exact modern equivalent for it. The principle adopted by the Company will be best illustrated by two typical examples. The verb 'to ear' in the sense of 'to plough' and the substantive 'earing' for 'ploughing' were very reluctantly abandoned, and only because it was ascertained that their meaning was unknown to many persons of good intelligence and education. But it

was easy to put in their place equivalents which had a pedigree of almost equal antiquity, and it would have been an excess of conservatism to refuse to substitute for an unintelligible archaism an expression to which no ambiguity could be attached. On the other hand the word 'bolled' (Ex. ix. 31), which signifies 'podded for seed' and is known in provincial dialects, has no synonym in literary English. To have discarded it in favour of a less accurate or more paraphrastic expression would have been to impoverish the language; and it was therefore left, because it exactly expresses one view which is taken of the meaning of the original.

One of the few instances in which the language of the Authorised Version has been modified in accordance with later usage is the change of the neuter possessive pronoun from 'his' to 'its'. It is well known that 'its' does not occur in the Bible of 1611, and it does not appear to have been introduced into any edition before 1660. But it is found ten times in Shakespeare, and there is other evidence to shew that at the time of the Authorised Version it was coming into use. It was found necessary in some cases to substitute its' for 'his' in order to avoid obscurity, and there seemed no good reason, when it was once introduced, for refusing to admit it generally when it referred to purely inanimate objects.

In making minor changes, whether in translation or language, the Revisers have followed the example of the translators of the Authorised Version, who allowed themselves in this respect a reasonable freedom, without permitting their liberty to degenerate into license.

It will be at once seen that the old division of the books into chapters and verses has been abandoned in favour of the arrangement in paragraphs, the numbering of the chapters and verses being however retained for convenience of reference. Where the change of subject seemed to require a greater break than was marked by the beginning of a new paragraph, it has been indicated by a space before the paragraph. Occasionally the divisions of the chapters in the Authorised Version differ from those in the common Hebrew Bibles. In such cases the variations are given in the margin. In the Psalms, the titles are printed in smaller type, as in some modern English Bibles, which differ in this respect from the edition of 1611. One consequence of the arrangement in paragraphs has been the omission of the headings of chapters, which for other and more important reasons it was thought advisable to abandon, as involving questions which belong rather to the province of the commentator than to that of the translator. With the headings of chapters the head-lines of pages naturally disappeared also, and for the same reason.

In the poetical portions, besides the division into paragraphs, the Revisers have adopted an arrangement in lines, so as to exhibit the parallelism which is characteristic of Hebrew Poetry. But they have not extended this arrangement to the prophetical books, the language of which although frequently marked by parallelism is, except in purely lyrical passages, rather of the nature of lofty and impassioned prose.

In the use of italics the Revisers departed from the custom of the Authorised Version and adopted as their rule the following resolution of their Company:

That all such words now printed in italics, as are plainly implied in the Hebrew and necessary in English, be printed in common type.'

But where any doubt existed as to the exact rendering of the Hebrew, all words which have been added in order to give completeness to the English expression are printed in italic type, so that the reader by omitting them may be able to see how far their insertion is justified by the words of the original. This of course is especially true of those renderings for which an alternative is given in the margin, where the roman and italic type play exactly opposite parts.

To complete the account of the Revised Version it remains only to describe the marginal notes. These will be found to contain

(1) The renderings of such variations in the Massoretic Text as appeared to be of sufficient importance. These variations are known by the technical names of K'ri (read) and C'thib (written), which denote that the K'ri, or reading in the margin of the Hebrew Bible, is to be substituted for the C'thib which appears in the written text. The Revisers have generally, though not uniformly, rendered the C'thib in the text, and left the K'ri in the margin, with the introductory note Or, according to another reading, or 'Another reading is. When the K'ri has been followed in the text, the C'thib has been placed in the margin, if it represented a variation of sufficient importance.

6

(2) Alternative renderings, introduced by ‘Or'. These are either different meanings of the word or passage, or they serve to connect it with other renderings elsewhere.

(3) Literal renderings of the Hebrew or Aramaic, indicated by the prefix 'Heb.' or 'Aram.' (4) Changes of text made on the authority of the ancient Versions.

(5) Readings from ancient Versions which appeared to be of sufficient importance to be noticed.

(6) Renderings of the Hebrew consonants as read with different vowel points, or as differently divided. These are introduced by the words 'Or, as otherwise read'.

(7) Marginal references to other passages, which are either strictly parallel, or serve the purpose of illustrating or justifying a particular rendering.

(8) Explanations of certain proper names, the meaning of which is referred to in the text.

In the Proper Names the Revisers have endeavoured to ascertain the system of transliter

ation adopted by the Translators of the Authorised Version and to carry it out with somewhat greater consistency. They have not however attempted anything like rigid uniformity, and have left unchanged all those names which by usage have become English; as, for instance, Moses, Aaron, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the like.

Among the Rules laid down by the Revision Committee of Convocation for the guidance of the Revisers was one that no change should be finally made in the text of the Authorised Version except by the vote of two-thirds of the Company present and voting; and this Rule has been invariably acted upon. The result has been that in many cases a rendering which was preferred by the majority of the Company voting has been recorded in the margin, the majority not being sufficient to give it a place in the text. But all questions of marginal readings, as well as of punctuation and division into paragraphs, except where these affected the sense of a passage, were decided by a simple majority.

It may be of some interest to describe the method observed by the Company in their work, if only to shew that every question raised was carefully and deliberately considered. In the first Revision it was the practice for the Secretary to read over each verse, first in the original and then in the Authorised Version: the proposals for change were then taken; first those communicated in writing by absent members, and next those made by the members present. Each proposal was moved, and if seconded was discussed and voted upon; the decision in the first Revision being by a majority only. If a proposal met with no seconder, it was not discussed but allowed to drop. In the second Revision, the Secretary read out in order the changes which had been made at the first Revision; if these were unchallenged they were allowed to remain, otherwise they were put to the vote and affirmed or rejected according as they were or were not supported by the requisite majority of two-thirds. In the second Revision new propositions could only be made by special permission of the Company, and discussion was limited, as far as possible, to exceptional In the final review, which was in reality the completion of the second Revision, the Company employed themselves in making a general survey of what they had done, deciding finally upon reserved points, harmonizing inconsistencies, smoothing down roughnesses, removing unnecessary changes, and generally giving finish and completeness to their work. Everything in this final survey was decided by the vote of a majority of two-thirds.

cases.

The Revisers had already made some progress, and had in fact gone twice through the Pentateuch, before they secured the co-operation of the American Old Testament Revision Company. The first Revision of the several books was submitted to the consideration of the American Revisers, and, except in the case of the Pentateuch, the English Company had the benefit of their criticisms and suggestions before they proceeded to the second Revision. The second Revision was in like manner forwarded to America, and the latest thoughts of the American Revisers were in the hands of the English Company at their final review. In every instance the suggestions from America were treated with the same consideration as those proceeding from members of the English Company, and were adopted or rejected on their merits. It was a part of the terms of agreement with the American Company that all points of ultimate difference between them and the English Revisers should be placed on record, and they will accordingly be found fully stated at the end of the Old Testament, or at the end of the several portions, according as the Revised Version appears in one or more volumes. Many of them will be found to be changes of language which are involved in the essentially different circumstances of American and English readers; others express a preference for the marginal rendering over that given in the text; others again involve a real difference of opinion; but all shew that they have been dictated by the same leading principle, the sincere desire to give to modern readers a faithful representation of the meaning of the original documents.

The

It could not but be expected that in the course of fourteen years many changes would take place in the members of the Company. Of the original number who first put their hands to the work on the 30th of June 1870, only fifteen now remain. Ten of the Company have been removed by death, and two resigned: the places of these were filled from time to time by others; but since October 1875 no new members have been added. Revision was completed in eighty-five sessions, ending on 20th June, 1884; and it occupied 792 days. The greater part of the sessions were for ten days each, and each day the Company generally sat for six hours. The labour therefore has been great, but it has been given ungrudgingly; and now with a feeling of deep thankfulness to Almighty God, and the earnest hope that their endeavours may with His blessing tend to a clearer knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures, the Revisers bring their long task to a close.

JERUSALEM CHAMBER, WESTMINSTER Abbey, 10 July, 1884.

THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES,

CALLED

GENESIS.

THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES,

COMMONLY CALLED

GENESIS.

1 IN the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

*

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 And God said, *Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it

was so.

And

8 And God called the *firmament Heaven. the evening and the morning were the second day. 9 And God said, *Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the 51. 15. gathering together of the waters called le Seas: and God saw that it was good.

+ Heb.

expan

sion.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding *Jer. 51. fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

15.

* Ps. 33.

7.

& 136, 6.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding Job 38.8. fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and + Heb. God saw that it was good.

tender grass.

* Deut,

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it

was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God said, *Let the waters bring forth creeping. abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and R. V. 2 the earth. And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the spirit of God 1moved upon the face of 1 Or, was 3 the waters. And God said, Let there be light: brooding 4 and there was light. And God saw the light, upon that it was good: and God divided the light 5 from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

9

2 Ileb.

And God said, Let there be a 2firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the expanse. 7 waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which 8 were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and 10 let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and 11 God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree bearing fruit after its kind, where12 was so. in is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its 13 kind: and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. 14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for 15 seasons, and for days and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to 16 give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to 17 rule the night: he made the stars also. And

God set them in the firmament of the heaven 18 to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it 19 was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.