passeth through a waterless desert, and a land established in drought, and gathers with his hands fruit- lessness;" and at ver. 18, "But hasten thou away, delay not in the place, neither fix thine eye upon her, for then shalt thou go through strange water; but from strange water abstain thou, and of a strange fountain drink not, that thou mayest live long, and years of life may be added to thee." Whether these and such-like sentences are genuine or not cannot be deter- mined. ,They look very commonly like explanations or amplifications of the original which have crept from the margin into the text. Thus eh. xi. 16, "A gracious woman raiseth glory for her husband, but a seat of dis- honour is a woman hating righteousness; the slqthful come to lack wealth, bn.t the brave are supported by wealth." Here the Syriao gives, "The slothful ehe.11 be poor even with their riches ; but the spirited shall sustain wisdom." The words in italics seem to be mere glosses. So eh. xviii. 22, " He who finds a good wife finds favours; e,nd receives gladness from God. He who pn.tteth away a good wife. putteth away good things, and he that keepeth uu adulteress is foolish and ungodly." 0£ the longer intercalations the xxxii INTRODUCTION TO