Article May 26, 1934 Issue

Bible Notes

"The righteous God trieth the hearts and reins" (Ps. 7:9)—The Hebrew word "Kelayoth," here translated "reins," means literally "kidneys," which in Bible times were often regarded as "the seat of emotion and affection . . . hence, as involving character, the object of God's examination" (Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 480). Kent suggests: "A trier of hearts and hidden motives is the righteous God;" and Smith: "He who tries the heart and mind is the righteous God."

"There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire" (Deut. 18:10; cf. II Kings 21:6) —This practice is referred to several times in the Old Testament and is often associated with the rites used in connection with heathen deities (e.g., Lev. 18:21); however, Dr. Drive contends that these allusions "are not sufficient to show distinctly either the nature or object of the practice referred to, but it is mentioned here [Deut. 18:10] as the context indicates, not as a form of idolatry, but specifically as a superstition, either . . . because it was used for the purpose of obtaining an oracle, or because it was supposed . . . to possess extraordinary efficacy in averting calamity" (S. R. Driver: "Deuteronomy," p. 222; cf. II Kings 3:27).

"An observer of times" (Deut. 18:10; cf. II Kings 21:6)—The Hebrew word thus translated comes from a root meaning "to practise soothsaying" (Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 778). Hence Moffatt translates: one "who practises . . . soothsaying;" though the Revised Version prefers: "one that practiseth augury."

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