"The word of God is quick, and powerful" (Hebr. 4:12)—It may be observed that the word "quick" is here employed in its more archaic sense of "living," and a literal rendering of the Greek would be: "The word of God is living and active" (cf. Thayer: Greek Lexicon, pp. 215, 269). Weymouth (5th edition) translates: "The word of God is full of life and power;" Goodspeed: "The message of God is a living and active force;" while Moffatt renders: "The Logos of God is a living thing, active and more cutting than any sword with double edge."

"After the rudiments of the world" (Col. 2:8)—The Greek word "stoicheia," here rendered "rudiments," has a variety of meanings, and like our word "elements," which sometimes translates it (e.g. Gal. 4:9), it can refer either to "the material elements of the universe" or to "the rudiments of knowledge" (Abbott-Smith: Greek Lexicon, p. 418)—as we would say "the ABC" (cf. Thayer: op. cit., p. 589). Goodspeed translates: "Following material ways of looking at things;" and Weymouth: "Following the world's crude notions;" while Moffatt renders the complete verse as follows: "Beware of anyone getting hold of you by means of a theosophy which is specious make-believe, on the lines of human tradition corresponding to the elemental spirits of the world and not to Christ."

"In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. 2:9)—Commentators contend that the word "theotes," here translated "Godhead," denotes "the Divine nature" (Abbott: Ephesians and Colossians, p. 248). Hence Weymouth reads: "For it is in Christ that the fulness of God's nature dwells embodied;" while Goodspeed, connecting this verse with the opening clause of verse 10, renders: "For it is in him that all the fulness of God's nature lives embodied, and in union with him you too are filled with it."

"Putting off the body of the sins of the flesh" (Col. 2:11)—Goodspeed well renders: "Stripping you of your material nature;" and Weymouth: "When you threw off your sinful nature."

"Intruding into those things which he hath not seen" (Col. 2:18)—Several very early and important manuscripts, notably the Sinaitic, Vatican, and Alexandrian Codices, omit the negative "not"; while the verb rendered "intrude" can also mean "to go into details," "to scrutinize minutely," almost "to speculate" (cf. Thayer: op. cit., p. 206). Goodspeed renders: "Being absorbed in the visions he has seen;" and Weymouth: "Taking his stand on the visions he has seen;" while Moffatt gives this translation: "Presuming on his visions."

"The mighty God" (Ps. 50:1)—In Hebrew the words are "'el 'elohim," and may be rendered in various ways. "'El" means literally "strong one," but is often used as a synonym for God; while "'Elohim" is a plural form which is sometimes translated "gods," but is uniformly rendered "God" when referring to the Supreme Being (cf. Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 42ff.). The American Revisers suggest: "The Mighty One, God."

"God is a Spirit" (John 4:24)—It may be noted that Dr. Wescott, coeditor of a well-known edition of the Greek New Testament, renders the original literally: "God is Spirit" (Commentary on St. John: Vol. I, p. 16), as do Moffatt, the Twentieth Century New Testament, the margin of the Revised Version, Weymouth, Goodspeed, and other authorities. Similarly, Lamsa, in his rendering of the Aramaic, has: "God is Spirit."

"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me" (Ps. 138:8)—The verb "gamar," here translated "perfect," can also be rendered "to complete" or "accomplish" (Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 170). Moffatt suggests the rendering: "The Eternal intervenes on my behalf;" and Smith: "The Lord rewards me."

"Go not into the way of the Gentiles" (Matt. 10:5)—Lamsa's translation of the Aramaic offers the interesting rendering: "Keep away from pagan practices;" while Goodspeed suggests: "Do not go among the heathen."

"Upon the housetops" (Matt. 10:27)—In the East the houses are generally low and have flat roofs on which the people are wont to meet for play or conversation; and whatever was preached or told there would be heard by all.

"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat" (Luke 12:22)—A more literal translation would be: "Do not worry about your life," for the verb used comes from the Greek "merimna"—"care," "anxiety" (Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 400). It may be observed that the word "psuche" (literally "breath"), used in verses 22 and 23, may be correctly rendered either "life" or "soul," in the lower sense of these terms. "It comes near to the modern concept 'self'" (Souter: Greek Lexicon, p. 287), and should not be confused with the "life" (zoe) mentioned in Romans 8:10, etc. Thus we find: "Be not anxious for your life" (American Revised Version—though a marginal note suggests "soul"); "Do not trouble about what you are to eat in life" (Moffatt); "Do not worry about life, wondering what you will have to eat" (Goodspeed).

"The testimony of God" (I Cor. 2:1)—The manuscripts are almost equally divided between the reading "marturion" (testimony) and "musterion" (mystery). The Revised Version translates "mystery," and Moffatt "secret purpose"; but Weymouth prefers "marturion," and renders "testimony." It may here be recalled that the word "musterion" rarely if ever refers to what is inexplicable. It is that which "was once hidden, but now is revealed" (cf. Thayer: op. cit., p. 420).