Article June 12, 1937 ISSUE

Bible Notes

"For his mercy endureth for ever" (Ps. 136:1)—The Hebrew term "chesed" has a much wider meaning than can be represented by the use of any one English word such as "mercy." In our Authorized Version it is sometimes rendered "goodness" (Hos. 6:4) or "lovingkindness" (Hos. 2:19), and includes the ideas of "kindliness, tenderness, loyalty and love." Consequently, Moffatt sometimes renders it as "love" (e.g., in Hos. 6:6), but in Psalms 136:1, and other passages, "His kindness never fails;" just as Smith has: "His kindness is everlasting." George Adam Smith renders the word "chesed" as "leal love" (cf. Book of the Twelve Prophets: Vol. I, p. 265).

"The counsel of the Lord ... the thoughts of his heart" (Ps. 33:11)—Another possible rendering of the word here translated "counsel" would be "design" or "purpose" (Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 420). Smith suggests: "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart throughout the ages;" Moffatt: "The Eternal's purpose stands for ever, and what he plans will last from age to age;" and Kent; "Jehovah's counsel standeth forever, the plans of his mind from all generations."

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