Known as the Early Journal Content, this set of works include research articles, news, letters, and other writings published in more than 200 of the oldest leading academic journals. The works date from the mid--seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. We encourage people to read and share the Early Journal Content openly and to tell others that this resource exists. People may post this content online or redistribute in any way for non--commercial purposes. Read more about Early Journal

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... ntent at http://about.jstor.org/participate--jstor/individuals/early-journal--content. JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary source objects. JSTOR helps people discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content through a powerful research and teaching platform, and preserves this content for future generations. JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not--for--profit organization that also includes Ithaka S+R and Portico. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. EDITORIAL NOTES. EDITORIAL NOTES. of this divine result is apparent. Fashioned and furnished by the Creator's hand, it gathered into its narrow limits the characteristic features of the habitable zones, in order that the Bible issuing from thence might, in all its imagery and illustrations drawn from nature, be the world's book. And its people, first isolated until trained, were then brought into contact with race after race, in ordier that the Bible, revealed through their instrumentality, might speak to the universal heart of man.-Dr. G. W. Moorehead, in the Evangelical Repository, Nov. 1883. DEDITOI7ih-iOTES.u Textual Criticism.-Textual criticism is generally supposed to be a work which only specialists can do. This supposition is correct. The subject is one for which few minds have the necessary ability. Perhaps no other department of biblical study presents more difficulties, or requires greater judgment and discrimination. So great, indeed, is the skill required, and of so special a character is the work, that few have either courage or inclination to undertake it. There are many who yet suppose the vowel-system of the Hebrew text to be of equal authority with the consonantal portion of the text. This, however, has been shown to be a mistaken view, and while by scholars the Massoretic system of vowel-notation is regarded as by far the most valuable commentary ever written on the Old Testament, it is not supposed to be infallible. There are, without question, many words, the present reading of which is unsatisfactory. Nor can we claim as absolutely correct, the present consonant-text. Here changes are needed to a far less extent, but it is certain that mistakes have been made by copyists and that errors have crept into the text. Has any other book been handed down from antiquity faultless in this respect ? Is it not wise, therefore, when we consider the Authorship of the book, its purpose, its contents, to endeavor by all the means within our power to obtain as correct a reading as possible ? Of those who are so indifferent in reference to the exact meaning of scripture as not to seek this meaning from the original source, this question need not, of course, be asked. But by what means are these corrections to be made ? Where may we obtain information on this point ? Scholars are accustomed to enumerate five sources from which "criticism derives all its aid in ascertaining the changes that have been made in the original text of the Bible, and replacing authentic readings excluded by them." These are: 1. The Ancient Versions, the more important of which are the Septuagint, the Greek versions of Aquila, Theodotion, Symmachus, etc., the Chaldee Targums, the Samaritan version of the Pentateuch, the Peshito or old Syriac version, and the Vulgate. These translations or versions were made before the introduction of the vowel-points, and are consequently of great value; their authority, though not absolute, is weighty, whenever there are found variations between them and the Hebrew text. 2. Repeated Passages, of which there are many more in the Old Testament than one might at first suppose. The Books of Chronicles, running parallel with the Books of Samuel and of the Kings, are noteworthy under this head. So also there may be mentioned the double record preserved of certain laws and poems, of which a comparison of Psalm xvIII. with 2 Sam. xxii., and of Psalm xiv. with Psalm LIII. will give an illustration.