"He hath given you the former rain moderately" (Joel 2:23)—The word here rendered "moderately" has the literal meaning of "for righteousness," while the Hebrew form "moreh" can mean either "teacher" or "former rain." Consequently the Vulgate (Latin) Version translates: "He hath given you a teacher of justice;" while the Margin of the Authorized Version notes the rendering: "a teacher of righteousness;" and Smith has: "For he gave you a warning, teaching righteousness." Moffatt, however, translates: "The early rain he has given you amply."

"The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works" (John 14:10) —A more literal translation of this passage would be: "The Father remaining in me, doeth his works." Weymouth (fifth edition) renders: "But the Father dwelling within me carries on His own work;" while Goodspeed suggests: "The Father who is united with me is doing these things himself;" and Moffatt has: "It is the Father who remains ever in me, who is performing his own deeds."

"He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" (John 16:14)—The word which is here rendered "shew" is more literally "announce" or "make known" (cf. Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 36). Consequently Weymouth renders: "He will take of what is mine and will make it known to you;" and Moffatt: "He will draw upon what is mine and disclose it to you;" while Goodspeed renders: "He will take what is mine and communicate it to you." Dr. Westcott, the Revised Version, and the American Standard Version have "declare."

"The people were astonished at his doctrine" (Matt. 7:28)—The Greek word which is here simply rendered "people" means more strictly "crowds" or "multitudes" (compare Thayer, op. cit., p. 470), while that translated "doctrine" is the usual word for "teaching." Thus, in his translation of the Syriac, Murdock has: "The multitudes were astonished at his teaching." Weymouth suggests: "The crowds were filled with amazement at His teaching;" and the Riverside New Testament: "The crowds were astonished at his teaching;" while both Moffatt and Goodspeed have: "The crowds were astounded at his teaching."

"He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes" (Matt. 7:29)—According to the most important manuscripts of the original, including the well-known Vatican and Sinaitic codices, the reference is really to "their scribes" rather than merely to "the scribes" (compare Tischendorf: Novum Testamentum Graece, Vol. I). Moffatt suggests: "He taught them like an authority, not like their own scribes," and Weymouth: "He had been teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes taught."

"Let thy mercies come also unto me" (Ps. 119:41)—The word here translated "mercies" possesses an unusual depth of meaning, and could also be rendered "kindness, goodness, loving-kindness, love." Hence Moffatt's translation: "Let thy love come to my rescue." Compare also Smith's rendering: "May thy gracious deeds come to me, O Lord."

"And I will walk at liberty" (Ps. 119:45)—Here, as in many passages in our Common Version, the word "walk" can also be understood in a less restricted sense, as meaning rather "conduct oneself" or "live"; while the phrase which is rendered "at liberty" means more literally "in a wide roomy space" (Brown, Driver, and Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 932). Consequently, Moffatt well translates: "Let me live unhampered," though Smith has: "May I walk at large."

"Preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15)—The word rendered "creature" has the literal meaning of "creation," and so we find that Goodspeed renders: "Proclaim the good news to all the creation;" though Weymouth prefers to render: "Proclaim the gospel to all mankind."

"These signs shall follow them that believe" (Mark 16:17)—It may be noted that the Greek term "semeia," which is here translated "signs," is usually rendered "miracles" in our Common Version of the New Testament, and especially so in the Gospel of John (cf. John 2:11, 3:2, 4:54, etc.). The word "signs" provides the more literal rendering.

"If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them" (Mark 16:18)—In the original Greek the negative used here appears to be stronger than is suggested by the rendering familiar to us from the Authorized Version. Consequently the American Standard Version has: ". . . it shall in no wise hurt them;" while Weymouth's suggestion is: "Even if they drink any deadly poison, it shall do them no harm whatever."

"His reward is with him, and his work before him" (Isa. 62:11)—The Hebrew word "peulah" can mean either "work" or payment for work, i.e., "recompense" (cf. Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 821); so, while the Septuagint suggests: "having his reward and his work before his face," Moffatt prefers: "bringing his reward with him, bringing his recompense;" and Smith has: "See! his reward is with him, and his recompense before him." The American Standard Version has "recompense" in the text, but "work" in the margin.

"A tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken" (Isa. 33:20)—The effectiveness of the metaphor which is employed at this point is the more readily appreciated when we note that the term translated "tabernacle" is simply the regular Hebrew word for "tent"; hence the writer's reference to the stability of the "stakes" (or tent pegs) and to the strength of the "cords" (or guy ropes). Moffatt renders: "A tent whose pegs are never to be pulled up, whose ropes are never to be rent."