Article January 14, 1939 Issue

Bible Notes

"A God of truth and without iniquity" (Deut. 32:4)—The Hebrew term "emunah," which is here translated "truth," means literally "firmness, fidelity, steadfastness." Other possible renderings are, "faithfulness, security, honesty" (Feyerabend: Hebrew Dictionary, p. 20), in addition, of course, to "truth"; while it may be added that it is this same term which is translated "faith" in Habakkuk 2:4; and "stability" in Isaiah 33:6 in our Common Version. Thus, in Deuteronomy 32:4 the Revised Version reads: "a God of faithfulness and without iniquity;" and Moffatt: "a God trusty and true."

"All the gods of the nations are idols" (Ps. 96:5)—The word translated "idols" is "elilim," which means literally "nothingnesses," or, as the Margin of the Revised Version puts it, "things of nought." Scholars contend that there is a play upon words in the original: "All the gods (elohim) of the nations are things of nought (elilim)."

"Which keepeth truth for ever" (Ps. 146:6)—The Hebrew term "emeth" can mean "truth," but has the more literal sense of "firmness, faithfulness, stability" (Brown, Driver and Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 54). Hence we could translate: "He keeps troth for ever." Smith renders it: "fidelity"; and Kent: "faithfulness"; while Moffatt has: "He remains ever true."

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