Article April 8, 1939 Issue

Bible Notes

"Aaron shall ... make an atonement for himself, and for his house" (Lev. 16:6)—The Hebrew word for "to make atonement" comes from the root "kaphar," literally "to cover." The early Hebrews seem to have felt that animal sacrifice was in some way equivalent to self-sacrifice, and the rite was regarded as providing a "covering" for their sins, so putting them out of sight, or obliterating them (cf. Hastings' Bible Dictionary, article: Atonement).

"Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews" (John 3:1)—Westcott contends that this phrase proves that Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin (Commentaty on St. John, Vol. I, p. 104; cf. John 7:50), which was a well-known Jewish council, the duties of which were primarily judicial in character (compare Hastings: Shorter Bible Dictionary, p. 827). Other scholars, however, interpret the phrase more generally. Thus Moffatt renders: " ... who belonged to the Jewish authorities;" and Goodspeed: "a leader among the Jews."

"Miracles" (John 3:2)—The Greek word "semeia," which is here translated "miracles," means literally "signs"; and this is the rendering which is preferred by Moffatt, Weymouth, Goodspeed, the Twentieth Century New Testament, the Riverside New Testament, and the American Standard Version.

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