Much has of late years been done to verify, as far as possible, the text of the Greek New Testament. Whether any critical text yet published should be invariably followed as correct is a question open to doubt, or perhaps some would say, one which admits of no doubt. Perhaps the text which, from the abundant materials now gathered together, shall generally command the confidence of scholars and Bible students has yet to appear. Meanwhile, we can in some places clearly see what should be read, and what corrections of the common Greek text (whether the second Elzevir edition, published in 1633, or the third edition of Stephen, published in 1550) should now be made. That neither of these texts can be accepted as an accurate reprint of the originals, or even of what was read as such in the early ages of Christianity, we need not now stop to prove. Nor, since several attempts to revise the authorized version of the New Testament, or to translate afresh from the Greek, have of late years appeared, need we stop to inquire whether that version needs amendment. We shall, therefore, confine our remarks to pointing out some corrections of the authorized version which, in any revision, will most probably be made.
And, first, of corrections arising from changes in the Greek text.
1. Words or clauses which should be omitted.
Matt. 6:13, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, amen;” 25:13, “wherein the Son of man cometh;” 27:35, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots;” Acts 10:6, “he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do” 8:37, the whole verse; 9:5, 6, “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” Rom. 1:16, “of Christ;” 6:11, “our Lord;” 8:1, “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit;” 15:29, “of the gospel;” 16:18, “Jesus;” 1 Cor. 5:1, “so much as is named;” 6:20, “and in your spirit, which are God's;” 7:5, “fasting and;” 10:28, “for the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof;” 11:24, “take eat;” 2 Cor. 4; 10, “the Lord;” Gal. 3:1, “that ye should not obey the truth;” Col. 1:2, “and the Lord Jesus Christ;” 14, “through His blood;” 28, “Jesus;” 2:11, “the sins of;” 2 Thess. 2:4, “as God;” 1 Tim. 1:17, “wise;” Heb. 3:1, “Christ;” 11:13, “and were persuaded of them;” 12:20, “or thrust through with a dart;” 1 John 5:7, 8, “in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth;” 13, “that believe on the name of the Son of God;” Jude 25, “wise;” Rev. 1:8, “the beginning and the ending;” 11, “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and;” 2:20, “a few things;” 24, “and unto;” 5:14, “him that liveth forever and ever;” 11:17, “and art to come;” 14:5, “before the throne of God;” 16:14, “of the earth and;” 20:5, — “again.”
A fertile source of errors in the text has been the tendency to harmonize two independent accounts of the same thing. The Spirit of God surely had a reason for every word He saw fit to use. As the sacred writer wrote it, He intended it should appear. All that one recorded, it was not God's mind that others should record likewise. So, in Mark 2:17, “to repentance;” 3:5, “whole as the other;” 11:10, “in the name of the Lord;” 14:22, 2nd, “eat;” should be omitted, whilst in the parallel passages of Matthew or Luke the words will be found in the text unchallenged.
2. Additions which should be made.
Acts 4:27, “together in this city;” 16:7, “Spirit of Jesus;” 20:23, “witnesseth to me;” 1 Cor. 9:20, “as under the law not being really under law;” 1 Peter 2:2, “grow thereby unto salvation;” 2 Peter 3:3, “scoffers in their scoffing;” 1 John 2:23, “Father but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also;” Jude 25, “Savior by Jesus Christ our Lord;” Rev. 8:7, “earth and the third part of the earth was burnt up;” 14:1, “having His name and.”
3. Alterations which should be made.
Matt. 9:36, “were harassed,” for, “fainted;” 18:28, “pay if thou owest anything,” for, “pay me that thou owest;” Luke 2:22, “their purification,” for, “her purification;” 3:2, “high priest,” for, “high priests;” John 3:25, “a Jew,” for, “the Jews;” 17:11, “keep them in thine name, which,” for, “keep through thine own name those whom;” Acts 3:20, “before was appointed you,” for, “before was preached unto you;” 6:8, “grace,” for, “faith;” 9:6, “but,” for, “and the Lord said unto him;” 14:3, “by granting,” for, “and granted;” 14, “rushed forth,” for, “ran in;” 17, “you,” for, “us;” Rom. 2:17, “but if,” for, “behold;” 7:6, “having died in that,” for, “that being dead;” 1 Cor. 1:23, “heathen,” for, “Greeks;” Gal. 4:26, “our mother,” for, “mother of us all;” Eph. 1:18, “heart,” for, “understanding;” 3:9, “dispensation,” for, “fellowship;” 5:9, “light,” for, “Spirit;” 21, “Christ,” for, “God;” 29, “Christ,” for, “Lord;” Colos. 3:22, “the Lord,” for, “God;” 2 Thess. 2:2, “the Lord,” for, “Christ;” 1 Tim. 6:19, “that which is really,” for, “eternal;” 2 Tim. 2:19, “of the Lord,” for, “of Christ;” Heb. 8:11, “fellow citizen,” for, “neighbor;” James 5:9, “judged,” for, “condemned;” 2 Peter 2:18, “in some degree,” for, “clean;” 1 John 5:13, “who,” for, “and that ye may;” 2 John 1, 7, “gone out,” for, “entered;” Jude 12, “carried away,” for, “carried about;” Rev. 1:5, “loveth,” for, “loved;” 2:15, “in like manner,” for, “which thing I hate;” 8:13, “eagle,” for, “angel;” 11:4, “Lord,” for, “God;” 15, “the kingdom is,” for, “the kingdoms are;” 15:3, “nations,” for, “saints;” 17:8, “and shall be present,” for, “and yet is;” 18:20, “saints and apostles,” for, “holy apostles;” 20:12, “the throne,” for, “God;” 21:7, “these things,” for, “all things;” 22:6, “spirits of the,” for, “holy;” 19, “from the tree,” for, “out of the book;” 14, “wash their robes,” for, “do His commandments.”
Attention to these and other alterations which might be noticed will often throw great light on Scripture, and will correct the thoughts of God's children. For example, in the alteration of “Christ” for “the Lord” in Eph. 5:29, we learn that “Lord” is not a correct term to use when speaking of Christ and the Church. The propriety of the changes in Eph. 5:21, Col. 3:22, 2 Tim. 2:19, will be apparent. Set on high as Lord and Christ all are to own not only God, but Him who is Lord.
Besides these changes in the text, others must be made in the translation.
In some cases the definite article has great force, and should be inserted.
John 6:32, the bread from heaven; 16:13, all the truth; 1 Cor. 10:5, with the most of them; 12:12, the Christ, because speaking of the Head and the members together; 2 Thes. 2:8, the wicked (or rather, the lawless one); 2 Tim. 4:7, the good fight; Rev. 7:14, the great tribulation.
The translation should be amended.
Acts 7:59, “praying and saying,” for, “calling upon God, and saying,” so Syriac, Vulgate, Martin, Tynedale; Rom. 11:31, “have not believed in your mercy, that they,” for, “have not believed, that through your mercy they;” 1 Cor. 9:21, “in lawful subjection,” for, “under the law;” 1 Cor. 15:2, “hold fast,” for, “keep in memory;” 2 Cor. 3:7, “began with glory,” for, “was glorious;” 8, “subsist in glory,” for, “glorious;” 11, “was with glory,” for “was glorious;” “subsists in glory,” for, “is glorious;” 18, “unveiled,” for, “open;” 4:3, “veiled,” “it is veiled,” for, “hid,” “it is hid;” Gal. 5:17, “in order that ye should not,” for “so that ye cannot;” Eph. 3:15, “every family,” for, “the whole family;” 18; “may be thoroughly able,” for, “may be able;” 6:4, “discipline,” for, “nurture;” Philip. 4:5, “gentleness,” for, “moderation;” Col. 3:10, “unto full knowledge,” for, “in knowledge;” 2 Thess. 2:2, “is present,” for, “is at hand;” 3:5, “patience of the Christ,” for, “patient waiting for Christ;” Titus 2:13, “our great God and Savior,” for, “the great God and our Savior;” Heb. 4:14, “passed through,” for, “passed into;” 10:23, “hope,” for, “faith;” 12:2, “leader and perfecter of the faith,” for, “author and finisher of our faith;” 1 John 2:19, “all are not of us,” for, “they are not all of us;” 3:4, “practices lawlessness,” “lawlessness,” for, “transgresseth the law;” “transgression of the law;” Rev. 7:15, “shall tabernacle over them,” for, “shall dwell among them.” The needless insertion of some words, and the omission of others should be attended to.
Matt. 20:23, read, “is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared of my Father;” 25:14, read, “for it is as if a man, going from home, called his servants;” 1 Cor. 14., read, “tongue,” simply; John 8:1, read, “and Jesus went,” so Tynedale and Geneva; 2 Cor. 5:6, read, “and know that,” so Tynedale, Cranmer, Geneva.
More care should be exercised in the translation of words.
The distinction between υἰὸς (wios), a son, manifested as such to others, and τέκνον (tecnon), a child, expressive of relationship, should be carefully preserved. The Lord Jesus is called υἰὸς, never τέκνον, except in Luke 2:48 (when addressed by His mother), and Rev. 12:4. Of believers both terms are used, but only in the writings of Paul, Matt. 5:9, 45; Luke 6:35; 16:8; 20:36; John 12:36; Rev. 21:7, excepted. John generally speaks of relationship to God, a child, so uses τέκνον. Paul speaks of this, and of the position before the world as a son as well, so uses the word υἰὸς likewise. (See Rom. 8:14, 16.) To the Lord as an infant, παιδίον (paidion), a little child, is applied (Matt. 2; Luke 2:17, 40); and when twelve years of age he is called ποίμνη (pais), a child, the same ward used Him after his resurrection, in Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30. Paul is the first in Acts who proclaims Him as Son (υἰὸς, 9:20) of God. Between the fold ἀνλή (John 10:1, 16) and ποίμνη (10:16) there is a wide difference, which should be noted. God owns now no fold; the sheep formerly in it have been led out of it; but He has a flock. Hell, ἄδης (hades), the place of departed spirits, and hell, γέεννα (gehenna), the place of torment, which occurs only in Matt. 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mark 9:43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5; James 3:6; are not the same place; yet the authorized version fails to point this out. Again, should not the reader be informed that comforter (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) is the same word in the Greek as advocate (1 John 2:1), παράκλητος (paracletos), showing that whilst the advocacy of the Lord is carried on high, there is another advocate, the Holy Ghost, on earth! Again, why should ἐπίσκοπος (episcopos) be translated bishop in 1 Tim. 3:2, and overseer in Acts 20:28?
Examples might be multiplied, but our business is not to translate, but to show the need of a careful revision, both of the text and of the authorized version. When undertaken, if faithfully executed, will it not be the most convincing proof that those whose religion is professedly drawn from the Bible, and by which word, and that alone, they profess to be guided, are above all party considerations, desiring for themselves and others God's word in its purity and its simplicity C. E. S.
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