THE HOLY BIBLE, CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS: THE TEXT PRINTED FROM THE MOST CORRECT COPIES OF THE PRESENT AUTHORIZED TRANSLATION, INCLUDING THE MARGINAL READINGS AND PARALLEL TEXTS. WITH A Commentary and Critical Notes. DESIGNED AS A HELP TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SACRED WRITINGS. BY ADAM CLARKE, LL. D. F. S. A. M. R. I. A. For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort VOLUME I. Royal Octavo Stereotype Edition. STEREOTYPED BY A. CHANDLER. NEW-YORK, published BY B. WAUGH AND T. MASON, FOR THE METHODIST 13 CROSBY-STREET. J. Collord, Printer. 1833. ADVERTISEMENT. THROUGH many delays, occasioned by a variety of hinderances, the detail of which would be useless to the reader, I have at length brought this part of my work to its conclusion; and now send it to the public, not without a measure of anxiety; for though perfectly satisfied with the purity of my motives, and the simplicity of my intention, I am far from being pleased with the work itself. The wise and the learned will no doubt find many things defective, and perhaps some incorrect. Defects necessarily attach themselves to my plan: the perpetual endeavour to be as concise as possible, has, no doubt, in several cases produced obscurity. Whatever errors may be observed, must be attributed to my scantiness of knowledge, when compared with the learning and information necessary for the tolerable perfection of such a work. To an undertaking of this kind, a man's whole time should be dedicated—to me this is impossible, having a variety of other avocations, most of which have an equal claim on my time and attention. Although I had been making collections for many years past, I have begun the work anew, not availing myself of a single page of what I had before written: I have re-transcribed the whole, and made innumerable retrenchments and additions. I do not pretend to write for the learned; I look up to them myself for instruction; all the pretensions of my work are included in the sentence that stands in the title: it is designed as a help to a better understanding of the Sacred Writings. Here its claims end. If there be but a few spots, such as may be fairly attributed to human frailty, and comparatively inefficient means, the candid will pass them by, in favour of the general principle. I had at first designed to introduce a considerable portion of criticism on the sacred text, accompanied with illustrations from ancient authors; but after having made many collections of this kind, on some particular parts, I was induced to throw almost the whole of them aside, for two reasons, 1. Because a continuation of my original plan, through the whole work, would have necessarily taken up more time than I could have well spared: and, 2. Because having designed my notes not for the learned, but for comparatively simple people, or those whose avocations pre-vent them from entering deeply into subjects of this kind, I thought it best to bring every thing as much as possible within their reach, and thus study rather to be useful, than appear to be learned. The criticism which appears in the work, is of a very humble description; its chief merit consisting in pointing out the force and meaning of certain expressions which no simple translation can reach; and the doing this, in such a way, as to cause the subject to be the more easily understood. By the standard therefore of sincere endeavour to be useful, I wish alone my work to be tried; and hope that none will look for more in it than the title will authorize him to expect. What is now before the reader is a fair specimen of the whole; if he be pleased, and in any measure profited by it, should God spare him and the author, he may expect farther improvement. In the mean time let him remember, that though even Paul should plant, and Apollos water, it is God alone that gives the increase. A. C. London, 8th September, 1810. |