Part 2

We here pause, before proceeding to our second extract, to notice one very damaging source of mistranslation as applicable to the Old Testament. We allude to what may be called the use of the Prophetical or Theological scheme in dealing with the Prophecies. For instance, in the 2nd verse of 53rd chap, of Isaiah, as below, the words “_for he shall grow up_” ought to be rendered “_and_” or “_so_” (resuming the argument of the previous chapter) “_he grew up_” in the PAST tense; and so on through the chapter. The Prophets, it is well known, in the vividness of their prophetic vision, contemplated the future events that passed under their ken as _actually past_; {14} and as this is a prominent characteristic of their mode of delivering prophetic truth, it ought not to be lost sight of in a translation. The explanation of the _fact_ that what they spoke of as actually past was still future, belongs to what is called “exegesis,” and stands out as an Order of Rhetoric significant of, and sacred to, their prophetic function; but by no means should such an element enter into a translation, which, if it does not present a faithful reflex of the original, is simply a misnomer. Not that there is any inviolable uniformity in the practice of the translators in the use of this scheme. Far from it; as is evident from the translation that follows. And this serves to render a subject, necessarily obscure from its very nature, immeasurably more so. The truth is, we have here forced upon us the fact, that the translators were not fully acquainted with a principle of the language—now well understood—that lies at the basis of the whole structure. {15} They saw its force—they could not help doing so—in the Narrative portions, but were not cognizant of it as a Fundamental principle of the language, applicable alike to all subjects, and not variable and flexible at the pleasure of the interpreter.

We are sorry we can adduce no particular name on which to cast the responsibility of the following amended version. We have consulted very many of the most distinguished of those who have laboured to translate this, in some respects, very intricate passage, and what we have given must be considered mainly as an _amalgam_ of the joint labours of them all. We are far from thinking we have given the best version possible; and _perhaps_ the text itself, where the difficulty is peculiarly pressing, may yet be found susceptible of improvement:—

ISAIAH.

_Old Version_. _New Version_. Ch. lii. 13. Behold, my servant Ch. lii. 13. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be shall be prosperous; he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very exalted and extolled, and be high. magnified exceedingly. 14. As many were astonied at 14. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred thee; (so marred was his visage more than any man, and his form more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: than the sons of men.) 15. So shall he sprinkle many 15. So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut nations; kings shall shut their their mouths at him: for _that_ mouths at him (_do him homage_); which had not been told them for that which had not been told shall they see; and _that_ which them have they seen, and that they had not heard shall they which they had not heard have consider. they considered: Ch. liii. 1. Who hath believed Ch. liii. 1. (Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord revealed? arm of the Lord been revealed?) 2. For he shall grow up before 2. And he grew up before him as him as a tender plant, and as a a tender plant, and as a root out root out of a dry ground: he hath of a land of drought: he hath no no form nor comeliness; and when form nor comeliness that we we shall see him, _there is_ no should see him, and no beauty beauty that we should desire him. that we should desire him. 3. He is despised and rejected 3. Despised and rejected of men; of men; a man of sorrows, and a man of sorrows, and acquainted acquainted with grief: and we hid with grief; and concealing as it as it were _our_ faces from him; were _his_ face from us; he was despised, and we esteemed despised, and we esteemed him him not. not. 4. Surely he hath borne our 4. Surely _it was_ our griefs griefs, and carried our sorrows; _that_ he bore; and our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, he carried them: but we esteemed smitten of God, and afflicted. him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5. But he _was_ wounded for our 5. But he _was_ pierced for our transgressions, _he was_ bruised transgressions, _he was_ bruised for our iniquities: the for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace _was_ chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we upon him, and by his infirmity we are healed. were healed. 6. All we like sheep have gone 6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one astray; we have turned each one to his own way; and the Lord hath to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us laid on him the iniquity of us all. all. 7. He was oppressed, and he was 7. He was oppressed; but he, afflicted, {17a} yet he opened submitting himself, {17c} does not his mouth: he is brought not even open his mouth: as a {17b} as a lamb to the slaughter, lamb is brought to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened shearers _is_ dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. not his mouth. 8. He was taken from prison and 8. From oppression and from from judgment: and who shall judgment was he taken: but _the declare his generation? for he wickedness of_ his generation who was cut off out of the land of shall declare? for he was cut off the living: for the transgression out of the land of the living; of my people was he stricken. for the transgression of my people, for the stroke _due_ to them! 9. And he made his grave with 9. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in the wicked, and with the his death; because he had done no [impious] {17d} in his death; violence, neither was any deceit though he had done no violence, in his mouth. and _there was_ no deceit in his mouth. 10. Yet it pleased the Lord to 10. But it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put _him_ to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his grief, _proclaiming_, If his soul soul an offering for sin, he shall make an offering for sin, shall see _his_ seed, he shall he shall see a seed, he shall prolong _his_ days, and the prolong _his_ days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. prosper in his hand. 11. He shall see of the travail 11. He shall see of the travail of his soul, _and_ shall be of his soul; he shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall satisfied: by his knowledge _of my righteous servant justify woe_ {18a} shall my righteous many; for he shall bear their servant make many righteous, and iniquities. himself shall bear their iniquities. 12. Therefore will I divide him 12. Therefore I will allot him _a portion_ with the great, and the great for his portion, and he he shall divide the spoil with shall divide the mighty as spoil, the strong; because he poured out because he poured out his soul his soul unto death: and he was unto death, and was numbered with numbered with the transgressors; transgressors. So he bore the and he bare the sin of many, and sin of many, and intercedes {18b} made intercession for the for the transgressors. transgressors.

NOTE.—The new translation is less soft and mellifluous than the old, but let it not be hastily condemned in the comparison on that account. It is more exact, and that is the principal object now. Probably it may yet fall into hands that shall combine all the beautiful flow of the old version, with no less, and even far greater exactness than we have been able to achieve.

Thus far for the Old Testament. We adopt a somewhat different mode of selection in dealing with the New, but adhere to our plan of exhibiting the two versions in juxtaposition. The amended passages that follow are taken, with a few exceptions, from Professor Scholefield’s “Hints for an Improved Translation of the New Testament.” They are, it is presumed, sufficiently important to warrant the selection, but it must be premised that it is not by taking isolated passages for emendation that the WHOLE TRUTH insisted upon in these pages can be enforced. There are numberless points of correction of which our version is susceptible that are not adapted for such isolated exhibition, and which it is the special business of the Greek particles to supply; but the exhibition of such points, involving the structure of sentences and the mutual relation of the clauses of which they are made up, would require a much larger canvass. We indicate this source of correction only to avert the conclusion, that our argument rests solely on the basis supplied in the particular mode of illustration adopted.

_Old Version_. _New Version_. Mark iv. 13. And he said unto them, Know ye And he says to them, Know ye not not this parable? and how then this parable? how then will ye will ye know all parables? know any {19} parables? Luke xvi. 12. And if ye have not been faithful . . . in that which is another’s in that which is another man’s. (_i.e._ God’s). John xviii. 15. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, And Simon Peter was following and _so did_ another disciple. Jesus, and _so was_ the other disciple (probably Judas). John i. 9. Which lighteth every man that Which coming into the world cometh into the world. lighteth every man. Acts xix. 2. Whether there be any Holy Ghost. Whether the Holy Ghost be given. Rom. vi. 17. But God be thanked, that ye were But God be thanked that whereas the servants of sin. ye were the servants of sin. Rom. xiv. 23. Is damned if he eat, because _he Is condemned if he eat, because eateth_ not of faith. _it is_ not of faith. 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. But if our gospel be hid, it is . . . be hid (_with a veil_), it hid to them that are lost: is hid to the abandoned:

In whom the god of this world As to whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them habitually blinds their minds, that believe not. being unbelieving. 1 Pet. iii. 6. Whose daughters ye are as long as . . . as long as ye do well, and ye do well, and are not afraid yield to no fear, (_as Sarah on with any amazement. one memorable occasion did_). 2 Pet. i. 19, 20, 21. We have also a more sure word of Moreover, we have the word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well prophecy _made_ more sure, (the that ye take heed, as unto a voice from heaven while in the light, &c. holy mount _confirmed_ it).

Knowing this first, that no Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of prophecy of Scripture is of the any private interpretation; nature of a private revelation;

For the prophecy came not in old For prophecy was not prompted in time by the will of man; but holy old time by the will of man; but men of God spoke _as they were_ holy men of God spoke _as_ moved by the Holy Ghost. prompted by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. iii. 5, 6. For this they willingly are For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and God, the heavens and the earth the earth standing out of the were of old involved in a water and in the water; confluence of waters;

Whereby the world that then was, Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, being deluged with water, perished. perished. 1 Cor. v. 9. I wrote unto you in an epistle. I have written to you in my epistle (the present). 1 Cor. vii. 11. But and if she depart. But if also she be separated. 1 Cor. x. 17. For we _being_ many, are one For _there is_ one bread, and we, bread _and_ one body. who are many, are one body. 1 Cor. xv. 41. For _one_ star differeth from Nay (or, this is not all, for) _another_ star in glory. one star differeth from another star, &c. 2 Cor. iii. 18. But we all, with open face And we all with unveiled face beholding as in a glass the glory reflecting as in a glass . . . of the Lord (Moses put a veil on his face, not so the disciples of Christ). 2 Cor. v. 1. If our earthly house of _this_ If the earthly house of our tabernacle were dissolved. tabernacle be dissolved. 2 Cor. xii. 2, 4. I knew a man in Christ. I know a man in Christ.

It is not lawful to utter. It is not possible. Gal. iii. 22. That the promise by faith of That the promise may be given to Jesus Christ might be given to believers by Jesus Christ. them that believe. Eph. v. 13. But all things that are reproved But all things are reproved, and are made manifest by the light. made manifest by the light. Phil. i. 7. Partakers of my grace. Partakers with me of grace. Phil. i. 10. That ye may approve things that That ye may try things that are excellent. differ. Phil. iv. 8. If _there be_ any virtue, and if Whatever virtue, and whatever _there be_ any praise. praise there be. Col. i. 19. For it pleased _the Father_, that For all the fulness of the in him should all fulness dwell. God-head was pleased to dwell in him. Col. ii. 23. Not in any honour to the Not with any regard to the satisfying of the flesh. satisfying of the flesh. 2 Thess. ii. 6, 7. And now ye know what withholdeth And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his _him_, that he may be revealed in time. his own time. For the mystery of iniquity is already working; only For the mystery of iniquity doth there is one that now withholdeth already work: only he who now it, until he be taken out of the letteth _will let_, until he be way. taken out of the way. Heb. iv. 2. For unto us was the gospel For we have the glad tidings preached, as well as unto them: thereof even as they; but the but the word preached did not word of its report (_i.e._, which word profit them. they heard) did not profit them. Heb. ix. 12. He entered in once into the holy He entered once for all into the place. holy place. Heb. ix. 15, 16, 17. And for this cause he is the And for this end he is the mediator of the new testament, mediator of the new covenant, that by means of death, for the that, his death having taken redemption of the transgressions place for the redemption of the _that were_ under the first transgressions under the first testament, they which are called covenant, they that are called might receive the promise of might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. eternal inheritance.

For where a testament _is_, there For where a covenant _is_, there must also of necessity be the must of necessity be brought in death of the testator. the death of the mediating _sacrifice_. For a testament _is_ of force after men are dead: otherwise it For a covenant is valid over dead is of no strength at all while _sacrifices_: since it is never the testator liveth. of any force while the mediating _sacrifice_ continues alive. Heb. xii. 18. To the mount that might be To the mount that could be touched. touched. Heb. xiii. 4. Marriage _is_ honourable in all, Let marriage be honourable in and the bed undefiled. all, and the bed _be_ undefiled. 1 Pet. iii. 20. Were saved by water. Were saved through the water (brought safely through). 1 Pet. iv. 8. Shall cover the multitude of Will cover a multitude of sins. sins. 2 Pet. i. 16. For we have not followed For we did not follow cunningly cunningly devised fables, when we devised fables when we made known made known unto you . . . unto you . . . 2 Pet. ii. 1, 3. And bring upon themselves swift . . . and their destruction destruction . . . and their slumbereth not (_destruction_, damnation slumbereth not. precisely the same word as before). 2 Pet. ii. 5. Noah the eighth _person_. Noah, with seven others. 2 Pet. ii. 14. Cursed children. Children of the curse. Rev. iv. 6. Four beasts. Four living creatures. Rev. x. 6. That there should be time no That there should be no more longer. delay.

Thus far, by way of specimen of the improvement of which the authorized version is susceptible on the score of fidelity to the original. The instances might have been multiplied indefinitely, but we designed only a specimen. We would repeat that there is a large amount of improvement practicable in elucidating and enforcing the sense, when it is not positively misrepresented, that is less fitted for such display, and which alone it would require the transcription of a large portion of the Bible to render apparent.

“Claudite jam rivos pueri; sat prata biberunt.”

We have indeed said enough to justify our plea, and here we might close the evidence, but we are tempted further to observe that the sense of Scripture is not only obscured in the authorized version by errors of translation, but there is almost an equal amount of mischief done to the sense by the present mode of distributing the subject-matter into chapter and verse; for which, as is well known, there is no valid authority, {24a} either as regards the Old or the New Testament. This fault it is the special object of the new Paragraph Bible lately published by the Religious Tract Society, to remedy. We confine ourselves to two illustrations.

The 53rd chapter of Isaiah begins with a parenthesis, (‘Who hath believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?’) {24b} This, in our view, is a _soliloquy_ into which the prophet breaks forth in relief of his feelings, while contemplating the overpowering events that pass in review before him, coupled with the rejection of the message by the great body of his countrymen. {25a} These events had already begun their career at the 13th verse of the foregoing chapter, and they go steadily on through the remainder of that, and the whole of the following chapter, broken only by the ejaculation of the prophet, thus violently wrenched from its place, as the matter now stands.

The other instance we adduce of the obscuration of the sense occasioned by the present faulty distribution of the letter-press, occurs Joshua v. and vi. It is an example of an analogous kind to that already given. It makes a parenthesis used simply in explanation of a series of instructions from the Lord to Joshua to vacate its place in the narrative, and actually stand at the commencement of a new chapter, in which the same series of instructions is still continued. See the “Edinburgh Review” for October last. {25b} We shall place the old and new arrangement in juxta-position, when the violence done to the sense, as the matter now stands, will be apparent at once.

_Old Arrangement_. _New Arrangement_. Joshua v. 15. And the captain of the Lord’s And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy host said unto Joshua, “_Loose shoe from off thy foot; for the thy shoe from off thy foot_, _for place where thou standest _is_ the place where thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so. holy_.” And Joshua did so. Ch. vi. Now Jericho was straitly (Now Jericho was straitly shut shut up, because of the children up, because of the children of of Israel: none went out, and Israel; none went out, and none none came in. came in). And the Lord said unto Joshua, “_See_, _I have given 2. And the Lord said unto into thy hand Jericho_,” &c. Joshua, See, I have given into thy hand Jericho, &c.

The reader will observe in the above paragraph that, in addition to a better distribution of the letter-press, we have given the _spoken language_ in italics, with inverted commas,—a character of type we recommend to be carried out continuously in the revised version, as it, actually is with excellent effect, in the new Paragraph Bible. These may be thought small matters, but we have been led to mention them as thinking the adoption of them will give facility, not merely to the private, but also to the _vivâ voce_ reading of Scripture,—a point surely not undeserving of attention.

Connected with these desiderata are others of a minor character, as—an improved punctuation—the substitution of vernacular for obsolete words—the use of _euphemisms_ where the allusion is obvious, and no violence is done to the sense—appropriate concise headings to the different sections in the margin—_chronological arrangement of the several books_—chronological data, &c. &c.