Preface to Smith's Bible Dictionary

PREFACE TO THE AMERICAN EDITION

The reputation of Dr. William Smith's "Dictionary of the Bible" is now too well established to need any special commendation. It contains, by universal consent, the fruit of the ripest Biblical scholarship of England, and constitutes a library of itself (superseding the use of many books otherwise necessary) for the study and illustration of the Scriptures. As a whole, it is unquestionably superior to any similar Lexicon in our language, and cannot fail to maintain this rank for a long period to come. In this American edition, the Publishers reprint the entire work, without abridgment or change, except the correction of typographical errors, or an occasional verbal inaccuracy, and of mistakes in quotation and reference.

At the same time, the reprinting of this Dictionary, after the lapse of several years since its first publication, and of a still longer time since the preparation of many of the articles, affords an opportunity to give to it some new features, required by the progressive nature of Biblical science, and adapting it more perfectly to the wants of students of the Bible in our own country. Among the characteristics in which the American edition differs from the English, are the following:

The contents of the Appendix, embracing one hundred and sixteen pages, and treating of subjects overlooked or imperfectly handled in the first volume, have been inserted in their proper places in the body of the work.
The numerous Scripture references, on the accuracy of which he value of a Bible Dictionary so much depends, have all been verified anew. The corrections found necessary in these references, and silently made, amount to more than a thousand. Many other mistakes in quotation and reference have been corrected during the revision of the work.
The system of cross-references from one article to another, so indispensable for enabling us to know what the Dictionary contains on related but separated subjects, has been carried much further in this edition than in the English.
The signification of the Hebrew and, to some extent, of the Greek names of persons and places has been given in English, according to the best authorities (Simonis, Gesenius, Dietrich, Furst, Pape) on this intricate subject. We have such definitions occasionally in the original work, but on no consistent plan. The Scripture names reveal to us a striking peculiarity of the oriental mind, and often throw light on the personal history and the geography of the Bible.
The accentuation of proper names has required adjustment. Dr. Smith's "Concise Dictionary of the Bible" differs here widely from the larger work; and in both, forms perfectly analogous are differently accented, in many instances, without apparent reason. In the present edition, this subject has received careful attention; and in respect to that large class of names whose pronunciation cannot be regarded as settled by usage, an attempt has been made to secure greater consistency by the application of fixed principles.
The English edition, at the beginning of each article devoted to a proper name, professes to give "the corresponding forms in the Hebrew, Greek, and Vulgate, together with the variations in the two great manuscripts of the Septuagint, which are often curious and worthy of notice." But this flan has been very imperfectly carried out so far as relates to the forms in the Septuagint and Vulgate, specially in the first volume. The readings of the Vatican manuscript are very rarely given where they differ from those of the Roman edition of 1587, - a case which frequently occurs, though this edition is, to a great extent, founded on that manuscript; and those of the Alexandrine manuscript are often ignored. The present edition of the Dictionary seeks to supply these defects; and not only have the readings of the Roman text (as given by Tischendorf) been carefully noted, with the variations of the Vatican and Alexandrine manuscripts as edited by Mai and Baber, but also those of the two other leading editions of the Septuagint, the Complutensian and the Aldine, and of the Codex Sinaiticus, whenever the forms given in them accord more nearly with the Hebrew, or on other accounts seem worthy of notice. To these last two editions, in the Apocrypha especially, we must often look for the explanation of the peculiar spelling of many proper names in the common English version. Many deviations of the later editions of this version from the first edition (1611), important as affecting the orthography of Hebrew proper names, have also been detected and pointed out.
The amount of Scripture illustration derived from a knowledge of Eastern customs and traditions, as made known to us so much more fully at the present day by missionaries and travelers in the lands of the Bible, has been largely increased. More frequent remarks also have been made on difficult texts of Scripture, for the most part in connection with some leading word in them, with which the texts are naturally associated.
The obsolete words and phrases in the language of the English Bible, or those which, though not obsolete, have changed their meaning, have been explained, so as to supply, to some extent, the place of a glossary on that subject. Such explanations will be found under the head of such words, or in connection with the subjects to which they relate.
On various topics omitted in the English work, but required by Dr. Smith's plan, new articles have been inserted in the American edition, with additions to others which seem not fully to represent our present knowledge or the state of critical opinion on the subjects discussed. The bibliographical references have been greatly increased, and care has been taken to mention the new works of value, or new editions of works in geography, philology, history, and exegesis, in our own or other languages, which have appeared since the original articles were written. Further, all the new wood-cuts in the Abridged English edition, illustrating some of the most important subjects in geography and archaeology, but not contained in the Unabridged edition, are inserted in the present work. Many additional views of Scripture scenes and places have been introduced from other more recent publications, or engraved from photographs.
Fuller recognition has been made of the names and works of American scholars, both as an act of justice to them as co-workers with those of other lands in this department of study, and still more as due to American readers. It must be useful certainly to our own students to be referred to books within their reach, as well as to those which they are unable to consult, and to books also which more justly represent our own tendencies of thought and modes of statement, than can be true of those prepared for other and foreign communities. References are made not only to books of American writers, but to valuable articles in our Periodicals, which discuss questions of theological and Biblical interest.

In addition to the aid of Mr. Abbot (who has had special charge of the proofreading, the orthoepy, and the verification of references to the original texts and ancient versions of the Bible, and has also given particular attention to the bibliography), the editor has had the cooperation of eminent American scholars, as will be seen by the list of names subjoined to that of the writers in the English edition It is proper to add that the Arabic words in the Dictionary have been revised by the Rev. Dr. Van Dyek, one of the translators of the modern Arabic Bible, or by Professor Salisbury, of Yale College.

H. B. HACKETT.
Newton Centre, December 20, 1867.

PEEFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION

The present work is designed to render the same service in the study of the Bible as the Dictionaries of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Biography, and Geography have done in the study of the classical writers of antiquity. Within the last few years Biblical studies have received a fresh impulse; and the researches of modern scholars, as well as the discoveries of modern travellers, have thrown new and unexpected light upon the history and geography of the East. It has, therefore, been thought that a new Dictionary of the Bible, founded on a fresh examination of the original documents, and embodying the results of the most recent researches and discoveries, would prove a valuable addition to the literature of the country. It has been the aim of the Editor and Contributors to present the information in such a form as to meet the wants, not only of theological students, but also of that larger class of persons who, without pursuing theology as a profession, are anxious to study the Bible with the aid of the latest investigations of the best scholars. Accordingly, while the requirements of the learned have always been kept in view, quotations from the ancient languages have been sparingly introduced, and generally in parentheses, so as not to interrupt the continuous perusal of the work. It is confidently believed that the articles will be found both intelligible and interesting even to those who have no knowledge of the learned languages; and that such persons will experience no difficulty in reading the book through from beginning to end.

The scope and object of the work may be briefly defined. It Is a Dictionary of the Bible, and not of Theology. It is intended to elucidate the antiquities, biography, geography, and natural history of the Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocrypha; but not to explain systems of theology, or discuss points of controversial divinity. It has seemed, however, necessary in a "Dictionary of the Bible," to give a full account of the Book, both as a whole and in its separate parts. Accordingly, articles are inserted not only upon the general subject, such as "Bible," "Apocrypha," and "Canon," and upon the chief ancient versions, as "Septuagint " and "Vulgate," but also upon each of the separate books. These articles are naturally some of the most Important in the work, and occupy considerable space, as will be seen by referring to "Genesis," "Isaiah," and "Job."

The Editor believes that the work will be found, upon examination, to be far more complete in the subjects which it professes to treat than any of its predecessors. No other dictionary has yet attempted to give a complete list of the proper names occurring in the Old and New Testaments, to say nothing of those in the Apocrypha. The present work is intended to contain every Name, and, in the case of minor names, references to every passage in the Bible in which each occurs. It is true that many of the names are those of comparatively obscure persons and places; but this is no reason for their omission. On the contrary, it is precisely for such articles that a dictionary is most needed. An account of the more important persons and places occupies a prominent position in historical and geographical works; but of the less conspicuous names no information can be obtained in ordinary books of reference. Accordingly many names, which have been either entirely emitted or cursorily treated in other dictionaries, have had considerable space devoted to them; the result being that much curious and sometimes important knowledge has been elicited respecting subjects of which little or nothing was previously known. Instances may be seen by referring to the articles "Ishmael, son of Nethaniah," "Jareb," "Jedidiah," "Jehosheba."

In the alphabetical arrangement the orthography of the Authorized Version has been invariably followed. Indeed the work might be described as a Dictionary of the Bible, according to the Authorized Version. But at the commencement of each article devoted to a proper name, the corresponding forms in the Hebrew, Greek, and Vulgate are given, together with the variations in the two great manuscripts of the Septuagint, which are often curious and well worthy of notice. All inaccuracies in the Authorized Version are likewise carefully noted.

In the composition and distribution of the articles three points have been especially kept in view - the insertion of copious references to the ancient writers and to the best modern authorities, as much brevity as was consistent with the proper elucidation of the subjects, and facility of reference. To attain the latter object an explanation is given, even at the risk of some repetition, under every word to which a reader is likely to refer, since it is one of the great drawbacks in the use of a dictionary to be referred constantly from one heading to another, and frequently not to find at last the Information that is wanted.

Many names in the Bible occur also in the classical writers, and are therefore included in the Classical Dictionaries already published. But they have in all cases been written anew for this work, and from a Biblical point of view. No one would expect in a Dictionary of the Bible a complete history of Alexandria, or a detailed life of Alexander the Great, simply because they are mentioned in a few passages of the Sacred Writers. Such subjects properly belong to Dictionaries of Classical Geography and Biography, and are only introduced here so far as they throw light upon Jewish history, and the Jewish character and faith. The same remark applies to all similar articles, which, far from being a repetition of those contained in the preceding dictionaries, are supplementary to them, affording the Biblical information which they did not profess to give. In like manner it would obviously be out of place to present such an account of the plants and animals mentioned In the Scriptures, as would be appropriate in systematic treatises on Botany or Zoology. All that can be reasonably required, or indeed is of any real service, is to identify the plants and animals with known species or varieties, to discuss the difficulties which occur in each subject, and to explain all allusions to it by the aid of modern science.

In a work written by various persons, each responsible for his own contributions, differences of opinion must naturally occur. Such differences, however, are both fewer and of less Importance than might have been expected from the nature of the subject; and in some difficult questions-such, for instance, as that of the "Brethren of our Lord " -- the Editor, instead of endeavoring to obtain uniformity, has considered it an advantage to the reader to have the arguments stated from different points of view.

An attempt has been made to insure, as far as practicable, uniformity of reference to the most Important books. In the case of two works of constant occurrence in the geographical articles, it may be convenient to mention that all references to Dr. Robinson's "Biblical Researches" and to Professor Stanley's "Sinai and Palestine," have been uniformly made to the second edition of the former work (London, 1856, 3 vols.), and to the fourth edition of the latter (London, 1857).

The Editor cannot conclude this brief explanation without expressing his obligations to the writers of the various articles. Their names are a sufficient guarantee. for the value of their contributions; but the warm interest they have taken in the book, and the unwearied pains they have bestowed upon their separate departments demand from the Editor his grateful thanks. There is, however, one writer to whom he owes a more special acknowledgment. Mr. George Grove of Sydenham, besides contributing the articles to which his initial is attached, has rendered the Editor important assistance in writing the majority of the articles on the more obscure names in the first volume, in the correction of the proofs, and in the revision of the whole book. The Editor has also to express his obligations to Mr. "William Aldis Wright, Librarian of Trinity College, Cambridge, and to the Rev. Charles P. Phinn of Chichester, for their valuable assistance in the correction of the proofs, as well as to Mr. E. Stanley Poole, for the revision of the Arabic words. Mr. Aldia Wright has likewise written in the second and third volumes the more obscure names to which no initials are attached.

It is intended to publish shortly an Atlas of Biblical Geography, which, it is believed, will form a valuable supplement to the Dictionary.

WILLIAM SMITH
LONDON, November, 1893.