study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第16章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
in literature。 Short words are strong words。 They have a snap and a grip to
them that long words have not。 Very few men would grow angry over
having a statement called a 〃prevarication〃 or 〃a disingenuous
entanglement of ideas；〃 but there is something about the word 〃lie〃 that
snaps in a man's face。 〃Unjustifiable hypothecation〃 may be the same as
stealing； but it would never excite one to be called 〃an unjustifiable
hypothecator〃 as it does to be called a thief。 At the very foundation of the
strength of the literature of the English Bible there lies this tendency to
short； clear…cut words。
60
… Page 61…
Study of the King James Bible
Rising now from this basal element in the literature of the version； we
come to the place where its style and its ideas blend in what we may call
its earnestness。 That is itself a literary characteristic。 There is not a line of
trifling in the book。 No man would ever learn trifling from it。 It takes itself
with tremendous seriousness。 Here are earnest men at work； to them life is
joyous； but it is no joke。 That is why the element of humor in it is such a
small one。 It is there； to be sure。 Many of its similes are intended to be
humorous。 A few of its incidents are humorous； but it has little of that
element in it； as indeed little of our literature has that element markedly in
it。 We have a few exceptions。 But what George Eliot says in Adam Bede is
true； that wit is of a temporary nature； and does not deal with the deep and
more lasting elements in life。 The Bible is not a sad book。 There are
children at play in it； there are feasts and buoyant gatherings fully
recounted。 But it never trifles nor jests。
So it has given us a language of great dignity。 Let Addison speak again：
〃How cold and dead does a prayer appear that is composed in the most
elegant and polite forms of speech； which are natural to our tongue； when
it is not heightened by that solemnity of phrase which may be drawn from
the sacred writings。 It has been said by some of the ancients that if the
gods were to talk with men； they would certainly speak in Plato's style； but
I think we may say； with justice； that when mortals converse with their
Creator they cannot do it in so proper a style as in that of the Holy
Scriptures。〃
As that earnestness of the literature of the original precluded any great
amount of humor in the wide range of its literary forms； so in the King
James version it precluded any trifling expressions； any plays on words；
even the duplication of such plays as can be found in the Hebrew or the
Greek。 You seldom find any turn of a word in the King James version；
though you do occasionally find it in the Hebrew。 One such punning
expression occurs in the story of Samson （Judges xv：16）； where our
version reads： 〃With the jawbone of an ass； heaps upon heaps； with the
jawbone of an ass have I slain a thousand men。〃 In the Hebrew the words
translated 〃ass〃 and 〃heaps〃 are variants of the same word。 It comes near
the Hebrew to say： 〃With the jawbone of an ass； masses upon masses；〃
61
… Page 62…
Study of the King James Bible
and so on。 These translators would not risk reproducing such puns for fear
of lowering the dignity of their results。 There is a deadly seriousness about
their work and so they never lose strength as they go on。
That earnestness grows out of a second fact which may be
emphasizednamely； the greatness of the themes of Bible literature。 Here
is history； but it is not cast into fiction form。 History always becomes more
interesting for a first reading when it is in the form of fiction； but it always
loses greatness in that form。 Test it by turning from a history of the
American revolutionary or civil war to an historical novel that deals with
the same period； or from a history of Scotland to the Waverly novels。 In
some degree the earnestness of the time is lost； the same facts are there；
but they do not loom so large； nor do they seem so great。 So there is power
in the fact that the historical elements of the version are in stately form and
are never sacrificed to the fictional form。
These great themes save the work from being local。 It issues from life；
but from life considered in the large。 The themes of great literature are
great enough to make their immediate surroundings forgotten。 〃The
English Bible deals with the great facts and the great problems。 It is from
the point of view of those great facts that it handles even commonplace
things； and you forget the commonplaceness of the things in the greatness
of the dealing。 Take its attitude toward God。 One needs the sense of that
great theme to read it fairly。 It quietly overlooks secondary causes； goes
back of them to God。 Partly that was because the original writers were
ignorant of some of those secondary causes； partly that they knew them；
but wanted to go farther back。 Take the most outstanding instance； that of
the Book of Jonah。 All its facts； without exception； can be told without
mention of God； if one cared to do it。 But there could not be anything like
so great a story if it is told that way。 One of his biographers says of
Lincoln that there is nothing in his whole career which calls for
explanation in other than a purely natural and human way。 That is true； if
one does not care to go any farther back than that。 But the greatest story
cannot be made out of Lincoln's life on those terms。 There is not material
enough； the life must be delocalized。 It can be told without that larger
view； so that it will be of interest to America and American children； but
62
… Page 63…
Study of the King James Bible
not so that it will be of value to generations of men in all countries and
under all circumstances if it is told on those terms。 Part of the greatness of
Scripture； from a literary point of view； is that it has such a tremendous
range of theme； and is saved from a mere narration of local events by
seeing those events in the light of larger considerations。
Let that stand for one of the great facts。 Now take one of the great
problems。 The thing that makes Job so great a classic is the fact that； while
it is dealing with a character； he is standing for the problem of undeserved
suffering。 A man who has that before him； if he has at all the gift of
imagination； is sure to write in a far larger way than when he is dealing
with a man with boils as though he were finally important。 One could deal
with Job as a character； and do a small piece of work。 But when you deal
with Job as a type； a much larger opportunity offers。
It is these great ideas； as to either facts or problems； that give the
seriousness； the earnestness to the literature of the Bible。 Men who express
great ideas in literary form are not dilettante about them。 One of the
English writers just now prominent as an essayist is often counted
whimsical； trifling。 One of his near friends keenly resents that opinion；
insists instead that he is dead in earnest； serious to the last degree；
purposeful in all his work。 What makes that so difficult to believe is that
there is always a tone of chaffing in his essays。 He seems always to be
making fun of himself or of other people； and if he is dead in earnest he
has the wrong style to make great literature or literature that will live long。
It is that earnestness and greatness of theme which puts the tang into
the English of the Bible。 Coleridge says that 〃after reading Isaiah or the
Epistle to the Hebrews； Homer and Virgil are disgustingly tame； Milton
himself barely tolerable。〃 It need not be put quite so strongly as that； but
there is large warrant of fact in that expression。
Go a little farther in thought of the literary characteristics of the Bible。
Notice the variety of the forms involved。 Recall Professor Moulton's four
cardinal points in literature； all of it taking one of these forms： either
description； when a scene is given in the words of the author； as when
Milton and Homer describe scenes without pretending to give the words of
the actors throughout； or； secondly； presentation； when a scene is given in
63
… Page 64…
Study of the King James Bible
the words of those who took part in it； and the author does not appear； as；
of course； in the plays of Shakespeare； when he never appears； but where
all his sentiments are put in the words of others。 As between those two； the
Bible is predominantly a book of description； the authors for the most part
doing the speaking； though there is； of course； an element of presentation。
Professor Moulton goes on with the two other phases of literary form：
prose； moving in the region limited by facts； as history and philosophy
deal only with what actually has existence； and poetry； which by its Greek
origin means creative literature。 He reminds us that； however literature
starts； these are the points toward which it moves； the paths it takes。 All
four of them appear in the literature of the English Bible。 You have more
of prose and less of poetry； but the poetry is there； not in the sense of
rhyme； but in the sense of real creative literature。
A more natural way of considering the literature has been followed by
Professor Gardiner。 He finds four elements in the literature of the Bible： its
narrative； its poetry； its philosophizing； and its prophecy。 It is not
necessary for our purpose to go into det
