ROBERT, LORD BISHOP OF OXFORD,

THESE CRITICAL REMARKS

ON THE POETICAL BOOKS

OF THE OLD TESTAMENT,

WHICH HIS LORDSHIP HAS MOST EMINENTLY

ILLUSTRATED

IN HIS ACADEMICAL LECTURES,

ARE, WITH THE GREATEST RESPECT,

HUMBLY INSCRIBED

BY THE AUTHOR.

(·)

PREFACE.

THE Books which are bere examined are all in Metre; whence fome Difficulties naturally arife. Befides which many great Obscurities in them owe their Being to enigmatical and proverbial Expreffions; or to Allufions to local Ufages and popular Sentiments. But the chief Perplexities are derived I am perfuaded from the Hafte and Ignorance of Tranfcribers, who have not given us true Copies of the original Text. To correct these Errors, has been my chief Aim; and I flatter myself that not a few Paffages will be found to be reftared to their primitive Genuineness. To this End, a Method is frequently pursued, which feems to carry with it the strongest Conviction, viz. the Investigation of the natural Limits of each Word and Sentence. In Confirmation of these new Lections I Cannot alledge the Authority of any MSS. for I have confulted none. That Trouble I thought might be spared, as Dr. Kennicott was preparing his Collations for the Prefs: but I doubt not but that it will be found, on the Publication of his Work, that fome of his MSS. establish several' of my various Lections; the fame Thing having already happened in regard to The Parallel Prophecies, as the Dr. has informed me. Befides, MSS. can, at most, but give a better Senfe than that which is found in the Text: but if that Text, wherever it is erroneous, can be fo improved by a new Combination of the very fame Letters, without the leaft Addition, Tranfpofition, or Alteration whatever, from which emerge other Words perfectly clear and confiftent; in that cafe, I fay, MSS. are not very effential; for we may rationally conclude that, without their Affiftance, we have attained to the VERY TEXT..

a Befides that Poetry is more terfe, concife, and lefs fubject to the Rules of Grammar than Profe, it abounds more in all Kinds of Enallages and other Figures of Rhetoric; more frequently wants a Subject to the Sentence, as well as the Prepofitions, the Signs of Cafes, and other neceflary Implements. b N.B. In all the References here adduced I fhall confine myfelf to the XXX firit Chapters that occur; Job. X. 21, 22. XIII. 14. XV.19. XVII.6. XXI: 33. XXIV. 18, 19. XXVI. 5. • VI. 16. VIII. 17. IX. 3. XIII. 25, 27. XIV. 18. XVI., d III. 8. V. 4, 26. VI. 19 VII. 198 IX. 33. XV. . 26. XXX. 4. e VI. 6. IX. 9. XI. 6, 12. XIV. 14. XXVII. 21. XXIX. 24. 1 IV. 19. V. 5. VI. 14. VIII, 12.. IX, 11, XVII. 12, 16, XXI. 30, XXIV. 5, 6, 19..

14.

.....

In

-In determining the Signification of the Words, I have made the English

Verfion, now in Ufe, the Standard. In the principal Places which I

judged to be faulty, I have taken the Liberty to correct it, or to prefer

Some of the other old English Verfions. Thofe I have chiefly used are

Arch-Bibop Parker's Bible, generally known by the Name of the Bishop's

Bible, a Folio, dated 1568; and that 4to Edition of the Geneva Tranf

lation, printed by Barker in 1599: which laft, it ought to be noted, is

meant when 1 Speak of the Old Verfion, without Specification. Thefe

three Verfions have doubtless their peculiar Merit and Demerit; the two

latter ones efpecially: but which of these claims upon the whole the Pre-

ference, I fhall not prefume abfolutely to determine. One would naturally

expect that the Verfion now in Ufe begun under the Aufpices of James I.

would be entitled to this Diftinction: when we find that near fifty of
the most learned Men of this Kingdom were commiffioned to undertake the
Work; bad, for their Encouragement, Aljurances of Preferment"; and
took due Time for the Execution: "revifing," as they say, "what they
"had done, by bringing back to the Anvil that which they had hammered;
"and, having used as great Helps as were needful, feared no Reproach
for Slowness, nor coveted Praife for Expedition" The chief Excel-
lency of this Verfion confifts in being a clofer Translation than any that
had preceded; in using the propereft Language for popular Ufe, without
Affectation of Sublimity, nor yet liable to the Charge of Vulgarity of
Expreffion. It has likewife obferved a due Medium between the Genevefe
and Romish Verfions; equally avoiding on the one Hand the Scrupulofity
of the Puritans, who prefer their new Terms, fuch as Washing and
Congregation, to the old ecclefiaftical ones, Baptifm and Church; and
on the other Hand the Obfcurity of the Papifts, in not tranflating fuch
Words as Azymes, Holocauft, Prepuce, Pafche, &c. But, notwith-
Banding thefe Conceffions in it's Favour, it certainly does not exhibit in
many Places the Senfe of the Text fo exactly as the Verfion of 1599':
and mistakes it befides in an infinite Number of Inftances. Frequently it
expresses not the proper Subject of the Sentence: and adheres at other
Times fo clofely to the Letter as to tranflate Idioms". It arbitrarily
gives new Senfes to Words; omits or fupplies them without Neceffity:
thefe laft are indeed diftinguished by another Character; but very unfa-

Lewis's Hift. of the Tranf. of the Bible, P. 310.
h Ibid. P. 312.
i Pref. to the

Bible. k Ibid.
1 VIII. 17, 18. IX. 7, 35. XV. 26. XXIV. 1,18. XXX. 11
m IV.5.

VIII. 18. XV. 26. ■
VIII. 17. IX. 3. XVÍ. 15. XXII. 8. XXIII. 14. XXVII.11. XXX.2.

• VI. 6. XI. 17. XVII. 11. XX. 20. XXII. 2, 25. XXIII. 2. XXV. 5. XXIX. 4. XXX. 5, 24.

PI. 11. II. 5. VI. 22. VIII. 12, 14. IX. 7, 11. XI. 3. 9 III. 23. IV. 21. VI. 14. XI.

18. XII. 6. XV. 23. XVI. 5. XVIII, 2. XXII, 18. XXIV. 19. XXIX. 12. XXX. 18, 20, 31.

vourable