Article August 20, 1938 Issue

Bible Notes

"In knowledge and in all judgment" (Phil. 1:9)—The word "aisthesis," which is here translated "judgment," means literally "perception" (Souter: Greek Lexicon, p. 8); while "epignosis," rendered "knowledge," is often used in the sense of "discernment, recognition, intuition" (ibid., p. 92). The Revised Version has, "in knowledge and all discernment;" Moffatt: "in knowledge and all manner of insight;" Goodspeed: "in knowledge and perfect insight;" and Weymouth (5th Edition): "by clear knowledge and keen perception."

"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God" (Phil. 2:6)—The term "harpagmos" is used in Greek in two chief meanings, with a significant distinction between them. It can denote either "robbery," including the sense of "rapacity, self-aggrandizement," etc., or "a thing to be snatched"—i. e., "plunder, prey, booty, prize" (Souter, op. cit., p. 37f.), hence the variant renderings offered by translators of this passage. Goodspeed has: "Though he possessed the nature of God, he did not grasp at equality with God;" Weymouth: "From the beginning He had the nature of God. Yet He did not regard equality with God as something at which He should grasp;" and Moffatt: "Though he was divine by nature, he did not set store upon equality with God."

"A virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph" (Luke 1:27)—It may be noted that while "espoused" often denotes "married" in English, the Greek word rendered "espoused" in this passage means properly "asked in marriage, betrothed or engaged." Consequently Weymouth (5th Edition) the Revised Version, Moffatt, and others, translate it: "betrothed"; and Goodspeed: "engaged to be married."

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