92 Dr Scot on the Deror of the Hebrew Scriptures, 



raised 20 cubits above the Temple ; and they overshadowed all 

 the Temple ; and he suspended 400 large bells from the nets ; 

 which were so constructed as to ring the bells and drive away 

 the birds; lest they should light upon the Temple, nestle in the 

 ceilings of its gates and porches, or defile it with their foeces." 



For these reasons, then, we apprehend that the translation of 

 the English Bible is wrong, whether understood literally or figu- 

 ratively ; and another translation must be adopted, unless we 

 would make the Psalmist assert things which could never happen. 

 Of translations given by learned men, we shall notice two, 

 either of which we scruple not to prefer to that of the English 

 Bible. The first of "these translations is that of Noldius, which 

 supposes an ellipsis of the verb find ; and this ellipsis, notwith- 

 standing what Parkhurst has said, cannot be thought harsh or un- 

 usual ; " Even as the sparrow findeth for herself a house, and the 

 deror a n6st, so also / would find thine altars, my king and God.'"* 

 The other is that of Durell : " As the sparrow findeth for herself 

 a house, and the deror a nest ; / also would approach the altars, 

 my king and God ;"'' the word at in the original being taking as 

 a verb, instead of ate, and not as a particle before the objective 

 case, seldom translated. 



Whichever of these translations is adopted, we are under no 

 necessity of translating deror swallow, as the English interpre- 

 ters were, because they ignorantly supposed that there was no 

 other bird which could be associated with the sparrow, while 

 it plade its house about the altars of God. 



If the word swallow only be wrong in the common transla- 

 tion, Dr Russel's History of Aleppo has taught us, that there is a 

 brown dove which builds its nests in the windows of houses in 

 that city; and, if the sparrow can really make the altars of God 

 its house, and some other bird make them its nest, it would have 

 been far better to have made this species of dove the compa- 

 nion of the sparrow, than the swallow. 



As, however, the reasons already given shew the other parts 

 of the common translation to be wrong, that of Noldius or 

 Durrell must be adopted, which makes altars relate to the 

 Psalmist, and not to any birds whatever. 



According to either of these translations, the sparrow can 

 jnake a nest for herself, in a place reckoned convenient, and 



