meek." Some copies use a different word, not very unlike the word oracle, meaning that Moses received more divine responses than others. This may be the true meaning, but there are other ways for avoiding the difficulty which some see in this passage. We have had occasion to suggest them in another place.

Gen. xli. 8, has for dream in some copies the singular, and in others the plural. It evidently should be the last.

Gen. xxv. 8, says that Abraham "died in a good old age, an old man, and full," but it does not say full of what. The translators have supplied "of years.' Some manuscripts use the word for days, that is, "full of days," which is in harmony with their modes of speech in such cases.

Gen. xxxv. 22. After the words, "Israel heard it," the Greek version of the Seventy adds, "it appeared evil in his eyes." It is reasonable to presume that the copy they translated from had something answering to this, though it is possible that these words were added to that version after it was made.

Such is

Some passages seem to be misplaced. thought to be the case with the first ten verses of Ex. xxx. They are not there in the Samaritan copy, but they are found at the end of chapter 26th, where they seem more properly to belong.

56. Gerard, in his "Biblical Criticism," lays down certain rules for deciding upon the various readings. We will give a few of the rules, and the examples he gives in illustration.

66

Readings in the Pentateuch supported by the Samaritan copy, a few Hebrew manuscripts, the ancient versions, parallel places and the sense, are certainly right, though they be not found in the generality of Hebrew manuscripts nor editions."*

Gen. xlvii. 3, "thy servants are a shepherd," is not right. Shepherds, in the plural, is right. It is

*Page 249.

supported by thirty manuscripts and the Samaritan copy.

Gen. 1. 25. "Ye shall carry up my bones from hence," should be "ye shall carry up my bones with you." The latter is supported by eleven manuscripts, the Samaritan copy, and all the versions. Compare Ex. xiii. 9.

Lev. ix. 21. "As Moses commanded," is in twenty-eight manuscripts, the Sam. and Arab. and Seventy, "As Jehovah commanded.”

57. "Readings in the Pentateuch supported by the Samaritan copy, ancient versions, parallel places and the sense, are certainly right, though they be not found in any Hebrew manuscripts extant."*

Gen. ii. 24. "And they shall be one flesh," "And they two shall be one flesh," is supported by the Sam. the Sep. the Ital. Syr. Arab, and Vulgate. So reads Matt. xiv. 5.

Ex. vi. 20. "She bare him Aaron and Moses," "And Miriam their sister," is added in the Sam. the Sep. and Syriac.

Ex. xii. 40. "The sojourning of the children of Israel, which they dwelt in Egypt, was 430 years.' This reading contradicts Gal. iii. 17, which makes the 430 years to reach back to the time of Abraham. The difficulty is removed by the Samaritan copy and the Seventy thus:-Of the children of Israel and of their fathers, which they sojourned in the land of Canaan, and in the land of Egypt."

58. "The Samaritan Pentateuch alone may render a reading, in the books of Moses, highly probable, if it be supported by the sense, connection, or parallel places, in opposition to another found in the manuscripts and versions, but unsuitable to these internal circumstances."†

Gen. xx. 13; xxxv. 7. Here the word God, contrary

to the general usage, in such cases, has a plural verb. In all the copies of the Samaritan the verb is singular.

59. Some transcribers of the Bible have evidently made their copy from the reading of others, and hence where two different words have the same sound, they have taken the one for the other, when, had they looked upon the word, they would have made no such mistake. Very many readings have occurred in this way. Gen. iv. 15 is a case in point. Hence the word for "therefore should have been 66 not so;" both words, quite unlike, when seen, but not so when heard. It is an interesting fact that we can tell, after a thousand years or more, whether the author of a manuscript wrote by the eye or by the ear; and yet such is the fact.

60. It sometimes occurs that the mistake of a single letter for a similar one, makes a contradiction in respect to numbers, the letters having been originally used for figures. Hence the several numbers of the three branches of the tribe of Levi, put down in Num. iii. 22, 28, 34, when put together amount to 22,300; but they are given in verse 29th at 22,000. One letter taken for another, nearly like it, makes all the difference.

CHAPTER II.

IMPORTANT WORDS.

CONTENTS.-Elohim; Bara; Rhua; Nephish; Malak; Sheol; Olim; Kopher; Nasa; Salah.

61. In the first volume of this work will be found a chapter devoted to the most important words in the book of Genesis. The same words are also found in that part of the Bible now under review; but in general, their usage is not essentially different here from what it is there. We will notice them, however, so far as may be necessary to give a clear and complete view

of their meaning, and the bearing they have on the doctrines and teachings of the Scriptures.

SECTION I.-ELOHIM.

62. The usage of this word we find to be the same here as in Genesis. With a plural form it has in general, the sense of the singular. If it has a plural sense, as it sometimes has, the connection will seldom fail to make the fact sufficiently obvious. Though plural in form, it has a verb in the singular, is used with singular pronouns, is placed in apposition with other words in the singular, &c. Moses, too, is called a god to Pharaoh; and in this passage the word occurs in the plural form, though no one can suppose, for a moment, that any other than a singular sense is attached to it. The same term is applied to the gods of paganism, and is then to be taken in a plural sense; but other words connected with it, and the circumstances of the passage, and not the form of the word, will determine this point. When the people called on Aaron to make for them gods that should go before them and lead them back to Egypt, it would have been equally correct to have rendered the passage thus: "Make us a god," &c., but when it is added, "which shall go before us, (using the plural verb for shall go, as it is in the Hebrew,) it becomes obvious that reference is to more gods than one. This idea is immediately confirmed by the expression, "These be thy gods." The same or similar remarks will apply to the other instances. There can in general be no doubt in the mind of the translator how the word is to be understood. The same word in a few instances, is applied to the Hebrew judges. Ex. iii. 6; vi. 7; Lev. xviii. 1; Ex. iii. 15, 16; xxii. 7, 9; vii. 1; xxxii. 1, 4, 23.

SECTION II.-BARA, CREATE.

63. This word is found a few times in this part of the Bible, but in no way to change or modify the views we put forth concerning it in the preceding volume. Ex. xxxiv. 10; Deut. iv. 32.

SECTION III.-RHUA, NEPHISH.

The terms for spirit and soul are quite frequent, the latter especially. But that any new idea can be gained from their usage, of the specific sense the Hebrews attached to them, may be matter of doubt. We will give enough of the places where they occur, to show the various forms in which they are employed by the sacred writer.

We will first notice Rhua :

(1.) It is applied to an inanimate object and is translated wind. Ex. x. 13, 19; xiv. 21; xv. 10; Num. xi. 31.

(2.) It denotes an influence or energy. It is said of Bezaleel, a distinguished Hebrew artisan, that he was filled with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. It is said that God took of the spirit that was upon Moses, and gave it to the seventy elders; and it came to pass when the spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied and did not cease. spirit of God, too, came upon Balaam and he prophesied. Of Joshua, it is said, that he was a man in whom was the spirit. Ex. xxxi. 3; xxxv. 31; Num. xi. 17, 25, 29; xxiv. 2; xxvii. 18; Deut. xxxiv. 9; Ex. xxviii. 3; Num. v. 14, 30; xi. 26.

The

(3.) It denotes the human spirit. The people of Israel did not hearken to Moses for anguish of spirit. We read of a willing spirit. So Caleb had another spirit in him from the rest of the spies. We read of the spirits of all flesh, in a few instances. Sihon, it is said, hardened his spirit. Ex. vi. 9; xxxv. 21; Num. xiv. 24; xvi. 22; xxvii. 16; Deut. ii. 30.