Untitled article by W. C. G.

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, October 8, 1867

Punctuation of the Scriptures.

By W. C. G.

READERS of the Bible should know that the punctuation of our version, and indeed of any other version of the Scriptures, is not the work of inspiration, but solely the work of man. The first translations of the Bible were without the marks of punctuation which are now used; indeed the comma in its present form was not invented until the year 1790. It would not be surprising then if the marks of punctuation were sometimes misplaced, and in several instances this is the case as in 2 Pet. iii, 10, where the grammatical construction evidently requires a comma or semicolon after the word also, detaching the words “the earth also” from the sentence following and connecting them with the preceding sentence. Also in Luke xxiii, 43, where the whole tenor of the Scriptures demand that the comma before the word “to-day” should be placed after it.

The importance of punctuation is happily illustrated in the following ingenious arrangement of sentences, which appears in a secular newspaper: He is an old experienced man In vice and wickedness He is never found Opposing the works of iniquity He takes delight In the downfall of the neighborhood He never rejoices In the prosperity of any of his fellow creatures He is always ready to assist In destroying the peace of society He takes no pleasure In serving the Lord He is uncommonly diligent In sowing discord among his friends and acquaintances He takes no pride In laboring to promote the cause of Christianity He has not been negligent In endeavoring to stigmatize all public teachers He makes no exertion To subdue his evil passions He strives hard To build up Satan’s kingdom He lends no aid To the support of the gospel among the heathen He contributes largely To the evil adversary He pays no attention To good advice He gives great heed To the devil He will never go To Heaven He must go Where he will receive the just recompense of reward.

Read the above in the following manner: Pause at the end of the first line; then at the end of every other line, reading two lines in connection. After reading it through in this manner, commence again and pause at the end of the second line; then at the end of every other line. W. C. G.