"God sent not his Son ... to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17)—The word translated "condemn" means literally "judge," and need not imply condemnation. So Goodspeed has "pass judgment"; and Weymouth (fifth edition), "judge"; thought Moffatt prefers, "pass sentence." It may be noted that the word here translated "saved" is the same which is elsewhere rendered "made whole" (cf. Luke 8:48) by the King James translators, and "cured" by Goodspeed. So in John 3:17 we could translate: "that the world might be healed through him."

"Thou art the Christ" (Matt. 16:16)—It may be noted that the Greek word "Christos" (Christ) is synonymous with the Hebrew term "mashiach" (Messiah), for both may be literally translated "anointed." Since in the New Testament "Christ Jesus" (Anointed one, Saviour) is hailed as "Kind" (John 1:49), as "priest" (Hebr. 5:6) and as "Prophet" (John 7:40), it may be recalled that in the Old Testament it was customary to set apart kings, such as Saul and David (cf. I Sam. 16:13; 24:10), and certain outstanding priests, such as Aaron and his sons (Exod. 28:41), by the ceremony of literal anointing; while the prophetic writer of Isaiah 61:1 announces: "The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings." In short, Christ Jesus was the "Anointed One" in a triple sense—as king, as priest, and as prophet.

"Bar-Jona" (Matt. 16:17)—The prefix "Bar-" means "Son of," and is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew "Ben-." "Jona" appears to be an abbreviated form of "Johannes" (John) the name given to Peter's father in John 1:42 (cf. Allen: Commentary on St. Matthew, p. 175f.).

"Thou art Peter, and upon this rock" (Matt. 16:18)—In English it is somewhat difficult to bring out the play upon words found in the original, where we have "thou art Petros (Peter) and upon this Petra (rock or stone)." In the Peshitto Version, written in Syriac—a form of the Aramaic which Jesus ordinarily spoke—we find that the two words are not only similar, as in Greek, but identical: "Thou art Kipha" (Cephas—the familiar Aramaic name for Peter—John 1:42) "and upon this Kipha (stone)." In French, we find: "Tu es le Pierre, et sur cette pierre"—a very happy rendering of the meaning.

"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9)—There is some ambiguity in the original Greek of this verse, for the phrase rendered "that cometh [literally 'coming'] into the world" may refer either to "every man" (as in our Common Version) or to the "coming" of the Light. Consequently Moffatt renders: "The real Light, which enlightens every man, was coming then into the world;" Goodspeed: "The real light, which sheds light upon everyone, was just coming into the world." Weymouth renders: "There was the true Light, which lightens every man, coming into the world;" adding in a footnote that "the participle 'erchomenos' (coming) is ambiguous in gender and case."

"And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John 1:16)—The Greek words "charis anti charitos" can be literally translated "grace for grace" (as here), but most scholars consider that the phrase is to be regarded as an idiomatic one meaning "grace succeeding grace perpetually, i.e., the richest abundance of grace" (Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 49). Consequently we find: "grace after grace" (Moffatt); "Blessing after blessing" (Goodspeed); and "grace upon grace" (Weymouth).

"He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes" (Mark 1:22)—The scribes were primarily lawyers and teachers of the law, and they considered that the written law and the traditional oral law were of equal importance and authority. They appealed to the authority of the elder or more important rabbis, while Christ Jesus' authority came from God Himself (see John 5:27, etc.). The word "exousia," rendered "authority" in Mark 1:22, is translated "power" in John 17:2, Matthew 28:18, and various other passages (see The Old Testament in the Jewish Church, by Robertson-Smith, p. 44ff.; and Swete's Commentary on St. Mark, p. 18: Note).

"Every sickness and every disease" (Matt. 9:35; cf. 10:1)—The word "nosos," rendered "sickness" in these verses, is really the stronger of the two words; consequently the translation "disease" is preferable. On the other hand, "malakia," rendered "disease," suggests by its derivation "softness or weakness" and usually means "infirmity, debility, or sickness" (cf. Thayer: op. cit., p. 387). Weymouth has: "disease ... and ... infirmity."

"Let us alone; what have we to do with thee" (Mark 1:24)—The words "Let us alone" are not represented in the best manuscripts of the original, and hence are omitted by most modern translators. Goodspeed has simply: "What do you want of us?" Weymouth: "What have you to do with us?" and Moffatt: "What business have you with us?"

"Go not into the way of the Gentiles" (Matt. 10:5)—Goodspeed renders this phrase: "Do not go among the heathen;" while Lamsa offers the interesting rendering: "Keep away from pagan practices."

"He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat" (Mark 16:14)—The Greek word "anakeimenois," here rendered "as they sat at meat," means literally "reclining," but it was often used with special reference to those who reclined at a dinner table in accord with ancient custom (cf. Souter: Greek Lexicon, p. 18). The margin of the Authorized Version, however, prefers to render simply "as they sat together." Moffatt has: "He appeared at table to the eleven themselves;" Goodspeed: "He appeared to the Eleven themselves when they were at table."