PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

We cannot publish the second edition of this translation of the New Testament without praising the Lord that He has impressed the seal of His approval on the first. We have good hope that this work is the fruit of His will and of His grace, and that it has been useful and welcome to many believing souls. We have little to add to the preface of the first edition, for all things essential have remained unaltered in this second. Yet we have carefully revised it, strictly re-examined the translation, and corrected the style in various places, always remaining true to our principle, viz., to give the word of God as exactly as possible in a language in which it was not written. The most essential alteration we have made is the change of a number of participles, as the too frequent use of them is not common in the German language. The word “saying,” for instance, occurs continually in the Greek Testament, and we have almost everywhere changed it to “and said,” or “as he said,” etc. We have done the same with many other participles, where the sense would not be lost, always keeping the object before us of giving the meaning of the words exactly. In some passages, where the exactness and force of the rendering seemed to be endangered by this change, we have given the Greek form literally in a note. But there are sentences where euphony cannot be satisfied without losing the true meaning; as, for example, 2 Corinthians 5: 19: “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself.” In such cases we have sacrificed the style to the true meaning. We hope that the translation in general is somewhat clearer, and in some minor things more exact: otherwise, except the changing of the participles, it remains the same. We have still a few short observations to make.

⁺[A third and last addition, according at least to the first edition, is here presented. “We further remark that at the outset we only had proposed to translate the epistles, in order to present Christians with something more accurate, touching weighty points of Christian doctrine; an undertaking which would have been far less pretentious. In order, however, to obviate the inconvenience, obvious to all, which it would have occasioned the reader, were he compelled to have another Testament at hand besides the epistles, we decided upon a full translation of the New Testament. This intention is now fulfilled.” This is given in a note, for the same reason as was stated before, viz., uncertainty whether or not it occurs in the second edition. — Ed. page T.]

^[p. 185] We had translated Revelation 2: 20 by “thy wife,” following the majority of the manuscripts and editions; but as the very old Sinaitic manuscript, published since our first edition, has “the woman,” we have returned to the old reading. The same reason has led us to translate chapter 22: 14 by “who have washed their clothes.”

With regard to the words pleonexiva and pleonevkth”, which all have translated by “covetousness,” and “covetous man,” we have also retained this meaning. We are, however, convinced that this word, indicating an unbridled inclination (or affection) for that which does not belong of right to the one filled with pleonexiva, signifies “fleshly lust,” as well as “covetousness.” See Ephesians 5: 3, 5; Colossians 3: 5; 2 Peter 2: 3, 14; 1�Thessalonians 4: 6; 1 Corinthians 5: 10, 11; Ephesians 4: 19. The last passage explains the general use of the word. Some of the passages quoted are not so distinct, but they may help the reader.

Another word is uJphrevth”, translated by “servant.” Besides this word there are two others, dousee footnotelo” and diavkono”, which are translated in the same way. Dousee footnotelo” is a slave; diavkono”, an ordinary servant, at table, etc.; but uJphrevth” is more official. The first meaning of the word is a “rower,” and it therefore in general denotes some one who has a distinct service. As we could only translate this word by “servant,” we give the passages in which it occurs: Matthew 5: 25; Mark 14: 54; Luke 1: 2; 4: 20; John 7: 32, 45, 46; 18: 3, 12, 18, 22, 36; 19: 6; Acts 5: 22, 26; 13: 5; 26: 16; 1 Corinthians 4: 1.

^[p. 186] Finally, one more short observation on the little word “so,” outw, in John 3: 16. It is possible that this word relates to the preceding, “have eternal life,” and then the following clause expresses a consequence, and the “so” denotes more the object, the kind of love, than its strength, so that we might say, “for God has loved the world in such a manner,” etc.

Heartily thanking the Lord that He has caused His blessing to rest on our work, it having been received by many Christians, and read, as we hope, with profit, we now place this second edition in His hand, and entreat Him to crown with His rich blessing our effort to place His word before souls as exactly as possible.