166 E. WALTER MAUNDER, ON THE FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS. 



The interpretation of this chapter, which I have lettered oh 

 page 132, turns on some minute and questionable refinements of 

 Hebrew grammar. But I do not wish to argue that, as a partial 

 interpretation, it may not have some validity. 



May I turn back to the seven truths which I believe the chapter 

 was intended to teach us 1 I am no Hebrew scholar, but before 

 writing my paper, I read carefully and in detail the translations 

 and comments of many of the best Hebrew scholars, and I came to 

 the conclusion that no one of these truths was in the least affected 

 by any permissible variation in the rendering. Hence I followed 

 generally the Authorized Version. I feel assured that these seven 

 truths must appear on the surface of every translation of this chapter 

 that has ever been issued from the Bible House ; no matter what 

 the tongue into which they were rendered, or how unskilful the 

 translator. They are truths which are perfectly consistent with 

 Science, but they are not deductions from it, nor do they enter 

 within the range of its possible challenge. And they are funda- 

 mental for men : for all men ; for us to-day, as in the dawn of the 

 world's history. As the Rev. T. H. Darlow told us in the paper to 

 which I have already referred, " The Word of God in the Bible is 

 not of a nature to be affected by verbal changes such as can be 

 made by time or accident." " In every version the Book retains 

 its power to pierce the thoughts of the heart; it still remains 

 sharper than a two-edged sword ; it still divides joint and 

 marrow." 



Note. — The Rev. J. Iverach Munro points out that the part of the 

 word " re-plenish " in Genesis i, 28, which Dr. Hey wood 

 Smith emphasises (page 153, line 5), is not represented in the 

 Hebrew. It is the simple verb male, " to fill." It may be 

 added that replcre in Latin, and replenish in English, both often 

 carry the meaning of " to fill thoroughly," and not necessarily 

 that of " to fill again." 



