testants into the canon, it is acknowledged to have been written by a Jew, and entirely in the idiom of his country, if not originally in their language. CHAPTER VII. 3. The thorn, ny doxov. E. T. The beam. That the tropes employed by the Orientals often appear to Europeans rather too bold and hyperbolical, is beyond a doubt. But I cannot help thinking, that the effect has been, in many cases, heightened by translators, who, when a word admits different interpretations, seem sometimes to have preferred that which is worst suited to the figurative application. The Gr. word doxos has, even in classical use, more latitude of signification than the Eng. term beam. It answers not only to the La. trabs or tignum, a beam or rafter, but also to lancea, hasta, a spear or lance. In the latter signification, when used figuratively, I take it to have been near. ly synonymous to exohe, which, from denoting palus aculeatus, sudes, vallus, seems, at least in the use of Hellenists, to have been employed to denote any thing sharp-pointed (however little), as a prickle, or thorn. Thus, in Num. xxxiii. 55. Gnodoπes Ev τοις οφθαλμοίς ύμων. E. T. pricks in your eyes; the Heb. term, to which does answers, means no more than the Eng. makes it. The Gr. word is similarly rendered in the N. T. doen mor oxodo ev σapni; there was given to me a thorn in the flesh. The like may be remarked of Bos, answering to the La. words jacu lum, sagitta, and to the Eng. missile weapon, of whatever kind, javelin, dart, or arrow. But in the Hellenistic use, it sometimes corresponds to Heb. words, denoting no more than prickle or thorn. Thus in Jos. xxiii. 13. εις βολίδας εν τοις οφθαλμοίς ύμων ; E. T. thorns in your eyes, the word Boas is put for a Heb. term which strictly means thorn. It is therefore evident that doxos is used here by the same trope, and in the same meaning with exo2 and Boxs in the places above quoted. And it is not more remote from our idiom to speak of a pole or a javelin than to speak of a beam in the eye. Nor is a greater liberty taken in rendering doxos thorn, than in rendering Box or exo in that manner. 6. Or, xas. This is one of the cases wherein zat is better rendered or in our language than and. The two evils mentioned. are not ascribed to both sorts of animals; the latter is doubtless applied to the dogs, the former to the swine. The conjunction and would here, therefore, be equivocal. Though the words are not in the natural order, the sense cannot be mistaken. 8. For whosoever asketh obtaineth; whosoever seeketh findeth. Diss. XII. P. I. § 29. 9. Who amongst you men, ti5 1519 ež vμwv avbρwños. E. T. What man is there of you. There is evidently an emphasis in the word ανθρωπος; otherwise, it is superfluous; for τις εσιν εξ ύμων is all that is necessary; its situation at the end of the clause is another proof of the same thing. The word aveganos here makes the intended illustration of the goodness of the celestial Father, from the conduct of even human fathers, with all their imperfections, much more energetic. I think this not sufficiently marked in the common version; for what man is hardly any more than a translation of τις. 14. How strait is the gate. In the common Gr. we read, or σενη ἡ πυλη. But in a very great number of MSS. some of them of great antiquity, the reading is 7, not ir:. This reading is confirmed by the Vul. Quam angusta porta, and by most of the ancient versions, particularly by the old Itc. both the Sy. the Ara. the Cop. the Go. and the Sax. It was so read by Chr. The. and the most eminent Fathers, Gr. and La. and is received by Wet. and some of the best modern critics. 15. False teachers, Veudoñpo@nrwv. E. T. False prophets. But TMs not only means a prophet, in our sense of the word, one divinely inspired, and able to foretel future events, but also a teacher in divine things. When it is used in the plural with the article, and refers to those of former times, it always denotes the prophets in the strictest sense. On most other occasions it means simply a teacher of religious truths, and consequently evoorpoOurns a false teacher in religion. This is especially to be regarded as the sense, in a warning which was to serve for the instruction of his disciples in every age. I have, for the same reason, translated porteuraμer, V. 22. taught; which, notwithstanding its connection with things really miraculous, is better rendered thus in this passage, because to promote the knowledge of the Gospel is a matter of higher consequence, and would therefore seem more to recommend men than to foretel things future. 2 In the garb of sheep, ev evduar pobaтav. Si. renders it, εν ενδυμασι προβατων. Couverts de peaux de brebis, and in a note, says 66 It is thus we 66 ought to translate indumentis orium, because the prophets were clothed with sheep-skins." It is true the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, xi. 37. in enumerating the great things which have been done and suffered, through faith, by prophets and other righteous persons, mentions this, that they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, ev μndarais xai alys!ois depuas, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, alluding to the persecutions to which many of them were exposed from idolatrous princes. That Elijah was habited in this manner, appears from 2 Ki. i. 7, 8. compared with ch. ii. 13. and 1 Ki. xix. 13. in which two last places, the word rendered in Eng. mantle, is, in the Sep. translated unλTY- But I have not seen any reason to think that this was the common attire of the prophets. The first of the three passages serves as evidence, rather of the contrary, inasmuch as Elijah seems to have been distinguished by his dress, not only from other men, but from other prophets. That some indeed came afterwards hypocritically to affect a similar garb, in order to deceive the simple, is more than probable, from Zech. xiii. 4. But, whatever be in this, as erdvμɑ does not signify a skin, there is no reason for making the expression in the translation more limited than in the original. σαπρος 17. Evil tree, oαπрov devopov. E. T. Corrupt tree. The word does not always mean rotten or corrupted, but is often used as synonymous to rovnpos, evil. Trees of a bad kind produce bad fruit, but not in consequence of any rottenness or corruption. See ch. xiii. 48. where, in the similitude of the net, which enclosed fishes of every kind, the worthless, which were thrown away, are called ra cumpa, rendered in the common version the bad. Nothing can be plainer than that this epithet does not denote that those fishes were putrid, but solely that they were of a noxious or poisonous quality, and consequently useless. 23. I never knew you; that is, I never ackowledged you for mine. 2 Ye who practise iniquity, o spy a CoμEVOL TAY avoniav. operam datis iniquitati. Diss. X. P. V. § 12. Be. Qui 28. At his manner of teaching, eñi în didaɣn autov. E..T. At his doctrine. The word didan denotes often the doctrine taught, sometimes the act of teaching, and sometimes even the manner of teaching. That this is the import of the expression here, is evident from the verse immediately following. 29. As the Scribes. The Vul. Sy. Sax, and Arm. versions, with one MS. add, and the Pharisees. CHAPTER VIII. 4. The Sy. says, the priests, but in this reading is singular. 2 For notifying the cure to the people, eis μagtugiov aUTOIS. E. T. For a testimony unto them. Both the sense and the connection shew that the them here means the people. It could not be the priests, for it was only one priest (to wit, the priest then entrusted with that business) to whom he was commanded to go. Besides, the oblation could not serve as an evidence to the priest. On the contrary, it was necessary that he should have ocular evidence by an accurate inspection in private, before the man was admitted into the temple and allowed to make the oblation; but his obtaining this permission, and the solemn ceremony conse quent upon it, was the public testimony of the priest, the only legal judge, to the people, that the man's uncleanness was removed. This was a matter of the utmost consequence to the man, and of some consequence to them. Till such testimony was given, he lived in a most uncomfortable seclusion from society. No man durst, under pain of being also secluded, admit him into his house, eat with him, or so much as touch him. The antecedent therefore to the pronoun them, though not expressed, is easily supplied by the sense. To me it is equally clear, that the only thing meant to be attested by the oblation was the cure. The suppositions of some commentators on this subject are quite extravagant. Nothing can be more evident than that the person now cleansed was not permitted to give any testimony to the priest, or to any other, concerning the manner of his cure, or the person by whom it had been performed. 'Opa under uns, See thou tell nobody. The prohibition is expressed by the Evange list Mr. in still stronger terms. Prohibitions of this kind were often transgressed by those who received them; but that is not a good reason for representing our Lord as giving contradictory orders. 6. Afflicted, Baravicoμevos. E. T. Tormented. The Greek word is not confined, especially in the Hellenistic idiom, to this signification, but often denotes simply (as has been observed by Gro. and Ham.) afflicted, or distressed. Palsies are not attended with torment. 13. That instant, ev τn åpa exɛivn. E. T. In the self same hour. But ga does not always mean hour. This is indeed the mean. ing when it is joined with a number, whether ordinal or cardinal; as, He went out about the third hour, and, Are there not twelve hours in the day? On other occasions it more commonly denotes the precise time, as, Mine hour is not yet come. 15. Him. The common Gr. copies have avros them. But the reading is aute in a great number of MSS. several of them ancient; it is supported also by some of the old versions and fathers, is approved by Mill and Wet. and is more agreeable than the other to the words in construction, none but Jesus having. been mentioned in the preceding words. 17. Verifying the saying of the prophet. We have here a remarkable example of the latitude in which the word now is used. Ch. i. 22. N. In our sense of the term fulfilling, we should rather call that the fulfilment of this prophecy, which is mentioned 1 Pet. iv. 21. I have, in translating the quotation, rendered be carried off, of which the original Heb. as well as the Gr. is capable, that the words, as far as propriety admits, may be conformable to the application. 18. To pass to the opposite shore. Let it be remarked, once for all, that passing or crossing this lake or sea, does not always denote sailing from the east side to the west, or inversely; though the river Jordan, both above and below the lake, ran southwards. The lake was of such a form, that, without any impropriety, it might be said to be crossed in other directions, even by those who kept on the same side of the Jordan. 19. Rabbi, didacnas. Diss. VII. P. II. 20. Caverns, wλess. The word was denotes the den, ca. vern, or kennel, which a wild beast, by constantly haunting it, appropriates to himself. E. T. Nests. But natur 2 Places of shelter, navaoxnvwσ8i5. xvw signifies a place for shelter and repose, a perch or roost. |