Article March 14, 1936 Issue

Bible Notes

"Upon every fenced wall" (Isa. 2:15)—The Hebrew term translated "fenced" means rather "fortified" (Feyerabend: Hebrew Dictionary, p. 45); while it may be added that the preposition rendered "upon" in this verse and in verses 12, 14, and 16 is often used in the sense of "against," and is thus translated by Smith, who has in verse 15: "against every fortified wall." Moffatt suggests: "on every rampart of a fort;" while the Septuagint has: "upon (or 'against') every high wall."

"My doctrine shall drop as the rain" (Deut. 32:2)—The Hebrew noun here rendered "doctrine" can also be translated "learning, instruction, knowledge" (Feyerabend: op. cit., p. 160). Moffatt has: "May my message drop like rain;" while the Septuagint renders: "Let my speech be looked for as the rain, and my words come down as dew."

"A God of truth and without iniquity" (Deut. 32:4)—The Hebrew term "'emunah," here translated "truth," means literally "firmness, fidelity, steadfastness." Other renderings are, "faithfulness, security, honesty" (Feyerabend: op. cit., p. 20); while it may be added that it is this same term which is translated "faith" in Habakkuk 2:4, and "stability" in Isaiah 33:6. Thus in Deuteronomy 32:4 the Revised Version reads: "a God of faithfulness and without iniquity;" and Moffatt: "a God trusty and true."

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