§ 12.]

The same in the N. T

155

rendering for μɛTavoɛίTE, repent; but after a few years, he returned to the customary phrase of the country, thut Busse, a phrase answering to Do penance or Be penitent. Perhaps he was moved to this change by the feeling that moral amendment in the abstract was no equivalent for repentance, and tended rather to mislead.' In seven passages, he has Reue, regret; thus the 'repentance not to be repented of' (Vulg. pænitentiam stabilem) is rendered eine Reue, die Niemand gereuet,' a regret which no man regrets.

There are several renderings for this word in the LXX, but ἀγαθός, καλός, and χρηστός are the most common. Αγαθός is generally but not always used of moral goodness, as opposed to movηpía, wickedness, in the N. T., but the idea of what is pleasant in God's sight is implied. In the case of the word kaλós, the elements of fairness and nobleness underlie the idea of goodness.

§ 12. Where Xpηorós is used in the N. T., the idea of kindness or kindliness is specially introduced. Thus where the Lord says o vyós μov xpnoτós (Matt. 11. 30) we might render His words 'my yoke is kindly'—something more than easy; it is grateful to the spiritual sense of the converted man. So of wine, we may read in Luke 5. 39, The old is more kindly'; Luke 6. 35, He is kind to the unthankful'; Rom. 2. 4, The kindness of God leadeth them to repentance'; 1 Cor. 15. 33, Evil communications corrupt kindly manners'; 1 Pet. 2. 3, 'If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is kind' (quoted from Ps. 34. 8).

The noun XpηOTÓTηs is used in the same sense, e.g. in Tit. 3. 4, which is literally when the kindness and philanthropy of our Saviour God was manifested - not springing from any works which we ourselves had done in

An exactly similar course was adopted in the case of the Polish Protestant Bible, which, when issued under the sanction of Prince Radziwil, had a word which signified amendment in many passages, which were afterwards altered by the Reformed Church of Dantzic in favour of the old word Pokuta (i.e. Penitence).

the way of righteousness, but arising out of the mercy of his own nature-He saved us,' &c. These passages go to show that repentance and conversion, or change of feeling and change of relation to God, are the result of the Divine loving-kindness; and a man is won from sin neither by the calculations of interest or reason, nor by the terrors of wrath or hell, but by the knowledge of the love of God in Christ Jesus.

§ 1.] Various words rendered perfect in the O.T. 157

CHAPTER VIII.

PERFECTION AND PEACE.

§ 1. Various words rendered perfect in the O. T.—§ 2. The corre sponding words in the N. T.-§ 3. Shalam, its usage and various aspects. § 4. Meaning of the word Thamam.-§ 5. The idea of Peace in the N. T.—§ 6. Relationship of Oneness and Perfection in the N. T.— § 7. Development and maturity.—§ 8. Christ's perfection through sufferings. § 9. Faultlessness and completeness in Christ and the Christian.

§ 1. THE moral relationship existing between ideas which at first sight appear utterly unconnected with one another, is seldom more beautifully illustrated than in the choice of Hebrew words whereby the ideas of perfection or completeness are portrayed in Scripture.

A few passages may first be noticed in which there is some uncertainty as to the accuracy of our authorised translation. Thus, in 2 Chron. 24. 13, the word (2) rendered perfection is generally understood to signify health; but our own language testifies to a relationship here, for health is wholeness, and wholeness is completeness. To heal is to make whole, and also to make holy.

In Jer. 23. 20, where the A. V. reads 'Ye shall consider it perfectly,' we might better render the word intelligently (n). When the Psalmist says (138. 8), The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me,' he uses the word Gamar (), to finish, implying his confidence that God, having begun the good work, will complete it. So Ezra is described as a perfect, i.e. a finished scribe (Ezra 7. 6).

In Prov. 4. 18, the A. V. reads, "The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the

perfect day.' This verse is sometimes understood as if it meant that the way of the righteous is like the sun, the light of which keeps increasing in brightness until the noon day. But the word here rendered perfect (1) properly means to fix or establish, and the truth taught is that the way of the righteous is like the dawning light, which increases more and more in steadiness and brightness until the full sun arises and thus establishes the day (LXX ws κατορθώσῃ ἡ ἥμερα).

The word used in Job. 15. 29, is Nalah, which signifies attainment, so that when Eliphaz is represented as saying of the wicked man, 'He shall not prolong the perfection' of his substance on the earth, he means that, even though he should get wealth, he cannot long remain in possession of it.

Two words, nearly related to each other, and both signifying completion or a consummation, namely Calah (n↳5) and Calal (), are found several times in the Scripture. Thus, in Job 11. 7, we read, 'Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection,' i.e. entirely '? Job 28. 3, He searcheth out all perfection,' i.e. nothing is hid from Him; Ps. 50. 2, 'Out of Zion the perfection (i.e. the climax) of beauty God hath shined'; Ps. 119. 96, 'I have seen an end of all perfection (i.e. I have thoroughly examined the utmost limits of all things human), but thy commandments are exceeding broad'; Ps. 139. 22, 'I hate them with a perfect (i.e. a consummate) hatred'; Lam. 2. 15, 'Is this the city that men call the perfection of beauty?' See also Ez. 16. 14, 27. 3, 4, 11, and 28. 12.

These two words are usually rendered συντελέω, συντέλεια, ἐξαναλίσκω, παύω, and ἐκλείπω by the LXX.

§ 2. The word ouvréλeia occurs six times in the New Testament, and always in one phrase―ovvτéλɛia toû aiŵvos, Οι τῶν αἰώνων. Five of these passages are in St. Matthew

§3.]

Shalam, its Usage and Various Aspects. 159

(13. 39, 40, 49, 24. 3, 28. 20); here the expression is rendered 'the end of the world.' This phrase, when it occurs in the Gospels, refers, according to the view of most commentators, to the end of the present dispensation. But in the Epistle to the Hebrews (9. 26), we might render the words 'now once for the completion of the ages or dispensations' (vûv de ἅπαξ ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων). The Vulgate, consummatio sæculi, the consummation of the age, is an admirable rendering of the Greek, and well sustains the meaning of the Hebrew Calah. The German word for perfection, Vollkommenheit, answers well to Calah and σvvTÉλobai, but it has not been retained in the passages now noted.

§3. We now come to one of the most important words used in Hebrew to represent the idea of perfection, namely, Shalam (5). Its usual signification is peace, the name Salem or Shalem being derived from it. The root may lave originally signified oneness or wholeness, and so completeness. The shades of meaning possessed by the word Shalam in the Scriptures are deeply interesting to the Christian, as they beautifully harmonise with the doctrine of the atonement, or peace with God through Jesus Christ. Not only does it represent the ideas of peace and perfection, but also of compensation or recompense; and all these meanings seem to blend together in the work of Christ.

The chief representatives of Shalam in the LXX are áπоdidwμ, to render; avтаTоdidwμ, to recompense;1 ȧTоτí, to retaliate; iyaivw, to be whole, or in health; sipnun, peace; owτnolov, salvation; Téλos, perfect; and óλókλŋpos, whole, which last word is found in the phrase 'whole stones' in Deut. 27. 6, and Jos. 8. 31.

This word occurs as a rendering for Shalam in Deut. 32. 35, ‘I will repay saith the Lord '-words twice quoted in the N. T. See Rom. 12. 19 and Heb. 10, 30.