Bible Notes

"Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning" (Ps. 143:8)—Moffatt offers the rendering: "Satisfy me with the dawn of thy love;" while Smith prefers to read: "Let me hear of thy kindness in the morning;" and Kent has: "Make me early hear of thy lovingkindness."

"I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed" (Isa. 43:12)—The verb here translated "I have shewed" means literally "I have caused ... to hear," and so, "I have proclaimed" or "made proclamation" (cf. Brown, Driver, and Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 1034). Smith translates: "I foretold, and I saved, I announced;" while Moffatt has: " 'Twas I who promised to save, I who fulfilled what I foretold."

"His soul shall dwell at ease" (Ps. 25:13)—The word which is here rendered "ease" is the Hebrew "tob," which possesses a wide variety of meanings, including "welfare, prosperity, happiness, benefit, good things;" while the phrase translated "his soul" was very often equivalent in Hebrew idiom to "he himself" or even "he." In consequence, Dr. Briggs suggests the rendering: "He himself will dwell in prosperity" (Commentary on Psalms: Vol. I, p. 220). Smith offers the translation: "He will dwell in good times;" while Moffatt has: "His own life shall continue prosperous."

"Thou wilt hear me" (Ps. 17:6)—The Hebrew verb "anah" means literally "to answer"; hence, Moffatt and the Revised Version and also Smith prefer to render, "answer."

"Hold thy peace" (Luke 4:35)—The word which is used in the original is a particularly strong one, meaning literally "be muzzled." This verb is found in its literal signification in I Corinthians 9:9 in the phrase: "Thou shalt not muzzle ... the ox" (compara Thayer: Greek Lexicon, p. 655). Moffatt suggests: "Be quiet"; while Goodspeed, Weymouth, and Godet prefer to translate: "Silence!"

"The fame of him" (Luke 4:37)—The Greek word "echos," which is akin to our English term "echo" (compare Webster's Dictionary), means literally "sound," and so "report, rumour," rather than "fame," in the sense of "good reputation" (cf. Thayer: op. cit., p. 281). Hence, Goodspeed has: "news of him"; Weymouth: "talk about him"; and Moffatt: "a report of him."

"Hypocrites" (Matt. 6:5)—A literal rendering of the Greek word "hupocrites" is "one who answers"; and among Classical Greek writers it came to have the meaning of an "interpreter," but more especially of "an impersonator, one who plays a part—an actor, or stage player;" while this in turn led on to the regular Biblical sense of "dissembler, pretender, hypocrite" (cf. Thayer: op. cit., p. 643).

"Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" (Matt. 6:6)—The Greek phrase "en to phanero," which is here rendered "openly," is not found in the Sinaitic, Vatican, Bezan, and other early manuscripts (Tischendorf: Novum Testamentum Graece, Vol. I, p. 25); and on this evidence it is omitted by the American Standard Version, Moffatt, Weymouth, Goodspeed, and others.

"Use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do" (Matt. 6:7)—The rare Greek word "battologeo," here translated "use ... vain repetitions," is variously rendered by scholars. Cremer takes it to mean "to chatter or babble" (Biblico Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek, pp. 765f.): and Thayer suggests that it is simply an onomatopoetic word, meaning originally "to stammer," and then, since stammerers are accustomed to repeat the same words, "to repeat the same things over and over ... to babble, prate" (op. cit., p. 99). Moffatt suggests the translation: "Do not pray by idle rote like pagans;" and Goodspeed: "Do not repeat empty pharases as the heathen do;" while the Twentieth Century New Testament has: "Do not repeat the same words over and over again, as is done by the Gentiles."

Take heed, and beware of covetousness" (Luke 12:15)—It may be observed that the Greek phrase which is translated "beware of" means more literally "keep yourselves from" or "guard yourselves against." Thus the Riverside New Testament suggests: "See to it and be on your guard against every form of covetousness;" Goodspeed: "Take care! You must be on your guard against any form of greed;" and continues: "For a man's life does not belong to him, no matter how rich he is." Weymouth (fifth edition) renders: "Take care, be on your guard against all covetousness."

"There will I bestow all my fruits" (Luke 12:18)—The term "fruits," used in the previous verse, is a literal translation of the Greek word "karpous," which, incidentally, can also mean "crops," and is thus rendered by Goodspeed, Moffatt, Weymouth, etc.; but here, in verse 18, the word "fruits" represents a different Greek noun, "siton" (with the literal sense of "corn" or "grain"). Consequently, Goodspeed translates: "In them I will store all my grain;" and Weymouth: "In them I will store up all my harvest."

"Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Gen. 5:24)—In Bagster's English Edition of the Septuagint we find: "Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and was not found, because God translated him;" while Moffatt suggests the translation: "Hanok lived close to God, and then he disappeared, for God took him away." Smith translates: "Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared; for God took him away."

"My flesh also shall rest in hope" (Ps. 16:9)—A more literal rendering would be: "... shall dwell in security;" (see Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 105). Smith translates: "My flesh also dwells in security;" and Moffatt: "My body rests secure;" while the American Standard Version has: "My flesh also shall dwell in saftey."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

In deep gratitude for what Christian Science has done...

August 5, 1939

Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit