Article April 25, 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 May 3, 1942.]

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex. 20:3)—The Hebrew idiom implies a prohibition even more specific and definite than that recorded in our Common Version, as is well brought out in Moffatt's rendering: "You shall have no gods but me." The Margin of the American Standard Version suggests: "... besides me."

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain" (Ex. 20:7)—The words "in vain," which occur twice in this verse, represent the Hebrew phrase "lashavé," which means literally "for emptiness" or "vanity, worthlessness, nothingness"; while the verb rendered "take" also means "lift up, carry or bear." Hence a literal rendering would be: "You shall not bear the name of the Lord your God for naught."

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