THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For JULY, 1792.

ART. I. A Tranflation of the New Teftament. By Gilbert Wakefield, B. A. Late Fellow of Jefus College, Cambridge. 8vo. 3 Vols. 11. 18. Boards. Deighton. 1791.

F Mr. Wakefield's qualifications for the important task which he has here undertaken, his various writings may enable the public in fome meafure to form a judgment. That he poffeffes a competent knowlege of the ancient languages, the firft requifite in a tranflator of the New Teftament, will not be questioned by those who have read his Silva Critica, and his Commentary on St. Matthew. That he is capable of writing the English language with ftrength and elegance, his former publications abundantly prove; and that he is not deftitute of tafte, fufficiently cultivated and chastised to enable him to relish that fimplicity of ftyle, which is alone fuited to the dignity of the Chriftian Scriptures, may be reasonably prefumed from his intimate acquaintance with the ancient models of good writing. A favourable expectation may also be formed concerning this work, from the juft conceptions which the author appears to have entertained of the nature of his defign, and from the judicious rules which he has prescribed to himself in the execution. fhall give Mr. W.'s ideas on this fubject in his own words:

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The chief rules, which I prescribed to myself in the execution of this work, were: To adopt the received verfion upon all poffible occafions, and never to fuperfede it, unless fome low obfolete or obfcure word, fome vulgar idiom, fome coarfe or uncouth phrafe, fome intricate conftruction, fome harsh combination of terms, or fome mifreprefentation of the fenfe, demanded an alteration. To aim at an entirely new tranflation, or to admit any variation, but for the reafons now alledged, always appeared to me equally unneceffary and unwife. But a very fmall fhare of magnanimity was required to refift any temptation to innovate, that might arife from afpiring to the character of fuperiour learning, difcernment, and tafte, by finding fault at every step, and faftidiously fubftituting alteration only without amendment. If I have ever incurred this VOL. VIII. cenfure

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cenfure eventually myfelf, the motive was of another kind; and f have not altered in a fingle inftance from caprice or vanity, but fimply from an intention to improve. Ufe has fo far fanctified, if I may employ the term, our received verfion, that no tranflation, I am perfuaded, effentially different from it, can ever be cordially relifhed, I do not fay by the generality, but by readers of exact taste and polished understandings. Nor have I ever yet converfed with a fingle perfon, whofe approbation I sould wish to fecure, of a different opinion in this respect.

Another rule, which I laid down for myself, was: To make my tranflation as completely vernacular without vulgarity, as was confiftent with those inducements to variation fpecified above; that it might be rendered as perfect a fpecimen as I could make it, of pure unaffected English diction. This object, upon a fuperficial view, may appear to fome, perhaps, of no difficult accomplishment: the uniform prefervation, however, of fimplicity, harmony, and fidelity, in the verfion of fuch plain compositions, as the fcriptures of the New Testament, would be found by any one, inclined to make the experiment, a very ferious and, in fome cafes, an infuperable difficulty. There is, and ever will be, much diverfity of opinion on thefe points, nor am I by any means fo unexperienced as to expect univerfal approbation: nay, it is very probable, that, where I have thought myself most dextrous, a judicious examiner will with reason think me the most unhappily unfuccefsful. The poffibility also of the reverse of this statement, fhould incline every reader to candour and moderation in his decifions. With this view to purity of English ftile, I have, in fome inftances, fubftituted a word of our own growth for it's equivalent from a Roman origin: though I may also have adopted fometimes a method directly contrary, where the English word produced a harsh or abrupt termination of the sentence: for to the modulation of the periods I have carefully attended, in imitation of our old tranflators, who, for the most part, purfued this object with admirable fuccefs. I could wish to fee an Engli verfion of the fcriptures in fuch a phraseology as fhould make it "an everlasting poffeffion" for our countrymen. And, if good English expreffions were to be rejected merely for their fimplicity, every generation would require a tranflation altogether new in this respect. I cannot admire the prevailing practice of banishing fignificant and native phrases from our compofitions, to make room for a pompous verbofity from the vocabulary of Rome. This innovating propenfity contributes to fet a mark of difrepute on expreffions of iterling worth; and to diminish even the copioufnefs and ftrength, as well as the purity of our language. If this affected and pedantic humour had prevailed with the Greeks, thofe parents of all science, and the great inftructors of mankind! their incomparable language could never have preserved it's propriety and uniformity for two thousand years.'

With respect to our received tranflation, Mr. Wakefield allows that it is, especially in point of fimplicity, worthy of the highest commendation; but he adds that the authors of it,

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at fo early a period after the revival of letters, had acquired a lefs competent knowlege of the original language than many, fince that time, have been able to attain. He undertakes to correct the miftakes which have arifen from this caufe, and to bring to view many elegances depending on an accurate perception of the Grecian and Oriental phrafeology. Simplicity he profeffes to be his chief object; and he declares his entire difapprobation of what are called liberal tranflations of the fcriptures, confidering them as too much calculated to weaken the dignity and efficacy of the facred writings, and to expofe them to ridicule and contempt:

The admirable fimplicity of the gofpel-narratives is fo exactly fuited to the characters of the reputed authors, that with the annihilation of this excellence, a ftriking criterion of authenticity is deftroyed; and it feemed to me a moft ignoble ambition to court the fickly taftes of thofe readers, to whom the native plainnefs of the gofpels has no relish. While Xenophon and Luke make themselves intelligible to all, they abound in elegancies, that can engage the attention of the profoundeft fcholars and give an exquifite delight to the most refined critics.'

The principles of biblical tranflation, which Mr. W. lays down, he appears to us to have very diligently, and, in the main, very fuccefsfully, followed. In a work of this kind, however, it is impoffible that there fhould not be many things liable to objection; and it is our duty briefly to notice fome of the principal defects which we have remarked in this tranflation.

Sometimes, too close an adherence to the original produces a fingularity of expreffion fcarcely admiffible; for example, Matth. xxi. 18. A certain man had two fons, and he came up to the firft, and faid: Child, go work to day in my vineyard.' Mark, v. 31. Thou feeft the multitude fqueezing thee." Acts, vi. 7. And the word of God was thriving,' &c. Phillippians, ii. 15. • Children amidst a crooked and twisted race." Some interpretations of the original are given, which will generally be thought forced or fanciful; as Matth. xxiii. 14. Ye devour widows' houfes, though ye pray at the fame time with a long preamble.' John, iii. 8. The breath breathes in whom it lifteth, and thou heareft its voice.' Romans, xv. 13. Now may the God of this hope fill you with all joy and peace through the faith, that ye may abound in this hope under the influence of an unspotted mind.' verse 16. that this oblation of the Gentiles may be acceptable, fanctified by holiness of spirit. Titus, iii. 8. According to his own mercy did he deliver us by a washing of another birth, with a renewal of holy breath." James, i. 17. Every good Every good gift and every perfect kindness

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cometh

cometh down from above, from the Father of lights, with whom is no parallax nor tropical fhadow.'

In fome cafes, a method of fpelling, which is now become obfolete, is inelegantly retained, as toucht, lockt, dafht, washt, pusht, ruht, flafht, fitten.

Unwarrantable freedoms are fometimes taken in omitting paffages, or in altering the original text. In Matthew, xvii. 21. Mark, xi. 26. and in other places, entire verfes are omitted, we think, without fufficient authority. There are numerous fmaller omiffions or alterations, which appear to us unnecessary or ill-fupported; among which are Luke, ii. 14. Glory be to God in the highest heavens, and the peace of his good-will to men on earth.' Luke, xxiii. 25. • When once the mafter of the house hath compofed himself.' 1 Corinthians, xiii. 3. Though I give up my body fo as to have caufe of boafting,' &c.

There are alfo inftances in which the tranflation affumes too much of a paraphraftic air; as John, xi. 33. He earnestly constrained himself and ftruggled with his feelings and faid,' &c. Acts, x. 36. That doctrine which God fent to the children of Ifrael, when he delivered to them a gofpel of peace by Jefus Chrift, belongeth equally to all.' Romans, i. 17. For thereby a pardon from God is proclaimed to a reliance upon faith; as it is written, he that trufteth to faith for pardon will fave his life.' Liberties of this kind are frequently taken in the Epiftles, for which we can by no means think that the tranf lator fufficiently juftifies himself by faying, I exprefs myself with all poffible fimplicity, as I fuppofe the Apostle himself would have delivered his meaning in my fituation, and in our language.' This is certainly to become a commentator on the Apoftle's fenfe; and is not very confiftent with the cenfure. which the author, in his preface, paffes on liberal translations. The exceptions, which may be made to this work, are not, however, either fo numerous or fo important as materially to affect its merit, which is unquestionably great. While it corrects many inaccuracies, inelegancies, and obfolete phrafes, which are to be found in the common verfion, it retains its general character of fimplicity. While it abounds with proofs of critical acumen, which will be difcovered by the learned, it is fufficiently plain and intelligible to be ufed with advantage by the illiterate. Many paflages, erroneously rendered, or left in obfcurity, in the common tranflations, are here given with great correctness and perfpicuity. Of thefe, we tranfcribe the following paffages as examples: Mark, iii. 21. And when his own family heard of it they went out to fecure him; for fome had told them, that he was gone out.' John, xiv. 30, 31. I will not fay much more unto you now: for the ruler of

this world is coming; and I have nothing now to do, but to convince the world that I love the Father, and do as he commanded me.' Acts, xx. 28. As for yourselves, therefore, and all that flock, of which the Holy Spirit made you overfeers, take care to tend the church of God which he gained for himself by his own Son.' Of the tranflation of this laft paffage we fhall we fhall quote the author's juftification, in the following note, vol. iii. p. 147.

"V. 28. take care to feed-poEXETE TO: 1 judge this to be the true conftruction. So Eur. Iph. Taur. 113. Ορα δεμας καθειναι. See Matt. vi. 1. Prov. iv. 1. LXX.

-the church of God—any exuhrova TOU DEU: I have altered my Opinion of this paffage, and have determined for this reading from the fame confiderations, that would have influenced me in the cafe of any indifferent and uncontroverted text. It is the reading of the Ethiopic verfion, whofe authority is with me irrefiftible on this occa fion fee note xvi. 7. and most unjustifiable is this affertion of Griefbach, Ethiops habet vocabulum quo fempèr utitur, five in graca veritate legatur, five xu: neutri igitur lectioni favet: which is infamously falie. On the contrary, as far as my recollection will carry me, this tranflator NEVER employs the word here introduced, but to fignify the SUPREME GOD ALONE. See Caftell's Lexicon in the word. This was my first inducement to retain this reading. My next was, the variation between the Syriac and Coptic verfions; the former of which has the church of the MESSIAH; and the latter, the church of the LORD: and this want of uniformity excites in me a strong fufpicion of interpolation in confequence of the peculiar fentiments of the tranflators or the authors of thofe MSS. which they followed.

• — bis own fon —Tou idiou diμat: literally his own blood: but, as this expreffion could anfwer no good purpose, and would unavoidably lead thofe unacquainted with the phrafeology of thefe languages into erroneous doctrines and impious conceptions of the deity, I could not juftify myfelf in employing it in this place. So blood is used for man in xvii. 26. and Matt. xxvii. 4. So Homer II. Z. 211.

Ταύτης τοι γενεης τε και ΑΙΜΑΤΟΣ ευχομαι είναι.

ΑΙΜΑ σοφου Φοιβοιο και ευπαλαμοιο Κυρήνης.

Add Nonnus D. lib. v. p. 152.

And the fcholiaft on Eur. Oreft. 1239. fays: AIMA de ΔΕΣ, γενῶ οι αδελφοι, συγγενεια οι γαμβροι. And Virgil Æn. vi. 836. Projice tela manu, SANGUIS MEUS!

This is well known, and fupplies the most easy and obvious interpretation of this moft difputed paffage. See alfo Mr. Henley's note in the appendix to Bowyer's Criticisms, who firit excited in my mind the idea of this acceptation, and to whom therefore the entire applaufe, justly due to this excellent folution of fo great a difficulty, ought in all reafon to be given. if no paffage of the N. T. quite parallel can be found, we fhould recollect, that Luke is an elegant writer,

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and