INDEX TO ABBREVIATIONS. The Greek capitals A, B, г, A, &c. indicate the books of the Iliad of Homer. The small letters a, B', y', &c. the books of the Odyssey. V. T. means Vetus Testamentum, i.e. the Old Testament. E. V. means Established Version, or Versioners. R. C. means Revising Clergymen, i. e. the Five Clergymen who have published a Revision of some parts of E. V. The letters and figures A, B, C, 1, 2, 3, &c., referring to MSS. of N. T. are taken from Tischendorf. NOTES ON MATTHEW. εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ματθαῖον] This is a very antient title. The Vatican MS. has Karà Ma@batov, and nothing more. E. V. seems to have read, τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον, and to have translated it wrong: for that title is found in some MSS. and editions: but those words mean, not The Gospel according to Saint Matthew, but, The Holy Gospel according to Matthew. Ι. 1. βίβλος γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, υἱοῦ Δαβίδ, υἱοῦ ̓Αβραάμ] This is the Author's title, and introduction to his work. The same word yéveois occurs again, v. 18. 9. Οζίας δὲ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰωάθαμ] Here it may be observed that Matthew leaves out three steps in the pedigree; apparently in order to comprise the chain from David to the captivity, in fourteen links for in fact Ahaziah was father of Joash, who was father of Amaziah, who was father of Uzziah the father of Jotham. 2 Kings xi. 2, &c. 15. Ματθὰν δὲ ἐγέννησε τὸν Ἰακώβ] i. e. Matthan begat James. Jacob and James, although different names in E. V. and in modern nomenclature, are one and the same in the Greek original: and it is sometimes a question of difficulty with the translator to choose between the two renderings: but in this case it seems better to call Joseph's father James; as this will agree with c. xiii. 55, where it appears that Joseph gave the name of James to his eldest son by Mary: evidently naming him after his own father; as he seems to have named his second son Joseph after himself: ibid. 16. ὁ λεγόμενος Χριστός] The meaning of these words is important. JESUS was the fulfilment of antient prophecy: the ANOINTED of God, manifested in human nature. The evidence of this fact is contained in his own declarations, and in the concurrent testimony of the Holy Spirit. The title of CHRIST or ANOINTED, is not the designation of man, but of JEHOVAH. Matt. xvi. 17, Joh. iv. 26. 17. yeveai dekaтéoσapes] From Abraham to David, both inclusive, are fourteen generations: from David inclusive, to the captivity, excluding the name of Jeconiah, are fourteen: and from Jeconiah to Jesus, both inclusive, are also fourteen. The reason for this recapitulation, seems to have been, in order to guard the stationer or copying clerk from error in omitting any of the names before enumerated: the pedigree is divided into three chains, each of fourteen links: and the stationer is hereby directed to count the links in each chain, and so to check the accuracy of his copy. This was a very useful direction in the time of Matthew, when printing was unknown: and like usages are found in other antient authors: e. g. Gellius, 2. 17, and 10. 1. 18. εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου] These words are free from all difficulty and ambiguity. But they are most erroneously rendered in E. V. She was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Nothing can be more erroneous, or more absurd. Mary must have been the first to know of her own pregnancy, and she also knew the cause of it. All this is plainly expressed by the words of the Greek text, which ought to be thus rendered: She found herself with child by Holy Spirit. But here it may be objected that such a rendering would give a middle sense to a passive verb. Be it so. The simple answer is, that the Middle Voice of Greek verbs is merely the somnium of grammarians. There is no such thing. Many Greek verbs have an active and a passive voice. Of the passive voice, some tenses are used sometimes in an active sense, sometimes in a passive, and sometimes in a sense intermediate between active and passive. To the passive voice belong four aorists: although it rarely happens that any one verb rejoices in all four. The first aorist is like ἐτύφθην· the second like ἐτύπην· the third like ἐπαυσάμην· the fourth like ἐγενόμην. Of these four aorists, the first and second are commonly used in a middle sense by the best Greek writers: e.g. Λ. 594. στῆ δὲ μεταστρεφθεὶς, ἐπεὶ ἵκετο ἔθνος ἑταίρων. i.e. he stood, and turned round, &c. ὑμεῖς ἐπ ̓ ἀλλ ̓ εἶδος τρέπεσθ'· i. e. leave of joking, &c. Menander, Strab. 297 A. ἂν τέτταρας δ ̓ ἢ πέντε γεγαμηκὼς τύχη, I have cited this passage in order to correct an error in v. 2, which κάTоσтρén, Salmasius karaσтpéon Bentley, Em. in Menand. ccxiv., corrects it ȧvappódiros a most clumsy correction, and wholly unworthy of so great a man. After him, Tyrwhitt proposed τύχῃ καταστροφῆς τις, and this reading is adopted by Meineke, Com. Frag. iii, p. 232. But the true reading is kara σTρap TIs, which alters only half a letter, and exactly agrees with the context. The poet had just before said: γαμεῖ γὰρ ἡμῶν οὐδὲ εἷς εἰ μὴ δέκ ̓ ἢ He then adds, But if any one shall take four or five wives, and stop there, they call him a miserable old bachelor. But in no book is this middle sense of the passive aorist more common than in Ν. Τ. Thus, Luke xxii. 41, ἀπεσπάσθη· ib. 61, στραφείς xxiii. 28, στραφείς John viii. 59, ἐκρύβη· xx. 14, εστράφη· ib. 16, στραφεῖσα· xxi. 20, ἐπιστραφεὶς ὁ Πέτρος· which means that Peter turned himself round; not that another disciple took him by the shoulders and turned him round. Acts ii. 40, σώθητε, save yourselves, as is rightly rendered by E. V. viii. 40, Φίλιππος δὲ εὑρέθη εἰς Αζωτον· which means that Philip found himself at Azotos, not that a policeman found him there, which is the meaning suggested by the words of E. V. Philip was found, &c. Mark xvi. 12, 14, ἐφανερώθη. i. e. shewed himself. This is said of Jesus after he was glorified, when he appeared and disappeared by his own volition, and by that alone. John xxi. 1, 14, uses ἐφανέρωσεν ἑαυτὸν, and ἐφανερώθη, as equivalent and convertible expressions, applying both to the same event. The third aorist passive is often used in an active or middle sense, but sometimes in a passive sense: e. g. αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ τὸ μὲν ἕλκος ἐτέρσετο, παύσατο δ' αἷμα· Λ. 267. This last is said of one who was sent to sleep by the hand of an enemy. The fourth aorist is used in an active, middle, or passive sense, according to the usage of the language; e. g. αὐτῶν γὰρ σφετέρῃσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὄλοντο· α'. 7. ὅτ ̓ ἐν Θήβησιν ἀπώλετο λαὸς ̓Αχαιών. Ζ. 223. ὄφρα μοι ἐκ κάματον θυμοφθόρον εἵλετο γυίων. κ'. 363. ὥστ ̓ ἔγωγ ̓ ἂν εἱλόμην που σαυνίω πεπληγμένος. Menand. Poll. x. 143. p. 1326. Here ὄλοντο and ἀπώλετο are simply passive. On the other hand, μεταστρεφθεὶς, Λ. 594, cited above, is equivalent to μεταστρέψας ἑαυτόν. But the last words remind me of an inveterate error in the text of Athenaeus, 267, F, citing the words of Krates, which are commonly read thus: ἰχθὺ βάδιζ ̓· ἀλλ ̓ οὐδέπω 'πὶ θάτερ ̓ ὀπτός εἰμι. οὐκοῦν μεταστρέψας σεαυτὸν ἁλείπαζ ̓ εἰσαλείφων. The last line has resisted all the efforts of Porson, Elmsley, Dindorf, and Meineke. Porson appears to have regarded it as hopeless. But Elmsley, fnding a MS. reading of ἀλείπας instead of ἀλείπας, corrects it, ἁλσὶ πάσεις ἀλείφων· and this reading is retained and approved by Meineke. Dindorf, for åλoi substitutes ἁλι, which is more pleasing to the ear, but is otherwise extremely objectionable. But what a clumsy expression is ráσeis aλeipov. The poet might talk of ἁλσὶ πάσσειν, οι ἁλσὶν ἀλείφειν, but would not employ both verbs. We must therefore reject one of them. Then aleiras is barbarous, and disturbs the metre. But the alteration of half a letter will give us two good words, åλoì nâs. So far, so good. But then eis which follows is incompatible with the metre; therefore must be thrown overboard: and then ἀλείφων with almost no alteration, will give us ἀλείφου. Thus we see the hand of the Poet: ἰχθὺ βάδιζ ̓· ἀλλ ̓ οὐδέπω ἐπὶ θάτερ ̓ ὀπτός εἰμι. Now, the verse is perfect, the sentence is complete, and the diction easy for aλeippov answers exactly to Badige which preceded a thing that all the Comic Poets attend to. Then how easywas the corruption of ἀλείφου, -ov,-wv・ and here it must be observed that the Epitome has preserved a vestige of the true reading, in the words μεταστρέψας σεαυτὸν ἄλειψε. The monster els seems to have arisen from the stationer antiently writing ПACС by mistake, and then dashing his pen through the second C, and so making a sort of hieroglyphic, which another stationer afterwards resolved into ELC. Then, not only the aorists, but other tenses also of the passive voice, are occasionally used in an active or middle sense: e.g. κἂν οἶνόν μοι μὴ ἐγχῇς σὺ πιεῖν, τὸν ὄνον τόνδ ̓ ἐσκεκόμισμαι. Ar. Vesp. 616. ὡς ἐπείσακτον κακὸν κατὰ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πραγμάτων πεπορισμένος. Com. Incert. Diod. T. 2. p. 80. τριπλάσιον κεκράξομαί σου. κατακεκράξομαι σε κράζων. Ar. Eq. 285, 287. But in the passage of Matthew before us, nothing can be more absurd than the rendering of E.V. rich as that is in transparent and almost incredible absurdities. They say, She was found with child of the Holy Ghost. This entirely misrepresents the truth, which Matthew had clearly expressed and it also states, what is not only not true, but what is absolutely impossible. For how could Mary have been found out to be with child by the Holy Spirit? She might, indeed, have been found out to be with child: because the signs of pregnancy, after a time, become outwardly visible: but she could not have been found out to be with child by the Holy Spirit: for the signs of pregnancy do not tell us who is the father of the child. Moreover, if Mary had been found to be with child by Holy Spirit, there would have been no occasion for an angel to reveal to Joseph that which he knew already, namely that Her child is begotten by Holy Spirit. God does not employ an angel to tell us what we know. But, in |