While the previous volume contained the interpretations Luther gave on groups of psalms, this volume brings his explanations on individual psalms. The only exception to this is the first scripture, the interpretation of the four psalms of consolation to Queen Mary in Hungary, which Walch has included in this volume to give it the appropriate strength. Also found here is the interpretation of Ecclesiastes to Solomon and the brief interpretation of the Song of Songs. In this volume, too, we have made every effort to produce a good text.
We have newly translated all the writings that were originally written in Latin, namely the interpretations of the 2nd, 45th, 51st and 90th Psalms, the interpretation of Ecclesiastes and the short interpretation of the Song of Songs. We were forced to make such an extensive new translation mainly because of the arbitrariness of the old translators. Georg Major, whom we already got to know as a translator in the previous volume in the songs in the higher choir, shows
Here, in the translation of the 45th and 51st Psalms, the same procedure as there. Right at the beginning of the 45th Psalm, Luther's remarks about his state of health, which prevented him from interpreting the Psalter in order, or an entire biblical book, are missing. After that, in both the 45th and 51st Psalms, many other essential pieces are omitted, namely all linguistic explanations. There are two different old translations of the interpretation of the 90th Psalm, about which we have already reported in the first note Col. 732. One of them, by Johann Spangenberg, has hardly any equal. It is quite interesting to read, also Christian and edifying throughout, but only loosely follows what is offered in the Latin text. The other, which is nameless, is very faithful, but it contains in expression many harshnesses offensive to our time; e.g., in the old edition of Walch, Col. 1136, § 138, mutabilis == is subject to change, given by: "whether they will probably be transformed"; obnoxiae morti ==.
subject to death, by: "subject to death"; peccatis obruti -- burdened with sins, by: "heaped with sins"; ibid. § 137: insensati -- insensible [Gal. 3, 1.], by: "insensible." Furthermore, we find expressions such as: "to divide the Scriptures" instead of: to divide the Scriptures rightly 2c. - The Ecclesiastes of Solomon was translated by D. Justus Jonas. Luther's preface, which takes up four octavo pages in the Latin Erlangen edition, comprises three full folio pages in compressed print in the German Wittenberg edition according to Jonas' translation. An almost equally great prolixity is evident in the translation of the entire Scripture. - Greiff's translation of the Song of Songs is better than the one of the operationes in psalmos discussed in the preface to the previous volume, but it seemed to us that it should be replaced by a new one.
We have omitted the writing that is printed in Walch's old edition Vol. V, Col. 2364 ff. under the title: "Erklärung des Spruchs Pred. Salom. 7, 21," because it forms part of the Heidelberg Disputation and has already been included in our edition Vol. XVIII, 58-69. This passage is also found in other editions as a special writing of Luther, namely in Latin in the Wittenberg (1550), tom. I, fol. 196 (this evidence is missing Erl. exeg. opp., tom. XXI, p. 251); in the Jena (1579), tom. I, fol. 173; in Löscher's Reformationsaeten, vol. II, p. 325 and in the Erlanger,
exeg. opp., tom. XXI, 249; German in the supplement to the Leipzig edition, p. 18.
According to the second edition of the Erlangen edition, we have added No. 35a , a better relation of the sermon on Ps. 68, 19, about the power of the ascension of Christ, as No. 35b . The latter is a more prolix and diluted relation of the former. The first comprises fourteen pages in the Erlangen edition, the other twenty; the content in both is exactly the same. - Of the interpretation of the 37th Psalm to the Wittenbergers, we have reproduced text and interpretation according to the Weimar edition, while Walch brings complete only the beginning and end, but the middle in a deficient indication of variants.
Improved according to the Weimar edition, we have No. 19, the German interpretation of the 68th Psalm. Furthermore, No. 24, the first interpretation of the 110th Psalm. This made a twofold revision necessary, because the 9th volume of the Weimar edition, which contains Luther's manuscript of the interpretation of the 109th (110th) Psalm, came to us only after we had already improved Walch's text after the printing of the Weimar edition, Vol. I, p. 687 ff. This second correction according to the manuscript was laborious, but nevertheless interesting and valuable. Here we have had the opportunity to see how justified Luther's repeated complaints are about the spoiled printing of his writings.
ten. In this case (where Spalatin was in charge of the printing in Augsburg), there does not seem to have been even a comparison with the manuscript after the typesetting was completed, because otherwise it would not have been possible that so many omissions and inaccuracies had occurred. Nevertheless, all other editions are based on this Augsburg print. - We have also corrected No. 30, the interpretation of the 119th Psalm, according to the Weimar edition, and have been able to supplement the meager literary-historical notes that Walch gives in the introduction to the fourth volume.
Through the register in Buchwald's "Poach", p. XXVII, we have been able to correct the time given for No. 35a . We have given other time determinations than the usual ones for No. 10, 13, 20 and 34, which seemed more probable to us.
In order to encourage us to make diligent use of these wonderful writings, we add a short word from Luther.
In the interpretation of the 117th Psalm, Luther gives "cause or instruction to seek and act everywhere in Scripture the main point of our Christian doctrine, namely, that we must become pious, alive, and blessed without all merit, by the grace of God alone, given to us in Christ, and that otherwise no other way, no other path, no other way, no other work may help us to achieve this”.
That we may also comply with this, my dear reader, let us pray with Luther in the words with which he concludes this interpretation: "May God, our dear eternal Father, who has so abundantly enlightened us through His dear Son and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, also strengthen us with complete faith through His Holy Spirit, and give us strength to follow such light faithfully and diligently, and to praise and glorify Him together with all the Gentiles, both with teachings and life. To Him be thanksgiving and glory for all His unspeakable grace and gifts forever and ever. Amen."
St. Louis, around Reformation Day 1896.