Article January 4, 1941 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.]

"Minister . . . servant" (Matt. 20:26, 27)—The former of these two words meant originally "one who waits at table," and so "a servant" ; while the latter is a stronger word, meaning literally "slave." Thus, the higher the ambition of those whom Jesus addressed, the more exacting was the type of service they were to perform. He who planned to be "great" was to become a "servant" ; while he who desired to be "chief" (literally "first") was to act as a slave to those whom he had expected to rule.

"The tenth day of this month" (Ex. 12:3)—The month in question was originally called by the Hebrews "Abib" and corresponded to part of March and part of April, according to our calendar. Following the Babylonian exile, the name "Abib" was changed to the rather more familiar "Nisan" (mentioned in Nehemiah 2:1 and elsewhere). The passover was held on the fourteenth day of this month—Abib or Nisan (Ex. 12:6, 8).

"A new covenant with the house of Israel" (Jer. 31:31)—In the Greek version of the Old Testament, the word "diatheke" is used, meaning either "covenant" or "testament." Moreover, the same Greek term is employed in Matthew 26:28, where Christ Jesus says: "This is my blood of the new testament" (or "new covenant"). There was an ancient Jewish belief that a covenant could best be ratified by the shedding of blood (see Ex. 24:6-8).

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