find "Is not the _soul_ more than the food?"--agreeing with
the common version in the first instance, and differing from it in the
second. But he renders [Greek: _phuchae_] in Mark viii. 36, 37, Luke
xvii. 33, and Matt. xvi. 26, "life"; thus, "For what is a man profited,
if he shall gain the whole world and lose his _life_?" "For whoever
wishes to save his _life_ shall lose it." In these cases he seems to
have made his choice between the renderings "soul" and "life" according
to no rule of translation or of criticism in philology, but as his fancy
dictated. How shall we explain these inconsistencies, and, at the same
time, grant Mr. Sawyer his claim to literalness of rendering?

Luke ix. 24, 25, Mr. Sawyer translates [Greek: _phuchae_] "life," and
then renders [Greek: _eauthon de apolesas ae zaemiotheis_] "and destroys
himself or loses his life." The common version is "and lose himself or
be cast away," which is not only more strictly literal, but far more
forcible. [Greek: _'Apollumi_] conveys the strongest idea of _total,
irremediable ruin_; and [Greek: _zaemioo_], when used, as in this
passage, in the aorist tense, has the signification of _bringing loss
or ruin upon one's self_. Both these thoughts are lost in Mr. Sawyer's
translation; and a more tame, insufficient, and tautological rendering
than his could scarcely be imagined.

Another instance of Mr. Sawyer's singular choice of renderings, in his
zeal for improvement, is found in Luke viii. 46, which he translates,
"Some one touched me; for I perceived a _power_ going from me." The
common version, "Somebody touched me; for I perceive that _virtue_ is
gone out of me," is clear and precise; Mr. Sawyer's version, "a power,"
is more indefinite and less forcible. Any intelligent reader will at
once perceive that the common version is the better, and that Mr.
Sawyer's improved rendering is almost meaningless.

One more example of these strictly literal renderings must suffice, John
iii. 4. common version,--"Nicodemus saith unto him, 'How can a man be
born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb
and be born?'" Sawyer's version,--"Nicodemus said to him, 'How can a man
be born when he is old? can he become an unborn infant of his mother a
second time, and be born?'" The absurdity of the form of language put
into the mouth of Nicodemus by Mr. Sawyer is obvious at a glance; no
such thought was ever so expressed by any speaker in any language; i