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In the same year that Bloomfield's ninth edition was published, there appeared:
The Greek Testament, with notes grammatical and exegetical
by William Webster, M.A.. and William Francis Wilkinson, M.A.
In explanation of their work, the authors say:
"Our intention of undertaking this task was conceived more than twenty years ago,
when Dr. Valpy's was the only annotated edition in the hands of students at our
universities. Though since that period the labours of Bloomfield, Burton and Trollope
have supplied to some extent the defect which then existed, we cannot regard the amount
of attention which the New Testament in the Original has received from English
annotators, as at all commensurate with the theological or classical literature of our day
. . . . . Six years ago, this volume was in a state of considerable forwardness, when the
announcement of a similar publication by Mr. Alford caused us to pause, till we saw how
far the reception of his labours might render the prosecution of our own unnecessary."
As a result, Webster and Wilkinson, still believing that there was room for an
annotated Greek Testament along the lines they had planned, published their labours,
deviating largely from the path of their predecessors in that, (1) They omit altogether the
department dealing with Textual Criticism; (2) They modify or decline as superfluous to
their purpose much that is common to preceding annotators; and in lieu thereof,
(3) dwell upon points which have hitherto received but partial attention.
Both Bloomfield and Webster & Wilkinson refer to Alford's monumental work the
third edition of which was published in 1856. It was entitled:
"The Greek Testament, with a critically revised text: a digest of various readings:
marginal references to verbal and idiomatic usage: prolegomena: and a critical and
exegetical commentary." By Henry Alford, B.D.
Each section of this work is prefaced by Prolegomena which treat of Authorship,
Origin, Readers, Time, Place and Language, Genuineness and Authenticity, Style and
Character.
While Alford supplied the reader with the names of the MSS that are both for and
against certain readings, the reader would do well to follow his leading with caution as in
the last report Alford gave too great a prominence to "internal probability". He adopted
that reading "which on the whole seemed most likely to have stood in the original Text".
In the notes that accompany the Greek Text, the student will find not only a suggestive
translation, but the reasons for and against the rendering adopted together with arguments
for rejecting or accepting the translations of such commentators as Calvin, Benger and
Meyer, &100:, beside a copious reference of the "Fathers".
One other commentary of this same kind we must mention, and that is:
"The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the original Greek, with
notes and introductions." By Chas. Wordsworth, D.D.