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SUDJECT NO. PAGE
I. The Origin of the Sacred Scripture.. 3
II. The }:ternal Word Q • 5
COl\fl\fITTEE OF T1IE Al\lERTCAN
III. The \:vorc1 Revealed . 6
IV. Two kinds of Books in the Bible'..• II
V. 1300ks of the Word, and the other
Sacred \Vritings . 16
VI. The Prophets were Seers: How their
REV. FRAN},- S E\V j\ I-JL,
Communications were Received ..
REV. J.<::.,i\.GER, REV. IJ. P. l'vlr~RCER,
VII. Antediluvian Revelation .....•.. o. 33
"VW1\1. N. HOI3ART, I~I~i\NCIS J-\. IJE\VSON.
VIII. Postdiluvian Revclation r. An Ancient
Word existing before that given
through Moses 40
IX. The Pentateuch 0 • • • • 49
X. H'oliucss of the Divine Law · . . . . . . 54
XI. The Five Books Separately. · . . . . . . 59
XII. Divine Care for the Preservation of
the \Vorcl · · ... · · · · .,. . . . . • • . . . • 73
XIII. The Book of Joshua ......••••.• :. 78
XIV. The Book of Judges ......•••.. ~ . 82
XV o The 1~()()k~~ of Samuel •• 0 0 • g •••• 0. 87
~2\;jO<lLl
..
11 CONTENTSo
SUBJECT. NO. PAGE
XV"I. The Books of Kings 0 • a 0 • 93
XVII. The Schools of the Prophets .. · · .. 95
XVIII. The Book of Psalms., . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 OUR
XI:K. The Music and Choirs of the Tenl-
ple 0 ••• 0 106
Heavenly Father's Book.
X'X, The Book of Isaiah a •• 110
XX.I. Jeremiah and the 1300k of Larnenta-
tions, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 115 I. -'TIle Origin of the Sacred Serlptnre,
XXII. The Book of Ezekiel, 120
THIS Book in all our homes, so various.
XXIII. The Book of Daniel. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 123 in size, often occupying a conspicuous
XXI"V. The Twelve Minor Prophets 127 place, held sacrecl by some, and in high
XX"V o The Kethubim or Hagiographa ; Sa- respect by ail, sometimes handed down
from a former generation as a large, family
cred Writings of the J ewish Church 156
Bible, and seen on the desks of all our
XXVI. The Apocrypha 186 churches.v-cwhence came it, and why is it
XXVII. Ancient Versions and Commentaries 189 here?
XXVIII. Manner of Preserving the Scriptures The story is a 1011g one, but profoundly
in Ancient Tirnes , . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 197 interesting anel profitable. 011 inquiry, the
discovery will be made that this venerated
Contemporaneous Kings of Judah
Volume is fully worthy of all the respect
and Israel 0 • •• 204 and revere11ce it has ever recei veda
Chronological Table 205 " Bi bIe," from the Greek bib/os, a book;
corning to us, however, through the Latin
and N orman French from the plural form,
fa biblicl, tile books, which as early as the
fifth century lJegan to be applied in the
Greek churches of the East to the whole
collection of writings regarded as belong-
ing to the sacred canon.. In all our modern .
languages it has become a singular noun,
4 BI BLE ~lANUAL. THE ETERNAL WORD. 5
TI-IE JBO~)K, ernphatically ; the one Book
containing ill itself all the particular books
of the sacred canon, the Book of books
II• ...i. TIle Eternal Word.
the King of books, in excellence above all
LET us fir~t of all. consult the teachings
others,
?f the Book itself with respect to its origin,
'VI10 is the author of this great Book
its l~url)OSeS, and character. Turning to
this foremost Volume of tIle world ? Sonl~
the first c11C11Jter of Johri's Gospel we read
say it I1ClS Inany authors ; as lnany as the
that, " In the beginning was the Word, and
l1alne~t attached to the several elivisions,
the Worel was with God, anel the Worel was
from :Moses to J01111 the Apostle, through
God. TIle same was in the beo-inning with
a period of fifteen hundred years. How,
G.od. All. things were made by Him; and
then, did it become one? Whence this
without HllTI "vas 110t allY thing made that
si?gular and wonderful unity, out of such
was made. III Him "vas life· and the life
wide-spread arid far-reaching diversity, 1111-
w~s the .light of men. And the light
paralleled ill the history of human Iitera-
shineth In darkness ; and the darkness
t~re ? On ttlrnillg its l)ages we shall
comprehended it not." .. ,
discover the reason. It is because one
WIlen vve know that the Word is Divine
arid the same J3eing speaks through it all.
Truth, we can see Il0W it J'existed from
Apart from and above all these 1111111all
eternity, and 110W and why it was with Goel
scribes employed ill different ages to wri te
anel was Goel. Before it was· revealed and
out its successive porti ons, it 11 as one su-
written for men, it remained only as Divine
IJrCllle, ]J i vi 11C Au th or \vh0 i nspi red the
thought, reserved as ineffable lig11t anel wis-
theme and superintended the work frorn
dom, stored in the secret chambers' of the
l)egillning to end. It is the circulation of
Eternal Mind. Hence it was an essential
the i nfiuitc wisdom of His love tllrougll
part of the Divine Being, as a man's intel-
each one of the parts or members that
l~c.t, with ~II it contains, is an integral,
combines the whole into one compact arid
l~vIng portion of the rnan himself, How
living organism. Hence the name givel1
simple, too, the idea, and how clearly true,
it, "1'HE, WOH.D OF TI-IE I~oH.D," for it is the
that when Goel carne to act in the creation
Divine Truth written ill the language of
of. tIle. world all things shoulcl Le made by
men.
1-1:5 vyiseloln, and .sllo~llcl have its unerring
principles embodied In all their forms and
laws.
6 BIBLE MANUAL. THE WORD REVEALED.
7
And so, also, 110W simple and true it is himself is the Light which enlightens, and
that when He carne to utter that truth for
is the Truth, which is evident from the fol-
the liaht and guidance of men, providing
lowing passages: - i,
to ha~e it written in suitable forms for their " , The words that I speak unto you, they
understandings, the Book should c~ntain are spirit, anel they are Iife.'-JoHN vi. 63-
within its depths hidden stores of wisdom Jesus saiel to the woman at Jacob's well,
impossible for men to exhaust, , if tI1011 knewest the gift of God, and who
it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink ;
thou wouldst have askecl of him, and I1e
would have given thee living water....
111.- TIIC Wore} Revealed.
Whosoever dri nketh of the water that I
THE Psalmist tells us that " Jehovah gave
shall give him shall never thirst ; but the·
the Word, and great was the COll11Jany. of
water that I shall give him shall be in him
them that published it." A .\vorI~ 11~vlng
a well of water springing up into everlast-
tllis origin the product of the infinite Intel-
ing life.'-iv. 6, 10, 14.
lect cann~t but be endowed with unspeak-
"TIle well of Jacob here signifies the
abl~ meaning, holiness and power. ~nd
Word, as also in DEUT. xxxiii. 28. There-
therefore in our endeavors to form a Just
fore the Lorel, because He is the Word, sat
estimate of this sacreel VOlU111e we 11lUSt
there and talked with the woman. Living
always carefully" consider that j ehovah
water also signifies the truth of the Word:-
the Lord \Vl10 is the Gael of heaven and
" ,Jesus stooel and crieel, saying, If any
earth, spoke the Worel tIlrougJl 1\1.oses and
Inall thirst, let hirn come unto me and
the prophets ; anel that tllere~ore It cannot
drink. I-Ie that believeth on me, .as the
but be Di ville truth, for that 1s what Jcho-
Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall
yah the Lord himself speaks. Nor eloes
flow rivers of living water.'- vii. 37, 38.
[the objector] consi cler tha~ the Lord the
Peter said to Jesus, 'TI10U hast the words
Saviour \VI10 is the same as Jehovah, spoke
of eternal life. '- vi. 68. Jesus said, 'Hea-
the Word written ill the Evangelists, much
ven and earth shall pass a\vay, but my
of it by his own mouth, an,cl th~ rest b:y the
words shall not pass away' (MARK xiii. 3 I. ).
b re a th 0 f 11is" 111011t11, \V 111 CIllS the H 01 Y
TIle Lord's words are Truth and Life, be-
Spirit, through llis t\v~lve cliscil)les: I·~~r
cause I-Ie himself is Truth and Life, as He
this reason, as He himself says, 111 1115
teaches ill John : 'I am the way, the truth,
words "tllere are spirit and life, and I-Ie
and the life,' xiv. 6. . .. For this reason
8 BIBLE MANUAL. THE WORD REVEALED.
9
the Word which is from the Lorcl and is the fore it fills man with the goods of love and
Lord, is called 'tIle fountain of living the truths of wisdomc--c his will with the
,vaters' (JER. ii. 13); "the rivers of waters ' former, and his understanding with the
(xxxi, 9); 'the wells of salvation.' (IsA. latter; consequently man obtains life
xii, 3) ; 'a fountain' (ZECI-I . xii i , I); arid through the Word.
'a river of water of life' (J:ZEV. xxi i , I); "Dllt it must be well understood that
and it is saiel that 'the Lamb which is in only those obtain life through the Word,
the midst of the throne sha II feeel them and who read it for the purpose of drawing
shall lead them unto fountains of living from it, as their proper fountain, Di vine
waters' (vi i. 17); besides other places where truths, anel at the same time for the purpose
the Word. is called the Sanctuary, and the .of applying to life the truths thence drawn j
Tabernacle, wherein the Lord dwells with and that tIle contrary takes place with those
man, WIlD read the Word merely for the purpose
"But still the natural man cannot be of securing honor anel worldly wealth.
persuaded. by these considerations that the " No man WI10 is ignorant that there is a
Word is Divine Truth itself, ill which there certain spiritual sense in the Word like the
is divine wisdom and divine life; for 11e soul in its body, can judge of it in any other
looks at it from its style in which 11e does. \vay than from its literal sense; when, never-
not see these things. Yet the style of the theless, this is like an envelope enclosing
Word is the truly Divine style with which precious contents, which are its spiritual
no other, however lofty anel excellent it sense. While, therefore, this internal sense
111ay appear, call be compared. 'I'lie style is unknown, men can 110 more judge of the
of t.he Word is such that it is 110ly in every Divine sanctity of the Word, thanthey can
sentence and ill every word ; llay Blare, of a precious stone from the matrix which
everywhere, ill the very letters. Therefore embraces it, and which sometimes appears
the Worel tillites man to the Lord and opens as a common stone; or than, from a casket
heaven. made of jasper, lapis lazuli, arnianthus, or
"T:here are two things which proceed agate, they can judge of the diamonds,
from the Lord, Divine love and Divine rubies, sardonyxes, oriental topazes, and
wisdom, or, what is the same thing, Divine the lil{e, arranged with ill it. The fact that
good and Divine truth. The Word i11 its these are within the casket being unknown,
essence is both. Anel because it unites it is not to be wondereel at that the casket
man to the Lord, and 0lJcns heaven, there-
TWO KINDS OF BOOKS IN THE BIBLE. I I
10 llIBLE l\1ANUAL.
is esteemed only accorcling to the value of
its material, which is visible.
" It is the same with the Word as to its IV. - Two Kinds of Books in the Bible.
literal sense, Therefore, lest man should
As we open our Hebrew Bible, we dis-
remain ill doubt as to whether the Word is
cover two gralld divisions ill the arrange-
Divine and most holy, its i nterual sense,
ment of the Books. First, there are those
which ill its essence is spiritual, and whi ch
included under the term, "rI'he Law anel
resieles in. the external or natural sense like
the Prophets;" as having tIle greatest im-
the sOlJ1 ill the boely, has been revealed
portance; and then f~l~ow t~le others? called
to 111e bv the Lord. This sense is the
"IZetllubilll" or Writings, In the Hebrew,
spirit \vI;.icIl vivifies the letter. It call,
and in the ,Greek named "Hag'lographa,"
therefore, testify to the Divinity anel sanc-
that is Sacred Writings. Some of the
tity of th.e Word, and call convince even
earliest' phrases used to indicate this divi-
the natural man thereof, if he is willillg
sion are like the following : "1"'lle Law and
to be convinced." - Emanue! Szoedenborg,
Prophets, and the other tori.ti.ngs ; " Of, "TIle
T. c. .1'?, 7Z. 189-192.
Law and the Prophets, and the other books oj
All this is confirmed by what we read in
the j"atlz.ers ." meaning the Jewi?h fa~hers.
the first verse of the fifth chapter of Luke :
This comes to us from the earliest times,
"And it came to pass, that, as the people
and is the most ancient division known,
pressed. upon Hirn to hear THE \VORD OF
"TIle rabbinical writers maintain that
GOD, He stooel by the lake of Gcnnesaret."
the authors of the "I<-etIlul)im" enjoyed
TIle Lorel Jesus Christ himself is the
only the lowest degree. of inspirati.on,. as
Livinz Word, the "Word made flesh;"
they received 110 immediate communication
and He carne into the worlel to fulfil all
from the Deity, like that made to Moses, to
things of the wri tten or prophetic Word.
Wl101ll God spoke face to face; and that
they (lid not receive their knowledge
through tile medium of visions and dreams,
as was the case with the prophets or the
writers of t'he higher class; but still that
they felt the Divine Spirit resting on them
and inspiring them with suggestions."-
I(itto's eyelo. Art. "rIagiographa."
12 BIBLE MANUAL. TWO KINDS OF BOOIZS IN TI-IE BIBLE. 13
Later Christi an writers have IJeC11 clis- general eli visions, First, the " Law," COll1-
posed to neglect or ignore th is distinc- prising the five books of Moses; second,
tion, --- a disposition, 110 doubt, arising " The Former Prophets," in eluding Joshua,
]argel:y frorn the errors anel inconsistencies Judges, the two books of Samuel, and the
occuring in the Jewish writers relating to two 'books of Kings ; third, "The Later
the subject. Mature and close cxumi nntion, Prophets," including Isaiah, Jererniah,
however, cliscloses the fact that both the Ezekiel, arid the twelve minor prophets,
di visi on of the Books arid t11 e eliscri mi n a- from Hosea to Malachi.
"tiOll with respect to their i nspirati on, are In relation to 1110St of the other Books,
well founded. Muny early fathers, anel those of the second class, there was like-
some late erni n ent Christian scholars have wise a similar uniformity of opinion. The
believed. the same. I-Ierzog * maintains two books of Chronicles, Ezra, N ehemiah,
that this "divisio11 of the Olel Testament Esther, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and
Canon is neither accidental nor arbitrary.'~ Song of SOlOlTIOn, were always placeel
And after placing Moses anel the prophets among tIle" Kethubim." No doubt was
in the 11igller rank, as giving Divine IJrOIJbe- entertaineel with respect to thei r character.
cies, lie states the Jewish iclea of the other About the remaining four Books, however,
Books, as having been written by those there were differences of opinion. Ruth,
wI10 "experience 110 Iligll ecstacy, but Psalms, Lamentations, and Daniel, each
speak. as other men, only under the guiel- found advocates 'VI10 would place them in
ance of a Di vine IJovver dwell ing in them." the front rank, while others favored putting
Whil e the test i mony of the Scriptures them- them in the second. So careful were they,
selves 11.P011 1Jot11 these points is clear, posi- however, that nothing SI1011ld be placed in
ti ve, repeateel anel emphatic, the first order unless it were a veritable
Before adducing this testimony we shall "Word of the Lord," that they chose rather
refer "briefly to the Jewish elivisions, point- to allow the doztbtfitl books ·all to remain
ing out a few inconsistencies and revising among the "I(et11ubim"; which accord-
their lists. About the earliest part of their ingly is the case as vve find thern now in
canon there was no elifference of, opi ni ou. the ·Hebrew Bible, and in the English trans-
"TIle Law and the Propllets" were always lation of the same in use in the American
an unquestioned, Divine authority, placed synagogues.
in the front rank. These consisted of three In regard to three of these doubtful
* Vol. I., page 546. books, Psalms, Lamentations, and Daniel,
14 BIBLE MANUAL. TWO I<.INDS OF BOOKS IN THE BIBLE. 15
V\re now have better information, and see Lamentations, also, is clearly the book of
ll1arlY and clear reasons for placing them a prophet, and might not inappropriately,
iln the first order. Most of these reasons
perhaps, be considered now, as it frequently
we shall reserve, giving them in detail was in ancient times, as only a part or con-
when we come to treat of- each of those tinuation of the Book of Jeremiah,
books separately. 1~11e prominent and ob- TllatDaniel also is a truly prophetic book,
vi ous reason is, that they, like the others is patent upon the very face of it. That
of the highest class, are the books of the ·Spirit of the Lord was with him, that
proj'hets. David, while a Psallnist., w~s he had revelation from on high, that he
also recognized as a Prophet, even 111 11~S was frequently in holy vision, and that the
office of Psalrnist ; and this because his
Angel of the Lord appeared to hirn, instruct-
Psalms, in their internal or spiritual sense,
ing him as to what he was to deliver, is
Of, as it may be called, their IJroplleti~ and plainly stated, especially in the ninth and
Christian sense, look forward to the life of
tenth chapters, Whi le our Lorel, ill lv.IATT.
tJhe Messiah and His trials in the world.
xxiv. 15, and MARK xiii. 14, puts the seal
David says of himself, in llis last days
of confirmation llP011 it, quoting his words
(II. SAMUEL xxiii. I, 2), "NO\V these be as the predictions ·of a "prophet," and
the last words of David. David, the son which must therefore be fulfilled.
of Jesse, said, and the man WI10 was raised
We are now, therefore, able, on the fullest
up on high, the anointed of the God of testimony, to give a revised and correct list
Jacob, and tIle sweet psalmist of Israel,
of the "Law and the Prophets," as well
said : The Spirit 0..( the Lord spake by me,
also as a similar one of the "Ketllubim"
and His Word was in lJZy tongue," or "other writings."
This is clear testimony, and one which is
as clearly confirmeel by the words of Ollr
Lord in the Gospels. In MATT. xiii. 35,
Fie quotes the words of David, calling
them the words' of a "propIlet"; and in
I/UR:E xxiv. 44, He tells us that all things
written in tIle Psalms concerning Him must
be fulfilled. \\lellave, therefore, unrnis-
takable authority for putting the Psalms in
the first class, alllong the Books of "The
V"Vord."
15UVX\...:) VL' .r ra n, VYV.I.'..1J.
16 BIBLE l\fANUAL.
methods by which He regenerates and
saves mankind. Anel consequently this is
the portion of the Old 'Testament to which
lr. -- Books of tho 'Vord, and the other all those 11igh and holy tllings spoken con-
Sacred 'Vritings. cerning the "Worel of the Lord" ill the
first part of this work are meant to apply,
1'lIE ]3001<.s of "TIle Word," or the corn-
TI1is is a revealecl canon of the Old
plete " Law and Prophets," are, as already
Testament Worel; for it is the one con-
seC11 above :
stantly maintaincd throughout the Script-
I. - TIrE PENT'ATEUCII, OR TIlE FIVE BOOK~S (, V
urea Our Lord's appea! in the Gospels is
TIlE LAW.
always to "'r'lle Law and the Prophets,"
Genesis, N umbers,
or " Moses arid the Prophets," as authority,
Exodus, Deuteronomy.
but never to the " Kethubim," strictly and
Leviticus,
properly so called. It is frequently saicl
II. - TI-IE PROPI-IETS.
that the Lord sanctionecl, as of equal rank
(a) . The Earlier Prophets: -
and authority, the whole of the Old Testa-
Joshua, I. II. Samuel, ment, just as we now have it. But this .is
Judges, I. II. J(jngs.
a mistake. The rule He gives us in John
(b). The Later Prophets: - in relation to the Scriptures, in the highest
sense, is that they are those zvhich testify oj
I. - The Four Greater Prophets.
Him. And He gives" The Law, the Proph-
Isaiah, Ezekiel,
ets, and the Psalms;" as those which do
Jercmiah (with Lamentations}, Daniel.
testify of Him. It is sometimes saicl that/'
2. - The Tzve1'z·'t! l1fillor Prophets.
by aclding here "tIle PSallTIS" to the Law
Hosea, Obadiah, Nahum, I-Iaggai,
and Prophets, 11e meant to include the
Joel, Jonah, II ahakkuk, Zcchnriah,
whole of the" Kethubirn;" as, according to
Amos, Micah, Zephaniah, Malachi,
the arrangement then common, the Psalms
III. TI-IE PSAL1\rS.
formed the first book of the "Kethubim."
These all have the internal or spiri tual But this is mere, modern .conjecture, not
sense spoken of i n the first part of this' being borne out by any known facts.
work, - a prophetic, Christian mcani ng The Psalms were not uniformly put as the
lool~ing to the Lorel Jesus Christ, Ll is first of these books, sometimes Ruth, and
Divine work of Redemption, anel the sometimes Job being so placed, TIle Tal-
13 BIBLE MANUAL.
BOOKS OF THE WORD.
mud, very high authority, assigning the
lessons from the "IZethubim," to avoid
former to that position ; whi le Jeronl~, ~lle
the letter of the decree. This preference
of thee most accurate of early Christian
of the Jewish Cll11rc11 for the "Law and
critics, gives his testimony that Job 1110St
Prophets," one "lessoll" in each service
COl111110nly OCClIIJied that IJl~ce. ~ur Lord
beingo- ta.'k en from the "Law," the other
here for reasons already given, simply ex-
frorn the "lJr01)Ilets," Inay account for the
cept~ the Psalms from among the" Ketb-
form of expressi on in ACTS xiii. 14, 15:
ubi m " placing the 111 where they truly
"AllCl when they departed from Perga,
belon'g, among the other Prophets. 1~he
they carne to Antioch in Pisiclia, and went
Psalms do testify concerning the Messiah
int o the sYllagogue on the Sabbath day,
and H'is kingdom, whi le the books of. the
and sat (10'V11. Atld after the reacting of the
" ICetl1ubim " !)roper, like Ezra, N ehemi a~l,
, Law and Prophets,' tIle' rulers of the syna-
Ii:stller, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, et~., contain
gogue sent unto them, saying, 'Ye men and
nothing about Him. Nor do their authors
brethren, if ye have any word of exhorta-
claim to be prophets or seers, or to have or
tion for the people, say on ! '" TIle ancient
cleclare "TIle Worel of the Lord."
Targums, or ] ewish commentaries, were all
It is quite significallt that the writers of
on the "Law and Prophets,' but not on
the GoslJels never cite any of these latter
the other wri ti ngs.
books as authority. There are in the four
TIle rule for 'distinguishing the two classes
Evangelists SOUle one hundred arid fifty
of Books, as the reaeler has already partly
quotations from the Old Testament, arid
seen, is simple and clear. The Books ~e­
all are taken fro 111 the "La\v" or the
I01lgilZg to the Word, eZJery one of them, clazm .,
'it Prophets," not one of them from the
to contain, or are declared to be, the WORD OF
seconel class of books.
THE LORD; while the remainder of the Books
It is stated, too, by some authorit.ies,
lnake lZ0 Sltclt claiJJl for the11lselves, nor do the
that the early "Sections," .or sele.ctlo~lS
other Scriptures ma/:« itfor them.
from the Scriptures for IJublIC reading 111
This is' very significant and important.
the services of the synagogues, were all
In truth it contains the very pith of the
origirially taken from tIle" Law and Proph-
inquiry; for it is an accepted principle in
Ct s~::;' · the " IZet hub i 111 " be i 11g 0111 itted, U11til
Biblical stuelies, that "the argument to
the clecree of Antiochus Epipbanes, about
which the greatest importance is to be
17S B.C., forbiclcling the public reading of
attached, is the testimony of, the sacred
their "La\v," leel the Jews to resort to
writers themselves respecting their own in