THE NEW DICTIONARY OF THE BIBLE. [TO TER EDITOR OF
TER "BrscrAroa.") Snl,—Comparison is, no doubt, permissible in a review, per- haps sometimes inevitable ; but it is a weapon of criticism which should be used with the utmost care in the interests of justice, if not of scholarship. Any disregard of this condition, especially in the case of a periodical of so high a reputation and authority as the Spectator, can hardly fail to do injury. And such an injury, I think, is done by your review of Messrs. Clark's new Bible Dictionary. The writer of that article compares the book throughout with the first edition of Sir W. Smith's Dictionary (not unnaturally to the detriment of the older work), in apparent ignorance of the fact that an entirely new edition of the volume under consideration was published in 1893; e.g., he cites the article on "Deuteronomy" and dismisses it in a few words, but does not allude to the fact that the existing article in Smith's Dictionary is by Dr. Driver, who is not generally regarded as old-fashioned or reactionary in his scholarship. If your writer will turn to the current edition of Smith, of which I send you a copy herewith, he will find in like manner that all the articles he mentions have been either entirely rewritten or thoroughly revised ; and that such names as those of the late Bishop Lightfoot, Dr. Ebers, Professor Kirkpatrick, M. Naville, Professor Ryle, Dr. Salmon, Professor Sanday, Dr. Sandra, Professor Sayce, Professor Stanton, Archdeacon Watkins, and Sir Charles Wilson will be found among the contributors. The new edition of Dr. Smith's work attracted so much attention at the time of its publication, that it seems almost incredible that any one claiming to be in touch with current English Biblical scholarship should not have heard of it ; and on this ground I must ask you to be so kind as to publish these remarks.—I am, Sir, &c., 50 Albemarle Street, W., May 3rd. JOIIN MURRAY.
[Our wish was simply to direct attention to the notable change of view that has taken place between 1863—the date of the original issue of "The Dictionary of the Bible "—and 1898. We were perfectly well aware of the existence of a. second edition, but were not concerned to mention it as its existence had nothing to do with the point in question. We may add that we were also aware of the advance which it showed in many matters. No more apposite instances could have been given than the two articles "Daniel" and "Deuteronomy." The latter is practically a new article ; the former is in its really important statements unchanged. In a word, our comparison was between the two epochs, not the two books. Nothing was further from our thought than to disparage what we gladly admit to be a very useful and learned book.—En. Spectator.]
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