« buli involucris tegi: ut quo propius abest a Græcis et "Hebræis Latina interpretatio, eo mihi quidem magis

probanda videatur: ita tamen ut simplicitate illa ser“monis servata, quæ in his spiritus sancti oraculis plane “divina est et admirabilis, asperum illud et horridum "scribendi genus vitetur.

"Verborum proprietatum adeo studiose sum secta"tus, ut etiam a synonymis, quoad ejus fieri potuit, libens "abstinuerim. Singula Græca vocabula eodem ubique " modo exprimere studui, nisi cum diversa fuerit signifi"catio, aut peculiaris aliqua ratio incidit: quam et ipse plerumque notavi."

es

Beza in his dedication of the New Testament to Queen Elizabeth. MDLXIII.

"Quum autem, sicut in Græco sermone una eademque vox retinetur, in Latina quoque interpretatione "servatur, ea certe in re multum consuli iis potissimum "videtur, qui, cum Gracæ linguæ sint imperiti, Latino "acquiescere sermoni necesse habent. Nam inde hoc "saltem colligunt, uno eodemque vocabulo Græcum "scriptorem uti, ideoque locum unum cum altero con"ferri debere."

Henr. Stephani præf. ad Nov, Test. 12mo.
MDLXXVI.

"Here at one view," says Doctor Taylor in the pre"face to his concordance, "those who shall undertake " a new version will see under every word how variously "it is rendered in the present version; and so may more "easily and exactly judge how just those renderings are, and how far they may be reduced to one and the same rendering, which is much to be preferred where "the sense will bear it."

A more scrupulous exactness may well be required in translating the scriptures, than in any other transla tion: and unlearned readers should not be deceived, by the needless use of synonymous terms, in their comparison of passages which appear to be parallel, and in their notions about the extent of the original languages and the copiousness of a writer's style. It may also be shewn that not only the sense, but the beauty and force, of many passages depend on a version not deviating from uniformity without a decisive reason.

I therefore propose,

1. That translators should previously agree on the rendering of certain words and phrases. For instance, that should always be rendered by "Jehovah,” and Nam by " Jehovah God of hosts."

2. That it should be considered, by the help of concordances, whether the same word can always be rendered in the same manner; and that, when an English word suits every place, it should be invariably used. Our translators often vary their terims, not only unnecessarily, but so as to mislead the reader. Kgarises, which occurs four times, is twice rendered "most excellent," and twice" most noble." Пarge, which occurs thrice, is rendered by family, lineage, and kindred." "Avasarow, which occurs thrice, is rendered by "to turn upside "down," "to make an uproar," and "to trouble." Within the compass of two verses, xxx is rendered "governor of the f ast," and "ruler of the feast:" John ii. 8, 9:"gruga, "to testify," and "to bear witness:" ib. xv. 26, 27: and ages, "diversities," and differences:" 1 Cor. xii. 4, 5. Even in the same verse we find

translated by "abide," and " tarry:" Luke xxiv. 22: by "to have compassion," and " to have pity:"

Matth. xviii. 33: and a by
αιώνιος
"eternal:" Matth, xxv. 46.

"everlasting," and

3. That, if the original word cannot always admit of the same rendering, of which there are many examples, the different renderings may be reduced to as few as possible, and those the fittest which the language affords.

μαι

4, That different words, which have the same sense or nearly the same, should be distinguished in translating them, when the English tongue furnishes distinct and proper terms. Ας εκπλήσσομαι 66 I am amazed,” Σαμβισ "I am astonished," "I am greatly astonished:" as "sick," ageuses diseased;" parama "infirmity," vos and "disease:" BORUTIMOS << very costly," πολυτελης very precious," Baguiμos" of great price." Minute differences in words should be observed by accurate translators. Thus Matth. xxvii. 46, Mark xv. 34, aveßonce and Bons are rendered "cried:" but the former word should be rendered "cried out."

νόσημα

40, Luke ix. 50.

5. That parallel passages should be rendered in the same words. But υπερ is differently rendered Mark ix. "He, that is not against us, is on our part." "He, that is not against us, is for us." Matth. xxvi. 41, and Mark xiv. 38 exactly correspond in the original, but differ in our translation. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation: the spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."

It is observed in the rule that sometimes the English language requires a different translation of the same original word. Thus, when an is opposed to man, it

must be rendered beast: as, "I will cut off man and beast." Ezek. xiv. 13. But when it is opposed to wild beast, it must be rendered cattle: as Gen. i. 25. Joel i. 18.

Ambiguity is avoided Amos iii. 6.

Shall there be evil in a city,

And Jehovah hath not † inflicted it?

Where, if the word done had been used, God might seem represented as the author of moral evil, instead of judicial calamities.

It is also proper to depart sometimes from the strictness of this rule for the sake of the ear: as Hos. ii. 9: where our translators use recover, cover, and discover, in three lines.

As the Hebrew vau, in the sense of and, occurs perpetually, and not seldom at the beginning of many clauses together; as Am. viii. 10, Hos. ii. 19—23, Zech. ix. 3-8; it is often proper to translate it by Now, so, then, &c. and many may think that the same precise rendering is unnecessary, as to some other words which are frequently repeated, and which are not the object of criticism: as, that may be indiscriminately rendered by " to depart" and "to go away," ex by " to depart" and "to go out." &c. εξερχεσθαι

That many passages of scripture would be placed in a striking light by uniformity of rendering, may appear from the following examples. Isaiah xxxvii. 3. "This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, л, and of blasphemy." "This day is a day of trouble, and of

+ Hebr. done.

E

rebuke, and of contumely." Bishop Lowth. It follows, v. 4: It may be the Lord thy God-will reprove, , [refute, Bishop Lowth] the words which the Lord thy God hath heard." As the verb in v. 4, alludes to the noun in v. 3, the corresponding terms reproof and reprove are necessary to convey the sense and force of the passage. Rabshakeh has uttered words of reproof against Judah: it may be that God will reprove the words of the Assyrian. So Matth. v. 15, 16. "And it shineth, au, [not, and it giveth light] unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine," &c. far. Rom. i. 19. "Because that which may be known of God is manifest, pavegov, in them; [rather among them] for God hath shewed it, avis [rather, manifested it] unto them." Rom. xv. 4, 5." For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort, again, of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation, saganhos, [rather, comfort] grant you to be like-minded, &c." And again ib. v. 12, 13. "In him shall the Gentiles trust, w, [rather, hope.] Now the God of hope, stidos, fill you with all joy." &c. The beauty of St. Paul's manner is lost in the common rendering.

RULE V. The collocation of the words should never be harsh, and unsuited to an English ear. An inverted structure may often be used in imitation of the original, or merely for the sake of rhyme in the sentence: but this should be determined by what is easy and harmonious in the English language; and not by the order of the words in the original, where this produces a forced arrangement, or one more adapted to the licence of poetry than to prose.