fpofition of Terms that must be rèplac'd in their natural order; that there are Faults in fome Copies which must be rectify'd; That there are various readings, fome of which, for feveral Reasons, are to be preferr'd to others; That the different pointing of the fame Hebrew word gives it quite different Senfes; That there are fome propofitions which feem Negative, which are to be taken Interrogatively and affirmatively; That there are some allufions to Uses and Customs, which explain the difficulties; That there is a literal Senfe and a figurative that must not be confounded; That there are General Expressions that must be understood with refpect to the particular Subject to which they are apply'd; That the Scripture frequently accommodates itself to the current Opinions about natural things, without approving or confirming them; That there are Parentheses that darken the Senfe, unless they are more diftinctly mark'd, than they commonly are in moit Translations; that there are ways offpeaking of former times, of the Jewish Nation, and of the Eastern Countries, that must be adjusted to our Idea's; That the different circumftances of the Subject, the Connexion with what goes before

and

after, and the defign of the Author, muf often Determine the meaning; That the fignification of a Hebrew Verb quite changes, according to the Conjugation it is in; and several other Rules, which are of the greatest Importance in finding out the true Senfe of the Holy Scriptures. But the People, who are no less concern'd to know the Will of God than the Learn'd, don't understand many of thofe Rules, and therefore are always in danger of being deceiv'd, as long as the Tranflations continue as they now

are.

I. It is true, there are few or none now a days fo Grofs, as to imagine that God has a Body; tho' the Scripture attributes Eyes, Hands, Ears, Feet, Bowels, &c. to him. The Jews efpecially could not be mistaken in this Point, after the frequent Advertisements God had given them, of his being Immaterial, Spiritu al and Invisible. But yet fince the People are ready to receive wrong Notions by thofe figurative Expreffions, and fince our Language has Words in abundance to Express them in a proper Senfe, it seems more reasonable that they should be reduc'd to their Natural Senfe, than left in a Tranflation, and that when the C Ori

Panim.

18.

Original Speaks of God's Hand, it fhould be Tranflated God's Power; His Eyes, his Care, and Providence; his Mouth, his Order or Commandments; his Bowels, his moft tender Compaffions, &c.

II. There are indeed fome occafions, in which fome of thefe Words cannot be kept without altering the meaning of the Text. The Hebrews, for Example, exprefs the Words, Face and Anger by one Word. But a Tranflation can't keep the Word Face, where the Original defigns Anger, without corrupting of the Place, and quite Marring the Sense. And therefore the Geneva Translation and Pifcator had reafon to render what is faid 1 Sam. 1. of Hannab, in the Hebrew, That her Countenance was no more, by thefe Words, And her Indignation continued no more : which our Verfion has Tranflated, And her Countenance was no more Sad; by fupplying the Word Sad, which is not in the Original. But this in my Opinion, is a little forc'd, and the other feems more eafy and natural. Our Translators have render'd the Hebrew Word, by that of Anger in other places, as well as thofe of Geneva. As Pfalm. 21 9. Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven, in the day of

thine Anger; and Jer. 3. 12. Where God promifes that he will not make his Anger to fall on his People. But in other places, they have render'd it by the Words Face, Countenance, Prefence, where the Senfe manifeftly requires that it should be Tranflated by the Word, Anger. As Levit. 20. 6. The Geneva Verfion hath, I will fet my Face against them that confult Deviners; where our Verfion has expreft it; I will fet my Anger, &c. And thus it fhould have render'd it too. PJ. 9. 3. Mine Enemies hall perish by thy Anger; and not at thy Prefence. Pf. 34. 16. The Anger (not the Face only) of the Lord is against them that do Evil. Ps. 51.9. Turn away thine Anger from my Sin. And 2. Thefs. 1. 9. who shall be punished with everlasting Destruction, from the Anger (not Prefence only) of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power. In all thofe places Anger is evidently underftood, and fo the Chaldee, Paraphrafe and the Syriack and ArabickV erfions have frequently render'd it.

III. The Scripture alfo fometimes expreffes Anger, by a Word which fignifies the Breath of the Noftrils; because those that are angry, do commonly discover their Paffion in this manner. But fince

this Metaphor is not us'd in our Lan guage, it can't be left in a Translation defign'd for the People, without giving. them notions different from those of the Original. And therefore our Translators, and thofe of Geneva, have very well expreft it, by the Word Anger, Deut. 29. 20. But there can be no reason given, why they fhould not have Translated it fo in other places, where it certainly fignifies the fame thing: As Exodus 15. 8. Pf. 18. 15. Job, 4 9. in the last of which places, our Tranflators have exprest it by Anger on the Margin, tho' they have put the blast of the Noftrils in the Body of

the Text.

IV. The Eastern Countries, whofe Stile the facred Writers, do frequently imitate, were wont to exprefs every. thing they would say, in bigg and swelling Terms, which feem to contain a peculiar Force and Emphasis when render'd Word by Word in our Western Tongues. But those who are acquainted with the Language of the Levant, do discover no fnch strength and Energy in them, because they knew the Ideas, which the Eastern Countries do annex to thofe pompous expreffions. When they fpeak of the taking of a Town, or of fome extra

ordinary