"To do good and to communicate forget not" (Hebr. 13:16)—The Greek term rendered "to communicate" means literally "a contribution or joint benefaction" (koinonia). (Cf. Thayer: Greek Lexicon.) Hence Moffatt's rendering: "Do not forget beneficence and charity;" and that of Goodspeed: "Do not forget to be helpful and generous;" while Weymouth (fifth edition) has: "Do not forget to be kind and liberal."

"Suffer it to be so now" (Matt. 3:15)—The words "it to be so" are not represented in the original, and the verb "aphiemi" may mean "suffer, or permit, or let go" (Thayer: op. cit., p. 89). The margin of the American Revised Version suggests: "Suffer me now"; while Moffatt has simply: "Come now"; and continues, "this is how we should fulfil all our duty to God." Other translators, however, adhere more closely to the familiar rendering of the Authorized Version; and we find: "Let it be so on this occasion" (Weymouth); "Let it be so this time" (Goodspeed).

"With desire I have desired" (Luke 22:15)—The repetition of the word gives emphasis, as in the Hebrew idiom, "He shall surely live"—literally, "Living he shall live" (Ezek. 3:21). Compare: "I have greatly desired" (Goodspeed); "I have heartily desired" (margin of the Authorized Version); and "I have longed eagerly" (Moffatt).

"This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:20)—The Greek word "diatheke," here rendered "testament," can also be translated "covenant," and it is of interest to compare the early Jewish belief that a covenant should be sealed or ratified by the shedding of blood, as in Exodus 24:6–8. In Luke 22:20, the Revised Version translates: "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, even that which is poured out for you;" and Moffatt: "This cup means the new covenant ratified by my blood shed for your sake;" while Weymouth has: "'This cup,' He said, 'is the new Covenant ratified by my blood which is to be poured out on your behalf'"

"Children, have ye any meat?" (John 21:5)—The Greek word "prosphagion" is not limited to "meat" in the sense of "animal flesh," but has reference to "anything eaten with bread"—in this case, apparently, "fish" (Thayer: op. cit., p. 550). The American Revísed Version has simply, "Have ye aught to eat?" and Goodspeed, more specifically, "Have you any fish?"

"Simon, son of Jonas" (John 21:15f.)—In our Common Version of John 1:42, Simon is described as "son of Jona," but in both passages the Greek word employed is that which is usually rendered, "John." Consequently, Goodspeed, Moffatt, Weymouth, and other translators agree in translating "son of John."

"Be ye followers of me" (I Cor. 11:1)—The Greek word "mimetai," rendered "followers," is literally "imitators" (cf. Thayer: op. cit., p. 415). Hence Weymouth reads: "Be imitators of me;" and Moffatt: "Copy me"; while Goodspeed prefers: "You must follow my example in this."

"Watch" (Mark 13:33–37)—In these verses two different Greek words are alike translated "watch" in our Common Version. The verb used in verse 33 is "agrupnein," expressing literally "absence of sleep ... hence a wakeful frame of mind as opposed to listlessness;" while in verses 34 to 37 the term used is "gregorein"—"to be awake, to give strict attention to, be cautious, active" (Thayer: op. cit., p. 122)—representing rather "a waking state as the result of some arousing effort ... i.e., a more stirring image than the former 'agrupnein'" (ibid., p. 9); so we might render: "be wide awake." The word used in verse 33 (agrupnein) is translated: "be on the alert" (Weymouth and Goodspeed); or "keep awake" (Moffatt); while the term found in verses 34–37 is rendered "watch" (Moffatt and Goodspeed); "keep watch" (Weymouth); and "be vigilant" (Plummer).

"At even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning" (Mark 13:35)—These terms represented the four watches or divisions of the night, as recognized by the Romans and adopted by the Jews in the first century a. d. They covered the period from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Compare Mark 6:48, where Jesus is said to have come to the disciples "about the fourth watch of the night" (see Hastings: Bible Dictionary, Vol. IV, p. 766; Gould: St. Mark, p. 255; Thayer: op. cit., p. 25; Swete: Mark, p. 318). In Old Testament times, however, the night was divided into only three watches, as suggested by Judges 7:19, which refers to "the middle watch," and other passages (Swete: loc. cit.).

"The gate of the temple which is called Beautiful" (Acts 3:2)—As yet scholars have been unable to trace any further definite reference, either in secular or in sacred Jewish literature, to an entrance to the temple known specifically as "the Beautiful Gate." However, Josephus describes in some detail one of the gates of the temple which, he says, was usually called "the Corinthian Gate" and was "adorned in a more costly manner" than any of the other gates, and "greatly excelled" them (Jewish Wars, Vol. V, v. 3); and commentators suppose that this may well have been the gate "called Beautiful" (cf. Loisy: Les Actes des Apôtres, p. 223).

"Which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities" (Hebr. 4:15)—A literal rendering of the Greek would be: "who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses." Compare Goodspeed: "who is incapable of sympathy with our weaknesses."

"Tempted like as we are" (Hebr. 4:15)—The verb means literally: "tested or tried" (Thayer: op. cit., p. 498); hence one could render: "tested just as we are;" though Weymouth, Goodspeed, and Moffatt prefer to retain the translation "tempted."