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CONCORDANCE

Volume 5 · 409 words · 1797 Edition

a dictionary or index to the Bible, wherein all the leading words, used in the course of the inspired writings, are ranged alphabetically; and the various places where they occur referred to; to assist in finding out passages, and comparing the several significations of the same word.

Cardinal Hugo de St Charo, is said to have employed 500 monks at the same time in compiling a Latin concordance; besides which, we have several other concordances in the same language; one, in particular, called the concordance of England, compiled by J. Darlington, of the order of Predicants; another more accurate one, by the Jesuit de Zamora.

R. Mordecai Nathan has furnished us with a Hebrew concordance, first printed at Venice in 1523, containing all the Hebrew roots branched into their various significations, and under each signification all the places in scripture wherein it occurs: but the best and most useful Hebrew concordance is that of Buxtorf, printed at Basil in 1632.

Dr Taylor published, in 1754, a Hebrew concordance in two volumes folio, adapted to the English Bible, and disposed after the manner of Buxtorf.

The Greek concordances are only for the New Testament; indeed we have one of Conr. Kircher's on the Old; but this is rather a concordantial dictionary than a concordance; containing all the Hebrew words in an alphabetical order; and underneath all the interpretations or senses the LXX. give them; and in each interpretation, all the places where they occur in that version.

In 1718, Trommius published his Greek concordance for the Septuagint at Amsterdam, in two volumes folio; and Schmidius improving on a similar work of H. Stephen, has given an excellent Greek concordance for the New Testament, the best edition of which is that of Leipzig, an. 1717.

Calafus, an Italian Cordelier, has given us concordances of the Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, in two columns: the first, which is Hebrew, is that of R. Mordecai Nathan, word for word, and according to the order of the books and chapters: in the other column is a Latin interpretation of each passage of scripture quoted by R. Mordecai; this interpretation is Calafus's own; but in the margin he adds that of the LXX. and the Vulgate, when different from his. The work is in 4 vols folio, printed at Rome in 1621.

We have several very copious concordances in English, as Newmann's, &c.; but the last and best esteemed, is that in 4to. by Alex. Cruden.