Article February 4, 1939 Issue

Bible Notes

"Thou ... dost weigh the path of the just" (Isa. 26:7)—The Hebrew root "palas" has the primary sense of "to be even," and from this spring its two chief meanings: (1) "to even the scales of a balance," and so to "weigh," as in our Common Version; and (2) "to make even or smooth," which would appear to provide a rather more appropriate sense in this context. Smith suggests: "The track of the righteous thou levelest;" and Moffatt: "For honest men thou makest the way straight."

"Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also has wrought all our works in us" (Isa. 26:12)—The Hebrew word "shalom" (peace) is used in a number of different senses, including "completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, health, prosperity, security, friendship" (see Brown, Driver and Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, pp. 1022ff.); moreover, the term translated "in us" means more literally "for us." Moffatt has: "But oh maintain our welfare; for whatsoever we achieve is all thy doing;" and Louth (Isaiah: A New Translation, p. 46) renders: "Jehovah, thou wilt ordain for us peace; for even all our mightly deeds thou hast performed for us." Kent's translation is: "Oh do thou ordain peace for us, for, indeed thou hast wrought for us all our work."

"By thee only will we make mention of thy name" (Isa. 26:13)—This is a literal rendering of the Hebrew at this point; but Smith offers a more idiomatic rendering: "Thy name alone will we celebrate;" while Louth suggests: "Thee only, and thy name, henceforth will we celebrate."

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