mitted that the canon of the Old Testament was settled; but by whom this great work was accomplished, is a question on which there is a considerable difference of opinion. On the one hand it is contended that it could not have been done by Ezra himself; because, though he has related his zealous efforts in restoring the law and worship of Jehovah, yet on the settlement of the canon he is totally silent; and the silence of Nehemiah, who has recorded the pious labours of Ezra, as well as the silence of Josephus, who is diffuse in his encomiums on him, has further been urged as a presumptive argument why he could not have collected the Jewish writings. But to these hypothetical reasonings we may oppose the constant. tradition of the Jewish church, uncontradicted both by their enemies and by Christians, that Ezra, with the assistance of the members of the great synagogue (among whom were the prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi,) did collect as many copies of the sacred writings as he could, and from them set forth a correct edition of the canon of the Old Testament, with the exception of his own writings, the book of Nehemiah, and the prophecy of Malachi; which were subsequently annexed to the canon by Simon the Just, who is said to have been the last of the great synagogue. In this Esdrine text, the errors of former copyists were corrected: and Ezra (being himself an inspired writer) added in several places, throughout the books of this edition, what appeared necessary to illustrate, connect, or complete them. Whether Ezra's own copy of the Jewish Scriptures perished in the pillage of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes, is a question that cannot now be ascertained: nor is it material, since we know that Judas Maccabæus repaired the temple, and replaced every thing requisite for the performance of divine worship (1 Mac. iv. 36-59.), which included a correct, if not Ezra's own, copy of the Scriptures. It has been conjectured, and it is not improbable, that in this latter temple an ark was constructed, in which the sacred books of the Jews were preserved until the destruction of Jerusalem and the subversion of the Jewish polity by the Romans under Titus, before whom the volume of the law was carried in triumph, among the other spoils which had been taken at Jerusalem. Since that time, although there has been no certain standard edition of the Old Testament, yet, since both Jews and Christians have constantly had the same Hebrew Scriptures to which they have always appealed, we have every possible evidence to prove that the Old Testament has been transmitted to us entire, and free from any material or designed corruption. The various books contained in the Old Testament, were divided by the Jews into three parts or classes the Law-the Prophets and the Cetubim, or Hagiographa, that is, the Holy Writings: which 1 Prideaux's Connection, part i. book v. sub anno 446. vol. i. pp. 329-344, and the authorities there cited. Carpzov. Introd. ad Libros Biblicos Vet. Test. pp. 24. 308, 309. 2 Bishop Tomline's Elements of Christian Theology, vol. i. 3 Josephus de Bell. Jud. lib. vii. c. 5. § 5. p. 11. division obtained in the time of our Saviour, and is noticed by Josephus, though he does not enumerate the several books. 2 1. The LAW (so called, because it contains precepts for the regulation of life and manners) comprised the Pentateuch, or fiye books of Moses, which were originally written in one volume, as all the manuscripts are to this day, which are read in the synagogues. It is not known when the writings of the Jewish legislator were divided into five books: but, as the titles of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, are evidently of Greek origin, (for the tradition related by Philo, and adopted by some writers of the Romish church, that they were given by Moses himself, is too idle to deserve refutation,) it is not improbable that these titles were prefixed to the several books by the authors of the Alexandrian or Septuagint Greek version. 2. The PROPHETS, which were thus designated, because these books were written by inspired prophetical men, were divided into the former and latter,3 with regard to the time when they respectively flourished: the former prophets contained the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings, the two last being each considered as one book; the latter prophets comprised the writings of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and of the twelve minor prophets, whose books were reckoned as one. The reason why Moses is not included among the prophets is, because he so far surpassed all those who came after him, in eminence and dignity, that they were not accounted worthy to be placed on a level with him and the books of Joshua and Judges are reckoned among the prophetical books, because they are generally supposed to have been written by the prophet Samuel. 3. The CETUBIM or HAGIOGRAPHA, that is, the Holy Writings, comprehended the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah (reckoned as one,) and the two books of Chronicles, also reckoned as one book.4 This third class or division of the Sacred Books has received its appellation of Cetubim, or Holy Writings, because they were not orally delivered, as the law of Moses was; but the Jews affirm that they were composed by men divinely inspired, who, however, had no public mission as prophets: and the Jews conceive that they were dictated not by dreams, visions, or 1 These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, all things might be fulfilled which are written in the Law, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me." (Luke xxiv. 44.) In which passage by the Psalms is intended the Hagiographa; which division beginning with the Psalms, the whole of it (agreeably to the Jewish manner of quoting) is there called by the name of the book with which it commences. Saint Peter also, when appealing to prophecies in proof of the Gospel, says-"All the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days." (Acts iii. 24.) In which passage the apostle plainly includes the books of Samuel in the class of prophets. 2 Contr. Apion. lib. i. § 8. that 3 This distinction, Carpzov thinks, was borrowed from Zech. i. 4. -"Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried."-Introd. ad Lib. Bibl. Vet. Test. p. 146. 4 The Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, are, in the modern copies of the Jewish Scriptures, placed immediately after the Pentateuch; under the name of the five Megilloth or volumes. The Book of Ruth holds sometimes the first or second, and sometimes the fifth place. voice, or in other ways, as the oracles of the prophets were, but that they were more immediately revealed to the minds of their authors. It is remarkable that Daniel is excluded from the number of prophets, and that his writings, with the rest of the Hagiographa, were not publicly read in the synagogues as the Law and the Prophets were this is ascribed to the singular minuteness with which he foretold the coming of the Messiah before the destruction of the city and sanctuary (Dan. ix.), and the apprehension of the Jews, lest the publie reading of his predictions should lead any to embrace the doctrines of Jesus Christ.1 The Pentateuch is divided into fifty or fifty-four Paraschioth, or larger sections, according as the Jewish lunar year is simple or intercalary; one of which sections was read in the synagogue every Sabbath-day: this division many of the Jews suppose to have been appointed by Moses, but it is by others attributed, and with greater probability, to Ezra. These paraschioth were further subdivided into smaller sections termed Siderim, or orders. Until the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes, the Jews read only the Law; but the reading of it being then prohibited, they substituted for it fifty-four Haphtoroth, or sections from the prophets. Subsequently, however, when the reading of the law was restored by the Maccabees, the section which had been read from the Law was used for the first, and that from the Prophets, for the second lesson.2 These sections were also divided into Pesukim, or verses, which have likewise been ascribed to Ezra; but if not contrived by him, it appears that this subdivision was introduced shortly after his death: it was probably intended for the use of the Targumists or Chaldee interpreters. After the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, when the Hebrew language had ceased to be spoken, and the Chaldee became the vernacular tongue, it was (as we have already remarked3) usual to read the law, first in the original Hebrew, and afterwards to interpret it to the people in the Chaldee dialect. For the purpose of exposition, therefore, these shorter periods were very convenient.4 IV. Originally, the text of the Sacred Books was written without any breaks or divisions into chapters or verses, or even into words; so that a whole book, as written in the antient manner, was in fact but one continued word. Many antient Greek and Latin manuscripts thus written are still extant. The sacred writings having un 1 Hottinger's Thesaurus, p. 510. Leusden's Philologus Hebræus, Diss. ii. pp. 13 -22. Bishop Cosin's Scholastical Hist. of the Canon, c. ii. pp. 10, et seq. 2 Of these divisions we have evident traces in the New Testament; thus, the section (reprox) of the prophet Isaiah, which the Ethiopian eunuch was reading, was in all probability, that which related to the sufferings of the Messiah. (Acts viii. 32.) When Saint Paul entered into the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, he stood up to preach after the reading of the Law and the Prophets (Acts xiii. 15.), that is, after reading the first lesson out of the Law, and the second lesson out of the Prophets. And in the very discourse which he then delivered, he tells the Jews that the Prophets were read at Jerusalem on every Sabbath-day, that is, in those lessons which were taken out of the Prophets. (Acts xiii. 27.) 3 See pp. 3, 4. supra of this volume. 4 In Vol. III. Chap. III. Sect. IV. we have given a table of the Paraschioth or Sections of the Law, together with the Haphtoroth or Sections of the Prophets as they are read in the different Jewish Synagogues for every sabbath of the year, and also showing the portions corresponding with our modern divisions of chapters and verses. dergone an infinite number of alterations by successive transcriptions, during the lapse of ages, whence various readings had arisen, the Jews had recourse to a canon, which they judged to be infallible, in order to fix and ascertain the reading of the Hebrew text, and this rule they called masora or tradition, as if this critique were nothing but a tradition which they had received from their ancestors. Accordingly, they pretend, that, when God gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai, he taught him, first, its true reading, and, secondly, its true interpretation; and that both these were handed down by oral tradition, from generation to generation, until at length they were committed to writing. The former of these, viz. the true reading, is the subject of the Masora; the latter or true interpretation is that of the Mishna and Gemara, of which an account is given in a subsequent chapter of the present volume. The Masoretic notes and criticisms relate to the books, verses, words, letters, vowel points and accents. The Masorites or Massorets, as the inventors of this system were called, were the first who distinguished the books and sections of books into verses. They marked the number of all the verses of each book and section, and placed the amount at the end of each in numeral letters, or in some symbolical word formed out of them; and they also marked the middle verse of each book. Further, they noted the verses where something was supposed to be forgotten; the words which they believed to be changed; the letters which they deemed to be superfluous; the repetitions of the same verses; the different reading of the words which are redundant or defective; the number of times that the same word is found at the beginning, middle, or end of a verse; the different significations of the same word; the agreement or conjunction of one word with another; what letters are pronounced, and what are inverted, together with such as hang perpendicular, and they took the number of each, for the Jews cherish the sacred books with such reverence, that they make a scruple of changing the situation of a letter which is evidently misplaced; supposing that some mystery has occasioned the alteration. They have likewise reckoned which is the middle letter of the Pentateuch, which is the middle clause of each book, and how many times each letter of the alphabet occurs in all the Hebrew Scriptures. The following table from Bishop Walton will give an idea of their laborious minuteness in these researches. Bishop Walton's Prolegom. c. viii. § 8. p. 275, edit. Dathii. In the last cen Such is the celebrated Masora of the Jews. At first, it did not accompany the text; afterwards, the greatest part of it was written in the margin. In order to bring it within the margin, it became necessary to abridge the work itself. This abridgment was called the little Masora, Masora parva; but, being found too short, a more copious abridgment was inserted, which was distinguished by the appellation of the great Masora, Masora magna. The omitted parts were added at the end of the text, and called the final Masora, Masora finalis.1 Lastly, in Jewish manuscripts and printed editions of the Old Testament, a word is often found with a small circle annexed to it, or with an asterisk over it, and a word written in the margin of the same line. The former is called the Ketib, that is, written, and the latter, Keri, that is, read, or reading, as if to intimate, write in this manner, but read in that manner. For instance, when they meet with certain words, they substitute others: thus, instead of the sacred name Jehovah, they substitute Adonai or Elohim; and in tury, an anonymous writer published the following calculation similar to that of the Masorites, for the ENGLISH VERSION of the Bible, under the title of the Old and New Testament Dissected. It is said to have occupied three years of the compiler's life, and is a singular instance of the trifling employments to which supertition has led mankind. The middle Chapter, and the least in the Bible, is Psalm 117. The middle Time 2d of Chronicles, 4th Chapter, 16th Verse. Old Testament. The middle Book is Proverbs. The middle Chapter is Job 29th. The middle verse is 2d Chronicles, 20th Chapter, between the 17th and 18th Verses. The least verse is 1st Chronicles, 1st Chapter and 25th Verse. New Testament. The middle Book is Thessalonians 2d. The middle Chapter is between the 13th and 14th Romans. The middle verse is Chapter 17th of Acts, 17th Verse. The least Verse is 11th Chapter of John, Verse 35. The 21st Verse of the 7th Chapter of Ezra has all the Letters in the Alphabet except j. The 19th Chapter of the 2d of Kings and the 37th of Isaiah are alike. 1 Butler's Hora Biblicæ, vol. i. p. 61. |