Article November 2, 1940 Issue

Bible Notes

[The Biblical citations given in the Christian Science Quarterly are from the Authorized King James Version. The Bible Notes in this column can be used, if deemed necessary, to elucidate some of the words or passages contained in the Bible Lessons.]

"I will publish the name of the LORD" (Deut. 32:3)—Among the Jews the term "shem" (meaning literally "name") was very often employed as equivalent to "character" or "nature," much in the same way that we, in English, speak of a man's "good name" in the sense of his "reputation" or "reputed character." Moffatt suggests: "I proclaim what the Eternal is."

"A God of truth and without iniquity" (Deut. 32:4)—The Hebrew term here rendered "truth" means literally "firmness, steadfastness, fidelity"; while other possible renderings are "faithfulness, honesty, security," in addition, of course, to "truth." In Habakkuk 2:4 the word is translated "faith." In Deuteronomy 32:4 the American Standard Version has: "faithfulness."

"Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending" (Rev. 1:8)—The book of Revelation was written in Greek, and since "Alpha" and "Omega" are the first and last letters, respectively, of the Greek alphabet, it is readily seen how they could be used metaphorically with reference to "the beginning and the ending."

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