1:18. The reader is referred to the remarks on Acts 2:4747Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47) for a solution of the difficulty in the right construing of the absolute usage of the present participle here and elsewhere. The Revisers by keeping to its temporal force introduce confusion into the truth by setting one scripture against another; the Americans do not sufficiently guard themselves against confusion of the tenses, though their version may be justified and explained. But what is already said may suffice. Those who affect greater precision than the Authorized Version here have slipped into error through narrow views of the Greek, in aid of unsound doctrine. I do not see why “discernment” (19) &c., should displace “prudence” or “understanding.” “There are” (26) has been suggested as a simpler alternative in the margin than “have part therein,” which is cumbrous.
2:6. It is hard to see how the Revised Version could have done better than to give “perfect” in their text, and “full-grown” in the margin.—8, “knoweth” say the Revisers, and the Americans “hath known:” “hath come to know” is more the idea, I suppose. “Of” seems to have a delicacy in 12, rather than “from” God, though this of course is true also; but “were” is better than “are.” As to the end of 13 the note on the Revision applies no less to the American suggestion. “Comparing” or “combining,” though possible renderings of the word in itself like “expounding” also, are unsuited to and excluded by the scope of the verse and clause, which bears on the communication of what was revealed, or spiritual things, in spiritual [words]. It is a description of the intermediate process between God's revelation, and the believer's reception, of the truth, in all three the Holy Spirit having His own blessed part. He is the power of all, as the chapter teaches. “ Natural” means “soulish,” not necessarily “sensual,” as wrongly given in James and Jude. It is man as he is without the teaching of the Spirit through the word revealing Christ. Nor is there need to say “the” but “a” natural man. Neither the Revisers nor the Americans show adequate care as to the presence or absence of the article, though it was well known that the Authorized Version needed much overhauling.
4:8. Why not “reigned"? No doubt, “have” reigned reflects the perfect rather than the aorist. Nor is any notice taken of the Revisers' “hath” set forth in 9, any more than I “have” transferred in 6, or “hadst” in 7.-They seem right in 9, but questionable in 21.
5:9, 11. Having already commented on the Revised Version here, I need not repeat what was then advanced. The suggestion only makes bad worse, both here and in 10.
7:6. “Concession.” may be less equivocal than “permission,” which might mean on the Lord's part. I think the Americans beyond just doubt wrong in their preference of the margin to the text of both Authorized and Revised Versions. “ Faithful” is the right word in 25, and “present” in 26 as always. And what is gained by “that is upon us?” Is it not then “present"? As to 31 we agree. But they pass by greater mistakes, as pointed out in November, 1881.
8:3, may be, though “of” idiomatically means the same thing in this connection.—8 might be well.
10 7 π. in the New Test. means “altogether,” “quite,” not “assuredly.” In 27 there is no more reason to bring into the margin “have been a herald” than the analogous form in 1:23 and elsewhere. 11:10 seems trivial. 19 “heresies” is a word that misleads; the sense is “factions” or “sects.” In 27 “unworthily” means “in an unworthy manner,” and is less prolix.
12:31 seems to me better in the Authorized and Revised Versions than in the American suggestion as in Alford and others.
13:10, last clause, is in the American preference as in Dr. S. Davidson, &c. In 13 it is the greater “of,” not “than,” these; and hence our “greatest.”
14:3. Perhaps “encouragement” is the true derivative sense here. 33, 34 the order of, the Authorized and Revised Versions seems far better than in Lachmann, Tischendorf, Meyer, &c., whom the Americans follow.
15:2 right.—8 seems awkward, though the article should be expressed. —19 is better in the Authorized and Revised Versions than in the proposal of the Americans. —33 in both the Revised Version and the American correction is inferior to the Authorized Version. —34 is more faithfully given in the Revised Version. —44, 46 should be compared with 2:14-51, as in the American suggestion after Meyer, would interpret the apostle as saying what is untrue, i.e., that no Christian should die. The Authorized and Revised Versions are right Alford, Green, Davidson, the Five Clergymen, all reject the change.
2 Corinthians
1:9 is a reasonable suggestion—15 is slight enough.—24 Authorized and Revised Versions right, the margin of the latter. is not the thought.
3:9 affords probably an instance of an early correction in the dative for the nominative; but the older copies have it, Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Tregelles adopt it, and the Americans translate accordingly, putting the ordinary text and version in the margin. —18, κ. does not here mean “reflecting” but “beholding,” as in Philo's Legis Alleg. 3:33, ed. Richter p. 154. The etymological notion of a mirror is merged and only hinders the sense in this derived application. The Americans are partially right; as they are quite in discharging the strange marg.'
7:8, 9 is Rinck's, Lachmann's, Tischendorf's, and Green's punctuation, which the Americans prefer. It seems even harsher in the Greek than in English, as I cannot but agree with Alford.
12:7 is certainly of doubtful acceptance as it stands in the Revised Version and their Greek text where διό seems an unmeaning appendage. Lachmann makes some sense by closing with τῶν ἀποκ. and beginning afresh with διὀ ἲνα μἠ ὐπ. and so Westcott and Hort. Tregelles punctuates in the wildest way, sticking to his oldest copies right or wrong. No wonder that the Americans cannot approve of the text and suggest as they do.