Article January 15, 1938 Issue

Bible Notes

"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, right" (Feyerabend: Hebrew Dictionary, p. 282); while that which is 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."

"All his works are done in truth" (Ps. 33:4)—It is of interest to note that the the term "emunah," which is here translated "truth," is rendered "faith" in Habakkuk 2:4. Alternative renderings of this word "emunah" include "firmness, steadfastness, fidelity," while it also suggests "trust and stability" (cf. Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 53), as well as "honesty, security, conscientiousness" (Feyerabend: op. cit., p. 20). Moffatt suggests: "All he does is loyally done;" and Smith: "All his work is faithful."

"The goodness of the Lord" (Ps. 33:5)—"Goodness" represents the word "chesed," a Hebrew term which is rendered in various ways in our Authorized Version of the Old Testament. Thus in verses 18 and 22 of this same Psalm, we find that "chesed" is translated "mercy," while in other passages we find the renderings "lovingkindness," or simply "kindness." Then, also, this very significant word has been taken to mean "favor, love, loyalty, loveliness" (cf. Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 338; and Feyerabend: op. cit., p. 104). In Psalms 33:5, Moffatt offers the rendering "kindness"; and the Revised Version has, "lovingkindness"; while Smith prefers to retain the translation, "goodness."