divide." Samuel's father was not "an Ephrathite," 1 Sam. i, 1, as though he were from Ephrata or Bethlehem, but "an Ephraimite," so reckoned because he resided in the territory of Ephraim, though descended from Levi.

ERRORS IN PROPER NAMES.-Proper names have sometimes been mistaken for common nouns or other parts of speech, and translated accordingly; and, conversely, words which should have been translated are retained as though they were proper names. Thus, "the house of God," Judges xx, 26, should be "Bethel "an hollow place that was in the jaw," Judges xv, 19, should be "the hollow place that is in Lehi ; " " populous No," Nah. iii, 8, should be "No-Ammon;""an heifer of three years old," Isa. xv, 5, should have been left untranslated; so should" what he did," Num. xxi, 14. On the contrary, "the book of Jasher," 2 Sam. i, 18, is not by an author of that name, but is simply the book of the upright. "Rab-saris" and "Rab-mag," Jer. xxxix, 3, are not names of men, but titles of office. "Belial" is not the name of an evil spirit, but "men of Belial" ought to be rendered "worthless" or "base men." "Huzzab," Nah. ii, 7, is not a personification of Nineveh, or a name of its queen, but a declaration that the fate of the city" is decided." "Sheth," Num. xxiv, 17, should be "tumult;" "Bajith," Isa. xv, 2, should be the "house" or "idol temple; " " Gammadims," Ezek. xxvii, 11, should be "warriors;" "Pannag," ver. 17, is not a region of country, but a species of confection; and there was no such place as "Metheg-ammah," 2 Sam. viii, 1.

MISTAKES OF THE MEANING.-A few instances occur in which words of a peculiar formation have been en

divided into two

Thus, the word

tirely mistaken by our translators, and words when they are in reality one. translated "thick clay," Hab. ii, 6, is not a compound term yielding this sense, but a reduplicated form from a single root, and means "pledges," or goods taken in pledge by an extortionate creditor; and "shameful spewing," ver. 16, is but a single word meaning "ignominy." The awkward expression, Hos. iv, 18, "her rulers with shame do love, Give ye," should be rendered, "her rulers are in love with shame." The 'scape goat" of Lev. xvi, 8, is one word, not two, and has no reference to the goat at all.

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The cases are frequent in which the meanings of words are altogether mistaken, although the forms are not misconceived nor the words improperly divided. Thus, the word translated "avenging," Judges v, 2, means leaders; "the plain of Moreh," Gen. xii, 6, ought to be "the oak of Moreh;" "the groves," so frequently spoken of in connection with idolatrous services, as Ex. xxxiv, 13, were not groves, but upright pillars. Job. xxvi, 13, does not speak of the "crooked,” nor Isaiah xxvii, 1, of the "piercing" serpent; the epithet, which is the same in both cases, is "fleet.” The psalmist does not say, Ps. lxxi, 22, “I will sing with the harp," but "I will play with the harp." Huldah did not dwell in the "college," 2 Kings xxii, 14, but in the "second ward" of the city. "Since that time," Isa. xvi, 13, should be "of old; flagons of wine," Hos. iii, 1, should be "cakes of pressed grapes; 'galleries," Cant. vii, 5, should be "curls" or "locks of hair." Hosea xi, 12, does not use the language of praise, "Judah yet ruleth with God,” but of censure," he roveth or runs wild in his dealings with him." Isaiah ix, 1, does not contrast a former

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light affliction of Galilee with a subsequent more grievous affliction of the same region, but the period of dishonor with the glory that was to be shed upon that region by the coming Redeemer. "All that make sluices and ponds for fish," Isa. xix, 10, is a mere guess from the connection, and should be rendered, "all that work for hire are sad at heart." Samson did not go down to "the top of the rock," Judges xv, 8, but to the "cleft of the rock." The children of Israel did not by divine direction" borrow," Ex. xi, 2, of the Egyptians what they never intended to return; they "asked" for and received gifts. "Chariots with flaming torches," Nah. ii, 3, are "chariots with flashing steel; " and "the fir trees of the same verse are lances made of cypress. "Hunt souls to make them fly," Ezek. xiii, 20, should be rendered, "hunt souls as birds;" and the "untempered mortar," ver. 10, should be "whitewash."

Such mistakes are especially frequent in articles of dress or in objects of natural history. The "headbands, and tablets, and earrings," Isa. iii, 20, should be "sashes, and perfume boxes, and amulets." Joseph's "coat of many colors," Gen. xxxvii, 3, was instead "a long tunic with sleeves." It was not a "veil” but a "mantle," Ruth iii, 15, in which Ruth carried the barley. "Pillows to all armholes," Ezek. xiii, 18, should be "cushions for the knuckles." The men that were cast into the fiery furnace were bound, not in "their coats, their hosen and their hats," but in "their trowsers, their tunics, and their mantles." The Chaldeans, Ezek. xxiii, 15, "exceeding with dyed attire,” wore "flowing turbans," and the best illustration of the entire description is to be found in the figures portrayed on the palaces of Nineveh. The "mules,"

In

Gen. xxxvi, 24, ought to be rendered, "warm springs.' The "unicorn," Num. xxiii, 22, is a wild ox. Isaiah xiii, 21, 22, the "owls" are "ostriches;" the "satyrs" are "goats;" the "wild beasts of the islands" are "wolves," and the "dragons" are "jackals.”

ERRORS IN HEBREW GRAMMAR.-There are, besides, many passages in which the rendering given in the Authorized Version is in violation of the laws of Hebrew grammar. The most frequently recurring error is the disregard of the tenses, particularly in the poetical and prophetical books of the Old Testament, to the serious detriment, and often to the total obscuration of the sense. In Ps. iii, 4, David does not say, "I cried" and "he heard," and ver. 5, "the Lord sustained," as though he were relating what had already taken place; but "I will cry," "he will hear," "the Lord will sustain:" it is the language of confident expectation. Ps. xxxvii, 40, should not be translated, "the Lord shall help them and deliver them," but he “has helped them and delivered them;" it is a fact of former experience, from which he then goes on to infer that he will do the same in the future," he shall deliver them from the wicked and save them." By the neglect of the tenses the two clauses are made identical in sense, and the whole argument of faith is lost. In Ps. xl, 11, David does not say, "Withhold not thou thy tender mercies," but "thou wilt not withhold;" it is not the language of petition, but of faith. In Obadiah, vs. 12-14, the verbs should be rendered, "look not," "rejoice not," etc., instead of "thou shouldest not have looked," "thou shouldest not have rejoiced," etc. Hab. iii, 3, should not be "God came," but "God will come." The language of the Authorized

Version implies that these prophets were narrating or referring to what was past; whereas they are predicting the future.

This confusing of the tenses is of almost perpetual occurrence in the Psalms and in the Prophets, leading to serious inversions in the order of thought, and marring the beauty and force of the language used.

or

DISREGARD OF THE DEFINITE ARTICLE.-Another frequent inaccuracy is the disregard of the definite article, either failing to render it where it does occur, inserting it where it is not. Sometimes this is attended with serious detriment to the sense, as where "an angel of the LORD " is substituted for "the angel of the LORD," a created for the uncreated angel. Judges xxi, 19, should not read, "There is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh," but "the feast of the LORD is in Shiloh;" it is spoken of not with vague indefiniteness, but as a definite, well-known observance.

INACCURACY IN THE CONSTRUCTION.-It may be added that there is frequently an inaccuracy in the construction, as where possessive pronouns are attached to the wrong noun. Thus, Ps. iv, 1, David addresses the Lord not as the Authorized Version has it, "God of my righteousness," as though his meaning were the God who defends my righteous cause, but "my righteous God." Ps. lix, 17, not "God of my mercy,' but "my merciful God." Ps. xlvii, 8, not "the throne of his holiness;" Ps. xlviii, 1, not "the mountain of his holiness," but "his holy throne," "his holy mountain." Isa. xiii, 3, not "them that rejoice in my highness," but "my proud exulters." Errors in relative constructions, e.g., Isa. vii, 16, not "the land, that thou