HE present rendering of the Old Testament is not a revision of This new Translation appeals to all interested in the Bible. The Explanatory Notes are free from technical details which have no interest for the average reader. We had no desire (as the translators of the Authorized Version say in their Preface) 10 to weary the unlearned, who need not know so much; and trouble the learned, who know it already. The reader may rest assured, however, that all variations from the Authorized Version in the present Translation are the results of the ripest Biblical scholarship of the present generation both in Europe and in America. The translation is based throughout on the new critical edition of the 15 Hebrew text of the Old Testament, published under the auspices of the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Departures from the Received Text are indicated by special marks, whereby the reader can see at a glance whether a variation is based on parallel passages, or on the authority of the Ancient Versions, or is merely a conjectural emenda- 20 tion, &c. These critical marks are, designedly, so unobtrusive as not to interfere with the comfort of the ordinary reader; they are mainly intended for the benefit of those who are interested in the details of textual criticism. Explanation of Critical Marks. (1) › (i. e. V = Versions) indicate a reading adopted on the authority of 25 the Ancient Versions (Septuagint, Targums, Peshita, Vulgate, &c., in reference to which the reader may consult the Preface to the Authorized Version, also the List of Abbreviations below, p. ix, under LXX, Pesh., Targ., Vulg.). (i. e. c = conjecture) indicate Conjectural Emendations. (2) (3) (i. e. 1, the first letter of the Hebrew word 1p niqqûd punctua- 30 tion') indicate changes involving merely a different division of the consonantal text, or a departure from the vowel-points which the so-called Masorites added to the original consonantal text in the eighth and ninth centuries A. D. (4) • • (i. e. Q = Qèrê) indicate that the marginal reading (Heb. Qĕre 'what is to be read') has been adopted instead of the Kethib 'what is written.' 35 (7) ・・ indicate deviations from the Received (or Masoretic) Text, suggested by the Versions as well as by Parallel Passages. (8) indicate departures from the Masoretic reading of the consonantal text, which are supported by the Ancient Versions. (9) In cases where critical marks occur without any letters or words between them (~, », &c.), Omissions are indicated, based on the Versions or ΙΟ (10) indicate words implied, but not expressed, in the Hebrew. These marks, therefore, take the place of italics in the Authorized Version. (11) [ ] indicate Transposed Passages, the traditional position of the words in the Received Text being marked by [], while the transposed words are (12) indicates transposition of the Masoretic ":" which marks the end of Explanation of Colors. Older incorporated documents or later sections in Biblical Books of a com- posite character are printed on backgrounds of different colors. The explana- tion of the colors employed in the Books of Isaiah and of Judges is given on p. 132 of the Notes on Isaiah and on p. 46 of the Notes on Judges, respectively. Footnotes. Words or passages printed as notes at the bottom of the pages of the translation represent subsequent additions to the original text; cf. Notes on Judges, p. 47, 11. 5 ff.; Notes on Isaiah, p. 209, II. 33 ff. Marginal Figures. In the Explanatory Notes the figures in the margin on the right refer to 30 the chapters and verses commented on; the figures in the margin on the left merely number the lines. On those pages, however, where there are no references to chapters and verses in the margin the line-numbers are placed in the outer margin. In the Translation the lines are always numbered in the inner margin, while the traditional numbers of the chapters and verses are Heavy-faced Numerals. Heavy-faced numerals are used instead of Roman letters to distinguish the References to Biblical passages follow, throughout, the Authorized Version, not the Hebrew Text. It is well known that the division of the chapters is Untranslated Hebrew Words. A few Hebrew words have been left untranslated, viz. ben, the Hebrew word for son (e. g. Isaiah ben-Amoz = Isaiah, the son of Amoz); Shebl (Heb. she'ôl), the abode of departed spirits, the habitation of the dead (Greek Hades); Asheráh, the sacred post or pole, the wooden symbol of a goddess, beside an 5 altar (see Notes on Judges, p. 57, 1. 32; p. 69, 1. 22); Negeb, the steppe-like region in the South of Palestine (see Notes on Judges, p. 49, 1. 8); Arabah, the great geologic depression extending from the Dead Sea to the eastern gulf of the Red Sea (see Notes on Judges, p. 64, 1. 39; cf. Notes on Isaiah, p. 159, 1. 14); Selah at the end of certain stanzas in the Psalms (see Notes on 10 the Psalms, p. 165, 1. 8); Satan, in Hebrew = adversary, accuser (see Notes on Ps. 109,6); Hallelujah (Ps. 104, 35 &c.) = Praise ye JAH (a shorter form of JHVH); Sabaoth (cf. Jas. 5, 4; Rom. 9, 29 Is. 1, 9) in the name JHVH Sabaoth, JнVн of the Hosts, i. e. the God of the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17,45; cf. Pss. 44,9; 60, 10 = 108, 11). For JнVн, see below, List of Abbreviations, p. viii. Transliteration of Oriental Names. 15 All Biblical names are given in the form used in the Authorized Version. In the transliteration of other Hebrew words, or of modern Oriental (Arabic) names, the vowels have their Italian sounds: á is like the a in far or father; i is the i in marine; and û = oo in cool; ê=a in name; shorti in pin; 20 &c. (e. g. Tel-Abû-Qudês = Tel-Aboo-Koodace). As to the consonants, j and y are pronounced as in English; q has about the same sound as English c in cool (not ask in keel, or qu in queen); ' is the Arabic Ain, the voiced form of the Arabic which may be described as a stronger variety of our h; kh is the guttural ch in German or Scotch loch (Spanish x or j); f is a modification of 25 our s (with an inner rounding) which affects the pronunciation of the following vowels (e. g. çîn, not = seen, but more like sane; çá = saw, &c.). In the majority of English books of a popular character the letters k and s are used for 9 and, respectively (e. g. el-Aksa for el-Aqçâ; see Psalms, p. 235, 1. 41). Spelling. English readers who object to the 'American' spelling, honor, &c., may be referred to HENRY SWEET'S New English Grammar (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1892), p. xi and § 1710, &c., or to Dr. MURRAY's remarks on the spelling of ax in the New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford, Clarendon Press). Abbreviations. The following List includes a large number of abbreviations which would not require explanation if the present Translation were for the exclusive use of American or English readers. &c. stands for And others, or, and so forth (Lat. et cæteri, cæteræ, cætera, respectively). 1, 2, 3, &c., before the name of a Biblical book, stands for First Book, Second Book, Third Book, &c., respectively: 1 Kings is the First Book of Kings; 2 Sam. = the Second Book of Samuel; 3 Psalms = the Third Book of Psalms. 4 Isaiah = the fourth part 35 of the Book of Isaiah in the present 40 Translation, &c. 2, or 3, &c., after the title of a book (e. g. Notes on Isaiah, p. 157, l. 19), stands for second or third editions, respectively. For D2, E2, &c., see D, E, 45 &c. a stands for first part (or first line) of a verse. Subdivisions of parts of are indicated by a P, respec verses |