Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

with boldness to cast aside traditional fetters, and a breadth of view which comprehended a subject in all its bearings; with a crystaline style of thought and writing, a wide acquaintance with the wisdom of ages, a retentive memory which seemed to hold all he had read within its grasp; with an unobtrusive modesty which shrank from all personal display, with a rare honesty and truthfulness of character, and a wide and generous charity; his devotion to truth and righteousness was supreme and hearty, and questions of minorities, majorities and policies were of little account in his eyes.

Dr. Murdock was a man of medium stature, light complexion, sandy hair; and though not of robust constitution yet by careful adherence to system and method, having fixed hours for study, rest and exercise, he enjoyed to the end of his fourscore years, almost uninterrupted health, and great equanimity of temper; though he was a man of deep feelings, sensitive nature, and strong attachments.

On the 8th of Oct., 1790, Mr. Murdock was married to Lydia R., daughter of Jeremiah Atwater, of New Haven. She proved to him a faithful and pious wife, and a devoted mother to their ten children, some of whom died in early life, and only one of whom still survives-the widow of Rev. Nathaniel S. Richardson, D. D., of Bridgeport, Ct., the founder, and for twenty years the editor of "The Church Review," to which we are largely indebted for material for this sketch. Dr. Murdock was widely known by his translation of "Mosheim's Institutes of Ecclesiastical History," in which he not only represents in simple nervous English the exact and terse Latinity of the original-which was so little regarded in a former translation-but re-examines the grounds of every statement, and condenses in marginal notes an amount of additional information almost equal to that contained in the original work. This was first published in 1832, and has since appeared in several editions, having been reprinted, with some abridgment, in Great Britain, and occupying a place in the libraries of students and clergymen which can hardly be filled by any other single work. In 1851, he also published a translation of "Mosheim's Commentaries on the affairs of the Christians before Constantine." In 1842 he published "Sketches of Modern Philosophy, especially among the Germans;" and at the age of three-score years and ten, we find him reviving his scanty knowledge of the Syriac language, reading with the keenest relish the "Book of the Holy Gospel of our Lord and God Jesus the Messiah," in the very vernacular of the apostles themselves, and in the absence at first of a good Syriac grammar, making one himself, tracing out step by step the forms and conjugations of the Syriac verbs, and translating into English this ancient version of the New Testament, that others might share the benefit he derived therefrom. At the age of eighty, we find him entering thoroughly upon the study of the Arabic language, and constructing for his own use an Arabic Grammar, with a precision and elegance which would become a student of twenty years.

In the autumn of 1855, Dr. Murdock went to Columbus, Mississippi, where he spent a delightful winter in the family of his son, visiting various portions of the Southern country, and anticipating a return to New Haven the following spring. Disease, however, attacked him; his physical powers gave way, and, though everything that affection could prompt or skill could devise was done, yet the life-current ebbed away until, about 4 o'clock in the morning of August 10th, 1856, in the sure and certain hope of life everlasting through Jesus Christ our Lord, he "fell on sleep." In accordance with his expressed desire, he was removed to New Haven, and laid to rest in Grove Street Cemetery, beside the beloved partner of his joys and sorrows, who twenty-four years before had preceded him "into the silent land."

His last act on earth visible to mortal eye was to lift his hand, then cold in death, and point upward where Hope's anchor is cast within the veil, whither Jesus our forerunner is for us entered. His funeral was attended by an immense concourse of people who paid every mark of respect to one whom they had so recently learned to know and love. Sturdy men unused to tears wept beside his grave, and the tide of their sympathy was a tender consolation to his far-off friends. An association of ministers and professional gentlemen in New Haven, who had known him more or less intimately for sixty years, met at the house of Rev. Jeremiah Day, D. D., President of Yale College, August 28th, 1856, and in a memorial signed by President Day, thankfully acknowledged "the goodness of God who qualified him with eminent gifts of knowledge, wisdom and grace, for doing good among men, and who called him to fill successfully during his whole life even to a good old age, various spheres of usefulness, in the respective stations of a teacher of youth, a minister of the gospel, a collegiate professor, a theological professor, an associate and counsellor of his literary friends, and an author of works prepared and published to advance the cause of Biblical literature, Ecclesiastical History and theological learning."

66

Of all the literary labors of Dr. Murdock, there were none to which he reverted with more pleasure than to his translation of the Syriac New Testament. Upon its appearance it received the most cordial and hearty approval from Christians of all classes. The religious and secular press united in commending the work, and a circular signed by Ex-president Day, President Woolsey, four Professors of Theology and Sacred Literature in Yale College, and fourteen Pastors of the leading churches of New Haven, commended it as a very interesting and valuable work... worthy of a place in every Christian family." A copy of the translation was sent to the American missionaries among the Nestorians at Ooromiah, Persia, where the Syriac is still a living language—the language of their Scriptures. They were delighted with the version, and showed it to the Nestorian Bishop, Mar Yohannan, who had previously visited America in company with Dr. Justin Perkins. The Bishop was so pleased with the translation that he wrote to Dr. Murdock a letter in the Syriac language, filled with praises and thanks for his excellent translation. This was accompanied by a beautiful copy of the Syriac Bible; and he also received a New Testament in Ancient and Modern Syriac, "with the respects of the Nestorian Mission."

...

"All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. the grass withereth, and the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever." And he who links his name and destiny to that Word in living faith and loving obedience, shall find that though all things earthly are fading and dying, the words of Christ are indeed "the words of eternal life." And as the ointment poured by Mary on the Saviour's head carried the fragrance of her name to all lands and ages; as the cross of Jesus Christ laid upon the shoulder of Simon the Cyrenian, gave him a nobility and a fame which kings and conquerors might envy; so it may be that this translation of the Syriac New Testament may preserve the name of its author, when his eminent attainments and varied learning, would otherwise be overlooked in the rush of a hurrying generation. And when the learning and wisdom of the world are forgotten, when the world itself shall pass away and the lust thereof, while he that doeth the will of God shall abide forever-it may be that the Master's "well done" may have special respect to this effort of his aged servant to honor his Word, and diffuse the knowledge of His name among the sons of men.

H. L. H.

PREFACE.

To extend his own long cherished but scanty knowledge of the Syriac language, the writer commenced reading the Peshitto Syriac New Testament in January, 1845, and at every step he found increasing delight. The artless simplicity, directness, and transparency of the style,—the propriety and beauty of the conceptions of Christ and his followers, as expressed in a Shemitish dialect very nearly identical with their vernacular tongue,—the pleasing thought that the words were, probably, in great part, the very terms which the Saviour and his Apostles actually uttered in their discourses and conversations,—and especially the full comprehension which the Syriac translator seemed to have of the force and meaning of the inspired original, served to chain attention and hold the mind spell-bound to the book. Such exquisite pleasure the writer longed to have others share with him; but as few persons, even among the clergy, have either leisure or facilities for acquiring the Syriac language, he soon came to the conclusion, that he could do nothing better than first read the book carefully through, and then give a literal and exact translation of it. Accordingly he furnished himself with several of the best editions of the book, and the best Syriac Lexicons and Grammars, and commenced his transla tion early in August, 1845, and completed it on the 16th of June, 1846, This is briefly the history of the work here presented to the public.

(xliii)

The Syriac text followed in the first part of this translation, was that of the beautiful edition printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society London, 1816, 4to., which was prepared for the press, as far as the Acts of the Apostles, by the late Rev. Claudius Buchanan, D.D., Author of "Christian Researches," "Star in the East," &c., and the remainder by the Rev. Samuel Lee, D.D., Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge, England. The latter part of the translation was made from the second edition of the same Bible Society, London, 1826, 4to.; but the text of Leusden and Schaaf's edition, Leyden, 1717, was everywhere consulted, and much use was made of their Latin translation of it. The pocket edition of Gutbir, Hamburgh, 1664, 12mo., was also generally consulted. The Lexicons constantly used throughout, were the Lexicon Syriacum Concordantiale in Nov. Testamentum of Charles Schaaf, Leyden, 1717, 4to.; the Lexicon Syriacum of Edmund Castell, revised and enlarged by J. D. Michaelis, Göttingen, 1788, 4to.; and the small Lex icon Syriacum in Nov. Testamentum of Giles Gutbir, bound up with his Syriac New Testament. The Grammars relied upon were, the elaborate Grammaticæ Syriac Libri iii. of Andr. Theoph. Hoffmann, Philos. et Theol. Doctor, Halle, 1827, 4to.; and the Elementarlehre der syrischen Sprache, by Prof. Fred. Uhlemann, Berlin, 1829, 8vo.

In this translation, the Books of the New Testament are divided into Paragraphs, according to the sense; just as in Campbell's translation of the Four Gospels, and in the Greek Testaments of Bengel, Griesbach, Knapp, and others. The common divisions into Chapters and Verses are noted in the margin, and the Verses are also put in parentheses in the middle of the lines. For the benefit of those who have some knowledge of the Syriac language, the more important words are frequently placed in the side margin, with references to the corresponding words in the transla tion. Deviations of the Syriac text from the Greek, and also the suscep tibilities of the Syriac words, or phrases, of a different rendering from tha

in the text, are likewise indicated in the side margin. The foot margin is reserved for occasional comments and critical observations.

The principles adopted in this translation, were:

(1) To translate, as literally as possible, in consistence with idiomatic and perspicuous English.

(2) To use Saxon phraseology in, preference to Latin, as better accord ing with the spirit of the Peshitto original.

(3) To adopt the obsolescent and solemn style of the English Bible, e. g. thou speakest, he speaketh, ye speak, instead of you speak, he speaks, &c., as more seemly for this holy Book.

(4) To write the proper names of persons and places, which are mentioned in the Old Testament, as they are written in our English Old Testament; and those which occur only in the New Testament, as they are written in our English New Testament. This is the rule adopted by Dr. Campbell in his translation of the Four Gospels. Yet (Meshihha) has been translated Messiah, and not Christ; and (Shemun) has been translated Simon, and not Peter.

[ocr errors]

(5) In general, to avoid using technical theological terms, when good substitutes could be found, in order to call away attention from the word to the thing: thus (an Apostle) is rendered Legate; and (Saviour) is rendered Vivifier, as being more literal, for the verb La (especially in the Conjug. Aphel,) properly signifies to make alive, to vivify; and its derivatives and properly signify ïv liemio life, and life-giver, or vivifier. These are the usual terms of the Syriac version, denoting that salvation which Christ bestows on fallen men, who are represented as "dead in trespasses and sin." The terms Loo (liberator, deliverer) and ojos (deliverance) are indeed sometimes used of this salvation, but less frequently.-Yet there is one family of Syriac technicals, which have been rendered by the English technicals for the same ideas, to the neglect of their primary meaning. They are as

//TH

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »