14. Verbal Changes and Variations

Verbal Changes and Variations

Chapter 13

One of the highest marks of a master hand in literary style is the care manifested in distinguishing between words, in the changes made in the use of words, and in the use of one case, number, person, voice, mood, tense,etc.Here again the author of the inspired Word reveals His skill and wisdom. It may be doubted whether in a single instance the peculiar forms of expression are accidental or undesigned. Deeper study on the reader’s part always reveals intelligent purpose on the author’s part. In Psalms 91, there are changes in the use of the personal pronoun which indicate a sort of dialogue:

“He that dwelleth” (Psalms 91:1).

“I will say of the Lord” (Psalms 91:2).

“Surely He shall deliver thee” (Psalms 91:3).

“Because He hath set His love upon me” (Psalms 91:14).

These changes of person and case divide the Psalm into four parts, and hint three separate speakers:

1. The Angel of the Lord, or a prophetic teacher, in Psalms 91:1, announcing a benediction upon the believer who dwells in God.

2.The Believer, responding, and declaring Jehovah to be his refuge and fortress, his God in whom he will trust.

3. Then again the first speaker, expanding upon the blessing announced in the opening verse (Psalms 91:3-13).

4. Jehovah Himself speaks, confirming all that the angel or prophet has said (Psalms 91:14-16).

Some think this “Psalm of Life,” like the previous “Psalm of Death,” is by Moses, and may have been written to commemorate the deliverance at the time of the Passover to which it is so appropriate. In Psalms 109, there is a most noticeable change of number and person. In Psalms 109:1-5 the plural “they” is prominent; and again, after Psalms 109:20. But from Psalms 109:6 to Psalms 109:19, the singular “he” and “his” and “him” is found thirty times. Here again this divides the psalm into three parts, and if the word “saying” be understood, at the close of Psalms 109:5, the whole imprecation that follows, down to Psalms 109:19, becomes not the psalmist’s prayer for vengeance on his adversaries but their imprecation of curses upon him, and renders the whole psalm luminous. We then see a persecuted man of God, cursed by enemies, but giving himself unto prayer, and finally committing their whole judgment to Jehovah: “Let them curse, but do thou bless,” etc. This relieves what is otherwise one of the bitterest of the imprecatory psalms of its character as such; and, instead of the psalmist dealing in cursing, and indulging a vindictive spirit, he is seen as a patient sufferer under reproach, who answers not back; who, “when reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not, but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously,” like His Master after Him (1 Peter 2:23). In Isaiah 6:8, the voice of Jehovah asks, “Whom shall I send? and who will go for us?” a possible hint of the Trinity, as though Jehovah had inquired whom shall I, as God, commission, and who will accept the errand and offer to represent Father, Son and Spirit in the discharge of duty. This question, read in the light of the New Testament, is made most suggestive; for, after our Lord taught men more plainly of this commission, it began to be seen that we are not only witnesses to God the Father, but to God the Son, as the world’s Redeemer, and co-witnesses with the Holy Spirit (compare Isaiah 43:10; Acts 1:8; John 15:26-27). It is as though, in a human firm, one of three partners acting in behalf of the other partners, calls for volunteers, who nevertheless represent the whole firm; or, as when a soldier accepting some special mission at the call of his general, serves the whole government that he represents. In our Lord’s primary lesson on almsgiving, prayer and fasting (Matthew 6:18), He uses very conspicuously the second personal pronoun, “thou,” “thy,” “thee.” Although He begins with the plural, “Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men to be seen of them,” immediately after as He proceeds to details, He changes to the singular, “Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee.” And in these three verses about almsgiving (Matthew 6:2-4), this singular number occurs eight times. Again in the two verses following (Matthew 6:5-6) about closet prayer, the singular is found expressed ten times; and again in the directions as to fasting (Matthew 6:17-18) eight times. Surely there is some great lesson here, for beside the express use of the singular, “thou” is implied in the verbs used also. Our Lord is impressing the need of privacy as in contrast with publicity. There is danger in display of giving, praying, fasting; the foremost necessity is to do all these as unto God—in His presence, with regard to His recognition, and solely for His glory. In almsgiving the great peril is the love of human approbation; in prayer, undue attention to human hearers and observers; in fasting, desire to be conspicuous as humble and devoted to a religious life. The great Teacher impresses the need of what Jeremy Taylor calls, “the practice of the presence of God;” and insists upon the suppliant soul learning the great lesson of secret prayer, shut in with God alone. The presence of any third party prevents the highest success in the practice of the presence of God, because it diverts the mind and divides the attention of the suppliant. And so, in other religious duties: to get sight of man is often to lose sight of God, and to seek human observation and approbation is absolutely fatal to all true acceptance, and forfeits God’s observation and approbation altogether. Notably also our Lord returns to the plural “ye,” in Matthew 6:7-8, because He is probably referring to collective prayer in public assemblies and not to private closet supplication. In Luke 22:31-32, our Lord first warns all the disciples of an evil design and device of the Devil—“Behold Satan hath desired to have you”—you all—“that he may sift you as wheat;” then, foreseeing that Peter, especially, would fall into his snare, and thrice deny Him, added, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not,” etc. In Hosea 10:9, “O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah!
There they stood,” etc. The change to the third person and plural number removes them as to a greater distance. The singular “thou” is much more expressive of endearment and intimacy and harmony. A long course of sin has resulted in alienation. It reminds of the pathetic plea, “Only call me ‘thou’ again!” In Isaiah 3:1, Stay and Staff are respectively masculine and feminine forms of the same word, an Arabic idiom for including everything of the nature of a support, as the succeeding verses show—whatever was their dependence—mighty man, warrior, judge or prophet—counselor, captain, artificer, orator—all, even Jehovah Himself, their only real stay or staff.

Hengstenberg calls attention to Ecclesiastes 7:23-29, where the whole passage turns upon a feminine verb, “Koheleth”—the “preacher,” or “convener” or assembling one is conceived here as an ideal female and hence here only in the book is Koheleth connected with the feminine verb (Ecclesiastes 7:27). Solomon found no snare so ruinous as that of strange women—idolatrous women. And here earthly, sensual, devilish wisdom is contrasted (as with James 3:15; James 3:17) with the wisdom from above, answering to an ideal woman. Everywhere in this book, until now, Koheleth is masculine, but here the gender is changed. And here is the conclusion—“counting one by one,” comparing or contrasting one with the other—among the thousand wives and concubines Solomon had not found one who was not a snare, certainly not one who could represent to him the Heavenly Wisdom. In the book of Revelation two women are again strongly in contrast—the harlot—an apostate church—and the Bride—the church of the Redeemed. A remarkable transition takes place at Isaiah 53:11. The word “servant” has always hitherto been in the singular; but from that point on is in the plural. Here it is “My righteous Servant;” but, in Isaiah 54:17, “This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,” plural, and in Isaiah 65, seven times, “my servants;” always in the plural (compare Isaiah 65:8-9; Isaiah 65:13; Isaiah 65:15). Some find a hint in this “new name,” the forecast that, in the latter days, disciples were to be called “Christians.” The point of transition from singular to plural is this: “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.” By his travail He is to become the parent of innumerable offspring, and the “Righteous Servant” of Jehovah is so identified with His spiritual seed that henceforth we read only of “the servants of Jehovah.”

Mark the change of pronoun in Psalms 81:16, “He should have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee,”
as though Jehovah yearned to speak, not as a narrator, but as a covenant God, directly to them, one last word—“I would have satisfied thee.”

One of the most noticeable changes of gender is found in John 6:37-40 :

All that the Father giveth Me, shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Notice the changes:

A designed change of gender here runs throughout; and alongside of it, the conception of a sort of collective neuter mass—“all,” “it”—resolved into masculine individuality—“everyone,” “him.”

There is at first a general, abstract statement of a gift of the Father; then a concrete, individual statement of the effect and realization of it; first, an unredeemed body of humanity, like a dead mass of matter, without individual life or character—“As for all that which He hath given me I should not lose of it.” Then this same dead mass of humanity, after the Son has vivified it, alive; it has developed individuality in developing vitality. Somewhat as a dead mass of matter takes form in living foliage, a million separated stalks and stems with endless variety of leaf, bloom fruit, so this mass of humanity is filled and thrilled with a new divine life, transformed, transfigured, glorified.

“O, the happiness of the man who walketh not,” etc.Psalms 1:1.

“Happiness” is found in the Hebrew, only in the plural, as though to indicate its manifold sides and aspects, or, better still, that God’s blessings never come singly or alone, but always in multitudes or companies. “Goodness and mercy shall follow me” (Psalms 23). In Galatians 5:19-22, the works of the flesh are contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit. All these fleshly works may not and do not always appear in the same unregenerate man, but in every true child of God the fruit of the Spirit may be looked for, though not all in equal development, for these nine gracious characteristics all belong, like grapes, upon one cluster: the first three, “love, joy, peace,” pertain especially to God; the next three, “long suffering, gentleness, goodness,” to man; the last three, “fidelity, meekness, self-control,” to self. In 1 John 1:8-9, “Sin” represents the depraved nature or tendency. “Sins,” are the violations of law, the out-breakings of sin.