Cappel) has done most for the text among the earlier critics
(see his Critica Sacra, Par. 1650); Grätz has also made useful
suggestions based upon the versions. Renan, and (as we
have seen) Bickell, have corrected the text on a larger scale;
occasional emendations of great value are due to Hitzig,
Delitzsch, Klostermann, and Krochmal. The notes in the
expected new edition of Eyre and Spottiswoode's Variorum Bible will indicate the most important various readings and
corrections; to these I would refer the reader. The corrections
of Bickell are those least known to most students. In
considering them, we must distinguish between those which
arise out of his peculiar critical theory and those which are
simply the outcome of his singular and brilliant insight. Of
the latter, I will here only mention two. One occurs in
iii. 11, where for (Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: )et-ha(ôlam) (or (
Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: )et-ha(ôlam) the Oriental or Babylonian
reading), he gives (see below, p. 299) (
Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: leba?sh )et-kal-hi(aloom),
remarking that (
Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: kal-) survived in the text translated in the Septuagint.
The fact is, however, that though Cod. Vat. does
read [Greek: sympanta ton aiôna], Cod. Alex., Cod. Sin., and the
Complutensian ed. all read [Greek: syn ton aiôna], and as the verse
begins [Greek: Ta sympanta] (v. l. [Greek: Sympanta]) it is probable enough that
[Greek: sympanta] was written the second time in Cod. Vat. by mistake.
At any rate, copyists both of the Greek and of the Hebrew
were sometimes inclined to insert or omit 'all' at haphazard;
thus, in iv. 2, Cod. Vat. inserts 'all,' which is omitted in Cod.
Alex. and Cod. Sin.
Another, adopted above at p. 220, is in viii. 10. Read
(Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: kbêdim) (or (
Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: niqbadim)) (
Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: vubamqôm qadôsh vyhalkhu). (
Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: vb)w) is a fragment of the
correct reading (
Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: vbmqwm) which stood side by side with the alternative
reading (
Hebrew characters)(Transliteration from Hebrew: vmmqwm).
On the question of interpolations, enough has been said already. Probably Cornill's book on Ezekiel will dispose many critics to look more favourably on attempts to purify Biblical texts from glosses and other interpolations. Grätz's conclusion certainly cannot be maintained, 'Sämmtliche Sentenzen gehören streng zu ihrer nachbarlichen Gedankengruppe, führen den Gedanken weiter oder spitzen ihn zu.'
I have still to speak of the Septuagint version. Its import-