cise meaning of which cannot be determined by it; but which, being agreeable to the genius of the original languages, are preferved in books written in them.

Dan. xii. 7. And when he fhall have accomplished

(literally)" to bake the hand," Eng. " to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things fhall be finifhed. " But it is a common phrase in Arabic, fignifying "to leave off friendship, society, or intercourse with a perfon." The meaning therefore is, "When he fhall have put an end to his leaving off friendship with the holy people, (i. e. the rejection of the Jews, who were his peculiar people), all these things shall be finished. " A prediction of the future restoration of the Jews from their prefent ftate of rejection.

Schultens, Orig. Heb. T. 1. c. 4:

CHAP.

CHAP. IV.

Versions of the Scriptures.

216. VERSIONS of the Scriptures into other languages, are fubfervient to criticism, either by fuggefting the readings which the translators followed, or by giving us, in a tongue more intelligible to us, the fenfe of the original.

Simon, V. T. 1. 2. c. 1. Walton, Prol. 5. §. 3.

217. Verfions are, either fuch as are confined to the Old Testament, fuch as extend to the whole Scripture, or such as are appropriated to a particular book.

218. The verfions of the first kind are, the Chaldee paraphrafes, the Greek verfions, the Samaritan verfions of the Pentateuch, and modern Jewish verfions.

Simon, ib. c. I.

SECT.

F4

SECT. I.

Of the Chaldee Paraphrases.

219. THE Targums, or Chaldee paraphrases, took their rife from the custom which was introduced after the captivity, when the Jews had forgotten the Hebrew language, of fubjoining, to the portions of fcripture read in their fynagogues, an explication in Chaldaic, which had then become their vernacular tongue.

Simon, ib, c. 1, 17. Walton, Prol. 12. § 5. Bret. Diff.

220. For a confiderable time, thefe explications were not probably committed to writing; then they began to write the ordinary gloffes on more difficult texts; and afterwards, by collecting these, and filling them up, they completed targums on whole books; but at what time is uncertain.

Simon, ib. c. 1, 18. Walton, ib. § 7. Bret. ib.

221. The Jews had many of thefe, all probably collected from fcattered or traditional gloffes of their doctors; but with very different degrees of judgment. Walton, Prol. 12. § 8, &c. Bret. ib.

222. There are three Chaldee paraphrafes on the Pentateuch; the firft afcribed to Onkclos, the most ancient, and a very literal and exact verfion; the fecond to Jonathan, more modern and inexact; the

third called the Jerufalem targum, modern, and of little value.

Simon, ib. c. 18. Walton, Prol. 5. § 4. Prol. 12. § 8, 9,
II, 13, 14.
Brett, ib.

223. On the prophets, both prior and posterior, there is a Chaldee paraphrafe afcribed to Jonathan; ancient, but not very literal, containing many fables, and fuiting its explications to the prejudices of the Jews.

Simon, ib. c. 18. Walton, Prol. 5. ib. Prol. 12. § 8, 10.
Brett, ib.

224. There are, likewife, Chaldee paraphrafes on all the other books of the Old Teftament, the authors of

hich are unknown, but which appear to be modern and inaccurate; and, befides all these, the Rabbins refer to other targums, which have never been made public.

Simon, ib. Walton, ib. Prol. 12. § 12, 15. Brett, ib.

225. The Chaldee paraphrafes are written, fometimes alternately with the Hebrew, verfe by verfe; fometimes in parallel columns; and fometimes in feparate books.

Walton, Prol. 12. § 6. Brett, ib.

226. While fome have condemned the publication of these paraphrafes, as giving countenance to Jewish fables and fuperftitions; and others have extolled it as fufficient for the confutation of the Jews from their own confeffions; both have carried the matter too far. But, though the Jews may elude arguments deduced from them, as not abfolutely irrefragable; yet, on the

other

other hand, fuch arguments are not wholly deftitute of force against them.

Simon, ib. Walton, Prol. 12. § 11, 16, 18.

227. The printed Chaldee paraphrases agree, in most inftances, with the prefent Hebrew text, which therefore, many conclude, remains now precifely as it was when thefe paraphrafes were written. But this conclu fion falls to the ground, when it is confidered, that the MSS. of the Chaldee paraphrases differ much from one another, and from the printed copies; that these have been often altered, in conformity to the Hebrew; and that the MSS. are very incorrect, and thus demonstrate the carelessnefs of Jewish transcribers.

Polyglot, Lond. V. 6. Simon, ib. c. 18. Ken. Diff. 2. c. 2.
Walton, Prol. 12. § 17.

228. The Chaldee paraphrafes, therefore, especially the MSS. of them, ftill fuggeft feveral various readings, and may affift in recovering fome true readings; for which purpose, that of Onkelos, by being most literal and accurate, is most useful; the others, only when it appears that they defigned to render the very words.

Ken. ib.

Houbig. Prol. p. 146. Lowth's Ifaiah, Prelim. Differt. p. 68.

229. The Chaldee paraphrafes being written in the fame character with the Hebrew text, will often shew the occafions of falfe readings in the latter, and the kinds of mistakes to which tranfcribers were most liable.

Ken. ib.