Bible Notes
"He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down" (Job 14:2)—The Hebrew verb translated "is cut down" is more literally "fades" or "withers" (Brown, Driver, Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 576). Hence, Moffatt renders simply: "He flowers and fades;" while Smith has: "Like a blossom he comes forth and is withered;" and Kent: "He springs up like a flower, then withers."
"The mercy of the Lord is . . . upon them that fear him" (Ps. 103:17) —The term "chesed," translated "mercy" in this verse, is used in a variety of different senses in Hebrew, including goodness, kindness, loving-kindness, and even love; while the verb rendered literally "fear" was constantly employed in the sense of "to reverence" or "to stand in awe of." Thus, Smith suggests: "The kindness of the Lord is . . . upon those who revere him;" and Moffatt: "The Eternal's love . . . ;" while the Genevan Version had: "The loving kindnesse of the Lord endureth . . . upon them that feare him."
"Ye were sometimes darkness" (Eph. 5:8) —"Sometimes" here doesnot mean "occasionally." In the seventeenth century, when our Authorized Version was prepared, "sometimes" was equivalent to our modern "once," which provides an exact rendering of the Greek word found in this verse.
"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, . . . and Christ shall give thee light" (Eph. 5:14) —In the original there is no separate word representing the term "he" found in our Common Version; hence, the Greek could mean "It (i.e., 'the Scripture') saith" (Moule: Ephesians, p. 106; cf. the margin of the Revised Version); or else, "He (i.e., God) saith." Others contend that the word "legei" (literally, "he (or 'it') says") was recognized in Paul's time as a formula introducing a quotation, whether from the Old Testament or from some other source; and, on this view, the meaning would be "it is said," a rendering favored by Moffatt, Weymouth (5th edition), and others. According to Professor E. F. Scott, the quotation cited in this verse "almost certainly" comes from "an early Christian hymn" (Commentary on Colossians . . ., etc., p. 231).
"Hide me . . . from the wicked that oppress me" (Ps. 17:8f.) —The verb rendered "oppress" was used in a variety of senses, including "rob, destroy, plunder, use violence" (Feyerabend: Hebrew Dictionary, p. 342). Consequently, the Revised Version has: "Hide me . . . from the wicked that spoil me;" and Smith: "Hide me . . . from the wicked who despoil me;" while Moffatt suggests: "Hide us . . . from the ungodly who would harry us."
"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness" (Ps. 17:15) —In Hebrew, the word "panim" (face) in sometimes used in the sense of "presence," or even of "favor," while "tsedeq" (righteousness) has a number of other meanings, including: "straightness, right, justice, honesty" (Feyer-abend: op. cit., p. 282). Moffatt suggests: "But may our innocent lives enjoy thy favour;" and Smith: "But I in justification shall behold thy face."
"Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles, and wonders and signs" (Acts 2:22) —A more literal rendering of the word translated "approved" would be "shown forth," and so "designated, nominated, appointed" (cf. Souter: Greek Lexicon, p. 31); though in this context the idea of approval seems to be implied. The term rendered "miracles" means literally "powers," hence exhibitions of divine "power" (Greek—"dunamis"—the root of our English term "dynamic"). Weymouth translates ". . . a man accredited to you from God by mighty works and marvels and signs;" and Goodspeed: "Jesus of Nazareth . . . was a man whom God commended to you by the wonders, portents, and signs that God did right among you through him."
"Being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23) —The rendering "delivered," as found in our Common Version, might lead one to suppose that the word was used in its familiar sense of "saved," whereas the literal meaning is rather "given up or delivered up" (Souter: op. cit., p. 75), in the sense of "handed over to the authorities." Thus Moffatt has: "Betrayed in the predestined course of God's deliberate purpose;" and Goodspeed: "But you, by the fixed purpose and intention of God, handed him over;" while Weymouth suggests: "Delivered up through God's settled purpose and foreknowledge."
"One mediator between God and men" (I Tim. 2:5) —The Greek word "mesites," rendered "mediator," means literally "middle-man" from "mesos" — "middle" — "one who intervenes between two, either to make or restore peace and friendship, or to form a compact or to ratify a covenant; . . . an arbitrator" (Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 401). In the papyrus documents of the early centuries it is often used in the sense of "arbiter" in connection with legal transactions; occasionally, also, in that of "intermediary" and even to refer to the "surety" for a debt (Moulton and Milligan: Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, p. 399).
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (II Cor. 6:14) —For this somewhat controversial phrase, Weymouth suggests the translation: "Avoid unsuitable connections with unbelievers;" and Moffatt: "Keep out of all incongruous ties with unbelievers."
"What concord hath Christ with Belial?" (II Cor. 6:15) —"Belial" was originally Hebrew term meaning "worthlessness" (compounded of "beli-" —i.e., "not" or "without," and "ya'al" — "worth, use, profit"). (Compare Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 116; and Souter: op. cit., p. 49.) Thus in I Kings 21:10 we find a reference to "sons of Belial" (i.e., "worthless fellows"), but in II Corinthians 6:15, the term "Belial" is generally taken to be a synonym for "Satan" or "Antichrist."
