Article January 3, 1942 ISSUE

Bible Notes

[The Biblical citations given in the Christian Science Quarterly are from the Authorized King James Version. The Bible Notes in these columns can be used, if deemed necessary, to elucidate some of the words or passages contained in the Bible Lessons. The Notes in this issue are related to the Lesson-Sermon designated to be read in Christian Science churches on January 11, 1942.]

"Neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (I Cor. 5:8 ) —An alternative rendering for the Greek word which is here translated "malice" is "vicious disposition"; while "sincerity" represents a term which means more literally "purity." Goodspeed renders: "nor with the yeast of vice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of purity and truth;" though Weymouth (Fifth Edition) prefers: "nor with the leaven of villainy and mischief, but with bread free from leaven— the bread of sincerity and of truth."

"Observe the month of Abib,....for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night" (Deut. 16:1 )—The month in which the Exodus from Egypt occurred was thereafter known as the first month of the Hebrew ecclesiastical year, its original name, Abib, suggesting by its derivation that it was the month of the "green ears of corn." Abib corresponded to part of March and part of April, according to our calendar. At the time of the Babylonian exile, its name was changed to the more familiar "Nisan."

"The place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there" (Deut. 16:2 )— This is Deuteronomy's way of designating Jerusalem, the headquarters of Hebrew religion and worship. There alone, according to the teaching of this book, could sacrifice legitimately be offered.

"Thou shalt keep the feast of weeks" (Deut. 16:10 )—The reaping season in Palestine lasted officially for forty-nine days, or for "a week of weeks," as it was sometimes called, there being in it seven weeks of seven days each. On the fiftieth day came the feast of Pentecost (a word derived from the Greek "pentekonta"—fifty), which was also known as the "feast of weeks," because of the seven -week period just concluded, a period which was counted from the second day of the Passover.

"Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God" (Deut. 18:13 )—The Hebrew term here rendered "perfect" also includes the ideas of "complete, sound, blameless, healthy, innocent;" while Dr. Driver observes that the preposition often translated "with," as in this passage, may well mean "in dealing with" or "in converse with." Smith suggests: "You must be absolutely true to the Lord your God;" and Moffatt: "Before the Eternal your God you must be blameless."

"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee ...like unto me" (Deut. 18:15 )—This is regarded by many as one of the most definite Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament period. Peter made it plain that Christ Jesus provided its fulfillment (Acts 3:22-26); while the Master himself may well have had the words of Deuteronomy 18:15 in mind when he said: "Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me" (John 5:46 ).

"When the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him" (Luke 22:14 )—When the Passover was originally instituted in the land of Egypt, it was made plain that those who partook of it had to eat standing: "Thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand" (Ex. 12:11 ). However, as the years went by, a certain latitude was allowed in this respect, the rabbis contending, as a reason for abandoning the standing attitude, that such a posture "only suited slaves."

"Let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us" (Ps. 79:8 )—The word "prevent" is here used in its somewhat archaic sense of "go before," and when thus understood presents a justifiable rendering of the Hebrew term. Compare Smith's rendering: "May thy mercies quickly meet us;" and that of Moffatt: "Let thy compassion hasten to our need."

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