^^ ^ PRINCETON, N. J. Collection of Puritan Literature. Division Section Number ID kOO / ."/. 7 f%^ x#^- // ~ r ' / D<-c C^^^t ,., ^v-^ iW \\\.uS^ 4: M. ^ ^t. 68. 1781.^^^^^^^ m" # 'm' New TR ANSX-ATiO \v i T li A PA R A P H R A S E Of ibme iParts of ^ C C L E S I J S r E Sk x>' ^ I c-' C HAP. 11; "^HIS Chapter i?i a profefsM enquiry^ whetlicr th^ g true good tnd happincfs of mankind in this world confifts in their enjoyment of thofe pleafurcs which they can help themfclves to. And wc Ihall not elfcwhcre find the qucftlon decided fo fully, and fo fatisfaftorilyi No other pcrfon ever made the experiments, neceflary to be tried for the determination of it, fo thoroughly a^ did this preacher. Nor did ever any oiic more maturely dip-eft the cohfide'rations on which reafon muft deterniinc it. The rcfult of thefe experiments and confideration^ the reader will meet with in the laft vcrfe; ^^ Verfe i T Said in mine heatt. Go to now, I will prove JL thee with mirth, and thou flialt enjoy pleafure ; but behold ! this alio [prov'd] vanity. ^ 1 IreforJ'dwhhm^felftotryiuhat happmcfi cou'dhe ^ain'dby an tndid--'^ ^encc of my appetius in tho/e enjoyments ^vhich an called pkajura. ^nd Uptn trial I found that they alfo are vdniiyi 2. 1 faid of laughter it makes rac mad ; and of mirth ^\i^K dges it [for me] ? ^^ ^^^ ( 2 ) 2. Aftrr a fu of laughter, I couhl not forbear ibi'iking I baa hihi In a Jit } Cj madncfs, end afur ajccne of nl'irtb I afizW tnyjclf \x;hh ajigb-^ivhat am I the better for it ^ 3. I cfetermin'^cl to continue niv learchcs bv an inuul- gence of my appetite in v/ine^ Tyet coiuluGing myiclf Xvlth wifdom) and by making experimenrs of folly, till [ ^ou^d difccver v/hcrein confil-LS that good [prov^ided] for the children of men, which they ihor.ld purfiic under the lieav'n all the days of their life. . 3« i determiii! d however to continue my hidiuz^^nce thh 'ivay, drinking lulne jreely (yet not td deprive my reafon of the government hjhoii'd akvays mainlaui ever the mc'.n) and enjoywg every foollpj ple^i fur e, till I fhoii d fatisfy myfelf tvbra ought to be counted the good and hap'/mrfs of human llfe^ fo far an to de- Jerve to he the ohjetl of our care and pur fait ^ as long as zve live in this world, 4. I made me great works, I builded mc houfes, 1 planted m.e vineyards, 5. I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all [kinds of] fruit. 6. I made mc pools of water, to water therewith the ..»1 forefl in which my trees were growing. 4* 5» ^» ^^^ 'oy'dcr to -ivhlcb I mack rn-e gr^at works^ huildinghonfes^ plant- ing vineyards^ gardens and fniitcrics^ well jl^cli d with fruif^ of every kind, 1 7nadc me alfo ^ refervoirz of water ^ from which vjaler was co'ridudedto every ^art of the for eft ^ which I bad planted with my trees, 7t I bought me men fcrvants and women fervants, and I hid a fon to continue my family : alfo I had poffcflions ofgrent^ and fmall cattle, above all that were in Jeru- salem betcre me. 7. I had a great number of fervants \ aJidlQ complete mv hfibplmfs in thi prvfpsB f my family, I had a fon in wl-x*m 1 might truf it would be eontin- * tied. I bad afoa flock of cattlCy a^dfuch kinds of wealthy much larger than any of my predaefjors in Jertfalcm, ^. I gather'd mc alfo filver and gold, and [drev/ into TC\y own pofleiiion] the precious rarities, which had been colleded in tlie kingdoms, and provinces [of my neigh* ^ ■^ The reader may fee a very fatlsfa^^ory accQimt of thcfe rffervoirs in tke B&o 'W Loadon's notes on Iiainh It Jqj ( 3 > neighbourhood :] I gat me men-fingers, and womeij-. Inigers, and dioic delights of the ions of m.en which [foj frequently draw 'em on to ruin, ni^.d dcflruftion. 8. liiifo an: a (Jed great quantities cfjnz'cr and gold ; found jncans to get into, my po[Jc[]ion^ and place in^my ozi'n cabinets luhatever I heard of rare and precious, in the tvea furies ofthckingi and provimes. of my neighbourhood, I gat mc olj'o 7}ien andi^omcnjingcvs^ and the iriftritments of all thojc delights VJihich maukind^f is fo fond ojy cuid tco often purjue to their titter ruin, 9. So. I was great, and increafed more than- all that were before me in Jeruiaiem ; alfo nay vvlfdom r^iiiaiiied- with me. 9. So [ grew niMch greater than any had been in ferufalem befrc ine : and.. the goodnejs of God continued mc in.poffcfjtonofmy ivifdom ; tvhich vjas natta-- ken from me in my tirr^ oj luxioy and difftpatioii, as Sampfcns frength was from hiniy hut was continued to me^ that £ might be capabie of forming ibe^ bet- ter judgment of the plcifure:s I had tried, and be the better able to recover myfcf from the pQiver of them, zvhen God^ s grace fJyouldJJycw 7ni the folly cuid mi j chief ' of them, 10. And whatloever mine evci defired, I kept not from them. ; I wlthekl not my heart from any joy ;. but my heart had joy of all my labour. And thus I had tlic, return to be expefted from all my labour. I o. //; the mean time I gave an entire ioje to the reins, of my appetite atid fan- . cy'y and denied m\fe!f n-ipieajure l had any inciitiation to enj(y : and my heart, Jeem\l fo Jiltisfucdy that I thought I heidfound what I ivas feekingfr^ andivas p<^ff^J^^d of the proper return for all my labour,. H, Then I confiderM all the works which my hand?, had wrought, and all the labour which 1 had labourM. to do, ai:id behold all was vanity and vexation of fpirit, and there was no profit [of thofe labours] un- der the fun. 11. But when Irevieid^d it all difpafftonately, according to the fJe-r die* iMtes of cool reafon, Ifaw clearly that U%va^ ^H f^iwiey, and thatuQ true bap-^ pincfs coiid he reap'' d from thofe fuhlunary Enjoyments, 12> Then I turnM myfelf to behold wifdom, and mad-* ii'efs, and folly v that the man who ihall come after the king (hall dcmolifh every thing which liatii been done 12. 'Thtnl turn* d my reflcElions again on ivijdomj and madnef, and folly Z^^ nyid took alfo into my confi deration the probability there was tout my JuiccJ/oi'* ^WfV undo evt'i'y thjn^ Ihadd^^^n ' ^" J cer- tainly the wife man dieth as the fool 1 7- Therefore I hated life, becaui-^ the work which i. wrought under the fua appear'd evil unto me • frill I vanity and vexation of fpirit. ' ' * : tig- ev:ry vjork tb^t is dme unL the fun aZ ZT ,) ■^"■'^ evil attend, timofffirit, "^'"'J""' ""''''^''t^'i'^cs vanity, and vep^a. I 18. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken un» C 5 ) 19, And who knoweth whether he ihall be a wife man or a fool ? yet fhall he have rule over ail my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have fhewed my* felt wife under the fun. Surely this alfo is vanity, 19. jind bQio do IbiGiv that hetitill not be a fool '^ yet J})ah all my zuerks^ coyitrl-j'a and txecutcd zvilh.fo much ivijdomj he at his dUpoJalto he alter* d, or defirhy A according to his \_ptrhaps'\ iinrealonablCy or injudicious fancy. This i hire fort is aJjo vanity, 20. Then I gave up my heart to defpair, with regard to all the works which I had wrought under the f.m. 21. ^"or when aman who hath labourM both in wiA dom, and knowledge, and equity, &all leave his portion to a man who hath not labour'd in thofe ways, furely this is vanity and a great evil. - 20 b" 21, J defpair therefore of finding fati^faBion in any thing I couU do here then Jei%'d me. For ivhat can he more difcouragingy vjhat more pro- voking than to think of leaving works, on which fo much thought^ care, ami wifdom, have hscn hejhw'' dy to the humour af a man who has never confulted wifdom or reafon ik any thing, that he has done P 22. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart wherein he hath laboured under the fun ? 23. For all his. days are forrow and vexation occafion- ed by his labour. ^ Yea his heart taketh not reft in the iiight. Surely this is vanity. 22fsf 23. [fhat does a ?nan gain then by all his lalsurs., and all the vexatU an xvherevjiththoje labours have been attended? Jnd vet pey haps he ha? f^.nit nights on them_ as well as days : contriving, and planning his fchcmes, when, other men are taking timr refi, and attending the execution of them with a Joli^ citiide,^ and toil not lefs than that of the men who are working on them. Sureh tuen this is vanity, ^ 24.^ Man cannot then, be made happy by eating and drinking ai;d taking pleafu re in his labour. And 1 faw plamly that this [difappointment of his expe(?-ationsl is. from the will of God. 24. Aid the happinefs of man cannot be found in eating and drinkinr^ ami tnjoyfngpieafure, Andit appears ^lain and deal to mcihat it is the will of ^jody thHtitJh^iii^nGtp -^ "'^ ^i- For (: 6 ) 25. For who can eat, or iTiakc a greater difplay of grandeur, than I did ? 26. But God giveth to- a man that is good in his fight, wifdom and knowledge, and joy : . but to the finner he giveth travel, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to hirn that is good before God. This aUb is vanity and vexation of fpirit. 25. ^ 26^. For ivhocan enjoy ^he pkafures ofthetahky or know- more of the fatisfaciion to be gain d by works of magnlficeme than 1 have done? J]' hence then mufl arife the happ'inef of man in this fuhlunary world ? I anpuucr Ftom the blefft:!^ of God, iVho giveth to fuch as are careful to pleafe hirriy hy living according to his lavJSy wifdom j and knowledge to judge rightly of the worldly and what befalls them in ity and a chearfidnefs of fpirit to relilh and enjoy whatever he difpenfes to them. But to fuch as zvill not pleaf e and obey ■ vexatiQH of fpirit* S C C L E' ECCLESIASTES C H A P. VIL Fcrfe, 23. Verfc 2- /^ LL thib have I prov'd : I faid, I would ^^ _£\^ make proof of it wliely without forfa- khip- my wlillom ; but this was out of my power. ■if All this have I provM. I (aid inckecl that I would make the proof m ihefc thinos, in fuch a mrainer as fliouM become z wile iHaa without f'jiicrin*- myfclf to be drawn into any thinp; contrary to what wildom woaM TdloW of. Bat I Ibund it impofnblc. Wiidom cannot be malntain'd amidil: fuch indulgences. 24. The working of God [is] deep and far [from us:] who by fcarchiiisj caii find [it] out ? ■• 24. The Counlels^md Operaiions of God's providence arc too high aild wonderful for us to comprehend ; after the moft diligent rclearches into them which our reafon is capable of making, they will always appear to us myilerious and unaccountable. 25. I returud and [applied] my heart to know and diicover, both by fearch of wiidom, and the trial of {tvT fible experience, even to know the folly of wickednefsi and the m.adnefs of fuch as do not govern themfelvcs by ^rcafon. ^ • 1, r 25. Idctcrra'm'd however to renew and continue my fearch into theid matters with a view of dilcovering, (if 'twere polliblc to difcover, ei- ther by the exercile of reafon, or the tryal of cxoeriment, what canines ducc the foolifh man who denies the being of a God to be guilty ot that impiety t and what can be thecaufc of thatfottilh, ienlelcls behaviour^ which men arc fometimes guilty of, in defiance of every thing that com* mon tenfc and right reafon can luggell to turn them from it > 26. And I find more bitter than deaths the womatl whole heart is fnares and nets [and] her hands [as] bands i whofo plcafeth God, ihall efcape her, but the fmncr Ihall be taken by her. ^ . 26. And the chief refult of my enquiry is, that the Influence of W0-» tr.cn much contribute* to the producing thefe efi^fts ; the decc:ttul Wick* ed part of the fex, ruining and'deftroying more men than all tiic other ' mifchiefs and plagues which the world fuftcrs by ; their minds abound- ip£ in fuch wiUs and flmagems as can hardly fail of cafnaring thof^ ( 8 ) •\hat cenverfe witK'thfm ; and their hands like tlie ftronged bancU re- '^lainiiig and confinui^ ihc wretches, who have been drawn vvithin the compa's of their reach. Nor can any one, who does not live io as to pleafsGod, qnd obtain the grace of his protca'on, hope to efcapa th-ir attempts : The man who defpifes God and difobeys his laws, is a iurc prey to them. 27. Behold, this have I found (faith the Preacher) proving one thuig after another by experience. 28. With regard to the thing which my foul is yet in fcarch of, bur I have not found ; a man thoroughly ac- complifh'd I have found, but a woman lil her pcrteftioil I have not found. 27. ^ 28. This however my experience warrants me to lay that, i have in the courfc of my Isarchss met with a man furniihM with aU tkc virtues and good qualiries which can be expcacd in hirnatl . nature ; but I have never met with a woman pollcrs'd of the qualities J beceffary to form and complete *a accoiliplilli'd v/oman s character. r, 29 Behold * it cannot be impr«pcr to ohfervc here how lltde rcafon the gr*y and libei- \!ne part of the world have to expec% that the women they are apt to conaedt Uemfeivcs with, fhould be of the mcft valuable fort ; or to complain ot the iex in c^encrah when their favourite provei a tritier or deccittull, Solomon may be fupposM to kave had as much fenfe^ and to havc^ been as ra- «iable of mukina a judicious choice as any of them are. Yet fo untortun.tc was -tcinhisconnellions, that among the many he tcquamted hiinfclt wuh, he did hot meet with one, who anfwer'd the idea he had conceived ot a thoroughly ac- XromplifliM woman. We are not however from hence to conclude, that no luctt Was to be found. For he himfclf tells us there was. Prov. 3 1 . ThQconclufion therefore t^ be drawn from the account he gives ot his dilap- bclntmenc, is, that ho confultcd his fancy more than his reafon in his choice ot thcm,"that he preferrM thofc whom he thought likely to gratify his Icnfual en- joyment, to fuck as feem'd more difposM to live in a way of duty to God.-and ihac confequently his choice was made from th« moft unworthy part ot the Ic^, Trov. 31. 30. It may too with reafon be fuppoi'd that God pumih d tiim with the difappointment an«l vexation of fpirit hc wmplams of, m rcicutmcn; ©f the uftduc pref^r«n?« hc had been guilt/ of^ ( 9 ) zg. Behold this only have I found ; that God madci inan upright ; but they have hccn led to oppofe his will bv tbllowiii'j»- the dldates of their fenfuai appetite^. 29. Upon thti wliolc, the concluiion to whicli iny Icanhcs have ^t lait brought ific Is merely thi<. 'I'hat God oave to mar) at his creation fueji a rcditude of nature ns would jiavc m:unt.iinM him in a courle of unin- terrupted happincls, had he conftantly cor.fultcd and phey'd the dicl^ites ot his reafon; but giving into the indalgen.cs pf hr§ foniual Rppclite. h,e found himfclf ehflavM to luftsj incompatible with phcdience to the cprn- mandi of (jod, and hai been thereby led to diipute this ricalpa^blei^els pf hislav;s, and to qucftion, or even deny his exit\cnce. C H A P, Xi. Ferfiy 7, RUL Y the light [is] f pleaiant [thing it is] for the eyes tp be Verfe 7. 'T^^ R U L Y the light [is] fweet, an^^ a hold the fun. 7. I'he enjoyment of life is no doubt very agncedlile. 8. Wherefore, If a man live many year^, let hiiti tcjoice ill them all ; but let him remejTiber that, fince tlie days of darknels will be many^ all that ofFereth it- I'elf to him is vaiiity, 8. But However uninterrupted the courfe of fi mari's prgrperity rnay be, 't\Tdl be his wifdom jto think of the days of darknefs, wiiich wjll furely come on him, and that therefore all that no\¥offf: s itfelf tohim^ ^ith luch afpecious appcaiance of happinef^., is indeed but vanity. 9. Rejoice, O brave man^ it) thy vputh, and let thy hearc cheer thee iii the days of thy bravery ; and waik iii the ways of thy heart, and according to the fight of thine eves ; but know that for all thcle things God will bring thee into judgment. 9. l<.jjoice then; O .n^n of brav.^ry, in thy youth, and fpcnd thcfe thy daysof bravery in plcalure, acror ling as thy inclination, or fancy fhali le^ I thee ; but rcmemfx , withall endcil thele yc3.rs of jolliiy. JS jio Therefor^ ( lO ) \ Qome about hi;vx iiir the- ftrefet wi^th condolence. 5. If he goes abroad, e\ cry rifing ground fcGms.'vhiU tohiiii, nn(?- frlghtens hun, and every water territics him, as if it were a lea. llc^ grows indiffcreot and carelefs with regard to bufinefs, and the hurry c- v«n of a fcaft is too much forkim. The cpict temper of a dove who. loves to be at reft, grovys on him ;. and he is lenlible he ii eve-y dav drawing on faft towards his U)ng home; or if he would not be others il'er fenfible'^of it, the ofhrious condolence of the fne.pds who come ai^outi him in thQ ftreets w,ould make him think of it». 6. Before the fchemes of getting moiiey be laid afide*, and th^ ptcafure of [poficllinpl gold be weakcad, ancf infteadof fpringingbjpe, he fhaTl ha^^^c [onlv] a. profpecl: of diflblution, and the- wh^el be roll'd nito the pit., ^ 6. AqJ now all his ichcmes for getting nv.>n^y are laul «hde-,. and heaps of gold in his polfcffion give hn» but btilc pleaiure,. and inftead of the blooming hopes, whicii-iiaitcrM his youthful davs he has no-, thing before hun but the profpcft of a fpe.dy dllfolution, an.l the whce^-> of life, wh;ch has beciv for a long. tiiiic.d.ra.wu-.g.aeiir iQ^he pit,, nav% rolls, mto It,. 7. Then fliatl th^. dafl retuj-n, to^ the earth as it w,as ;:- and thefpirit fhall returnunto God w.ho gave it. 7. And the bo ly, which was athrft made of the eaitb, rcrurns to., capth again, and the fpirit returnsjo Gjod'who g-ave rt, 8. Vanity cf v.anities, lalth the preacher ; all isvan^ty. S. And thus, as I faid in the beginning of my difqourfe all is v.;tnity. 9. hr ium the p-rcacher according to, his wildom-, Tcill:; ta^ught the people knowledge, and- with, [great] attentL-^^ on, and application, fet iiv order many pro v.erb$.. I a. Thepren^cher foight to find out acceptable ward's,. $t the faiT?x time tliat he wrote what was upright,, eveiii, words of truth* % ^ iQr Thus did the preacher enij>!ov his wifdoni- in iuHruf^inghjis; people ; rparin:^:^'^ piiris oi- atteaf"oi-i ia making a colleflion of uleFal ielfaris for t(ie cjnJu^ of h j ri?.n life ; \vhich lie vva^ alio careful to de- liver" ill the nloli vVirtri ng te;:ri>: ciufiig the mod agreeable, and ple'jtfinrrpxpreilioni vvhieh \verecOxiiiftcnt With the truth and upiight- llefs ho profcis'd. 1 1. The vvords of the wife are as goads, raid as fences fet down to keep in the flocks, whicli are ordcr'd by a flngle rtiepheid. i i. And (ieriamly fach lefTons are to men who. will p^"^/ a proper re- gard to them, nfcful as goads to fpur them oil in the paths of honour and viitue. Tiiey are loo fences which will keep 'em from tranfgref- fiil^ the hounls within whicIi tlieir duty, and happinefs vvoald Coniiae ^^iHi as tlidfe which a fllepherd who has no affiftanc, fets i\o\rn to keeji;-' liis tiorkj wheil he has gathcrM 'cm together to. examine them, fr.^m^ runhin-r at ui)crtv before he has taken 'r >pcr care of them. 12. In ftiie, by thcfe, mv fon, be adii3oni{h'd : of makn1|»nianv hooks [rliere i^] no cud, and much ftudy is a wearinela of the fteih. 13. Let Us hear the conclufiou, of the whole nl:atter. Fear God, aild keep his coainiindinents ; tor this the whole fduty aild ha} nnneG] of man. 12 C9*""i3- Be pcrluadcd ihcicforc, my ion, to goVemthyfcIf h.y thefc kflRirls. Tliou mayed c:;et iMvoks vV.tlioiu en,;!, and weary tjiyfelf W)th inceiTint ftiidy. But after all, tho 1 \Vili: iind t!ie funi and fuhflancc of ^11 wiidom contain'd m this one fenten.e, *' Fear God, and keep his tbmm.iridments ; for this is the whole duty and happifiels of mau. Should the reader think it ftrange that a defcription iej^iih in ficrurafive exprefhons, Ihould be continued m -ph h Icingdage^ through the greatcft part of it, and at laft bccv)nciud-d with a figure, let hiiti. hear what the Kfiiop of London, lays on. th;<^ point. II '' Piirable^ {iiy's he^ muft all along be uniform, and Bot 'I K^ n-jafi If y qdreJ.nm parabola:, tit per omnia fihi conOct, ncque aivxlii .:* |n\:p;-i.vW:tiill:^ h^X^Q- . !:i quc^ lilultUii) ditFcrt a prima Allc- ( ^3 ) iiot mix plaia language with figurative ; in which i% much differs from Allegory, which beglnnhig ia Meta- phor frequently drops It, and goes on hi plahi language/* of which he gives an inftance m Pfalm 88. 9-- 18. and fays, § '' Of the very many beauties to be found m this Allegory, 'tis not the leaft that he Aides from plain Ian- ouao-e into Metaphor, and as naturally recovers himfclf out of Metaphorical expreffion into fuch as is. void of figure" + '^ You fee, fays he, fpeaking farther of this palTagc, what a liberty is allowed to this fort of Allego- ly^ ot intermixiiig proper language with figurative ; and how becoming fuch a prafticc is, fincc by this means a more agreeable light is thrown upon the fubjeft, by aa indlreft, and not too plain an illuftration." He after- wards f lys, %, " I have above fhewn the liberty allowed to a continued Metapbor (^another expreiiion for what is called Allegory) of mixing plain language with figura« tive, &:c." The gorii'e. fpecle ; q.\ice a {impllcl Metapliora paulatim progrcdicns non fern- per contmuo excludiL proprium. I^rcel. IG. />. 125. EJ, 2d. Svc, § Inter plurima? autem clegantias, qulbus abundat hji^c Allcgoria, noa minimam habct gratlam ea verecundia, qua cum in ingrcfTu tumiis exitu uritiir ; a proprii^ in tranllara paulatim illapla, nee minas lenitci: ex tranflati.sin propria per gradus quofdam le recipicns, ibid. •{^ Vicictis quantum in hac prima Allegorise fpecie immifcerc liccat tranflatis propria, quantumque id quod licet, deceat ; cum hoc modo f.ici.ior graviorque fit ab akcris ad altera deflcxio, limulque oblique, ncc nimis aperta cxplicatjonc, lux juci^ndius infertur. /i'. />. 227. m Expoful fupra quas Continuatx Mctaphora: concedcretur licentia Cum ti.niillatis propria, iioc eft i:ii igincm rcmotiorcm cum proxima kd« niiiccodi, 6cc. i'ra-i^ il, ^, 131, ( 1+ ) ' The Tranflator confiders the Hebrew Text, as it np-, pears in our printed Bbles, merely as a Tranfla- tion: The original Text being the Letters without vowel points, without pAufeb, and even without any aivifiou into words. He thi-refjrc thinks himfelf at h- berty, whenever the context requires it, either to read with different paints, or to divide the letters differently into words, or fentences. He fuppoles huTilelf too at liberty to read fome Torts o-f' -vord^ either with or without a Fau with or without a Tod: For all readers have lean. and al'lowed the neceffity of doing this in many inftances, aiid therefore it may be neceffary in others which they have not been aware of He has too how and then taken the Hberty of applying that common rule, Ltiera; homo- gene^e, five unlus organi facHe inter fe pfrmuiantur -..-v^h^r^ no application of it perhaps has been made before And thefeareall the liberties he has prcfum d to take, ex- cept he has in a fmsjle inftancc luppos'd a word- fhoukl be read with an Mph epenthcticum, as is done in tlie prefeiit way of reading the Text in many places. T P S 'Twas intended to print on^v a few Copies of this Paper, to be givca to the Tranflitor's particuUr Friends But on confuleration, that the more it is ail- pcrs'd the better the fentiments of the Public in- genera concerning it muft be known, the Tranflator has order d. a number to be printed and fold, Augujl I. 1 781., (Price ONE. PENNY.) Ukelicr: Printed by Geohg,e Trelan!?, an^ fold: by him ; |. FLETCliER-, in, O.v/V^ J J.,Nicuol,so-n n\ Qmbridge 5 and T^ hmm%.H. Flecr-ftre<:r, Londofu A New TRANSLATION OF SOME PARTS OF ECCLESIASTES WITH A PARAPHRASE. PART IL / am as glad of thy word^ as one that find* eth great fpoils. Pfalm cxix, 162. The Book of Proverbs^ but chiefly EcclefiaJ* ies^ if he can get to underftand it, will beget in him a right view of the world, a juft value of things, and a contempt of many objeds that ihine with a falfe luftre, but have no true worth in them. Bifliop Burnet fpeaking of the preparation j; of mind, with which a Clerk is to be form'd, and feafon'd. Paftoral Care, Ch. 7. P. 142, 143. Third Edition. LEICESTER: Printed by GEORGE IRELAND. And fold by J. Fletcher, in Oxford; J. Nicholson, in Cambridge; and T. Lowndes, Fleet-Street, LandQru ( Price Three-Psnce, ) TH E reader is now prcfcnted willi a 2d. part of tlie New Translation of Ecclesiastes : which fills up the gap found in the ifc part, between the 2d. Ch. and the 23d. verfe of the 7th. The tranilation of the other parts fliall (God willing) foon follow in another of thefe petty publications. The tranflator hopes that the learned reader who attends to the account given, at the end of the 1 ft. part, of the grounds on which he w^ent in interpreting the text, wili ice ibfficicnt rcafon for approving the traiill^ition given. But, 'for his better fatisfaaion, the tranflator purposes, when he fhallhavefinifli'd the publication of this little book in Englifh, to give him an edition of it in the original, di- vided into words, and pointed, as he reads it, with a Latin tranflation, and notes critical, and explanatory. In the mean time the reader may be plcas'd to fee iome ac- count of his realbns for rendering the 7th. i6th. and 17th. verfes of the 7th. Ch. as he does here, where would be other- wife a vacant leaf. In the III. of thefe texts we read, as commonly tranflated, '^ oppreffion makes a wife man mad.^" Butfurely this cannot be a right rend'ring of the preacher's words. If it is, the Hoicks will cry out, tliat their wile man fliall rife up in judgment with Solomon's, and condemn h.m. For their wife man's virtue was invulnerable by any perlecu- tion or oppreffion. And Epiaetus's fortitude prov'd that this was not an empty boaft. And was not the hiftory of David fufficient to have taught his fon another Icffon ? We muft therefore find either ano- ther tranflation of the words we read in this text, or other words for it. And indeed I think, if we could help ourfelves no otlierwife, 'tw^ouM be better to fubmit to receive a conjeaure from the conceited audacious Houbigant, if it was not io Tery extravagant, and ridiculous as that which with fo much prcfumption and aflurance he gives us on this text. But there is no occafion for any recourfe to him here, nor perhaps any where elfe. The tranflation 1 have given of the text is fufficicntly authoriz'd by Plalm 75. 4- where we read, as in our old tranflation, " deal not fo madly." The verb in the original is tranfitive, and requires an accufativc cafe to be underftood after it. And probably the accufative cafe ^oundinthis textofEcclef. is that which, agreeably to the idiom of the original, is to be fupplied in that of the Plalnrs. «« Deal not out oppreffion fo madly ." And fo in the prclent text i ( lii ) text ; ^^ a wife nnii will Jeai out opprefTion in an extrava- gant manner, when a gift lias pervei ted his heart." Here we have a reiniment found in other paiVages of S. S. {\q^ Exod. 23. 8. Deut. 16. 19.) tho' itmay fecm ftrangc that the wife man Jliou'd do lo. 'Tis certain that the man who is poflefs'd of that wifdom, which IS the fear of (-iod perfe£led, Prov. 9. 10. can by no inducement bep'cyailM upon to a6l in fuch a manner. But the word hbacam^ which in our bible is generally render'd. w//^, is often us'd when qualities very different from that of true wifdom arc to be underftood : indeed io\-fenJihle, ctimiimr^ or p rude m in any reipeft. So Jonadab in 2. Sam. 13. 3. is faid to be very hhacaniy in Job 37. 24. we read that " God rcfpe£teth not any that are wife (I'ubtile) of heart ; and ia Prov. 30. 24, certain annuals are faid to be exceeding w//f. The word hhacam therefore is fometimcs ufed, where no- thing more is meant by it, X.h.?.n foijible^ and intelligent with regard to worldly matters ; and we lecm to have a lufficient direction to ufe it fo in Eccles. 7. 7. becaulb of the two texts, which arc obferv'd above to be parallel to it, Exod« 23. 8. has a word which properly lignihesy/^m/'^, ovpoceiv" ;\oanhvering to the word zvife in Deut. 16. 19. Hhacam {i^iw^ts alfo wi/e in the notion of thrifty or provi-i dent to favc. So Prov. 6. 6. Go to the ant thoii iluggard, conlider her ways, and be wife, he. The wifdom here meant mull be that of being /)r&z;ij£?/i^ and javing. So alio Prov. 14. 24. the crown of the wife is their riches. This. can be true only of -h^ providently wile. And in this fenfe'tis neccifary we ihou'd underftand it ii\ ch. 7. 16. In which text we cannot fuppofe rio-^.tcous and wife IS fpoken of true religion and true wifdain. For there is no d anger ot exceeding in thofe qualities. We have teen that hhacam is usM to exprefs a quality in which mankin 1 is often gnilty of excefs ; and tzadd'ik the o- ther word, will alfo be found often to lignify a temper, and difpofition of mind in v^rhich *tis very poffiblc for us to exceed to our own great detriment ; viz. that which among us is caU'd good-nature ; of which Grotius fpeaks (fee him on Matth. I. 19.) when he quotes from Arift. an cxpreffioa concerning a quality- as being fomething better than mere juf- tice : that difpofition gf uiind by which one is always in- cluVd ( iv ) clin'd tofhcw benevolence ;* and cv«n to relax fomething of jufticc, when the guilty party*s cafe will bear a tavourable conilruf^ion. This temper exerts itfclf in maiters ©f chari- ty, as well as jufticc : and often leads us, in compailion to the neceffities of other people, to hurt oiirielves, and our fa- milies. This the heft Ibrt of men are frequently guilty of ; and perhaps yield to it's impulfes the more readily from a dread of appearing j>^/7z/y/ow5, and niggardly. In the next vcrfe the word which our tranflatcrs render foQliJh figmlies f9tti/h and carelefs : *' imprudentem efle, ct inconlidcratum,— fucordem ct ignavum, nee ad rem atten- turn, — fed rcmiffum — fays Mercer in Pagnin. The word they tranflatc wicked {igm^c^ in it's primary acceptation vio- Jem nnd cpprcjjtve ; particularly with relpeft to matters of gain ; and therefore is very properly oppos'd to facal in this verfe, and mcntion'd afttr i'zadnikm the preceding. The untimely death, which this fort of people arc cau- tion'd to beware of, may be fuppos'd to proceed from thofe ai^s of violence which are often committed by the opprefs'd in a lit of rage nnd defperation ; or from fuch heart cutting Tcflcdtions as felz'd Nabal on a review of his churlifh beha- viour to David, accompanied with a like ftroke of vengeance from the hand of God, A judgment which the preacher might perhaps intend to point out particularly by this cx- prcffion. * The word tzaddik is frequently applied to God In this ^tn^c. It may not be amifs to mention here one text, in which 'tis fo applied, for the fake of an ebfcrvation to which 'twill lead us. The following is fubmitted as a traiiilation of f f. 7, 11. *VGod is a righteous jud;^e, and not eafdy provoked ^'' (Hcb. and not an- gry at every turn.) But Bp. Hare fays, 'tis rightly tranflated, ** God ij V.n^ry, &c." and refers us to Pf. 99. 8. and Exc^. 34. 7. for a confirmation of the fcntiment. But perhaps both thefe texts right- ly undcrftood confirm the tranflation here given. That in the Pfalms may be rendered, as in our laft tranflation, '' tho' thou tookeft ven- geance of their inv^mtions." That in Ex»d. — forgiving — and freely clearing them that are caft down. (Hcb. the wearied and difpiritcd) The verb laah and its derivatives is perhaps often us'd tor what is Tvearied out or deprefs'd, where it has not been obferv'd to be us'd. I'his Exod. 34. 7. feems to be one inftance tnd the v. in the lialms following that we have been confidering, is probably ano- ther. How much clearer, than it is now, wou'd the text be, were we to rfead in Pf. 7. 11, and 12. ** God is a righteous judge, and not eafily provok'd ; but if lie bc wcaiied out lie will turp, lUfd whet his fvvord, &c." ? ECC LES I ASTES, Chap. IlL IN the id. Chapter the Preacher (hews the vanity of worldly pleafures ; hi this he teaches the vanity of worldly wlfdom, and that men's fuc- ceeding in the biUincfs and fortune of the world, does not depend on the wlfdonn of their own ma- nagement, but merely on God's giving them his blclilng. He purfucs this point to the 15th verfe, in which he gives us the conclufion to be drawn from liis doctrine. h\ the reft of this chapter, and in the 4th. he obfervcs, that men are fo far fronn making themfelves happy in life by their wifdom, and good management, that they make life very uncomfortable, and in fome inftances, quite in* tolerable (ch. 4. 3.) by their mifcondud. He proves this (i) from the oppreflions excrcifed a- mong them (the mention of which leads him to conlidcr and refute an objeftion made by atheiftical men to the doftrine of a divine providence.^ Sec ch. 3, 16 to ch. 4. 3. (2) from the envy (3) from the indolence (4) from the covetoufnefs of men. Ch. 4. 4.--8« (5) from their abufes of fo- ciety. Ch.4. 9.--14. (6) from their foolifh fafhi* oils and cuftoms. Ch.4. ^S* ^6. The 5th. and following Chapters are a mlf- cellany of obfcrvations and refleftionSj which not only fhcw the van it v of human puriuits, but teach us to correal it ; and to direft our alms, and regulate our avflions in fuch a manner, as will not fail to fccurc us peace now, and happineis here^ after. 2 E C C L E S I A S T E S. Ver. I. ^^~^0 every tlnng there is a i leaibn, and a tiinc for every purpofe under heaven. 2. A time to be born, and a time to tlie : a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. 3. A time to kill, and a time to heal : a time to break down, and a time to build up. 4. A time to weep, and a time to laueh : a time to mourn, and a time to »_> dance. 5. A time to caft away ftones, and a time to gather ilones together : a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. 6. A time to get, and a time to lofe : a time to keep, and a time to caft awa3^ 7. A time to rep.t, and a time to few : a time to keep filence, and a time to fpeak. 8. A time to love, and a time to hate : a time for war, and a time for peace. I — 8. Toere are in the appointment of God's pro- '■j'ldence proper times and [co Jons fir the accornpl'ifnment of every event ivhich happens in ike courfe of human life. * H. \% the g. But what ^ is the prudent manage- advantagc. ment of him that doeth a?2y of thefe ihings w^ith refpect to the labour which he takes ? 9. But how mufi a man manege to turn the lahoUr te ukci in any of ihcm to the heft advantage f 10. I E C C I. E S I A S T E S.. 3. 10. I confiderM the travail which God hath given to the Ions of men to be exQTCifcd therein^ 1 1. He hath made all things beautiful in then- feafon : but he hath || hid the y h. p>3t events of them under the covering of the fiitursj their cutward appearance, perplexing |^^ ^^^^^^■ tkem in fuch a manner, that man can- ^^^^' not find out the work which God is working from the beginning of it to its end. 10, II. 7h'is point I ccTi/iJered \ and am fatisfiedy that hoivever renJonahU and prom'jfing any management may appear at the time 6f our doing any things Uis im- pojpblefor us to conclude %vitb certait^^y, that it will, jia- ceed. For God covers the events which he intends our oBionsJIoall produce ivi lb the appearance of their pro- ducing events very different : Jo that it is often impofp- hie for us in ayiy part of a hngferics of events to gucfs in what they will at Jaft end, }fho^ for infiancc would have been led by any part of the fortune which hcfel Jo- I'epb during the time of God\ trying him, from Vis be- ing carried into Egypt, to his advancement to tije go- vernmcnt of it, that it would have ended as it did? Or whoy that fno Alofes expos'" d upon the river, would have thought that his being fo expofs^d was the means by which God would bring him into fuch a courje if life as fmdd fit him to be the deliverer and ruler of his people? Or who that f aw the difireffcd condition in vAjiih Ruth accompanied Naomi in her return homey (ould have conceived that that very difrcfs would throw her into the way cf being the Mother of Kings ?■ 12. I am fatisfied that nothing is goocJ for * man^ but to rejoice in doing good ^^ H. thc2:s all the days of his life. 12. T am therefore zvell /atisfed that the only ivifdom- m man canfhsvj in. the ordering his life^ fo as to make hififilf ECCLESIASTE hmfelf happy in itf is to make the doing good hii chief ^leajurc and aim, 13. And that certainly with regard to every man, who can eat, and drink, and have comfort of all his labour, this js the gift of God. 13. ji7id, if ai the fame time he finds himfef happy in the pleajurahle enjoyment of his life, to acknowledge this to be entirely owing to God^s hlefjhg on his labour, 14. Iknow^too, that all W'hich God ' does, fliall be eftablifi^'d ; nothing can be added to It, nor can any thing be ta- ken from it ; and that God works for thufe that fear him. 14. Nor does any thing appear more certain to m.e, ■ than it does, that the purpofes of God'^s providence %vill certainly be ejlablijh d ; that it is not in the povjcr of mankind to defeat, or forzvard them ; and that God in the midjl of this apparent perplexity of affairs, is care- ful to rn,ake every thing work together for good to tlcm that^ {ear him^ 15. Wherefore let him w^ho is fuc- cefsful, and him who wifhes to be fnc- celsful, feek the Lord, even God with earneft purfuit. 15 Let him therefore, wh of e Jtt nation is agreeable to him, or who wifjjes to have it made fo, apply to God for the blejfng of his providence by the mojl diligent . m^ans of JecKing to him, 16. Moreover I confider'd under the fun the place of judgment that violence was there, even the place of juftice that violexice was there. 16 But E C C L E S I A S T E S, 16. But I pmll he afii'd pcvhops^ ivhcthcr cnzon^ the tbinos zvbich are done under the fun y and for which I fay, God has allotted proper times, andfeafons^ ar are to reckon the perveif^n ofju/tice, and judgment ^ arJ to think that this too is of God's appointment. 17. I fliid in my heart, God fhall jnclge the Jufl: man, and the wicked one ; although lie allows a time far eveiy purpoic, and for every doing. 17. Toivhich lanfwer^ that, fine c the f things ar:r^ permitted by God^s providence, they are certainly crderd fo as to ferve vjife, and good ends ; and if:at^ God iviH at irngthfhezv himfeif an equal fatlHr to his ehildren^ by rrMareiin^ t^^j'ifi and punt/bin^ the xvidied in a iifs to (ome, 18. I f^id in my heart with regard to the words of the Ions of men, * '' that God was of their own making, and that tliey could fee that they themfelves, and the beads were one like the other, " 18 Bui ^ This is not perhaps the only pafTsgc of icrip- ture in which the facrecl writer takes nonce of tbs cojnmon objcftions to the doftiine of a dlvi^c p;o- vidence, where it has not been commonly obferv'd that he does fo. The reader may fee in No. 4. of the Appendix to Mr. Merrick's Annotations oa the Pfahiis, a Tranflation of tlic 49th. Pfalm, in which thefe objcftions are fully recited, and ex- pos'd. And perhaps, the reader will be more dcli- rous of feeing it, when he Ihall know that Dr. Kennicott publifh'd it, and commented on it; and that Biihop Lowrn recommended it, fo fac as to declare he had n7Ct with nothing; on that pfalm which had given him equal fatisfadtion. S^cc MERB.iCK.*6 Annou at Pfalm 491114 ECCLESIASTES. 18, But here "'tis f aid hy fome^ ^^ that thefe noiiom tf God^ and a providence are id'e dreams ; that there is no God, but vjhat our oivn timid fancies have cr rated '^ that men and heajis are alike evidently incapable of Hvit'g any where but in the prejent vjorldJ'^ 19. That indeed which befalleth the fons of men befalleth alfo the hearts ; even one thuig befalleth them ; as the one'dicth, fo d'leth the other ; jea they have all one breath, fo that a man hath no prehcmlnence above a beaft, for $11 is vanity. 20. All go unto one place ; all arc of the duft, and all turn to duft again. 15. 20. AndUi^ true^ they are both the fame with regard to the different parts, and paffliges of their lives, U^hey are born, eat and drink, grow to maturity, are Jick, and die alike. And v^oen their life here is at an end^ they all cdike rot, and turn to duft, There is no pretence therefore for afcribing to men a pyeheminence above beajls from what is to be obfervd of them in this prefent world. For all is vanity, 21. But wont of thefe people take in- to their account, the fpirit of the fons of men, that afcends upward, and the Ipirit of a beaft, that goeth downward to the earth. 21. Bd none of thefe atheiftical reafoners take inta their conf deration, the different naturt of the intelligent- principle which God has implanted in man from that cf the power vjlAch aBuates brutes, Toe former being fpiritual, and furviving the diffolution of the body, the latter being merely animal^ and diffolving and. expiring together with it, zz And I confider'd that it is not p^ood E C C L E S I A S T E S. 7 good for a profperous man to rejoice in his works, even when 'tis allotted him to do fo, but as far as will bring him to look with comfort on what will be his lartcr end. 22. But from the proper canjickration of this dif- frtcnce^ I found the condujion plainly deducihle^ that there is no ivijdorn in a man^s indulging his fcnfual en- JcymentSy Jrjwever profperous^ and affluent his circum^ fauces may he, farther than is corftfent vsith his look* in£- furivardlo his latter end ivith comfort. Chapter IV* Ver, I. "T again confider'd all the op« _J^ preflions which are done under the fun ; and behold the tears of fuch as were opprcia'd, and they had no comforter ; and on the fide of their op- preflbrs there was power, but they had no comforter. I . Jnd having thus fatisfied myfclf with regard to /';f us zvhc arc now irj- gf/^'in the w'jrld. But neither of thefe ftc.tes is fo trrf/'y eligible^ as ''tivonld be never to have exiftcd at uil^ nor Jecn the evil vjhich is continually auiing in this fit bi una- ry world, 4. I ccnfidcr'd then all trav^ail, even cverv right work ; that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is alfo vanitv, and vexation oi fpirit. 4. Turning from thii melancholy pro fpeB I furvcy d the bYave aSliom of brave men ; the deeds %vhich gaih the applauje^ and promote the ivelfare of -mankind. But chfcrving that for thcje a m.an is envied^ traduc^dy and vften treated unkindly by the reft of the zvorld^ I was fore' d to pronounce them alfo to be vanity y andvexa-^, tion offpirit, 5. The fool foldeth his hands, and devoureth his fubftance ; and fays ^ 6. One hand full with quietnefs, is better than both hands full w ith travail^ and vexation offpirit. 5.6, And this many a foolifh fclkvj fees ^ and thinks himfelfivife in fitting down fUthfully, and in a fupins neglioence of every thing contenting himfelf with living dmvhat he has, andju/lifying himfelf with the common proverb y Better is one hand-full with quietnefs, than bQth the ha?uls full with labour and uneafincfs, 7. Then ECCLESIASTES. 9 7. Then again I confiderMj and faw vanity under the fun. 8. There is one alone and there is jiDt 3 fecond, yea he hath neither fon, nor hrother, vet there is no end of all his labour ; nor is his eye fatisfied with riclies ; neither fiithe he " for v/hom do I Labour, and bereave my foul of good? '* This is alio vanity ; yea it is a fore travail. 7. 8. T have feen tio another kind of vanity * a mariy zvho has lU) Jamily, neither chitd^ nor brother^ labour'uig iucejfunti'y to get money ; zvithout giving him- JelJ time for the reJieSlion, for what purpcfe he thus toifd', or to njk himjelf luh.m he was providing j or by all this trouble and jatigue. Surely no vanity can be zvcrje than this, 9. Two are better than one; for their hire during their labour is fweet to them; 10. And if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow : but woe to him which is alone when he falleth, and there is not a iecond to help him up. 11. Again if two lie together; then they have heat ; but how can one be warm alone ?^ ^ -^ ^^^^ I 2. And if ** one he overcome^ two prevail ji- fhall fland iigainft f the enemy ; and ;i galnft the three-fold cord is not quickly broken. ^'^' 9. 10. II. 12. There is^ no doubt ^ great advan- ' ^^^ fcog to be reaped from mcn^s uniting in jocieties. Any labour is pieajanter to him who has snother to work with himy than to the man who works alone. If iw6 men travel together y one can ajjijl the other , ifthra^ a- 10 E C C I. E S I A S T E S. 7iy mhfcrtune hejljoii^d need ajpjiame ; /'/// what heh can the poor wi-etch hope for, to zvhom misfortune hap- pens %vhen he is by himjsff Societies vf men too can bet- ter provide for therrfeiVLS the comforts of life, andrefifl an enemy thanflngle unconneded individuals, 13. 'Tis better to have a 3^outh of ex- perience, and wifdom for a king, than an old and foollfh man, who will not receive farther inftru£lionsyr^;/2 his expe- rience, 14. Tea though he fiiould come from a prifon to the throne ; yea though he fliould have been born poor in the king- dom he governs. 13. 14. But foci ety has aljo it'^s dif advantages . Great mifchiefs will hs felt in them, if they ars not properly governed, ^The men v:ho prefide in them ought to he men of experience and age. But age docs not always gain that wifdomfrojn experience which might be expeB- ■ ed. Ayi old king may he incapable of judging proper iy himfelfy at the Jam< time that he /< too objlinate to tane advice. In ivhich cafe the fociety muftjuffer. The mjifdom of a m.an then, and the ufe hi has made of the experience he has had, (hoi^d be eur ride in choofng a governor » Jnd a young man of a good underftanding may have profiled more by the little experience he has had in the world, and be ther efore fitter to govern, than the old man I have been (peaking of : nay even tkoi' the young man fhould have been reduc d to a fate offlavery^ orfhouldbe knoivn to have been born in afiate of pover- ty, 15, I confiderM all the men of one generation together with thofe of the s:eneration that fuccecds to them, 16. No people is ever tired of that which fc) E C C L E S I A S T E S. i £ which is cafton^ary and fafliionable a- mong them ; which yet their fucceflbrs can't find at all agreeable. This thert*- fore muft furely be vanity and vexation of fpirit. 15. 16. IVhUc men zi/hcre tbus^ under my v'w^u as formed into focictiesy I compared one generation of them with regard to their genh'al charader,^ their ciifioms^ and their pleajures zvith another : and finding that the things, which f:em^ d mof] to engage the attentions and plcaje the humours oj a people in one age, were often leaji refpeBed, or attended to by them in the next, I condudcdfrom this conjideration as well as others thai the piirfuits and enjoyments of mankind are vanity. Chap. V. "7" E E P thy foot when thou goeft to the hoiife of God, and draw near wirh attention. Fools offer a gift, but not acknovvledg- ing God in a proper n^anner, their work is evil. I, ffhen thou iccjl to the houfe of Gody hcrecolkn.^ ed, and attentive to the duty thou art performing^ Fools perform the outward part of the duty, and oyer jacrifice ; hut not attending to it ZL'ith a proper revc^ rence for the majcfty af God, and a proper acknozvleg- nient of thtir dependence on his will, they are regarded by him as rather ojjcring him an affront than doinghim^ ajervirs^ 12 ECCLESIASTES. 2. Be not rafh with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hafty to utter any thing before God ; for God h in hea- ven, and thou upon earth : therefore let thy words be few. 2. Nor Ut thy zeal he Jo intemperate^ as to he too firward in voiving, and promijing. IJ thou properly cor liderejl the p-fat dl flame there is hetvjixt thyfeif, and the divine mojefyy t/.cnwi/t he pojjt-fs'a with Juch an awe ofG'd, czs will not fuffer thee to indulge thyfelj in a hafiy flovj of words ;o him, zvhicb t^ou canfl never do^ VJtthout danger of faying jomsthing which, had better riot, have heen [aid. 3. For a multitude of bufincfs pro- duces dreams, and a mukitude.of wordsi is not without a foolilh fpeech. 3. F'ir as men en^a^ d in a multitude of hufinefs feldomfleep without dreams, occajion d by it, (0 they whe fpeak much feidom efcapc f^ylr^g feme fooiijh things vjhich they have rccifon to wljh ur.juid^ 4. When thou voweft a vow unto God defer not to pay it : for he hath no pleafure in fools. Pay that which thou hail: owed. 4. But if in the warmth of thy heart and zenl to- wards God thou fnouldfl make vows to him, he careful to df charge t hem jaithfuUy. For God will not perm.it m to trifle with him, If'i^'S make vows, he cxpeds wc Jliould pay \m,. 5. Better /i // that thou haft fhouldft not vow, than than thou fhouldft vow and not pay. 6. Do not fuffer thy mouth to preju- dice thy fubftancc : nor fliy at the time of E C C L E S I A S T E S. 15 ■ of performance, it was an imprudence^ Why (hould God be provok'd by thy fpcech to defeat the works of thhic hunds ? 5 6. fJ^e are undcy no obligation to vozv any extra" orcii/uny gi/iSy or feivias to God. J}id zvhiie zi-e fcr^ Lear doing foy ourjub/fmice and the employment of our time (as St. Pacr /Jcis 5. /peaks to Jnanias) are tn our oiv.i pozver, And "'tis letter to keep in o:ir ozun poivcr ivbdiever 1VS cannot convenient lyy and chearfuity part with, fVhatcvcr zve voiv xir put out of our poiu- er, ^Tis given to Godj and ought fnithfuily to be de-^ voted to him, even iho' it may be to the prejudice (f thyt eft ate. Say not then, when the time of performance comrth^ *^' ^Twas an imprudence ;" '* / over foot my^ Jeif '^'' *' ^Tvjiil hurt my fami'y ;'* for God may be provok'^d by this mockery of him to bJaJi thy labour , and hurt thy family much more then it ■ivould have Jujfer''d by an honefi dif charge of thy vow^ to God, 7. Surely la abundance dreams, and vanities, and words will be multiplied ; but fear thou God. y. '77i certainly the natural effccl of abundance and projpcrily to lead mentoform vifionary jc hemes of hap" pinejsy to indulge thcmfelves in vanity, and to be free in talking : zvhen therefore thou findcjl thyfelf in t'oefc trying circumfiancesy be particularly careful to^^etp tljs fear of God before thy eyes, andcondutl thyfelf in every . part of thy behiwiour with a proper regard to his com* mandmcnts, 8. If thou feeft opprcffion of the poor, and violent pervcrtinor of judgment and juitice 111 a province ; marvel not at the matter. For the great one, who raifes up great ones, regardeth, and a great day is prepared againft them, t. t H ECCLESIASTES. 8. I was led in an/iver to an ohjecllon made hy tm- le/ievers to the dc^rine of a divine providence^ to take notice in a former part of this difcourfe of the wickedmfs too often committed hy men who fit in the [eat of judg- ment^ but i)flead of doing juflice countenance oppreffon. But the matter is of fuch confequcnce^ andfo dangerous a temptation to doubt or difhelicve a divine providence^ shat I cannot think it improper to mention it again, and to dcfire you always on fuch occafions to bear it in your mind, that the great arbiter of the worlds by vjhom kings reign f and from whom judges receive their povjcry which theyfo grievbujly abufe in the opprefton of his creatures^ ohjervcs the violence ^ and will not fall to pu^ nijh it in the great day of final retribution. 9. Certainly the profit of the earth depends on the management of it. In- dullry is the mafter of the field. ' 9.. Before man tranfgrefs* d the law given him hy his maker, the earth brought forth for him every thing necejjary for his f up port and enjoyment without his taking any care to labour for it. But fince man's difohediena pKovok"* d God to curfe the ground for his fake, *tis ne^ ctjf'ary wejhould cultivate it, and he(low pains on ity before we can draw from it what our necefjnies require. And the man who is mofi indu/Irious in doing fg will find his expectations and toil heft anfwer\l and rsward^ ed, 10. He that loveth filver fliall not be fatisfied with filver ; and who ia abun- dance docs not love increafe ? This too is vanity. 10. Ciivetoufnefs is infatiahle, and there feems to Ic a fatality attending great poffeffions, which almo/i al- ways makes the maflcrs of them defirous of having more ^, than which what can be a greater vanity f 11. When good things are iiicreasMj they E C C L E S I A S T E S, 15 they are increasM who eat them : and what good is there to the owner of them, but the feenig them with his eyes r 1 1 . For the hurcafe of an cfiaic generally brings with it an increaje of family and dependants* Among whom is fhar^d the accejjwn of good things fupplud by the in- creafe of for tune ^ the mafler in th". mean while not be- ing able to eat and drink and enjoy more than he did be- fo^e ; and confequcntly having no other advantage from them, than that of feeing what is provided for the ufe of others. 1 2. The deep of the labouring man is fweet, whether he eat little or much ; but the abundance of the rich will not fuffer liim to flecp. 12. Nay in many inflames an inercafe of fortune is attended with an in'creafe of for row ^ 'The rich man's care to feeure his treafure often depriving him of the na- tural refrefhment of flecp : while the poor labouring man zvho has but little, and is fore'' d to earn that little by hard labour never Jails to fleep foundly ^ and with comfort, 13. There is a fore evil which I have. (ttw under the fun : namely riches hoard- ed up by the pofleflTors of them, for their future fupport. 14. But tliofc riches perifh by evil travail, when a man has gotten a fon, and nothing at all \\is left him jj h. in his 15. As he came forth of his mother's hand womb, naked fhall he return ; going as he came : and when he is going, fhall have nothing left him of all his labour. 16. And jf; ECCLESIASTE5. 1 6. And this furely is a fore evil; that when the covetous man dies ; as he came, fo he goes ; and what profit has lie from the hibour of ipirit which he has undergone ? 17. Inafmuch as great forrow and fretfuUnefs with his Other infirmities have wafted all his days in obfcurity ? 13, 14, 15, l6» 17. Ncr is this the grcatcfi va^ nlty attending the cafe of riches » I have feen them hoarded up by a man for his flip port in age, %chofe fon has zvajled them infuchamanncr r.s to red ice the old manto a fiate of hcggary. So that when he came to leaz'e the zvorld he had nothing, could he have taken it with hinty Z/hich he could call his ozirn ; hut weiH out cfthe w.rld as naked as he came into it. And this furely is afore evil that the wrstch, ivho has fcrafd, and hoarded ivhatever came into his power, /Jj^uid die as poor as a bcgz<^y ; ^^d have no advantage from all the toil end labour of fpirit he has undergone, Ih^ he has fpent his ivhoie life in obfcurity, eaten up with grief and fretfuUnefs infuch a manner as made his natural in^r-^ unities more trGublefome^ and affii fling, 1 3. Behold w^hat I have confidcr'd with regard to good living. 'Tis hap- pinefs for the prefent to eat, and drink, and enjoy one's felf in all the labour which a man takes under the fun du- ring the term of his life which God giveth him, when 'tis allotted him to do lb. 19. Surely with refpefl: to every man to whom God hath given riches, and wealth, and hath given him power td eat ECCLESIASTES. if cat thereof, and to take his portion, and rejoice in his labour, it is a gift from God. 20. But let him not make any great account of thefe days of his life, for God will call him to anfwer for the joy of his heart. 18, 19, 20. I have more than once dedar^d^fet Ch. 2. 24. and Ch, 3. 12, 13, 22, that the happi^^ nefs of man"* s life does not corff in eating and drinkingy and enjoying what is commonly caJTd rood- living. It may he afk'*d thcnivhot we are to think of this good* living f I anjwer that for the prefent hour ^tis indeed a mans happincjs to eat, and drink, and enjoy himfelf when God puts it in ]ns power to do fo. But this hap^ pinefsy and the pewey of enjoying it, is to he acknow- ledge das a gift hefiow''d on him by the goodnefs of Gody end is to he valued and indulged only fo far as is ecn- ffient with a proper regard to the account which God willexpcci to bcjometimc given of the manner and de^ ir»e in which he has thus enjoy d himfelf Chap. VI. Ver. I ^ I ^HERE is an evil wKich j^ 1 have feen under the fun, and It fpreads wide among men. 2. A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and fubftancc, fo that he wanteth nothing of all that his C foul r i8 E C C L E S I A S T E S. foul dcfireth, yet God glveth lilni not power to cat thereof, but a fti^nger eat- cth it. This is vanity ; 'tis indeed an evil difeafe, I, 2. In our furvey of human life we may often chfeTfve men pojj'ejs d of riches^ and every kind sfjub" fiance in fuel a manner as to have about them a great flenty of every thing necejjary for the cf.mfort and plea- fur e of life ^ and yet through infirmity of mind or hody^ abfolutely incapable of a proper andchearful enjoyment oj ity while a number f perjGns.^ fir angers to their blovd^ either as dependants c friends^ gather about tpem and en- joy it.' This is a fore diffemper^ and infitmity, but it is alfo a melancholy evidence of the vanity ofhumein ife, 3. If a man beget a hundred children^ and live many years, and increaie in grcatnefs according to the days of hii years, and his foul be not filTd with good, and he * be not refpefted amo?ig ^ Or have /jj^ neighbours^ I fay //^^/ an untimely no burial ^;^^^ is better than he. -3. Let ui fuppofe fuch a one blejl with d numerous family^ and a long life, and that his riches and wealth grovj upon him, as he grows older : yet if he has no com- fortable enjoyment of his fbrtune, nor is regarded with the refpeB^ and reverence due to aperffn in his cireum* I'lances. an untimely birth has ctrtainly a better title to he acccmited happy than he has. 4. For he Cometh in with vanity, and goeth out in darknefs ; and his name is cover'd with darknefs. • 4. For he comes into thewor.diH vanity, and gnei. \iUt of it in clfcurity, andis joon forgotten, 5. The embryo indeed hath not feen the E C C L E S I A S T E S^ 19 th e fii n , II 0 ]- k n 0 \\ 1 1 ^«y tbJ//g ; jt/ , Ii c hath more reit than the other. 5. 77;'e the llY- managsmeut of this prefent lije^ ac^ m^.re rationally ^^ than the fooL or the meek pious pcrfon than mere world- , ^^ ^^% V r z J before the lings, ,. . living 9. *Tis good that the eye % (hould ifH.iliould not dwell on what it fees, that the ap- not fee petite Oiould not wander ; for lurely this is ranity and vexation of fpirit ^9 ECCLESIASTES. ^. In all perfons this d'tf content y and craving of the appetite is occafioned by the capriciou/nc/s of the eye^ which covets every thing it fees ^ and of the fancy ^ ivhich is never fatisjied %'Atb it prefent acquijitic^is. ^ liver e good therefore that the eye Jhould he kept jrcm roving^ and dwelling on unnecejfary objcBs, and that the imagi- nation Jhould be refrained, and confined to what is pre^ fsnty and in its power. But whatever we detcrmim oncerning either the caufe^ or cure of this unfettled^ uH" eafy craving of the appetite^ "'tis certainly a flagrant proof of the point I maintain, of the vanity of human I'hfe, \o What IS this rr^^/«r^ which hath power? His name is given him, and it I or man ^5 known that he is \ earth. He cannot therefore enter into contention with him who hath power of himfelf. 10. Vf'' e often hear of the attainments^ the pozver and excellency of the lord of this world, Jnd what is jj Adam or he? He may he known by his name, which is, y earth, nian £,et him not then pretend to contcfl any thin,g with him, whofe power is from himfelf, underiv'd, and therefore not to he rejifled by a creature who can have no poiver but what was dcriv'' dfrcm the creator . II. Tho' the things which increafc vanity be multiplied, what is man the bet termor them ? 1 1. Should it be faidthat this creature has contriv*J €nd effeBed ?nany wonderful things for the delight and emhellifhrnent of life, I ajk what is human life the bet^ ter for thefe contrivances and emhellifhments F The oc^ cafions and fupports of vanity are indeed encreafed by them. But the truehappinfs and fatisfaBion of man^i life is fo far from being promoted by thefe arts, and emhellifhmints, that the multiplication of thefe vanities hath conjidcrably added to the- vexation cf their fpirii^, 12. For ECCLESIASTES. ii I '> For in the midft of thefe van'itic?; who^'coiifiders God? Who Ihews man how P-ood It is for man in this hfe with rcfpea to all the days of his vain hfe that he ihould fpend them filenily as a {hadow pafles ? JVho f:ews man what will be his latter end under the fun ? 12. 7 hey al jo keep men from cotfiderui^yond ac- knoJudglng thpovi-er and provide me of God. Hti^ mucbm^jye fervlce ^voiild tbcfi invcnters of arts, tbeji improvers and refiners of men's manner oj living havs dune us, bad they Jhewn us the iv;Jdom and happmefs oJ paffm^fiUntly thro' life, of gliding thro' it as afhado-j:^ liTtle Mrv'd, and neither affcding iheje vanities, nor affeaedbyihem, hut fetting our latter end before our view, andfieadily pnrfning the road which will %ring us to it with moll comfort .^ Chap. VII. Ver. I \ Good name is better than jT^ ^Yc/c«i ointment, and the day of death better than the day of one's birth. 1 , \A good name will make a maris perfon more a- grseable, wherever he goei, than the pfirfumes o/precit^us tlntment ; and the day in which a manfimfJ)e% the courje Ufa good life is better to him than the day in which hi cntredon it, 2. // is better to go to the houfc of mourning. men zf, E C C L E S I A S T E S. mourning, than to go to the hou fc of * H. the feafting, in as much as that is * what end of all ^jj j^^[\ ^ome to, that the healthful hv~ "^"^ ing man (hould lay //to his heart. 2. There is more g09d to he got from a v'ljit to the houfe of mourning , than from an entertainment in the^ houfe offeajling. For death, and dijlrefs is 'what alt men muflfome time or other come to, and a mavCs con- verftng ivithJpeSiacles of this kind in his health and prof- ferity y will be likely to lead him into fuch a courfe of fefehien, and condu^, as may perhaps put off thefe ivil daysy or prevent their falling fi heavily on him, as Qtherwife they wtuldj or at leaft prepare him for ^em in fuch a manner y as will enable him to fupport himfelf un^ der *em without being terrified or difiurb'd by them. 3. Sorrow /V better than laughter, for by the fadnefs of the countenance the heart is made better. 3. For the fume reafon the dfpenfatiom of affliBlon and j or row from the hand of providence are often greatsr hlefftngs than the contrary dfpenfations of joy and prof- periiy would have been. The latter feldom failing to make the temper gay^ light and giddy : to render the mind too unjleady^ andflii^uating for any thing g^eat and manly to take root, and thrive in, fVhile forrow and affliBion give ajleadincfs, andfirmnefs to the mind^ and make it a proper foil for the reception and nourifh^ ment of grave thoughts^ virtuous difpofitions^ and bravt purpofes, 4. The heart of the wife is in the houfe of mourning ; but the heart of fools is in the houfe of mirth. 4. ^Accordingly wife men are never backward to go i^ houfes of affliSiion and mourning, when humanity or a^ ny duty calls "* em \ while fooU ?iever go, if they can a- void it, to any place where they wHl hoi bf tntertaitH d with m^rmeni and laughter * 5. It ECCLESIASTES. 23 5. It Is better to hear the rebuke of the wife, than for a man to hear the fongs of fools. 5. '"Tis however better to hear the grave and fob er converfation of jcnjible wife mcHy even the' the JiihjeB of them On)H d he a reproof of our own follies^ than the merriment of fools, tho' recommended by the charms ef Jong and mnfick, 6. For as the crackling of thorns un- a pot, {o is the laughter of fools : this aifo is vanity. 6. For fiich merriment may be defcrvedly compar'*d with the crackling of thorns, while they are blading un- der a pot^ 'Toe noije and light oj which, while the blaze continues, are wonderfully pleafing to children and childifJj people. But asfoon as that is over, every thing which was pleafing is gone, and the hearth is eigain chcurlcfs and dat k, This alfo therefore is to be con- demrCd as vanity^ 7. Even a fenfible man will be the author of oppreffion, when a gift hath perverted the underftanding. 7. '7/i not in vain that the law requires fudges to be 7nen hating covetojfnefs, fExod, i8. 2 1. J and repeat" edly commands them not to take gifts, (Exod, 23. 8. Deut, 16. (). ) For ^rfts have a wonderful influence tvermeiLS minds, (Prov. 18. 16. and lb. ^,J even Jo far as to be capable of infuencing men to countenance '^Pp^'^fF'^n^ or to be the principal authors of it, tho^ were they difinteerfted they would fee plainly th&tjuflicc ■ vjojfd decide otherwife than they ao* %', The conclufion of a parley is bet- ter than the beginning thereof: in which 'tis better that the fpirit ihou'd be forbearing, than thgt it lhou*d fwell. 24- ECCLESIASTES. 8. 'The onclujion of an affair y which requires a de^ hate, is better than the beginning of it. For in the courj'e of a debate things often unsxpcffid jlart up and create difficulties^ if not di [agreements In which cafe ^tis much better to command our temper y and keep our- jelves calmy thsn to fivellinto a ragCy which will make us talk unadvijed'yy and detet mine imprudently, 9. Let not thy fpirit difturb thee fo as to throw thee into anger ; for anger refteth ui the bofom of fools only, ^. *Twoud bewifdom indeed en all occafuns to keep enr f elves fom being ft irr'' d into a pafjiouy and giving way to the impulfe of anger : for the man may -ivith cer- tainty be proyiQunc*d a Jooly whofuffers anger to harbour it [elf in his breaft for c.ny long time ; anger always Cither finding men frjls or making thcmfo. 10. Say not thou, what was the caufe that the former days were better than thef? ? for there is no wlfdom In alknig this queftlon. 10. There ts no wfdomin the queries men are often making concerning time pafi : hozv it com^'s to pafs for" footh that the worldwcnt jh much better with our fore- father Sy than it dues with us. For we can never be thoroughly a [certain'' d of the fa^, /f ^ know, we fee, wc feel the inconveniences of our own times, lVI:>€-n we confider'^em therefore zveviezu them in their full propor^ tioUy and perhaps amplified by that felf partiality ^ ivhich makes every one think his own burden the heavieji. Rut we hear only of the inconveniences men ft'uggled with in times bejore us ; and probably we hear but a Jmall part oj the complaints they tnade. Certainly their being at fiich a diftancefrsm us makes ''em appear lefi than they vjou^ddoy if near at hand, Thcfe enquiries then nieiy difiurh us^ but they camtot either inform or [atisfy uSm 11. Wifdom is good in an inheri- tance. ; and with rcfpsft to them who are ECCLESIASTES. 25 are in profpcrous clrcumftances it has a farther advantao-e. 12. For tho' money and wifdom arc equally a defence, yet wifdom by the fiipcriorlty of it? knowledge improves the life of them that have it. II, 12. IVifdam, and poffefftons oj land^ or mo^ 71 ey are equally a protecilon^ and defence againp. the ne~ ccjjities tind hardJJnps which men dcftitute of theje ad- VLiHtn^es are expos d to. But wifdom has in one rCiidaients ot it, arc iniiccd Corrnp- lions, and leave tiiC TcaI worfc than they found it. LEICESTER: Printed by GEORGE IRE LJ N D. And Sold by J. Fletcher, in O.v/cr^; J. Nichol- son, in Cambricf^e 'y and \V. LowNDtr., r!c:.i- Sirerf, Loudon, -^ ->-!-> -^n;'^~^^--i^ — ' ""' ■-•^••H'^-'^' 7hy Tejlmonles are my Study. Pf. 11 9,' 99; SS. dah^Xt "iBAJ^^^^^ a better feif^ than that which is found in le Text : b^ if Ithat Text^ ^wherever it is erroneous;/ can 3e;To^im hj a new cooibination; of the; very i^me Letters^ without the leaftAddr 10 a^^dK* ■• . -f o -f '^ ^>' init nr H E propriety of amending the facred text upon coTijeSlure^ however earneftlv contended for, is not yet, I prefume, efta- bhfl^ied f® ciFeaually, as to deltrve we fhould- give it a better name than that of an Hvpothe- Jis. As fuch then be pleaied, reader, to ccn-- fider it, while thou attendeft to the following words of Bifhop LowTH, in the conclufion of his letter to Do(5lor Kdwards, cntituled, A larger Confutation of Bifnop Hare's Syd tcm of Hebrew. Metxe. ■ - ^a: ^ .. , ^ When an Hypothecs comes ftrongly re- commended under the fanftion of a great name ; when it is confidently appealed to as firmly, and amqtieflrionably: eftablifhed, and urged as fufficrent warrant' for introdu- cing, or even confirming eniendatlons, and alterations of the Hebre\^ te'xt ^of the holy fcriptures ; the matter, however ihfignlfi- cantin itfelf, becomes of real importance in it's confequences, and merit"k:ferIous atte^^ on, and a ftria examination. '^. And wheu men- of learning, and geni-u^ mifapply thelc ' labours, and throw away fhei/ abilities, , m'''': ' the purfiait of a merejfhadpvv ;^ andby't.heir example, 'and authority, draiw'after them '.*t younger ftudenTs, capable of better things, :' into the fame vain purfuit ; to convince them, and others of the delufon they are under, is faving ufeful hands to the public,. and doing a general fervice to the Com- i:aon- wealth of letters/ TO T o : ■J T,HE , R I GHT H O N OU R A B L E THE EAR L O F HA R BO R 0 UG H. My Lord, 1 H E following Tranflations, Ob- lervations, and Reflcdions, ( many of them at Icafl"^ have been already laid before you. in the converfations with which you have, honoured me, -^ That they appear now other- wife than in con verfation, is owing to your Lordfhip's perfuafion, ^nd encouragements. I Beg ( V ) I Beg your acceptance of them in their pvcfent form ;:an4 hop© they >yUl not recom- mend themfe-lves lefs, when they iKall be read, than they did wheiVthey were heard* 1 am^ Tour 'LoRDsHiP*s, ' Mojl faithful. And dutiful Servant y Stephen Greenaway, ♦^'i^' ■--*'* 0.'.!!' Advercifcmcat* -n T ( vi ) A D V E R T I S E M E N T. HE auther h^s. hcejn-4;old bf- ar friend, \vk6 fair fog^jc fticets oF- ,the following preface, as they ca't»e tonVtl?^ .prcu^^'t^ the reader's cu*^ ric56!l:>^ la exirnixievvhat is contained in the book, will be entire.ly takq;,o^by. tk^ declaration "there made, ' That * til&^^th-QiTs \s.h^ in the Hebrew; ^ jy%v^.^g^.'-!rHe will think, '/tis laid,' That ^ it can- ^ noc^e .jjeaYonable for him -to fpend" his^ time in en» * ctuipiOS yf^^ ^^V- ^ ^ffer^d by a novice,' on, points * w^jcji'have Been fo UiQreyghiy.-confidcrcd by t^« trir-^ ^ ly )parned.!r— The autl^or ,has great reafon to rc1pe6: this' ftieivdl-S jud^mentj an4, y:et he pcrfuades hiniieTf thatjti.thc prelent Qai^ph^is' \m^^tt^:pa -t;/ y'^ i ; G V •> ^^en- ;t]buR reiale,,:'ti:H.jti* aminMbjCQnjeSiure^ and that ' ,.[ KenniCOTT,' Lowth and RanoOI^PH, have maia- '" taincd this poiition, and mchtioned particular palfages as ttandipff in. nsed of fueh conjc^urai amendment, ' he canWtbaX.haye the carioiily to read what is laid iii <4oend^iciU;^-that it is already inteUigible; ^ and as^'iati^feftory, j^s a^meahte. to grammar, and^ * as confident with the context, and in m»lt ot them >" *' ^ much more fo, than it would be if amended accord- < ing tp the^cntlc?p^en^'^ g9ajcy read affirmatively; /^^«*5JhS sd p. 96-r9B.)-7-or pfiCOjnfidcrintgapaiTagc as fpokeniDianLr,;!:ics aiTumcd char^^c^r,.,.inftead qf reading itas a part of thc'Tcol^^ didaaic.clognji^^tic^lrciifcQi^tfeof the author ;/ii^« JS'W^owlni/v B, is.---tpft^,9.Tri»i;^df:£(:?/^/95-4.--:ioO-*orthei!gni£4 ' iOv A V (- vH' j ( ,1 caacy of a particle which't^T^4i'?td'bVenbok'd. (P, gi^ and 327.) — or that a word, attentively conlidi^red^in . the Icveral places whcrewe meet witU Tt/Hciii"'s, ana re4 quires in fome of thysn, a meaning different f&n that v/hich hath generally been given to it ; fP, 99. 104. 3c Pr§f to id. Part.) — or iliat it alludes to fome other paf- * fage of fcripture; (P. \<^^ 2(i0.y — or ta fame tufiom,'^ by the consideration of which "it may he clVtifred' up;. (P, 46.) — or that the diiliciilty Jtrjfes onty^jfrpift. k" wrong divifion Qf.the letters into "SvOrds* ,/^ri2'4, 1 35, 1 50.) — or from the Maf^rkes h'avirrg erred in the'' pun<^ nation; (P. 126, 132, 134. J— ^or from the ncg- jcfl -of applying, the; well-known Tulc con'oerni'iTg' t^e- cliapge of oner letter for a-iK)thi?r; (^.^^-^^^'t^t^^^^'i^ or laitly to the negle8: of, or inatteMion toTom6 com- ' " mon rule of grammar/'P, 37 -.) and an obfervationpf fon^c .^ , ffj Novy to. mak©: thefe obfer^^atidns' r^uttcs ' nOt Jb'irh- ^' j ing, jjut attention ; and tiiis i^all to wWcft*^th6 'a\iftior ^^' ef the following Ihectspre-tOfid^. — He has-ii5j3^etirn%t:'''' ' , li:'i/ cr two paffagesy: obferved aChaldaifm,- ^Eirh: H^^'bScn overlopked. But fuch as ma^' haVV becl^-;of'b^^^tf'bjr^J^^ ^ anv one who is acquainted wid» thfe GMt^^bitU'tn ' it's liril elements. .- - ■■^^T,,:.-^:t^ ^.v/ .....^;.oo ^s The reader vvill not, I hope, think it tfthcr rtecdieis "-"^ ^" or impertinent, if I here mention to him what he^will be difplcafed, 'tis hopecf, with "being iKevyh 'What the ''^■' 2^' conftruftion of the origiruV- i« 'fT6m thc^ranfjation of'"^ ^" Montaauj. ^ ^4ufcidta'Qrati(mePi niedm in non [ahtis dsn. J'^J *'.^ Ainfwortkreiidefs it> 'iicai^crv to my prayer "xvithoiir"^;^^ '^ * lips of dcceu.'^-r-Ic-mayfcem-to have -a plarn mean- " -" '^ ing : yet ta make out this meaning, wc muft admit a Ycry upufaal Rllipjii. A youjig ( viii ) A vo»ng man avIio was mailer of no mo^e Hebrew than he liad gained by reading the brief coile£lion of •grammar rules given by Bythtcr with his Lyra; ind the tirft iixteen Pfalms with Mpb'ner''s Clai'is, cams to his inftru^^or, And defired him to explain the gram- i-natical conl^/cftion of tliofe words in the lytli pfalm, AVliich arc now betsrc us. — H^^ng anfwered that perluip:* uo good account was to he given of ir, he replied, * 'n^av not l/e!oy be read balk,'' a verb, di^firoy ^-^—l hz- lieVc the Icarncrd reader, who conliders tliia quefl:ion, will not give it the. negtitivc : but will be pleafed to Iiavc fo clear and fatis frc^l or y an account of the difficult 'text fucrcefced to him. See the vcrfc tranllated ac- xording to this obf/rvation. -— * Hear the right, O- •*• Lord; attenti iii'ito inv cry; give ear unto my * prayer ; confound the lips of. falfcliood.' Here then is an inflance where a iiudcnt,' w»ho moH certainly had but a very flender knowledge of the He- brew, happily hit upori the exphmation of a text, which kad cfcapcd the -notice perhaps of all the learned^ who for manv a^es pafl liad con£dered ic before him. Pfalm 109, 14, hath given interpreters a grent dcr.l of trouble ; but an r^\^vv^x'\on i^va^hy Schuitens^ and tal'vcn Notice of in Taylorh Cor.cordancc, makes it very clear. ' Sc^ultens upon Job. i6. S. in^enidufiy conj-cc- ' tures the v/ord here ri:iay;Comc iroir* khctfn, (chaff), *^ and that cat^h is a' note of riken-efs. Thus, My fcjh * is like chaff withouz fainels,' — Schu'tens's having re- marked any. thing .is. indeed no proof, that a man with n moderate fjjare i;f learning wa's capable of oblcrvmg it ; but I can alTure the read'er/ that the fame remark was made by a n:ian/bf very iilcdcra'te attainiit'crits, who >iad never fceh it, either in F.chultcns^ or^T^v/cr.—It wiVI, I hope, be plcafmg to dice, reyder, to fee this clear explication of the text: and \z is another inftancc ad- ded to the many given in the fo'lo^^ing Iheets of text*;, obscured by an inipropcr pun'^caatron, and a -wrong di- vilion of the letrcr5. Ec pleafciJ, reader; to ' fay w'acthcr the r.tecndi^cnXs ^-iroDofcd to the commcr. rcaci:^^ oT*Herfer'& Iliad, m ( ix ) p. 260, & Prct. P. 78. proYe any thing more than tn'At the man who made them read his author with at* 't«ntion. ^Bc pleafcd too to,, fay, whether the ll^hc thrown upon Horace in Pref. P. 74, might not haVo been communicated by any lc!iool-l)oy, who had been ■j)ropcrly attentive to what he had read in Potter's' All* tiquitics. j^'^ . I'herc is another palTage in Horace, whic)i..may p^r^ haos dcicrve our notice on this occafion* .- Ih \h.c 2ja, Ode of his 3d. Book^ he fays, *' Immunis aramji tetigit manus^ *^ Non (umptuofa blandior hoftia '' AIol libit averfos penaies '* Farre pioj et'jaliente mica.''^ Kere every thing is plain and eafy, if 'yo^lj- admit fumptuiifa hojlia to be the nominative cafe. — Read it a» an ablative, and you find a difficulty in the con=« ftruftiqn ahiioft (if not quite) inluperablc. Yet the generality of interpreters conftrvic it as an ablatiyc.- Both the editors in ufum Delphtni take it fo. Sumptuofa 'ho/}ia eji, un ahlatify fays Monf. Dacicr. • And of the "'three old fcholiafla, two take it to be an ablative. That ever any one did take it fo, fccms to be owing entirely to the conruleration; that the laft fvUable of jumptuoja \% made long by tlie poet. A difficulty which an at- tentive lad, who had learned enough of profody to qualify him for making nonfenfc vcrfca, would readily have got over. For he would have obfcrved that a in fumptuofi^ may as well be long before blayidior^ as a in 6ccuila before fpolia. It follows, then, from this and t?ic other infiances . c;iven, that proper attention^ with a very moderate ihaiwjof itarning, will fuffice to enable a ihati to-dif- cover tlic true meaning ot a difficult paffiage in an au- thor,, .which may have cfcaped the obl'crv»Lion of iiK-n^, mueh. ih©rc learned, bat perhaps not lo patiently at- ic-ativc, (^ E. D. ( X ) p. S. It will not be perhaps a difagrccablc amufe- jncnt to the reader to beftow the attention of a minute or two more on this palTagc of Horace. Dacier gives tis his own grammatical co;iftru6tion of it, and that of Sanadon, « fee, fays he, the conftrui^ion of the four * vcrfes. " Et iimanus ///«immunis tetigit aram, molli- * bit iniquos penates farre pio, & falicnte mica> non < blandior fulura cum fumptuofa hoilia.' Is this natu- ral ? What is there ia Horace which cither requires, or will juftify the introduftion o{ futuray h cum ^ Sa- nadon, he tells us, conftrued it, * Si tiia manus aram * immunis (fceleris, aat vitii) tetigit, non blandior * moUiv«rit averfos penates cum fumptuofahoftia, quam * cum farre pio, h falicnte mica.' Is there another in- flance to be given of , He obferves farther that a in fumptuofa here is indeed to be taken for a long fyllable, made fo by it's pofition, before two confonants in the beginning of the next word. A cafe he tells us often to be met with, as £. G. in Mart. L. 5. Ep. 66, or 69, or 7O0 — ' Romana ftringis in era ! On which Radcrus obferves, * ad imitationcm grosco- * rum facit, qui vocalem extremam pra^cedentis verbi * fapc icndwnt, cum geminantur conionantes prim« fe- ' qucniis ( xi ) ^ quentis ^Ijf^lonls. Excmpla plura rcpcries apud Ho-* * mcrum, ct alios. Virgihus piaivit Martialem. < Fcrte clti fijiramas, date tela^ fcnndue murum.' Picdus here informs us, that ihc fame care to avoid what they apprehf nc'ecl would be a fallc quantity had led Icipc CQj)yl{\s to do wiong in his opinion lo Virgil's cxpreHion in this vcrfe. * in Rcinaro Codicc, in Nle- * dicco, & quibufdam aiiis Icgere eft ct fcandite. In * oblongo afcend'ite : quia Icilicct vcriti lunt te'.a uUi- * mam coniperc, quum nonnulli judi4:averint i \n fcan* * dite^ h iimilibun IpiTitum clTc potius qu:im litcram, vX * CO \oco pofiite //>fypone. Scdcnimquamvis non negarim s ' aliquando Ibliiam elidi, hoc tamcn loco faccre pofitio- * nem crcdiderim potius quam vel etfcmidite, vel cfcen-" * d'ltc legerim. IpCa cr^im loqucntis fcftinantia cum * trepidatione, membra base diffoluta cxpofccrc videtur/ We fee that the pra.£\ice of making a fliort vowellong by it's pofition, when the following word begins with two con.onants, is confidered by him as undoubtedly allowable ; thefcruple by which he fuppofes the copy- ifts were led to write t^a'&QY afcend'ite ^ or et fcandite being entirely owing to fome doubt 'Concerning the power of the letter 5. But this fcruplc cannot in the leaft afFtft this paiiage of Horace we are now fpeaking of. For the word following fumptuofa docs not begin with s» Virgil has alio another verfc which dcferves our con* fideratioM. Terrafque, tra£iufquc maris Eel. 4. 51. Here one is ready to determine, without the leaft he- i^tration, thstafliort iylhble is made long l)y the fol- lowing wo.d beginning with two confonants ; till we read (Mancinellus in the commentary afcribcd to Af- ccnliuson the text) ' que paiticula a Virgiliofere com- * munis ponitur ut hie tcrrafque tra^iufquc — quod li pro- * du£^amp©fitionc dixcris propter /r in fcquentis di£\io« * JUS ( xli ^ nis principio polita ; quam tamen poiitioacm non om- * nes aporohcint ; addncam iliud 3 ^neid. (v. 91.) * Liminaque lauru(que dci.' But why may not the nci:ore Caefura account for m^.^ king the fhort ly liable que long in this verie, as it dcK« a hundred other fhort fyllables in other vcrfes ? Will :'- ny on© pretend to talk of Virgil making ^ ifi graJa common becaufe we read in him Pona— auro gravia, fec^oque elephanto ? ^Po 3. 464. We are not then under any neccllity of perplexing, and embarraflinGj the conf\ru(ftion of Horace's language by fuppoftng hojliafiimptuofa to be the ablative cafe. We have authority enough for reading the laft fyllable of the adje^live as long, tho' we mike it the nominative. It may be farther obfervcd th^t inQ Jjaiife at the end of the Penthemlmer in the jilcalc verfe makes the licence in aueftion the more allowable here. What Dr Clarke fays in his note on II. 3. 51. of the la;} fyllable of c- vcrv verfe feem§ to be in Ibme meafure applicable to the laft fyllable of the Penthemimer in the Alcaic verfe. * Ultinaa cujufque vcrfus fylUba, qualifcunque ea fit ^ natura, & a qualicunquc incipiat verlus fequens, ncii ^ (ut grammatici loquuntur) communis, iti^ fcmper ne- ^ celTario longa eft ; propter paulam iftam qua, in fine ^ verfus, fyliabse ultimae pronunciatio necciTario produ- ■* citur." On the whole 'tis hoped the reader has fecn fuf- ficient grounds of fatisfa(Stion, that the" boy, who on the llrength of the rule of poiition delivered in the Profodia taught in our fchools, * fi prior di£lio *^ in vbcalcm brcvem exeat, fequente e duahus confo* * nantibus incipiente interdum — producitur' confiimed by the inftanc-c of * Occulta i'polia — * from Juvenal, Jhould c®nl\ruc /:j9,/?/^ //^-7z/>//vo/2z as the nominative cafs, "would pafs a right judgment on his author, wheic men of the greateft learning, for want of a proper regard lo this rule have inirrepieici^ted^ and disfigured him. ( xiii ) Here reader ii a vacant page. !^crmit me to {\\\ it with an eiiay towards a tranllation of Pf., 3.4-. 5- ^•> /• • All interpreters have, appcar'd em-^arralTcd vvitli th« ob- , Icurity of this pailaL^c. On which Houhigant doc^s not fail to' triumph, and difph^y the conupLion, as he will have It, of the text, and the fulTiciency of his own ahi- , luies to<:orre£l it. — ' Hunc locum recentiores, ante- ' qaam intcrprctavcntnr, adircntlane ad veteres,' atque « ex iisfcripturam, filicri poiict, boTra-m eruerent; aut * certe faterenlur contextum elie, lU quidem nuncja- ' cet, inexplicabilem. Ncs quidem partim ex vetcri- * bus, partii-n ex ipfa fcntentia fic ein^nJamus — ' ^md thc-n <^ivcs a reading of the text— not worth our no- lo tKe. Biiliop Hare obfervcs— « h?.c perio.lo vidcrur ailufuni- < ad rem iis temporibus latis notam, qvisc-cum nohn ' I'rrnoretur, oblcura nunc funt, qua^ ruai foite, ,cuiii ^.fcnberen'.ur, erant intellcftu facillima.' Whether the circumllance alluded loisthe favoar lliewed by God: to Abraham during the time of his fojourning in the land ©f Canaan, ' when coining from Charran he pc^f>^i ' thro' tiiv- north part of Canaan, thence to Sichem, and < the plain of M Miah {ov Moreh) : where linding no « place to inhabit, he departed thence to Bethel, and < Hai : ai-id fo from nation to nation, to^iicovtr, and ' tind outfome fit habitation : from whence ag.iin, at < It is written in Genefis the twelfth., ** he went foith, ^^ eoin^ and journeying towards the iouli," and al- « vvavs unfettled : By occaiion of'which wand'ring to * and fro', fome fay', the Egyptian", gave him, and * his the name of Hebrad ' Raleigh's_ Hiih. Pt i. B. 2. Ch. I. ^ 3. — do thou, reader judge. But be pkas'd to obicfTve f. that the word, which we m lh« 'beginnirng of t'le Cih. vcrfc tranllite j&l'z/T^//^', ov goi^g .lbro\ is the lainc which, with diffjrcnt p0int<, U n\ Gen. 14. i^. rendered (A'sram.) the Hebre-M. II. That the woid we traail.uc ^ools li^nidcs moic commonly ( 5'i'' ) h/e/Jings. III. That the word traailatcd h)*- us raJn, or %uat£r h in Gen. 12. 6. Jt^fcreh the name of the plac&, where God firft favoured the faiihful Patriarch with the slTupfincc that his (eed fhould poffers the laad ; and xvhere, in confeqaence of this proiwife, he erected the ,firft place, of woiflvip. in the land. IV. That the word whi^i we render appeareth may have the letter he taken from it's end, and let before the hcginniwg of the next word, (where it- will ftand vary well,) and will then fig- nify fearing, -.- Paying a juft regard to thefe ohfervatlons, we may tranHate the vcrfes in quedien. 5. ^ BleiTed is man, / when thou art his ftienp^th. The heart of fuch men is ^ well inftrufted with IcfTons of wifdom. 6. They fet, ' the Hebrew in the valley of Bacha' before their eyes ^^ (as a pattern for thetn to follovv,) and (have always in * their view) the bleflings, which he was favoured with * (Hcb. cov«r*d with) at Morch. 7. They go from ' ftrtngth to ftreagth, every one who walketh in the * fear of the God of Gods (whicli dwelleth) m Sion,' Here mejhilhth\% read with zjh'in inftead ol ?, famech^ the plural fern, of ;wa/^a/. Pemaps this plural fern, is not read a»y where elle. But it cannot be reafonableto rejc£t it here for thst reafon, when there are fo many words in the language, which have both the malcaline >nd ff-minine terminations, (fee Waimnth Reg. 19, Memb, 7. n. 2. where are mentioned 47 which have them) and when the context othervviie inlurmofintably obfcurc, is fo well cleared sp by it. No conftrudion is given of any other word which can in any wife he cal- led a forc'd one. And we have acircumilance in hifto- ry alluded to very proper for the place in which we lind it» Indeed it would be difficult to mention another which would fo inftrudively illuftrate, and fo ftrongly enforce the fentiments which the author would imprefs upon his reader. \ have followed our laH: tranflators in — the valley of B'acha^ bccaufe interpreters arc fo little agreed what valley the Pfalmift fpcaks of. Such as fuppofe it to be t,hc fasnc with the valley of Rephalm do it only on a com- ( XV ) ieaurc form'd from, a comparifon of 2 Sam. $• «2, 23;, with lolh. 15. 8. And luch as tell u. ic had it $ .n^nie from 'this lort of trees, or lh.U fort o^ trees—ox trora U\ncr Mime ^i water, or ^r.«c/.V with water, only fliew^'ihat they have noihin^r ccrtam to lay of it. l-hcy too who render It the vale of nx^ceping, or of tears, ^TC at a' lofs to give us a latisfaaory acaount where it lay;, or why it fliould be fo called. Reland, when he IsfprakJng of tlie vall'ies of Palef:^ tine, takes no notice of any ^'^//O' called 5ac^«V; bat lays much of a valley cd}\Q^ Berachah, which he thinks was fomewhere in the neighbourhood of Hebroo." It was certainly in the neighbourhood of Tckoah," .2 -Chron. 20. 20. coniequcntly near Mamre. Perhaps this valley of Berachah, the vale of Hebron in Gei). ^7. 14. and \\\(: pU&'i or plains of Mamre in Gen. I3. iS! and Gen, 18. i. are all the ^^mc plain part ef the .4,Quntryy which lay below Hebron 'and Tekoa. Now, if the W/«7 o/i»fWf/^/^/s« was alfb the vdleov plminof M^nDe, it was the place in which Abrahaift' re- ceived the moft hequent, and moft exicnfive pro;i?ilcs ot God's blclTing. An They fct Abraham {?vA the favours beftow'd on him) ^ in the valley (i benedi£\ion t)efore their eyes.' But .there was another place eminent alfo for the gracious sfjromifcs given to Ab/ahun by his divine mafter ; viz. Moieh near Sichem, the firft place where he veftedhim- felf on his entrance into Canaan ; where * the Loid ap- .'.peared unto him, and iavd, unto thy feed wilTi g^i^ ' tliis laixl.' G^n. 12.7. i his tncreforcis aUb'mentioifU as occurring to the thought ot a good man, vvhch'1i6is >£uppc)rnng himlelt, and' coidirming his fa"ah""l)j the couiideratjon of the Tivours vou^ihlated to this fatlfer of the fauUful. * They'kcep alio in thtir view the b'cifrngs * with v\hK:hhe was covered at Moreh;' It natulally^tol- lo.vsr-' Toey :; ) rr im-l^rcn^th tortr.n j^ih (they advi^ncc * from one degree ot i itty loanothtr) tcr.iing the Gody^f < Gods ^hichd^Ycllcthin Sion.' Here the verb is pla- ial. ( xvl ) ral, flic nominative cafe lingular agreeable to tli? obfcr- ,vation in P. 58. of the notes following. * But the reader will af*c how what lias been faid of tks valley of Berachah conctrns X.\\q text we are coniidcring, . which fpeaks only of the valley of Bacha* : which has an aleph inftead of an he for it's laft letter, and ^wants a fej% in the middle. Be it obferved in anfwer, that the difficulties refpe£ling this valley do not aftefl the inter- pretation given of this paffage : which maybe juft, whatever account is to be g'wen of the valky of Bacba\ But it is alfo fabmitted to the reader's coniidcration whether, notwithdanding the difference of letters, Ba- cha may not intentionally be written for Berachah, The alcph for the he^X. the end of it is too common h chans;^ to be made an obj':£lion. And when we conii- der what is quoted from Bifliop Lowth, and Abarbancl in the following preface P. 17. &c. of the licenfes ta- ken by ihe Hebrew poets ( — voces nonnunquam vcl detraftis quibuldam fyllabis diminuunt, vcl adjcftis aiigcnt) we can hardly difallow the Syncope fuppofed in Berachah by oiniilion of the icjh. We have, if Biiliop Patrick Is not miflaken, a prece- dent of it in Deut. 4. 48. ' The mount here called * Sion, fays he, is not that v*'hich was fo famous m af- * tcr times, — for that was on the other iidc Jordan, and * is written with difFcrentletters (fc. with a tzade inftead of * a fliinj : But in all probability is a contraction of Siri- * OH. — For the bounds of this country are lo defcnbcd * Ch. 3. 83 9, t2, to extend from the river Arnon to * mount Hermon^ which is called SjrionJ* ' 1 is certain the lame place is meant in both thefe paflages. There . is indeed, bciides the omiffion of the rejh, nn aleph in one more than there is in the other. Put alcph is one o£ the quiefccnt letters, which, fays Wafmuth, Reg. 31. Memb. 2. ' faepe cliduntur, vel abje^ae funt ;' and he gives feveral examples of it. Perhaps fuch inftances as thefe fhould teach us not to make it a matter of wonder, or a ground for charging the tsxt with corruption, "whca ( xvli ) '\\hcn xye find a name in one place written diiFcrciltly fioai vvhatitis inaaother. Be here too confiderrd the plural noun Gcdothy which ficrnlfics the /;^«^J of arivcr in Jofh. (ch. 3. ^S'^^^) ^nd Ifai. 8. 7. The lexicons make it the plural of Ge- dab, which lin;nifies a kid. But what analogy is there bctv^rixt this plural artel th,i fmgular ? Hov/ much more icalbnable would it be to make it a contraaian of Gede^ 70th, i. e. the plural from Geder a wall, hedge, or fence intended to keep any thino^ wathin its pioper bouads, as .v/o/^i do Ihecp, or banh rivers } Be plcafed, readc'-, to obfervc that if this account givenofPf. 84. 5, 6, 7. may be admitted, wehavcm n an inllancc, which Ihould make us very caretul how we venture to correa the fcrip'-ure by conjcaure on a notion of it's being orbcrwlfe inexplicable. Here is a palTagc, which had as fair prctenfions to be fo account- ed as\ny which can be produced, and yet at length ap- pear* to be very found, and uncorrupted. Be pleafed too to obferve, that the account given of it is no other than fuch as may be cxpe6ted from proper mention, tho' unaccompanied with grsat le-arnlng. 4 ( xvlli ) vi .Sec I reader, more vacant pages ! Doft thou not fmile, and think of ' more laft words ot Mr. Baxter ?' Sped. v. 7. No. 4,45. Let thy good narure however prevail «n tkee to have pa- tience with me, while I endeavour to fill thele pages with Ibme- what worth thy perulal. The 65th Plalm feems to be highly dcferving of our attenti- on, as a pious addreis to God to h.il^en his work, and bring oa the refloration of all things, which he had promifcd by the mouth ot his holy prophets. Ads. 3. 21, Permit me to fub- ittit to thy judgment a tranflation of it with a paraphrafe. It feems to have been Written during the 70 years captivity, ^tvhile tke tem[>le lay in ruins, defolate, and unhallowed either by ficrifice or prayer. This filence, and difufe of the temple the pfalmiil complains ot ; begging that God would ihevr him- (df ; and hailen the time of which it was promifed that his houie fhould be a houfe of prayer to all people, v, i, 2. In the third he acknowledges that their fms have juilly eilrangcd God from them, and intreats the Redeemer to come, and de- liver them trom the gu'dt and punifhment ef their tranfgreffiona. In the four following verfcs he prays for the promifed rellorati- "cn ; and concludes with giving us in the remainder of the 'jjfalm, a beautiful defcription of nature in her renewed ilatc, -when God incarnate fhali converfe perfonally with his church 'triumphant on the earth, and * the creature Itfelf (hall be dcli- * vered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty * of the children of God.' R®m. 8. 21, PSALM 65. ^ , i„ Silence, depart! exalt thyfelf, O God, in Slon, that vowi may be ogered to thee. 2. Hear prayer ; let all flcfli be admitted to thee. 3. The proceedings of iniquity have pre- vailed bccaufe of our tranfgrelTions : come, attone for them. 4. Let everyone who (hall purify himfclf be permitted to ap- proach thee ; let him dwell io thy courts. L-et us be filled with the goodneis of thy houfe, fanctify thy temple. 5. 6. 7. Fulfl our expedations by working the wonderful works ot thy righteoufnefs, O God of our falvation, giving the grace of faith to all the ends of the earth. Bring on the diihmt day, the day - which perfedeth, in it*s full power, furnilhed with flrength, calming the noife of the feas, the noife of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples. 8. Then (hall the inhabitants of the ut- f ermod parts of the earth reverence thefc thy tokens. From the rifing ( xix ) rifing to the fetting of the km they fhall fing praife to thee. 9, Thoa vifitcfl the earth, and conveifeft trecly in it. Thou en- i-ichclt it with the liver of God (kept) full of water. Thoa pi ovidell them Kxjd, and do(l graciouily thus provide It. 10. Thou vvatcrefl: the turrovvs, and caufelt the clods to fall ; moif- tcning them with gentle fliovvers, and blelfing the fruits which fpring from them. 11. Thoa encompaile,!]: the years with thy goodncfs as with u crown ; and thy cloudi drop fatncfs. 13. 'Ihey drop on the paltures of the wild^irnefs, and the hills re- joice on cvcvy fide. 13. The paftures aie cloathed with flocks, and the yalliw ar« covered with corn. Men (hout, and fing. PARATHRASE. I. Letn0t lilence, O God, reign in thy mountaia any lon- ger. Exalt thylelf, and admit the addrelfes of thy people. 2, Yea admit the addrciTes ot all peoples according to thy word, ' that all nations fliall come and wcr.liip before thee, fiowingj ' unto thy holy mountain.' Pf. 86. 9. If. 2. 2, 3. Wc have linncd, and done wickedly. To us therefore belongetk contalion ot hice ; and Jerufalem, and thy people are j uftly be- come a icproach to all that are about us. Bat, O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive, hearken, and do ; defer not for thine owr\ fake, O my God ; caufe thy tace to fhinc upon thy fiinituary, that is dcfolate, ior the Lo;d's fake. D;m. 9. 5, 7, 8, 16, 17, 19. 4, 5, 6, 7. Let every one who firall purify hiinfelf tron\ his unclcanncfs, and iniquity be permitted to draw near to thee i l*t him dwell in thy courts. Let us, who are fo prepared for the reception ot thy favours, be filled v^ith the comforts, and graces attending the place of thy prefence. Clennfc, and {ancH- ty thy temple. Accomplilh the wondeiful works of thy right-^ coafncfs, which thou hali taught us to expert, O gracious G-od, and let all peoples be called, and made partakers of thy covenant, and learn to live in thy true faith, and fear. Bring on that diflant day, which thou hall made us to hope for j the glorious day, which will pertc«5t the fyllem of falvation, finilhing the tranfgreliion, making an end of fms, making recon- cilitition for iniq lity, bringing in evcrlafting righfeouf- ncfs, fealing up the vilion, snd prophecy, and anointing the mod holy. Dan. 9. 24i Let the minds of all, who have hi-* thcrto refuted thy truth, and oppofcd the reftoration of thy peo- ple, be fottened, and drop their rage againff us. Let them take a dehght in bringing us to the land of our inheritance, and re- joice in feeing us reitored to thy favour. 8. Then Ihall the in» liahitauts of tiu remoteft corners or the earth be rn«ved by tlicfe tokens of thy willj thus maniteitcd by thy power, and provi- ( XX ) dtAC9f to fear tliy holy name ; and all, from the rifing to the fettiiig of the fun, Ihall celebrate thy praife.* 9. A»^d lee ! the blefled time is come ! Thou deigncft to vilit mankind, and dwell among us ! (lee Pf. 68.. 18. i^nd jec. 31. 22. in p. 150. &c. following.) 7'kou cnricheit the eaith vf'nh the rircr of God, wkich thou keepeft tuli or \vi;tcr for the healing of the na- tions, and taking away the poiion ot dciliuction, which t>ie curfe brought upon us. Ezek. 47.9. Rev. 22,2. "V\ iid. i. 14. Thou provideft tkem tood in the moll gracious manner. In fuch a manner, as not only fupports them plenteoufly, but alfo minify, tcrs- moll efiaftLully t« their entertainment, and pleafur© in re- ceiving it. 10. When men have tilled their land, thou fcafon- ably moiltcnefl it,' and fittcll it for receiving the feed. And when the feed fprings up, thou with the moil gentle rains nouriftcft it to perfeclion. 11. The year is ever encircled with the blef- 5,11^8 ofthy goodncfs, as with a crown ot flowers throwing a lUftre and beauty over it. From tky chariot wheels, paffing tkro* the clouds, drops fatnefs. 12. It drops on the pailurea oi;^tke wildemefs, and givcia face ot joy and gladnefs to «vcry hill. 1 3 . Tke pailures are cloathed with flocks j and the val- Hcs are covered with corn. Men Ihout, and ling. If this tranflation ind acceunt ot the Pfalm be jufl, it appears that the compoicr ot it was well acquainted with the ductrinc, that God would redeem his people trom their iniquities by Mef- iiah-THL lord; and that, in coniequencc ot this reaemptlon,^ the whole creation fhould be dtlivercd irun\ the mderable eiied:s of the curie denounced upon it tor man's tranfgrtfliun. But he fcems nor to have known that this bleiicd renov.ition of the world was to be poilpoaed tor forac ages alter the coming of THt LORD, that ' by the church may be made known the ma- * nifold wifdom of God.* Eph- 3. 10. He therefore fuppofcs the eftcct to follow im»ncdiatcly on the exhibition of the cituie ; and bemg tull or the gloiious idea, that God would create * Jc- ' rufalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy* (If. 65. 18.) he breaks out int«» the bcautitul animated dcfcription ot this j^oldcii a^e with v/hich he concludes the PfaJm. This * Ezek. 37. 2S. On v/hich Mr. Lowtk fays, 'The con- xicrfion of the Jewifh nation, and th«ir being reflored to their former ftate of favour, and acceptance with God, will be a woTt of providence taken notice of by the heathens themfelves, who Ifeall join themfelvesfo the Jews, as the church of God, and the tieaph of truth' fee ch. 36, 23,. ( XXI ) This breaking off from their fubje^i:, and dwelling on an idea xn fome reipect roreiga Vj it, tho aiilin^ troni it, i» a pradic« ▼ery common with pucts : nv.d v/e have a pleafmg inllaace otit.;^ m i'f. 6B. 13. where the plainii it, having occalion to mention -j;: the manner ot a dove's flighting on the ground, is itruck vvitt^.,-j, the bcuaty or the image, when the loveiy colours of a fine dove, ;■ are iecn at the fame time that we have a view of her in the gracetul movements ol: her Icttling on the earth, and therefore gives his reader a tu'l dtfcrlprion of the one, as well as of .' the oth":r. iL;;jt we w..l leiume the cjnliiierirkjnof this pafliiae by, and by, when we Ihail have attended to a iew critical bij- feivaiions proper to be ottered to tlie reader reipciflng the trani"-' - lation already given him. Be he ple:tfcd then to knjw that the firll words of the Pfaliu arc read ' lech dorni ; hiL ha' lea (fuppoicd to be with /;e inlVeaJ of gfiain for hiihgnalith) "elohJm . In the fautth verfc minni is read ae a piepcHirion hgni lying /)?-«?;!)/ t-r, and '.ittch as the imperntive mood. The fitth verfe is re. d 'afher yithbahharo — . In the lixth verfc miibtihh is fuppoicd ts> be the participle m hiphil ; er, li it ihill be juJgca not allowable to read this parr Vji:' ticiple without thcj/j>^/, it may be read mcbsttchh the participle in pihel : ana the uft w^r.is of the n.\th vele uith the firil oi the fevcnth^re rc^.d vejpin ranholc, yo;n mecin harem ., Harem is conibucd hi an im}.W in it be urged as ati objcctiMi, «s an intimtive \^oJ: whicb there is at Icail one inltance to b- given Jer. 44. 2:.) for the inoperative. It ic be •jbjectea that tlic word li.^nirying d.iy is always writ- - .. ten wiih vc«, it is aalvvxi'd, tlvs snay uc a m;ttakcn n«uon. . - There arc words \yhicii are writceii, generally pernasJi, with • the njau^ which arc foir.etimcs found \yithc!Ut it : fo 'ftn. Deut, 3 1. 17. dod Lev. 20. 20. and 25. 49. hor Exod. 21. 33. Gen. 37. 24. (in edchot which texts you liaveit both witb the 'vau, and without it.) hhuk Pf. 148. 6. Exod. 30. 21. koL Gen. 27. 22, 45, 16. ii//« fhsietore may be lb written, tho' it's ^e:i in^ lb written may not bcfoie hav- bewi obfervcd. ,;,,*¥ -tV.^ -s^^* The ward r/tfrfivni tying a ^r/;r/v^//(;/7 i» u.i'ed both With and without the njaH. Ejt it has not perhaps, been obferved to be ufcd tor a houfey or hahitanon without it ; and yet it may be fo ufed vfherc it is little thought of. What (hange forced inter-" " pretations are given us ©f Pf. no. 7 ? And it'is Jlikely that all interpretations niuu be torced, nnd unnatural; which- ;can^ be " given or it, while you read in it bcdertch in the -zuay. But read bed<-recha in thy haufc^ and you have a fen:iment clear, and highly fatisradory, and edilyini; tj the chrilffjn. Thi< Pfalinis evidently a celebration ©f the glories ©f ChrifPs kiwgdom . ( xxii ) iuigcLon>i, whjcn eiljibllfhc^on the earth. Vcrfes 6 and 7. * He * fhall gather the lifelefs members (of his ckurch.) Me Hull * take away thro* the whole extent of the earth the poifon * fpreid (by fin) over iu He (hall give to drink from the brook ' in thy houfe, whereby he (hall tak» away the poifoia.' .,, WhoR we coniidcr the manner in which the exprdlion o( dry h/nes is ufed for the houfe ot Ifrael, reprefented as called into lite by the wori of the lord god, and conftituting a pure, and holy church to him, (Ezck. 37. 1 — 14,) we can hardly Kave a doubt what is meant by gathering the dead bodies^ Read ^r. Lowth on Ezek. 37* 13. ' I will rcLmitc you into one ;* body, or nation, who now lie fcattered, and difperfed as the * bones ia a chamcl houf®. Compare verfe 21. In their ilateof * difperf^n, and captivity they are called the dead Ifraelites in * Baruch ch. 5. 4.. And their reftoration is defcribed as a refur- * re£tion by Ifai. 26. 19 : at which time their hones are faid to ' flourifti, or be reftored to their former ilrength and vigour in * the fame prophet, ch. 66. 14. In like manner JSt. Paul cx- * prcflcs their converfion, and the general reftoration which (hall * accompany it, hy life from the deadJ^ Rom. 11. 15. When wc read in Ezek. 47. i, 8, 9. of ' waters which ifTu- ^ cd from under the tkrclhold of God's houfe,* and ' that thofc * waters wt re made to run over the earth,* and ' that wherever '^they came the waters of the earth were healed,* and * that e- ' very thing that Uveth, which moveth, whithcrfoevcr the ri- * vers Ihall come, (hall live,* we cannot be at a lofs either, to account for the exprdlioa of th£ lord*3 taking away THE roisoN SPREAD OVER THE EARTH, or the means by which it (hall be done; viz. by giving his creatures TO DRINK OF THE BROOK FROM GOd's HOUSE. The reader, it may be thought, little expeded to find j7ot ot ground, and alighting en it : Aothingcan m.orc torciblj recall to our memory tkc words of the kiiiori&n. liiflcrian, ' All thefe kings, and their land did JcfHua tzkc at «)n» * time, bccaulethc Lord <&odot limel fou^lvr-ror Ifrael,' (Jofh, TO. 42.) than the vverds of the oracle declaring, that ' the al- * rwighty Lord fhould deltroy the powers they were to fubdue as > fpeedily, and as entirely as locuil-s ;4» tjje verdaie of every * place where they come.* Sahnoii was a mountain covered with luxuriant trees. Judges. 9. 48. -i^-^ ItH h*^"ped then this iiiuierto.c *^ped then this iiiuierto.obicure paiTage is cleared up to .the reader's fatis faction. -And, it it is, that he will make no ob- jection to our reading ^<><^ in this pairat!;e, niorm Pf. 1 10. 7. and ^jiom in Pf. 65. 5. without a njau^ tho' it hath not been obferv'd ijcfore, that thcic \^;ords a.re, to be f© read. :, Thejearned know that r'ofh, tranliatcd^£?//i>« in Pii iiOi ^6^ 7. bdars that ligniiication in many ©ther paliagcs of fcripturc, and thetefore may be^fo tianllated' in this, -if the context re- ,cjuiresit, as ^tis. hoped, he is now fatisticd it does. Be he pleaf- cd to confider if it /hould not alfo be tranllated to the fame figni- -iicatiicJnin Numb. *J»5. 4. ''The plural of this word here hath given a wonderful deal of trouble to interpreters, while they conceived it could not ngnify any thing but heads* The lively manner in which Monf. Houbigant has diverted himfclf with it is taken notice of in p. 7th. of the preface. And new thd author finds himfelf in circymftances much the fame with re- gard to this text, as he was in with regard to Pf. 4.0. 6. ia p. zy^ of the Rciicivitions Be plealed, reader, to admit the a- polo^y he makes there a» his excufe here ; and rcdd.' rajhe as th». plural of the word ii»nitying poi/ou, and all difficulties will va- iiifli. We ffliiil read, * And the Lord faid unto Mofes, take all * the />e/is of the people, and hang them up betere the Lord a- * gainft the fun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned * away frsm Ifrael. And Moles laid unto the judges of Ifrael, * l]ay ye every one his men, that were joined unto Baalpeor.* Here every thing is cafy, and natural. The pcrfocs ordered to be hanged were the lewd idolatrous "fellows wkole converfati- ou, and exam pie //^//^^tf^ the nannera ©f the people. And ac- cordingly Mofcs gave orders to the judges to flay all that had ' joined thcmfelves t« Baalpeor.* We have the fame word uftd in the feme manner in Atiu 24. 5. ' \Vc have fou-nd this man * ti pejlilent fellovo^ aad a mover of fedition . Tke Greek- word t.\-jk\\'i\in.X€d pejiilent fellovj i.s lohnos^ which Scapilla tells us, ^ * poftis : — mci'a|*:horice res etiam, aut homo lolntos vocatur, & *' pejiis itidem apud kti»03 pro peftileate, tc exitiah.' In Pols ©n Acts 24, tj. We have * Sic Cicero di3i it ptjlcin civitatls pro ' Rabirio ; pejl em patriae pr© S;?itif., peUcs imperii t^xq Eiicotaro. ' I'iq/c^Ius pro fcelcrxto, PREFACE ■aMMmaMBKHa Learned Reader , rnpi H E mati who fubmttsp the follow^. f ing fliects to thy pcriifal is verj fenfi- blc that thim caa'^ft not read mairy of them • WLthoaC difcov eririg', that hie is no greaJ maf-- ter of the Hebrew language. Vfhv then daes: he prefume ta offer to the world tranjlatism of fcripturtfo dffcrent from thofe which have been made by men of the grioteji attainment i m this kind of learning T To this he anlvvcrs, that^ readlag his bLi)le with atteiitiori and haralE- ty,, he thinks he ha^, been enabled by theba- iy fpirlt of God j^who h often plea led to work, by the meanetl mftru meats) to fee what has efcaped the notice of thole great maftcrs. Daes ht think then that he: is favoured by the fpi^ rit of God with any fpecialiilumination more than ii VQUchfafed ta, or may be expired by any ordi^ nary Chri/liwi ? No, by no oieaHS. He has indeed toaictimeb, (when, after long rumi- nating on an obi cure paflige, and perhaps cvxii after he had dcfiftcd from the confidcra«- tion of it, it has recurred to his thought free frona the obkurity which covered it before) plcafcd bimfclf with applying in fome fort to himielf the words of Jacob to his father It'aac (Gen. 27. zo ) • tlic Lord brought it * to ms/ but without lh« Ic-ifl: thought that a he -■' ( ^ ) he had received any greater favour, than will certainly be vouchfafcd to every Chriftian, \yho with a due reverence and humility ap* plies^ to the holy fpirit for his dircftioii and help. ■ If the tranflations are not agreeable to the jiift rules of interpretation thou wilt, with' good reafon, rcjeil: them'. If they arc, I hope, thou wilt admit them, It is. hoped too thou wilt not rejee tut ef, which is the englilh of yiccarttku, but it is not likely he intended this word Ihould be read in his prophecy, when he wrot« the other. It is more likely he wrote z cafh toe a hpb, I t, yiccathebu, i^t ylkMhehttyshic\i A 2 ( i^ ) ^ £pi\$en tlie thin g wanted, ^all h cut of, as VftW z^ykcareihu. But after this, what (hail i^cAow\X.\iinth£hn:f^ if we will not take Mr^ HoTJBiGANT^s correftion out f)f the laid for itj? Wc muft rttur to the firft word in the . Vfirfe, and ncgle£i:ing the csrre^ien m&de by ibelh/ItfiirUes^ cmfirmea by the manufcripts^ and oMrmy&d iy cmje^tre re^id a> we . £iid it in , tEe t«xt, only changing %Jamecb for a J^i^, y£fl)Ulrs tipTight, m^tdly go^d* * Thus tiie *JLord[ k r/jffe. Deut, 33. 4 Pi. 25. t. * and 92. . I5>. Thias a pedbn who a^fleth * finccrcly according to truth and righteouf- ^ ntishjlrafghjznd^vfn. Job 11. nnd 8* * (S. and 23. 7 PL 11. 7^ and 37. 37. &c* * &c. Taylor Cone. And then wlti) no o- thfi.reorrciHon but th^changeofi he two let- ters {vix. ]bph for r^i^i \n ykcatbebu^ and J&i« {qx Jamecb m ytfur^j we have a text will TMsn— * they who are morally go»d in the * land fliall be cnt -off, if they ftall for lake f ihe Lerd the fountain of living waters.' And .thns wc gettidof an impertinent ^prre£lion /which HovBiGANT wonld. intrude on ns, when he fay$^ * Melius — • rm in ftatu ab- * folnto/ For befojc baar€is the word Ihould be, as we find it,, in a ftatc of conftrndion. But do not, candid reader, neglcfl: to ob- {cTHt here, how little wc have been obliged io * 1^ ihiriy dgfat, ox forty manufcripts/ tho* ( V ) tho* * amdng them are rcckone3 rliofe 6f the' * bcft note/ ^ That inaccuracies^ and trnp^oprieUes of vaT% rious kinds will offer themlelvcs in this pub-" licattou is too certain. The puMiflier Avifjics^ the good nJitur*d reader would admit, as iomc " fort of an cxcufc, the want of Hebrew, andi*. Greek types,— —his being, during the wh -le. time of it's printing, at a dlfl.uicc froni;he\ prcfs,— -and Iks -finding^himfclf under the neceifity of writing, as the prefs went on. For when he went to the prefs with the firfl: Ihect of this laft publication, he thought of printing four fhcets only. And confcquent- ly, when he fuffcred himfelf to be engaged farther than he had provided fc?r, whatever was to be added, muft be haiW, incorrcft, loofc, and defultory, : He hopes however that the obfervatlons here offered to the reader are vvorthy jiis at- tention ; that many important obfcure paf- 'fagcs of fcripturc are explained ; that liiany objcftioni to the purity of the facred text are refuted"; and that many corru.uions at- tempted to be introduced info it arc properly expofed, and excluded. Ifthefc things ar« performed to his fatisfadlion, the good na- tur'd reader will not find fault with' the guide thatconduiits him happtly thro' an intricate road C vl ) ^•dad, bccauicheis not exactly and foiartlv crcUcd. In-p* iSS,.itis uippoled thtt the Jews hadtia 2 great m^afure lott the true under- ijandiag of their {criptu re, before the firft part of ihe tranflatloii, called the Scptuaglrir, .\v:^ made. And the author prgcceds to lay what he thiaks will proveir. - But Monf. Hoi'BiGANT^ who ha,s a flrange ficuky oi leading every one who psys attsntion to him out of his way, drew us a- long with him 'till we fccmed to have loft fight of the Pentateuch before we had fi- niflicd tht: obfervatious intended to be made en it. Bat we had rambled together 'till Wi5 hid run fuch a length, a^ made it very proper for us to uop, and alk the reader if he was not tired, and if he would be con- t^ated to go on farther. Had we refoivcd to proceed, the change ef Icttert taken no- tice •£ in If. 6. 13. (p. ^85.) wtuld have led u» to confider Pf. 84. .5, 6, 7. and, when we were fo near it, we fliould have ta- ken notice of fome difficulties in Pf. 8r. 5, 6, y. At the end of which Pfalm Mr. H. Has an abfurd propofal to read ixuph for ixur^ which would have led us to the Pentateuch •ga^in ; vij. to Monf. and the Kcnite in Ivumb* 24. zi, zz. Frpm hc4ce we fhould ""' ' ha.vc have proceeded to ch. 25. 4, ^. Where Moiif HouSiGANT' is extraordiharyy. in* ventlvc ; and indeed cut does hh iifual outidD^, ifjgs. He tells VIS * the antients (hew usxitr^ * prefent text h faulty* For oi^e- of them * favs one thins^, and another another,* iiat * none of them agree with otjr text;' i M feems thev none of them underftood it better than our critick. And ftTaying oUt of the right road by different ways, lead him a-fiu^ daijce, who thinks it worth his i\'h!lc to ikip after each of them ; and, cniling/this ward from one, and that from another, a third from the Hebrew text, and a fourth fronl the Samaritan, with two letters fron his ov.":i conjedlure, makes a new text of 114 letters infiend of 83, and the wHcle as curious.^ compofltion as Scarnmouchc's ^ Tabac de mllli Jleurs, And thus is our bible to be cor- re(5led ! The contideration of Nurrib. 25. 4, 5. would have brought on an explanation of Pf. no. 6, 7, The * * I: is reported of Scr.rsrr.ozd^:, tne iirit ^cpus Itui.^s, * Comed::in, thar being m J*ar:Sy and in great want, he be- * thou^c lumfelt or conuantly pWiag near the cooror a noced ' per:unier la tHat cky, and when atr one Came.o-ji who hiS ' bden l)uy4a« fnuff, never 12: i*d to def-re 2 tare vrith them. * VV l^h k€ had bv this means * very different both fronn. the Hebrew text * and the vcrfion of LXX, that it fcsm.^ ve- * ry diiiicult, if not impi^ifible, to reconciler ^ them by any Utcrai emendation, without ' going beyond the bounds of temperate cri- * ticilm^ One claufe, '^neither liath it en- *' tcred into the heart of mian,'* (^wliich, by* * the way, is a phrale purely Hebrew, ^ and ihouldfeem to belong to the prophet.) * is wholly left out ; and another i^ repeated * without force or propriety, viz. *' nor pcr- *' ceivcd by the ear," after " ne\cr beiiig^ ** heard :'* and the fcnfc andexpreffion of the * apolllc is far preferable to that ot the He- * brew text. Under thefe difficulties, 1 aixi • • at a lofs what to do better than to offer to * the reader this, perhaps diiagreeauie, alter- * native : cither to confider the Hebrew text * and LXX in this place as wilfully difguifcd b *and (■ ^ ) * znd corrupted by the J^ws ; of which ^ prafl;ice, in regard to other quotations in * the New Teftament from the Old, they * lie under ftrong fufplcions : fee Dr. O- ' WEN, on the Veriionofthe Seventy, feft. * 6. 9 : or to look upon St. Paul's quo- * tation as not made from Ifalah, but from *^; one or other of the two Apocryphal Books^ * intitled, The jlfcenjton of Efaiah^ and The * Apocaljps of EU^is^ in both of whlck this ^ paflage was found ; and the Apoftle is by * fome fuppofcd in other places to have quo- ^ ted fuch apocryphal writings. As the firil * of thefc concluiions will perhaps not eafily ^ be admitted by many ; fo I muft fairly * warn my readers, that the fecond is treated ^ by Jerom as little better than herefy. See "^ his Comment on this place of Ifaiah.' Dr. Kennicott tells us, * jEROMfharp- * ly reprehends thofe, who thinks St, Paul * quoted I Cor. 2. 9. from fome apocryphal * writing, and not from the original tcxt» * Nor is it very difficult to account for the * diffireuce between the Apoftle and the * Prophet, according to the text as wc now ^ have it, if wc will only grant that there are * paflagcs in the Old Teftament altered to * make them difagrcc with the N^w, And * this text, I think, furniflics a proof of an * alteration made ; as the Jews ipeak, with ^ ^prudential vk%v. JFor nothing can juftify ( xi ) a fafpicion of unfair dealing more, th^iv words without meaning. For who, cait think that any author, much lefs fuch a one as our facrcd writers arc, could write, Et a feculo non attdierunt^ 7isque perccpcrmt aUrU bus ; 0 cuius non viciit Deum prietcr te fact at expeElantl ipfum ? For this is the Htcral tranflation of the prclent Hebrew text given in the interlineary verfion. V/ords which could never have been explained, if we had not the Apofl:le*s authority to warrant oul* notftration of them. But he recites them in fuch a manner as enables us to reduce the fcattercd atoms into their proper order^ and rcftore to the pallage it*s original beaii- Here we have a text pronounced to be ab*- foKitcly dcftitute of meaning ; but perhaps pronounced to be fo too haftily. It will be acknowledged that an author's text appears with a great difadvantage in a literal tranflation into any other language. Buc the idioms of the Latine are fo different from thofeof the Hebrew, that a literal tranflationi from the latter into the former muft appear peculiarly uncouth. The paffage before us affords an inftai^e of It. To fupply the re- lative qui before. Jhciat in the above quotation, would be doing wliat is not common to be fcen in Latine authors. But to underftand a/hfr before yag?:afeh m the Hebrew is no b z more { xii ) 3!nor« than Tv'hat IB to be done in everj page of tht Eible, See then now how the paffiigc may be rendered. From ibt Isgmning of time men hjivs not Imown^ they have not ' heard with ihe exir^ nor has eye feen ^ God bejide thee^ who €jznw9ri for him that watts for him, Blfhop luo w TH intlced tjel Is us here, ' ' nor pertei ved ""^ by the ear'" is repeated without force, or ' ipropriety after ''never beuig heard f^ r^nd £q It is, in our Engliih Bible, ^Mlfiamtgym may fignify * have not nnderftood' (i Kings J . p. khjimmeagn is a a nn de rft an din g heart) on difcemed^ qt known (Prov. i8. ig. hfcre heihe^r if^ 1. e. before he 'knnw it^ or h ^lVcII '/rc^umrtted with it, 2 Sum. 14, 17. to Imw^ or Jifcern good and bad. j Kings 3. li. to .3f;?^zt; or i^^i^n; judgment.) The text then Tightly underftood fays, ift. Mln have not Jknown^ ufing the term fignifying jJ^raj^Z/Vi in general, by any means., and .2ci. That they have not hmrd with their ear^s^ nor feen with their ey€:s, meaning by thefe cxprefllons any parlicuiar modes of J>erceplion^ j&c* It is not therefore * ^ifhop LoisTTH^s crMp^fms have great weigbi :: tmj 6b- Jfi^ipn tg Xhem then fhould be well fupported. Be pleafecJ, ^here/ore, reader, ,to conlidcr Gen. u. %" aud42. 23. mnd 3Pei».t. 28, ^<^, in addition to the proof given Jihove ihztjhamagn ^^m§es to uHiitrftand y and If. 28. 23. and Jerem. 13. i;. IjfjfJ^ xcipe^ jp the ufc 9i" the two yerbs in .(^aeiiion, ©ne im-. mediately ( 'xiii ) therefore juflly charj^cd with an improper rcDctitioii, And when the Latiae tranll.ili- i. Oil was gi^en us from Mont anus, we fhould hav^' had with ir the rv-^latlve qui be- iox^rfaciat, which the traiiflator, to make his verlioii fueak what the Hebrew did. \\c\d put in the maigiii. Ai^d now, rer.der, will it be jiuft for any one to tell ushercafcer, that ' no * firnlccaii be made of the Hebrew without a * very forced conftruftion ?' Seep, ix, L *r- B^:t the Prophet is not yet reconciled either 'whbtht Hebrezv cr the LXX. Here it is ta be alked^ what kind of ajireement between them do thevex^cA us to make out? Aiid if they will notexcule us giving ourfelves a- iiy trouble at all a')out the LXX ? They, ought to do fo, 'tiU they can (av with more Certainty, than they can at prefcnt, what i?^ or what is not that traafldtion. When in the fragments of it, which are comedown to us we can find any thing, which will fup- ply ir.cdintcly after the other. la the latter fays the Prophet, * Hear, uud wive car.' The B'.Ihop gives us the variations of the verSons, edition*^, and al)0 o leverity m-inufcriprs on this text ; but none oi rhcfe var"utio;is ^orobdbly arc any other than tiie eScdi ot the carc!e;";>- r.e^i of tranfcribers ; as they contribute nothing to the illuftra* li^/n ot the tC2t, nor indeed m-!:e iiny ra;;ter:al difiercacc i:i i:. it. ( %LV ) ply materials for a reafenable criticifm, w eye hath not {ttvs^ nor car heard:' and thefe words are without difpute propjer- ]y and cxaftly enough cited. And why was j not the Apoftlc at liberty to fay after them whatever he judged proper to illuftrate his fubjedl, without being coMfincd to accompa- ny the Prophet farther ? Why might not he, when he had quoted what the Prophet had • faid applicable to his purpofe, proceed to add another confidcration, which would ftrcngth-^ en the fentiment he would imprefs on the- reader's mind, and tell him, that the myf- tery he was treating of, was not only, ac- ^.' cording to the words of the Prophet on ano- ther fubjeft, fuch as ' ear had not heard, * nor eye fccn,' but even fuch as it had not entered into the heart of man to conceive ? Judge if this is not the true fenfc of the A- poffle's words by the following tranflatiou^ which, 1 hope, will be found a juft one. 1 Cor. 2, 7, * But we fpeak the wifdom * ofGod in a myftery, even the hidden wif- * dom which God ordained before the world * wnto our glorv, 8. * (Which ( Xvi ) 8. \ (Which none of the princes of this * WDfld knew : for hsd they known it they •would not have crucified the Lord of GIo- V 9. ^ In truth, ns it is written, *' fach •* things as eye hath not fecrjt, nor ear heard," * nay even fuch things as have not entered * into the heart of man, the things which *>.Godhath prepared for them that love him/ - We find ourfei'v'es then liappily efa^tped from the dijfrejjing alternative propofed to us. We are under po neceffity of adoiitting the Hebrew text to be corrupted either wittingly^ or umviitlngly^ or of Mocking upon St. PauFs ' quotation to be made from fome book not *-;■ canonical, ^vA xhtrthy expojtng curfelves to * be condemned by Jerom for heretlch.'' We have no iTiore incumbent on us than to fnew that the text is capable of a very fatisfaftory tranflation by laying it before the leader^ viz. If. 64. 4. * Since the beginning of th^ * world (men) have not known, they have * not perceived by the car, nor hath the eye * ictn a God, which can work as thou doflf * for (the man) who waifeth for him.' Hejc- for zuJathcca (befidcs Tbee) is read in tvVo v/ords %u latheca (which like Thou) and this laft word for leca ; the thau being conli* dercd as an epentheih^ "* « *To ( XV ii ) i * ' To fuch writers, fays BifhopLoWTH^ * as confine themfclvcs within the bounds of Vdete.rminate meafures, and a certain num» ' ber of feet, is allowed a liberty of ufing * words which are not conformable to the u- * fige, nor fubjeft to the laws of commoa * fpeech ; and of cither fhortening them by ^ leflening the number of their fyllables, or * making them longer by adding to them. * Poetry, according to the different genius * of every language, is always availing her- * felf of devices in this way ; and principally *-of thefe two. Firft the ufing foreign or un- * common words ; fecondly, the giving an * irregular, or, uncommon form to words * which are common, and familiar. It is ^ well known how greatly the Greek, poets * indulged * lis fcriptoribus, qui certa quadam numcrorum ac pedum moderationc funt adftridi, ca llccntia conceditur, ut rocibus u- taiitura communi loqueadi ulu ac lege difcedentibus, ct a lin- gua: analogia paulum detortis ; utque cas nonnunquam vcl dc« tra^lis quibufdam fyllabis dimiauant, vcl adjcitis augcant. Hujufmodi igltur artlficlo aliquo pro vario cujufque Hnguxin- gcnio fcmper utitur pocfis. Cernitur aut«m id duobus potifii- mum : primo gloflarum, five percgrini fermonis, ulu ; tumvo- cura rtceptarum aaomaliis quibufdam, live formiiinfolentioribus, Nptum elt quantum in hoc generc fibi pcrmifcrunt poct« Gra- ci.' — Secundum illos nulli lortafle cas libcrius admllcruBt quam Hebrai ; qui cum GlolFis, turn vocum Anomaliis, maximc au- tcm particul'i ciuibufdam orationi mctricac propriis, ct ^ in fine \ocuin identidem additis, Hyktm diftinxerunt, ct dialcdlum quanJam pieticara libi contccerunt. Lowth de Sacra Pocfi kit^. P12I. 3. C xviii y ^^ liiSuYge^cf tKemfelv^eVin thcfe liberties.— * Next to them perhaps none ever ufed them ' more freely than the Hebrews ; who, by * foreign words, and the irregular forms * which they gave to the common ones they * made ufe of, and efpccially by certain par- otides appropriated to poetick ufe, and ad- * ded here and there to the end of words, * have rendered their ftyle different from that ^ ofprofe, and formed to thcmfclvcs a dialc£t ^ peculiar to poetry/ The Bifhop then gives us a long lift of thefe poetick liberties ; and adds §' to give * the reader a better notion of the great free- * dom with which the facred poets ufe thefe * liberties, I will fct before him the fpccimen '' of them, which Abarbanel hath col* * Icfted from the fong of Mofes in Exod. Vchap. 15th . '* Thou fe«ft, fa^s A- *' BARBANEL, that thc words in this fong *l arc fometimes on account of the meafurc *^ contrafled ; fometimes protrafted, and *' lengthened ^ Quam libere autem lis utantur facri vatcs, ut melius appai- rcat, apponam carundcm fpccimen, qu©d ex imo loco colle<5tuni, n\miruin ex cantico Mofis Exod. 15, cxhibet Abarbansl : *' Vidcs, incpit, in ifto cantico mcnfurse ctufa quandoque con- *'trdhi voces, quandoquc extendi «t protrahi per additioncitt *' qaarundem litcrarum, ad juftam facicndam menfuram et mo- *' dulationcxn ; prout aliqiiando ctiara una ct altcrSj hujui m «•< caufa, deficit.-— y^/V. ( XIX ) 6i lengthened ont by the Jiddltion of letters; ncceflkry to complete the mcafure, and *' harmony of the Cadence, as at other *' times, for the {i\mc reafon, a letter or two ** is taken away.'* The poetlck liberties, which this author points out to us, within the compafs of this fhortode are two vaus,, and 2iyod redundant in one word ; yodm another; vau in feven more ; %thau by epcntiicfis in one : yod and vau are each fup poled to be deficient once : mo is fuppofed to be ufcd for mebem ; and the word lebah (heart) to be left out before * all 'the inhabitants* in vcifc 15th* And Bi* fhop ^ The Bifliop obferves with regard t» this epenthefio^ tljnu^ that Qlajfiui^stt fcvcral inftances ot it, but all from the peeti'* fal^ and prophetical books, tor which reafon he takes it to be a ^ccnce merely poetical The reader therefore will not, it i« hoped^ fcruple to admit it in lathcca ufcd for lua^ as obfcrved a- k)ve, in If. 64. 4. Be pleafed here, reader, to Confitkr if the ufc of than redun- dant before the pronoun affixes, is net as common a mode of fpcech as any iu the Hebrew language. We meet with ^othiy, ^othce^ *othoy Zee. *itti^ ^itteca^ ^ittOy &c. at every turn. Here indeed is an aUph before th« thau ; but it fcems to be ufcd merely ai a fiipport to the vovjcl prefixed to the tbtiu. What can it be elfe in me^itti Gen. 44. 28. me^ittac 2 Kings 2. io<, Tue'itto Gen. 8. 8. and other iimilar inftancci given by NolbT' vs under mceth § 6 ? i XX ) ihopLowTH tells us that to this accouut may be added rno paragogic twice, and 7iun once epenthetic^ and once paragogk. And perhaps yet farther niay be^ added, nun epen- theticin the word pohited anvehu in verfc the fecond, and rendered in our bible i if /// prepare him anhahitatio7u It is fubmitted to the reader, whether it is not more agreeable to the fituation of the Ifraclites, and, as far as we can judge, ti5 the imprcilions, which mufl have been made on their minds by the revelations, and deli- verances they had been- favoured with, to fuppofe them In their triumph of joy fing- ing '' The Lord — —-is become my falvati- *^ on.- He is my God^ .kvhotn I^'huvr Icbiged ^'for (or defired ;) my Fathisr's^^od,' aVd *' I will exalt him ;" than to talk oi preparing him an habit atim^ when they were la un fet- tled thcmfclvcs ? That the fentiments and ixpfcflibris of :* God's people, when they (hall have received their final and complete deliverance from ail "vthcir enemies will be fuch as are here fup- pofcd to have been the fentiments and expref- j iions of the Ifraelitcs on their deliverance I from the flavery of Egypt, and the fword of Pharaoh, Ifaiah tells us ch. 25/9^ ^^^Vlt *> fhall be faid in that day, lo ! this is our J^ God ; we have waited for him^ and he will *' faye ( xxi ) *' fave us ; this /i the Lord, we have waited ^' for h:m, we will be ^ad, and rejoice m his " falvation." The very word too is put iii- to the mouth of the church by liaiah in ch. 26. 8, 9. " The dejire of our foul is to thy ^' name" — — .*^' with my foul have \ clejit'ed " thee." ; ;■' Let the learned reader take alfo into his confideration, if it is not more agreeable tp the manner of the Hebrew'poets to throw a letter, which they Icsm to take.a pleafureja making epcnthetical^\\ into fuch a worcf as ^ivvahy reading it nixht future a?tavveh'^ thzxx toufe anvehu for '- 1 will prepare him a-^i *' habitation,'* or to \\{(i auy word from "^^^^ <^K gavah^ (if there is fuch a verb as gavah) to be rendered / will magnify him. In judg- ii Be plcafed reader, to confider whether we fhould CQt, read ^t nun\^ aJJ>amanim li. 59. 10. as epcnthcticul. The people colle£llvely being the fuhjc6t fpoken of cannot properly be T:iid .. to be in defolate places^ as in our bible : aad the circuindanccs of dlflrefa, in which they are reprefcntcd, will hardly allow us to fuppol'e them in the miciji of delicacies^ as in Lowth's .««y TranJIation. But if wc read ajhemani?n as if it were ajhaviint (the nun being thrown into the middle of the word to lengthen it perhaps for the fake of the metre) we have the Apoflle'i cxpreffion (highly fuiting the red of the Prophets dcfcription) as dead in trefpaja. Eph. 2, i. Grot i U5 on this text .of Sr, Paul obfcrves, i\\.-3X alhamim would probably be the Hebrew word ufed iox ircfpajjl-s if oijc was to put the Apollle'i wdrdls iato; that langiiage : and that a Hebrew writer fays, ' The wicked,' * sven during their lives are called dead, ' -■ '-^ ,( XXii ) . ing of which he will no doubt obfcrvc that nun 2nd gimelzre not letters commonly con- vertible. It may be here not amifs to take notice of Hab. 2. 5. In this text, as is fuppofed, occurs the verb wc have been conlidering, jinveb ; rendered in our bible keepeth at home ; from navah he dwelt or inhabited, Tlie Lord had commanded the prophet to deliver his vifion in the plaineft clearefl manner. Verfe 3. "Tor (as our bible renders it) *' the vifion is yet for an appointed time ; but *^ at the end it will fpcak, and not lie ; '^ though it tarry, wait for it, becaufe.it will ^* furely come, it will not tarry. VVcrfe 4. " Behold, his foul which is ** lifted up is not upright in him : but the " juft fliall live by his faith. Verfe 5. " Yea alfo, becaufe he tranf- *^ greffeth by wine, he is a proud man nei- ** ther keepeth at home -." What can keeping at home have to do with waiting for the vijion f or why muft a fot be fuppofed ^ not 7fl keep at home ? V^If not the verb here the fame we have in .\:Exodus, and fliould it not be read^^;^^i;'y^^j from 'ivvah' vfitk the «^« epcnthctical } i. e. nVfllnot wait^ or have patience ? fee [how the* whole will then run. Verfc 3. * For the vifion will bear it*s * teftimony at the appointed time; aad a^-, * the end it will fpeak, and not deceive : * though It linger, wait for it, for it will * be continually drawing towards us, it will * not put ofFit's coming. Verfe 4. * Behold 1 the man who is not ' fincere in his profeffion of religion (Hcb. * whofe foul is not upright) grows iiifolenfc. * (Heb. is puffed up) but thejuft rt>ani j[h;all * be prefervcd in the way of life by his Integ- * rity. Verfe 5. * Yea alfo when a man tranf- * greffes by wine, he grows arrogant, and * will not have patience, — The Hebrew grammars tell us that when ttun IS the firft radical letter of a vcib it is dropt, as often as a formative letter comes.; before it : fo from nathan and nagajh is faid . in the future tenfe wox yinten^uA yingajh, but r yitten and j^'/^g*^ ; excepting when a guttur^ aly or a vau follows it ; in which cafe the nun is kept, as \n yanis^ yanus, L-.- v*), *Tis evident here that the ««« is dropt in thefc verbs to avoid the harlhnefs of it, when joined ( XXIV ) j(imed with another confonant ; and kept when followed by a guttural^ or the vowel A)au ; in which cafes the open nature of thefe letters not only will bear it, but even re- (]ijiresit-to fupport the vowel neceffary to fhe\v the conjugation, or tenfe in which the iVerb is ufed. But there can be no more rea- Ton for keeping ir, when followed by a vau 'confonant^ than when followed by another confonant^ -^^ yanvcb^ or yinveh is as harih as .^[anten^ ox yinicn, 'Tis more reafonable then to form the words in queftion from ""ivvah with the ;2/VAHV^ «-. whom Mofes had conversed with, and whufc dhedlons he obcy'd. And the word in the Qn^\m\ \% haelohlm. In Exod. 20. iio^^lv' when Moles tells the people, * God is corii'e' * * to prove them,' and wc read that Mofes-' ,^^ * drew near unto tlie thick darknefs, where .j * GW was,' there can be no doubt but kaHo-' Z'/Vt? means the Lord Jehovah. ' . There is nothing done then contrary to a--^ . nalogy in reading a be.emphat. before Jehi'^ - rjah^ if the text requires ir. Does not St. John do fo, when he names hi?- blcffcd Lord,' ho hoon^ &c. Rev. i. 4. ? Warranted by thefc obfervations, we will venture to read in If, 12. 2. ' The Lord is my Jirength^ and * ^^^yfi^^S' ^vithout either leaving ouc^^/6, or ^' putting in :iyod. The Lord Jehsvah occurs again in ch. 26. • 4* And here too perhaps we have again the - he emphat. before Jehovah, But reading he em- phatic, is not all that is to be done in thif place. Wc muft alfo read the word ^/ as re- dundant; and then we raay tranflate * iot * the Lord is a rock, that will not fail.' Wc have an obfervation in our latiilc grammar that ;;?//?/, &c. are often nfed for Jake of elegance, where they add nothing to rb? mcahhig of the fcntcnce. And VieE^ C ^xx ) KIU5 m his Idioals (article pronoun) fays» *D,tivi jwo/ ct yi/V„ ^^^'^M^^f^!^"^. apud ^^ebr^os^^ Latinos et Gallos, ixptfareliou" fjihy An(J NoLDtus telh us v that li \% ^ often rcclundi|it.^ Why then rriay wc not cx^ciJtto find^/'alfo redundant fotnctimes ? ' When thje B'iihop comes to fpcak of that part of the po?tick licence which confife in tt^eufc^of foreign words, heafltsif Mofes has no^ admitted Chaldi^ifms into the exordium of ^is lafl: benediiftion of the pcjople in Dedt. 32. What, fays he; is /z//&^^,' which- we have a- g^auj in v^rfe %i } What is hhdbebf ox dath ? •^ a Word not J)foughc into cpitimQn ufc ar *^"mong theHcbfews, till after' the Babylo- * nilh captivity V His lordftiip is refpe^lful* ly anfvcred, that tf/A^A, and hhohcb zrc made Chaldaifms only by the Maforetjcpunttudti- 011. If h^ Will be pleafed to turn top. iSp^ the trantl.ation/ there givcri, 'tis hoped, wilt fatiify him, that the forpie^r of thefe W^rds 3$ the*^prbnouA primitive of the fecond perioi^ fingular, , ^nd the letter no other than Ho- |ab the f^thcr^n-law oiF Mofts. ; AM that iaiB with Its preceding '/Jhy which', under th^' appearance pf a ^(fry Aj*m;,, had burnt afeoft to the irretrievable deftruftion of thfe' true ^ext. fb«)uld,bc fcad as one woVd aJhaJialhe fecoi^d per fon fingular of a/had he defcehdecj.^ Jndeed this verb is not obfcrv'd to be lift d' cU#vvhei<^ i but the ngun dprived from it is;; ( XXXl ) in the (ignlfication of a declining ground^ Ofr, vcr which the waters fall with a confi3eritilc delcent. So in Nun^b, 21. 15. wc read of the ' ftream of the hu)ok% (Hth, decUvliks * «f the bro©k* ; i. e. decHning ground w -' * tered by the brooks.) that, goclh down to * the dwelling of /jr.' And in Dcuf. 3 ij^. and 4. 49. wc read of ^ the Jpnngs oi Pii-j * gah,' more {\:n£ily pcvh^fS diclini'fig grour/^^^^ And Fuller tells us, that * Ahanm^ Nej * h^ aiid Pifgah are a.Udge of mountaVus rU * fing by degrees— fo that fome have c6m« * pared j'lbarim to the chancclj'^Nebf) to fh^ * church, and Pilgah to the fteep^le.' ' Jt'if^ Sah bic^ht. p. 6q. - ,. ' ' 5^ s» '" ■ '■i■'■!^, r* ^'■.^ "^l >''.'"'■• "^s "'(■•' ••//« Here then was a. lortg ftti|;e 6f dic^t*bW€jr^ and might very properly be icrm^d ij/iS^^^^^^^^^ Pijgab. The latne notion of Vftc^w//Vj, oi: uneven dtcl'ming ground will be found aifu tcj fuit the terai /i^^c//)6, where wc iDeet if ii^ Jofhua, viz, ID. ^.)^ii\z,^^^%^i!^yN^\\^ if not better than that bfjprm^s,^ Bjit be it obfervM, that if we wiirhave \\ t^ fi^nifv Jpnngs^ the fpnngs ot P/y^^^ maf^ have ^gj cat ^flcent : a circuipftance whiFchwftl iufl^^^^^^^^ ently juftify our tranflating the vcrh^ t^QXP^ which it is derived, d^Jeenc/ed Wc find hci Chu/daifms then in thl^ exordium, .jf Xfract feaVct •"inherited every man his rnheritancc;' Docs not'Mofes in aliufion to thig" tranft'ftfonpro-' ph«/>/^t/j' h^^ wcnf fee Eccles. i. 4, 1.5. Gen. 16^. 8-;) fometiracs clearly ufed irt the fc'nfc o\ gaing. Sec Gen. 7. r^ 7, 9, 13, 15, 16. nnci 1:5* 15. Exoil. 3. 1%, In this laft text indeed our bible has— * thou — fhalt c»mf unto the king — ; but the exprellion is plain- ly to be underibod — (halt go unto — ; .ind fo it is in ch. 5. i. • ^lofes and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh/ See iilfo Ruth 3. 7. Jon. 1.3. Why then might not ^athah fomctimcs figni- ij Kvrnt, tho* it generally (ignlfics came ? It may be here ob- fcrved, that in other languages alfo th« word which exprcflc« :kc idea oi earning is fomdtim'cs ufcd to exprefs that of]goifig, 'Ktls'Teth tohefo i« the engjlfihy the two texts cited in Ex* •iuw For in one the fame i«iea is exprcffed by cottic which in the other is cxprcfled by 'iw/z/. In Numb. 12 4. the Heb: ^tzA^ (\Thich |»rop|trly. fignifics he i\}(nt) h tranikted, he came ; ^ XXXiV ) - -^'here is too another text In which Mofes perhaps ufes the verb '^//6^'. And it defsrves ^he more to b« confidered, as it is iirit*s present appearance very obfcure, if not quite unintelligible. 'Tis therefore a fabjedl on tvhich a man might properly .6^2/2f^ a csn- jeciurey But this exprclfion alas! is lately, iil k manner, appropriated to attempts far beyond the daring of the Prefacer. He will however with the reader's leave endeavour^ "^"^xiXj hiihe\wny of conjeBitire^ to explain it, S^c fii'our bible Nurtili; 21. 14, 15. ^ Whcre- '^iore it is faid in the book of the wars of the "•"L'ord, what he did In the Red Sea, and in ' the brooks of Arnon, and at the ftream of ' the brooks that gocth down to the dwel- *'lln^ of A^ an^ upon the border of * Moab/ May not the Hebrew of rhefc ver- fs^'be read ^Ethuhah lufii phaku \eih — ^, and be rendered \ Therefore in rehea:fing the *Wnrs of theLord it fliall be faid, "Come *^jty!i^:^6/ trample down, dlftrcfs ArnQu, ** with . I - Of. . , . ...... Ilk l^i"* '^'V> r^ r.ria 1 Ccr.-i4. 36. ihc Gre^lc cxidihen \% trcr.O-tcd cami via, •Thiit the Greek cr^f^yoma; is fa ufcd, fee Pole on 'Mattl i 6'^ 5, where wc are relc^iV^ tp inlTarces of it in Lu. 2, 44. ?iid .15. 20. and Joh. 6. 17. See -JXo A.^j 28. 14. and Horn. \\,\. 12Q. Mfid 3.J57. and ic. 54., 57. For the Latinc c'^;j ■. jov phabu (an /;:(j t e z l^ rV.R rrJt. ( xxxvi ) y\Jt"-is m^edj thc>ef6re, that Mofcs muft 'Ifpeak of a' place hkmci Suphah on the froh- "^ tiers of MoaB^ %T>d that Pf ol^^y Tpeaks ef it ctiiTingit Si^pBdmtiu ;Let Ptolomf's Shupha- nifh ^efound where If rbi^y-.; That we arc ^-DGt obliged to idmit the kvppafit ion of fiich ia-pt^c^ by what IS faid irl Niirribi 21. 14. is fll^U'iiV I hope, by the tr-auf} ition" given of that text. And' perhaps on examination it XwiU appear, that we have as little reufon to ^fvipppfeh^ talks of any Tuch place in Deut. ij^, I, ' 'The wordj^^^ there itiay be a verb, ^^ndonly inforrp' AfSj that the race of inur- 'inurers wfelch' came out of Egypt' with Mo- fes were^ji7/;2<^.- Jiidgc, reader, if the words 'in queftioii, viz. th%vhen the multitude doomed to excifioa * ('Heb. multitude of excifion) wefe cut off.* Sna^ab^ no doubt, fignifics a mukiltide^ (foe Exod. iz. 3'8. Neh. ^ 3- S' J^^- S*^- -37*) 3..nd fuph to Be cofifumed: zwAmul m HipWl ii,gnifics i,Q cut tff^ whence hamid ifixdfio, * z\Mtihe ab initio t^hiphiL^ Buxt. ThclauF. "dfe nom; verbal. We find ourfelvef; tlier-e- iavt Under h6 greater ncccility ' of looking for Suphaniiis iiiD.etit^ronomy tlian-iil Num* b«rs;^^*^ni :».. ':•:.:■ ;•;: h:.x:yK:^.-\ pn;; 4 ■.-.J But it fhould be obfcrved that it was a §0int -of great iponcernnicut to the IfVaelites 1^:1 to ( ^x^vll ) to have the fatal confcqjicucc^ of their; f€- belJioiis always in their rpmembrance- -The goodnefs of God therefore appcar$ ftitdi^tts to make them objeds of ^th^ir Tccoll«^i<^i. Particularly their faftiousr murm-ur^, \yktii the men who had been fent to view the feiid they were to pollds returned, and the fevc.fc punifliment infli<5ted for thole murmurings are repeatedly fct before them : f«e. .Nuiiab4 z6. 65. and 32. ji. Dcur. i, ^j.^ and.' >2, i4,;&:c, Jefli. 5. 6. In- all vvhieh. places they arc made to recollcdt, that .at that ime they provoked the Lord fo. highly, as t rD5^:k« hun fwear that two only of the men of-.i^t generation ihould enter. ; into, the -prx^mt^l land; and that accordingly the Gaic.vfie>S:Qf all the reft zi;cri; wajled in the_^v^!der7^f^^,:A{iA is it not then moil: reafonable to tbuikv<.fh^t Mofes, when he was beginnirtg the accQUiit of his Jail exhortiition, and cha,r:ge t0:tK^m, -fhould ,ir;ake mention of this importatHv;.ftn:d intercfcing affair ? He could iK>.t but beJbitm- fclf much affcded by tUe th^jught that.^Uhis cotemporarLes W€»c fo taken ayvay; an^ muft be almuft irrefiftably moved to take no- tice gf it ; as well to give fome vent to- t-ljtJ emotions of his brcaft, a^towarn the objex^ of his prefent care not tQ bring pn tbeoaf^ke^ the fame judgments by the like milBshavi^ our. \ •.. ..^ • > ^A V vris Q-\ •- > tsa i>» Audibow, reader, it is hoped, thoiu haft had ^. y ( xxxtni ^ had an accountof Ifai. 6i>i. 4* t® thy f^^is- faftlon. : -But w^-fl-^^ll .not pay the Bifhop the refpeA he*s entitied to,. Ifvvc: do^ not wait on him to the next verfc, viz . : i(. 64. 5. This verfe Biflio'p :Lo\vth, and HeuBiGANT pronounce greatly cor. ruii^lipd:. i Xbe ;Jatter,;fixes on the firft part ; an4{witb i>i^ ufual fuffjciciicy exclaims, ^ f Sd^ npt'doubtibut .i|:i was formerly read-—* a^then.^xpunge^i the word rendered joy wUk^thp/pHo^ving epnneilive: particle. The Biffibp here . only leaves ouX the ^^/ but i^" greatly difturbed at the latter part of the Verf^' 5 t-wo ' words- of which (:ba:hem gnolam traBnated in our bible in. ih6fe:ris, xontinuance} \)£^^ is fully perfuaded, as they ftand in the ' prefent Hebrew text, are utterly ^iininteUi-: ^ gible.? .He 'concludes^ therefore! tiiat tfe ■ * copy has fuffercd by miftakes, !o£ . tranferi*i> * bers in this placa : and that the xorfupticirY' ' is of long ftandinfg ; ,fot the/ anti^ent inteiu*'^ * pretcTS were as much a,t a lofs for the mem- ' ingas the nsiodernsi, ai^d give n billing fa- ^• ' tisfadory.'— ^' In this difficulty, fays he, , ' what remain^,, but to hav« rccourfe to cmr-^J: ' jefturc ^*'^^--»' Befides the word-— -^whicli- ^ * follows fcems. ^Ifp to be corrupted.' TttTSc/^ cJ T|ie Bifliop then gives us bis conje^e' flni ned : • , •. • ^- -, . : "■;Hno:i£w * Bccaufc of our deeds ; for we have been rebellious.' ^ "' ^o Jil * This, adds his lordfhip, it rnay be' faid;'^ * is impofing your fenfe upon the propKct'i * It may be fo t for pcrh^p$ thcfe may* hot * be the very words of the pfoj>h C^h we fu{>{Htut^^fiy thi1lg of our own hv tb© place of what iV^" find in the text delivered- to lis,: without ruwningthcjrreatert rifqueof adding, W^^ ^;//g-/rom God's word ? Deur. 4. 2p-ah€^iil'' 32. Prov. 30. 6. Rev. 22^ 18. i^M^'M' It be better to run thi& rifque than-fd prop^ft ' to the church as chfcure; what OcKfi?^ pl'eated' to fuffer to be obfcure to l:s ?' WK^ti- hri ' lordfhip on many paflhgcs of the Pfalnis; profcliis they are too hard for himV doef a^y ( xl ) bedy bhme, or defpife him for it .^ Hath not every one admired the amlabfe modcfty of thje critick, and received the exceileiit i1- liiftrajtiou^iic gW^ ^^ other paflages with tl>e gJ'eateft pleafure, and veneration ? When we. read the 1.2th. varfc of the 21ft. chapter of Ifaiah ; we may be as m>uch at a lofs for the true meaning of it, as his lordfhip pro- fefi^;& bimfelf to be.. Rut ar-e net we mucii b§tt«cr fatisficd with him when he tells 113 plainly^ * he does. not know wha^ the mean- * ingoficis/ but will give us what he takes to be ' -the cxsiOi literal tranflation of the * whole two verfes ;* than we fhould have been, if he had told us, * I do not indeed *l;now what the prophet fays, but I think *;ii^ diould' fay lb/ or fo ? And therefore I * give it (o in my tranflation ?' i. e. / I put *itinto the hands, of ninecy-nine h) a hun- *.dre4of mv reader's, as God's, wohd, tho' ' it*8 beini; fo depends entirely on my being right * in my cmjediure^ For not one in a hundred will read the comment who will rcacl J-hei text.. Indeed not one in a thoujand, if fucb a tranflatiou is ever brought into general ufe,^ will have an opportunity of readin^.the corht-^ meut, as the tranflation will b? printed wither out the comment. So that th.e reader ^yiflt not have the leafl: hint given, to keep'hlrr^^ guarded from receiving thefe CQnjeSural nori tions ofj^ failiblij man with tj>e |am« impliqi^ a'cquicfccu'iiir ( xli ) acquiefcence with which he fubmlts himfelf to the word of God. But is this If. 64. 5. indeed fo irretrieva- bly corrupted^ as not to be capable of bttin^ tranflared to a fenfc worthy of the prophet? Let us (t) make the* verfe conclude 'with gnolam^ rdciving the hift word of it to1i)cgTfx' the next, (2) let us inftead of vegnofth i%edek read ve gnas batzedck^ m doing which we make no change of any letters, but theti (3) 1 let us for ^;;^j read hhas^ u eV ;iu /iir/A for aft"' g7jain and a fa?ncck tor ayf//, (fee p. 70. &c'J*^ following,) and the text will be ' Thouj ' meeteft with joy and the comp^ffion Ol^ ' righteoufnefs thern who renriember thee ae-i' Vcording to thy ways ; .but thoU haft been • angry bccaufc w^c have linned againft them/" The next verfc will go on ' Yet we arc pre-" ' fcrved, though we are all of us as an- uii-f 'clean thing. — — - ^r ^ ^ In this tranflation the word righteoufnefs is tfndcrftood to mean '^ good natured compajjionatc difp6jitlo7i to be kind and grac'taus^^ which, as, obierved in the preface t® the lecond of thefc g4.iblications, is often implied in the word hcdek and it's derivatives. But the text will ¥/ell bear a tranflation, proper to be fubmit- t^d to the reader, in Which no letters are Adiiged ; nor any iibertics of conftruftioa ^' '^•-•;- •• takea ( xlil ) ■^•■, ■ . • ■ - \ ' taken but that of fuppofing a vau tranfpofed. A eonftruftion which Noldius tells us Is often ufed. Sec him at the end of his anno- tations on i;j« § I. See alfo Pfalm 25. 11. The text will then be rendered ' But ^ thou m«cteft with plenfure (Jas participial * from fus gavifus fuit) him who worketh * righteoufnefs, them who remepnber thee* If the reader fliall think thcfe remarka and thefe tranflations juft^ he may very reafona- bly woiider, how it could happen that they did not occur to the Bifliop. No man is better acquainted with the Hebrew. No man hasftudied the bible with more attenti- on. No man has better (fhall I fay, or c- qual ?) abilities of judgment and ingenuity. What then can have been the caufe that thefe things were hid from him ? It highly behoves every one, who has run into the faihion q{ making free with the He- brew text, to think of the anfwer to be gi- ven to this qucftion. And if he finds reafoii to fear, that God has been plcafed to withold his favour from this great man in thefe inftances, in refcntment of his taking too great liberties with his woi-d, let him keep himfelf from the like praftice. * la this difficulty (fe * the Bi(hop, what remains but to have .re* ' courfctoconjedure?' Dr. Kennicott alks the fame qucftiotis, and urges \z with a vari- ety oFconlidcrations in his firft Dlffertatiori p. 264. &c. He gives too from Buxtorf ail anlwer to ir ; vt'hich, I am forry to fay it^ feems to be iiUrodueed only to ridicule it, and the good man, who gives it; It is cer- tain we do not fee in the Dodlor on this occa- lion the candour, which I have known difco^ ver itfelf moil: amiably in his friendly con- verfation, and correfpondence. Buxtokf's advice, he tells us, is ' Bring * (to the work) a folid, and mafculine judg- ' ment ; throw away all fcruples concerning ^ the fidelity of the Hebrew text ; get an ' exaft knowledge of the Hebrew language ; ' and you will always find a reading true, ' proper and confident, botli with what goes ' before, and what follows, in the present * text/ This is indeed too much to be fiiid of that, which Buxtorf called the Hebrew text ; VIZ. the text as read to us by the Ma- forlies. But when we attend io the reafons given (in p. 79, 154. &c.) from the decla- rations, and precepts of fcripture, and from,. the confideration of our blcfled Lord's cha- "■ fabler, and behaviour, why we fhould afllirc ourfelves, that God would not fail, by his •: good providence, to preferve his word pure and f z ( *!iv ) aitd untainted 'to {56ftent5r, ^th not to be w{>ndercd at, mueli lei's to be fcoffed at, and ridiculed, that 'a Ghrirtiaii fliould perfuade himfclf th^iV ihjs^word mutl: be • prcferved pure ^-nd untainted -, And con feq u e n 1 1 y c a p a - bleofaclear, fatisfa<9:ory, and cdify.ing in- terpretation. ThtU the text as given ns by the Mafo- rites \s this pure and tint ami edwsrd, was a prejudiee which God, -for g>od leifons no dojiibt/- fufFercd his .church to be led into : perhaps for the better fecuring and deliverincr dowii x6 lis the word as we have it. Hid t he :p r efen t fa fli lb n a b le li o t io n s of correal fig znd amending obtained on the revival of learning ; of before' the art of printmg had byrrepeated editions, under the care of men careful to- preferve the text as they, fmnd it, given us a multitude of copies u?7fjph:fticat.ed: \^y conjecture ^ wc might by thistime have had oujr faith to pick out from amotjg as many different acCou/nts of it, as there have been conceited men of a lively imagination and critical jfkill among thofe who have profeflc-d theteachingit : and fliould at laft perhaps nave found no better grounds of being latis- fiedwith the Hebrew text ^ than we haveof being faiibfied with the Gr^tf>t. l;'J But now, (hould God be pleafed to permit thecneniy oftruth to prevail for a while, and not ( '^Iv ) not o!i!y 1311 the world with Houh/ganfs^ hi^ cilfo engage them to proceed farther than tkey- have veinured yet, and print the Jtex^: .^^j^ inockllcd according to their conjetJures^ therq will always be found copies fot iober minded men to recur to and depend on. As for the Maferet'ic piinElnation^ 'lis not likely that it will ever again be coniidcrcd in anv other light, than that in wliic-h Blfhop Lowth lets it. * The Maforctic pundluation, lay:s he, is in effect an interpretation of the He- brew text, made by the Jews of late ^.gcsy- probably not earlier than the eighth centu- ry, and may be confidered as their tranfla- tiou of the Old Tcftament. Where tJie words uiipointed are capable of various' meanir.gs, according as they. may be<.vari* oufly pronounced and con{lru(9;ed, the Jews by their pointing have determined- them to one meaning and conftru'-^lion,;: and the fenfc which thev thus give, is their {(t\\{^ of the paflage : jrft as the rendering of a tranflator into ano»her language is \\\% finfc ; that is, the itw^t in which in his o-' pinion the original words arc to be taken ; and it has no other authority, than wliat arifes from it's being agreeable to the rules of juft interpretation. But becaufe in the ' languages of Europe the vowels are eflential parts of written words, a notion was too haftily taken up by the learned at the revi- val of letters, when the original Icfipturcs began ( xlvi ) ' began to be more carefully examined, that * the vowel paints were ncceflary appenda- ^ ges of the Hebrew letters, and therefore f coeval with them ; at Icaft that they be- * came abfolutely neceffary, when the He- * brew was become a dead language, and ^ muft have been added by Ezra, who col- ^ Icftedl and formed the canon of the Old ! Teftament, in regard to all the books of it i ia his time extant. On this fuppoiition the * points have been confidered as part of the * Hebrew text, and as giving the meaning of ,^iti)n no lefs than divine authority. Ac- ,:♦ cordingly our public tranflations in the mo- sf4^>i tongues for the ule of the church a- > >ppng pFotcftants, and fo like wife the mo- * dcrn Latin tranQations, are for the moft ^ part clofe copies of the Hebrew pointed t.tcxt, and are in reality only verfions s^t fc- * cond hand, tranflations of the Jews inter- * pretation of the Old Teftamenc. We do > not deny the ufefulncfs of this interpretatl- > 0|[i, nor would we be thought to cictra6l * from it's merit by fetting it in this light ; * it is perhaps upon the whole, preferable to ' any one of the antient verfions ; it ha? pro- ^ bably the great advantage of haying been * formed upon a traditionary explanation of * the text, and of being generally agreeable * to that {tn{e of fcripture, which pafled * current, and was commonly received by * the Jcwifli nation in antient times ; and it has ( xlvii ) * has certainly been of great fervice to the * moderns in leading them into the know- * ledge of the Hebrew tongue. But they * would have made a much better ufe of 4r, * and a greater progrefs in the explication of * the fcriptures of the Old Teftam^nt, had * they confulted it, without afefolutely fu^b- * mitting it it's authority ; had they confi- * dcred it as an afliftanf, not as an infalliable * guide.' Prelim. Diff. p. 54, $$- I have given this long quotation, becaufe I wo^ld have every reader acquainted with, it, bel^g perfuaded he will hardly find fo juft an acco\int of xh\s pun5iuation^ ib much talk- ed of, any where elfe. ^^ "* » But is it not a melancholy inftancr of Hu*- man infirmity, if this great man, who had fo well confidered, and fo jnlHy ra'-cd this punftuation, fhould be capable of pronoun- cing the text corrupt only becaufe the Ma- foretic punftuation had made it uninrclligi- ble ? or ot trauflciting ihi^ pun£luation as if it had been the real text ? Yet this he k\^% frequently done, as appta-s from inftances already given. Anotiier remurkable one is If. 2j. 12. abovemenrloned. ' What--the ' meaning of the Lift line i^ay be, jays his * Lordfhlp, I cannot pretend to divine. -^ — * I thought it bcft to give an exaft literal * tranflation— — .' He certainly nritant of the ( %Win ) the text ; but 'tis indeed a tranflation only of what he calls the Maforetic tranflation. The tranflation he gives is, * The morning * Cometh, and alfo the night ; if we will en- * quire, enquire ye : come again.' But the text may be rendered, ' As furely as the ^ morning and the night return, ye fliall thus * anxioufly enquire what It has produced/ literally * The morning coming and alfo the * night, furely ye enquiring fhall enquire, * what lias happened in. it. i.e. Whatever * fliall be your fate in the end, ye fliallii) the * mean time be kept in continual terror, and * fear of what is cominp; on vou.' A denun- ciation fomething limilaiuo that which is. to be fecn in ch. zS. 19. ' Morning by morn- * ing fliall it pafs over, by day and night : * and it fliall be a vexation only to underltand * the report.' On If. 3. 24. The Bifliop makes many obfcrvations to (hew that the text aj we read it is not admlfliblc. Dr. Durell too, and Dr. JuBB favour us with their criticifms. But neither of them guefs that all the faujt lies in the punftuation, or dlvifion of the words. And yet there we fliall find it. Let the 24th. verfe be clofed with fackc loth ; and rake yo// from the beginning oi yopbi and put it to the end oi thahhath iox the beginning of the next verfe, and the text will fay, * Be- '*^ c%iufe thou hafl: trangrcfled my command- ' iT^ent, thy men fliall fall^' &c/ The ( xllx ) The latter part of If. itr. rS". MoKTA- NUS renders- ' ficut Hqaefacera vTCxlHiferum.' as when i ftandard bearer fainreth, agreeably to wliat our own and many other tranflators have done ; undcrftanding by ix, that * lo- ' fing the colours, is both i dllhonaur, axid * a dl'fcouragement, and eaufeth great coaf«- 'fionin an army.' Mr. LqwTH Comm. and Mr. Houbigakt, apparently with a great contempt of this tranflation, tells us ' we miijl Ttdidfo, or,' ^ccorduig as he ba^ thought proper to amend the text, ' as; thlt ' which is meked, is melted.** Mont AKus, we know» w^aa tied down by his plniii to tranCate not only according to the tetters of the text, but alfo according to die Maforetic punftuation of it. So that if v^bat the Maforites have glvea us is a wron,g trari- ilatlon of the text, his cannot be a right one, as being profeffedly made merely from theirs. But Houbigakt had nothing to confine him. He takes the liherty of ranging to the utmoft fcope of his imagination, And i$ therefore inexcufablc, if he docs not furni(hu& with fomething pertinent, aivl, if wc could admit * T.cgcnditin— 7v/ %*^/^ qv.odllquitHr^ n'fi mavis ci»n A« ri« laLCL-pl-ctJKi/f a/ liiptefactre "JCxilUfcrurn^ . s .. . ( I ) admit the authority, fatisfadory. This howevef he does ml always^ I might have Taicl not djten ; I had ahnoft ventured to fay he ;/^^:^^ does for us : I will venture to fay 'lie does not do it one attempt hi ten. What lias he done for us in the preient cafe ? V ^TJie prophet Is foretelling the humiliation 'cftKe King of Afiyria in the deftrudion of Jii$, forces : which ^rc repreiented by the -rnetaphor of a fruitful forcft of fine trees which a fire fliall confume : ' And they fhall .^ be, fays our tranflatlon, as when a flandard * bearer fapiteth \ and the reft of the trees of Vhilfoiefl fhall be few, that a child may * write them.' This perhaps is not very edifyitig; but is it more fo to be told, 'he ' fhall be as that which is rnelted, is melt- * ed ?■ :|n recommendation of this amend- ment, , Ijilonf. HouBiGANT tells u?, *a * wood reduced to aflies is here compared to * metal which is melted, and runs.'t Per- liapsthc reader vvduld never have difcovered, without this gentleman's affiftance, any ia- , jiiilitude between thcfe images fufficient to render one a proper illuflration of the other. When a lamp of lead is melted, we ftill have f Ccmparatur Sylva, qu^ ir. cind'es CQll\biturj m^t.illoj ( I' ) the metal tho' in another form : when a tree is reduced to aflies, the wood Is entirely loft, as an nrmv, wheu deftroved. Is irrecoverit- ble. But let the reader make the moft of it forhimfelf. I only hold threw t€;jct, in theijr obfervations on it feem gecerall}' te fu ppofc thaJ the C9rr«<5tioji8 found in the MSS arc made for the worfe ; Jj^re tn important addition is made la the text, (for his Lord- ^:-i ./jiip twnflates it as 3 relative, jwid tells u» * it fceras nccejlary to h i\ L* the fenfe') oa ths autJ^oyil/. ^ Ziprrc^Hhn ^i^dc in_a //st^Z-e f^C ( I'ii ) in the next verfc we reaid, ' And his rn'Miiftcr * of venge^ince fiialh go forth from 5ipu to * turn back (the enemy) wh» is nVarcJiing * ngaiiift Jacob.' St. Paul Rom. ii« 26. is fuppofcd tohave varied from the Hebrew here, when 1\^ tijs^ * fhall come outofSton,' See R anp,qlj!?h's PropheciGS, N^ 104* But we h;ivc 'au- thority for giving to the prefix /ameJxiii'.(iuk of out of or from in NoliJ. lamed §7^.^ See alfo BuxToiiF Thef. p, 541. ed, .6-^/(tut read here 2 Chron. i. 13.) and 1 Chr^i^. .3. T, 3. and Pf. 68. 21. And for the.r.eilof the quotation finding the words of the I^XX fuit the purport of this difcourfe th« ?po(lI« Height apply 'em ; as he and the other ^pof • ties appear to have dune in other ,paffigcs from the prophets ; lenfible that they, vvi^re not the true iranflation of the He.bx€;vy,.^) t : knowing that the Jews could :uot. obj^i^J to the application of them, and that GfoyTiKoue time would communicate \o his chujfg|>*thc true underftanding of thofc 'paffages. "-r^"' * * In the mean time that we arc under no ne- ceffity of fuppofitig the Hebrew text corrupt- ed will, 1 h»pe, appear fatisfaftorily to eve- ry one who from the beginning of the word read by the Maforitcs ukfl^e-bi will take '.v/?;^ and add it to the end of ^/9^/ preceding, at the fame time taking _)W from the end of it, and placing jrkcing it before p^fi^gn following. -For they will then fee a plain clear text to be jjrfiiiflated a^ abe^v^.; The word which will be then read ^/)>^^^;2 Is the fame word which we have in IL 27. 4. and tranflated -in tkc margin of our bible and by Bi£hop ^a^fW^K iimr-ch (igainji ; tlie prepoficion beth rfoiiowing ift in ^both text^. b5j^bcre:adc-r cannot but be furprized that j^tfeefe obferv-adonsdid not Qccur to-the in^re- Jtlious, and learned Blfliqp. And it. ought to v^^-obfcrvdd to him th>at his Lprdfliip had iCOnne^d himfelf more clofely than ordiua- iTyvwith Hr^uBiGAN-t in t^e former part of «the"chapter. In the fccond verfe for phanhn ^ J^e fhanav fays Houbi.gant. *! read phafytv his face ^^ fays the Bifh©p: in theSth. werfc, for bah Hege b^m £ays H. for bah fin- gular'mad^/?;f2, fays \^. \i\ verfs" 1,1 th^ for ftegajkc^ah IcgitripS;. nejh^gegah,; fays H. 'I * -actep^-her-c, faystijan emendation of Hou- ^.OBfiis^.N?!?,'*— — ;and-I have little doubt of ptir ^having reco.vered i^be true reading ,ia, this * ikgenious correflion.' Be pleafed, reader, in tii'is melancholy cafe to Qonfider again what is faid/^ litt^lciabo^vef u, ^ }^ H-rj^ith^rcgjbpd/to tiic corre(9:ions prapofecl, ^^*?lfeeyi