[Under this heading we notice such Books of the week
as have not been reserved for review in other forms.] The Book of Psalms. By T. K. Cheyne, D.D. (Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co. 32s. net.)—The title-page tells us that these two volumes are "in place of a second edition of an earlier work -(18.88) by the same author." This means, of course, that in these sixteen years Professor Cheyne has changed his position con- siderably. The new factor in his system of criticism and inter- pretation is "Jerahmeel." Jerahmeel meets us everywhere in what Professor Cheyne modestly calls a "revised text." "Revised"
is not the word. "Remade" would be better, as far as much of it is concerned. Let us take an example from a very familiar Psalm (xe.) Verse I remains substantially the same, but verse 2 becomes simply unrecognisable. "Before thou didst exalt Jerahmeel, And didst magnify Messur and Ishmael : Mayest thou put Ishmael to flight, And say, Be disappointed, ye sons of Edoni." It would be sheer waste of time to argue the question. It is sufficient to say that no book in any literature has ever been treated in such a fashion. One question, however, wo ask,—Why had the Septuagint translators, whose version of the Psalter is not later than the second century B.C., no notion of "Jerahmeel" and " Ishmael " lying hid under the text which they translated ? But, not content with emending the text, Dr. Cheyne tells us that no religious poet would have written the Psalm as it stands ! That is a view with which he will find few sympathisers.
Previous page
