In a curious edition of the N.T. printed at Wandesbeck in 1710, in 4to., in which four German versions, the Catholic, the Lutheran, the Reformed, a new version by Reitz, and the received Dutch version, are printed in parallel columns, both verses are given in every instance; but a note points out that Luther uniformly omitted the 7th verse, and the words auf erde.

There cannot be a doubt, therefore, that the insertion is entirely unwarranted in any edition of the New Testament professing to be Luther’s translation.

S.W.  SINGER.

April 25. 1850.

[Footnote 1:  “Ich bitte alle meine Freunde, und Feinde, meine Meister Druecker und Leser, wolten dis Newe Testament lassen mein sein, Haben sie aber mangel dran, das sie selbs ein eigens fuer sich machen; Ich weiss wol was ich mache, Sehe auch wol was andere machen, Aber dis Testament sol des Luther’s Deudsch Testament sein, Denn Meisterns und Klugelus ist jtzt weder masse noch ende.  Und sey jederman gewarnet fuer andern Exemplaren, Denn ich bisher wol erfaren wie unfvleissig und falsch uns andere nachdruecken.”]

[Footnote 2:  Fr. Er.  Kettner, who printed at Leipsic, in 1696, a long and strenuous defence of the authenticity of the 7th verse, exults in the existence of this verse in an edition of the Bible, Wittemberg, 1606, which is falsely said on the title-page to be juxta ultimum a Luthero revisum exemplar correctum.]

Luther’s Translation of the Bible (No. 25, p. 309.).—­De Wette, in his critical Commentary on the verse 1 John, after stating his opinion that the controverted passage is a spurious interpolation, gives a list of the codices and editions in which the passage is not found, and of those in which it is found.

The passage is wanting in all Greek Codd. except Codd. 34. 162. 172. (of his introduction, where it is introduced from the Vulgate), and in all MS. {454} of the Vulgate before the tenth century; in Erasmus’ edit. of 1516 and 1518; in Ald.  Ed. Venet. 1518; in all editions of Luther’s translation published by him during his life-time, and up to 1581; in the edit.  Withenb., 1607; Hamb. 1596. 1619. 1620.

The passage is found in all the editions printed of the Vulgate, and in all translations from it before Luther; and the edit. complut.; in Erasmus’ of 1522, and in his paraphrase; in the edit. of Rob.  Stephens, 1546-69; and Beza, 1565-76. 1582; in the Lutheran translations reprinted by Froschauer, Zurich, 1529-31. (but in small type); edit. 1536-89. in brackets; edit. 1597, without the brackets; in the edit.  Frankf. 1593; Wittenb. 1596-97, and many later ones.  I may add, that the passage is in every edition of recent date that I have seen of the Lutheran Bible, but not, of course, in De Wette’s translation.

S.W.

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