Article June 6, 1936 Issue

Bible Notes

"Herod the king" (Acts 12:1)—This ruler, whose full title was Herod Agrippa I, should not be confused with his uncle, Herod Antipas (the "Herod" mentioned in Luke 9:9, Acts 13:1, and other passages), nor with his grandfather, "Herod the Great," who is himself described as "Herod the king" in Matthew 2:1. Herod Agrippa I reigned over the districts of Ituraea and Trachonitis, which lay to the northeast of Palestine (cf. Luke 3:1) from 37 A. D., and then, in 41 A. D., three years before his passing on, Galilee and Judea also came under his sway. This access of power appears to have enhanced that impious egotism which, in the end, brought his reign to its conclusion (Acts 12:21—23).

"In an acceptable time have I heard thee" (Isa. 49:8)—Literally, "a time of good-will, favour, acceptance" (Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 205), while the Hebrew word rendered "heard" is more exactly "answered" (ibid., p. 772). Consequently, Kent translates: "In a time of favor I answer thee;" while Moffatt has: "When the favouring hour comes I will answer you;" and Smith: "In time of favor have I answered you."

"Take no thought" (Matt. 6:25; cf. verse 31)—A literal rendering of the Greek would be: "Do not worry" (Goodspeed), since the noun from which the verb is formed means "care, anxiety," or "worry" (cf. Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 100). This meaning is constantly found in the papyrus letters and other documents dating from the first few centuries of our era—documents which are written in the same type of Greek as is found in our New Testament (cf. Moulton and Milligan: Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, p. 397f.). The Twentieth Century New Testament and Weymouth (fifth edition) have: "Do not be anxious;" while Moffatt reads: "Do not trouble."

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