blhowes
Puritan Board Professor
What resources (other than posting questions on the PB) would you recommend for a layman (me, for example) to use when they're doing word studies? Without knowing Greek or Hebrew, what's the best way to determine the proper meaning of a word in a given passage?
I know you can only go so far with word studies and that context is very important in determining meaning. But the question came to mind as I was reading through Psalm 107 this morning and I noticed in the margin note a different rendering of some of the english words. In verse 1, for example, the Hebrew is translated lovingkindness, steadfast love, and mercy in different translations.
To me, in english, "lovingkindess" and "steadfast love" seem to portray a different attribute of God than does the word "mercy", though of course God's mercy demonstrates God's love. When I look at Strong's, it says:
From H2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opprobrium) reproof, or (subjectively) beauty: - favour, good deed (-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.
Words like mercy and pity seem very different from lovingkindness. Without knowing the Greek and Hebrew, is there any way to tell which is the best word (if there is one) to use? In this example, is the Hebrew word best translated as one of the meanings, or is the Hebrew word intended to convey all or more than one of the meanings?
I know you can only go so far with word studies and that context is very important in determining meaning. But the question came to mind as I was reading through Psalm 107 this morning and I noticed in the margin note a different rendering of some of the english words. In verse 1, for example, the Hebrew is translated lovingkindness, steadfast love, and mercy in different translations.
Psalm 107:1 (ASV) O give thanks unto Jehovah; For he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
Psalm 107:1 (ESV) Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 107:1 (KJV) O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.
Psalm 107:1 (ESV) Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
Psalm 107:1 (KJV) O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever.
To me, in english, "lovingkindess" and "steadfast love" seem to portray a different attribute of God than does the word "mercy", though of course God's mercy demonstrates God's love. When I look at Strong's, it says:
From H2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opprobrium) reproof, or (subjectively) beauty: - favour, good deed (-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.
Words like mercy and pity seem very different from lovingkindness. Without knowing the Greek and Hebrew, is there any way to tell which is the best word (if there is one) to use? In this example, is the Hebrew word best translated as one of the meanings, or is the Hebrew word intended to convey all or more than one of the meanings?