The Expositor's Bible: The General Epistles of St. James and St. JudePlummer, Alfred
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The General Epistles of St. James and St. Jude
Plummer, Alfred
Bible. James -- Commentaries; Bible. Jude -- Commentaries
Another improvement introduced by the Revisers is a uniform
translation of the word (ἐσθής) capriciously rendered "apparel,"
"raiment," and "clothing." Only one word is used in the Greek, and it
is misleading to use three different words in English. By a quaint
misuse of the very passage before us, the translators of 1611 defend
their want of precision in such matters, and avow that in many cases
precision was deliberately sacrificed to variety and to a wish to
honour as many English words as possible by giving them a place in the
Bible! In ordinary copies of the Authorized Version the Address to
King James is commonly given, the far more instructive Address to the
Reader never. Near the close of it the translators say as follows:--
"Another thing we think good to admonish thee of (gentle Reader) that
we have not tied ourselves to an uniformity of phrasing, or to an
identity of words, as some peradventure would wish we had done,
because they observe, that some learned men some where, have been as
exact as they could that way. Truly, that we might not vary from the
sense of that which we had translated before, if the word signified
the same thing in both places (for there be some words that be not of
the same sense every where) we were especially careful, and made a
conscience, according to our duty. But, that we should express the
same notion in the same particular word; as for example, if we
translate the _Hebrew_ or _Greek_ word once by _Purpose_, never to
call it _Intent_; if one where _Journeying_, never _Travelling_; if
one where _Think_, never _Suppose_; if one where _Pain_, never _Ache_;
if one where _Joy_, never _Gladness_, etc. Thus to mince the matter,
we thought to savour more of curiosity than wisdom, and that rather it
would breed scorn in the Atheist, than bring profit to the godly
Reader. For is the kingdom of God become words or syllables? why
should we be in bondage to them if we may be free, use one precisely,
when we may use another no less fit, as commodiously? A godly Father
in the primitive time shewed himself greatly moved, that one of
new-fangleness called κράββατοω σκίμπους though the difference be
little or none (Niceph. Call. viii. 42); and another reporteth, that
he was much abused for turning _Cucurbita_ (to which reading the
people had been used) into _Hedera_ (Jerome _in iv. Jonæ_. See S.
Augustine, _Epist._ 71). Now if this happen in better times, and upon
so small occasions, we might justly fear hard censure, if generally we
should make verbal and unnecessary changings. We might also be charged
(by scoffers) with some unequal dealing towards a great number of good
English words. For as it is written of a certain great Philosopher,
that he should say, that those logs were happy that were made images
to be worshipped; for their fellows, as good as they, lay for blocks
behind the fire: so if we should say, as it were, unto certain words,
Stand up higher, have a place in the Bible always, and to others of a
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