vice the one talent given him. His best strength and thought have been given to the present work; and by it he would be judged rather than by any previous one. Fain would he have floated down the stream of a pleasant and profitable orthodoxy amid the plaudits of the multitude; but he durst not contravene evidence, or prove false to the sacred convictions of conscience. He has been in search of scriptural orthodoxy, not of that human idol falsely so called. It has cost him a struggle to come to conclusions sometimes different from those of men he respects ; yet he follows the promptings of religion in adhering to the voice of reason, identical as it is with God's word. Aberrations of intellect are venial sins : unfaithfulness to the high instincts which unite man to God and reflect the divine, is irreligion. From the MS. of the first volume having left his hands or being already in type, the author regrets that he could not use Kamphausen's “ Das Lied Mosis," the able work of a fine Hebrew scholar ; Stähelin's Specielle Einleitung in die kanonischen Bücher des alten Testaments," and Popper's “Biblischer Bericht über die Stiftshütte." A complete index will be given with the third volume. May, 1862. CONTENTS. PAGR 1. Places adverse to its Mosaic authorship, containing notices historical, geographical, archæological, and explanatory.-II. The writer intimates that the distinctive usage of the two occurs exhibit such internal and essential pecu- liarities as exclude unity of authorship.-VI. Other documents probably em- ployed.–VII. The respective ages of the Elohist, Jehovist, and junior Elohist. -VIII. Historical traces of the existence of the first four books in other biblical teuch.-XVIII. Does the Pentateuch expressly claim to be the work of Moses himself ?-XIX. Testimony of the thirty-first chapter of Deuteronomy.-XX. Meaning of the phrase “ book of the law” in the Old Testament.-XXÍ. Testi- mony of the New Testament regarding the Mosaic composition of the Pentateuch. I. Contents.-II. History and science as bearing on mythology.—III. Inter- pretation of the record of man's fall.-IV. Cainite and Sethite genealogies in the fourth and fifth chapters.–V. Longevity of the antediluvians.-VI. Antiquity of man.-VII. The deluge.- VIII. The sons of God and daughters of men cohabiting:-1X. The plural appellation of deity, Elohim.—X. 'The forty-ninth I. Contents.-II. The plagues of Egypt.—III. Conduct of the magicians.- IV. Sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt.–V. Passage of the Red Sea.--VI. Moses's song.–VII. The decalogue, Exodus xx.–VIII. First institution of the Sabbath.- IX. Division of the ten commandments.—X. What is meant by God speaking.--XI. Exodus of the Israelites in connexion with Egyptian history.- XII. Doctrine of immortality in the Pentateuch.-XIII. The golden calf......... 211 THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. PAGK I. Contents.-II.- Disposition of the camp, chapter i.-III. The census in chapter i. compared with that in Exodus xxxviii.- IV. Discrepancy in chapter XXXV. 4, 5.-V. Route of the Israelites out of Egypt to Moab.–VÍ. Condition of the Israelites in the desert. — VII. Balaam and his prophecies.-VIII. I. Contents.-II. This song in chapters xxxi. and xxxii.—III. This law in xxvii. 2, 3.-IV. Moses's death and burial.-V. Second tithe.-VI. Nature of the Deuteronomic legislation.–VII. Comparison of the Deuteronomic and Jehovistic legislations.-VIII. Deviations of the Deuteronomist from the earlier books.-IX. Lateness shewn by the manner of expressing the abrogation of some laws.-X. Tone, manner, and style compared with the preceding books. -XI. Scope of the work.-XII. Kind of fiction employed by the author.- XIII. Not written by Moses.-XIV. Time of writing:-XV. Similarity to Jeremiah's diction.—XVI. Deuteronomist had the preceding books in writing before him.-XVII. Character, authorship, and date of xxxi.-xxxiv.-XVIII. Table of new laws and of changes in old ones.—XIX. Arguments for Mosaic authorship.-XX. Chapter xviii. 15-18.-XXI. Alleged Mosaic recording of the I. Contents.-II. Unity, independence, and diversity.-III. Sources and authorship.-IV. Date.-V. Historical character and credibility.–VI. Standing still of the sun and moon.-VII. Destruction of the Canaanites.- VIII. The I. Judges, their office and number.-II. Contents of the book.—III. Obser: vations on chapters i. l-ii. 5.—IV. Observations on chapters ii. 6-xvi.—V. Observations on chapters xvii. xxi.—VI. Unity, authorship, and date.–VII. Priority of the book to that of Joshua.-VIII. Character of the histories.- IX. Song of Deborah.-X. Jephthah's vow.--XI. Chronolgy of the book 449 I. Contents.-II. Place of the book in the canon.III. Time of the events narrated.—IV. Date and authorship.--V. Nature of the history..... I. Contents.-II. Name and division.—III. Contrarieties and compilation.- IV. Sources ---V. Time of compilation.–VI. Character of the history.-VII. Hannah's song.–VIII. 1 Samuel xvi. 14-23.—IX The witch of Endor and Sanl.-X. Saul one year old when he began to reign.—XI. David's treatment THE PENTATEUCH. AUTHORSHIP, COMPOSITION, AND DATE OF THE PENTATEUCH. ONE of the first questions connected with the Pentateuch is that of authorship. Whether it be of so great importance as some would represent, admits of grave doubts. It appears to us to have been magnified into more consequence than properly belongs to it. We shall begin with some passages shewing a later origination of these books than the time of Moses; and proceed to other considerations tending to support the same conclusion. I. The following places in the Pentateuch itself convey wellfounded doubts of Mosaic authorship. They contain 'notices historical, geographical, archæological, and explanatory; or statements implying a post-mosaic time and writer. “And the Canaanite was then in the land." (Gen. xii. 6.) “ And the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.” (Gen. xiii. 7.) These words obviously imply, that when the writer lived, the Canaanites and Perizzites had been expelled from the land. If they were written when the two races still dwelt in the country, they are unmeaning and superfluous. Hence many advocates of the Mosaic authorship have conceded that a later hand appears in them. Thus Prideaux says, that the first is an interpolation made when the Canaanites, having been extirpated by Joshua, were no longer in the land. But Hengstenberg, after Witsius, thinks the passages have no bearing on the question of authenticity, because they are easily explained and justified in their respective connexions. Objecting to the supplementary words still and already, which in his opinion are arbitrarily added, he 1 The Old and New Testament connected, etc., Part I., Book V., p. 343, ed. 1719. |