Article November 30, 1935 Issue

Bible Notes

"He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it" (Isa. 42:5)—The word translated "that which cometh out of it" has usually the meaning of "its offspring," but can also be rendered "its produce" (Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 425). Smith renders simply: "who made the earth and its fruits;" and Moffatt: "who made the earth and all it bears."

"The inhabitants of the rock" (Isa. 42:11)—The Hebrew word "Sela," here literally translated "the rock," is taken by the Revised Version and various modern commentators as a proper name, and as designating the famous Edomite city of "Sela," which, in turn, is usually identified with what was later called "Petra." Petra was situated some fifty miles to the south of the Dead Sea.

"Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth" (Isa. 45:9)—The Hebrew term here translated "potsherd" was the usual name given to the earthenware utensils which the potter made from his clay. Since the words "let" and "strive" (which appear in the Authorized Version) are not represented in the original, the Revised Version and Kent are justified in giving the literal rendering: "a potsherd among the potsherds of the earth!" It may be noted that the Hebrew word for "earth" is " 'adamah," which is generally considered the root of our word "Adam."

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