Oxford, March 29. 1851.
_The Mitre and the "Cloven Tongues"_ (Vol. iii., p. 146.).--My attention
has just been directed to the remark of your correspondent L. M. M. R., who
adduces the miracle of the "cloven tongues as of fire" as having supplied
the form of the mitre.
This is an old explanation; but your correspondent does not appear to be
aware that "cloven" has been rejected by high classical authority, as not
being a correct interpretation of the word [Greek: diamerizomenai]. The
exact translation is, "And tongues as of fire appeared, being distributed
to them." The same verb is used in the passage, "They _parted_ my garments
among them,"--parted or distributed--the exact equivalent.
It appears to me that the translators have here made an extraordinary
blunder. They have, I think, mistaken [Greek: diamêrizô] for [Greek:
diamerizô]. For the peculiar meaning of the former verb I beg to refer
those who have not observed it, to Liddell and Scott's _Lexicon_. The
substitution of a letter here ([eta] for [epsilon]) would give to the
Scripture term a significance, which, though analogous to that of the
current translation, is immeasurably distant from the exact interpretation.