vil law of the Jews according to
their traditions, consists of two parts, the _Mishna_, or text,
generally referred to the last half of the second century, and the
_Gemara_, or _commentary_ on the Mishna. The Mishna is one; but
connected with this are two Gemaras of later origin; the more copious
_Babylonian_, and the briefer _Jerusalem_ Gemara; whence the distinction
of the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud. Whether because the Hebrew text
was rigidly settled in its present form in the days of the Talmudists,
or because their quotations have been made to agree with the Masorah, an
examination of the Talmud furnishes few various readings that are of any
importance. Most of them relate to trifling particulars. The quotations
of later rabbinical writers are of small account in a critical respect.

8. It remains to speak of _critical conjecture_. Of this a wise and
reverent scholar will make a very cautious use. He will content himself
with offering to the public his suggestions, without venturing to
incorporate them into the text itself. The recklessness of some modern
critics, who make an abundance of conjectural emendations, and then
embody them in their versions, with only a brief note, deserves severe
condemnation. Had the ancient critics generally adopted this uncritical
method, the sacred text would long ago have fallen into irretrievable
confusion.

We add an example where critical conjecture is in place, though
it may not venture to alter the established reading. In Psalm
42, the last clause of verse 6 and the beginning of verse 7,
written continuously without a division of words (Chap. 13, No.
5), would read thus:

[Hebrew: ky'od'odnu'sho'tpnyu'lhy'lynpshytshtvhh]

With the present division of words:

[Hebrew: ky 'od 'odnu 'sho't pnyu 'lhy 'ly npshy tshtvhh]

the clauses are to be translated, as in our version:

_For I shall yet praise him_ [for] _the salvation of his
countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me_.

Divided as follows (by the transfer of a single letter to the
following word).

[Hebrew: ky 'od 'odnu 'sho't pny u'lhy 'ly npshy tshtvhh]

the rendering would be:

_For I shall yet praise him_, [who is] _the salvation of my
countenance and my God. My soul is cast down within me_.

Thus the refrain would agree exactly with the two that follow
(ver. 11 and 43:5). Yet this conjecture, however plausible, is