The Bible companion ...

Preface

BOOK has been so much written about, or so much studied, as the Bible, and at no time has this saying been more true than at the present. The message that it contains is of such transcendent importance for man that light from any source is desirable. In the following pages we have arranged in order a collection of essays relating to Biblical topics, or questions connected with such topics. It is not a commentary, but we trust it will be found to contain just such information as is desired by every-day readers of the Bible.

The larger part of the book is, properly speaking, an original production. While we can not claim that the information contained in its pages is now for the first time given to the public, yet it can only be obtained from a careful reading of many volumes, some difficult to obtain. It was the intention to make this work a compilation, gathering on each topic the thoughts of the best writers, but this was found to be largely impossible. Though consulting a large number of writers on each and every topic, we have deemed it best to write our own account, and wherever we made use of the language of another, to indicate

PREFACE.

such fact by the usual means. To this there are but few exceptions. However, from page 561 to end of the book, our original intention has been followed, the nature of the subjects being such that this form of composition can be used to advantage.

The work appears as the joint productions of two authors; it is not meant that one wrote one essay, and the other the rest. Each essay has received the careful attention of both. It is hoped that those who read it will find it a fit "Companion" for the Bible, and that they will gather from its perusal light on many difficult subjects, and that it will thus be to them a veritable "Library op Biblical Knowledge."

Cincinnati, January 1, 1886.

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THE BIBLE.

The Bible a Wonderful Book— The importance of the Bible— The Bible Divided into the Old and New Testaments — Jewish Old Testament — How Arranged — The Books of the New Testament — The Authors of the Books of the Bible — When Collected into One Volume — The Books of the New Testament — How Handed Down to Us — Manuscripts of the Old Testament — The Masoretic Period — New Testament Manuscript — Age of Manuscripts how Determined — Division into Chapters — Division into Verses — The Septuagint Translation — Wycliffe's Translation — Tyndale's Tranlation — King James' Version — The New Bevised Version — The Inspiration of the Bible — The Infallibility of the Bible — Ancient Writers' Quotations from the Bible — General Conclusions Page 17

WRITERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

Moses — His Childhood — God's Announcement to Him — Genesis — Exodus — Leviticus — Numbers — Deuteronomy — The Pentateuch — J oshua — Judges — The Jews in a Tribal State of Society — Buth — First and Second Samuel — First and Second Kings — Solomon's Eeign — Outline History of Israel — Of Judah — First and Second Chronicles — Written After the Exile — Ezra and Nehemiah — The Restoration to Palestine — Esther — Job — The Peculiarities of this Book — Psalms — Proverbs — Ecclesiastes — Canticles — Isaiah — Outline of Isaiah's Life — Jeremiah— Outline of Jeremiah's Life — Lamentations — Ezekiel — Daniel — Hosea — Joel — Amos, Obadiah — Jonah — Micah — Nahum — Habakkuk — Zephaniah — Haggai — Zachariah — Malachi — General Conclusions 46

"WRITERS OP THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Matthew — His Peculiarities — Mark — The Relationship of Mark to Peter — Written at Borne — Luke — Luke a Physician — Written for the Greeks — John — Outline of John's Life — The Four Gospels Contrasted — The Acts of the Apostles — Outline of Paul's Life — His Missionary Journeys — The Apostolic Letters — Romans — First and Second Corinthians — Galatians — Ephesians — Philippians —