Bible Notes
"For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things" (Rom. 11:36)—In the Greek of the New Testament, as in the rendering familiar to most English readers from the Authorized Version, this statement is put down in a somewhat condensed form, and modern translators make a practice of expanding it, in an attempt to clarify the sense. Thus Weymouth (Fifth Edition) suggests: "For all proceeds from Him, and exists by Him and for Him." Moffatt has: "All comes from him, all lives by him, all ends in him;" and Goodspeed: "For from him everything comes; through him everything exists; and in him everything ends!" The Twentieth Century New Testament has: "For all things are from him, through him, and for him."
"O men ... sons of man" (Prov. 8:4)—It may be observed that in the original the word translated "men" is "ishim" (i.e., men, as distinguished from women); while "man" represents "adam" (meaning "mankind, the human race"). In Hebrew idiom the phrase the "sons of man" is equivalent to "mankind in general." Moffatt suggests "all men"; though Smith has: "sons of men."
"As for God, his way is perfect. ... He maketh my way perfect" (II Sam. 22:31, 33)—In these verses use is made of the Hebrew term "tamim" (perfect), which possesses a wide range of meanings, and could also be translated "complete, healthful, sound, wholesome, blameless or innocent" (see Brown, Driver, and Briggs: Hebrew Lexicon, p. 1071); while Kent holds that it means "without physical or moral blemish." In the passage which is now under consideration, the Septuagint renders: "As for the Mighty One, his way is blameless. ... He has prepared my way without fault;" while Moffatt has: "God is unerring in his ways. ... God is a perfect guide to me." Smith's suggestion is: "The way of God is blameless. ... He makes my way blameless."
"Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth" (I Cor. 8:1)—More literally: "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." The verb which is here rendered "puff up" is connected with the Greek word for "a pair of bellows," and is often used metaphorically in the sense of to "make proud." The verb translated "edifieth" means properly "builds up from the foundation," and this is the word which was used by Christ Jesus when he said: "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18). Goodspeed translates: "Knowledge gives people airs; love is what builds up character." The Twentieth Century New Testament has: "Knowledge breeds conceit, while love builds up character;" and Moffatt: "Knowledge puffs up, love builds up." Weymouth has: "Knowledge puffs up; but love builds up" (compare also Thayer: Greek Lexicon, pp. 439–440, 660).
"They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee" (Ps. 40:5)—It is true that the Hebrew verb "arak" has the literal meaning of "to arrange or to set in order," but it is also used in the sense of "to compare," as the result of setting in order (see Brown, etc., op. cit., p. 789); while the negative term "en," translated "they cannot," is constantly employed in the sense of "there is not" (ibid., pp. 34f.). Consequently we should be justified in translating: "There is nothing (or "no one") comparable to thee." Smith's rendering is: "There is none to compare with thee;" and that of Moffatt: "There is no one like thee!"
"No thought can be withholden from thee" (Job 42:2)—In translating the Hebrew text as we have it today, the term which is rendered "from thee" may be taken either with the verb "withholden," as here, or, alternatively, with the noun "thought." In consequence, we could translate literally as follows: "No plan (that comes) from thee can be hindered." The American Standard Version suggests: "No purpose of thine can be restrained;" and Smith: "No plan is too difficult for thee." It may be noted, further, that the Septuagint translators clearly read the Hebrew consonants MZMH (signifying "anything"), instead of the similar appearing form M'WMH (thought, purpose, or plan), since their version now reads literally: "Nothing is impossible to thee." Moffatt has: "Nothing is too hard for thee" (compare Driver and Gray: Commentary on Job, Vol. I, p. 371).
"As when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light" (Luke 11:36)—The Greek words, "ho luchnos," mean literally "the lamp" rather than "a candle" (see Thayer: op. cit., p. 384). Moffatt suggests: "as when a lamp lights you with its rays;" and the Riverside New Testament: "as when the lamp lights you by its brilliance."
"He is lunatick, and sore vexed" (Matt. 17:15)—The translation "lunatick" (i.e., "moon-struck") is quite literal; but the usual meaning of the Greek term is epileptic, "epilepsy being supposedly affected by changes of the moon" (Thayer: op. cit.). "Is sore vexed" is more exactly "suffers grievously." Compare Weymouth's translation: "He is an epileptic and suffers badly;" and that of Goodspeed: "He has epilepsy and is very wretched."
"Perverse" (Matt. 17:17)—The word which is here rendered "perverse" means more literally "distorted, turned aside (from good)" and so "corrupt" or "wicked" (cf. Thayer: op. cit., p. 142). Goodspeed suggests the rendering "obstinate."
"A grain of mustard seed" (Matt. 17:20)—The smallness of the mustard seed, when compared to the size of the plant, which, when properly cultivated, grows to a height of some ten or twelve feet, was proverbial in the Talmud, and in accordance with Oriental custom it was often referred to as a "tree" (cf. Luke 13:9) in which birds could, and often did, nest. In Matthew 13:32 Jesus refers to the mustard seed as "the least of all seeds."
