is, to be thought, supposed,' or accounted.' The historian had, in the two preceding chapters, given us an account of our Lord's miraculous conception by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. After having said so much to satisfy us that Jesus was no son of Joseph, and now introducing the mention of him as his son, it was quite natural to insert the clause as ivoμicero, to show that in this he did not contradict himself, but spoke only according to the current, though mistaken, opinion of the country. But what the words allowed by law have to do here, it would not be easy to conceive. One would imagine from them, that a claim of succession to Joseph had been made on the part of Jesus, and opposed by the relations, but carried in a court of law. This is one of those refinements in criticism, which makes men nauseate what is obvious, and pursue, through the mazes of etymology, what was never imagined before. Be. who, as has been observed, often errs in this way, has not discovered here any scope for the indulgence of his favorite humor, but, like others, has rendered the words simply, "ut existimabatur." As to the quotations from Josephus, there is nothing parallel in the cases: besides, it will readily be admitted by critics, that the words avzas vevoμioμévas are better rendered the customary prayers,' than the prayers appointed by law." The passive vouiseovai frequently corresponds to the La. 'moris esse; whereas, the proper expression in Gr. for prayers appointed by law, is εὐχὰς νομίμους. The examples from classical authors, referred to in Wet. are all capable of being rendered by one or other of the two ordinary significations, to be thought,' or 'to be wont.' But, in such phrases as ois voμicero, there is commonly a meaning appropriated, by use, to the words taken jointly, from which there will not, perhaps, be found a single exception. Had it, therefore, been the sacred writer's intention to say what those interpreters would make him say, he would certainly have chosen another expression for conveying his sentiment than this, which he must have been sensible, could not be understood otherwise than as it has always, till so late as the eighteenth century, been interpreted: for, let it be observed, that this is one of the passages in which there was never discovered, by either commentators or interpreters, the shadow of a difficulty, and about which there was never before any difference of opinion or doubt.

36. "Son of Cainan." Be. on the single authority of the Cam. in opposition to the united testimonies of MSS. and translations, has ommitted this clause in his version. Cainan is not indeed in the Heb. genealogy of Abraham, Gen. 11: 12, 13, either in the Jewish copy or in the Samaritan, though it is in the version of the Seventy. But this is not the only place in which this evangelist, who wrote in Gr. followed the old Gr. translation, even where it differed from the original Heb. But it is not the province of a translator of the Gospel,

because he esteems the Heb. reading preferable to the Gr., to correct, by his own ideas, what he has reason to believe was written by the evangelist.

CHAPTER IV.

2. "The devil." Diss. VI. Part i. sect. 1-6.

7. "It shall all be thine," ora oov návra. In the much greater number of MSS., especially those of principal note, for navTa we read nãoα, agreeing with govoia. Both the Sy. the Cop. the Eth, and the Ara. versions, have read in the same manner. But the Vul. has "omnia." Of printed editions, the Com. two of Stephens, Wechelius, Ben. Wet. Bowyer, read also яãoα.

3. "Υπαγε ὀπίσω μου Σατανᾶ. This clause is not only wanting in some of the best MSS. but in the Sy. Vul. Go. Sax. Cop. Arm. and Eth. translations. Gro. observes, that before The. no ancient writer considered these words as belonging to this place. Mill agrees with Gro. in rejecting them. Wet. who is more scrupulous, chooses to retain them, though he rejects the particle yao immediately following, to which the introduction of this clause has probably given rise.

Vul.

18. "Inasmuch as," " où ävenɛv. E. T. "Because." "Propter quod." Cas. "Quandoquidem." Dod. and others, "For the purpose to which." The force of the conjunction is better hit by Cas. than by the E. T. or by the Vul. and Dod. It is neither causal nor final so much as explanatory. Such is often the import of the Heb. 1 iaghan, the word used by the prophet. Diss. VI. Part v. sect. 5.

18, 19. Diss. V. Part ii. sect.2.

19. The Vul. without the authority of MSS. adds to this verse "et diem retributionis ;" and in this is followed by the second Sy. Ara. Arm. and Sax. versions. A clause corresponding to it is indeed found in the Prophet quoted; but in no Gr. MS. of L. except in a few belonging to the Marquis de los Veles, which, in Si.'s opinion, have been fabricated on the Vul. and are consequently of no authority in this question.

20. "To the servant," z vnngirn. E. T. “To the minister." From the manner in which we apply the word minister, in our churches, the Eng. reader is apt to be led into a mistake by the common version, and to consider the word here as meaning the person who presided in the service; whereas it denotes only a subordinate officer, who attended the minister, and obeyed his orders in what concerned the more servile part of the work. Amongst other things, he had the charge of the sacred books, and delivered them to those to whom he was commanded by his superiors to give them. After the reading was over, he deposited them in their pro

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per place. This officer the Jews call chazan, who ought not to be confounded with άoziovvάywyos, 'ruler of the synagogue.'

22. « All extolled him,” πάντες ἐμαρτυροῦν αὐτῷ. E. T. "All bare him witness." Magtuoεiv Tivi commonly denotes 'to give one a favorable testimony,' 'to praise,' 'to extol,'' to commend;' as ch. 11: 48. Acts 13: 22. Rom. 10: 2. Here it is manifestly used in this sense. The phrase bare him witness, is both indefinite and obscure.

2" Words full of grace," rois hoyois rñs papiros. E. T. "The gracious words." Dod. "The graceful words." I took notice, on ch. 2: 40, that gracious, which is nearly synonymous to kind, does not suit the sense of this passage. I must say the same thing of graceful, which, though one who judged from etymology would think perfectly equivalent to full of grace, is not so in reality. Graceful words means, in approved use, no more than well-sounding words; whereas, in words full of grace, if I mistake not, there is always something implied in relation to their sense much more than to their sound.

34. The holy One of God," äɣios roυ Oεoй. For the full import of the word äytos, in its different applications, see Diss. VI. Part iv. It may be proper here, however, to remark, that when the word is used in the N. T. as an appellative with the article, in the singular number, and applied to a person, the application is always either to God or to Christ. Let it be observed, that I do not speak of the Heb. 7 chasid, and the Gr. "otos, but of w kadish, and ayos. This term is employed sometimes alone, to denote the true God, o ayos the holy One;' and sometimes, particularly in the O. T. with the addition of the name of his people, the holy One of Israel.' 'O ayos, the holy One,' or 'the Saint,' is in like manner appropriated, particularly in the N. T. to Jesus Christ, commonly with the addition of rou cou. But, after the times of the apostles, Christians became much more lavish of titles and of this title in particular, than their predecessors had been. I have therefore chosen to follow our translators in rendering o ayos the holy One, rather than the Saint, a denomination which, in latter ages, has been so much prostituted, that, to say the least, a name so venerable as that of Jesus could derive no dignity from it.

36. "What meaneth this? that with authority and power he commandeth ? τίς ὁ λόγος οὗτος, ὅτι ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ καὶ δυνάμει ἐπιτάσ 68; E. T. "What a word is this? for with authority and power he commandeth." For the import of the conjunction öre, in this place, see ch. 1: 45. 2 N.

39. "Standing near her, inioras inávw avrñs. E. T." He stood over her." 'Enavo, in the sacred penmen, frequently answers to the Heb. by ghal, which corresponds not only to the La. preposition super, but to juxta.

40. "After sunset, all they who had any sick;" because then the Sabbath was ended, and the people were at liberty to carry their sick.

41. "Thou art the Messiah, the Son of God," où el ó Xoto's ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Vul. “ Tu es filius Dei.” Ὁ Χριστὸς is not in the Cam. and four other MSS. It has no place in the Cop. Arm. Sax. and Ara. versions, any more than in the Vul.

2 Would not allow them to speak, because they knew," ovx εἴα αὐτὰ λαλεῖν, ὅτι ᾔδεισαν. Some think that the words may be rendered, Would not allow them to say that they knew,' interpreting the conjunction or as in verse 36. Had the evangelist used eye instead of laleiv, I should certainly have translated the passage; but as these two verbs are not employed promiscuously in Gr. I thought it better to preserve the distinction in Eng.

42. "Sought him out," Syrovv avrov. E. T. "Sought him.” A very great number of MSS. and among these some of the most valuable, read inεSýrovv. The difference in meaning is not considerable; but it is sufficient to warrant the distinction here made.

2 × Urged him not toleave them,” κατεῖχον αὐτὸν τοῦ μὴ πορεύ εodαi áñ avτæv. E. T. "Stayed him that he should not depart from them." In most translations, as well as in the Eng. the words are so rendered as to imply that they detained him by force. But that xaτézo does not always signify the possession or the attainment of the thing spoken of, is evident from this very writer's use of it, Acts 27: 40, xarεiyov eis ròv aiyiakov, which our translators render, very justly, "made toward shore." Here the verb expresses no more than the earnestness of their endeavors.

CHAPTER V.

2. "Aground near the edge," orшra пagà rηv λíμvnv. E. T. "Standing by the lake." The word for@s, applied to a ship or boat, means either being at anchor' or being aground.' The latter seems here the more probable meaning, for the following reasons: 1st, The лloîα, so often mentioned in the Gospel, though in the common version rendered 'ships,' were in reality, (if we may judge from the account given of them by Josephus, who had good occasion to know, having had for some time the chief command in Galilee), but a sort of a large fishing boats. What we are told, ver. 7, that the fishes taken filled both the vessels, insomuch that they were near sinking, is a strong confirmation of what we learn from him concerning their size. I have, therefore, in this and other places, after the translators of P. R. Si. Sa. Beau. L. Cl. and other Fr. interpreters, rendered the word 'barks,' distinguishing the VOL. II.

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diminutive locaola by translating it 'boats.' Even the largest of such vessels might easily be run aground or set afloat, as occasion required. Josephus calls them oxaqn, reckons about two hundred and thirty of them on the lake, and four or five men to each. Another reason for thinking that the word έorota here means rather 'aground' than at anchor,' is because they are said to be, not ev τῇ λίμνῃ, but παρὰ τὴν λίμνην. It is the same expression which is used in the preceding verse concerning our Lord himself, and which, by consequence, must mean beside the water, rather than in it. 3dly, Our Lord's desire, expressed in the third verse, to put off a little from the land, when his sole purpose was to teach the people, shows that they were so close upon the multitude as to be incommoded by them. This is also another evidence of the smallness of the vessels.

7. "So that they were near sinking," wore ßudisεodai avrà. E. T. "So that they began to sink." Vul. "Ita ut pene mergerentur." The Sy. version is conformable to the Vul. Common sense indeed shows, that puisεodai cannot here be rigidly interpreted. In familiar language, words are often used with equal latitude.

9. "For the draught of fishes which they had taken had filled him and all his companions with terror,” θάμβος γὰρ περιέσχεν αὐτ τὸν καὶ πάντας τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ, ἐπὶ τῇ ἄγρᾳ τῶν ἰχθύων ᾗ συνέλαBov. E. T. "For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken." The word astonished, in the common version, is far too weak for expressing the effect which we find this miracle produced upon Peter, and which evidently had in it more of terror than astonishment. I have, in ver. 8, varied from my ordinary method, and rendered Kuqe, Lord, though addressed to Jesus before his resurrection. I think the manner in which Peter appears to have been affected, and the extraordinary petition he presented to a person of whose benevolence and humanity he had been so oft a witness, will justify this alteration, as they clearly show that he discovered in his Master, on this occasion, something superior to human, which quite overwhelmed him with awe and fear.

10. "Thou shalt catch men," avoánovs son Swyowv. Dod. "Thou shalt captivate men." But captivate is never applied to fishes consequently, by this rendering, the trope is destroyed; for Swrow is equally applicable to both. Besides, to catch expresses no more than an effect; and does not, of itself, imply any artifice in the means: just so Sayoćw expresses the effect, without either implying or excluding artifice.

26. "Incredible things," napádoğa. E. T. "Strange things." This expression is rather feeble. Vul. Mirabilia." Er. Zu. Cas. "Incredibilia." Be. "Inopinata." The import of the Gr.