What Version of the Bible to Buy

EDITOR'S TABLE.

Before this number reaches our readers the Annual Conference of the Young Men's Improvement Associations of the Church will have met and adjourned. At that conference Lorenzo Snow will have been sustained as the General Superintendent of all the Young Men's Improvement Associations in all the world. The editors of the Era have taken advantage of this event to publish a beautiful half-tone engraving of our new Superintendent, and also a Life and Character sketch of him, by our esteemed brother, Nephl Anderson. The engraving is a most excellent portrait of our beloved Superintendent and doubtless will be prized by many thousands of the members of the Associations who have never had the privilege of a personal acquaintance with him; and it is believed that the Life and Character sketch will be an inspiration to thousands of our young men, whom we trust will emulate his virtues and his life of activity in the service of the Master. God bless him.

WHAT VERSION OF THE BIBLE TO BUY.

We are frequently asked the question by Mutual Improvement officers and members, and young missionary friends, "Which is the best version of the English Bible to purchase?" It is not easy to an-

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swer the question satisfactorily, as there are so many versions of the Bible now published, and all possess such points of excellence that it is a question which resolves itself very largely into a matter of individual taste. The Bagster and Oxford Sunday School Teacher's Bibles have long stood as standard publications for the student of the Jewish Scriptures. Other publishing companies, however, are rapidly pushing to the front and paralleling the excellent productions of both the Bagster and Oxford publishing houses. Among these may be mentioned the Nelson Teacher's Bible, published by Thomas Nelson and Sons, New York, and also the International Teacher's Bible, published by the International Bible Agency of New York. All these houses publish what is known as the "Authorized Version of the English Bible;" that is, the English translation of the Holy Scriptures, commonly known as "King James' Translation," because translated under the patronage of his majesty. King James I., of England, early in the seventeenth century. So acceptable has this translation of the Jewish Scriptures proven itself to be among English readers, that it has held its own so far, despite the more recent translation of the scriptures by a conjoint committee of English and American scholars; and it is today the common Bible of the English speaking races, and as such we do not hesitate to recommend our friends in purchasing Bibles to continue to buy copies of the authorized version published by all of the respective houses named above. The Bibles published by these various houses being in each case the "Authorized Version of King James," the question "which version it is best to purchase," is reduced to a matter of indifference so far as the worthiness of the English version of the Bible itself is concerned; and resolves itself largely into a matter of

individual taste as to size of the book, type, quality of paper, and the amout of money one is able to expend in gratifying his taste in such a purchase. Whatever of difference exists, making one or the other of these versions of the Bible preferable, mostly

depends upon what are called "Helps to the Study of the Bible," which are now bound up with the Bible itself in all Teacher's Bibles (and we suggest that no other than Teacher's Bibles be purchased), and which comprise nearly as much matter as the Bible

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itself. Research in Bible lands of late years has brought very much material to light tending to confirm the historical correctness of Bible history; Bible description of customs, location of ancient cities; Bible topography, geography, geology, etc., etc.; and these subjects, together with articles on Jewish worship, feasts, money and coins, weights and measures; a history of the various books of the Bible, together with a history of the canon of Scripture and the account of various English versions of the Holy Scriptures, together with chronological tables, pronunciation of proper names, harmonies of the New Testament, general index, concordance, maps, engravings of pottery, and specimens of a,ncient manuscripts and coins —are all set forth elaborately until this addenda to the various versions of Teacher's Bibles named above, constitute an elaborate library of Biblical information, and throw a flood of light on the Bible proper, and increases immensely the student's interest in this world's Book of Books. Which edition affords the most useful help to the Bible student would be difficult to determine; of course each publishing house claims for its own production the palm of excellence, but certainly any one of the above named editions contains enough matter to be of very material use and interest to the Bible student. One feature that has lately appeared in some of these versions is bound to become popular; that is, the publishers are issuing what is called the "Self-pronouncing Bible," that is, the more uncommon proper names are divided into syllables and the syllables accented every time the word appears, and when one takes into account the very great defects in the pronunciation of Biblical names, this plan — this "self-pronouncing Bible" — is bound to become a great favorite. In the Nelson Bible we observe that the publishers combine a concordance, dictionary of Bible names, and a subject index all in one department. The words in the concordance, the proper names and the subject index are shown by different kinds of type; so that it must be said that this concordance is made the most extensive

within the least possible amount of space, and that, of course, in Bibles for missionary use, is a very desirable advantage. It will be seen from these remarks that we still have not said

which is the best version of the Bible to purchase, further than to say, get a Teacher's Bible of the "Authorized Version," issued by

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either of the publishing houses referred to in this writing, and obtainable at all our book stores.