Article June 23, 1934 Issue

Bible Notes

"The sincere milk of the word" (I Pet. 2:2)—The Greek term "logikos," rendered "of the word," is literally "rational," "in accordance with reason or soul;" and in this passage the translation "milk which nourishes the soul" has been suggested (Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 379). The word "adolos," meaning "guileless" in Classical Greek (ibid., p. 13), and here rendered "sincere," long remained an enigma to scholars when used in this context, till it was discovered that it was constantly employed in the everyday papyrus correspondence of the early centuries, with reference to the quality of food, grain, etc., to mean "unadulterated, pure" (cf. Moulton and Milligan: Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, illustrated from the papyri, p. 10). Hence Weymouth (5th edition) translates: "Pure milk for the soul;" Goodspeed and Moffatt: "Pure and spiritual milk."

"Let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not" (Isa. 54:2)—Moffatt well expresses the meaning of the passage in more modern idiom, in the words, "Spare not your canvas, stretch it out;" and continues, "lengthen your ropes, drive in your tent-pegs."

"My kindness shall not depart from thee" (Isa. 54:10)—"Kindness" represents the Hebrew "chesed," which is rendered "lovingkindness" in Psalms 40:10. Other translations of this significant word are "mercy" (e. g. Ps. 118:1), "goodness" (e. g. Hos. 6:4) in addition to "favor, love, loyalty." Consequently, Smith reads: "My love shall not remove from you;" and Moffatt: "Never shall my love leave you." Kent, however, prefers: "From thee my kindness shall not depart;" while the Septuagint translators have: "Neither shall my mercy fail thee."