“MODERN” OLD TESTAMENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 13 February 1925, Page 8

“MODERN” OLD TESTAMENT.

CITY OF DAVID CALLED “DAVIDSB'IJBG.” NOAH’S •‘BARGE.” An Old Testament stripped of its picturesque metaphor anti poetic phrase, and reduced to language so simpm that a chiLct can understand it, has been introduced to the world. It top resents an attempt by Dr. James Moffatt, of Glasgow, the -Church Historian, to make the old Testament a ‘‘real live book, by clarifying the complexities and obscurities of tne authorised version through a translation - into modern English, simple almost to the point of starkness, of a half-million or so words that compose the book. The translation is the result of eight years’ »vcrk.

The hold prosaic simplicity, of Dr. Aloifatt’s translation is exemplified in {.fie to-lowing interpretations ol God's injunction to Noah. The word '‘barge” .s substituted for “ark”:— . Old Translation. —Make thee an ark ;f gopher wood; rooms shalt thou-make ,n the ark, and shall pitch it within and without with pitch. Dr. Moffatt’s Translation.—Build a huge ot cypress wood; build cabins inside the barge, and cover it with pitch inside and out.

Old Translation. —And the King and Ins men went to Jerusalem unto- the ,ebusites. the inhabitants of the land, which spoke unto David, saying, “Except then take away the blind and the tame tno.i shalt not come in thither,'' th nk David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless David took the stronghold of ZlOll. the same is Urn City of David so David dwell in the fort, and called it the C'itv of David.

Dr. Afotffl'nt's Translation.--And the King and his men went to Jerusalem against the .Tebnsites the natives or the countiv. They toid David: “You will never got in hero, blind men and cripples could drive you ofi.’ They thought David would never get in. . David took up his residence in the stronghod : he called it Dav’dsburgb. Those who value the exquisite English and lovely metaphor -d’ the Bible are protesting at what they call Dr. Moffati’s “cheek.”. It is wrong to call the new Bible “a translation.” It is a mor ointerforenoe with better men’s work.