PREFACE.

TH
HE 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 Per-
plexities are derived I am perfuaded from the Hafte and Ignorance of Tranf-
cribers, who have not given us true Copies of the original Text. To cor-
rect thefe Errors, has been my chief Aim; and I flatter myself that not a
few Pallages will be found to be restored to their primitive Genuineness,
To this End, a Method is frequently purfued, which feems to carry with
it the ftrongest 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
bis 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 re-
gard to The Parallel Prophecies, as the Dr. has informed me. Befides,.
MSS. can, at moft, but give a better Senfe than that which is found in
the Text: but if that Text, wherever it is erroneous, can be fo impro-
ved 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..

2-Befides that Poetry is more terfe, concife, and less subject 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 neceffary Implements. b N.B. In all the References here adduced I fhall confine myself to the XXX first 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.. III. 8. V. 4, 26. VI. 19. VII. 19. IX. 33. XV. 26. XXX. 4. • VL 6. IX. 9. XI. 6, 12, XIV. 14. XXVII. 21. XXIX. 24. f IV. 19. V. 5. VI. 14, VIII, 12.. IX. 11. XVII. 12, 16. XXI. 30. XXIV. 5, 6, 19..

14.

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 Tranflation, printed by Barker in 1599: which last, it ought to be noted, is meant when I speak of the Old Verfion, without Specification. Thefe three Verfions have doubtless their peculiar Merit and Demerit ; the two latter ones especially: but which of these claims upon the whole the Preference, 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 fay," what they "had done, by bringing back to the Anvil that which they had hammered; and, having ufed as great Helps as were needful, feared no Reproach "for Slowness, nor coveted Praife for Expedition." The chief Excellency of this Verfion confifts in being a clofer Tranflation than any that had preceded; in ufing 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, notwithStanding 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 miftakes it befides in an infinite Number of Inftances. Frequently it expreffes 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

h Ibid. P. 312.

Lewis's Hift. of the Tranf. of the Bible, P. 310. i Pref. to the Bible. k Ibid. 1 VIII. 17, 18. IX. 7, 35. XV. 26. XXIV. 1,18. XXX. 11 In IV.5. VIII. 18. XV. 26. n VIII. 17. IX. 3. XVI. 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. P I. 11. II. 5. VI. 22. VIII. 12, 14. IX. VI. 14. 9 III. 23. IV. 21. XI. 7, 11. XI. 3. 18. XII. 6. XV. 23. XVI. 5. XVIII, 2. XXII, 18, XXIV. 19. XXIX. 12. XXX. 18, 20, 31. vourable

vourable Inferences, either to the Genuineness of the Text, or to the Nature of the Hebrew, must thence be drawn by a Reader unacquainted with that Language. It is deficient in respect to the short explanatory Notes' in the Margin, which abound in the last mentioned Verfion. The Words are at Times fo tranfpofed as to create an Hyperbaton; or are not fufficiently varied. And, to fum up all, it has this Fault in common with the other, that it may justly be queftioned, whether any posible Senfe can by fair Interpretation be deduced from the Words in not a few Places".

This Verfion was first published in the Year 1611; and at the Beginning of this Century received confiderable Improvements from Bishop Lloyd, who, among other Things, added the Era throughout in the Margin, with Tables of Chronology, of Coins, Weights and Measures". In the Year 1745 Dr. Paris at Cambridge revifed the whole, with a view to diftinguish in it by other Characters the Words which were not in the Original. In this Univerfity we have lately gone farther, by improving in the fame refpect on the Cambridge Plan, by framing a new Abstract of each Chapter, by a new Divifion of the Paragraphs, and by inferting in the Margin fome new References, and the Explanation of Hebrew Words. But notwithstanding it must still be confejed, that thefe and fimilar Improvements can be deemed at best but fuperficial; forafmuch as they do not penetrate to the Substance, or strike at the Root of the Evil. No Individual, however, nor any Society can prefume to go farther, till the great Council of thefe Realms fhall think it expedient to delegate the important Charge of a new Tranflation to Men of approved Learning and Judgment.

In the meantime, hoping this very defirable Period may not be far diftant, I have thought it my Duty to lay before the Public fome Part of the Materials which have lain by me for a confiderable Time. My Motive for fo doing is, that they may be duly weighed in the Interval, in order that if they meet with Approbation they may be ferviceable on that Occafion; and that others, bleffed with greater Abilities and Advantages,. may hereby be induced to pursue the fame Course.

But before I quit the Subject, may I be permitted to fubjoin at the Clofe Some few Obfervations, neither I hope foreign to the Purpose, nor yet

The following are all that occur, when there ought to be at least as many Scores, viz. IV. 9: VI. 3, 29. VII. 7, 8. XII. 13. XXI. 17. XXII. 21. XXIII. 10. XXVII. 3.

pare

s Com

1 V.5.

XXIV. 1. and XXVII. 2,3,4. with the Text. * III. 25. XXV. 6. XXX.11. VI. 7.. VIII. 17. XII. 5. XVIII. 13,15. XXI. 24. XXII.30. XXVI.5. XXVII, 1.1,15. XXX.2. See the Folio Bible printed 1702. This appears by a Series of Letters written and

communicated by Arch-Bishop Secker to the Author..

impertinent ?

1

impertinent? It has been asked for Inftance, Whether the present Æra could furnish a proper Number of Perjans better qualified for this Undertaking than the Beginning of the laft Age. I do not beftate in replying in the affirmative. There was indeed a Time, about the Middle of the laft Century, when Oriental Literature very eminently flourished in thefe Kingdoms, and was almoft carried to it's utmost Degree of Perfection by thofe fhining Lights, the Waltons, the Pocockes, the Caftles, the Clarkes, and others. Thefe would undoubtedly have approved themfelves to have been greater Malers by the Execution of the Tafk: but the Anarchy, which then prevailed, was not a Time favourable to the Undertaking; it was however productive of a more extenfive public Good, by occafioning the Publication of the Original Text, with all the ancient Verfions of the Eaft; a Work, which has done more Credit to this Nation than any other Production of the English Prefs. But, to return to the Question; those who will not grant the Superiority to the prefent Generation, will, at least, furely allow an Equality; and must withal acknowledge, that we are poffeffed of Advantages, to which those of a for-, mer Age were utter Strangers. Befides the Polyglot not then exifting, Several old Eastern Verfions not known, to say nothing of the MSS. of the Text not thought of; there have fince appeared a great Number of judicious Critics in the different Parts of Europe, who either profefedly writing on the Subject, or only incidentally (as Chronologers, Natural Hiftorians, Travellers, and others,) have thrown great Light on the Sacred Records. Thefe Helps would indubitably not be contemned by the approved Tranflator; who, befides his more general Acquaintance with univerfal Science, would be free from the Shackles, which not long fince confined the Opinions of all the learned (not excepting the bimfelf) in respect to the Integrity of the Hebrew Text.

great Pococke

Is it pretended that the Times will not bear a new Verfion? I answer by another Question. Is the Temper of the People of thefe Days totally different from that of their Ancestors, at the Distance of fix Generations? On the Introduction of the prefent Verfion into our Churches in the Year 1611, we read of no Tumult, Clamour, nor Difcontent. The fame pacific Difpofition prevailed in the Reign of Q. Elizabeth; when more than one new Tranflation received the royal Sanction. To afcend higher, would be as unnecessary, as to controvert the Axiom, that fimilar Caufes always produce fimilar Effects. The godly, the learned, the ingenuous, would doubtless rejoice; the gay, the thoughtless, the voluptuous, would fill continue uninterested and unaffected: but the Caviller, the Sceptic, and the Deift, would hereby find the sharpest and most trusty Arrows of their