The finest copy of Webster's very scarce issue of his updating of the King James New Testament extant.
Webster, rather than usurping the established King James Version, set his focus on usability by replacing archaic words and making clarifying grammatical changes. In addition, he actually introduced a sequence of euphemisms to render it more "appropriate" for family use. For instance, "whore" becomes "lewd woman". He also adjusted some spellings he had previously changed in his dictionary to reflect an American identity over a British one.
Some revisions were more corrective and substantive however, i.e. replacing the flawed "Easter" in Acts 12.4 with the more appropriate, "Passover."
He stated his purpose in his preface:
"Some words have fallen into disuse; and the signification of others, in current popular use, is not the same now as it was when they were introduced into the version. The effect of these changes is, that some words are not understood by common readers, who have no access to commentaries, and who will always compose a great proportion of readers; while other words, being now used in a sense different from that which they had when the translation was made, present a wrong signification or false ideas. Whenever words are understood in a sense different from that which they had been introduced, and different from that of the original languages, they do not present to the reader the Word of God."
An important American revision by the most influential American lexicographer of the era.
Webster, Noah [Trans.] The New Testament in the Common Version with Amendments of the Language, by Noah Webster. New Haven. Published by N. Webster. 1841. 280pp.
This edition, not recorded in the usual references and only known by a handful of examples, is often found in only poor to fair condition as it was issued usually in a quarter leather and paper board binding. This is the sole full calf edition I have seen.
Very attractive full calf, through at corners and bumped, small nick at head of spine lacking and rear hinge through for 5/8 of an inch. Some scattered foxing. Very solid.
Early ownership signature of Charles McKinstry.