Article March 20, 1937 Issue

Bible Notes

"Talk ye of all his wondrous works" (I Chron. 16:9)—The verb rendered "talk" is also used in the sense of "meditate upon, study, consider" (Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 967). Consequently, Smith has: "Tell of all his wonders;" and Moffatt: "Go over all the wonders he has done;" though the Septuagint prefers: "Relate to all people his wonderful deeds, which the Lord has wrought."

"They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee" (Ps. 40:5)—It is true that the Hebrew word "arak" means literally to "arrange or set in order," but it is also used in the sense of "compare," as the result of setting in order (Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 789); while the negative term "'en," translated "they cannot," is constantly used in the sense of "there is not" (ibid., p. 34f.). Hence we could translate: "There is nothing (or 'no one') comparable to thee." Smith renders: "There is none to compare with thee;" and Moffatt: "There is no one like thee."

"Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright" (Ps. 33:1)—The Hebrew term translated "righteous" can also mean "just, honest, or right" (Feyerabend: Hebrew Dictionary, p. 282); while that rendered "comely" can also be translated "becoming" or "lovely" (ibid., p. 204). Consequently Moffatt renders: "Rejoice, ye just, in the Eternal, for songs of praise befit the upright soul."