WE make a particular Article of this second Part of Holy Scripture, because generally it is not to be found in the large Hebrew Bibles, particularly in that printed by the Jews, they acknowledging no New Testament, and being declared Enemies to Him who is the principal Object of it. Besides, it being certain that St. Matthew was the only one who wrote in Hebrew, and the Original being absolutely lost, this engaged several learned Men to translate into this Language either the whole New Testament, or only the four Gospels, or some one of the four, and some Epistle of St. Paul, that so they might bring them to a nearer Resemblance with the Sacred Text of the Old Testament, which was written in Hebrew.
St. Matthew wrote therefore his Gospel in Hebrew, or rather in Syriac intermixed with Hebrew, which was the common Language of Palestine in his time; but since the Age in which St. Jerome lived, this original Hebrew of St. Matthew has disappeared, without any one’s knowing what is become of it. So that the Hebrew Copies of the New Testament, and that of St. Matthew in particular, are agreed by all learned Men at present to be modern.
Elias Hutter, in the space of one Year, translated the whole New Testament into Hebrew, and published it in his New Testament printed in many Languages 1599, and in the Year 1602.
The same corrected, and reduced into a more commodious Form by Robinson, was printed at London, 1661, in 8vo. Robinson was an Englishman, of the Church of England, and lived about the Year 1680.
The four Gospels, translated out of Latin into Hebrew, by John-Baptist Jona, and dedicated to Pope Clement IX. were printed at Rome in 1668. The rest of Jona’s New Testament remains in Manuscript. Jona died in 1668.
Evangelium S. Matthæi Hebraicè ex versione Sebast. Munsteri, in fol. Basileæ, typis Henrici Petri, 1537.
Idem Hebraicè & Latinè*, ibidem, 1557*, 1582.
Idem, curâ Joan. Quinquarborei, Paris. 1551. It is agreed, that this Gospel is not the genuine Original of St. Matthew, and it is conjectured that the Jews translated it from the Latin Text.
Evangelium Hebraicum Matthæi, cum Interpretatione Latinâ Joannis Merceri; curâ & studio Joannis Tillii. Editum Paris. in 8vo. 1515. Tillius, or du Tillet, found this Gospel at Rome, in the Possession of the Jews in 1553; and having brought it to France, he gave it to the Hebrew Professor John le Mercier, to translate it. This Hebrew Version is more correct than that of Munster; but in the main differs little from it, and was made from some very uncorrect Latin Text. See Mills’s Prolegom. in nov. Test. p. 127.
S. Lucæ Evangelium Hebraicè*, ex* Frederici Petri, in 8vo. Wittembergæ, 1574.
S. Pauli Epistola ad Romanos Hebraicè, in 4to. Leidæ, 1616.
Epistola D. Pauli ad Hebræos, Hebraicè*, cum Latinâ versione* Alphonsi de Zamora, in 4to. Compluti, ann. 1526.
Eadem Hebraicè & Latinè*, Edita cum* Evangelio Sancti Matthæi, in 8vo. Basileæ, 1557, 1582. Eeadem ex Græco in Hebræum conversa, a Frederico Alberti, in 4to. Lipsiæ, 1676. Some learned Men have thought, that the Epistle to the Hebrews was written in the Hebrew Tougue: But this Opinion is very ill grounded, and has few Defenders; and though it were true, that St. Paul had written it originally in this Language, it is most certain, that what is printed of it is by no means the Text of this holy Apostle. Indeed the Publishers have not pretended that it is.