8. Confidence, fri«.7, Hab 2* ; probably, however, the meaning here also is 'faithfulness' (R\'m), in which cose this passage should be placed under 3.
9. As a l>tvine attribute ; (a) God's con-Rtafurj/ to His people, ihe/aith/ulnexs with which He had fuIlUled or would fulfil His covenant with Abraham and his descendants or with David
(On 242;, HOS 21" '2'), MiC 720, p, 891- 2-l>-"- 15.24.33.4!) 982 1005
1161 1172 Ul»42- 121- 130) ; also In regard to all who serve Him (On 3210, p, 2410 308 4010. 11 64» 673- 10 7122 b(ll6 8811 922 igs4 KWi 1431- 2, Pr 1423. Is 3818. 111). It is also recognized that alike in the case of the nation (La 32*- 23, Xeh 932), and of the individual t Pa 119"5).CA]aniitics do not prove thatGod has failed in faithfulness. We meet, also, with the prayer or wish that God may show His truth (2 S '21 1520, Pfl 617). In the great majority of the passages, 80 far given under this head, iQ0 'mercy' is coupled with 'truth.' These two words are doubtless to a certain extent comple- mentary, the one as expressive of a free compassion and favour which is ever fresh, the other of a (Idclity to promises. But there is a danger of pressing this contrast too far, as Wendt Kerns to do, ^'A, 1883, p. 62U. When society was less organized and rights could be less easily enforced and were even less deteniiinate, the sjiirit of mercy was often required to dictate the doing of truth (or justice). Moreover, love is at all times the true motive for the doing of Justice, and no other is likely to sultiw if it be a question of justice In those many relations of life with which law cannot interfere ; while at the same time the a<-tion of true love must ever be controlled by the law of justice. This applies wiiere the two wor<is are conjomed In sneaking of human action (see above. No. 3). But so, also, tlie thought that God's truth proceeded from His mere goorlness is frequently suggested in OT, and, on tne other hand, that His mercy is an exhibition of His truth. Cod's own love is closely associated with His righteousness (camp, the usage of the word pij in OT ; see also Ps 0212). Some other combinations should be compared, esp. ' the light of God's countenance,' i.e. His favour and 'his truth' (I's »5» 43i). "his righteousness' and 'his truth' (Ps 401", Zee b» ; cf. also Dt 324).
it) Truth seems also to be contemplated more generally as one of the great elements in Gwl's character, Ex 34"1, Pa 36* 11950. He ig the true Owl, as contrasted with the false gods who are but lying vanities (PsSl'O, 2 Ch 153, and Jcr Ul'O, where * the living God is a parallel expression), llence His works are wrought in faithfulness, Ps 334 » up ifls 01)13, |s 2S1. His couuuandments also arc tnio In that they are firmly established, that they are not subject to change, that those'who observe them w ill certAinly be rewanled, and those wio transgress theiu punished, Ps 119«, II9142. 16I. IM, jjch OH, Pr 111", i, ui». VOU IV. — W
in. Of the utterances of prophets (1 K 1724 2210, 2 Ch 181», Is 439, Jer '201' 'ib") ; of a vision that does not mislead, Dn 820 jQl. ' The writing of truth ' is the book of destiny, Dn 1U21 ; cf. 112.
11. Truth, in the sense in wiiioh we commonly employ the term, for the agreement between language and facts whatever these may be ; 1 K IQii, 2 Ch 9*, Dt l:il4 174 2220, Jer 9^, Ps 162 (' in his heart' here should be 'with his heart,' i.e. cordially, gladly), Pr 12i» 1425 -22:21,
12. l>ivine revelation (Mai 20, Dn 913) ; orthat true philosoph.v, that knowiedge of the order of the world and of lite, to wnieh the wise have in fuller or less measure attained (Pr 87 '2323, Ec 121") ; with this last sense cf. the use of the verb at Job 1220.
[The noun [OK occurs in sing, at Dt 3220, and in pi. at Pr 1317 145 20«, Is 202 in sense ' faithfulness,' to which Ps 121 31'23 should perhaps be added (so RVm) ; but in these two jt.assages it may be p.ass, partic. of Qal, and mean • the faithful * (so RV), JCN in Is 251 is taken in same sense, but the phrase of wiiich it forms part is thus rendered difficult, and the pointing may be wrong. On jDK see AUESJ.
In the case ot both words it is easy in the vast majority of instances to trace the connexion with the signilication of the root, which, ethically re- garded, conveys the notion of constancj', stead- fastnes.i, faithfulness. But there are secondary meanings, and the precise train of ideas by which these were readied cannot be considered certain. Thus truth in the sense of civil justice — to which, in some pas.sages at least, it appi-oxiniates — may be derived from the general notion of faithfulness, and with this — when it is a question of a social state in which justice prevails — the notion of stability, which brings us still nearer to the original meaning of the root, may be united. Since not merely n^x but n;i::x is used in this way, some such explanation seems on the whole the most likely. Yet it m,ay also be supposed that justice in giving or procuring judgment is called truth, simply as being in agreement with the facts. The same view of truth may also, with even more jiroha- bility, be suggested, when it is predicated of s]iccch or of thought. Nevertheless, the origin even of this application may have lain in the circumstance that truth-speaking is part of the character of a faithful man ; or again, the inten- tion may have been to describe words that are well founded, based upon facts, and therefore lirm. This idea of an underlying reality may probably be traced in the use of the term to describe God's revealed will, or the knowledge of the wi.se. It may not be unnecessary to add a caution that we must not so insist on giving etlect to the force of the root as to exclude other ideas which may have entered in the course of the history of the word, and thus to limit the range of its meaning.