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Sir , HERE Christian interpreters Wdiffer as to the sense of passages in the Old Testament , it would seem desirable to allow the recorded opinions of intelligent Jewish commentators considerable influence , and more especially in matters of verbal
criti-. The celebrated Rabbi Isaac Cardozo was born in Lisbon at the beginning of the 17 th century , I am not acquainted with the particulars of his conversion to Christianity , but it appears he practised both in Valladolid and Madrid as a Roman Catholic physician . His convictions ( if he was ever
convinced ) were unsatisfactory and temporary , and as he returned to his former profession of faith , he was compelled to exile himself from his country . He fled to Venice , became a member of the Hebrew academy there , and ended his days in that city .
He wrote several medical works , and one on General Philosophy , but that by which he is best known is " Exceleneias de los Hebreos , " Amsterdam , 1679 , 4 to . pp . 431 . The first part is
composed of eulogiums on the Jewish institutions and opinions ; and the second consists of replies to the numerous calumnies directed against them . Each part is divided into ten heads . In the chapter on the integrity of
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the sacred books , as preserved by the Jews , he has this passage : " The original Hebrew of Isaiah \ x , 6 , is : To us a boy was born , to us a son was given , and the lordship was on his shoulder ; and the Wonderful , the strong God , the Counsellor , the JEternal Father Galled his name C 3 ^ ttf ^ m
Prince of Peace . * The Latin instead of ( he ) called his name , puts his name was called ; in the place of Vaykra they read Vaykar £ , to make it appear that this boy ( Nino ) is the Wonderful , Counsellor , God , Father Eternal and Prince of Peace ; but in the most ancient Hebrew copies we find Vaykra ,
( he called , ) and not Vaykar 6 , ( was called , ) and the meaning of the prophecy is , that God , the Mighty , the Wonderful , the Counsellor , the Eternal Father , called that child , who is the Messiah , Prince of Peace , because he is to bring with him perpetual peace ; and the prophet goes on to explain that he will establish the seat of David
in everlasting power and peace—and support it in judgment and justice . This sense is also followed by the Chaldee paraphrase , whose comment on the text is as follows : ' To us a
child was born , and he shall bear the law upon himself to maintain it , and he shall be called Messiah before him who makes the counsel wonderful of
the most mighty God , whose peace shall be multiplied on us in his days ;' where it is clearly seen that it is God who calls , and the Messiah who is called ; otherwise the construction of the sentence would be imperfect , the nominative and accusative being necessary . "
Some of the obscurity which pervades rabbinical writings distinguishes the close of the above passage , but it is altogether a memorable one , and to the authority of Cardozo , I hope hereafter to add , in detail , that of Abraham Usque , Duarte Pinel and others , with some notes on other texts . J . B .
f Nino fu £ nacido k nos , hijo fue dado a nos , y fu 6 el sefiorm sobre su hombro , y Ilam 6 « u nombre el maravilloso , el Dio fuerte , el consejero , el p adre etemo , Principe de Paz .
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522 : Rabbi Cardozo ' $ Exposition of Isaiah ix . &
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and closely : for example , if it appears that we are directed by many plain precepts and examples to address our prayers to the Father , while to warrant praying to Christ or any other name , there is found no plain precept nor any example , except such as is connected with a miraculous revelation , in
such case our principle will oblige us , on all common occasions , to pray to the Father only * . I feel , Sir , that in such a communication as the present , I lay myself open to the charge of conceit and presumption : I can only say in apology , that it is a predicament in which one
must always of necessity stand , when one dares to speculate on any public improvement , unless one has the prudence to arrest every vagrant idea as it is passing the barrier of the lips : a severity , how grievous and tyrannical I PHILOGRAPHUS .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1820, page 522, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2492/page/22/
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