Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech: Preface and Introductions | Page 4

several books.
I have also the pleasure of acknowledging the numerous valuable and
suggestive criticisms with which I have been favoured on some parts of
the work, by an old friend, Rev. Sydney Thelwall, B.A., of Leamington,
a clergyman of the Church of England, whom I have known for many
years as a painstaking and accurate scholar, a well-read theologian. and
a thoughtful and devout student of Scripture.
I am very thankful to Mr. H. L. Gethin. Mr. S. Hales, Mr. J. A. Latham,
and Rev. T. A. Seed, for the care with which they have read the proof
sheets.
And now this Translation is humbly and prayerfully commended to

God's gracious blessing.
R.F.W.
/1. I am aware of what Proffessor Blackie has written on this subject
(Aeschylus, Pref. p. viii) but the problem endeavoured to be solved in
this Translation is as above stated.
/2. A flagrant instance is the "having in a readiness" of 2 Cor. 10.6, A.V.
althoglgh in Tyndale we find "and are redy to take vengeaunce," and
even Wiclif writes "and we han redi to venge."
/3 Such as McClellan's Four Gospels; Westcott on John's Gospel,
John's Epistles, and Hebrews; Hackett on Acts, Lightfoot, and also
Ellicott, on various Epistles: Mayor on James; Edwards on I
Corinthians and Hebrews; Sanday and Headlam on Romans. Add to
these Scrivener's very valuable Introduction to the Criticism of the N.T.
PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION
For the purposes of this edition the whole volume has been re-set in
new type, and, in the hope of increasing the interest and attractiveness
of the Translation, all conversations have been spaced out in
accordance with modern custom. A freer use than before has been
made of capital letters, and by means of small, raised figures, prefixed
to words in the text, an indication has been griven whenever there is a
footnote. "Capernaum" and "Philadelphia" have been substituted for the
less familiar but more literal "Capharnahum" and "Philadelpheia."
Many errata have been corrected, and a very considerable number of
what seemed to be infelicities or slight inaccuracies in the English have
been removed. A few additional footnotes have been inserted, and, for
the most part, those for which the Editor is responsible have now the
letters ED. added to them.
Sincere thanks are tendered to the many kind friends who have
expressed their appreciation of this Translation, or have helped to make
it better known, and to the many correspondents who have sent
criticisms of the previous editions, and made useful suggestions for the

improvement of the volume.
E.H.C.
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE NOTES
Aorist. Dr. Weymouth's Pamphlet on the Rendering of the Greek Aorist
and Perfect Tenses into English. A.V. Authorised English Version,
1611. Cp. Compare. ED. Notes for which the Editor is responsible,
wholly or in part. I.E. That is. Lit. Literally. LXX. The Septuagint
(Greek) Version of the Old Testament. n. Note. nn. Notes. N.T. New
Testament. O.T. Old Testament. R.V. Revised English Version,
1881-85. S.H. Sanday and Headlam's Commentary on 'Romans.' V.L.
Varia Lectio. An alternative reading found in some Manuscripts of the
New Testament. V.V. Verses.
In accordance with modern English custom, ITALICS are used to
indicate emphasis. [In the etext, surounded by **]
Old Testament quotations are printed in small capitals. [In the etext,
surrounded by <>]
During Christ's earthly ministry even His disciples did not always
recognize His super-human nature and dignity. Accordingly, in the
Gospels of this Translation, it is only when the Evangelists themselves
use of Him the words "He," "Him," "His," that these are spelt with
capital initial letters.
The spelling of "me" and "my" with small initial letters, when used by
Christ Himself in the Gospels, is explained by the fact that, before His
Resurrection, He did not always emphasize His own super-human
nature and dignity.
The Good News as Recorded by Matthew
There are ample reasons for accepting the uniform tradition which from
earliest times has ascribed this Gospel to Levi the son of Alphaeus,
who seems to have changed his name to 'Matthew' on becoming a

disciple of Jesus. Our information as to his subsequent life is very
scanty. After the feast which he made for his old friends (Lu 5:29) his
name only appears in the New Testament in the list of the twelve
Apostles. Early Christian writers add little to our knowledge of him,
but his life seems to have been quiet and somewhat ascetic. He is also
generally represented as having died a natural death. Where his Gospel
was written, or where he himself laboured, we cannot say.
Not a little controversy has arisen as to the form in which this Gospel
first appeared, that is, as to whether we have in the Greek MSS. an
original document or a translation from an earlier Aramaic writing.
Modern scholarship inclines