The most common construction of pcNn is with the preposition 3, and in this construction its fundamental meaning seems to be most fully ex- pressed. It is probably never safe to represent this phrase by the simple 'believe' ; the preposition rather introduces the person or thing in which one believes, or on which one belicvingly rests as on firm ground. This is true even when the object of the afiection is a thing, whether divine words, commandments, or works (Ps 106" lig™ 78^-'), or some earthly force or good (Job 39" 15" 24'", Dt 28"). It is no less true when the object is a person, human (1 S 27", Pr 26», Jer 12«, Mic 7») or super- human (Job 4" 15"), or the representative of God, in whom therefore men should phiie their confidence (Ex 19», 2 Ch 20*'). It is above all true, however, when the object of the afiection is God Himself, and that indill'erently whether or not the special exercise of faith adverted to is rooted in a siiecilic occasion (Gn 15», Ex 14^", Nu 14" 20", Dt l*", 2 K
17", 2 Ch 20», Ps 78-, Jon 3'). The weaker con- ception of ' believing ' seems, on the other hand, to lie in the construction with the preposition S, which appears to introduce the person or thing, not on which one confidingly rests, but to the testimony of which one assentiiigly turns. Tiis credence may be given by the siiiii>le to every untested word (Pr 14") ; it may be withheld until seeing takes the place of believing (1 K 10', 2 Ch 9") ; it is due to words of the Lord and of His messengers, as well as to the signs wrought by them (Ps 106'''*, Is 53', Ex 4*- '). It may also be withheld from any human speaker (Gn 45=«, Ex 4'- «, Jer 40", 2 Ch 32"), but is the right of God when He bears witness to His majesty or makes promises to His people (Is 43'", Dt 9-^). In this weakened sense of the word the proposition believed is sometimes at- tached to it by the conjunction '? (Ex 4°, Job 9'*, La 4"). In its construction with the infinitive, however, its deeper meaning comes out more strongly (Jg 11*>, Job 15^, Ps 27"), and the same is true when the verb is used absolutely (Ex 4", Is 7»28'«, Ps 116'", Job 29^, Hab 1»). In these con- structions faith is evidently the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
No hiphilate noun from this root occurs in OT. This circumstance need not in itself possess signi- ficance ; the notions of 'faith' and 'faithfulness' lie close to one another, and are not uncommonly expressed by a single term (so ttiVtis, Jidcs, faith). As a matter of fact, however, ' faith,' in its active sense, can barely be accounted an OT term. It occurs in AV of OT only twice : Dt 32*" where it represents the Heb. pox, and Hab 2* where it stamls for the Heb. njic.;; ; and it would seem to be really demanded in no passage but Hab 2*. The very jjoint of this passage, however, is the sharp con- trast which is drawn between arrogant self-suHi- ciency and faithful dependence on God. The purpose of the verso is to give a reply to the prophet's inquiry as to God's righteous dealings witri the Chaldicans. Since it is by faith that the righteous man lives, the arrogant Chalda^an, whose soul is puU'ed up and not straight within him, cannot but be destined to destruction. The whole drift of the broader context bears out this meaning; for throughout tliis prophecy the Chal- dean is ever exhibited as the type of insolent self- assertion (F- "•'*), in contrast with which the righteous appear, certainly not as men of in- tegrity and steadfast faithfulness, but as men who look in faith to God and trustingly depend upon His arm. The obvious reminiscence of Gn 15* throws its weight into the same scale, to which may be added the consent of the Jewish exi>()sitor8 of the passage. Here we have, therefore, thrown into a clear light the contrasting characteristics of the wicked, typified by the Chakhean, and of the righteous : of the one the fundamental trait is self-sufficiency ; of the other, faith. This faith, which forms tlie distinctive feature of the righteous man, and by which he obtains life, is obviously no mere assent. It is a profound and abiding disposi- tion, an ingrained attitude of mind and heart towards God which all'ects and gives character to all the activities. Hero only the term occurs in i)'V : but on this its sole occurrence it rises to the full height of its most pregnant meaning.
Tlie extreme rarity of the noun 'faith' in OT may prepare us to note that even the verb ' to believe' is far from common in it. In a religious ajiplication it occurs in only some thirteen OT books, and le.ss than a score and a half times. The thing believed is sometimes a specific word or work of God (La 4", Hab 1'), the fact of a divine revelation (Ex 4', Jolt 9'"), or the words or com- mandments of God in general (with 3 Ps 10(1'' 119»«). In Ex 19" and 2 Ch 20» God's prophets