CHAP. VIII.

Of the Faults of Tranflations in rendering the Names of Trees, Fruits,

&c.

TH

Here is no occafion on which the Verfions fhow more inconftancy, or differ more among themselves than in the fignificatson of the Terms of the Original, which denote Trees or Plants.

I. The Chaidee Paraphrase,and all the Rabbies except Abenezra, transform into a Plain the Gak at which God did appear unto Abraham, when he entred into the Land of Canaan, Gen. 12. 6. And most Versions that pretend to agree with the Hebrew, as thofe of Geneva, of Munfter, of Caftalio; of Junius and Tremelius, and our English Verfion follow their Example; but the Vulgar Latin transforms this Oak into a Valley. But befides that the Hebrew Word Elon, which is here imply'd fignifies elfewhere always an Oak, the Syriack and Arabick Verfions, St. Jerome, Mafius, and the Verfion ofZurich have rendred it fo in the L12 afore

aforecited place. Nor has the Geneva
Verfion and ours Tranflated it other-
ways, Gen. 35. 8. Jof. 24.26. and were
we to give it another Signification, we
must rather make it fignifie a Valley than
a Plain; beaufe Sychem was Scituated in
the Valley of Aulon, fo called from the
Word Elon, which fignifies an Oak. 'Twas
under this Oak that Jacob hid the strange
Gods which his Servants kept, and the
Ear-rings which were in their Ears; and
'twas likewise under it that Deborah, Re-
becca's Nurfe was Buried, Gen. 35. 4.
'Twas also under it that Joshua let up a
great Stone, Jol. 24.26. and that Abime-
leck was made King, Judg. 9. 6. where
our Tranflators render it Plain; and
'twas under it likewise, that the Sons of
the old Prophet found the Man of God
fitting, 1 Kings 13. 14.

8.

The fame fault likewife Translators have been guilty of in rendering the Plain of Mamre, instead of the Oak of Mamre, where God also appear'd unto Abraham,Gen.18.1.For Sozomene writes that this Oak was ftill famous in the time of Conftantine the Emperor for Pilgrimages, and for an Anniversary Feaft which was Solemiz'd there, that it was distant from Hebron but fix Miles, where there were

still to be seen fome Cottages which Abraham had built near unto that Oak, and a Well which he had digg'd, and where the Jews, Chriftians and Pagans travelled every Year, either out of Devotion, or with a defign to Trade. Brochard affures us that he had seen this Oak, and had carry'd home fome of the Fruit and Wood of it; and he observes that its Leaves are fomewhat larger than those of the Maftick-tree, but that its Fruit refembles an Acorn. So that it seems we fhould Tranflate the Oak of Moreh, and the Oak of Mamre, in the forecited places where they are mentioned.

II. The unconftancy of the Rabbies in the Signification they have given to the Hebrew Words Sittah and Sittim, has made the Authors of the Vulgar Latin, of the Geneva Verfion and ours keep the terms of the Original, without Tranflating them, in all the places where they are to be found, except Ifa. 41. 19. where the first have Tranflated it by Thorn, and the Second by Fir-tree. Fagius having obferved that the Jewish Doctors take this Tree, fome for the Cedar, fome for the Wild-pine, and others for the Box-tree, concludes only with faying, that the Opinion of AbenL13

ezra

ezra is the most probable, who thinks that this kind of Tree did grow near to Mount Sinai. Hiskani fays almost the fame, adding that in the Defarts there were whole Forrests of thefeTrees, of which the Ifraelites made their Tabernacles, according to what is faid Numb. 25. 1. And Ifrael abode in Shittim; that is, according to him, in Tents (1.) made of that Wood. But all this is fo Ge

neral, that it leaves us ftill in the dark as to the kind of Tree which is underftood by this Word.

The Septuagint feem indeed to specifie it when they Tranflate the Hebrew Wood Sittah by that of the Box-tree, Ifa. 41. 19. But fince they Tranflate the Word Sittim by the Maftick-tree, Micha

6.

5. and by Incorruptible Wood in all other places where it is found, we can draw nothing of certainty from them. Befides it is a Question whether theBoxtree grew in the Defarts of Arabia, or on Mount Libanus, fince it commonly Flourishes in cold Ground, as Pliny obferves, and there being now no other Tree in all the Defart of Arabia but the Acacia, from which the Arabians take the Gum, which we call Gum Arabick, as

Balon

Balon who travel'd that Country relates. St. Jerome feems to have come nearest to the true Signification of this Word, when he observes that the Hebrew Sittab is a fort of Tree which grows in the Defart, refembling the White Thorn, or Brier, both in Leaves and Colour; but withal fo large, that it can furnish the greatest Planks, and furpaffing all other kinds of Wood, in Strength, Solididity, Beauty and Lightness, being in a manner incorruptable and capable of receiving an incomparable Smoothness. But he is deceived in faying that this Tree is only to be found in Arabia, fince it is common in Egypt, and even in Europe too, though it have not the fame Qualities.

However it cannot be longer doubted but that this Tree is the Acacia, whether we confider the Etymology of the Word Sittah or Sittim, or the Defcriptions that Naturalifts give of the Acacia;or the place where the Materialsofthe Tabernacles were made of Sittim.For as Hottinger obferves, this word Sittah,or in the Plural Sittim, evidently comes from the ward Set, which fignifies among the Arabians, That which is long, whence the Rabbies call a Line or Verle of a Book Sittah,

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