ask why the sacred writer should couch such a simple command in such ambiguous and uncommon language, which certainly would not have been understood by the generality of the people, if, indeed, even by the learned. That it has never been so understood by those to whom the Hebrew was a living language, or by those who made the Hebrew a life-long study, is evident from the ancient versions, and that not one, either of the ancient or modern Rabbinical writers, have ever adopted it. Indeed, we may safely assert, that had there not existed such a law prohibiting marriage with a deceased wife's sister, Dr. Pusey himself would never have thought of adopting such a strange rendering. But then, according to the laws of England, such a marriage is forbidden, whilst, according to the plain wording of Scripture, it is only prohibited during the sister's lifetime; we ought, therefore, not to wonder that writers should strain a point to bring the Hebrew text into harmony with the existing law of the country, and, as all other means failed, this rendering was no doubt resorted to as a last resource.
This free rendering of בחייה (bechayyeha), by "as long as she lives," instead of "in her life time," was no doubt suggested by the poetical use of the word in a few instances in the Psalms where such a free rendering is admissible, as it in no wise alters the sense in those passages. Thus, for example, David says: "Thus I will bless thee, בחיי (bechayay), in my life," i. e., "all the days of my life," or, as the English version has it, "while I live," (Ps. Ixiii., 5, Eng. vers. v. 4). So again, "I will sing to the Lord, בחיי (bechayay) in my life," Eng. vers.: "as long as I live," (Ps. civ., 33); similar also, (Ps. cxlvi., 2). But in all these cases "בחיי (bechayay), in my life," is only poetically used for the sake of brevity instead of the fuller expression "כּל ימי חיי (kol yemei chayay), i. e., all the days of my life," and the reason is quite obvious. If the reader
