THE ANGLO-AMERICAN BIBLE REVISION.

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT.

BY PHILIP SCHAFF, D.D., LL.D.,

Professor of Sacred Literature, Union Theological Seminary, New York.

I. ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION.-The Anglo-American Bible Revision movement now in progress is the first inter-national and inter-denominational effort in the history of the translation of the Bible. The present and the older authorized English versions for public use in churches proceeded from the undivided national Church of England, before the other evangelical denominations were organized, and before the American people had an independent existence.

The new revision took its origin, very properly, in the Convocation of Canterbury (the cradle of AngloSaxon Christendom), May 6, 1870, by the appointment of a Committee of eminent Biblical scholars and dignitaries of the Church of England, with power to revise, for public use, the authorized English version of 1611, and to associate with them representative Biblical scholars of other Christian denominations using that version.

The English Committee is divided into two Companies, one for the Old Testament and one for the New, and holds regular meetings in the historic Jerusalem Chamber (sometimes in the Chapter Library) in the Deanery of Westminster, London.

The American Committee was organized in 1871, by invitation, and with the approval, of the British Revisers, and began active work in October, 1872. It is likewise selected from different denominations, and divided into two Companies, which meet once a month, for several days, in their own rooms in the Bible House, at New

York, but the American Bible Society has no part or responsibility in this enterprise, and can have none within the limits of its present constitution.

The British and American Committees are virtually one organization, with the same principles and objects, and in constant correspondence with each other. They do not intend to issue two separate and distinct revisions, but one and the same revision for both nations.

II. COMPOSITION.-The two Committees embrace at present 79 active members (52 in England and 27 in America). Besides, the English Committee lost by death and resignation 15, the American Committee 7, members. Adding these, the whole number of scholars who at any time have been connected with this work, amounts to 101. Among these are many of the best Biblical scholars and commentators of the leading Protestant denominations in Great Britain and the United States. Not a few of them are well known by their works, in Europe and America. We need only refer to the list at the beginning of this volume. The American members are nearly all Professors of Hebrew or Greek exegesis in the principal theological institutions of the Eastern States, and have been selected with regard to competency and reputation for Biblical scholarship, denominational connection, and local convenience or easy reach of New York, where they meet every month. Several distinguished divines in the far West or South, whose cooperation would have been very desirable had, of necessity, to be omitted; others, from want of time, or other reasons, declined to coöperate.

III. THE OBJECT of this Anglo-American enterprise is to adapt King James's version to the present state of the English language, without changing the idiom and

vocabulary, and to the present standard of Biblical scholarship, which has made very great advances since 1611, especially during the last thirty years, in textual criticism, Greek and Hebrew philology, in Biblical geography and archæology.

It is not the intention to furnish a new version (which is not needed, and would not succeed), but a conservative revision of the received version, so deservedly esteemed as far as the English language extends. The new Bible is to read like the old, and the sacred associations connected with it are not to be disturbed; but within these limits all necessary and desirable corrections and improvements on which the best scholars are agreed will be introduced: a good version is to be made better; a clear and accurate version clearer and more accurate; the oldest and purest text is to be followed; errors, obscurities, and inconsistencies are to be removed; uniformity in rendering Hebrew and Greek words and proper names to be sought. In one word, the revision is to give, in idiomatic English, the nearest possible equivalent for the original Word of God as it came from the inspired organs of the Holy Spirit. It aims to be the best version possible in the nineteenth century, as King James's version was the best which could be made in the seventeenth century.

IV. THE PRINCIPLES of the revision, as adopted at the outset by both Committees, are the following:

"1. To introduce as few alterations as possible into the text of the authorized version consistently with faithfulness.

(Faithfulness to the original, which is the first duty of a translator, requires a great many changes, though mostly of an unessential character.)

"2. To limit, as far as possible, the expression of such alterations to the language of the authorized or earlier versions.

(So far, only one new word has been introduced in the New Testament.)

"3. Each Company to go twice over the portion to be revised, once provisionally, the second time finally.

"4. That the text to be adopted be that for which the evidence is decidedly preponderating; and that when the text so adopted differs from that from which the authorized version was made, the alteration be indicated in the margin.

(The Hebrew text followed is the Masoretic, which presents few variations. The text of the New Testament is taken from the oldest and best uncial MSS., the oldest versions, and patristic quotations; while the received text from which King James's version was made, is derived from comparatively late mediaval MSS.)

"5. To make or retain no change in the text, on the second final revision by each Company, except twothirds of those present approve of the same; but on the first revision to decide by simple majorities.

"6. In every case of proposed alteration that may have given rise to discussion, to defer the voting thereon till the next meeting, whensoever the same shall be required by one-third of those present at the meeting, such intended vote to be announced in the notice for the next meeting.

7. To revise the headings of chapters, pages, paragraphs, italics, and punctuation.

"8. To refer, on the part of each Company, when considered desirable, to divines, scholars, and literary men, whether at home or abroad, for their opinions."

If these principles are faithfully carried out (as they have been thus far), the people need not apprehend any dangerous innovations. No article of faith, no moral precept, will be disturbed, no sectarian views will be introduced. The revision will so nearly resemble the present version, that the mass of readers and hearers will scarcely perceive the difference; while a careful comparison will show slight improvements in every chapter and almost in every verse. The only serious difficulty may arise from a change of the text in a few instances where the overwhelming evidence of the oldest manuscripts makes a change necessary; and perhaps also from the omission of italics, the metrical arrangement of poetry and the sectional of prose, and from new headings of chapters, which, however, are no part of the Word of God, and may be handled with greater freedom.

V. MODE OF OPERATION.-The English Companies transmit, from time to time, confidential copies of their revision to the American Companies; the American Companies send the results of their labors to the British Companies, likewise in strict confidence. Then follows a second revision on the part of both Committees, with a view to harmonize the two revisions, and the results of the second revision are transmitted in like manner. If any differences should remain, after a final vote, they will be indicated in an appendix or preface. Happily, they will be few and unessential as compared with the large number of improvements already adopted by both Committees.

The work is not distributed among sub-committees, as was the case with the Revisers of King James, but the whole Old Testament Company goes carefully through all the books of the Old Testament, the New