15:8. — “This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” The words “draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,” are here omitted.
15:19. — “Railings” in this verse is substituted for “blasphemies.” The original word includes all injurious speaking, whereas “blasphemy” refers almost necessarily to speaking against God.
17:37. — “Jesus spake first to him.” The Authorized version has “prevented him” using the word “prevent” in its original sense of “coming before,” of which we have an example in Thessalonians iv. 15. In modern English “prevent” has -quite lost this meaning.
19:17. — “Why askest thou me concerning that which is good?” The adjective “good” being omitted in the preceding verse, it is evident we cannot read in the 17th verse “Why callest thou me good?” In Mark 10:1818And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. (Mark 10:18) we find, both in the Authorized Version and in the Revision, “Why callest thou me good?” and in the previous verse “good Master.”
19:29. —In this verse the words “or wife” are omitted by the Revisers.
20:7. —The sentence, “And whatsoever is right that shall ye receive,” is here left out.
20:16. —In this verse there is another omission, “For many be called, but few chosen.”
20:21. —The word translated “grant” in the Authorized Version, and “command” in the Revision, means literally “say.” This usage of “say” in the sense of “command” is common in the later books of the Old Testament.
20:22. —The rendering “the cup that I am about to drink,” instead of “the cup that I shall drink of” is unquestionably —more exact, and besides, draws our attention to the fact that the event referred to was close at hand. The words “and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with” are —omitted by the Revisers.
21:8. — “The most part of the multitude” is no doubt a more correct translation than “a very great multitude.” We may also remember that, as we find in Luke 19:3939And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. (Luke 19:39), a part of the multitude was composed of Pharisees who wished the rest to be rebuked. The expression used by Matthew “the most part of the multitude” is therefore peculiarly appropriate, as referring to those who rejoiced.
22:43. — “In the Spirit” is here substituted for “in Spirit.” It is true that in the Greek text the definite article is not present before the word “Spirit,” but this is sometimes the case in passages where even the Authorized Version translates “in the Spirit,” as, for example, Revelation 4:22And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. (Revelation 4:2) and 17:3. In this verse in Matthew it is quite clear that the Spirit of God is meant, whereas if we read “David in spirit” the word “spirit” would refer to the spirit of David.
22:44. —The reading “till I make thine enemies thy footstool,” adopted in the Authorized Version, is a more exact rendering of the Hebrew text in Psalms 110 But the best manuscripts support the reading “till I put thine enemies underneath thy feet,” both here and in Mark 12:3636For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Mark 12:36). In other similar passages, such as Luke 20:4343Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Luke 20:43), Acts 2:3535Until I make thy foes thy footstool. (Acts 2:35), Hebrews 1:1313But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? (Hebrews 1:13), we should no doubt read, as in the Revised Version, “till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.”
(To be continued.)