the betrayal of Christ, was named Hakel-dama, which name the sacred narrative declares was given in the language of the inhabitants of Jerusalem." And the fact was known to all the dwellers in Jerusalem, so that field was called in their tongue Hakel-dama, that is, the field of blood." But Hakel dama are Chaldee words, therefore it follows that the language. of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and of all that region was Chaldee.

But the first argument, if it be of any avail, proves nothing more than that Christ and his Apostles sometimes used Chaldee words, which we do not deny; but it does not by any means follow from thence, that this was their vernacular tongue. The real vernacular language of Christ was the Hellenistic, as we have shown above. And what is the Hellenistic but a mongrel jargon, (hibrida lingua,) its main strain being Greek, but having Hebrew and Chaldee vocables wrought up with it here and there. This is the very idiom in which the Books of the Maccabees, those of the New Testament and the Septuagint version have been written. It was naturally to be expected that, in books of this class, Hebrew and Chaldee words would frequently occur. Besides, we must protest that all these words are not Syriac which Amira claims as such, but partly Greek, partly Hebrew, and partly mixed. To begin with raca, for example, this is a Greek word used frequently by Homer, Demosthenes, Galen, and other Greek writers. Especially is τὸ ῥάκος, φάκεος, in the sense of mean, contemptible, used by Aristophanes and Lucian. By slightly changing the plural of this noun và gázɛa, the Jews made ¿áxa out of it, retaining the sense it bears in the Greek. Next, the word an ephphetha is Hebrew, from the root he opened. Corban

2

root p to offer. In like manner Hebrew, as Jerome correctly shows.

1 Act. Apostolorum, cap. 1, ver. 19.

2 V. August. lib. 1, de Serm. Dom.

also is Hebrew from alitha cumi are

בר-יונה But Bar-jona

3 Hieron. ad Pammach. de Opt. Gen. Interpr.

on the other hand, is mixed, for bar is the Syriac for son, and is common to both Hebrew and Syriac. All these instances do not more decidedly war against Amira's position than they go to establish my own, namely, that the Hellenistic was the familiar language of Christ, the Apostles and the Jews, and that the Hebrew and Chaldee was a foreign tongue to them. For, though the Jews did occasionally employ both Hebrew and Chaldee words, yet their meaning and power were becoming obsolete from day to day. To this cause should we attribute the fact that a Greek interpretation is usually subjoined to a Hebrew or Chaldee word, when either occurs in the text of the New Testament. Thus in Matthew, "Emmanuel, which is interpreted, God with us." “Eli, Eli, lama sabactani; that is, my God, my God, to what hast thou abandoned me?" Likewise in Mark, "Talitha cumi, which is interpreted, Damsel, (I say unto thee) arise." And elsewhere in the same way; a practice the Evangelists had never adopted if the. Chaldee or Hebrew tongue had been their vernacular.

The other objection we meet with the same argument. For the words Hakel-dama, although properly speaking they are Chaldee, nevertheless obtained a place in the motley Hellenistic. The Jews, who at first spoke Hebrew, and afterwards Chaldee, when they learned a new language under the successors of Alexander, retained several words out of both the preceding tongues: and these old words they continued to use familiarly in the Apostles' time, although they spoke Greek. Nor is such an experience as this confined to that nation and that day. Take the English for an example of the same thing. They formerly spoke Saxon, but although they have given that language up for centuries, they still retain many Saxon words in common use-as sunna, which they call sun, mona moon, beo bee, mode mood of mind, and hundreds besides. Thus God, man, he, bed, and countless others

1 Matth. 1, v. 23.

2 Id. 27, v. 46.

3 Marc. 5, v. 41.

us.

are pure Saxon, yet the English have so completely made them their own by daily use, that they are called, and rightly, English words. In Naples, also, the same process may be observed. This is about the tenth century since the Greek ceased to be the vernacular language of this kingdom, yet the presence of several Greek words is still to be detected among Such are vallana, a roast chestnut, from Pálavos; vastaso, a walking-stick, from Baorálo; strummulo, a whirlwind, from orgóßilos; catapano, a surtout, from xarà nàv; nfenocchiare, from qevazí∞, to deceive; smorfia, from àμoogía, deformity; centrella, a goad, from xévroov; chiafeo, from prapeùs, a fuller, etc., etc. The same may be said of the Greek still lingering in occasional words among the people of Bruttio and Sicily, and of the Latin among the Italians, French, and Spaniards. If the case be unquestionably as we have put it, among the English and Neapolitans, who so many generations back lost the Saxon and Greek, what must we say of the Jews of that day, who only two centuries before had spoken the Chaldee? Beyond all doubt they would employ unnumbered words, phrases and idiotisms peculiar to the Hebrew and Chaldee, and retain them as native and familiar forms. They would the rather do this because of the composition of the Hellenistic itself, which we have already proved vernacular in Judea. So completely was this made up of foreign admixtures, that, were all the contributions from various quarters removed, little would remain. To make bold, then, to say that Gabbatha, Bethsaida, Hakel-dama, Rabbi, and Osanna are Hellenistic forms, is to say nothing more than cirrcumstances warrant, for that dialect abounds in such words, and so thickly are they scattered over the Books of the New Testament, those of the Maccabees, and the Version of the Seventy, that one may almost stumble over them at every third word. If Hakel-dama, then, be called a name derived from the language of the dwellers in Jerusalem, it gives us no serious concern, nor does it, for the reasons assigned, at all shake our confidence in the truth of our opinion, that the Jews spoke this bastard Greek.

ARTICLE IX.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

1-A Commentary on the Apocalypse. By MOSES STUART, Professor of Sacred Literature in the Theological Seminary at Andover, Mass. Andover: Allen, Morrell & Wardwell. New-York: Mark H. Newman. 1845. 2 vols., Svo.

FEw, if any, in our country, have prosecuted Biblical studies with so much zeal and for so long a time, as Professor Stuart. And to the work now before us he has devoted the unremitted researches of many years. It must, therefore, of necessity be a work of more than common value. And, from the partial examination we have hitherto been able to give it, we are of opinion that it is the result of more critical investigation, and contains more accurate critico-historical interpretation, than any work hitherto given to the public by an American scholar.

Whether men agree with Professor Stuart or not, in his interpretation of the Apocalypse, all will confess that, in these volumes, there is compressed an unusual amount of learning, and not a little of argumentative power. The first volume, treating of the numerosity, trichotomy, economy, æsthetics, time, authorship, etc., of the Apocalypse, is a rich mine of wealth, especially to those unacquainted with the German language, and the labors of German scholars in this department.

Whilst Professor Stuart pays great respect to the biblical scholars of Germany, (and in their critical acumen and research they are unquestionably before any other people,) and adopts rather the German than the English system of interpretation, he by no means concedes the claims of Eichhorn, Herder and others, who regard the book more as the production of mere genius, than of intellect and genius under the guidance of the Spirit of all truth. He attributes to it a full inspiration, the same which lies at the basis of all the sacred Scriptures. He shows conclusively, we think, that it is not properly speaking dramatic, but a symbolical representation of truth adapted to encourage and console the Church under all the trials and persecutions of her pilgrimage.

The Professor's interpretation of the text, embraced in the second volume, will, doubtless, offend the prejudices of some; and as it departs from the beaten track of exposition as applied to this portion of God's word, will not seem to be the right one. Yet, we think the Professor's views well worthy of serious consideration; and if to be overthrown, it must be by careful research and thorough knowledge of the established principles of hermeneutics. No superficial science, no every-day interpretation will do it. We hope some able critic will occupy our pages with a review.

2.-Plato contra Atheos. Plato against the Atheists; or the Tenth Book of the Dialogue on Laws, accompanied with Critical Notes, and followed by extended Dissertations on some of the main points of the Platonic Philosophy and Theology, especially as compared with the Holy Scriptures. By TAYLER LEWIS, LL. D., Professor of the Greek Language and Literature in the University in the city of New-York. New-York: Harper & Brothers. 1845. pp. 378, 12mo.

We welcome such a book as this to our shelf for Classical Literature. Its exterior is attractive; its interior well executed; its inmost,-its style and spirit,-admirable. The whole is worthy the taste and scholarship of its author, and must tend to give reputation to the classical department in the Institution with which he is connected.

The design is, in these pages, to develope some of the higher views of Plato on philosophy and theology, and to compare them with the revelations of God in the Scriptures. The book, therefore, becomes eminently a Christian Classic. True, its basis is the work of a heathen, but of a heathen whose thoughts on philosophy and morals were scintillations from that bright Luminary, which subsequently rose upon the world and diffused the light of life in all its reality and glory. And then the commentator is deeply imbued with the Christian spirit, and brings his familiarity with the truths of the Bible to bear, with force, upon the text of Plato.

In the volume will be found,—an Introduction-Statement of the Argument-Greek Text and Critical Notes,-and Excursus LXXV.

These last abound with beautiful and striking classical and Scriptural illustrations, and discuss points of exceeding interest to the Greek scholar and to the theologian, e. g., Platonic View of the Parental and Filial Relations-Subjective sense of the word’A21⁄2 &ɛ vo—Orphic Poetry-Divine Justice the ground of Human Law-Universality of the Belief in a God-Principle of Authority-Soul older than Body— Philosophy of the verb To Be-Platonic Doctrine of the Evil Principle, etc., etc.

Although some will not accord with Prof. Lewis, in his eulogy of Plato, and depreciation of Aristotle, yet is it true that "the young man who is an enthusiastic student of Plato can never be a sciolist in regard to education, a quack in literature, a demagogue in politics, nor an infidel in religion.

We desire for this work an extensive circulation, and feel persuaded that none can study it without pleasure and profit. The higher classes in our colleges, and theological students would find it valuable.