A

DISSERTATION

ON

A MOS,

C. v. 26,

AND

ACTS,

C. vi. 43.

Wherein the Words of the Prophet and ST LUKE are considered, and a different Reading and Construction of the Prophet's Words are proposed.

*

It has been observed, by writers of great eminence, that whenever the authors of the nets Testament quote passages from the old, according to the Sept. version, apparently differing from the present text, the former must certainly be right, and the latter must have undergone some corruption since the time of the making of that version. And this argument would undoubtedly be conclusive, if no instances could be produced, in which it is quite evident, that the Evangelists and Apostles follow the Greek version, when a better sense may be had from the original. But examples may certainly be brought, which will clearly evince, that the writers of the new Testament adhere to the Sept. translation, when the text will admit of a very different and much better

construction.

* "Non dubito asserere tanti faciendam esse versionem Sept. Christianis, ut, si hodie aliquid reperiatur in textu Heb. diversum ab eo quod citatur in novo Testamento, ubi ratio habita est editionis Sept. interpretum, statuendum omnino sit, veram lectionem esse potius istam quæ apud Scriptores novi Testamenti legitur, quam eam quæ in codicibus Ebræis hodie exstat; et si quid in novo Testamento citatur, quod in veteri Hebræo non exstat, id ex novo supplendum esse." Epis. copii. Instit. Theolog. lib. iv. c. 21. See also Jackson's Chronol. vol iii. p. 199.

The apostle, Rom. iii, 4, gives the translation of the Sept. to this purport, "that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged :" whereas, the text, conformably to our Bible version, runs thus, Ps. li. 4, "that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and clear when thou judgest." For, as the words of the Psalmist are spoken of God in an active sense, as virtually passing sentence upon David, by punishing him for his sius, and not in a passive, the proper sense of the verb nɔ, tischeh, (or, as Bishop Hare, in conformity with most of the versions, would read, ɔ,) is, “thou (or and thou) shalt be clear," i. e. free from all imputation of partial judgement; and, though the verb п, zacheh, in the Syr. may signify vincere, it does not seem to be the genuine import of it here.*

Again, the apostle, Heb. xi. 21, following the version of the Sept. where he is speaking of Jacob's blessing Joseph's sons, says, that he worshipped upon the top of his staff. But, the original word nnn, Gen. xlvii. 31, should be rendered, with Pagninus, according to its primary signification, incurvavit se, "and he bowed himself upon the top of his staff;" i. e. not being able to support himself any longer, he rested his head upon it. Dr Randolph would preserve both the senses of the word; "Jacob worshipped God, and, being old and feeble, supported himself by leaning on the top of his staff." But, as we cannot well suppose that both of them are here included, I should prefer the latter, as, in order to comprehend both senses, several words must be upderstood.

Another passage is that of the apostle St Peter, Acts, ii. 24, where, speaking of the resurrection of Christ, he quotes a passage from Ps. xviii. 4, according to the Sept. version, though, as it is generally allowed, the word ban, chebli, should, in this place, be translated the cords of death, (not was, the pains of death,) as it is rendered in the margin of our Bible, here and 2 Sam. xxii. 6, agreeably to the Syr. Vulg. and Pagninus's Version. The reason for the apostle's so closely adhering to the Sept. version, in this instance, is probably the high veneration and esteem it was held in by the Jews at that time, who made it at least of equal authority with the text; and this

"Græci reddiderunt rad unhong, ex Syriaca verbi affinis significatione, quem errorem sæpius errarunt. Verum clerici paraphrasis videtur esse optima horum verborum interpretatio; "adeoque quod dicis justum est, vereque de me judicas." Hare in Ps. li. 4.

+ See Randolph's Comparison of the Prophecies and New Testament; and Hody Hist. Heb. Textus, lib. iii. p. 1, c. ii. sect. 68.

"It is plain that ban signifies cords or snares, from their surrounding him." Mudge on Ps. xviii. And Lorinus observes, that from ban, chebel, the word cable is probably derived: see also Calassio's Concordance.

partiality

partiality may account likewise for St Stephen's following this version of the prophet Amos, which, for reasons to be assigned hereafter, I cannot think conveys the true sense and meaning of the original words; and as, in order to reconcile them with the Greek translation, a transposition of words and syllables must be admitted, I could wish to submit one to the consideration of the learned, which seems to give a more easy and apposite sense. The words of the prophet at present are, « but ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch (or, as the margin, Succoth, your king,) and Chiun, your images, the star of your god which ye made to yourselves. Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus." The words of St Stephen, in the Acts, run thus; "yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures, which ye made to worship them; and I will carry you away beyond Babylon."

My first business, then, shall be to shew that the Sept. version probably does not give us the true sense and meaning of the prophet's words. That ¡ɔ, Chiun, should be rendered Papar of Pupar, and is to be understood of the Egyptian god Saturn, i. e. the planet Saturn, is a supposition that has many difficulties attending it, though supported by great authorities. For, first of all, some of the antient versions differ widely from the Sept. The Chald.* renders the word exactly conformably to the Hebrew diction, "et Chiun, imaginem vestram," and Chiun, your image. The Vulg. gives us," et imaginem idolorum vestrorum," and the image of your idols; supposing it to be an appellative noun. And, indeed, if it was a proper name, denoting any particular deity, I should agree, with Lud. Capellus+ and the learned Dr Kennicott, to transpose the words of the text, so that the star here might answer to the tabernacle going before; as it is observed, by some learned authors, that some of the planets were worshipped under the figure of a star.‡

* See Walton's Polyglot.

+ Certum est, Stephanum secutum esse non hodiernum Hebræum, sed Græcum Sept. interp. qui eodem plane modo etiamnum in Græcis se habet, quomodo a Stephano citatur; nisi quod in quibusdam codicibus Papar legitur (quæ videtur melior lectio) pro Pu@av. Textus Hebræus

Sept. autem interpretes sic omnino videntur legisse;

ונשאתם את סכות מלככם ואת כיון צלמיכם כוכב אלהיכם אשר עשיתם לכם :23 .sic habet, Amos, v

ונשאתם את סכות מלכום ואת כוכב אלהיכם ריון צלמיכם אשר עשיתם לכם.

See, also, Gen. Dissert. to the collation of the Hebrew MSS. sect. 73, where the only difference is, that Dr Kennicott preserves ɔɔ instead of ɔ, and ¡, Chiun, instead of ", Reivan, which Lud. Capellus was obliged to read in order to justify the Sept. and St Luke's version.

"Saturnum Syri Rimmon vocabant, colebantque non in forma regis, sed in forma stella." Grotius, in Acts, vii. -"Erat simulacrum Moabitarum cum gemma pellucida et eximia, in summa fronte ad figuram Luciferi." Drusius, in Acts, vii.

But, as Drusius remarks, the word Remphan assumes as many shapes as the chameleon.* Those who take it for a heathen deity differ greatly in their opinions what deity it is. Vossius supposes it to be the moon ;† others think it to be Hercules; another tells us that it was Venus; § but Bochart and many others assert that Chiun in the prophet, and Remphan in the Acts, are spoken of the planet Saturn. In order to support which opinion, they are obliged to maintain that the > must be changed into, as Reivah was the Egyptian name of the planet Saturn. Though others, on the contrary, assert that Chiun, or Chon, was the name of an idol worshipped by the Persians and Ismaelites; which, through ignorance, the Hebrews miscalled Reivan, which signifies a giant or healer, from 7, Repha, sanare.||

But, from this diversity of opinions, may we not be led to conclude that it is not the name of any deity at all? Nay, those very persons who suppose Chiun to be the planet Saturn vary very

* "Locum hunc difficilem (Act. vii. 43) faciunt voces aliquot corruptæ, quæ mirandum in modum torquent interpretes. Quid Remphan? Non magis chamæleon in colore quam hoc nomen variat in Scripturâ, ut vel inde jure merito quis intelligat locum a librariis corruptum esse." sac. tom. vii. p. 2208.

+"Sane ut Chiun Lunam vel hesperum credam, proprietate vocis etiam compellor :- sed malim multo intelligere lunam; tum quia lunæ is honos magis convenit, tum maxime quia Arabes non alios agnoscunt deos, quam Dionysium, hoc est, solem, et Uraniam, hoc est lunam." Vossius de progrès. Idolol. lib. ii. c. 23.

"Qui (i. e. Hercules) a gentilibus teste Gyraldo Hebræa voce Con, vel Conen, appellabatur." Tirinus in Amos, v. Bib. max. tom. xii. and Godwin's Ant.

§ Hunc Rephan dicunt fuisse stellam Veneris, quæ nunc præiens Solem vocatur Lucifer, vespere sequens Hesperus." Menoch. in Amos, v. Bib. max. tom. 12.

See Hody, de Græc. vers. p. 115, and Tirinus, in Amos, v. "Sed male utrique," says Dr Hody," et agnoscit eruditissimus Seldenus se omnino nescire quare Rephan pro Ciun interpretes substituerunt. Rátio mihi in promptu est, Ciun, enim, sive Saturnus, appellatus est apud Egyptios, Rephan, ut patet ex Coptica tabula planetarum apud Prodromum Coptum. Et hinc conficitur Amosi quoque interpretem ex Egypto fuisse, et illius regionis vernaculam linguam intellexisse. Non enim nomen Egyptiacum, Rephan, sed vel Ciun suum, vel Græcorum xgovov, posuissent Hierosolymitani." But, to support this argument, it must be shewn that the word Chiun, in the Hebrew language, denotes the planet Saturn, as Reivan does in the Coptic; which seems to want proof, though Dr Hody has asserted it upon the authority of Dr Pocock, lib. iii. c. 2, sect. 39.

much in their own accounts. Spencer himself seems to allow that it may be understood of little images, made in such a manner as to be carried about with ease.* And, if we consider the sense of the Hebrew root, which signifies aptavit, collocavit, &c. the noun may not improperly denote a shrine, or little temple, in which the idol-deity was placed: for, that they had these portable shrines may be gathered, not only from heathen authors but from the account we have in c. xix. of Acts; of Demetrius, the silver-smith, "who made silver shrines for Diana," the same deity with the Egyptian Isis, or the Moon: for, as Cicero observes, "Lucifera Luna est Diana." And the word vao, here rendered shrines, i. e. as Grotius remarks, "exiguas ædiculas argenteas, et in iis simulacrum Dianæ," may perhaps be derived from the Hebrew word 3, naveh Brocklesby likewise acknowledges that by Saturn may be understood the Sun.§ Nor, indeed, does there seem to be the least propriety in the Israelites worshipping the planet Saturn, in preference to the rest, in their sojourning through the wilderness, to which period the words of the prophet most probably refer. Besides, it is reasonable to suppose, that, by Saturn, in the pagan theology, we are to understand the Sun, who was the Moloch, Melech, or Milchom, of the Ammonites, mentioned

* "Amosi no, (Succoth,) præcipue de templis aut tentoriis parvulis, et Chijun de simulachris minusculis, opere facili circumgestandis, intelligenda videntur." Tom. ii. de leg. Heb. p. 671.

"The tabernacle of Moloch was a shrine, with the image of the deity placed within it; so were, also, the thensæ, or lecticæ, among the Romans." Lowth's Paraphrase.

“Because they made images of their gods, and put them into shrines; therefore the prophet calls them, images of their gods." Whitby, on Acts, vii. But by refers to the image and not to the shrine.

+ "In Hebræo est Kiun, quod si deducas a radice Kon, (quod significat apparare, concinnare, erigere, firmare,) apte designabit imaginem, seu statuam, concinne apparatam, erectam ac firmatam ad cultum." Tirinus. Bib, max. in Amos.

For, though the word as is immediately derived from the verb raw, yet this verb seems to habitare.

,נוה come from

See his works, p. 225.

"That they were guilty of this idolatry, whilst they continued in the wilderness, we cannot doubt if we believe the prophet Amos." Whitby, on Acts, vii. 43.

"It is probable the Israelites were addicted to this kind of worship in the wilderness, because it is so severely prohibited, Lev. xx. 25." Lowth's Comment. on Amos, v.