Time in which Jesus the Son of Sirach lived. § 249. Contents of the book of Ecclesiasticus. § 250. Versions of the work. § 251. OF THE FIRST TWO BOOKS OF MACCABEES. INTRODUCTION TO THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. § 1. Names of the books of the Old Testament.[a] : THE books which the Hebrews, Israelites, or Jews, have long ve nerated as divine, are usually called THE OLD Testament, in order to distinguish them from the sacred books of the Christian religion, which are called THE NEW Testament. This appellation is taken from II Cor. iii. 6. 14. comp. Mat. xxvi. 28. Gal. iii. 17. Heb. viii. 8. ix. 15-20, where the ancient Latin translators have rendered dianen (which signifies both a covenant and a testament but in the Bible always answers to the Hebrew л, a covenant) TESTAMENTUM, a testament, because, as Jerome remarks, Comm. in Malach. c. ii. 2., they by a Graecism attributed to this word the sense of FOEDUS, a covenant. [b] The expression waλaia diabnxn old covenant, II Cor. iii. 14., signifies the ancient divine instructions promises, and threats, and the whole scheme of the Mosaic religion; but as all these, with an account of their effects in the course of time, and of the furtherances and obstructions with which they met, are contained in the books under consideration the name was by a metonymy transferred to the books, so that, VETUS FOEDUS, old covenant, stands for the books of the old covenant or testament, just as, with a more occurs Ex. xxiv. 7., and Gov ספר הברית limited application Sadnens I Macc. i. 57.—The appellation p the reading book, διαθήκης by way of eminence, similar to the Arabicíï KORAN, is ap plied to the books of Moses, Neh. viii. 8.: by the Rabbins its application is extended to the whole collection of the Old Testament.So also the name nian, min, voμos the law, (by which word the Orientals also express religion itself.) and that of minn 90 the book of the law or of religion in the books of the Old Testament designate the books of Moses alone; but by the more recent Jews they are transferred to all the sacred books as appears not only from John x. 34. xii. 34. xv. 25. I Cor. xiv. 21., but also from the Talmud, Sanhedrim, p. 91. col. 2. compare Wetstenii Nov. Test. P. I. p. 913. -The names, anɔ. ǹ y paon the scripture, as ygapa, the scriptures, Ypapai aɣiai the holy scriptures and iɛga ygaupara the sacred letters, are often used to express the books of the Old Testament by Flavius Josephus, Philo the Jew, and the Rabbins, and also by the writers of the New Testament; (II Peter i. 20. Matt. xxii. 29. Rom. i. 2. II Tim. iii. 15. &c.) We, however, apply them collectively to the books of both the Old and New Testaments. Jerome substituted for these expressions that of SANCTA BIBLIOTHECA, the Sacred Library. which, although it is well adapted to express its object has yet not been so readily adopted as the name a, the small books, by way of eminence; which Chrysostom was accustomed to use. -Concerning the other names of the books of the Old Testament ;- -the Law and the Prophets; the Law, the Prophets, and the other books; the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (which are the most eminent among the other books ;)- -all which arise from the division of the books: see below § 103, and Ecclus. Prologue, I. 1, 2. Matt. v. 17. vii. 12. xi, 13. xxii. 40. Luke xvi. 16.[c] [a) Comp. Eichhorns Einleitung in das A. T. viert. Aus. Goett. 1823, Th. I. § 6. Tr.] [b) On this use of the word diaonan see PRITII Introd. in N. T. c. ii. p. 8. s. ed. Hoffm., and ROSENMUELLER de vocabuli dτaðŋŋ in libris N. T. vario usu, in KUINOEL, RUperti, and VELTHUESEN Commentat. Theol. Vol. II. Tr.] (c) On the subject of this section see LARDNER, History of the Apostles c. i. Vol. I. pp. 1–18.; MICHAELIS Diss. quâ nomina, numerus, divisio et ordo librorum V. T. sistuntur, Halae, 1743.; SUICERI Thesaur. in vocibus ιβλία, γραφη, et διαθήκη. Τ.] |