Article June 15, 1940 Issue

Bible Notes

[The Biblical citations given in the Christian Science Quarterly are from the Authorized King James Version. The Bible Notes in this column can be used, if deemed necessary, to elucidate some of the words or passages contained in the Bible Lessons.]

"He that . . . declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness" (Amos 4 : 13)—A more literal rendering of the term here rendered "morning" is "dawn"; while in place of the Hebrew form "mah-secho" (meaning "what is his thought") the Greek version seems to have read a word of closely similar appearance, namely "meshicho," which may be literally translated "his anointed." This rendering is of considerable interest in view of the fact that the word "anointed" (the Greek "Christos") is that which is used for "Messiah" in the Old Testament, and for "Christ" in the New Testament. Indeed, Bagster's English Edition of the Septuagint Version of Amos 4:13 has, "proclaims to men his Christ."

"The word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness" (Isa. 45:23)—The word which is here rendered "righteousness" possesses, in Hebrew, a variety of senses, including "faithfulness, justice," as well as "divine and human right." Consequently, the sense would appear to be: "I have made a reliable statement;" or, as Moffatt's translation has it: "I swear a true word."

"Their line is gone out through all the earth" (Ps. 19:4) — "Their line" provides a literal translation of the Hebrew as it has come down to us, but there is general agreement among scholars that at some time a scribe mistakenly omitted the Hebrew letter which corresponds to our "I," thus changing the meaning of the word from "sound" or "voice" to "measuring line." "Their sound" or "their voice" seems to provide a natural parallel to "their words" in the next clause of the verse. Moffatt translates: "their message"; while Smith agrees with the Septuagint in rendering "their voice."

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