West Indies, Aug. 11. 1851.
_The Locusts of the New Testament._--While in Greece last year, I was
talking one day with a highly intelligent person on the English
translation of the New Testament. In the course of our conversation he
said, that in the third chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel we had got an
entirely wrong meaning for the verse in which we are told the food of
St. John the Baptist, viz. "locusts and wild honey." I have not at this
moment a Testament in ancient Greek by me but in the Romaic the
paragraph alluded to runs thus:
Verse 4. ... "[Greek: Kai hê trophê tou êton akrides, kai meli
agrion.]"
He said that the word [Greek: akrides], which we have translated
"locusts," means rather the "young and tender parts of plants." Since
that time I have looked into various Lexicons and Dictionaries both of
the ancient and modern Greek, but have been unable to find anything to
assist me in fixing this meaning. In that of Hedericus, it is thus
given: "[Greek: Akris, idos, hê], Locusta." There is also, however,
"[Greek: Akris, ios, hê], Summitas, cacumen montis. Ab [Greek: akros],
summus." Whether there may be any confusion between these two words I
know not; and here, possibly, I may be assisted by some obliging reader.
I have consulted, along with a clergyman who is well skilled in Greek
literature, and who is perfectly acquainted with Romaic, many
commentaries; but in every one we found this passage either entirely
passed over, or very unsatisfactorily noticed.
[Greek: Boreas.]
Queries.