The Social Construction of Reality helped me understand my own life in a new way. I didn’t take my Dad’s advice to avoid or watch out for women too much to heart. Though, now that I think about it, I’ve never had sex without the benefit of some form of birth control. I did, however, deeply internalize my uselessness and meaninglessness. And I learned even better than I knew that I was the cause of my Dad’s problems. They were my fault.
Now before I go too far with this I need to say that my Dad was not a son of his father’s youth but of his old age. My Dad’s father died when my Dad was eight, leaving the family destitute and my Dad fearful for his own welfare and survival. In other words, while I might fault my father for who or what he was, my father’s father for all practical purposes was not.
My father provided well enough for my survival and welfare that I grew up taking it and him for granted. And to be fair to him, the other legacy he bequeathed me was his constant admonition from Proverbs 4:7 (KJV; Addendum below): Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. There are times, admittedly, when I look at myself with dismay as little more than a program carrying out my father’s command. But considering the relationship with my father in this multigenerational-social-construction-of-reality way made it fairly obvious to me that there are many ways to make a son less than a blessing, ways that fall far short of taking that son’s life. So I discarded that reason for the death of David’s first son with Bathsheba.
Another thought occurred to me: maybe the Lord Jesus didn’t want the child of an adulterous affair and a murderous cover-up to become king of Israel. But Jephthah—one of the Judges—was the son of an adulterous affair between Gilead and a prostitute, and The Lord’s spirit empowered Jephthah.
I’ve covered Jephthah pretty thoroughly elsewhere and won’t do it again here, except to comment on the reality that was socially constructed for Jephthah’s daughter by her father and other adults around her. They apparently wholeheartedly believed the Lord’s command, If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath of binding obligation on himself, he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised. Jephthah’s daughter’s response when she learned of her father’s oath, and who was to be the victim, indicated that she knew and believed this command, too. My father, she said, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised. After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.
Nothing I believe or think or feel about Jephthah can or should taint my admiration for this girl’s childlike faith. It is as stunning today as it was to Jephthah’s contemporaries. She only asked for two months reprieve that she might mourn her virginity with her friends. Jephthah granted her request.
Perhaps he hoped she would flee. He would never see her again. She would be as good as dead to him, but she would live. But she, like her father, was true to her word and returned after two months as she promised.
Perhaps he hoped for a pardon as he prepared the sacrifice. The Lord Jesus had commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and then at the last moment provided a substitute for the boy. No angel came to stay Jephthah’s hand. No substitute was provided. Jephthah sacrificed his daughter, his only child. Even after the fact the Lord Jesus remained silent. No prophets came, no dreams, no word from the Lord. Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.
Since the Lord was silent, what social reality could the Israelites of Jephthah’s day construct except that Jephthah was an honorable and righteous man, fulfilling his vow to the Lord, no matter the cost? After all, Jesus told his disciples, whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. It was many years after Jephthah’s time in the Proverbs of Solomon that I see the first glimmer of a subtle hint: It is a snare for a person to rashly cry, “Holy!” and only afterward to consider what he has vowed. To declare something “Holy” was equivalent to vowing it to the Lord. This proverb may have had Jephthah in view. Even so, it said little more than to consider your vows carefully or you may end up like Jephthah, sacrificing your daughter for righteousness’ sake.
It was many years after that, when the Israelites were sacrificing their children to Baal, the Lord Jesus finally spoke to the prophet Jeremiah and said: Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make! They are something I never told them to do! Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind! The first time I understood this passage, I thought it was the most disingenuous thing I had ever heard. Actually, I went ballistic, “What did you expect them to think?!” I shrieked with that tone in my voice that said, “what, are you stupid or something?”
If you ever hear that I was struck by lightning, you’ll know why, though subsequent years of daily infusion of spiritual fruit have tempered my temper some, especially with the Lord. And beginning to recognize the religious mind as a human phenomena as opposed to a divine one, that God is always reaching out to communicate to us through this ungodly barrier, hasn’t hurt. Let’s face it, historically speaking God was late to the game with both a law and a religion. There is no indication in Genesis that Cain’s (or Abel’s) offering was God’s idea.
At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord. It was either Cain’s idea or if the phrase And it happened at the end of days actually carries the meaning At the designated time that the translators of the NET have assigned it, it was Adam’s idea. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast. His religion and his worship were unacceptable, but his younger brother’s religion and worship was? I am an older brother, believe me, I feel Cain’s anger and dejection.
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” My mom tells a story about a time when I was angry with the boy next door. She tried to soothe my anger with counsel about Jesus and turning the other cheek. Apparently, I didn’t get the message any better than Cain did. I left the house, saying, “I’ll make him turn the other cheek.” Cain subdued his brother Abel by killing him. I don’t recall what I did to the boy next door. I know he survived it.
What have you done? The Lord said to Cain. The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! So now, you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth. Cain said, My punishment is too great to endure!
For a long time I believed Cain. But as I look back now this banishment from his occupation as a tiller of the field sounds more like the events that became David’s life after the Lord forgave his sin. Cain’s punishment would have been his death. Now scripture rolls and boils and tumbles in my mind: before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law.
So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.
The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. He was not slow to establish a law of specific commandments and punishments, or a religion of specific rites and obligations. He was positively resistant to the idea. He chose to drown all but eight human beings and start over rather than establish a law or a religion. I can only assume that He relented when it proved to be the only way to communicate to and through the ungodliness of human religious minds. Even as He gave the law and founded the Hebrew religion He resisted it, saying defiantly to Moses, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.
But that was all in my future the first time I understood Him to say, such a thing never even entered my mind! “All this started when you told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac,” I continued my rant. “It culminates with God the Father sacrificing his only begotten Son, and somewhere in the middle of it all is Jephthah. It never entered your mind that desperate people might think this was a good way to get your attention?”
I calmed down eventually and felt bad. But I didn’t have some wonderful intuitive answer. For me at the time it was a matter of brute faith. I had to force myself to give the Lord Jesus the benefit of the doubt and simply believe that He is self-aware enough to determine the boundary between his thoughts and ours, to distinguish between his intent and his foreknowledge of our misunderstanding of that intent, and that He speaks sincerely and without guile.
Finally, with his feet firmly planted on earth, Jesus gave a definitive answer to Jephthah, to Israel and to me in the Sermon on the Mount: Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, “Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.” But I say to you, do not take oaths at all….Let your word be “Yes, yes” or “No, no.” More than this is from the evil one. The NIV translated this verse: “Simply, let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Now if I ask, Why would Jesus consider Jephthah’s oath from the evil one? the answer seems fairly obvious. If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, Jephthah vowed to the Lord, then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice. I’m going to give Jephthah the benefit of the doubt that he intended to offer a goat to bribe God to help him defeat the Ammonites, and he was willing to let God choose which, or any, or all, of his goats. I think the translators of the NET have deliberately made Jephthah’s oath even more from the evil one.
But imagine with me for a moment that Jephthah intended to bribe God with any or all of his goats. God could have brought any goat, or as many goats as He wanted, out to meet Jephthah on his triumphant return. But God didn’t bring any goats to meet Jephthah. God wasn’t satisfied with goats as a bribe. God wanted Jephthah’s daughter, his only child. What was Jephthah to do? Certainly God deserves to be bribed with something better than goats.
Jephthah acted on a kind of faith. It would have been very difficult for him to see that the bribe, the oath, was the evil, and the thing that Jephthah should have repented. To paraphrase Paul, I can testify that Jephthah was zealous for God, but his zeal was not in line with the truth. For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish his own righteousness, he did not submit to God’s righteousness. But Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and Paul’s letter to the Romans were not part of Jephthah’s socially constructed reality. Why not? I began to wonder.
Why were You silent for so long? I asked the Lord.
Addendum: June 21, 2020
When I discovered that Proverbs 4:7 wasn’t in the Septuagint my first thought was, “Well, that figures!” I talked with my brother about it. He thought it was somewhere else but couldn’t find it. I read all of Proverbs in English translation of the Elpenor Septuagint and didn’t recognize it in any other chapter. I also did a search of the Greek words I imagined might underlie the English translation and didn’t discover it in Proverbs. I haven’t searched every book in the Septuagint.
I don’t know for certain what Dad actually meant when he quoted it. He suffered a stroke and couldn’t speak or write before it ever occurred to me to ask. I had assumed that wisdom and understanding were science and engineering. He idolized electrical engineers. I had also assumed that he didn’t mean the Bible, especially my mother’s interpretation of it. At least, the Bible wasn’t where I sought wisdom or understanding as a child. Proverbs 2:1-12 is a fairly accurate description how I understand the disputable Proverbs 4:7 as I run its programming today.
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Masoretic Text
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Septuagint |
| Proverbs 2:1-12 (Tanakh) |
Proverbs 2:1-12 (NET) |
Proverbs 2:1-12 (NETS) |
Proverbs 2:1-12 (English Elpenor)
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| My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; |
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; |
My son, if, when you accept the saying of my commandment, you hide it with yourself, |
[My] son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee; |
| So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; |
by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding, |
your ear will be attentive to wisdom, and you shall incline your heart to understanding; yes, you shall incline it to the admonition of your son. |
thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son. |
| Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; |
indeed, if you call out for discernment—shout loudly for understanding— |
For if you call upon wisdom and raise your voice for understanding, as well as seek perception with a loud voice, |
For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding; (τὴν δὲ αἴσθησιν ζητήσῃς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ was not translated into English.) |
| If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; |
if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure, |
and if you seek it like silver and search for it like treasures, |
and if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures; |
| Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. |
then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God. |
then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will find divine knowledge. |
then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. |
| For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. |
For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. |
Because the Lord gives wisdom, also from his presence come knowledge and understanding, |
For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding, |
| He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. |
He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity, |
and he stores up salvation for those who succeed; he will shield their journey |
and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way; |
| He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. |
to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones. |
to guard the ways of righteous deeds, and he will protect the way of the ones who revere him. |
that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him. |
| Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. |
Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way. |
Then you will understand righteousness and judgment, and you will make all good courses straight. |
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright. |
| When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; |
For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you. |
For if wisdom comes into your mind and perception seems pleasing to your soul, |
For if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul, |
| Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: |
Discretion will protect you, understanding will guard you, |
good counsel will guard you, and holy insight will protect you |
good counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee; |
Tables comparing Proverbs 4:7; 2:1; 2:2; 2:3; 2:4; 2:5; 2:6; 2:7; 2:8; 2:9, 2:10; 2:11; 2:12; Judges 11:29; Numbers 30:2 (30:3); Judges 11:36; 11:40; Proverbs 20:25; Jeremiah 19:5; Genesis 4:3; 4:4; 4:5; 4:6; 4:7; 4:10; 4:11; 4:12; 4:13; Judges 11:30 and 11:31 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Proverbs 4:7; 2:1; 2:2; 2:3; 2:4; 2:5; 2:6; 2:7; 2:8; 2:9; 2:10; 2:11; 2:12; Judges 11:29; Numbers 30:2 (30:3); Judges 11:36; 11:40; Proverbs 20:25; Jeremiah 19:5; Genesis 4:3; 4:4; 4:5; 4:6; 4:7; 4:10; 4:11; 4:12; 4:13; Judges 11:30 and 11:31 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.
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Proverbs 4:7 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 4:7 (KJV) |
Proverbs 4:7 (NET)
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| Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. |
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. |
Wisdom is supreme—so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding! |
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Proverbs 2:1 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 2:1 (KJV) |
Proverbs 2:1 (NET)
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| My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; |
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; |
My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands inside yourself, |
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Proverbs 2:2 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 2:2 (KJV) |
Proverbs 2:2 (NET)
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| So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; |
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; |
by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding, |
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Proverbs 2:2 (Septuagint BLB)
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Proverbs 2:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
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| ὑπακούσεται σοφίας τὸ οὖς σου καὶ παραβαλεῗς καρδίαν σου εἰς σύνεσιν παραβαλεῗς δὲ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ νουθέτησιν τῷ υἱῷ σου |
ὑπακούσεται σοφία τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ παραβαλεῖς καρδίαν σου εἰς σύνεσιν, παραβαλεῖς δὲ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ νουθέτησιν τῷ υἱῷ σου |
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Proverbs 2:2 (NETS)
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Proverbs 2:2 (English Elpenor)
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| your ear will be attentive to wisdom, and you shall incline your heart to understanding; yes, you shall incline it to the admonition of your son. |
thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son. |
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Proverbs 2:3 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 2:3 (KJV) |
Proverbs 2:3 (NET)
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| Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; |
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; |
indeed, if you call out for discernment—shout loudly for understanding— |
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Proverbs 2:5 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 2:5 (KJV) |
Proverbs 2:5 (NET)
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| Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. |
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. |
then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God. |
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Proverbs 2:6 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 2:6 (KJV) |
Proverbs 2:6 (NET)
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| For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. |
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. |
For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. |
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Proverbs 2:7 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 2:7 (KJV) |
Proverbs 2:7 (NET)
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| He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. |
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. |
He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity, |
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Proverbs 2:9 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 2:9 (KJV) |
Proverbs 2:9 (NET)
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| Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. |
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. |
Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way. |
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Proverbs 2:10 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 2:10 (KJV) |
Proverbs 2:10 (NET)
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| When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; |
For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul; |
For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you. |
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Proverbs 2:12 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 2:12 (KJV) |
Proverbs 2:12 (NET)
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| To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; |
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; |
to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from those speaking perversity, |
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Judges 11:29 (Tanakh)
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Judges 11:29 (KJV) |
Judges 11:29 (NET)
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| Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. |
Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. |
The Lord’s Spirit empowered Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites. |
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Judges 11:29 (Septuagint BLB)
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Judges 11:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
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| καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐπὶ Ιεφθαε πνεῦμα κυρίου καὶ διέβη τὴν γῆν Γαλααδ καὶ τὸν Μανασση καὶ διέβη τὴν σκοπιὰν Γαλααδ καὶ ἀπὸ σκοπιᾶς Γαλααδ εἰς τὸ πέραν υἱῶν Αμμων |
Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ ᾿Ιεφθάε πνεῦμα Κυρίου, καὶ παρῆλθε τὸν Γαλαὰδ καὶ τὸν Μανασσῆ καὶ παρῆλθε τὴν σκοπιὰν Γαλαὰδ εἰς τὸ πέραν υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών |
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Judges 11:29 (NETS)
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Judges 11:29 (English Elpenor)
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| And a spirit of the Lord came upon Iephthae, and he passed through the land of Galaad and Manasses. And he passed through the vantage point of Galaad and from the vantage point of Galaad to the other side of the sons of Ammon. |
And the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthae, and he passed over Galaad, and Manasse, and passed by the watch-tower of Galaad to the other side of the children of Ammon. |
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Numbers 30:3 (Tanakh)
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Numbers 30:2 (KJV) |
Numbers 30:2 (NET)
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| When a man voweth a vow unto HaShem, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. |
If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. |
If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath of binding obligation on himself, he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised. |
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Numbers 30:2 (Septuagint BLB)
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Numbers 30:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
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| ἄνθρωπος ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἂν εὔξηται εὐχὴν κυρίῳ ἢ ὀμόσῃ ὅρκον ἢ ὁρίσηται ὁρισμῷ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸ ῥῆμα αὐτοῦ πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ποιήσει |
ἄνθρωπος ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ἂν εὔξηται εὐχὴν Κυρίῳ ἢ ὀμόσῃ ὅρκον ἢ ὁρίσηται ὁρισμῷ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸ ρῆμα αὐτοῦ· πάντα ὅσα ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, ποιήσει |
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Numbers 30:3 (NETS)
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Numbers 30:3 (English Elpenor)
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| Person by person—if he vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath or determines for himself with determination about his soul, he shall not profane his word; everything that proceeds out of his mouth he shall do. |
Whatsoever man shall vow a vow to the Lord, or swear an oath, or bind himself with an obligation upon his soul, he shall not break his word; all that shall come out of his mouth he shall do. |
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Judges 11:36 (Tanakh)
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Judges 11:36 (KJV) |
Judges 11:36 (NET)
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| And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. |
And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. |
She said to him, “My father, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised. After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.” |
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Judges 11:36 (Septuagint BLB)
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Judges 11:36 (Septuagint Elpenor)
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| καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν πάτερ μου εἰ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἤνοιξας τὸ στόμα σου πρὸς κύριον ποίει μοι ὃν τρόπον ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἐποίησέν σοι κύριος ἐκδικήσεις ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Αμμων |
ἡ δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· πάτερ, ἤνοιξας τὸ στόμα σου πρὸς Κύριον; ποίησόν μοι ὃν τρόπον ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ στόματός σου, ἐν τῷ ποιῆσαί σοι Κύριον ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών |
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Judges 11:36 (NETS)
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Judges 11:36 (English Elpenor)
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| And she said to him, “My father, if against me you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me as it came out of your mouth, now that the Lord has exacted vengeance for you from your enemies, from the sons of Ammon.” |
And she said to him, Father, hast thou opened thy mouth to the Lord? Do to me accordingly as [the word] went out of thy mouth, in that the Lord has wrought vengeance for thee on thine enemies of the children of Ammon. |
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Judges 11:40 (Tanakh)
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Judges 11:40 (KJV) |
Judges 11:40 (NET)
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| That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. |
That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. |
Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days. |
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Proverbs 20:25 (Tanakh)
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Proverbs 20:25 (KJV) |
Proverbs 20:25 (NET)
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| It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. |
It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. |
It is a snare for a person to rashly cry, “Holy!” and only afterward to consider what he has vowed. |
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Jeremiah 19:5 (Tanakh)
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Jeremiah 19:5 (KJV) |
Jeremiah 19:5 (NET)
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| They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: |
They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: |
They have built places here for worship of the god Baal so that they could sacrifice their children as burnt offerings to him in the fire. Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make. They are something I never told them to do! Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind. |
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Jeremiah 19:5 (Septuagint BLB)
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Jeremiah 19:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
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| καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν ὑψηλὰ τῇ Βααλ τοῦ κατακαίειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν πυρί ἃ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην οὐδὲ ἐλάλησα οὐδὲ διενοήθην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου |
καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν ὑψηλὰ τῇ Βάαλ τοῦ κατακαίειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν πυρί, ἃ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην οὐδὲ διενοήθην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου |
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Jeremiah 19:5 (NETS)
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Jeremiah 19:5 (English Elpenor)
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| and built high places of the goddess Baal to burn their sons with fire, which things I did not command nor intended in my heart. |
and built high places for Baal, to burn their children in the fire, which things I commanded not, neither did I design [them] in my heart: |
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Genesis 4:3 (Tanakh)
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Genesis 4:3 (KJV) |
Genesis 4:3 (NET)
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| And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto HaShem. |
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. |
At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord. |
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Genesis 4:4 (Tanakh)
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Genesis 4:4 (KJV) |
Genesis 4:4 (NET)
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| And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And HaShem had respect unto Abel and to his offering; |
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: |
But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock—even the fattest of them. And the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, |
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Genesis 4:4 (Septuagint BLB)
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Genesis 4:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
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| καὶ Αβελ ἤνεγκεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπεῗδεν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ Αβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῗς δώροις αὐτοῦ |
καὶ Ἄβελ ἤνεγκε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν. καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ ῎Αβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ, |
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Genesis 4:4 (NETS)
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Genesis 4:4 (English Elpenor)
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| And Habel, he also brought of the firstlings of his sheep and of their fat portions. And God looked upon Habel and upon his gifts, |
And Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts, |
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Genesis 4:5 (Tanakh)
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Genesis 4:5 (KJV) |
Genesis 4:5 (NET)
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| but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. |
But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. |
but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased. So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast. |
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Genesis 4:6 (Tanakh)
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Genesis 4:6 (KJV) |
Genesis 4:6 (NET)
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| And HaShem said unto Cain: ‘Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? |
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? |
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? |
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Genesis 4:7 (Tanakh)
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Genesis 4:7 (KJV) |
Genesis 4:7 (NET)
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| If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee is its desire, but thou mayest rule over it.’ |
If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. |
Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” |
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Genesis 4:7 (Septuagint BLB)
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Genesis 4:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
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| οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς ἥμαρτες ἡσύχασον πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ |
οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς, ἥμαρτες; ἡσύχασον· πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ |
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Genesis 4:7 (NETS)
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Genesis 4:7 (English Elpenor)
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| If you offer correctly but do not divide correctly, have you not sinned? Be still; his recourse is to you, and you will rule over him.” |
Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him. |
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Genesis 4:10 (Tanakh)
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Genesis 4:10 (KJV) |
Genesis 4:10 (NET)
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| And He said: ‘What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground. |
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. |
But the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! |
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Genesis 4:11 (Tanakh)
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Genesis 4:11 (KJV) |
Genesis 4:11 (NET)
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| And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand. |
And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; |
So now you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. |
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Genesis 4:12 (Tanakh)
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Genesis 4:12 (KJV) |
Genesis 4:12 (NET)
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| When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth.’ |
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. |
When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.” |
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Genesis 4:12 (Septuagint BLB)
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Genesis 4:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
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| ὅτι ἐργᾷ τὴν γῆν καὶ οὐ προσθήσει τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς δοῦναί σοι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς |
ὅτε ἐργᾷ τὴν γῆν, καὶ οὐ προσθήσει τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς δοῦναί σοι· στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς |
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Genesis 4:12 (NETS)
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Genesis 4:12 (English Elpenor)
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| For you will till the earth, and it will not continue to yield its strength to you; you will be groaning and trembling on the earth.” |
When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning and trembling on the earth. |
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Judges 11:30 (Tanakh)
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Judges 11:30 (KJV) |
Judges 11:30 (NET)
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| And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, |
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, |
Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, |
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Judges 11:31 (Tanakh)
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Judges 11:31 (KJV) |
Judges 11:31 (NET)
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| Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. |
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. |
then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites—he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.” |
