A

then one, which is divided in two parts. For 'tis the Idiom of the Hebrew Tongue, nnd likewile of the Latin in the most Ancient Writers of it, to name the lesser number first, and afterwards the greater. For Example, we fay now according to the Propriety of our Speech, Abraham Lived One Hundred Seventy and Five Years: They on the contrary faid Abraham Lived Five Years and Seventy and an Hundred. Hieron. in Dan,

Heb.

CHAP. VII.

Several feeming Contradictions Recti

I.

fied.

"T

HE Verfions make Our Saviour, Matt. 6. 8. command his Apoftles to take nothing for their Journey Jave a Staff only, whereas Matt. 10. 10. they are forbid to take a Staff. Our Translators to refolve this difficulty render Staves in the plural Number as if they were only forbid to carry more than one Staff. But this Tranflation is contrary to the word in the Original, which is in the

Singular

Singular Number, and fignifies only one Staff. It is true indeed, that St. Luke 9. 3. in our Greek Teftaments, this word is in the Plural Number, but fuch of them as have Marginal Notes, mark it in the Singular Number, on the Margin, to fhew that it is fo read in fome Copies. But suppose we should read that the Apoftles were forbid to take Staves, yet the meaning must be, that none of them was to have a Staff, or else we must fuppofe, that they were forbid to have any more than one Staff a piece; or more than one Staff between them all. But what fervice could one Staff do them all, tho' they were to go one way, but ef pecially fince they were to be separated? And more Staves than one a piece would only be troublesome to them. So that fuch a prohibition as this would be altoge ther fuperfluous. In a word, the Grammatical fenfe of St.Luke in fome Copies, and of St. Matthew in all, and the plain and natural meaning of the Evangelists, whatever number the Greek word be off, is contrary to that of St Mark, as render'd by our Tranflators. But Heinfus has obferv'd, that the Greek Particles which we render by the words fave only, fhould be render'd, No not; So that the words

of

of St. Mark muft run thus: And Commanded that they fhould take nothing for their Fourney, no not a Staff; which perfectly agrees with the other Evangelifts.

II. Our Tranflation and that of Geneva, feem to reprefent Herod as a Prince who refpected John Baptift, and had a great esteem for all that he faid, Mark 6. ro. Tho', in St. Matthew, and St. Luke, he is represented as a wicked Wretch, whom nothing but the fear of the People, that look'd on John as a Prophet, did hinder to put him to Death, Matt. 14. 5. Luke 3. 19. 20. But we are to confider that the Greek word, which the Geneva Verfion Tranflates to reverence, and Ours, to obferve fignifies, to keep Prifoner or to obferve with an ill defign. We must confider farther that R. Stephanus and Beza had fome Greek Copies, wherein instead of the words which we render, He did many things, there are words which fignify, He was much vexed, or troubled Which indeed much better reprefent the Temper of that diffolute and wicked Prince. Jofephus the Hiftorian obferves, that Herod, had put John the Baptift to Death, because he thought that the People were altogether led by him, which is an Argument that he did neither refpect him,

nor

:

nor hear him gladly nor do many things for love of him. This Text then should be thus Tranflated. For Herod fearedJohn, knowing that he was a Just Man and a Holy, and he kept him Prifoner or kept a watchful Eye over him, and having hear'd him he was much perplexed, tho he bear'd him peaceably.

III. The Translations make St. Mat thew and St. Luke contradict one another very grofly, in relating the Death of Judas. They make the one fay, That he hanged him, Matt. 27. 5. and the other, That he fell hea dlong, burst asunder in the midst, and that all his Bowels gushed out. Acts, 1. 18. This has obliged Interpreters to run to several Conjectures, equally ridiculous and groundless Some, with Theophylact, fay, that he hang'd himself on a Tree, but that the Branch yielding and falling to the Ground, he could not ftrangle himself, and therefore fet himselfloofe again; but that afterwards he fell into a Dropfy of which he burst and died. Others, with Euthymius, on the Authority of Papias, pretend, that having been feen by fome when he was hanging, they took him down and fav'd him, but that afterward, he went to a fecret fteep place, whence he thruft

him

1

himself headlong, and then fwel'd and burft. Maldonat rejects thefe Fables, to make way for a no lefs foolish and uncertain Conjecture of his own. He pretends that Judas threw himself from fome place higher than his Gibbet, and that the Rope having broke, he fell to the Ground and burft, or that his Belly fwel'd, as it commonly happens to fuch as dye in that manner, and that a little after his Bowels burst out. Nor do they fail to find a Type of this imaginary accident of Judas, in the Person of Achitophel, who, as the Tranflations affirm, did likewife hang himself, 2 Sam. 17.

2,

But I. Some of the moft Learned Jewish Doctors affirm that Achitophel did not hang himself, but that he was ftifled to death with grief, and it seems that theLXX did not think the original word fignified any thing else fince they tranflate it, by the fame word which St. Mat. makes ufe of in speaking of the Death of Judas. It is not probable that Job wifh'd to be hang'd Job 7. 15. whatever the Version say, For the Hebrew word he imploys fignifies properly Stifling. Nor is there any appearance that Sara the Daughter of Raguel, would have ftrangled her felf, When