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Document number: 4337
Date: 03 Oct 1841
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: MURRAY Edward
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 7th March 2015

Northolt
Oct 3rd

Dear Talbot

If you will but remember your ancient valour to consider some Hebrew matters, you are the man of all others whom I desire to submit them to – the case is this, that a slight preposession [sic] the other way not being undesirable, I want acuteness such as yours, to consider which requires rather a general habit of investigation than any especial knowledge as to the language & altogether I have not anywhere else half the prospect of a helping hand which I may have from you if you can spare a few hours of thought to sit in judgment.

I would send you only a few specimens like one which I will annex, to this, so arranged with the Lexicon meanings annexed as to save you most of that sort of drudgery – My belief is this that by means of the use of the single Iod with the meaning of Jehovah, aided by certain other double meaning words, many parts if not all the historical portions of the old Testament may be read in two senses – forming as it were a continued enigma, yet true both in their primary & secondary translation, though the one is historical & the other prophetic & spiritual.

The chief words thus used are

[Hebrew characters] Jehovah
Jehovah & also his, their &c
The same
Jehovah
___________________ _______________________________________
In combination with the above so that we have
– Son of Jehovah, or Sons or my son
Same – or their or his Son
Same – Same
___________________
Brother, also [illegible] one [Thus?] my brother
Brethren – also one Jehovah
His brother, also one Jehovah
so also
in the same way –
___________________ _______________________________________
again
Father – combined as before
Father Jehovah
or my father
As before

Other words are used, but not many these forming the chief key – the single Iod being so placed at the end of verbs or substantives, as to make them refer to Jehovah, as nominative or as substantive in apposition, – or adjective in agreement.

It is remarkable that this key should be formed from these different relations of life, supposing it accidental –

I send you a specimen remarked for its containing something like a summary of christianity [sic] –

VI Chapter of 1st Chronicles verse 6 5 does not look promising in our translation – “Eleazar begat Phineas Phineas began Abishua” &c “Read Abishua” &c, yet this I think is scarcely more than an average specimen of the book of Chronicles, except as to its completeness in itself.

If you agree with me as to this discovery you will not be sorry to be informed of it – If you see objections, my purpose will still be answered because I should be very sorry to publish on such a subject anything without stable foundation. I think at present of confining myself to the 1st Book of Chronicles & 2nd of Samuel, but I don’t whether [sic] the book of Judges be [illegible] still more remarkable. As to this I have some doubt whether to publish these books in an entire series, or to take a selection of the most remarkable passages which I can observe throughout the O Testament. Of the comparative expediency of these plans I should be very glad to have your opinion.

Yours affectly
E: Murray

Do not accuse the post for [illegible] as I perceive that this has slumbered here a week since I commenced it –

[Hebrew characters numbered 1 to 9, with Latin translation as follows]

[Evacuavit?]

Robur

Solis ortus

rebellio (as on Mount Moriah)?

Bonus &c –

Lignum Arbor &c –

Auxilium

[commiseratio?]

Intensivum

And the Salvation of Jehovah caused to appear Jehovah destitute, yet Jehovah destitute caused to come forth the strength of Jehovah and the strength of Jehovah caused to 2 arise the Sun of Jehovah yet the Sunrise of Jehovah produced 3 rebellion – Rebellion caused to come forth the word of Jehovah and the word of Jehovah caused to be seen, the one Jehovah’s goodness 5, and the one Jehovahs goodness caused to go forth the just (one), and the just (one) caused to be seen, the one Jehovah from on the tree 6. –

Yea the one Jehovah from on the tree, caused to come forth the help 7 of Jehovah, and the help of Jehovah caused to be in existence the grace money; 8 of Jehovah, yea the mercy of Jehovah caused to come forth the help Jehovah [sic], he the Priest in the house who hath established peace 9 in Jerusalem – You will see that it goes on to the same purpose – Query then, are a hundred such passages, chance, or the product of an accidental mode of interpretation –? The word [Hebrew characters] which is translated uniformly “begat” in our bible [sic] frequently has the conjugation varied, thus apparently requiring a differing translation in some cases, and thus, as you see, I have applied it to the different modifications of the causes indicated by the results which are mentioned in connexion with them, & I have done so in this specimen, in order to obtain your opinion whether this would generally be adviseable [sic] or whether, having fixed upon some word, as for instance “caused”, it would be better to retain it alone, under all circumstances –

Something like the following is floating in my mind though as yet, rudis indigestaq: –

“If a double translation be shewn in conformity with the rules of this language, it must either have been designed, or an undesigned coincidence exists, the latter being clearly most improbable, or else no such coincidence really existing it has been possible to produce the appearance of a regular plan pervading all these writings, for a purpose which after all is imaginary – Will not the supposition that a scheme thus erroneous should ever produce anything coincident with revelation or prophecy, be so improbable that the production of even a few passages thus coincident, would be a great approximation towards a basis of belief that their coincidence must have been originally designed –

I am much puzzled by observing that in several of these passages it seems that the Virgin is spoken of as the legal mother of Our Lord – As to the “tree” in the foregoing specimen, I find another passage where it is said that Our Lord should be “humbled to the tree of the wood” –

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