Article September 10, 1938 Issue

Bible Notes

"That bringeth the princes to nothing; he maketh the judges of the earth as vanity" (Isa. 40:23)—The Hebrew word here rendered "vanity" is "tohu," the same word which is translated "without form" in Genesis 1:2; while other renderings of it are "desolation, emptiness, nothingness" (Feyer-abend; Hebrew Dictionary, p. 367). For the first clause, Whitehouse suggests the rendering: "who makes potentates into nought," adding that the writer may well have had in mind "the downfall of such rulers as Astyages, king of Media, and Croesus, king of Lydia" (op. cit., p. 61), before the mighty power of Cyrus, who is described as the anointed of the Lord and his shepherd, one who was to perform all his pleasure (Isa. 44:28; 45:1). In Isaiah 40:23, Moffatt has: "He brings nobles down to nothing, he ruins rulers of the world;" and Smith: "who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth like a cipher."

"Blessed are the undefiled in the way" (Ps. 119:1)—It may be observed that the Hebrew word here rendered "undefiled" is often translated "perfect" in other Old Testament passages, while it can also mean "innocent, simple, upright, honest" (Feyerabend: op. cit., p. 372). Consequently, the Revised Version has: "Blessed are they that are perfect in the way;" and Moffatt: "Happy are they who live uprightly;" while Smith has: "How happy are they whose way is blameless."

"They have sought out many inventions" (Eccl. 7:29)—The Hebrew word rendered "inventions" also means "devices"; and was occasionally used in a special sense to mean "engines of war" (Feyerabend: op. cit., p. 113). Moffatt renders: "Many a cunning wile have they contrived;" and Smith: "They have sought out many contrivances."

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