Exposition of the Laws of Moses, Exegesis 9 · Part 10

Exposition of the Laws of Moses · Exegesis 9 · Part 10

p. 88EXERCITAT. X. Jn what languages the Scriptures were written originally.

Gen. 11.1. And the whole earth was of one language and of one ſpeech.

THe Old Teſtament was written originally in Hebrew, and the New Teſtament in Greeke.

In what character the Scriptures were written at the firſt.The Character, in which the Old Teſtament was written firſt, was the Samaritane Character; It was called the Samaritane Character, not becauſe the Samaritans uſed it firſt, but becauſe it was left to the Samaritans after the Iewes refuſed it.

This Samaritane Character was the firſt Character as may be ſeene by the inſcriptions upon their ſhekels ſet downe by Arius Montanus, Why called the Samaritane character.Beza, and Willet upon Ezekiel. And ſundry of the Iewes ancient monuments have theſe letters upon them.

The Character at the firſt was the Iewes and not the Samaritans, The inſcriptions upon the Shekels, ſhew the Samaritane character to be the firſt.as is proved by the inſcriptions of the ſhekels. The inſcription is this, Ieruſalem hakkodeſh; but no Samaritan would have put this inſcription upon it: for they hated Ieruſalem and the Iewes, therefore this inſcription muſt bee the Iewes, and not the Samaritans.

Secondly, moſt of theſe ancient ſhekels are found about Ieruſalem, The Iewes kept the Samaritane character in the captivitie.therefore the ſhekel and letters upon it, was at the firſt the Iewes, and not the Samaritans.

This Samaritane Character the Iewes kept ſtill, in the time of the captivity, when Belſhaſſer ſaw fingers writing upon the wall, Mene mene tekel, &c. Dan. 5.25. Theſe p. 89Characters were the Samaritan Characters: therefore the Babylonians could not reade them; becauſe they knew not that Character neyther; could the Iewes underſtand the matter although they knew the letters: to the Babylonians, it was like a ſealed booke; and to the Iewes it was like an open booke, to an unlearned man; becauſe they underſtood it not, Eſa. 29.11. But Daniel read it and underſtood it, both becauſe he knew the letters, and alſo underſtood the Chaldee tongue.

Eſdras changed this Character after the captivity,Hieron. in Perfat. lib. regum. and left it Idiotis, to the Samaritans: and he ſet downe this new Character, which before was the Chaldee, Character.

The reaſon why he changed it, was this, becauſe being long in the captivitie, they forgot their owne language, that they could neyther reade it rightly, nor write it rightly: and therefore he changed the Characters, in theſe which we have now.

But the ancient Samaritan Character ſeemeth to bee kept ſtill in Lamina ſacerdotali, Why Eſdras changed the Character.in the plate of Gold which was upon the forehead of the Highprieſt, after the captivity; for they might change noen of the ornaments of the Highprieſt. So neyther that which was written upon the plate of Gold, Kokeſh Laihova, holineſſe to the Lord: becauſe the Lord commanded theſe cloathes and ornaments, to be made for him, and his ſeede after him, Exod. 28.43.

p. 90The Inſcription which was upon the Plate of Gold in the forehead of the Highprieſt.

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The New Teſtament was written originally in the Greeke Character; and there were two tranſlations of it, Syriacke and Arabicke; the Syriacke was written in the Syriacke Character, which differed much from that, which is called Alphabetum Salomonis, or the Character which Salomon found out. This Character Pineda ſetteth downe in his booke De rebus Salomonis. Theſe diverſe Characters may be ſeene ſet downe here, as followeth.

p. 91foreignCharacter Antiqui…r Moſi… ſive Samaritanorum. Recentior Samaritanorum Hebraeorum ſive Merubha Ez…aerecentior. Chaldaeorum antiquorum nunc Rabbinorum. Antiquorum Arabum, ſeu Alphabetum Salomonis. Arabum Recentior. Syrorum. Gracorum.

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p. 92The Old Teſtament was originally written in the Hebrew tongue, and ſome of it in the tongues derived from the Hebrew, as Chaldee.

We may know the Hebrew was the firſt originall tongue; becauſe it hath feweſt Radicall letters: whatſoever tongue is derived from thence, it addeth ſome letters to the firſt originall; as from the Hebrew word Galal, commeth Golgotha the Syriacke word. So Gabbatha Bethſaida, from Gabha and Chaſed. Secondly, that language which the Lord ſpake, to Adam, Abraham and Moyſes, and they to him, muſt be the originall language. But God ſpake to them in the Hebrew, and he wrote the two Tables with his owne hand in this language. And thirdly, that language which expreſſeth the nature, of things, and their affections moſt clearely, and in feweſt words; that muſt be the originall language: but the Hebrew doth this; therefore it is the firſt language.

The Iewes underſtood theſe tongues which had affinity with the Hebrew.Theſe tongues which were Propagines and Dialects of the Hebrew, the Iewes underſtood them, when they heard them ſpoken, and when they read them, but they underſtood not the ſtrange tongues, which had but ſmall affinity with the Hebrew. When Laban and Iacob made a covenant; Laban called the heape of ſtones jegar Sagadutha in the Aramean tongue, which had ſmall affinitie with the Hebrew; but Iacob called it Galeed, Gen. 31.47.

Object. But if there was little affinity betwixt the Aramean language and the Hebrew, how is it that they ſay, 2. King. 18.26. Speake to thy ſervants in the Syrian language, for we underſtand it?

Anſw. The Hebrewes underſtood not the Syrian language but by learning.They might underſtand it, for they were Courtiours and States men, and ſo learned it, as we learne now the Italians and French language. And Abrahams ſervant ſpake to Nachor in the Aramean language, hee being p. 93borne in Damaſcus, which was in Cylo-Syria: and wee may thinke that Nachor and his houſe, underſtood the Hebrew tongue, being of the poſterity of Heber, and keepe that tongue as Abraham did, who came out of Vr of the Chaldees.

Aſſyria or Syria hebraice, Aram, The large extent of the Syrian languagecomprehended all Paleſlina, Damaſcus, the Kingdome of Aſſyria, Chaldea, babylon, Arabia, Cylo-Lyria and Antiochia, Zoba, Adiabena, therefore all the languages which were ſpoken in theſe parts, tooke their generall denomination from Syria, as Syro-aramaea the language which Laban ſpake in Meſopotania: Syro-Chaldaea or Babylonica was that which they ſpake in Babylon, Syro-Antiochena which they ſpake in Antioch or Phoenicia: although they were Propagines or Dialects of the Hebrew, yet they underſtood them not while they were taught: therefore Nabuchadnezzer cauſed to inſtruct the children of the Iewes in the Chaldee tongue, Dan. 1.4. but the Syro-Arabean and the Paleſtine or Cananitiſh language they might underſtand it; becauſe it came nearer to their owne language.

The Aegyptian tongue differed much from the Hebrew, Pſal. 81.5. Ioſeph heard a language in Aegypt, The Iewes underſtood not the Egyptian tongue.which he underſtood not. Ioſeph here is put for the whole people of the Iewes, becauſe there was no affinity betwixt the Hebrew and the Aegyptian tongue, therefore they underſtood not this tongue. So Pſal. 114.1. they departed from a people of a ſtrange language, foreignor a barbarous people: they called them all barbarous whom they underſtood not: and becauſe the Iewes underſtood not the Aegyptian tongue, therefore Ioſeph made him to ſpeake to his brethren by an Interpreter, Geneſis. 42.23.

The Cananitiſh language,The Cananites language a diolect of the Hebrew. was a daughter of the Hebrew tongue, or rather one, with the Hebrew tongue: and this we may perceive by the names of the townes; p. 94men and places which were impoſed to them by the Cananites; as Iericho, Salem, Kiriath-arba, Kiriath-Sepher, Beth-dagon▪ ſo the names of men, Melchizedeck, Adonibezek, Abimelech. And if the Cananitiſh tongue, had not beene all one with the Hebrew, how could the Patriarches have kept conference with thoſe in Canaan, and made their Bargaines and Contracts with them? this is cleare alſo by the example of Rahab, who could ſpeake to the Spyes, and they underſtood her; and ſo Ioſhua to the Gibionites. The Lord would have this tongue continued amongſt the Cananites, becauſe the Hebrewes were ſhortly to inhabite that land, and to converſe with the Cananites for a while, untill they had rooted them out.

Some of the Old Teſtament written in the Chaldee tongue.There is ſome of the Old Teſtament written in the Chaldee tongue, which hath great affiance with the Hebrew: and ſome of it written in the Syrian dialect, as Iob, which the Idumeans uſed, and it differed little from the Hebrew tongue; but it differed much from the Syrian language now, but more from Arabia Iſmaelitica, which the Turkes ſpeake now, in Aſia and Africa.

There are ſome words found in the Old Teſtament which are Egyptian, Gen. 41.43. Some Phaenitian, as Chabbul, 1 King. 9.13. Some Perſian words as Pur, Eſth. 9.24. and ſome moabitiſh.

One Verſe in Ieremie. originally written in the Chaldee tongue.There is one verſe in Ieremy originally written in the Chaldee tongue, Ier. 10.11. whereas all the reſt of that propheſie, is written in the Hebrew tongue. The gods that have not made the heaven and earth, even they ſhall periſh from the earth, and from under theſe heavens. The reaſon why this verſe was written in the Chaldee tongue, was this; becauſe the Iewes now, were to be carried to Babylon, and when they ſhould be ſollicitated there to worſhip their gods, they ſhould anſwer them in their p. 95owne language; curſed be your gods, for they made neyther heaven nor earth.

That of Daniel and Ezra which is written in the Chaldee tongue, was tranſcribed out of the roules,Somethings taken of the regiſters of the Chaldeans, and inſert in the Scriptures. and regiſters of the Chaldeans; and inſert in the bookes of God: but that which the holy Ghoſt indited originally to Daniel and Ezra, was written in the Hebrew tongue; the reſt was borrowed but out of their regiſters, as firſt, Nebuchad-nezzers dreames, Dan. 2. So Nebuchad-nezzer ſetteth up a golden image, Cap. 3. So Nebuchad-nezzers dreame, Cap. 4. and Belſhaſſers viſions Cap. 5. all theſe were written in the Chaldee tongue: the ſeventh Chapter is onelyonly excepted; it is written alſo in the Chaldee tongue although it was originally endited to Daniel: becauſe it is a more cleare expoſition of the monarchies revealed before to Nebuchad-neZZer, and Belſhaſſer; and ſet downe in their owne Regiſters in the Chaldee tongue, but the eight Chapter and the reſt, are wholly written in the Hebrew tongue, which were indited immediatly by God to Daniel, and not tranſcribed out of their regiſters as the reſt were: So that part of Ezra which is written in the Chaldee tongue, is but tranſcribed and written out of the decrees, and letters, of the Kings of Media, and Perſia; from the eleventh verſe of the fourth Chapter, to the ſeventh Chapter.

The Chaldeans and Perſians uſed to regiſter, and keepe a Chronicle of all their memorable deedes, and what befell them: and ſo of their viſions and dreames; and they cauſed to write them, and interpret them; ſo did the Perſians, Eſth. 9.32. and Daniel wrote theſe viſions in the Chaldee tongue, and he ſet them downe for the good of the Church; that they might underſtand, that their conditions ſhould be under the Heathiſh Kings.

p. 96Somethings in the Scriptures borrowed from the Heathen Hiſtory.The holy Ghoſt borrowed ſomethings firſt from the Poets, and ſecondly, from the hiſtory of the Heathen; and the Secretaries of the holy Ghoſt inſert them in the Booke of God. From the Poets; as Paul borrowed from Aratus, Menander, Epimenides or Callimachus, ſome verſes; and inſerted them in his Epiſtles. So the Scriptures borrow from the hiſtory, which were eyther Heatheniſh, or Iewiſh. Heatheniſh againe, were of two ſorts; eyther Chaldean or Perſian. Daniel borroweth from the Chaldeans: So from the hiſtory of the Perſians, as that memorable hiſtory of the deliverance of the Iewes under Haman; was firſt written in the Perſian language, Eſth. 9.32. and he who wrote the Booke of Eſther, borrowed the hiſtory out of that booke.Somethings in the Scripture borrowed from the Iewiſh Hiſtory. Theſe things which are borrowed from the Iewiſh hiſtory; as the facts of thoſe regiſtrate in the Bookes of the Maccabees, Heb. 11. So Iude out of the propheſie of Enoch, borrowed the hiſtory of the ſtrife, betweene Michael and the Divell about the body of Moyſes. So the Apoſtle Heb. 11. out of the traditions of the Iewes, borroweth, that Eſay was cut with a ſaw under Menaſſe. So there are ſundry proverbiall ſpeeches in the Talmud, as, Caſt out the beame which is in thine owne eye, and then thou ſhalt ſee chearely to caſt out the mote that is in they neighbours eye, Matth. 7.5. So it is eaſier for a Camell to goe thorow the eye of a Needle, Matth. 19.24. So it is hard to kicke againſt prickes, Act. 9.5. Some of our Divines, to prove that the Apocryphall Bookes are not Canonicall Scripture, uſe this midſt; becauſe they are not cited by the Apoſtles, in the New Teſtament: but this is falſe, for the Apoſtle citeth them, Heb. 11. And Scaliger in his Euſebianis, See Scaliger Euſeb. Pag. 245.proveth out of Georgius Cyncellus that the Apoſtle citeth many teſtimonies out of the Apocryphall Bookes, and out of the traditions of the Iewes. As Matthew, that Salmon maried Rahab. p. 97Salmon, his genealogie is ſet downe, 1 Chro. 2. but not whom he maried, this Matthew had by tradition, Matth. 1.5.

Things in the Heathen hiſtory, which are not neceſſary to be knowne to the Church: the Scripture paſſeth by them, and remitteth us to Heathen Hiſtory, and ſaith ſtill; The reſt are they not written in the bookes of the Chronicles of Iuda and Iſrael? and when the knowledge of them is neceſſary to the Church; it borroweth them out of the Heathen hiſtory, and inſerteth them in the booke of God.

Theſe things which were written out of the Iewiſh,Heathen ſentences were ſanctified by the Apoſtles when they cited them. or Heatheniſh hiſtory were not ſanctified; untill they were inſert in the booke of God: therefore Tertullian writing to his Wife, and citing that verſe, Evill ſpeeches corrupt good manners, 1 Cor. 15.33. ſaith, Memor illius verſiculi ſanctificati per Apoſtolum, the Apoſtle ſanctified this verſe when hee borrowed it from the Heathen. And as a woman that was Heatheniſh, when ſhe became a Proſelyte, ſhee might enter into the congregation, and a Iew might marry her: ſo theſe Iewiſh and Heatheniſh hiſtories, God ſanctified them, that they might enter into the Congregation and become holy Scriptures, and ſo the holy Spirit ſweetned the ſalt waters of Iericho, that the children of the Prophets might drinke of them, 2 Kings. 2.21.

There are many proper names ſet downe in the Scriptures which are not Hebrew names,Many names in the Scriptures which are not Hebrew names. but ſome of them are Chaldee, ſome Aſſyrian and ſome Perſicke names, Ier. 39.3. And all the princes of the King of Babylon came in, and ſat in the middle-gate, even Nergal-Sharezer, Samger Nebo, Serſechim, Rabſaris, Nergal Sharezer, Rabmag, with all the reſidue of the Princes of the King of Babylon. And that wee may know p. 89what names are Chaldee names, what Syriacke and what Perſicke. Marke this Table following, concerning theſe names, and the compoſition of them, taken out of Scaliger.

p. 90How ſhall we diſcerne in what language a booke was written? Queſt.

There be two ſpeciall notes whereby wee may diſcerne this; the firſt is Interpretation, Anſw. and the ſecond is Alluſion.

Firſt is Interpretation, when the Spirit of God interpreteth a ſtrange word, into another tongue;To know in what language a booke was written. foreign then the booke was written in that language, in which the word is interpreted. Example, Eſth. 9. Pur this Perſicke word is interpreted by the Hebrew goral, therefore the booke was written in the Hebrew, and not in the Perſicke tongue by Mordecai, or by him who elſe wrote the booke. Example 2. Abba Pater, Rom. 8.15. Abba is the Syriack word, and Pater the Greeke word, becauſe Abba is interpreted by Pater, therefore the Apoſtle hath written this Epiſtle in Greeke, and not in Syriack. And ſo Thomas is called Didymus; Ioh. 11.16. therefore the Goſpel of Iohn was written originally in Greeke,foreign Contracte and not in Hebrew.foreign gemelli. So Heb. 7.2. Melchiſedeck the King of Salem, firſt, by interpretation King of righteouſneſſe, foreign gemi us foreign.and after that King of peace. The word Melcheſedick which is one word, for the underſtanding of the Graeciſing Iewes he divideth it in two, and ſhoweth in Greeke,Act. 1….8. Elimas by interpretation Magus, this word Magus is degenerate in a Greeke word, therefore this booke was written in Greeke.Acts 1:8 that Salem ſignifieth peace, and Zedek Iuſtitia, righteouſneſſe; as if hee would ſay, frugifer, qui fert fructum, cornifer, qui fert cornua: here becauſe the interpretation is in Greeke; we may know that this Epiſtle hath beene written originally in Greeke.

The ſecond note, to know in what language bookes have beene written, is by the Alluſion of words in the Scriptures. for there are many alluſions in the Hebrew, and in the Chaldee tongue, when they are tranſlated in the Greeke or any other language they looſe that grace, as Cabhal is foreign ▪ and C…bhel is foreign ▪ foreignCobal apud Targumiſlos eſt caligare, E egans Paranomaſia apud Thargum…ſlos inter …hal & Cebhe….but Ioh. 1.5. foreign p. 100foreign. And the light ſhined in darkeneſſe, and the darkeneſſe comprehended it not; Here the ſweet alluſion which is in the Chaldee, periſheth in the Greeke. So Ioh. 10.1. foreign.foreign the Syriacke expreſſeth it by a ſweet alluſion Min tirghna letira, which is not in the Greeke,E…egans paranomaſia apud Syro… inter tirghna & tira. where the words fall alike which will not fall out in other languages. There was a queſtion betwixt Origen and Africanus, whether the hiſtory of Suſanna was written in Hebrew or in Greeke. Africanus denyed that it was written in Hebrew, but in Greeke, and he proved it thus. When Daniel examined the Witneſſes who teſtified againſt Suſanna, he tooke the witneſſes a part and enquired at one of them, under what tree hee ſaw her commit that villanie? he ſaid it was foreign, the Lentiſh tree; then Daniel alluding to this ſayd, foreign, The Angel of God hath received ſentence of God to cut thee in peeces. foreign. Divido ſeco findoSo he inquired at the other, under what tree he ſaw her;foreign. Serra divido ſeco. he anſwered, foreign, VnderUnder a Prime tree. Then Daniel ſayd foreign, The Angel of the Lord waited with the ſword to cut thee in two. Africanus by this alluſion of words gathered, that this hiſtory was not originally written in Hebrew, but in Greeke.

Concluſion. The Concluſion of this is, the Old Teſtament was firſt written in Hebrew. This was the firſt language by which the Lord ſpake to the Patriarches, and in which the Angels ſpake to men, and it was the language which all the world ſpake before the confuſion of Babylon, and it is the mother tongue from whence many other tongues are derived, and it is holden by ſome, to be that tongue, in which we ſhall ſpeake one to another in the life to come. Therefore we ſhould be deſyrous to underſtand this holy language.