Bible. Hrist, books, & long. (1884) THE BOOKS OF JOSHUA, JUDGES, RUTH, I. AND II. SAMUEL, THE COMMON VERSION REVISED WITH AN INTRODUCTION AND OCCASIONAL NOTES. BY Jellerson THOMAS J. CONANT. PHILADELPHIA: AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, No. 1420 CHESTNUT STREET. TO THE READER. In this volume is given the history of the occupation of Palestine by the Hebrews, from their entrance into it under Joshua to their subjugation and dispersion in foreign lands by the Assyria and Babylonian conquests. It is complete in itself, and in many aspects is the most interesting and instructive part of the history of that remarkable race. The Introduction treats of the value of these books as a part of Divine revelation; of the grounds for the extermination of the idolatrous races and its necessity; of the composition of these books, the authorship, sources, and dates. The revised version is made in the familiar words of the common English version, where that truly expresses the meaning of the sacred writer's language. That version is justly admired for "the rhythmic beauty of its periods, and the instinctive art with which the style rises and falls with the subject." I trust it will be found that these characteristics are not lost in the numerous corrections necessarily made. Explanatory notes are added only where it seemed nec ssary for the right understanding of the text; and these are required more in the later than in the earlier portions of the history. On the alleged contradiction betw. en vv. 3, 4 and v. 12 of the eighth chapter of Joshua, see page xxiii. of the Introduction. T. J. CONANT. December, 1883. |