"He . . . hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion" (Jer. 10:12)—The Hebrew word "tebunah," here rendered "discretion," is commonly employed in the sense of "insight, understanding, intelligence" (of. Feyerabend: Hebrew Dictionary, P. 366); hence the Revised Version has: "By his understanding"; and Moffatt suggests: "By his knowledge spread heaven out."

"Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38:2)—This is a literal translation of the original, but Moffatt's rendering is of interest: "Who darkens my design with a cloud of thoughtless words?"

"No thought can be withholden from thee" (Job 42: 2)—In translating the Hebrew text as it has come down to us, the term rendered "from thee" may be taken either with the verb "withholden" (as here) or, alternatively, with the noun "thought"; hence we could translate literally: "No plan (that comes) from thee, can be hindered." The Revised Version has: "No purpose of thine can be restrained;" and Smith: "No plan is too difficult for thee."

"Four and twenty elders" (Rev. 4:10)—Many commentators contend that the number "twenty-four" was originally taken from the twenty-four priestly orders mentioned in I Chronicles 24:7-18; and it has been noted in this connection that in the Talmud the "chief priests" are referred to as "elders of the priesthood" (see Charles: "Book of Revelation," Vol. I).

"For thy pleasure" (Rev. 4:11)—Translated literally the original reads, "By thy will" (cf. Moffatt; and Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 285). Similarly, Goodspeed renders: "By your will," and the Twentieth Century New Testament: "At thy bidding." The Revised Version reads: "Because of thy will," and then continues with a literal rendering of the words which follow—"they were, and were created;" while Weymouth suggests: "It was by thy will that they came into existence and were created."

"Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold" (Job 36:24)—Many scholars now feel that the very unusual Hebrew form "shoreru" comes from the verb "shir"—to sing—instead of from "shur"—to behold (cf. Driver and Gray: "Job," Vol. II, p. 281). Thus the Revised Version and Smith have, "His work whereof men have sung;" Kent, "Concerning which men have sung;" and Moffatt: "Remember to extol him for his creation, that has moved men to song;" while the Septuagint translators, evidently supposing the verb to be connected with the root "sarar" (to attempt), render: "Remember that his works are great, beyond those which men have attempted" (Bagster's translation).

"Godhead" (Rom. 1:20)—This is the only passage in the New Testament where this particular Greek word, "theiotes," occurs; but we learn from the papyri that it was used in the sense of "divinity" or "divine nature" (Moulton and Milligan: Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, p. 286; Thayer: op. cit., p. 285). Moffatt renders it, "divine being."

"Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?" (Job 12:9)—The Hebrew preposition here rendered "in" can also be translated "by" or "among" (Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 88ff.); hence the verse may be understood in various senses. Smith renders it: "Which among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" and Moffatt: "For which of them all knows not that this is the Eternal's way?" while the margin of the Revised Version has: "Who knoweth not by all these, that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?"

"There is none else" (Deut. 4:39)—In the original the statement is even stronger than this, for the words "en oth" (literally "there-is-not-besides") can be rendered either: "There is none (i.e., no one) else;" or simply: "There is nothing else" (cf. Isaiah 45:22, etc.).

"They that wait upon the Lord" (Isa. 40:31)—The Hebrew verb here rendered "wait upon" can also be translated "look eagerly for"; moreover, scholars contend that the word comes from a root meaning to "strain or twist" (Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 875). Hence, as used in the original, the verb appears to imply a condition of eager and active expectancy, rather than of passive waiting.

"I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious" (Acts 17:22)—The primary sense of the Greek word "deisidaimon" was "reverencing god or the gods, pious, religious," though it was sometimes employed in a bad sense to mean "superstitious" (Thayer: op. cit., p. 127), just as in English "to fear God" may imply either "reverence" or "terror." Weymouth translates: "I perceive that you are in every respect remarkably religious;" and Goodspeed: "From every point of view I see that you are extremely religious;" while Moffatt has: "I observe at every turn that you are a most religious people." In short, it would appear that Paul's address to the Athenians opened with words of commendation, rather than with the accusation of superstition. They were at least more "God-fearing" than the other Greeks (cf. Meyer: Acts II, p. 112; Thayer: loc. cit.).

"I passed by, and beheld your devotions" (Acts 17:23)—The word "sebasmata" refers properly to "objects of worship or devotion" rather than to "devotions" in the sense of "prayer or worship," and was "used of temples, altars, statues, etc." (Thayer: op. cit., p. 572), being applied, indeed, to whatever things were "religiously honored." Goodspeed has: "I was going about and looking at the things you worship;" and Moffatt: "I passed along and scanned your objects of worship;" while a similar rendering is offered by the Revised Version.