Article December 24, 1960 Issue

WORDS OF CURRENT INTEREST

[The words in this issue are related to the Lesson-Sermon in the Christian Science Quarterly designated to be read in Christian Science churches on January 1,1961.]

Extol (Ps. 145:1)

(eks-tol'—e as in end, o as in odd; or, o as in old). While the word "extol" can mean simply "to praise," its original sense, suggested in the corresponding Hebrew verb, is "to lift on high" and so "exalt."

Cubits ... span (I Sam. 17:4) A cubit (ku'bit—u as in cube, i as in is), literally "forearm," was the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle linger and is generally counted as from 18 to 21 inches. A span, the distance from the tip of the thumb to that of the little finger of the outstretched hand, is reckoned as equaling half a cubit. Thus Goliath's height must have been between 9 feet, 9 inches and 11 feet, 4 inches. Goliath (go-li'ath —o as in obey, i as in ice, a as in account).