study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第15节
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And that latter saying is true； though it must be remembered that Hallam
wrote in the period when no English was recognized by literary people
except that of the upper level； when they did not know that these so… called
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uncouth phrases were to return to common use。 To…day it would be absurd
to say that the Bible is full of uncouth phrases。 Professor Cook has said
that 〃the movement of English diction； which in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries was on the whole away from the Bible； now returns
with ever…accelerating speed toward it。〃 If the phrases went out； they came
back。 But it is true that the English of the King James version is not that of
the time of James I。； only because it is the English of the history of the
language。 It has not immortalized for us the tongue of its times； because it
has taken that tongue from its beginning and determined its form。 It
carefully avoided words that were counted coarse。 On the other hand； it
did not commit itself to words which were simply refinements of verbal
construction。 That； I say； is a general fact。
It can be illustrated in one or two ways。 For instance； a word which
has become common to us is the neuter possessive pronoun 〃its。〃 That
word does not occur in the edition of 1611； and appears first in an edition
in the printing of 1660。 In place of it； in the edition of 1611； the more
dignified personal pronoun 〃his〃 or 〃her〃 is always used； and it continues
for the most part in our familiar version。 In this verse you notice it： 〃Look
not upon the wine when it is red； when it giveth HIS color aright in the
cup。〃 In the Levitical law especially； where reference is made to sacrifices；
to the articles of the furniture of the tabernacle； or other neuter objects； the
masculine pronoun is almost invariably used。 In the original it was
invariably used。 You see the other form in the familiar verse about charity；
that it 〃doth not behave itself unseemly； seeketh not HER own； is not
easily provoked。〃 Now； there is evidence that the neuter possessive
pronoun was just coming into use。 Shakespeare uses it ten times in his
works； but ten times only； and a number of writers do not use it at all。 It
was； to be sure； a word beginning to be heard on the street； and for the
most part on the lower level。 The King James translators never used it。 The
dignified word was that masculine or feminine pronoun； and they always
use it in place of the neuter。
On the other hand； there was a word which was coming into use on the
upper level which has become common property to us now。 It is the word
〃anxiety。〃 It is not certain just when it came into use。 I believe
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Shakespeare does not use it； and it occurs very little in the literature of the
times。 Probably it was known to these translators。 When they came；
however； to translating a word which now we translate by 〃anxious〃 or
〃anxiety〃 they did not use that word。 It was not familiar。 They used instead
the word which represented the idea for the people of the middle level；
they used the word 〃thought。〃 So they said； 〃Take no thought for the
morrow；〃 where we would say； 〃Be not anxious for the morrow。〃 There is
a contemporary document which illustrates how that word 〃thought〃 was
commonly used； in which we read： 〃In five hundred years only two queens
died in child birth； Queen Catherine Parr having died rather of thought。〃
That was written about the time of the King James version； and 〃thought〃
evidently means worry or anxiety。 Neither of those words； the neuter
possessive pronoun or the new word 〃anxious；〃 got into the King James
version。 One was coming into proper use from the lower level； and one
was coming into proper use from the upper level。 They had not yet so
arrived that they could be used。
One result of this care to preserve dignity and also popularity appears
in the fact that so few words of the English version have become obsolete。
Words disappear upward out of the upper level or downward out of the
lower level； but it takes a long time for a word to get out of a language
once it is in confirmed use on the middle level。 Of course； the version
itself has tended to keep words familiar； but no book； no matter how
widely used； can prevent some words from passing off the stage or from
changing their meaning so noticeably that they are virtually different
words。 Yet even in those words which do not become common there is
very little tendency to obsolescence in the King James version。 More
words of Shakespeare have become obsolete or have changed their
meanings than in the King James version。
There is one interesting illustration to which attention has been called
by Dr。 Davidson； which is interesting。 In the ninth chapter of the Judges；
where we are told about Abimelech； the fifty…third verse reads that a
woman cast a stone down from the wall and 〃all to break his skull。〃 That
is confessedly rather obscure。 Our ordinary understanding of it would be
that she did that for no other purpose than just to break the skull of
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Abimelech。 As a matter of fact； that expression is a printer's bungling way
of giving a word which has become obsolete in the original form。 When
the King James translators wrote that； they used the word 〃alto；〃 which is
evidently the beginning of 〃altogether；〃 or wholly or utterly； and what they
meant was that she threw the stone and utterly broke his skull。 But that
abbreviated form of the word passed out of use； and when later printers
not much latercame to it they did not know what it meant and divided it
as it stands in our present text。 It is one of the few words that have become
obsolete。 But so few are there of them； that it was made a rule of the
Revised Version not to admit to the new version； where it could be
avoided； any word not already found in the Authorized Version； and also
not to omit from the Revised Version； except under pressure of necessity；
any word which occurred there。 It is largely this blending of dignity and
popularity that has made the King James version so influential in English
literature。 It talks the language not of the upper level nor of the lower level；
but of that middle level where all meet sometimes and where most men
are all the while。
These are great traits to mark a book； any book； but especially a
translationthat it is honest； that it is accurate； and that its language blends
dignity and popularity so that it lowers the speech of none。 They are all
conspicuous traits of our familiar version of the Bible； and in them in part
lies its power with the generations of these three centuries that have
followed its appearance。
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LECTURE III
THE KING JAMES VERSION AS ENGLISH LITERATURE
LET it be plainly said at the very first that when we speak of the
literary phases of the Bible we are not discussing the book in its historic
meaning。 It was never meant as literature in our usual sense of the word。
Nothing could have been further from the thought of the men who wrote it；
whoever they were and whenever they wrote； than that they were making
a world literature。 They had the characteristics of men who do make great
literature they had clear vision and a great passion for truth； they loved
their fellows mightily； and they were far more concerned to be understood
than to speak。 These are traits that go to make great writers。 But it was
never in their minds that they were making a world literature。 The Bible is
a book of religious si
