dixit of Moses? What was the basis of faith when the record was first written? was it from generally accepted tradition or by revelation? Is the record anonymous or does it reveal the name of its author? If to be endorsed by knowledge and reason, why should not the narrative be strictly and accurately translated, even at the expense of conciseness and elegance of diction, in order that the exact force of every word shall be fully felt and recognized? If the record is from divine revelation, it is still more essential to know precisely what was revealed; otherwise we are no better than idolaters; we are worse, in fact, for we have changed and falsified the landmarks of religion, and bear false witness against God Himself. We must not interpret Genesis by records made long subsequently; it must speak for itself or not at all. When construed in accordance with the exact definition of the words themselves quite a new and strange light is thrown upon the history of the events thus recorded. The great importance of a strict construction of the translation and fidelity to the original is emphasized by the fact that the same word was never used in this record to express a different sense in different parts, nor were two different words ever used in different places to express the same meaning. It is, therefore, necessary to give every word of the original its exact fulness and force. The basis of the following critical translation is to be found in "Mankind: their Origin and Destiny" (Longmans & Co., London, 1872), but a careful comparison has been made with other accepted authorities, and the root-meanings of the separate words have been carefully traced out, so that many necessary changes will be found to have been made in order to bring out the precise sense of the original. There is no actual literal, critical, etymological, and scientific rendering embraced in a single translation known to us, and which is complete in itself; but that which follows will be found, it is believed, to give every word its particular etymological shade of meaning, and to employ the same word in the same place, for the same purpose, and with the same signification as it was understood to have, in its original form, when first recorded. The specific root-meanings of the most important words used are further explained in detail in a separate section below.