Related to Lesson-Sermon to be Read on July 5, 1942

"Neither is there any rock like our God" (I Sam. 2:2)—The early scholars who gave us the Greek and Old Latin Versions of the Old Testament appear to have read a Hebrew word meaning "righteous," instead of that which in our Authorized Version is rendered "rock"; and following this hint, Smith suggests the translation: "There is none righteous like our God." While Dr. Moffatt accepts the reading "tsur" (meaning literally "rock"), it is evident that he understands it as symbolizing "power" or "steadfastness," for he renders: "No Power is steadfast like our God."

"My deliverer" (II Sam. 22:2)—At this point the Hebrew reads literally, "my deliverer, mine," this repetition evidently implying emphasis in accord with a familiar Hebrew idiom. The American Standard Version suggests: "my deliverer, even mine."

"The God of my rock" (II Sam. 22:3)—As is well known, the earliest Hebrew manuscripts were written without the use of vowels, and translating from the original consonantal text, one could read either: "the God of my rock" (as here), or, alternatively, "my God, my Rock"—according to the vowels which he presupposes. Hence Smith has: "my God, my rock;" and Moffatt: "my God, my fortalice."

"He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation" (II Sam. 22:3)—The word "horn," as used metaphorically by the Hebrews, ordinarily symbolized "strength" or "power," and doubtless does so in this instance, though Dr. Perowne contends that here it stands for "offensive weapons, as 'shield' for defensive" (Hastings' Shorter Bible Dictionary, p. 363).

"As for God, his way is perfect.... He maketh my way perfect" (II Sam. 22:31, 33)—The Hebrew word "tamim," rendered "perfect" in these verses, possesses a wide variety of meanings, which include "complete, sound, innocent, blameless, and healthful." Dr. Kent understands it as meaning "without physical or moral blemish." Smith renders: "The way of God is blameless.... He makes my way blameless."

"The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity" (Ps. 94:11)—The Hebrew term which is here translated "vanity" has the literal sense of "vapor" or "breath," and is often used in a figurative sense of what is "evanescent, unsubstantial, worthless." Briggs suggests: "Yahweh knoweth the thoughts of mankind that they are breath;" while Moffatt has: "The Eternal knows that human plans are but an empty breath!"

"As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard" (I Cor. 2:9)—The introductory words, "As it is written ..." regularly precede a reference to or a quotation from the pages of the Old Testament, and in this instance the words of the verse present a rendering of Isaiah 64:4.

"When there was no strange god among you" (Isa. 43:12)—The Hebrew term "zar," which is here rendered "strange god," means literally "foreign" or "strange," but is sometimes used to represent the phrase "el zar" (foreign god)—that is, an alleged deity other than the true "God of Israel" worshiped by the chosen people.

"The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" (John 14:10)—A more literal rendering of this passage would be: "The Father remaining in me doeth his works." The Twentieth Century New Testament translates: "The Father himself, always in union with me, does his own work;" while the Riverside New Testament prefers: "The Father abides in me and does his works."

"Spiritual wickedness" (Eph. 6:12)—Some light is thrown upon this seemingly self-contradictory phrase when we recall that the word "pneumatika," here rendered "spiritual," derives from "pneuma," which means "breath" or "wind."

"The word of God is quick, and powerful" (Hebr. 4:12)—A more literal rendering would be: "The word of God is living and active;" since the term "quick" is here employed not in the modern sense of "swift," but in the more archaic meaning of "living." The Twentieth Century New Testament suggests: "God's Message is a living and active power."

"Shew yourselves unto the priests" (Luke 17:14)—The Mosaic Law demanded that anyone who was suspected of being a leper must show himself to one of the priests, who gave judgment as to whether or no he were a leper (cf. Lev. 13:2). A similar procedure had to be followed by anyone who felt that he had been cured of this disease. Dr. Plummer reminds us that each of the ten lepers mentioned in Luke 17 "would go to the priest near his own home." Since the Jews had "no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:9), the Samaritan would not go to a Jewish priest, but to one of the priests of the Samaritan temple, which stood on Mount Gerizim.

"Thy faith hath made thee whole" (Luke 17:19)—The Greek term "sesoke" means literally "has saved," but was often used in the special sense of "has healed" or "has made whole"; so either rendering is allowable in this verse. Moffatt suggests: "Your faith has made you well;" while Goodspeed translates: "Your faith has cured you."

"To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God" (Ps. 50:23)—As in many Biblical passages, the term "conversation" does not have reference to talk, but rather to way, or manner of life, or conduct. Smith suggests: "To him who heeds the way, I will show God's deliverance." Related to Lesson-Sermon to be Read on July 12, 1942

"Let a man examine himself" (I Cor. 11:28)—The verb which is here translated "examine" was originally employed with reference to the testing of metals, such as gold and silver, to see whether they were genuine or had reached a required standard of purity. Thus we could translate: "Let a man assay himself" (i.e., let him put himself to the test). The American Standard Version suggests the following: "Let a man prove himself;" and Moffatt: "Let a man test himself."

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?" (I Cor. 10:16)—The Greek term "koinonia," which is here rendered "communion," has the literal meaning of "partnership," though it was often employed in the special sense of "fellowship." Moffatt suggests, "The cup of blessing, which we bless, is that not participating in the blood of Christ?" while Goodspeed has: "Does not the consecrated cup which we bless mean that in drinking it we share in the blood of Christ?"

"They killed the passover" (Mark 14:12)—The name "passover" was given not only to the sacred Jewish feast which commemorated the deliverance of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt, but also (as in this verse) to the lamb which was sacrificed at this time. Sometimes the Levites sacrificed the Paschal lamb (e.g., II Chron. 35:5f.), but it was more usual for this act to be performed by the head of each family. Dr. Salmond observes that "it was done in the court of priests with a considerable ceremonial."

"There shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him" (Mark 14:13)—In Palestine it is still most unusual for a man to be assigned to the task of carrying water, this being almost exclusively done by women and girls. Hence the sight of "a man bearing a pitcher of water" would readily attract the attention of the two disciples whom Christ Jesus sent on this errand. An early tradition suggests that the two disciples were Peter and John, who are known to have worked together on numerous occasions (compare Acts 3:1—11; John 20:2, 10, etc.).

"He will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared" (Mark 14:15)—The upper room now shown to visitors to Jerusalem is a vaulted chamber situated in the vicinity of the Zion Gate, and this site appears to have been regarded as of unquestioned authenticity from the fourth century or even earlier. Many suppose that it was in this same chamber that the Pentecostal scene (cf. Acts 2:1) was enacted.

"When they had sung an hymn" (Matt. 26:30)—Scholars consider it unlikely that what was sung on this occasion was a "hymn" in the modern sense of the term. In all probability they sang of the Psalms which formed the Hallel (literally "Praise"), a name given to the Psalms from the 113th to the 118th, which were regularly used at the Passover season.

"A place called Gethsemane" (Matt. 26:36)—The Greek word "chorion," which is here translated "place," has the more specific meaning of "a piece of ground fenced in as a private plot," as Dr. McNeile observes; or, as the Margin of the Revised Version has it, "an enclosed piece of ground." This corresponds very naturally to John's statement that on this occasion Jesus "went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden" (John 18:1). The word "Gethsemane" appears to mean "olive vat or press," and indeed it is clear from Matthew 26:30 that it was on the "mount of Olives."

"Could ye not watch with me one hour?" (Matt. 26:40)—The Greek word rendered "watch" in this passage, and also in verses 38 and 41, means literally "to be awake" or "stay awake." So we might render: "Could you not stay awake for a single hour with me?" Compare Weymouth's translation: "So none of you could keep awake with me for a single hour!"

"Lord, shall we smite with the sword?" (Luke 22:49)—It is not known whether the disciples made a practice of carrying swords "such as poor Galilean pilgrims took to defend themselves from wild beasts or robbers" (Farrar: Commentary on Luke, p. 374), but from verse 38 of this chapter we learn that on this occasion at least they had two such weapons with them.

"One of them smote the servant of the high priest" (Luke 22:50)—The writer of the fourth Gospel explains that it was the ever-impetuous Peter who was the aggressor, and that the name of the servant was Malchus (see John 18:10).

"He belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction" (Luke 23:7)—This Herod, who is commonly known as Herod Antipas, was ruler of Galilee to the north of Palestine, as well as of the long strip of territory to the east of Jordan, known as Perea, and ruled there from the passing of Herod the Great in 4 B.C. until 39 A.D. While Jerusalem was not, of course, within the dominions of Herod Antipas, he was visiting there "at that time" (Luke 23:7), presumably that he might attend the Passover.

"The place, which is called Calvary" (Luke 23:33)—The Greek term here rendered "Calvary" is "kranion"—literally "a skull"—and has the same meaning as the Aramaic "Golgotha," mentioned in Matthew 27:33. In the Vulgate, "kranion" is represented by the term "Calvaria" (again meaning "skull"), while "calvaria" eventually became our English word "Calvary." Not far from Herod's gate at Jerusalem, and outside the city walls, there stands a peculiar skull-shaped hill, which may well have been the "place of a skull" (Matt. 27:33) where the cross was erected.