Article February 1, 1936 Issue

Bible Notes

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov. 9:10) — "Fear" is a literal translation of the Hebrew word "yire'ah," but it came to be employed in the sense of "awe, reverence or piety" (cf. Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 432). Professor Toy points out, in referring to the use of the word in the Old Testament, that "the sentiment gradually advances from the form of mere dread of the divine anger to that of for the divine law" (Commentary on Proverbs, p. 10); while Dr. Perowne contends that "fear," as used in this context, "is not slavish dread ... but childlike reverence" (Commentary on Proverbs, p. 42). In short, "The fear of God is the very oppostie of the fear of man but it from the sense of the nearness of some higher and holier being" (Hastings' Bible Dictionary: Vol. IV, p. 858). Moffatt translates: "The first thing in knowledge is reverence for the Eternal;" and Smith: "The beginning of wisdom is reverence for the Lord."

"The counsel of the Lord ... the thoughts of his heart" (Ps. 33:11)—The word rendered "counsel" can also be translated "design or purpose" (Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 420); while the term "machsheboth" (thoughts) often has the sense of "devices, plans, purposes" Hence Moffatt is justified in rendering the verse: "But the Eternal's purpose stands for ever, and what he plans will last from age to age." Kent's rendering is: "Jehovah's counsel standeth forever, the plans of his mind from all generations."

"His understanding is infinite" (Ps. 147:5)—The original means literally: "His understanding has no number;" from which the sense of infinitude is very naturally deduced. Moffatt suggests: "His wisdom is unsearchable;" and Smith: "There is no limit to his understanding."

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