SEVENTEENTH STUDY

How We Got Our Bible

PART ONE

I. =Name.= Here is a volume which we call "The Holy Bible." The word "bible" means "books"--_biblia_, plural of Greek _biblion_, "book." So the Bible is "The Sacred Book," and by its very name calls attention to the fact that it is not one book, but many: 39 books in the Old Testament, 27 in the New--66 books in the Bible. Its composite nature is not less important for us to keep in mind than its unity. Especially is this true of the Old Testament, of which we speak mainly in this lesson.

II. =Origin.= How came these books into being? This is a question of the "higher criticism"--that is, the study of subjects back of and above those belonging to the meaning of the text; not higher because more important, but higher because pertaining to an earlier period. Certain conclusions, however, may be accepted.

1. Much of the contents of the Bible, especially of the Old Testament, was given _orally_, through stories, songs, and poems recited, through prophetic discourses, and through traditions handed down from generation to generation--a method of instruction universal before books were printed.

2. These oral teachings were _written_, some at the time when they were given, others later, sometimes after generations of oral repet.i.tion. The writing of different portions of the Bible was carried on at various times, in various places, and by various writers; perhaps through 1,600 years, and by more than 40 writers, most of whom have remained unknown.

In the writing and rewriting He'brew scholars of Old Testament times did not hesitate to modify the older works as they saw reasons for so doing.

We respect the "works of authors," and would not alter the language of Chaucer or Milton or Macaulay; but He'brew prophets and scribes in early times cared more for the contents than for the authorship of their sacred books.

3. As long as there were prophets in Is'ra-el and Ju'dah to declare the will of the Lord the need of a written and authoritative Scripture was scarcely recognized. But prophecy ceased about B. C. 450, and then began the _work of the great scribes_, of whom Ez'ra was the chief, in bringing together, editing, and copying the sacred books. Perhaps about B. C. 400 the Old Testament was practically complete. But it is evident that the precise text was not fixed for centuries afterward, as the earliest translation (the Septuagint; see below) shows that a text was followed different from that now read. The text of the He'brew Bible was not finally adopted until later than A. D 200.

III. =Language.= 1. Nearly all the Old Testament was written in He'brew, the language of the Is'ra-el-ites, called by the As-syr'i-ans on their monuments "the tongue of the west country," in the Bible "the lip of Ca'naan" (Isa. 19. 18) or "the Jews' language" (2 Kings 18. 26).

2. Certain parts of Dan'iel and Ez'ra and one verse of Jer-e-mi'ah (Jer.

10. 11) were written in Ar-a-ma'ic (2 Kings 18. 26, "Syr'i-an language"), often, though inaccurately, called Chal'dee.

IV. =Form.= 1. The books of the Old Testament were _written upon parchment_, the prepared skins of animals. The letters were large, and a ma.n.u.script roll embraced generally only one book; and several rolls were needed for the longer books.

2. Their use was almost entirely _limited to the synagogue_, and few copies were ever owned by private persons. After touching the roll of an inspired book one must wash his hands in running water before touching anything else.

3. When the synagogue rolls were well worn they were cut up into smaller pieces for _use in the schools_, where the Bible was the only text-book.

When worn out they were burned or buried. The Jews did not preserve ancient writings, which is one reason why all the ma.n.u.scripts of the Bible are of comparatively modern date.

Blackboard Outline

I. =Name.= "H. B." _Biblia._ 39. 27. 66.

II. =Orig.= "Hi. Crit." 1. _Ora._ St. so. po. pro. trad.

2. _Writ._ 1,600 y. 40 wri. "Works of authors."

3. _Work of scr._ B.C. 400. Text not uniform.

III. =Lang.= 1. Heb. 2. Aram.

IV. =Form.= 1. Writ. parch. 2. Use in syn. 3. Use in sch.

Review Questions

What is the origin and meaning of the word "Bible"?

What does this word suggest as to the books of the Bible? How many books does the Bible contain? What is meant by "the higher criticism"? How was much of the Bible given? How and when were the books written? How long was the writing in progress? Did the writers of the Bible change the doc.u.ments as they wrote them? How long was there little need of a written revelation?

When were the writings of the Old Testament brought together? Name the leader in this work. At what time was the Old Testament completed? Was the precise text of the Bible fixed at that time? What evidence is there of more than one accepted text? In what language was most of the Old Testament written? What other language was also used? What parts of the Old Testament were in this other language? In what form were the books of the Old Testament preserved? What was their princ.i.p.al use? What hindered the private ownership of the books? What use was made of the old rolls of the Scriptures? How were they finally disposed of?

PART TWO

V. =Early Versions.= The captivity of the Jews in Bab-y-lo'ni-a led to a change in their spoken language, so that they could no longer understand the ancient Hebrew of the Bible, and translations, or "versions," became necessary. Note that in Ez'ra's Bible cla.s.s (Neh. 8. 7) translators were employed, and their names are given.

1. _The Targums_. These translations from the Hebrew to the vernacular, or common speech, of the Jews were called _Targums_. Men were trained to give them, as the sacred text was read, sentence by sentence, in the synagogue. This translator was called a "meturgeman." For centuries these translations, or Targums, remained unwritten, were handed down orally, and were jealously guarded. Not until after A. D. 200 was the writing of the Targums authorized by Jewish custom.

2. _The Septuagint._ The conquests of Al-ex-an'der, B. C. 330, made the Greek language dominant in all the lands of the east, and the Jews dispersed among these countries needed their writings in the _Greek tongue_, which was used almost everywhere in the synagogues outside of Ju-de'a. To meet this need the _Septuagint_ version arose in Al-ex-an'dri-a, beginning about B. C. 285. The name Septuagint, meaning "seventy," arose from a legend that the version was made by seventy men, each in a separate room, translating all the books; and the result showed the rendering alike, word for word! The Septuagint became the current Bible of the Jews in all lands except, perhaps, Pal'es-tine.

3. _The Vulgate._ After Rome became the world's capital, and the Latin language came into general use, especially west of Al-ex-an'dri-a, in the Christian churches came a demand for the Bible in Latin. Many versions of certain books were made, but the one that at last superseded all the earlier translations was that prepared by Jerome, about A. D.

400. This was called "the Vulgate," from the Latin _vulgus_, "the common people." This was the Bible in general use until the Reformation. But as the Latin language in its turn ceased to be spoken the Bible was lost to the common people throughout Europe, and was known only to scholars, mostly in the monasteries.

VI. =Modern Versions.= Of these mult.i.tudes have been made; but we will notice only a few of the most important in the line of succession leading to our English Bible.

1. _Wyclif's Bible._ John Wyclif was "The Morning Star of the Reformation," preaching in England one hundred and fifty years before Luther in Germany. Finding the Latin Bible inaccessible to the common people, he prepared a version in the English of his time, aided by other scholars. The New Testament was first translated, beginning with the book of Revelation, in 1357, and nearly all the Old Testament was translated by 1382, two years before Wyclif died. This translation was made from the Vulgate, not from the original Hebrew and Greek. As printing had not yet been invented it was circulated in ma.n.u.script only, yet was read widely.

2. _Tyndale's Bible._ After the invention of printing and the great Reformation there was an awakened interest in the Bible. William Tyndale, a scholar in Hebrew and Greek, gave his life to the translation of the Scriptures, was exiled, and was martyred in 1536 on account of it. His New Testament in 1525 was the first printed in English, and it was followed by the Pentateuch in 1530. No one man ever made a better translation than Tyndale, which has been followed in many renderings by nearly all the later versions.

3. _The Great Bible._ Omitting the versions of Coverdale, Matthew, and Taverner, we come to the first authorized version, made under the direction of the English prime minister, Thomas Cromwell, edited by Miles Coverdale, and published in 1539. It received its name from its size, and from the fact that a copy of it was required to be placed in every church in England.

4. _The Geneva Bible_ was translated by a company of English exiles in Switzerland, and appeared in 1560. It was more convenient in form than the earlier editions, was divided into verses, and printed in Roman letters--traits which made it popular, especially among the nonconformists in England.

5. _The Bishops' Bible_ was prepared under the direction of Matthew Parker, archbishop under Queen Elizabeth, by eight bishops of the Church of England, and appeared in 1572. It had a limited circulation, because it was really not quite as good as the Geneva Bible; but it was the official version in England from 1572 to 1611.

6. _The Douai Bible._ All the above-named versions, and many others, were the work of Protestants. The Roman Catholics of England found a version of their own a necessity; and, as they were not allowed to prepare and publish one in England, the task was undertaken by exiled Roman Catholics on the Continent. The New Testament was published at Rheims, in France, in 1582; the Old Testament at Douai, in Belgium, in 1610. This translation was made from the Latin Bible of Jerome, and its marginal notes set forth the Roman Catholic views. It is still the English Bible of the Roman Catholic Church.

7. _The King James Version._ In the reign of James I of England many versions were in circulation, and for the sake of uniformity a new translation was ordered by the king. This was made by forty-seven scholars, occupying about three years, and was issued in 1611. It became by degrees the standard English Bible, "The Authorized Version," as it is called. It is the Bible which is still circulated by the million every year, the Bible familiar to every reader.

8. _The Revised Version._ The advance in scholarship, the increasing knowledge of the ancient world, and the discovery of old ma.n.u.scripts unknown to earlier translators, caused a demand, not for a new Bible, but for a revision of the text and of the translation in common use. The Church of England led in the movement, but invited the cooperation of scholars in every denomination of Great Britain and America. In 1881 the New Testament appeared, and in 1885 the entire Bible. Students everywhere recognized the Revised Version as a great improvement upon the Authorized Version, but it comes very slowly into use by the people.

9. _The American Revised Version._ In the preparation of the Revised Version of 1885 the American scholars proposed more radical changes than the English revisers would admit. It was arranged that the Americans should have their list of proposed changes published at the end of the version, but they should not publish any Bible containing them in the text until 1900. The American revisers continued their organization, and, aided by experience, made a new revision throughout, which was published both in England and America as "The American Revised Version,"

in 1901. This work is by most students regarded as, upon the whole, better than the Revised Version of 1885 and the best translation of the Bible that has yet appeared.

Blackboard Outline

I. =Name.= "H. B." _Biblia._ 39. 27. 66.

II. =Orig.= "Hi. Crit." 1. _Ora._ St. so. po. pro. trad.

2. _Writ._ 1,600 y. 40 wri. "Works of authors."

3. _Work of scr._ B. C. 400. Text not uniform.

III. =Lang.= 1. Heb. 2. Aram.

IV. =Form.= 1. Writ. parch. 2. Use in syn. 3. Use in sch.

V. =Ear. Ver.= 1. Tar. 2. Sept. 3. Vul.

VI. =Mod. Ver.= 1. Wyc. 1382. 2. Tyn. 1525, 1530. 3. Gr.

Bib. 1539. 4. Gen. Bib. 1560. 5. Bish. Bib. 1572.

6. Dou. Bib. 1582, 1610. 7. K. Jam. Ver. 1611. 8. Rev.

Ver. 1881, 1885. 9. Am. Rev. Ver. 1901.