Article November 14, 1936 Issue

Bible Notes

"If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light" (Matt. 6:22)—The Greek adjective "haplous," rendered "single" in this passage, is an interesting one. It means literally "simple" or "single" in the sense of "not complicated or confused," but it can also mean "whole," or, "when used of the eye,—good, fulfilling its office, sound" (Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 57). Weymouth suggests: "if then your eye is sound," a rendering upheld by Goodspeed; though Moffatt prefers: "if your Eye is generous."

"He is my defence" (Ps. 62:6)—The Hebrew noun "tsur," here rendered "defence," means literally "rock, rocky wall or cliff," but is often figuratively used of God as a support and defense of His people; while it sometimes connotes a "place of security" (Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 849). The Revised Version and Kent render, "my high tower"; and Smith: "my fortress"; while Moffatt translates the complete verse as follows: "Rock, rescue, refuge, he is all to me, never shall I be overthrown."

"Early will I seek thee" (Ps. 63:1)—The verb which is here rendered "seek early" means literally to "look for dawn" (cf. the reference in Ps. 130:6 to them "that watch for the morning"); hence it was often used in the metaphorical sense of "to seek earnestly or eagerly" or "to yearn for" (Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 1007). Kent suggests the translation: "Earnestly I seek thee;" and Moffatt has: "I yearn for thee."

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