Article May 11, 1935 Issue

Bible Notes

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 51:10)—The term rendered "in me" is more exactly "for me," while the phrase translated "a right spirit" is literally "a steadfast spirit" (cf. Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 465). Thus Moffatt has: "Make me a clean heart, O God, and put a new, steadfast spirit in me;" and Smith: "Create for me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me;" while Kent has a closely similar rendering.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1)—It may be noted that the clause which follows the words "Christ Jesus" ("who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit") is omitted by the Revised Version, Weymouth (5th edition), Moffatt, Good-speed, and others on the evidence of most of the early manuscripts of the New Testament. The very same words are found at the end of verse 4, and it is contended that some early scribe mistakenly copied them at the close of verse 1 (see Sanday and Headlam: "Romans," p. 194). Moffatt gives the following rendering of verse 1: "Thus there is no doom now for those who are in Christ Jesus."

"The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free ..." (Rom. 8:2)—Weymouth, by a slight change in punctuation, offers the interesting rendering: "The Spirit's law—life in Christ Jesus—has set me free from the law of sin and death." Moffatt suggests: "The law of the Spirit brings the life which is in Christ Jesus, and that law has set me free ..." Then Goodspeed, reading "you" instead of "me," translates: "For the life-giving law of the Spirit through Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death."

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