when she was reproached by her Fathers Servants Tob. 3. 10. tho' She makes use of the fame Word imploy'd by the Septuagint, and St. Matthew in fpeaking of the Death of Achitophel and Judas, fince fuch a defign is contrary to the truth of the History, and that Piety which the fhews in the Verfes immediately following. Secondly, All that Salmafius has collected from the Greek Authors to prove that the Greek word fignifies to hang, proves much rather that it fignifies, to die of the Squi nancy or of Grief, as feveral Learned Men have fhewn. We must therefore render the forefaid Text of St. Matthew, Job, Samuel and Tobit, Thus. And Judas departed and went and Died of Grief, or the Squinancy, My Soul choofeth to stifle with Grief, And · Achitophel ----- was Stifled with Grief. And Raguel wish'd to have beenftifled with Grief, 111 (x) But if the Tranflators have been mi ftaken in this circumftance of the Death of Judas, They have been no lefs fo in rendering, That he fell down (or thrust (2) himself) headlong; For the words of the Original only fignify, that he fell on his Face, as feveral Learn'd Men have obferv'd. And what St. Luke adds, That be burst afunder in the midst and that his Bowels Bowels gufb'd out, agrees very well with what Phyficians obferve, that those who dye of the Squinancy, fometimes burft afunder. We must therefore Translate, And having fallen on his Face he burst afunder, &c. IV. The Translations make our Saviour fay of the Hypocrites, who found a Trumpet when they give Alms, and who love to pray standing in the Synagogue, that they may be feen of Men, That they have their reward, Mat. 6. 2. 5. 16. whereas in the first verse he plainly fays, that they who do their Alms to be feen of Men, have no reward. Its true indeed, that Interpreters observe; that thefe Hypocrites only receive their reward from Men, and not from God. But why should we run to a forc'd and allegorical Senfe, which ftands in need of a diftinction to make it pafs, when there is a clear and natural fenfe which perfectly expreffes the Terms of the Original: The word which we render by the word have fignifies in the best Authors to hinder or oppofe, So that the plain and natural Tranflation of our Saviours words is this, Verily I fay unto you they hinde their reward; and we should likewise render, woe upto you rich for you hinder your confolation. Luke, 6. 24. as Norton Knatchbull, has remark'd after the Ethiopick Verfion. V. Our Translations make our Saviour fay, To fit on my right Hand and on my left, is not mine to give, But it fball be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father, Matt. 20. 23. which plainly contradicts feveral other Texts of the New Teftament, where our Saviour is faid, To have all power given him both in Heaven and Earth, and to have all Fudgment committed to him by the Father, &c. Interpreters are at no fmall pains to reconcile this, and to answer the Arrians, who from the Text under confideration, did conclude, that the Son was not equal in power to the Father. St. Auftin affirms, that thefe words of our Saviour,relate only to his Humane Nature. Others fay, that they relate to the defign of his coming to the World, which was not, to diftribute Kingdoms and Crowns, as the Mother of Zebedees Children thought it was. But this do's not anfwer the Queftion. For he did not enquire by what power either Divine or Humane, nor by vertue of what Office, he fhould grant her the favour the defiKk red red for her Sons, but only defir'd that the favour might be grated, as Hackspan has obferv'd. We must therefore look for another Solution and obferve, That our Saviour do's not say abfolutely, that it was not his to give to fit on his Right Hand and on his Left, as the Verfions feem to imply, but only that he could not grant that favour, or that it was not fit or Reasonable to grant it,except to those for whom the Father had prepared it, That is, to those who fhould overcome the World and its Lufts. Rev. 3. 21. The Septuagint often tranflate the words of the Ori(4) ginal which fignifies, It is decent, reafonable or fit, and it is undecent, unreafonable and unfit, by words which answer to thefe, 'Tis thine, 'tis mine; and 'tis not mine, 'tis not thing. And the Greek word Alla fignifies, except, in feveral places of Scripture, not to mention that the words it shall be given, are not in the Original, but have been fupply'd by the Tranflators to make up their mistaken meaning. The words then fhould be render'd, but to fit on my Right Hand and on my Left I cannot give, except to those for whom the Father has prepar'd it. (5.) VI. One can scarce, without having some extravagant notion, read, That the Difciples Difciples brought the Colt and the Afs, and Set Fefus on them, Matt. 21. 7. Nor can we compare what is faid Matt. 26. 8. and Mark 14.4. that fome were filled with Indignation,to find that the Jews allowed Mary Magdalen to waft so much precious Ointment in anointing him, with what is obferved, John 12. 4. That only Judas was offended at it, without fancying fome Contradiction between the Evangelifts. The fame difficulty occurs when we compare Matt. 27. 44. where 'tis laid, That the Thieves who were Crucified with Jefus caft the fame in his Teeth, with what we find, Luke 23.39. That only one of the Thieves reviled him,and that the other appear'd in his defence. It is true indeed, that Commentators reconcile those feeming Contradictions by fhewing, that the Plural Number is imployed in those places for the Singular, which is very common in the Stile of the Hebrews. As for example, when it is faid, That the Ark rested on the Mountains of Ararat, Gen. 8. 4. That is, on one of those Mountains; That God overthrew the Cities where Lot dwelt, Gen. 19. 29. That Jephtha was buried in the Cities Gilead: and when a Colt is called the foal of Affes. Zach. 9. 9. Several other Kk 2 exam |