LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON, N. J. PRESENTED BY llr. Hoel Lavo'ence McQueen Dkis Scctit)ii. ^^ .H SM mi mi ^m m X kf^.^ -*^ /i] J /3^'. ■ I K. THE CHRONOLOGICAL BIBLE: COXTAI.MNC THE Olir anir |lciu Ccstanicuts, ACCOUDIXfi TO THE AUTHORISED VERSION: NEWLY DIVIDED INTO PARAGRAPHS AND SECTIONS ; \ WITH THE DATES AND PLACES OF TRANSACTIONS; CONCISE INTRODUCTIONS TO TDE SEVERAL BOOKS; AND NOTES ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE CIIRONOLOUY, HISTORY, AND GEOGRAPHY OF TUE SACRED SCRIPTURES. ROBERT B. BLACKADEK. PRINTED FOR TUE EDITOR, AND SOLD 15V SIJIPKIN, MAIISHALL, & CO., STATIONERS' HALL COURT. 1804. TO 11 E U MOST GRACIOUS ]\I A J E S T V VICTOEIA, BY THE GRACE OP GOD, OP THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, QUEEN, DEFENDER OP THE FAITH, THIS EDITION OF 18 MOST HUMBLY INSCRIBED nv JIER MAJESTY'S MOST FAITHFUL SUBJIvCT AM) SERVANT ROBERT BANKS BLACKADKR. PREFACE. ^IIIS Edition of tlic Authorised Version of the Bible is offered as a help to the -■- better understanding of the Sacred Scriptures. The project of issuing such an edition had its origin in a conviction that something could be done, by improvements in its division and typographical arrangement, to render our invaluable English Bible more intelligible to Scripture students. The aim throughout has been not so much to amend the work of the venerated revisers of IGll, as to supply its deficiencies — to do what they would have done, had they lived in our day. That our present version is far from being so perfect as it might be, has been long admitted. ''Every true and real improvement,'^ says Mr. Weston, writing in 1782, " from whatever sources derived, ought to be applied Avithout delay to the perfection of our authorised translation ; and nothing should be suffered to remain which a reader unskilled in Greek and Latin cannot understand. The present admits of alterations for the better on almost every page of it.'' '' Since we have advantages," says Dr. Blayney {Jeremiah, p. 19), " of which our forefathers were not possessed, why should we not do for ourselves and our posterity what they would undoubtedly have done for us, had they been found in like circumstances as we are ? Let the work of purifying and reforming what is amiss in the present edition of our Bible, be fairly and honestly set about, and with that moderation and soberness which the gravity of the subject requires." " Whenever it shall be thought proper," says Bishop Lowth {Diss., p. 97), " to set forth the Sacred Scriptures for the public use of our Church, to better advantage than as they appear in the present English translation — the expediency of which grows every day more and more evident — a revision or correction of that translation may perhaps be more advisable than to attempt an entirely new one. As to style and langua<;c, it admits of little improvement ; but in respect of the sense and the accuracy of interpretation, the improvements of which it is capable arc great autl numberless." Similarly, Archbishop PEEFACE. Newcome (Minor Prophets, p. 16) recommended at great length an improved English version of the Scriptures — " than which nothing could be more beneficial to the cause of religion, or more honourable to the reign and age in which it was patronised and executed. The reasons for its expediency are the mistakes, imperfections, and many invincible obscurities of our present version." Weighty as are these testimonies, the object has not yet been attained — the task of carrying out such improvements being, in the words of Mr. Weston, '' a nice and difficult one, lest in our attempts to polish we shall be found to erase, and by an unwise endeavour at too great a change, instead of softening lines, efface the figure." A jealous fear of alterations, of whatever kind, will probably for long operate against any attempt at revision. But it was thought by the Editor of this work that no objection would be felt to an endeavour to make the most of the Authorised Version. The favourable reception of the " Chronological New Testament," which was published in 1851, justified this expectation. In 18j3, the Editor ventured on an edition of the entire Scriptures. In the early part of the Book of Genesis, he followed the plan of his former work ; but, as he advanced, he was led to the conclusion that the Old Testament did not admit of comment wholly biblical in its character. Consequently, he began to insert explanatory notes. To these, in the books of Joshua and Judges, were added geographical and critical notes ; and at last, down to the end of the Second Book of Kings, notes didactic and reflective. This point was reached in 1856. In 1858, the New Testament was completed ; and in the winter of 1859, he resumed the publication of the Old Testa- ment. The consequence is, the work is not wholly uniform — a defect which he hopes to remedy in future editions. If it sliould be found that he has not overlooked anything of importance to the elucidation of the Historical Books, perhaps the reader may not regret having had his attention called to their spirit ai>d meaning. It is hoped that, by means of the helps provided, the English reader will obtain a clearer insight into the scope and purpose of the Poetical and Prophetical Books. The poems, psalms, or prophecies, are arranged and separated, and accompanied by notes tending to fix their historic place, and to bring out their primary significance. The following are the main features in which this edition differs from those in ordinary use : — I. The sacred text has been re-divided ; for chapters have been substituted sections, and for verses paragraphs— the old divisions being nevertheless retained for facility of reference. The paragraphs, mainly the work of Alexander Bell, Esq., PREFACE. arc constructed on a principle which has now for the first time been applied to the English Bible. II. The most important parallel passages are quoted at length in the margin. III. The marginal renderings of the translators are given : these are an integral part of the version. IV. Many additional notes are given : for the purpose of distinguishing these from those of the translators, they arc placed within parentheses ( ) . Y. Every section has its own proper date, and the place of the occurrence of any event is stated. VI. By means of the numerals prefixed to each section, the whole Sacred Volume may be read in chronological order. VII. The Poetical Books — ^as well as the hymns and canticles scattered throughout the Sacred Volume — and many parts of the New Testament, have been printed rhythmically on the principle of poetic parallelism. VIII. Speeches are printed with inverted commas. IX. The most important variations of the ancient versions arc given. X. A comparison, by mcaus of a difkont type, of the Received text of the New Testa- ment with the MS. known as B, preserved in the Vatican Library. XI. An elaborate harmony of the Gospels. XII. A complete system of dates throughout all the books. XIII. Quotations in the New Testament of passages from the Old arc printed in capitals. The Introductions to the books, from Exodus to 1 Chronicles, and that to S. Matthew, and part of the Notes, are the work of the Rev. F. Bosworth, M.A. ; those from S. jNIark to Romans, the work of the Rev. Dr. S. Trail, of Harray ; and all the rest arc the Editor's own. To the Rev. Dr. Jebb, of Pcterstow, he is indebted for help with the Book of Proverbs : to Dr. S. Trail, and to the Rev. Dr. J. Forbes, of Edinburgh, for assistance with the parallelisms of the Gospels. In treating of the Apocalypse, he has adopted the view of the Rev. P. S. Dcsprez {Apocalypse Fulfilled), as in the main the true interpretation {Journal of Sacred Literature, April, 18G2). To the Rev. Robert Wells Whitford, M.A., he is under great obligations for valuable aid PREFACE. in suggestions, arrangements, and notes. Also to tlie Rev. T. K. Abbott, Trinity College, Dublin; the Rev. T. S. Green, Ashby de la Zoucli ; the Rev. T. Candy, Sidney College, Cambridge ; the Rev. T. W. Mcller, Woodbridge ; and Henry Gough, Esq., Lincoln's Inn. A large part of the expense of the work T^^as defrayed by a layman of well-known beneficence, who is now deceased, and by a distinguished living Prelate of the Church. Many of those whose names appear as subscribers also contributed to its support. It is the intention of the Editor to publish a Volume of Notes of greater length, embracing many matters connected with the Sacred Writings, which want of space prevented being given in the present Avork. Also, an edition of the Apocrypha, on the same plan, is in preparation. If this attempt shall be favourably received, the Editor will endeavour in future editions to make the work more perfect. He is conscious that it is at present very far from being what such a work might and ought to be. To the attainment of this he most respectfully asks the assistance of Biblical scholars. 36, Trinity Square, Southwakk. Advent, 1804. INTRODUCTION. (1) Thkoughout the whole of the time in which Christianity has impressed its character and laws on civilisation, the volume of wi-itings called em- phatically " TnK Book " has been regarded with respect, reverence, and love. Its wisdom expands the mind, its utterances excite our awe, its tender- ness wins our hearts. (2) The purpose of the Sacred Volume is two- fold : to reveal the existence, and to enunciate the Will of the Almighty Creator ; and to exhibit prac- tical examples of the happiness of obedience, and the misery of disobedience, to that Divine Will. (3) These are of necessity inseparably connected. (4) Assurance of the reality of the manifesta- tions of Himself which are recorded in the Old Testament, might have been made as certain as that at the Incarnation " Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility'' (CvUcct for Advent ; compare Phil. ii. 0. Col. ii. 9. Ileb. i. 1 — 4) : and instead of " He added no more," De. v. 22, precept might have, in the Sacred Volume, largely taken the place of example. On the contrary, his- tory forms the greater part of its contents ; and that again is mainly occupied with the lives of men : of some, whom it records as alienated from God, outcasts from His presence, and abominable in His sight; of others, as acknowledged and cherished as His servants. His children, His peculiar people. " In the Sacred Volume," says Bishop Jebb {Practical Sermoni, p. 2:34), " life and death, bless- ing and cursing are set before us, and man is in- vited to a dedication of himself — a reasonable, holy, living sacrifice — to crucifixion of flesh, mortifica- tion of the body, discipline of the mind, and sub- jugation of the passions ; to forbeai'ance, endurance, watchfulness, as indispensable pre-requiaites to purity of heart and peacef ulness of spirit; to the safe enjoyment of this world, and the final blessedness of the next." " It is a contradiction to imagine," says C. How {Meditation LIV.), ''that any man can be assured of God Almighty's pardon without obeying Him, or of the eternal enjoyment of Him without a firm belief in Him (Ileb. xi. G) : that is," he adds, " when from intent meditation and mature reflection, the judgment, reason, understanding and all the faculties of the soul are overpowered with an irresistilJle conviction of the necessary ex- istence of such a Divine l^eing, representing Him as infinite in glory, in wisdom, in goodness ; with such charms, such beauty, such loveliness, as cap- tivate the soul with a Divine love, possessing it with an ardent desire after the enjoyment of Him, laborious endeavours to please Him, incessant striv- ings to resemble and render ourselves acceptable to Him. Such a love as, reigning triumphant in the soul, engrosses its affections, and, divesting aU other objects of their charms, delivers it up to the absolute and entire dominion of the great and glorious Creator." (5) At the very beginning of his existence (Ge. ii. 10) man was made acquainted with the great Law of his being; viz. that the Will of God is the Rule of Duty. Compare De. v. 32 ; vi. 4, 25 ; ^•ii., viii., ix., xi., xii. That the Ten Commandments were a re-promul- gation of an already known law, may be gathered from the lives of Noah, Abraham, and Job. The seven precepts of Noah prohibit — I. Idolatry ; II. Irreverence to the Deity; III. Homicide; W. Un- chastity ; V. Fraud and plundering ; VI. Disobe- dience to government; VII. Eating any part of a li\ ing animal. (Solden, De Jure Xatnrtr. ) These INTRODUCTION. may be presumed to have entered into the codes of the ancient nations of the world, and to have been part of the '* Law of Nations " which the Roman lawyers sought in vain to recover. A. primitive revelation is, in all probability, the source of what is called the Law of Nature. " I cannot fancy to myself," says Selden (Table Talk), " what the law of nature means but the law of God. How should I know I ought not to steal, I ought not to commit adulteiy, &c., unless somebody had told me so ? Sm-ely it is because I have been told 80. It is not because I think I ought not to do them, nor because you think I ought not ; if so, our mind might change. Whence then comes the restraint? From a higher power; nothing else can bind. I cannot bind myself, for I may untie myself again ; nor an equal cannot bind me, for we may untie each other. It must be a superior power — even God Almighty." (6) Compliance and non-compliance with the Will of God, that is, resistance to the desires of the body and yielding to them, are set forth in many parts of the writings of S. Paul.* " Walk in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfil {fulfil not, mar.) the lust of the flesh" (Ga. v. 16). ''The flesh lusteth against the spirit, but (Gr.) the spirit against the flesh ; to the end that ye should not do those things to which ye are inclined" (v. 17). "Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof " (Ro. vi. 12). " I delight in the law of the mind (Ro. vii. 22) (Vat. MS. Barb. I.) . . . but I see another law in my members rebelling agiiinst the law of my mind" . . . (Ro. vii. 23). This warfare is analogous to the universal law of gravitation, and resist- ance to gravitation. By gravitation the pendulum descends, by resistance it ascends; by gravitation water falls to a lower level, by resistance it rises ; again, by gravitation the tree decays, by resistance fresh life springs from the rotting trunk ; by gravi- tation the radicle seeks the centre, by resistance the plumule seeks the heavens. Precisely analogous is the noble nature of man. Only by resistance is life. " Passion uncontrolled," says Hinton {Life in Nature, p. 200), " leads to corruption — ends in death. Operated on by the force which brings its latent passion into play — the chemical afilni- ties which its elements contain — the seed begins to undergo a change, the decomposition of its substance. The change arises alike in the fer- tile and the unfertile seed ; it is the starting-point at once of life and death. Resisted by the germ it becomes the source of living action — it is the very power of growth ; the chemical change re- sisted constitutes the life, and forms the basis of all subsequent deA'elopment. If unresisted, the seed decays — it sinks into corruption and is lost. Throughout life in all its forms this one fact is presented to us — passion resisted is the source of life. The law of tension (storing up of power), translated into language that our souls can under- stand, signifies self-control, uprightness, holiness." (7) This edition of the Authorised Version has been prepared under the firm belief, not only that a Divine Revelation is historically recorded, but that the Record (ypa^?}, the Scripture) is itself in- spired by God {dtoTTvivaTogJ. 2 Ti. iii. 16. (8) In the infancy of society memorials of various kinds were employed to preserve the memory of events. Comp. Ge. xxvi. 33 ; xxviii. 18. Jos. iv. 9 ; vi. 26 ; viii. 32. Ju. xv. 19. 1 Sa. vii. 12. 2 Ki. xviii. 5. But the art of writing was very early practised. Pliny (Nat. Hist. vii. 46) says, " the use of letters was eternal." "The Phoenicians," says Herodotus (v. 58), "first made letters known in Greece." (Comp. ii. 49). The Phoenician and the old Hebrew characters are essentially one ; and it is from the former, rather than from the Egyp- tians, that the Hebrews obtained theirs. (See Ge. xlii. 23.) As early as the times of the Patriarchs a very intimate relation subsisted between the Hebrews, Phoenicians, and Canaanites. (Compare Ge. xii. 6 ; xv. 18 ; and xxiii.) Abraham had jewels (Ge. xxiv. 22, 47) ; Zidon was known to Jacob as a haven of ships (Ge. xlix. 13. Jos. xix. 10) ; Judah had a seal-ring (Ge. xxxviii. 18 ; Comp. Ex. xxviii. 11, 21, 36), as the Babylonians had, according to Herodotus — " Each person has a seal-ring, and a cane or walking-stick, on the top of which is carved an apple, a rose, a lily, an eagle " (i. 195). Stamped coin seems to have been in use (Ge. xx. 16 ; xxiii. 16 ; xxxiii. 19). Midianitish merchants pass from Gilead (see De. iii. 12, 13) into Egypt (Ge. xxxvii. 25). " If," says Iliivernick {Intro, to Old Test. p. 234), " there was such a connection INTRODUCTION. in the patriarchial age with the neighbouring nations, and at the same time such an inlluence on the luxury of the Israelites, we can have little hesitation in ascribing to them also the art of writing." A class of Egyptian priests appears in Ge. xli. 8, whose name seems derived from the iron style mentioned Job xix. 24; xx. 1, .'J2. The " taskmasters " of Kx. v. 0 are literally " the wi'iters." (Comp. Iliad, xvi. 457; xvii. 4^35. Odi/tsct/, xii. 14.) " If we find," says Hiivemick, " writing enter- ing deeply into the whole life of a people, we must of necessity' ascribe to them an early ac- quaintance with it." The Levites must have been in possession of the art of writing (Nu. v. 23, De. xxxi. 9, and x\di. 18). They determined weights and measures ; they decided according to the law (De. xvi. 18 ; xxi. 5. 1 Ch. xxiii. 4 ; xxvi. 20. 2 Ch. xix. 8 ; xxxiv. 13) ; and to them were entrusted the genealogies. In the time immediately succeeding, the art of writing is fully known. Joshua writes readily (Jos. xxiv. 20) ; the blessings and curses are engraven in stones (Jos. viii. 32) ; the lands are described and measured; the troops are mu.stered in ■^^Titing (Ju. v. 14. Je. lii. 25) ; and a young man in Succoth "writ" (Ju. viii. 14 — mar.) the princes. (9) It is repeatedly stated that Moses wrote the account of certain events (Ex. xxiv. 4, 7 ; xxxiv. 27. Nu. xxxiii. 2. De. xxxi. 9, 24). Those pre- vious to his own time were probably not composed, but arranged and put together by him. That they had already been committed to writing maj' be inferred from the fact of the Book of Genesis consisting of ten sections, each commencing with the words " This is the generation" (history of the origin). I. The heavens and the earth (i. — ii. 4). II. Uf Adam (v. ; vi. 8). III. Of Noah (vi. 9— ix). IV. The sons of Noah (x.— xi. 9). V. Of Shem (xi. 10—20). VI. Of Terah (xi. 27— xxv. 11). VII. Of lshmael(xxv. 12— 18). VIII. Of Isaac (xxv. 19— xxxv). IX. Of Esau (xxxvi). X. Of Jacob (xxxvii). The tradition of his nation (.\cts vii. 22. Josephus, Ant. II., x. 1, 2) ascribed to Moses "learning in all the wisdom of the l\gyptians." It is probable that he was endowed with great powers of organisation, had an intimate iu-quaintanco with Palestine and Egypt, an