EXPURGATED BIBLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 852, 21 December 1929, Page 7

EXPURGATED BIBLE

ALL SEX REFERENCES OMITTED SUNDAY SCHOOL EDITION Many people have demanded a shorter Bible, arranged in order of subjects, without the oftentime illogical divisions of verses and chapters. The National Sunday School Union has issued such an edition, says the Church correspondent of the London “Sunday Times.” : No doctrinal bias is apparent. Even the adventures of Jonah are given. More selections are taken from the Old Testament than the New —wnich is natural—but the miracles of healing are recorded as well as the parables. I was informed that thousands of verbal inspirationists resent the publication of this selection of passages from the Bible. They believe that the whole of the “inspired word of God” should be issued and not particular portions. Not even the long list of names found in earlier books of the Bible should, according to their view, be omitted. It is dangerous, they consider, to publish such an abridgement, because, as young people grow up accustomed to its use, they will never read the authorised version.

Edueationsts today, however, accept such Biblical sections because they suit the psychology of young people and emphasise the literary and other virtues of the test.

The matter of this new Bible includes extracts from forty-two books of the Bible arranged in thirty three general sections and divided over 300 reading sections. Excision has been made of references to sexual matters and of incidents connected with illicit relations. Thus the story of Potiphar’s wife and Joseph has had careful pruning. The authorised rendering states, that “his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, lie with me”; but this School Bible simply records that “his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and tempted him to do evil.”

Similarly there are omitted longer passages in the Authorised Version, which describe the persistence of Potiphar’s wife, and also the scene when she seized hold of Joseph, who “left his garment in her hand and fled.” None of the story told by the incensed woman to the servants in order to save her face and accuse Joseph is related, and readers are left entirely in ignorance of *he human passion conveyed by the original Bible narrative. Whether wise or unwise this expurgation has been carried through carefully and deliberately. The story of Samson is shorn of references to to the type of woman with whom he associated. Every passage respecting the idyll of Rutb

and Boaz that might disturb the imagination of young people is eliminated. Again, the manner in which David made Abigail his wife is omitted, though the way in which she affronted her churlish husband, Nabal, is quoted in detail. A selection from Bible poetry is given at the end of the volume, and includes psalms of surpassing beauty, such as “The heavens declare the Glory of God” and “Give the king thy judgments, O God.” But the imprecatory psalms are omitted.