298 BIBLICAL CRITICISM On the mistranslated Passages of Scripture: Joel ii. 23. —Job xix. 26.-Deut. xxiii. 1. OBJECTORS have stated that there is no positive declaration in the Old Testament concerning the resurrection, or a future state. But when it is recollected that the most learned among this class were not critically acquainted with the Hebrew language, but have presumed to confirm their opinious from modern translations, and those too, so tortured by sophistry as to make truth bear some resemblance to falsehood, we need not be alarmed at their ingenious arguments: particularly as men of this description, who call themselves philosophers, because they deny the Scriptures, are for the most part those, whose pretensions to morality would have disgraced the pagans of India, or the vain philosophers of Greece. Deism, which embraces a denial of the moral precepts of the Bible, must necessarily make men bad subjects, because they have nothing to stimulate them to act faithfully but what is in agreement with their sensual appetites and interests; men in whom there can be placed no confidence, because they have no conscience; bad husbands, unnatural parents, and false friends; for as they believe that at death all things with them are no more, they are always in the habit of acting from the impulse of the moment, which is always in conformity with the gratification of their unlawful pleasures. In order to meet and silence the objections of these sceptics, I shall endeavour to prove that the doctrine of a future state of things is clearly held forth in the books of the Old Testament. Among the great number of passages on this subject, from the beginning to the end of the Bible, I shall select one, which, as it stands in the translation, is conclusive, but when truly rendered, is far more expressive and beautiful:-it is in Job xix. 26, which is thus rendered in the Bible translation, and though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Here is a positive declaration, that from the most remote time the doctrine of a future state was acknowledged. But this passage, as well as many others, has been passed over in silence by the Sadducean writers of former ages, and also by those of more modern times. The subject of the resurrection is as clearly asserted in the Hebrew, as it is in the English translation, or as it can be in any thing I can say on the subject; but the manner, or order of that resurrection, or in other words, the nature of that body which is to rise again, is certainly more clearly and more energetically described, more consistently with the principles of true philosophy and right reason in the original, than in any translation I have hitherto seen, all which appear to be very in correct. These words, as they at present stand in the translation, give us to understand that the very same skin and flesh, which was then parched on his bones, the very material skin composed of the elements of this world, should cover his body in the eternal world, which is plainly contradicted by the Apostle, who, describing the resurrection, says: How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?-thou sowest not that body that shall be, there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body, Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterwards that which is spiritual. The Apostle's meaning is too plain to be mistaken: there is a natural body, viz. a fleshly, or material body, subject to change, and suited to all the purposes of this life: and there is a spiritual body, or a substantial body, not subject to change, not subject to, or composed of, the perishable elements of this world. But it is not my intention to enter into a metaphysical disquisition concerning the rising of the dead, or rather the continuation of life, and with what body they shall come; but to give a true translation of this important passage, instead of a comment, or, which is the same, without crowding in words which are not to be found in the original, as is the case in the English translation, and in all I have met with. Job was here speaking in confidence concerning the coming of the Redeemer, and the certainty of the resurrection; he describes his coming at a remote period, viz. Veaharoun, or latter day, Dyby, he shall stand upon the earth: but being sensible that before that period he should not be an inhabitant of this world, he says, and though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Thus it is rendered in the English, and in all the European Bibles: but the words though, worms, and body, which render the passage inconsistent with the meaning of the writer, are not in the original. There are three words in this verse in the translation which confound the true sense, viz. though, worm, body: the conjunction though does not refer to that which our translators have made it, viz. the worm; for it is not in the original, and it ought not to be in the translation. And if it were in the origi nal as a conjunction, we could not adopt the subjunctive form of the verb, because we have no such mood in Hebrew. But admitting even this was the case, it would then be altogether inapplicable, unless 7, Rimmah, or лyn, Thoulagnath, the worm, had occurred in the verse. Job was informing his friends of the dissolution of his mortal frame, and p, Nikkepou, which means, to enclose, surround, or shut in, is a familiar expression; it refers to those who should perform his funeral rite, by enclosing, or shutting in his material body; therefore he says, and after they have enclosed this my skin. From the end of the 19th verse to the end of the 25th is read parenthetically: he there says, all my inward friends abhorred me; but which should be rendered, all my men, my privy counsellors loathed me: and it is to all these his relatives and friends that he refers, where he says, after they have enclosed my skin. It should be remembered that Job was the king of Idumea. But the most serious error is in the last clause, Minx "want , yet in my flesh shall I see God, which rendering contradicts Scripture, as it is said flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. This error has been made by rendering the mem, prefixed to beshaari, by in, which has no such meaning; it is here a preposition distributive, truly rendered by from, out of, noting a state of separation, see 1 Kings xvii. 12. Minnegnurai, from my youth; Ezek. vii. 26. D'apin, from the ancients. This last clause is a declaration of his belief in the resurrection, a Vumibbshari, will then read truly, yet out of my flesh, and the whole verse will read, and after they have enclosed this my skin, yet out of my flesh shall I see God. This is also consistent with every other part of Scripture where a future state is spoken of, absent from the body, present with the Lord. It is also recorded at a very early period in the book of Genesis, that Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him and in Isaiah it is said, Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Ch. xxvi. 19. From all which it is evident that the doctrine of a future state is clearly held forth in the books of the Old Testament: but were we to enter into a description of the sacrifices under the Mosaic dispensation, and their application consistently with the whole tenor of Scripture, it would afford, in addition to the above, conclusive proof that the doctrine of a future state is to be found in the Old Testament. In the xxxviii. 4, 7. of this book we read as follows: Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Many translators and commentators have put forth ingenious theories concerning the meaning and application of this passage. Schultzii Schol. in Vetus Testamentum, gives the following inter -cum pariter stelle matutinae ca ברן יהר ככבי בקר : pretation nerent. pa, stellæ quæ aurora exoriente demum dis- 2 sons of Most people have concluded by the passage, Darkness was upon the face of the deep, that there was an infinitely extended chaos, that this world was the first great work of the Creator; and if so, it must necessarily follow that, excepting the short term of six thousand years, God had dwelt from eternity in solitude, and that Adam was the first of created beings. This cannot be admitted, because it is said, when the foundations of the earth were laid, that the sons of God shouted for joy. If we carry our inquiries beyond the boundary of the solar system, to the region of the fixed stars, the utmost stretch of human thought is lost in infinite space:-no idea can be formed of the vast, the incomprehensible distances of the fixed stars. For when the earth is at its aphelion, or its greatest distance from, and at its perihelion, or nearest approach to, the northpole star, which is the whole diameter of the orbit of the earth, or two hundred millions of miles, no sensible difference can be observed either as to the altitude or magnitude of the star. Like the sun of our world, the fixed stars shine by their own light, and therefore, like our sun, may have their systems, and planetary worlds revolving round them. Hence it does appear, that the fixed stars, receiving no light from our sun, may be justly said to have been a distinct creation. In answer to those writers who are of opinion that this passage was understood by the sacred writer to refer to inanimate things as being the sons of God, I find that the words, benee Elohyim, are always applied to intelligent beings, and never to inanimate things. From this it appears sufficiently evident, that the race of beings mentioned in the verse under consideration were created prior to our world, and that these beings were present when the foundations of the earth were laid by the creative efflux of Infinite Wisdom. The sense of the original is given in the authorised translation, but there are words added which have no authority from the Where teast thou at the היפה היית ביסדי ארץ .Hebrew text foundations of the earth?, when they shouted, all the sons of God, or, agreably to our idiom, when all the sons of God shouted. Jer. iv. 10. Then said 1, Ah, Lord God, surely thou hast greatly deceived this people, and Jerusalem, saying, ye shall have peace. Thus these writers say, God is accused by the prophet of having deceived him, and all Jerusalem, by the promise of peace; but the very reverse is stated to be the case, as he says, Whereas the sword reacheth to the soul. This impious charge has no authority from the Hebrew Scripture. And therefore, before infidel writers had exposed their ignorance by such a blasphemous assertion, they ought to have been better acquainted with the Sacred Original. The word y, gnaasah, which is translated done it, is to be truly rendered as the same word is rendered in 2 Sam. ii. 6, requite; and the clause reads: Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not requited it? It does indeed appear, according to our acceptation of the word deceived, that there is some degree of plausibility in the statement of these writers; but if, as in the passage above, the original text bad been attended to, nothing of this nature could possibly be understood. The words NUM NUM hashee hisheetha, are rendered thou hast greatly deceived; but the verb means to desolate. This word has various modes of expression, all partaking of the nature of the root, as words have in all languages, and consequently have various applications according to idiom. It means desolation, Lam. iii. 47. Fear, and a snare is come upon us, NV, hasheeth, desolation and destruction. Isaiah Xxxvii. 26, That thou shouldest be to lay waste, lehashoth (destruction), i. e. for destruction: and so referring to an invading army rushing to destroy: ch. xxiv. 12, In the city is left desolation; and the gate is smitten with destruction. Job xxxix. 17, Because God Thishah, hath deprived her of wisdom. 2 Kings xix. 10, Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee: TN yashika, desolate thee. It is evident that this passage also means to waste, to desolate, as the king of Assyria was then desolating the cities, and if they should continue in opposition to his conquering arms, they were threatened with entire desolation. Thus the opposition is applied to the Hebrews as the cause of their desolation. Jer. xxix. 8, Let not your prophets and diviners de |