6

6

Scriptures into the language of the place exposed their history to the natives, they were the more solicitous to soften, by a kind of euphemism, a circumstance so humiliating as their miserable enthralment to the Babylonians. For this reason, that event is especially in the historical part, rarely denominated aiquadwoia 'captivitas,' and never diazóμion, transportatio;' but by one or other of these gentler names, μετοικία, μετοικεσία, αποικία, and ἀποικεσία, 'colonia,' 'migratio,' demigratio,' incolatus,' seu habitatio in terra aliena.' On the whole, Vul. Si. L. Cl. and Wa. have hit the import of the original more exactly than any of the other translators above-mentioned. I did not think the term transmigration so proper in our language, that word being in a manner appropriated to the oriental doctrine of the passage of the soul, after death, into another body. Emigration is at present, I imagine, more commonly used when the removal is voluntary. The simple term migration seems fully to express the meaning of the original.

16. "Messiah," Xotoros. For the import of the word, see Diss. V. Part iv. sect. 9.

18. "Jesus Christ."

The Vul. omits Jesu, and is followed only by the Per. and Sax. versions.

19. "Being a worthy man," dixatos v. Some would have the word dizutos, in this place, to signify good-natured, humane, merciful; because, to procure the infliction of the punishment denounced by the law, cannot be deemed unjust, without impeaching the law. Others think that it ought to be rendered, according to its usual signification, just; and imagine that it was the writer's intention to remark two qualities in Joseph's character; first, his strict justice, which would not permit him to live with an adulteress as his wife; secondly, his humanity, which led him to study privacy in his method of dissolving the marriage. Herein, say they, there can be no injustice, because there are many things, both for compensation and punishment, which the law entitles, but does not oblige, a inan to exact. Though this interpretation is specious, it is not satisfactory; for if the writer had intended to express two distinct qualities in Joseph's character, which drew him different ways, I think he would have expressed himself differently, as thus, "Though Joseph was a just man, yet being unwilling," etc.; whereas the manner in which he has connected the clauses, seems to make the latter explanatory of the former, rather than a contrast to it. It has indeed been said, that the participle or sometimes admits being interpreted though.' In proof of this, Matt. 7: 11, and Gal. 2: 3, bave been quoted. But the construction is not similar in either passage. Here the or is coupled with another participle by the conjunction zai. In the places referred to, it is immediately followed by a verb in the indicative. In such cases, to which the present has no resemblance, the words connected may

give the force of an adversative to the participle. On the other hand, I have not seen sufficient evidence for rendering dizaios 'humane,' or 'merciful;' for though these virtues be sometimes comprehended under the term, they are not specially indicated by it. I have therefore chosen a middle way, as more unexceptionable than either. Every body knows that the word dziaios admits two senses. The first is 'just,' in the strictest acceptation-attentive to the rules of equity in our dealings, particularly in what concerns our judicial proceedings. The second is righteous,' in the most extensive sense, including every essential part of a good character. In this sense it is equivalent, as Chr. remarks, to the epithet vapeTos, virtuous,' 'worthy,' upright.' And in this not uncommon sense of the word, the last clause serves to exemplify the character, and not to contrast it.

2To expose her," aviv napadriɣuarioa: E. T. " to make her a public example." In order to express things forcibly, translators often, overlooking the modesty of the original, say more than the author intended. It has not, however, been sufficiently adverted to, in this instance, that by extending the import of the word napadeɣuarioal, they diminish the character of benignity ascribed by the historian to Joseph. It was not the writer's intention to say barely, that Joseph was unwilling to drag her as a criminal before the judges, and get the ignominious sentence of death, warranted by law, pronounced against her, which few perhaps would have done more than he; but that he was desirous to consult privacy in the manner of dismissing her, that he might as little as possible wound her reputation. The word appears to me to denote no more than making the affair too flagrant, and so exposing her to shame. So the Syrian interpreter, and the Arabian, understood the term. I have therefore chosen here to follow the example of the Vul. Leo. and Cal. who render the words, 'eam traducere,' rather than of Cast. and Pisc. who render them, 'in eain exemplum edere,' and eam exemplum facere,' which have been followed by our translators. The expressions used by these naturally suggest to our minds a condemnation to suffer the rigor of the law. Yet the original word seems to relate solely to the disgrace resulting from the opinion of the public, and not to any other punishment, corporal or pecuniary. Infamy is, indeed, a common attendant on every sort of public punishment. Hence by a synecdoche. of a part for the whole, it has been sometimes employed to express a public and shameful execution. And this has doubtless occasioned the difficulty. But that it is frequently and most properly used, when no punishment is meant but the publication of the crime, Raphelius, in his notes on the place, has, by his quotations from the most approved authors, put beyond a doubt. I shall bring one out of many. It is from Polybius, Legat. 88, where he says,

ταῦτα.

* Η δέ σύγκλητος χρώμενη τῷ καίρῳ, καὶ βουλομένη ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΓΜΑΤΙΣΑΙ τους Ροδίους, ἀποκρίσιν ἐξεβάλεν ἧς ἦν τὰ συνεχοντα laura. "The senate taking the opportunity, and willing to expose the Rhodians, published their answer, whereof these are the heads." I shall only add, that Chr. one of the most eloquent of the Gr. fathers, understood this passage in the Gospel as meaning no more; accurately distinguishing between παραδειγματίζειν and κολάζειν, 'exposing' and 'punishing.' Thus he argues concerning Joseph's conduct on this trying occasion: Kaitoys où IIAPAÄEITMAΤΙΣΜΟΥ μόνον ἦν ὑπευθύνος ἡ τοιαύτη· ἀλλὰ καὶ ΚΟΛΑΖΕΣΘ ΑΙ αὐτὴν ὁ νόμος ἐκελεύεν. ̓Αλλ ̓ ὁ ̓Ιωσὴφ οὐ μόνον τὸ μείζον ἐκεῖνο, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἔλαττον συνεχώρησε, τὴν αἰσχύνην· ου γάρ μόνον ου ΚΟΛΑΣΑΙ, ἀλλ ̓ ουδε ΠΑΡΑΔΕΙΓΜΑΤΙΣΑΙ ἐβούλετο. "Now such a woman (as Mary was then thought to be) was not only exposed to shame, but also by law subjected to punishment. Whereas Joseph not only remitted the greater evil, the punishment, but the less also, the ignominy; for he determined not only not to punish, but not even to expose her." For the meaning of a term which occurs in so few places in Scripture, and those not unfavorable to the explanation given, a term with which no ancient controversy was connected, the authority of such a man as Chr. is justly held decisive. The verdict of Euth. is in effect the same. This also is the sense which the translator into M. G. gives the term, saying μὴ θελόντας να τὴν φανερώση, adding as an illustration on the margin, va ν лоμлéчn, to defame her.'

6

3" To divorce her," anolvoa aviny. In the N. T. the word άлolve is the ordinary term for divorcing a wife, and thereby dissolving the marriage. Nor did it make any difference in the Jewish commonwealth, that the parties were only betrothed to each other, and that the marriage was not completed by cohabitation. From the moment of their reciprocal engagement, all the laws in relation to marriage were in force between them. He was her husband, and she his wife. Her infidelity to him was adultery, and appointed to be punished as such, Deut. 22: 23, 24. In conformity to this is the style of our evangelist. Joseph is called, ver. 16, Mary's husband; she, ver. 20, his wife: the dissolution of their contract is expressed by the same word that is uniformly used for the dissolution of marriage by the divorce of the wife. I have preferred here, and in other places, the term divorcing to that of putting away. The latter phrase is very ambiguous. Men are said to put away their wives, when they put them out of their houses, and will not live with them. Yet the marriage union still subsists; and neither party is at liberty to marry another. This is not what is meant by anovec tηv yuvaîna in the Gospel. Now a divorce with them might be very private. It required not, as with us, a judicial process: the determination of the husband alone was suffi

cient; Deut. 24: 1, 2. The utmost, in point of form, required by the rabbis (for the law does not require so much) was, that the writing should be delivered to the wife in presence of two subscribing witnesses. It was not even necessary that they should know the cause of the proceeding. They were called solely to attest the fact. Now, as the instrument itself made no mention of the cause, and as the practice of divorcing on the most trifling pretences was become common, it hardly affected a woman's reputation to say that she had been divorced. I should in some places prefer the term repudiate, were it in more familiar use.

etc.

20." A messenger," ayyelos. Diss. VIII. Part iii. sect. 9,

22. "Verified," пingwon: E. T. "fulfilled." Though it should be admitted that the word now is here used, in the strictest sense, to express the fulfilment of a prophecy which pointed to this single event; it cannot be denied, that the general import of the verb ingów, in the Gospel, is more properly expressed by the Eng. verb verify, than by fulfil. Those things are said knownvα, which are no predictions of the future, but mere affirmations concerning the present or the past. Thus, ch. 2: 15, a declaration from the prophet Hosea, 11: 1, which God made in relation to the people of Israel, whom he had long before recalled from Egypt, is applied by the historian allusively to Jesus Christ, where all that is meant is, that with equal truth, or rather with much greater energy of signification, God might now say, "I have recalled my Son out of Egypt." Indeed the import of the Greek phrase, as commonly used by the sacred writers, is no more, as L. Cl. has justly observed, than that such words of any of the prophets may be applied with truth to such an event: for it is even used where that which is said to be fulfilled is not a prophecy but a command; and where the event spoken of is not the obedience of the command, (though the term is sometimes used in this sense also,) but an event similar to the thing required; and which, if I may so express myself, tallies with the words. Thus, in the directions given about the manner of preparing the paschal lamb, it is said, Exod. 12:46, "None of his bones shall be broken." This saying the evangelist, J. 19: 36, finds verified in what happened to our Lord, when the legs of the criminals who were crucified with him were broken, and his were spared. 'But were not the recall of Israel from Egypt, and the ceremonies of the passover, typical of what happened to our Lord?' I admit they were. But it is not the correspondence of the antitype to the type, that we call properly fulfilling this English word, if I mistake not, is, in strictness, applied only, either to an event to which a prophecy directly points, or to the performance of a promise; whereas the Greek word is sometimes employed in Scripture to denote little more than a coinci

dence in sound. In this sense I think it is used, ch. 2: 23. We have an instance of its being employed by the Seventy to denote verifying, or confirming, the testimony of one by the testimony of another, 1 Kings, 1:14. The word fulfilling, in our language, has a much more limited signification; and to employ it for all those purposes, is to give a handle to cavillers where the original gives none. It makes the sacred penmen appear to call those things predictions, which plainly were not, and which they never meant to denominate predictions. The most apposite word that I could find in English is verify; for, though it will not answer in every case, it answers in more cases than any other of our verbs. Thus, a prophecy is verified (for the word is strictly applicable here also) when it is accomplished; a promise, when it is performed; a testimony, when it is confirmed by additional testimony, or other satisfactory evidence; a maxim or proverb, when it is exemplified: a declaration of any kind may be said to be verified by any incident to which the words can be applied. I acknowledge that this word does not, in every case, correspond to ningów. A law is fulfilled, not verified; and if the import of the passage be to denote that additional strength is given to it, it is better to say confirmed, or ratified. In some places it means to fill up, in others to perfect, in others to make known. Thus much I thought it necessary to observe, in regard to my frequent use of a verb which is but rarely to be found in other Eng. translations.

The

2° Iva лknown, literally, "that it might be verified." conjunction, in all cases, denotes no more than that there was as exact a conformity between the event and the passage quoted, as there could have been if the former had been effected merely for the accomplishment of the latter. God does not bring about an event, because some prophet had foretold it; but the prophet was inspired to foretell it, because God had previously decreed the event. If such particles as iva, or öлws were to be always rigorously interpreted, we should be led into the most absurd conclusions. For instance, we should deduce from J. 19: 24, that the Roman soldiers, pagans, who knew nothing of holy writ, acted, in dividing our Lord's garments, and casting lots for his vesture, not from any desire of sharing the spoil, but purely with a view that the Scriptures relating to the Messiah might be fulfilled; for it is said that they resolved on this measure, ἵνα ἡ γράφη πληρωθῇ ἡ Leyovoa.-See Note on ch. 8: 17.

3 « In all this—was verified ;” τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονεν ἵνα πληpo. Chr. and some others have considered this and ver. 23, as spoken by the angel to Joseph: I considered these verses as containing a remark of the evangelist. By messages from heaven particular orders are communicated, and particular revelations givBut I do not find this method taken, for teaching us how to VOL. II.

en.

2