8:28.-We here find the word "Gadarenes" instead of "Gergesenes." In Mark 5 T, where the same events are related, we read "Gadarenes," in the Authorized, and "Gerasenes" in the Revised Version. Gadara was the chief town of Perica. Gerasa was at some distance from Gadara, between Petraea and Arabia. Gergesa, according to Origen, was situated on the sea of Galilee, but no other writer mentions the existence of the place. Some have explained the difficulty by supposing that " Gadara" was a name applying not only to the town itself, but to the surrounding district, and that Gerasa or Gergesa was the particular locality in which the events here recorded took place.
9:2.-" Thy sins are forgiven." This is undoubtedly the meaning of the passage. The rendering of the Authorized Version, " thy sins be forgiven thee," sounds like the expression of a wish, and not like a positive statement.
9:13.-" I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." The words " to repentance," which are added in the Authorized Version, have been omitted by the Revisers.
9:17.-" Old wine-skins." The ancients, as is well known, kept wine either in large jars or in the skins of animals. The latter custom seems to have been universal in Palestine.
10:3.-" Thaddaeus." Other authorities have "Lebbaeus" only, and some "Lebbaeus whose surname was Thaddaeus," which is the reading of the Authorized Version. The names Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus signify "my breast," and "my heart," respectively; it is therefore easy to understand how both names could belong to the same person.
( To be continued.)
5:15.-The expressions "lamp" and "stand" are preferable to "candle-stick." Candles and candle-sticks do not appear to have been commonly in use among the ancients. The word translated "candle" in Job 18:6 and similar passages, means simply "light," and the "candle-stick" in the Tabernacle (Ex. 25:31) was really a lamp-stand, and not a candle-stick at all in the modern sense of the word.
5:16.-"Even so let your light shine before men." This rendering connects verse 16 with what precedes. In the Authorized Version, verse 16 appears to be independent, as if it were said, "Let your light shine before men, so that they may see," &c.
5:21.-" Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time:" The translation "by them," besides being less literal makes the passage somewhat mysterious. The various precepts quoted in this chapter (verses 21, 27, 31, 33, 38,) were of course spoken by God to Israel.
5:22.-" Every one who is angry with his brother." The words "without cause" are omitted in the Vatican manuscript, though given, as the margin here tells us, by many ancient authorities. "The hell of fire " is substituted for " hell fire." The margin says "the Gehenna of fire." "Gehenna" is a corruption of the Hebrew "Gey'-hinnem," or the valley of Hinnom, called also (Jer. 7:32) "the valley of the son of Hinnom." This valley was on the southern side of Jerusalem, and is first mentioned in Josh. 15:8. The origin of its name is not known. We next hear of this place in 2 Chron. 28:3, where we are told that king Ahaz used it for the performance of idolatrous rites. It was here especially that children were "caused to pass through the fire" in honor of Molech, an idol of the Ammorites. (1 Kings 11:7; 2 Kings 23 to.) This custom seems to have existed in Palestine from the earliest times (Deut. 12:31). Owing to these human sacrifices the name of Topheth (or abomination) was given to the valley of the son of Hinnom, and the word " Gehenna" is therefore used in the New Testament in order to convey the idea of a place of horrible sufferings. Such is the place reserved for the wicked. It is worth while to mention that the Greek word "Hades" is also translated "hell" in the Authorized Version, (Acts 2:27, 31, and elsewhere). Hades, however, means merely the place of departed spirits. We therefore find that the Revisers have very properly retained the Greek word wherever it occurs, in order to distinguish Hades from "Gehenna" or "hell."