CfiAPTER XX. 163 chrlstian world ; which remarks may sometimes happen to be of use to those divines, who are unacquainted with them in reading the bible. But the advantageof these tongues is not of so great importance as it has been too often represented. My reader will agree with me when he considers, that the chief uses of them are these : The Arabic is a language which has some kindred and affinity to theHebrew, and perhaps we may now and then guess at the sense of some uncommon and doubtful Hebrew word, which is found but once or twice in the bible, by its supposed affi- nity to the Arabic : but whatsoever conjectures may be made by some kindred of an Hebrew word to an Arabic root, yet there is no certainty to be gathered from it, for even words of the same language which are undoubtedly derived from the same theme or primitive, will give us but very doubtful and sorry information concerning the true sense of kindred words which spring from the same theme. Let me give a plain instance or twoof this uncertainty. The word strages signifies slaughter ; stratum is Latin for a bed : stra- men is straw ; and stragulum is a quilt or coverlet : they are all drawn and derived from sterno, which signifies to throwdown, to kill, or to spread abroad. Let the critics tell me what certain sense they could put upon either of these four words by their mere cognation with each other, or their derivation from one common verb. Again, who could tell me the certain meaning and precise idea of the word honest in English, and assure me that it signifiesa man of integrity, justice and probity, though it is evidently derived from honestus in Latin ? Whereas honest us bath a very different idea, and signifies a man of some figure in the world, or a man of honour. Let any man judge then, how little service toward explaining the Hebrew tongue can be fur- nished from all the language of Arabia. Surely a great part of the learned fatigues and tiresome travels of men through this country, is almost vain and useless to make the Hebrew bible bet- ter understood. As for the Syriac language, it is granted there may be some small advantage drawn from the knowledge of it, because there is a very ancient translation of the New Testament in that tongue : and perhaps this may sometimes give a proper and ap- posite meaning to a difficult and doubtful text, and offer a fair hint for recovering the true meaning of the scripture from the perverse glosses of other writers. But there are several com- mentators and lexicographers who have been acquainted` with the Syriac language, and have given us the chief of these hints in their writings on scripture. And after all, since none of these assistances can yield us a sufficient proof of a true interpreta- tion, and give us the certain sense of a text, who would be per- 2
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