where all that is meant is, that, with equal truth, or rather with much greater energy of signification, God might now say, I have recalled my Son out of Egypt. Indeed the import of the Greek phrase, as commonly used by the sacred writers, is no more, as L. Cl. has justly observed, than that such words of any of the Prophets may be applied with truth to such an event. For it is even used, where that which is said to be fulfilled is not a prophecy, but a command; and where the event spoken of is not the obedience of the command (though the term is sometimes used in this sense also), but an event similar to the thing requir ed; and which, if I may so express myself, tallies with the words. Thus, in the directions given about the manner of preparing the paschal lamb, it is said, Exod. xii. 46. None of his bones shall be broken. This saying the Evangelist J. xix. 36. finds verified in what happened to our Lord, when the legs of the criminals, who were crucified with him, were broken, and his were spared. But were not the recal of Israel from Egypt, and the ceremo'nies of the passover, typical of what happened to our Lord?' I admit they were. But it is not the correspondence of the antitype to the type, that we call properly fulfilling this English word, if I mistake not, is, in strictness, applied only, either to an event to which a prophecy directly points, or to the perfor mance of a promise. Whereas the Greek word is sometimes employed in Scripture to denote little more than a coincidence in sound. In this sense I think it is used, ch. ii. 23. We have an instance of its being employed by the Seventy, to denote verifying, or confirming, the testimony of one, by the testimony of another, 1 Kings. i. 14. The word fulfilling, in our language, has a much more limited signification: and to employ it for all those purposes, is to give a handle to cavillers, where the origi nal gives none. It makes the sacred penmen appear to call those things predictions, which plainly were not, and which they never meant to denominate predictions. The most apposite word that I could find in English is verify; for, though it will not answer in every case, it answers in more cases than any other of our verbs. Thus, a prophecy is verified (for the word is strictly applicable here also), when it is accomplished; a promise, when it is performed; a testimony, when it is confirmed by additional testimony, or other satisfactory evidence; a maxim or proverb, when it is exemplified; a declaration of any kind may be said to be veri fied by any incident to which the words can be applied. I ac. knowledge that this word does not, in every case, correspond to λnpow. A law is fulfilled, not verified; and if the import of the passage be to denote that additional strength is given to it, it is better to say confirmed, or ratified. In some places it means to fill up, in others to perfect, in others to make known. Thus much I thought it necessary to observe, in regard to my frequent use of a verb which is but rarely to be found in other Eng. translations. 2 Iva npwon, literally, that it might be verified. The conjunction, in all such cases, denotes no more, than that there was as exact a conformity between the event and the passage quoted, as there could have been, if the former had been effected, merely for the accomplishment of the latter. God does not bring about an event, because some Prophet had foretold it: but the Prophet was inspired to foretel it, because God had previously decreed the event. If such particles as iva, or ons, were to be always rigorously interpreted, we should be led into the most absurd conclusions. For instance, we should deduce from J. xix. 24. that the Roman soldiers, Pagans, who knew nothing of holy writ, acted, in dividing our Lord's garments, and casting lots for his vesture, not from any desire of sharing the spoil, but purely with a view that the Scriptures relating to the Messiah might be fulfilled; for it is said that they resolved on this measure, ivan Ypa¶n #inpwon n λ8.—See note on ch. viii. 17. 3 In all this-was verified. raro de óλov yeyovev iva wanan. Chr. and some others have considered this and v. 23. as spoken by the angel to Joseph; I consider these verses as containing a remark of the evangelist. By messages from heaven, particular orders are communicated, and particular revelations given. But I do not find this method taken, for teaching us how to interpret former revelations: whereas such applications of scripture are common with the evangelists, and with none more than with Mt. The very phrase tolo de óhɔv yeyover, with which this is introduced, he repeatedly employs in other places. (ch. xxi. 4. xxvi, 56.) Add to all this, that the interpretation given of the name Imma. nuel, God with us, is more apposite, in the mouth of a man, than in that of an angel. 23. The virgin, ǹ wapdev☞. I do not say that the article is always emphatical, though it is generally so; or that there is a particular emphasis on it, in this passage, as it stands in the Gospel. But the words are in this place a quotation; and it is proper that the quotation should be exhibited, when warranted by the original, as it is in the book quoted. Both the Sep. and the Heb. in the passage of Isaiah referred to, introduce the name virgin with the article; and as in this they have been copied by the Evangelist, the article ought doubtless to be preserved in the translation. As there 25. Her first-born son, τον ύιον αυτής τον πρωτοτόκον. were certain prerogatives, which, by the Jewish constitution, be longed to primogeniture, those entitled to the prerogatives were invariably denominated the first-born, whether the parents had issue afterwards or not. Nothing, therefore, in relation to this point, can be inferred from the epithet here used. The turn which Mr. Wes. and others, have given the expression in their versions, her son, the first-born, though to appearance more literal, is neither so natural nor so just as the common translation. It is founded on the repetition of the article before the word firstborn. But is it possible that they should not have observed, that nothing is more common in Gr. when an adjective follows its substantive, especially if a pronoun or other word intervene, than to repeat the article before the adjective? This is indeed so common, that it is accounted an idiom of the tongue, insomuch that, where it is omitted, there appears rather an ellipsis in the expression. Sc. in his notes on this verse, has produced several parallel expressions from Scripture, which it would be ridiculous to translate in the same manner; and which therefore clearly evince that there is no emphasis in the idiom. 2 In regard to the preceding clause, Joseph knew her not, until ias; all we can say, is, that it does not necessarily imply his knowledge of her afterwards. That the expression suggests the affirmative rather than the negative, can hardly be denied by any candid critic. The quotations, produced in support of the contrary opinion, are not entirely similar to the case in hand, as has been proved by Dr. Wh. in his commentary. And as there appears here no Hebraism, or peculiarity of idiom, to vindicate our giving a different turn to the clause, I cannot approve Beau.'s manner of rendering it, though not materially different in sense: Mais il ne l'avoit point connu lors qu'elle mit au monde son fils premier né. The P. R. translation and Si.'s are to the same purpose. The only reason which a translator could have here for this slight deviation, was a reason which cannot be justified; to render the Evangelist's expression more favourable, or at least less unfavourable, to his own sentiments. But there is this good lesson to be learnt, even from the manner wherein some points have been passed over by the sacred writers; name. ly, that our curiosity in regard to them is impertinent; and that our controversies concerning them savour little of the knowledge, and less of the spirit, of the Gospel. CHAPTER II. 1. Eastern Magians, μayos año avatorwy. E. T. wise men from the East; rendering the word μayo, as though it were synonymous with cop. This is not only an indefinite, but an improper version of the term. It is indefinite, because those called Mayol, were a particular class, party, or profession among the Orientals, as much as Stoics, Peripatetics, and Epicureans, were among the Greeks. They originated in Persia, but afterwards spread into other countries, particularly into Assyria and Arabia, bordering upon Judea on the East. It is probable that the Magians here mentioned came from Arabia. Now to employ a term for specifying one sect, which may, with equal propriety, be applied to fifty, of totally different, or even contrary, opinions, is surely a vague manner of translating. It is also, in the present acceptation of the word, improper. Formerly the term wise men denoted philosophers, or men of science and erudition; it is hardly ever used so now, unless in burlesque. Dod. perhaps comes nearer, in using the term sages: as this term is some. times appropriated, though seldom seriously in prose, to men of study and learning: but it is still too indefinite and general, since it might have been equally applied to Indian Bramins, Gr. philosophers and many others; whereas the term here employed is applicable to one sect only. This is, therefore, one of those cases wherein the translator, that he may do justice to his author, and not mislead his readers, is obliged to retain the original term. Diss. VIII. P. II. § 1. Sc. and others say Magi; I have preferred Prideaux's term Magians; both as having more the form of an Eng. word, and as the singular Magian, for which there is occasion in another place, is much better adapted to our ears, especially when attended with an article, than Magus. The studies of the Magians seem to have lien principally in astronomy, natural philosophy, and theology. It is from them we derive the terms magic and magician, words which were doubtless used originally in a good, but are now always used in a bad, sense. 2. We have seen his star in the east country, eidoμer AUTY TOV ASEṚA EV TN AVAToλn. E. T. we have seen his star in the East. To see either star or meteor in the East, means in Eng. to see it in the east quarter of the heavens, or looking eastwards. But this is not the Apostle's meaning here. The meaning here manifestly is, that when the Magians themselves were in the East, they saw the star. So far were they from seeing the star in the East, according to the Eng. acceptation of the phrase, that they must have seca it in the West, as they were, by its guidance, brought out of the east country westwards to Jerusalem. Thus the plural of the same word, in the preceding verse, signifies the countries lying east from Judea, μayol año avatoλav. Some render the phrase ev an avatoλn, at its rise. But, 1st, The words in that case ought to have been, in avatoλn aury; 2dly, The term is never so applied in Scripture to any of the heavenly luminaries, except the sun; 3dly, It is very improbable that a luminous body, formed solely for guiding the Magians to Bethlehem, would appear to perform the diurnal revolution of the heavens from East to West The expression used in Lu's version, im morgenlande, coincides entirely with that here employed. • To do him homage, #poonvvnσAI AVTW. The homage of prostration, which is signified by this Gr. word, in sacred authors, as well as in profane, was, throughout all Asia, commonly paid to kings and other superiors, both by Jews and by Pagans. It was paid by Moses to his father-in-law, Exod. xviii. 7. called in the E. T. obeisance. The instances of this application are so numerous, both in the O. T. and in the N. as to render more quotations unnecessary. When God is the object, the word denotes adoration in the highest sense. In old Eng. the term worship was indifferently used of both. It is not commonly so now. 4. The chief priests, rus apxiepes. By the term apiges, chief priests, in the N. T. is commonly meant, not only those who were, or had been high priests (for this office was not then, as |