Apocrypha Volume Publication Date?

As part of the seemingly never-ending struggle to better organize my commentaries, I have been trying to track down dates for when the individual volumes of Lange's Commentary were published. More specifically, I have been trying to track down the publication dates for the German commentaries that stand behind the English translations available in Logos (so I have a more precise idea how old the scholarship is). I am relatively satisfied with the progress I have made, but I am stumped when it comes to the volume on the Apocrypha. I know that Schaff's translation of Lange's original work was published in 1880, but I cannot find a date anywhere for Lange's original work. Are there any super-sleuths or Apocrypha enthusiasts out there who can help me?

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SineNomine

Are there any super-sleuths or Apocrypha enthusiasts out there who can help me?

According to Schaff's preface to it, Bissell's commentary was written in English. Lange's Bibelwerk was limited to the 66 book canon of Scripture usually employed by Protestants.

David Staveley

As part of the seemingly never-ending struggle to better organize my commentaries, I have been trying to track down dates for when the individual volumes of Lange's Commentary were published. More specifically, I have been trying to track down the publication dates for the German commentaries that stand behind the English translations available in Logos (so I have a more precise idea how old the scholarship is). I am relatively satisfied with the progress I have made, but I am stumped when it comes to the volume on the Apocrypha. I know that Schaff's translation of Lange's original work was published in 1880, but I cannot find a date anywhere for Lange's original work. Are there any super-sleuths or Apocrypha enthusiasts out there who can help me?

According to this Wikipedia article on Johann Peter Lange (originaly written in German):

https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/ADB:Lange,_Johann_Peter&prev=search

Lange was part of a team that published the original Theologisch-homiletisches Bibelwerk between 1857-1880.

Hope that helps.

EDIT -

After I posted the above reply, I searched to see whether there was further information on Lang'e commentary on the Apocrypha on the internet. It seems that Lange himself never wrote one. The Apocrypha volume as part of the English translation of Lange's work was an added extra, and actually written by Edwin Cone Bissell. It published in English in 1880. Hence, it is not part of the original Prussian Theologisch-homiletisches Bibelwerk series, and certainly not written by Lange himself.

Scott E. Mahle

I would agree with the findings of SineNomine that this volume was an English addition with a publication date of 1880.

According to the statement found in the Apocrypha:

“It has been deemed timely to issue, as a supplementary volume to Lange’s Bible-work (which is confined to the canonical books), a revised version of the Apocrypha, with critical and historical introductions and explanations. Homiletical hints would, of course, be superfluous for Protestant ministers and students.

This work has been intrusted to the Rev. Dr. EDWIN CONE BISSELL, who is well known as the author of a work on “The Historic Origin of the Bible” (New York, 1873), and who has for several years devoted special attention to the Apocrypha, in Germany and in this country. Fritzsche’s Greek text (Libri Apocryphi Veteris Testamenti, Lipsiæ, 1871) has been used as the basis, and carefully collated with the Vatican Codex (II.) in the new edition of Cozza, as well as with other important publications.”

And according to a statement found in the German Wiki article on Lange:

“An even greater success than that of the German original of this biblical work to the part, was granted to the English treatment of the same, which began to appear in 1864 under the leadership of the well-known New York theologian Philipp Schaff (A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical , with Special Reference to Ministers and Students, translated by the German of JP Long, and edited, with additions, by Philipp Schaff, assisted by American Scholars of Various Denominations, New York, Ch1864-1880). A brilliant staff of capable Old Testament scholars were employed to co-operate in it, most of whom worked in various theological schools of North America, and some also in such Old England and Scotland. Various expansions experienced in particular the Old Testament series. To the content of the 15 volumes (mostly of greater strength than the underlying German texts) have been added quite new works on various points, namely the addition of English-rhythmic translations to the moreover given prose transmissions of poetic pieces (eg. the book of Job, which Professor Tayler Lewis provided with such a metric version, of the preacher Solomon, to whom the same was dedicated, etc.).(Vol. XV of the Old Testament, containing the Apocrypha, etc., 1880). The ten volumes of the New Testament series have almost always more or less significant extensions of their content, as well as in the exegetical-scientific parts as well as in biblical-theological and homiletic additions. As regards the total value of the work, none other than the famous London preacher Spurgeon has judged: "The American editors have added to the basis of Germany a substantial amount of additions, some of which are more valuable than the underlying German Parthia. As far as the homiletic parthia is concerned, they are the same true gold mines of solid material. " ”

Matthew

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/965176#Comment_965176

SineNomine, David, and Scott,

Thanks for the helpful replies. Having read your posts, I agree with your conclusions. As I was doing my own digging prior to starting this thread, I likewise came across information implying that Lange never wrote a volume on the Apocrypha. For example:

"Lange’s works are numerous:Christliche Dogmatik (Heidelberg, 1849–52, 3 vols.):—Das apostolische Zeitalter (1853–54, 2 vols.). But the work by which he is best known and has made himself most useful is his Theological and Homiletical Bible Work (1857–68), well known in this country by the English translation in twenty-four volumes. The success of this voluminous commentary has been marked. Lange conceived the plan, wrote the commentary on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Matthew, Mark, John, Romans, James, and the Apocalypse. The other books were prepared by a number of German and Dutch divines."

B. Pick, “Lange, Johann Peter, D.D.,” Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Supplement—A–Z (New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1894), 651.

What threw me was the text of the title page that says:

JOHN PETER LANGE, D. D.,

Assisted by a Number of Eminent European Divines.

Translated from the German, Revised, Enlarged, and Edited

PHILIP SCHAFF, D.D., LL. D.,

in Connection with American Scholars of Various

Evangelical Denominations

VOLUME XV. OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, CONTAINING

THE APOCRYPHA

I (wrongly) interpreted that as indicating that the volume on the Apocrypha had originally been written by Lange in German and then translated by Schaff. This misunderstanding then resulted in me misreading the text below it to indicate that Bissell was only responsible for adding the introduction, translation, and a few notes. To be fair, most (all?) of the commentaries in this series have been expanded and had additional notes added that were not present in the original German. I feel slightly embarrassed, but mystery solved. Thanks team!

PS: In case anyone is wondering, this screenshot illustrates how I am using publication dates to get more out of my commentaries.

David Ames

Hope I opened the correct resource

I searched for Lange's Commentary

Title page:

APOCRYPHA
of
THE OLD TESTAMENT.
with
HISTORICAL INTRODUCTIONS, A REVISED TRANSLATION, AND NOTES CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY.
by
EDWIN CONE BISSELL, D.D.
Οὐ γὰρ δυνάμεθά, τι κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλ’ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας.
2 Cor. 13:8.
NEW YORK:
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS,
743 and 745 Broadway.
1880.
Copyright, 1880,
By CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS.

Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., & Bissell, E. C. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Apocrypha (pp. iii–iv). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

From the preface:

It has been deemed timely to issue, as a supplementary volume to Lange’s Bible-work (which is confined to the canonical books), a revised version of the Apocrypha, with critical and historical introductions and explanations. Homiletical hints would, of course, be superfluous for Protestant ministers and students.

This work has been intrusted to the Rev. Dr. Edwin Cone Bissell, who is well known as the author of a work on “The Historic Origin of the Bible” (New York, 1873), and who has for several years devoted special attention to the Apocrypha, in Germany and in this country. Fritzsche’s Greek text (Libri Apocryphi Veteris Testamenti, Lipsiæ, 1871) has been used as the basis, and carefully collated with the Vatican Codex (II.) in the new edition of Cozza, as well as with other important publications.

The author desires to express his very deep sense of obligation to Dr. Eberhard Nestle, of the University of Tübingen, and to Dr. Ezra Abbot, of Cambridge, Mass., for invaluable suggestions and corrections as the work was passing through the press.