Article November 24, 1934 Issue

Bible Notes

"Beloved, follow not that which is evil" (III John 1:11)—The Greek word translated "follow" is "mimou," which is connected with the root of our English term "mimic" and means literally "imitate" (cf. Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 414). Thus Moffatt renders: "Beloved, do not imitate evil but good;" and Weymouth (5th edition): "Dearly loved one, do not copy evil but good;" while Goodspeed has: "Dear friend, do not follow bad examples, but good ones."

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape" (Luke 21:36)—The Greek verb "agrupneite," rendered "watch," means literally "be sleepless, keep awake;" and so, metaphorically, "be circumspect, attentive, ready" (Thayer: op. cit., p. 9); while instead of the form "kataxiothete" (be accounted worthy), the very early Sinaitic and Vatican Codices and other important manuscripts have "katischusete," meaning "prevail, succeed, be superior in strength," a reading which is now adopted by most editors of the Greek text (cf. Plummer: Commentary on St. Luke's Gospel, p. 289; Thayer: op. cit., p. 340f.). Hence Moffatt renders: "From hour to hour keep awake, praying that you may succeed in escaping;" Weymouth: "Beware of slumbering; at all times pray that you may be fully strengthened to escape."

"Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon" (Ezek. 31:3)—Commentators contend with considerable probability that it is the pride and fall of Egypt and its ruler Pharaoh that forms the primary theme of this chapter (cf. verses 2 and 18); and it is supposed that the apparent reference to Assyria (a power which had long before passed into oblivion) is due to the unintentional error of some early scribe who wrote "asshur" (Assyrian), instead of the closely similar word "teasshur" (tallness, stateliness). Hence the meaning would appear to be: "Behold a stately cedar (literally, 'the stateliness of a cedar') of Lebanon" (cf. Davidson: "Ezekiel," p. 244, and Lofthouse: "Ezekiel," p. 239). So Moffatt renders: "You were a stately cedar in Lebanon;" and Smith: "Like a stately cedar in Lebanon."

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