Category Archives: Introduction

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 4

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Cain complained to יְהֹוָ֑ה (yehôvâh):

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:14 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:14 (NET) Genesis 4:14 (NETS)

Genesis 4:14 (English Elpenor)
Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive (נָ֤ע) and a wanderer (וָנָד֙) in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me.’ Look, you are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence.  I will be a homeless (nûaʽ, נע) wanderer (nûd, ונד) on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me!” If today you are driving me out from off the earth and I shall be hidden from your face, then I shall be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) on the earth, and it will be that anyone who finds me will kill me.” If thou castest me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy presence, and I shall be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) upon the earth, then it will be that any one that finds me shall slay me.

The Hebrew word in the Masoretic text translated fugitive in the Tanakh was נָ֤ע (nûaʽ) and wanderer was וָנָד֙ (nûd).  I ran both (without vowel points) through Morfix.

Morfix
Hebrew NET/Tanakh Forms Definition
נע homeless/fugitive נָע to move; to advance; to fluctuate, to range
נָע moving, mobile

Morfix
Hebrew NET/Tanakh Forms Definition
ונד wanderer נֵד (literary) pillar of water, wall of water
נָד (flowery) to wander, to roam; (literary) to move back and forth

The Septuagint had στένων (a form of στένω), translated groaning, and τρέμων (a form of τρέμω), translated trembling.  Given that one of the things we are told about Cain after this is that he was building a city, it seems prudent to question the fidelity of the Masoretic text here, not because Cain said it.  Cain could have predicted his future in error.  But Cain was merely quoting [Table] יהוה (yehôvâh).

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:12 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:12 (NET) Genesis 4:12 (NETS)

Genesis 4:12 (English Elpenor)
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive (נָ֥ע) and a wanderer (וָנָ֖ד) 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 (nûaʽ, נע) wanderer (nûd, ונד) on the earth.” For you will till the earth, and it will not continue to yield its strength to you; you will be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) on the earth.” When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) on the earth.

Perhaps one could argue that Cain disobeyed a command to become a fugitive and a wanderer by building a city rather than that he proved divine foreknowledge false.  But given that Cain was already groaning and trembling that whosoever findeth me will slay me, the rabbis seem to have a better argument than the Masoretes for more original text.  The murderer, Cain, had become acutely aware how easy it was to kill or be killed.

The writer of Hebrews wrote of Jesus (Hebrews 2:14, 15 NET):

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.

The Lord (yehôvâh, יְהֹוָ֗ה) responded to Cain’s groaning and trembling.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:15, 16 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:15, 16 (NET) Genesis 4:15, 16 (NETS)

Genesis 4:15, 16 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem said unto him: ‘Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.’  And HaShem set a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. But the Lord said to him, “All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.”  Then the Lord put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. And the Lord God said to him, “Not so!  Anyone who kills Kain will let loose seven acts of vengeance.”  And the Lord God allocated a sign to Kain so that no one who found him would do away with him. And the Lord God said to him, Not so, any one that slays Cain shall suffer seven-fold vengeance; and the Lord God set a mark upon Cain that no one that found him might slay him.
And Cain went out from the presence of HaShem, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Then Kain went away from the presence of God and lived in the land of Naid over against Edem. So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem.

If Cain had come groaning and trembling to me, I’m in no position to promise to kill his murderer and six of his murderers’ family or friends.  I probably would have responded something like, “You made the world this way, live in it.”  And I may have thought that was the best course of action for Cain’s own benefit.  The prodigal son came to his senses suffering in the world he had made for himself (Luke 15:14-19 NET).

Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need [Table].  So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.  But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! [Table]  I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’ [Table]

Does such insight come, I wonder, apart from the word of God, a father’s teaching about the word of God or the indwelling Holy Spirit? especially when it involves something more than running away from home?  Cain was banished from the presence of the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה).  His situation was more like that of sinners born after the law was given.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Isaiah 59:1-4 (Tanakh) Isaiah 59:1-4 (NET) Isaiah 59:1-4 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:1-4 (English Elpenor)
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak to deliver you; his ear is not too deaf to hear you. Is not the Lord’s hand strong to save?  Or has he made his ear heavy so as not to listen? Has the hand of the Lord no power to save? or has he made his ear heavy, so that he should not hear?
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God; your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers. Rather, your sinful acts separate between you and God, and because of your sins he has turned his face away from you so as not to show mercy. Nay, your iniquities separate between you and God, and because of your sins has he turned away [his] face from you, so as not to have mercy [upon you].
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin; your lips speak lies, your tongue utters malicious words. For your hands have been defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins, and your lips have spoken lawlessness, and your tongue plots unrighteousness. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins; your lips also have spoken iniquity, and your tongue meditates unrighteousness.
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. No one is concerned about justice; no one sets forth his case truthfully.  They depend on false words and tell lies; they conceive of oppression and give birth to sin. No one speaks righteous things, nor is there true judgment; they trust in vanities, and they speak empty words, because they conceive trouble and give birth to lawlessness. None speaks justly, neither is there true judgment: they trust in vanities, and speak empty [words]; for they conceive trouble, and bring forth iniquity.

Though the law was not yet given, this promise of vengeance on anyone who would kill Cain was intended to function, I assume, as a deterrent.  We hope the punishments of law will function this way in those who have not yet received (through faith in Jesus Christ) God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,[1] the righteousness of God, the fruit of his Spirit.  Paul wrote (Romans 13:1-4 NET):

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except by[2] God’s appointment, and the authorities[3] that exist have been instituted by God.[4]  So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur[5] judgment (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct[6] but for bad[7]).  Do you desire not to fear authority?  Do good and you will receive its commendation because it is God’s servant for your well-being.  But be afraid if you do wrong because government does not bear the sword for nothing.  It is God’s servant to administer punishment on the person who does wrong.

Unable to farm for a living, Cain built the city of Enoch.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:17b (Tanakh) Genesis 4:17b (NET) Genesis 4:17b (NETS)

Genesis 4:17b (English Elpenor)
and he builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named the city after his son Enoch. and he was building a city and named the city after the name of his son Henoch. and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

Time passed.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:18 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:18 (NET) Genesis 4:18 (NETS)

Genesis 4:18 (English Elpenor)
And unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael; and Mehujael begot Methushael; and Methushael begot Lamech. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael.  Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. Then to Henoch was born Gaidad, and Gaidad was the father of Maiel, and Maiel the father of Mathousala, and Mathousala the father of Lamech. And to Enoch was born Gaidad; and Gaidad begot Maleleel; and Maleleel begot Mathusala; and Mathusala begot Lamech.

Lamech recalled part of the story of the mark of Cain.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:23, 24 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:23, 24 (NET) Genesis 4:23, 24 (NETS)

Genesis 4:23, 24 (English Elpenor)
And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; for I have slain a man for wounding (לְפִצְעִ֔י) me, and a young man for bruising (לְחַבֻּֽרָתִֽי) me; Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me!  You wives of Lamech, hear my words!  I have killed a man for wounding (petsaʽ, לפצעי) me, a young man for hurting (chabbûrâh, לחברתי) me. Now Lamech said to his own wives: “Ada and Sella, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to my words, because I have killed a man for a wound (τραῦμα) to me, and a young man for a welt (μώλωπα) to me, And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, consider my words, because I have slain a man to my sorrow (τραῦμα) and a youth to my grief (μώλωπα).
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much, then Lamech seventy-seven times!” because seven times vengeance has been exacted by Kain, but by Lamech seventy times seven.” Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain’s behalf, on Lamech’s [it shall be] seventy times seven.

The English translation of the Elpenor Septuagint—because I have slain a man to my sorrow and a youth to my grief—is similar to the KJV translation of the Masoretic text—for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.  They leave me with an impression of Lamech as an ironic moral philosopher lamenting his murders.  But that makes his next statement difficult to unravel: Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain’s behalf, on Lamech’s [it shall be] seventy times seven (Elpenor English) or If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

I asked a friend for her understanding of Lamech’s statement, unaffected by translations other than the KJV.  She apparently took to my wounding and to my hurt as King James English for wounding me and bruising me.   She also assumed a man and a young man were one and the same person.

“I believe the avenger system is already at work,” she wrote.  “A descendent of Able accosted Lamech to avenge his father’s or grandfather’s or great-grandfather’s death.  Lamech is severely wounded, but in the process kills the avenger.  Lamech has not killed in anger as Cain did, but in self-defense.  Therefore, he says God will put a higher protective value upon his life than that of Cain.”

It seems more natural to me to accept the alternative translations that portray Lamech as a murderous egoist.  Cain’s groaning and trembling has vanished from Lamech’s memory.  Though one might argue that his egoism is propelled by his fear of death, he didn’t wait for God to take vengeance on his murderer or hope that the threat of vengeance would act as a deterrent.  He took lethal action himself at every provocation: I have slain a man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me.  He and his followers made the world God destroyed in the flood.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 6:11-13 (Tanakh) Genesis 6:11-13 (NET) Genesis 6:11-13 (NETS)

Genesis 6:11-13 (English Elpenor)
And the earth was corrupt before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence. The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence. Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was full of wrongdoing. But the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with iniquity.
And G-d saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. God saw the earth, and indeed it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful. And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was ruined, for all flesh had ruined his way upon the earth. And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupted; because all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.
And G-d said unto Noah: ‘The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. So God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.  Now I am about to destroy them and the earth. And God said to Noe, “The time of all humankind has come before me, for the earth has become full of wrongdoing by reason of them, and see, I am going to ruin them and the earth. And the Lord God said to Noe, A period of all men is come before me; because the earth has been filled with iniquity by them, and, behold, I destroy them and the earth.

It matters very little whether Lamech was the bleeding edge of this wave of violence, wrongdoing and iniquity or its hapless victim, killing only in self-defense.  Either interpretation serves as a marker to presage this coming destruction.

Paul wrote believers in Rome (Romans 5:12-19 NET):

So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned—for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law.  Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed [Table].  But the gracious gift is not like the transgression.  For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ multiply to the many!  And the gift is not like the one who sinned.  For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, led to condemnation, but the gracious gift from the many failures led to justification.  For if, by the transgression of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through one transgression, so too through the one righteous act came righteousness leading to life for all people.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of one man many will be constituted righteous.

So also it is written, Paul wrote believers in Corinth, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.[8]  Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters, he continued, Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.[9]  As Jesus told Nicodemus: What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’[10]

A table comparing Paul’s quotation from Genesis 2:7 in the Septuagint follows.

1 Corinthians 15:45a (NET Parallel Greek)

 Genesis 2:7b (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:7b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδὰμ εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν

1 Corinthians 15:45a (NET)

 Genesis 2:7b (NETS)

Genesis 2:7b (English Elpenor)
The first man, Adam, became a living person the man became a living being the man became a living soul

Tables comparing Genesis 4:14; 4:15; 4:16; 4:17; 4:18; 4:23; 4:24; Isaiah 59:1; 59:2; 59:3; 59:4; Genesis 6:11; 6:12; 6:13 and 2:7 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 4:14; 4:15; 4:16; 4:17; 4:18; 4:23; 4:24; Isaiah 59:1; 59:2; 59:3; 59:4; Genesis 6:11; 6:12; 6:13 and 2:7 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables of comparing Romans 13:1-3 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 4:14 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:14 (KJV)

Genesis 4:14 (NET)
Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me.’ Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. Look, you are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence.  I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me!”

Genesis 4:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με ἀποκτενεῗ με εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι, καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με, ἀποκτενεῖ με

Genesis 4:14 (NETS)

Genesis 4:14 (English Elpenor)
If today you are driving me out from off the earth and I shall be hidden from your face, then I shall be groaning and trembling on the earth, and it will be that anyone who finds me will kill me.” If thou castest me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy presence, and I shall be groaning and trembling upon the earth, then it will be that any one that finds me shall slay me.

Genesis 4:15 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:15 (KJV)

Genesis 4:15 (NET)
And HaShem said unto him: ‘Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.’  And HaShem set a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.  And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. But the Lord said to him, “All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.”  Then the Lord put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down.

Genesis 4:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος ὁ θεός οὐχ οὕτως πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Καιν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει καὶ ἔθετο κύριος ὁ θεὸς σημεῗον τῷ Καιν τοῦ μὴ ἀνελεῗν αὐτὸν πάντα τὸν εὑρίσκοντα αὐτόν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Κύριος ὁ Θεός· οὐχ οὕτως, πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Κάϊν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει. καὶ ἔθετο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς σημεῖον τῷ Κάϊν τοῦ μὴ ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν πάντα τὸν εὑρίσκοντα αὐτόν.

Genesis 4:15 (NETS)

Genesis 4:15 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God said to him, “Not so!  Anyone who kills Kain will let loose seven acts of vengeance.”  And the Lord God allocated a sign to Kain so that no one who found him would do away with him. And the Lord God said to him, Not so, any one that slays Cain shall suffer seven-fold vengeance; and the Lord God set a mark upon Cain that no one that found him might slay him.

Genesis 4:16 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:16 (KJV)

Genesis 4:16 (NET)
And Cain went out from the presence of HaShem, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Genesis 4:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐξῆλθεν δὲ Καιν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Ναιδ κατέναντι Εδεμ ἐξῆλθε δὲ Κάϊν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Ναὶδ κατέναντι ᾿Εδέμ

Genesis 4:16 (NETS)

Genesis 4:16 (English Elpenor)
Then Kain went away from the presence of God and lived in the land of Naid over against Edem. So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem.

Genesis 4:17 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:17 (KJV)

Genesis 4:17 (NET)
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch; and he builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. Cain was intimate with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch.  Cain was building a city, and he named the city after his son Enoch.

Genesis 4:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔγνω Καιν τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν τὸν Ενωχ καὶ ἦν οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ενωχ Καὶ ἔγνω Κάϊν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκε τὸν ᾿Ενώχ. καὶ ἦν οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν καὶ ἐπωνόμασε τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ᾿Ενώχ

Genesis 4:17 (NETS)

Genesis 4:17 (English Elpenor)
And Kain knew his wife, and after she had conceived she bore Henoch, and he was building a city and named the city after the name of his son Henoch. And Cain knew his wife, and having conceived she bore Enoch; and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

Genesis 4:18 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:18 (KJV)

Genesis 4:18 (NET)
And unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael; and Mehujael begot Methushael; and Methushael begot Lamech. And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael.  Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

Genesis 4:18 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγενήθη δὲ τῷ Ενωχ Γαιδαδ καὶ Γαιδαδ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Μαιηλ καὶ Μαιηλ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Μαθουσαλα καὶ Μαθουσαλα ἐγέννησεν τὸν Λαμεχ ἐγεννήθη δὲ τῷ ᾿Ενὼχ Γαϊδάδ, καὶ Γαϊδὰδ ἐγέννησε τὸν Μαλελεήλ, καὶ Μαλελεὴλ ἐγέννησε τὸν Μαθουσάλα, καὶ Μαθουσάλα ἐγέννησε τὸν Λάμεχ

Genesis 4:18 (NETS)

Genesis 4:18 (English Elpenor)
Then to Henoch was born Gaidad, and Gaidad was the father of Maiel, and Maiel the father of Mathousala, and Mathousala the father of Lamech. And to Enoch was born Gaidad; and Gaidad begot Maleleel; and Maleleel begot Mathusala; and Mathusala begot Lamech.

Genesis 4:23 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:23 (KJV)

Genesis 4:23 (NET)
And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; for I have slain a man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me; And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me! You wives of Lamech, hear my words!  I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for hurting me.

Genesis 4:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Λαμεχ ταῗς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιξίν Αδα καὶ Σελλα ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς γυναῗκες Λαμεχ ἐνωτίσασθέ μου τοὺς λόγους ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοὶ καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί εἶπε δὲ Λάμεχ ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιξίν· ᾿Αδὰ καὶ Σελλά, ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς, γυναῖκες Λάμεχ, ἐνωτίσασθέ μου τοὺς λόγους, ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοὶ καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί

Genesis 4:23 (NETS)

Genesis 4:23 (English Elpenor)
Now Lamech said to his own wives: “Ada and Sella, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to my words, because I have killed a man for a wound to me, and a young man for a welt to me, And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, consider my words, because I have slain a man to my sorrow and a youth to my grief.

Genesis 4:24 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:24 (KJV)

Genesis 4:24 (NET)
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much, then Lamech seventy-seven times!”

Genesis 4:24 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι ἑπτάκις ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ Καιν ἐκ δὲ Λαμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά ὅτι ἑπτάκις ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ Κάϊν, ἐκ δὲ Λάμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά

Genesis 4:24 (NETS)

Genesis 4:24 (English Elpenor)
because seven times vengeance has been exacted by Kain, but by Lamech seventy times seven.” Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain’s behalf, on Lamech’s [it shall be] seventy times seven.

Isaiah 59:1 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 59:1 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:1 (NET)
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak to deliver you; his ear is not too deaf to hear you.

Isaiah 59:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χεὶρ κυρίου τοῦ σῶσαι ἢ ἐβάρυνεν τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακοῦσαι ΜΗ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χεὶρ Κυρίου τοῦ σῶσαί; ἢ ἐβάρυνε τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακοῦσαι

Isaiah 59:1 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:1 (English Elpenor)
Is not the Lord’s hand strong to save?  Or has he made his ear heavy so as not to listen? Has the hand of the Lord no power to save? or has he made his ear heavy, so that he should not hear?
Isaiah 59:2 (Tanakh) Isaiah 59:2 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:2 (NET)
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God; your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.

Isaiah 59:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν διιστῶσιν ἀνὰ μέσον ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν ἀπέστρεψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν διϊστῶσιν ἀναμέσον ὑμῶν καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν ἀπέστρεψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι

Isaiah 59:2 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:2 (English Elpenor)
Rather, your sinful acts separate between you and God, and because of your sins he has turned his face away from you so as not to show mercy. Nay, your iniquities separate between you and God, and because of your sins has he turned away [his] face from you, so as not to have mercy [upon you].

Isaiah 59:3 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 59:3 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:3 (NET)
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin; your lips speak lies, your tongue utters malicious words.
Isaiah 59:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αἱ γὰρ χεῗρες ὑμῶν μεμολυμμέναι αἵματι καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι ὑμῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις τὰ δὲ χείλη ὑμῶν ἐλάλησεν ἀνομίαν καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ὑμῶν ἀδικίαν μελετᾷ αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες ὑμῶν μεμολυσμέναι αἵματι καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι ὑμῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, τὰ δὲ χείλη ὑμῶν ἐλάλησεν ἀνομίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ὑμῶν ἀδικίαν μελετᾷ

Isaiah 59:3 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:3 (English Elpenor)
For your hands have been defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins, and your lips have spoken lawlessness, and your tongue plots unrighteousness. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins; your lips also have spoken iniquity, and your tongue meditates unrighteousness.

Isaiah 59:4 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 59:4 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:4 (NET)
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. No one is concerned about justice; no one sets forth his case truthfully.  They depend on false words and tell lies; they conceive of oppression and give birth to sin.

Isaiah 59:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐδεὶς λαλεῗ δίκαια οὐδὲ ἔστιν κρίσις ἀληθινή πεποίθασιν ἐπὶ ματαίοις καὶ λαλοῦσιν κενά ὅτι κύουσιν πόνον καὶ τίκτουσιν ἀνομίαν οὐθεὶς λαλεῖ δίκαια, οὐδέ ἐστι κρίσις ἀληθινή· πεποίθασιν ἐπὶ ματαίοις καὶ λαλοῦσι κενά, ὅτι κύουσι πόνον καὶ τίκτουσιν ἀνομίαν

Isaiah 59:4 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:4 (English Elpenor)
No one speaks righteous things, nor is there true judgment; they trust in vanities, and they speak empty words, because they conceive trouble and give birth to lawlessness. None speaks justly, neither is there true judgment: they trust in vanities, and speak empty [words]; for they conceive trouble, and bring forth iniquity.

Genesis 6:11 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 6:11 (KJV)

Genesis 6:11 (NET)
And the earth was corrupt before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence.

Genesis 6:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 6:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐφθάρη δὲ ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας ἐφθάρη δὲ ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας

Genesis 6:11 (NETS)

Genesis 6:11 (English Elpenor)
Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was full of wrongdoing. But the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with iniquity.

Genesis 6:12 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 6:12 (KJV)

Genesis 6:12 (NET)
And G-d saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. God saw the earth, and indeed it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful.

Genesis 6:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 6:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τὴν γῆν καὶ ἦν κατεφθαρμένη ὅτι κατέφθειρεν πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ εἶδε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἦν κατεφθαρμένη, ὅτι κατέφθειρε πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

Genesis 6:12 (NETS)

Genesis 6:12 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was ruined, for all flesh had ruined his way upon the earth. And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupted; because all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.

Genesis 6:13 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 6:13 (KJV)

Genesis 6:13 (NET)
And G-d said unto Noah: ‘The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. So God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.  Now I am about to destroy them and the earth.

Genesis 6:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 6:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Νωε καιρὸς παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ἥκει ἐναντίον μου ὅτι ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καταφθείρω αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Νῶε· καιρὸς παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ἥκει ἐναντίον μου, ὅτι ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καταφθείρω αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν γῆν

Genesis 6:13 (NETS)

Genesis 6:13 (English Elpenor)
And God said to Noe, “The time of all humankind has come before me, for the earth has become full of wrongdoing by reason of them, and see, I am going to ruin them and the earth. And the Lord God said to Noe, A period of all men is come before me; because the earth has been filled with iniquity by them, and, behold, I destroy them and the earth.

Genesis 2:7 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

Genesis 2:7 (NET)
Then HaShem G-d formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν

Genesis 2:7 (NETS)

Genesis 2:7 (English Elpenor)
And God formed man, dust from the earth, and breathed into his face a breath of life, and the man became a living being. And God formed the man [of] dust of the earth, and breathed upon his face the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.

Romans 13:1-3 (NET)

Romans 13:1-3 (KJV)
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.  For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ θεοῦ, αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν πασα ψυχη εξουσιαις υπερεχουσαις υποτασσεσθω ου γαρ εστιν εξουσια ει μη απο θεου αι δε ουσαι εξουσιαι υπο του θεου τεταγμεναι εισιν πασα ψυχη εξουσιαις υπερεχουσαις υποτασσεσθω ου γαρ εστιν εξουσια ει μη υπο θεου αι δε ουσαι εξουσιαι υπο του θεου τεταγμεναι εισιν
So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὥστε ὁ ἀντιτασσόμενος τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ διαταγῇ ἀνθέστηκεν, οἱ δὲ ἀνθεστηκότες ἑαυτοῖς κρίμα λήμψονται ωστε ο αντιτασσομενος τη εξουσια τη του θεου διαταγη ανθεστηκεν οι δε ανθεστηκοτες εαυτοις κριμα ληψονται ωστε ο αντιτασσομενος τη εξουσια τη του θεου διαταγη ανθεστηκεν οι δε ανθεστηκοτες εαυτοις κριμα ληψονται
(for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad).  Do you desire not to fear authority?  Do good and you will receive its commendation For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.  Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
(οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες οὐκ εἰσὶν φόβος τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔργῳ ἀλλὰ τῷ κακῷ). θέλεις δὲ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν· τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει, καὶ ἕξεις ἔπαινον ἐξ αὐτῆς οι γαρ αρχοντες ουκ εισιν φοβος των αγαθων εργων αλλα των κακων θελεις δε μη φοβεισθαι την εξουσιαν το αγαθον ποιει και εξεις επαινον εξ αυτης οι γαρ αρχοντες ουκ εισιν φοβος των αγαθων εργων αλλα των κακων θελεις δε μη φοβεισθαι την εξουσιαν το αγαθον ποιει και εξεις επαινον εξ αυτης

[1] Galatians 5:22b, 23a (NET) Table

[2] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ὑπὸ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had απο (KJV: of).

[3] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εξουσιαι here (KJV: the powers).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[4] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article του preceding God.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[5] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had λήμψονται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ληψονται (KJV: receive).

[6] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔργῳ in the dative case here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had των αγαθων εργων in the genitive case (KJV: to good works).

[7] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῷ κακῷ in the dative case here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had των κακων in the genitive case (KJV: to the evil).

[8] 1 Corinthians 15:45 (NET)

[9] 1 Corinthians 15:50a (NET) Table

[10] John 3:6, 7 (NET)

Psalm 22, Part 1

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Rather than add an extremely lengthy addendum to another essay, I chose to begin a series of essays on Psalm 22 in the Septuagint.  Here is a Gospel harmony of Jesus’ words.

Matthew 27:45, 46 (NET)

 Mark 15:33, 34 (NET)

Luke 23:44, 45a (NET)
Now from noon until three, darkness came over all the land [Table]. Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon [Table]. It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,
because the sun’s light failed [Table].
At about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Table] Around three o’clock[1] Jesus cried out with a loud voice,[2] “Eloi, Eloi, lema[3] sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Chaim & Laura wrote a very moving essay on Chaim BenTorah online about ELI ELI LAMA SABACHTHANI.  It got me thinking about the possibility that the New Testament, especially the Gospel narratives, might be Greek translations of an original Hebrew or Aramaic text.  I imagined comparing it to the Greek text.

What if it lacked which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  How would I react?  Would I assume that it was the original?  Or would I assume that the translators of a Hebrew or Aramaic text had regarded it as redundant?

To get to the beautiful end of their essay Chaim & Laura made an assumption that discomforted me.  I resorted to giving my account face-to-face with Jesus.  So I considered believing that the Holy Spirit wanted me to know ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον· ὁ θεός μου |ὁ θεός μου|, εἰς τί ἐγκατέλιπες με (NET: which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”).  Then Jesus looks at me and says, “No, Dan, Chaim & Laura were right”:

the scribes added the footnote which being interpreted means…. This is in accordance with the Eastern Church which teaches that the scribes who wrote this out in Greek really did not understand what the phrase really meant, so they merely transliterated it into the Greek rather than translate it and then put in a short commentary or their own opinion and indicated this by the words that is to say… In other words they were not sure they had correctly quoted Jesus so they assumed he was speaking Psalms 22:1 and put in a little commentary to offer their opinion as to what he really said.[4]

Then I can respond, “I’m sorry, I took it literally.”  The alternative, to believe Chaim & Laura (something they have not asked me to do, by the way), leaves me without excuse if Jesus asks me, “What does the Scripture say, Dan?”

“Don’t be so lazy,” I chided myself for rejecting their insight in a thought experiment.  Comparing a Hebrew or Aramaic Gospel to the Greek might be interesting and informative.  So I looked online but I found no Hebrew[5] or Aramaic[6] Gospel.  Instead, I found an essay by David N. Bivin, “Has a Gospel in Hebrew Been Found?,” on Jerusalem Perspective.  Mr. Bivin wrote on October 31, 1987:

From time to time, one hears reports of the discovery of a portion of the New Testament written in Hebrew or Aramaic. To date, such reports have proven false. There is not a single extant Hebrew-language or Aramaic-language manuscript from the early Christian era of any of the New Testament books. [Addendum: March 29, 2024, Rev. Glenn David Bauscher might dispute that claim. Without a concordance I will still be unable to study it.]

Under a heading, “My Assumptions,” Mr. Bivin continued:

I have arrived at two conclusions that serve as working hypotheses for my research:

An account of Jesus’ life was written in Hebrew, probably by one of Jesus’ original disciples.

One (or more) of the sources used by the writers of the Synoptic Gospels is derived from a Greek translation of that Hebrew account.

After this I returned to the essay by Chaim & Laura:

As I have said, Jesus spoke a Northern dialect of Aramaic…

This now brings us to the word Eli. In the Southern dialect this would mean my God.  However, in the Northern dialect, which is more colloquial, the word el would be used for more than just the word god, it was sometimes used in a descriptive sense.  A god is someone or something that has control over you. People are, for instance, controlled by their hearts desires. Thus Jesus could have been saying, “my heart.” In the Semitic languages when a word is repeated twice it is done to show emphasis.  Hence in the Old Galilean when Jesus said Eli Eli he could have been saying “listen to my heart.”  The word lama (Hebrew) or lema (Aramaic) generally is used as an interrogative, but this is not necessarily set in stone.  To use lema as a question, why am I forsaken or why have I been kept suggest that Jesus did not understand what was happening to Him. That is not my Jesus, He is God, and He is all knowing. In that context we could properly and linguistically render this not as a question but as a declaration, this is why.  In the Old Galilean lema Sabachthani means, this is why I have been kept or this is my destiny. In fact scholars have discovered this phrase still in use in that tribe that still uses the Old Galilean. They use it in the context of this is my destiny.  In other words Jesus was not speaking to God but to the people who were mourning his death, those who could understand his dialect and in His last breath what He could have been saying is, “Listen to my heart, this is my destiny.” Jesus was telling those who were in sorrow over his death, “Listen to my heart, this is why I came to earth in the first place, this is my purpose, to die for you.”

This time it occurred to me to ask, if an ancient language like Aramaic was so divergent over so small a geographical area almost two thousand years ago, why should I believe that its current usage among a contemporary tribe corrects an “error” in the Bible?  If Aramaic was that diverse in Jesus’ day, it would only make sense to address large mixed gatherings in a newer, more universal, common language used over a larger geographical area, like Koine Greek.  With all due respect to the research and assumptions of Mr. Bivin and Chaim & Laura, I’ll continue to explore Psalm 22 as the melody[7] in Jesus’ heart as He endured the cross.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Psalm 22:1 (Tanakh) Psalm 22:1 (NET) Psalm 21:1, 2 (NETS)

Psalm 21:1, 2 (Elpenor English)
For the music director, according to the tune “Morning Doe”; a psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?  I groan (sheʼâgâh, שאגתי) in prayer, but help seems far away.

 Regarding completion.  Over the support at dawn.  A Psalm.  Pertaining to Dauid. [For the end, concerning the morning aid, a Psalm of David.]
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring (שַֽׁאֲגָתִֽי)? God, my God, attend to me; why did you forsake me?  Far away from my deliverance are the words of my transgressions (παραπτωμάτων). O God, my God, attend to me: why hast thou forsaken me? the account of my transgressions (παραπτωμάτων) is far from my salvation.

The rabbis translated שַֽׁאֲגָתִֽ (sheʼâgâh; Tanakh: roaring) τῶν παραπτωμάτων μου (my transgressions) in the Septuagint (Table2 below).  I can see why Jesus may have preferred to meditate on the Hebrew or Aramaic text rather than the Greek.  Morfix, which I assume is intended more for contemporary Hebrew to English translation than ancient, yields “roar, shout” when I enter שַֽׁאֲגָתִֽ (sheʼâgâh).  Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon on the BLB entry for Strong’s Concordance number H7581 mentions “cry of a wretched person, wrung forth by grief.”  Only the NET dictionary mentions “the wicked” in its definition of שאגתי (sheʼâgâh): “1) roaring 1a) of lion, the wicked, distress cry.”  But even in the words, the account of my transgressions is far from my salvation, I hear the echo of, God[8] made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us.[9]   And yet no follower of Nietzsche can claim that Jesus affirmed that “He died for his own sins.”[10]

Chaim & Laura wrote about sabachthani:

As for the word Sabachthani well, we are not sure, it appears to be from the Aramaic word sbq which means to forsake or abandon for a purpose.  The Aramaic word for just simply to abandon to forsake because it is unwanted is taatani. However, it can be argued that the root word is really shwaq which means to be kept, spared or allowed or to fulfill an end. If Jesus had really meant that God had abandoned Him or forgot Him He would have used the word taatani (forsake) or nashatani (forget).

Something even more curious is that the passage suggests that Jesus is quoting Psalms 22:1 yet in Hebrew that phrase is eli, eli lama ‘azabethni not sabachthani. However the Jewish Targum (Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible) does use the Aramaic word sbq in Psalms 22:1, which is probably why the scribes added the footnote which being interpreted means….

It is certainly true that the Masoretic[11] text has עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי (a form of ʽâzab) here.

Chaim & Laura continued:

Indeed Jesus could have been misquoted from scribes or witnesses at the crucifixion if they were from Judea, for the Judeans spoke a Southern dialect of Aramaic but Jesus and his disciples were from the Northern part of Israel, Galilee, where they spoke a Northern dialect of Aramaic…My belief that all Scripture is the inspired Word of God makes me a little uncomfortable suggesting that the Bible misquoted Jesus.  If the Bible teaches Jesus said Sabachthani, then that is what He said, no misquotation.

As I have said, Jesus spoke a Northern dialect of Aramaic.  My studies have been in the middle dialect of Aramaic, more commonly known as the Jewish Babylonian Aramaic or Talmudic Aramaic…So I claim no expertise on the Old Galilean or Northern dialect of Aramaic. However, from my research into the Old Galilean I find that the study of the Old Galilean is a relatively new discovery.  It was felt that the Northern dialect of Aramaic or the Old Galilean dialect was a dead language, however, linguist have found a tribe in Northern Iraq that still speaks this dialect and scholars from Oxford have descended upon these people to learn some of the finer points of this dialect.

I am as moved emotionally by this—the idea that a contemporary tribe, since Jesus’ resurrection, uses lema Sabachthani (in difficult circumstances, I assume) to mean this is my destiny—as I was moved by Chaim’s & Laura’s use of this contemporary meaning of Sabachthani to translate Jesus’ words.  It’s a wash[12] for me emotionally.  But if I will receive ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον· ὁ θεός μου |ὁ θεός μου|, εἰς τί ἐγκατέλιπες με (NET: which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”) as words inspired by the Spirit of God rather than the words of ignorant scribes I can know that Sabachthani meant ἐγκατέλιπες (a form of ἐγκαταλείπω) when Jesus said it, as the rabbis translated it in the Septuagint (Table2 below).  And Chaim’s & Laura’s essay has placed an asterisk in my mind beside one of the meanings of ἐγκαταλείπω: “to leave for future benefit.”

One more thing before I move on.  The Septuagint had πρόσχες μοι (attend to me) between My God, my God and why hast thou forsaken me.  That Jesus did not say anything like attend to me would ordinarily tip me toward the idea that the rabbis added it to the original Hebrew rather than that the Masoretes deleted it from the original.  In this particular case the content itself leaves me wondering if Jesus might have skipped it because he was too short of breath to add: I knew that you always (πάντοτε) listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.[13]

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Psalm 22:2 (Tanakh) Psalm 22:2 (NET) Psalm 21:3 (NETS)

Psalm 21:3 (Elpenor English)
O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent (דֽוּמִיָּ֥ה). My God, I cry out during the day, but you do not answer, and during the night my prayers do not let up (dûmı̂yâh, דומיה). O my God, I will cry by day, and you will not listen, and by night, and it becomes no folly (ἄνοιαν) for me. O my God, I will cry to thee by day, but thou wilt not hear: and by night, and [it shall] not [be accounted] for folly (ἄνοιαν) to me.

Though the Masoretic text was translated into English in the present tense, but thou hearest not (Tanakh) or but you do not answer (NET), the rabbis chose εἰσακούσῃ (a form of εἰσακούω).  An English translator can be reasonably certain they didn’t intend εἰσακούσῃ as a 3rd person singular verb here (he did not listen or hear).  But there are two choices for the 2nd person singular: a future tense in the indicative mood or an aorist tense in the subjunctive mood.  I assume it was the negation οὐκ (Table4 below) that tipped them to the future tense: and you will not listen (NETS) or but thou wilt not hear (English Elpenor).

It is interesting to think of the Septuagint here as more faithful to the original text, even as I consider that original text as Jesus’ prayer to his Father from the cross.  He knew He would not be saved from death.  But it’s fair to wonder whether I would have been sensitive enough to recognize this subtle difference if I hadn’t been primed by Chaim’s & Laura’s concern: “To use lema as a question, why am I forsaken or why have I been kept suggest that Jesus did not understand what was happening to Him.”

Where the Masoretic text had דֽוּמִיָּ֥ה (dûmı̂yâh), the Septuagint had ἄνοιαν (a form of ἄνοια).  The English translations of the Masoretic text, and am not silent (Tanakh) or my prayers do not let up (NET), are considerably different from those of the Septuagint, and it becomes no folly for me (NETS) or and [it shall] not [be accounted] for folly to me (English Elpenor).  So I ran דֽוּמִיָּ֥ה and דומיה through Morfix.

דֽוּמִיָּ֥ה
Hebrew Tanakh Forms English Definitions
דֽוּמִיָּ֥ה silent דֹּמִי (flowery) silence, stillness
דּוֹמֶה resembles, similar to; similar; in the same way as; דומים – (geometry) equivalent
דָּמַם (literary) to silence, to quieten; (literary) to cease moving, to stand still
דומיה
Hebrew NET Forms English Definitions
דומיה do…let up דּוּמִיָּה absolute silence, hush
דּוֹמֶה et cetera, and the like, and similar

I don’t see how to get the one from the other.  But if I assume that the Septuagint is closer to the original Hebrew, even as I consider it as Jesus’ prayer, I hear his persistence and faith: O my God, I will cry to thee by day, but thou wilt not hear: and by night, and [it shall] not [be accounted] for folly to me.

After Peter recognized Jesus as the Christ, Jesus began to teach [his disciples] that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by[14] the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law,[15] and be killed, and after three days rise again.[16]  Jesus’ prayer day and night was not folly.  I’ll let what follows stand as a testament to his faith without comment from me.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Psalm 22:3-5 (Tanakh) Psalm 22:3-5 (NET) Psalm 21:4-6 (NETS)

Psalm 21:4-6 (Elpenor English)
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. You are holy; you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel. But you, the commendation of Israel, reside in a holy place. But thou, the praise of Israel, dwellest in a sanctuary.
Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted in you and you rescued them. In you our fathers hoped; they hoped, and you rescued them. Our fathers hoped in thee; they hoped, and thou didst deliver them.
They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. To you they cried out, and they were saved; in you they trusted and they were not disappointed. To you they cried and were saved; in you they hoped and were not put to shame. They cried to thee, and were saved: they hoped in thee, and were not ashamed.

I’ll continue this in another essay.

Tables comparing Psalm 22:1; 22:2; 22:3; 22:4 and 22:5 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Psalm 22:1 (22:1, 2); 22:2 (21:3); 22:3 (21:4); 22:4 (21:5) and 22:5 (22:6) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Tables comparing Mark 15:34; Ephesians 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Mark 8:31 in the NET and KJV follow those.

Psalm 22:1 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 22:1 (KJV)

Psalm 22:1 (NET)
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? For the music director, according to the tune “Morning Doe”; a psalm of David.  My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?  I groan in prayer, but help seems far away.

Psalm 22:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 21:1, 2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰς τὸ τέλος ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀντιλήμψεως τῆς ἑωθινῆς ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός μου πρόσχες μοι ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς σωτηρίας μου οἱ λόγοι τῶν παραπτωμάτων μου Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀντιλήψεως τῆς ἑωθινῆς· ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ.  Ο ΘΕΟΣ, ὁ Θεός μου, πρόσχες μοι· ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με; μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς σωτηρίας μου οἱ λόγοι τῶν παραπτωμάτων μου

Psalm 21:1, 2 (NETS)

Psalm 21:1, 2 (English Elpenor)
Regarding completion.  Over the support at dawn.  A Psalm.  Pertaining to Dauid.  God, my God, attend to me; why did you forsake me?  Far away from my deliverance are the words of my transgressions. [For the end, concerning the morning aid, a Psalm of David.]  O God, my God, attend to me: why hast thou forsaken me? the account of my transgressions is far from my salvation.

Psalm 22:2 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 22:2 (KJV)

Psalm 22:2 (NET)
O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. My God, I cry out during the day, but you do not answer, and during the night my prayers do not let up.

Psalm 22:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 21:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ θεός μου κεκράξομαι ἡμέρας καὶ οὐκ εἰσακούσῃ καὶ νυκτός καὶ οὐκ εἰς ἄνοιαν ἐμοί ὁ Θεός μου, κεκράξομαι ἡμέρας, καὶ οὐκ εἰσακούσῃ, καὶ νυκτός, καὶ οὐκ εἰς ἄνοιαν ἐμοί

Psalm 21:3 (NETS)

Psalm 21:3 (English Elpenor)
O my God, I will cry by day, and you will not listen, and by night, and it becomes no folly for me. O my God, I will cry to thee by day, but thou wilt not hear: and by night, and [it shall] not [be accounted] for folly to me.

Psalm 22:3 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 22:3 (KJV)

Psalm 22:3 (NET)
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. You are holy; you sit as king receiving the praises of Israel.

Psalm 22:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 21:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
σὺ δὲ ἐν ἁγίοις κατοικεῗς ὁ ἔπαινος Ισραηλ σὺ δὲ ἐν ἁγίῳ κατοικεῖς, ὁ ἔπαινος τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ

Psalm 21:4 (NETS)

Psalm 21:4 (English Elpenor)
But you, the commendation of Israel, reside in a holy place. But thou, the praise of Israel, dwellest in a sanctuary.

Psalm 22:4 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 22:4 (KJV)

Psalm 22:4 (NET)
Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted in you and you rescued them.

Psalm 22:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 21:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἤλπισαν καὶ ἐρρύσω αὐτούς ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, ἤλπισαν, καὶ ἐῤῥύσω αὐτούς

Psalm 21:5 (NETS)

Psalm 21:5 (English Elpenor)
In you our fathers hoped; they hoped, and you rescued them. Our fathers hoped in thee; they hoped, and thou didst deliver them.

Psalm 22:5 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 22:5 (KJV)

Psalm 22:5 (NET)
They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. To you they cried out, and they were saved; in you they trusted and they were not disappointed.

Psalm 22:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 21:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πρὸς σὲ ἐκέκραξαν καὶ ἐσώθησαν ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισαν καὶ οὐ κατῃσχύνθησαν πρὸς σὲ ἐκέκραξαν καὶ ἐσώθησαν, ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισαν καὶ οὐ κατῃσχύνθησαν

Psalm 21:6 (NETS)

Psalm 21:6 (English Elpenor)
To you they cried and were saved; in you they hoped and were not put to shame. They cried to thee, and were saved: they hoped in thee, and were not ashamed.

Mark 15:34 (NET)

Mark 15:34 (KJV)
Around three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ τῇ ἐνάτῃ ὥρᾳ ἐβόησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· ἐλωι ἐλωι |λεμα| σαβαχθανι; ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον· ὁ θεός μου |ὁ θεός μου|, εἰς τί ἐγκατέλιπες με και τη ωρα τη εννατη εβοησεν ο ιησους φωνη μεγαλη λεγων ελωι ελωι λαμμα σαβαχθανι ο εστιν μεθερμηνευομενον ο θεος μου ο θεος μου εις τι με εγκατελιπες και τη ωρα τη ενατη εβοησεν ο ιησους φωνη μεγαλη λεγων ελωι ελωι λιμα σαβαχθανι ο εστιν μεθερμηνευομενον ο θεος μου ο θεος μου εις τι με εγκατελιπες

Ephesians 5:19 (NET)

Ephesians 5:19 (KJV)
speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
λαλοῦντες ἑαυτοῖς [ἐν] ψαλμοῖς καὶ ὕμνοις καὶ ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς, ᾄδοντες καὶ ψάλλοντες τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν τῷ κυρίῳ, λαλουντες εαυτοις ψαλμοις και υμνοις και ωδαις πνευματικαις αδοντες και ψαλλοντες εν τη καρδια υμων τω κυριω λαλουντες εαυτοις ψαλμοις και υμνοις και ωδαις πνευματικαις αδοντες και ψαλλοντες εν τη καρδια υμων τω κυριω

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NET)

2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)
God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν, ἵνα ἡμεῖς γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ τον γαρ μη γνοντα αμαρτιαν υπερ ημων αμαρτιαν εποιησεν ινα ημεις γινωμεθα δικαιοσυνη θεου εν αυτω τον γαρ μη γνοντα αμαρτιαν υπερ ημων αμαρτιαν εποιησεν ινα ημεις γενωμεθα δικαιοσυνη θεου εν αυτω

Mark 8:31 (NET)

Mark 8:31 (KJV)
Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ἤρξατο διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς ὅτι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πολλὰ παθεῖν καὶ ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ τῶν γραμματέων καὶ ἀποκτανθῆναι καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστῆναι· και ηρξατο διδασκειν αυτους οτι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου πολλα παθειν και αποδοκιμασθηναι απο των πρεσβυτερων και αρχιερεων και γραμματεων και αποκτανθηναι και μετα τρεις ημερας αναστηναι και ηρξατο διδασκειν αυτους οτι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου πολλα παθειν και αποδοκιμασθηναι απο των πρεσβυτερων και των αρχιερεων και των γραμματεων και αποκτανθηναι και μετα τρεις ημερας αναστηναι

[1] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῇ ἐνάτῃ ὥρᾳ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had τη ωρα τη εννατη (KJV: at the ninth hour) and the Byzantine Majority Text had τη ωρα τη ενατη.

[2] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had λεγων (KJV: saying) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[3] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had λεμα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had λαμμα (KJV: lama) and the Byzantine Majority Text had λιμα.

[4] WORD STUDY – ELI ELI LAMA SABACHTHANI PART I

[5] Shem Tob’s Hebrew Gospel of Matthew: “is the oldest extant Hebrew version of the Gospel of Matthew. It was included in the 14th-century work Eben Boḥan (The Touchstone) by the Spanish Jewish Rabbi Shem-Tov ben Isaac ben Shaprut. George Howard has argued that Shem Tov’s Matthew comes from a much earlier Hebrew text that was later translated into Greek and other languages…Shem-Tob ben Isaac Ibn Shaprut was the author of an anti-Christian religious treatise, The Touchstone, completed in 1380 and revised in 1385 and 1400. Often referred to as “The Logic of Shem Tob”, it argues against the belief that Jesus is God.”

[6] Hebrew Gospel hypothesis: “(or proto-Gospel hypothesis or Aramaic Matthew hypothesis) is a group of theories based on the proposition that a lost gospel in Hebrew or Aramaic lies behind the four canonical gospels. It is based upon an early Christian tradition, deriving from the 2nd-century bishop Papias of Hierapolis, that the apostle Matthew composed such a gospel. Papias appeared to say that this Hebrew or Aramaic gospel was subsequently translated into the canonical gospel of Matthew, but modern studies have shown this to be untenable.”

[7] Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19 KJV)

[8] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γαρ (KJV: For) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[9] 2 Corinthians 5:21a (NET)

[10] The Antichrist (book), “Revolt against Jewish priesthood”: “This saintly anarchist, who aroused the people of the abyss, the outcasts and “sinners,” the Chandala of Judaism, to rise in revolt against the established order of things…this man was certainly a political criminal.… This is what brought him to the cross.… He died for his own sins…”

[11] The Masoretic Text: The traditional–sometimes imperfect–Jewish version of the Torah text.; Jewish Concepts: Masoretic Text

[12] Google Dictionary: 8. INFORMAL•NORTH AMERICAN – a situation or result that is of no benefit to either of two opposing sides. “the plan’s impact on jobs would be a wash, creating as many as it costs”

[13] John 11:42 (NET)

[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὑπὸ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απο (KJV: of).

[15] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had τῶν preceding experts in the law.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

[16] Mark 8:31 (NET)

He Takes Away, Part 3

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In 1882 George Matheson wrote:

O Love, that wilt not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

I quote it here—especially “O Love, that wilt not let me go” —as the testimony of two witnesses.  One witness, the author of this verse, is the epitome of the righteous as I understand it, according to a comment on hymnal.net by Ana Lara, March 27, 2020.  George Matheson struggled to serve God against the undeserved evils of blindness and loneliness.  The other witness is a sinner who has struggled against almost every sin of the flesh and most sins of doubt and confusion.

I, that sinner, further affirm that God is patient, God is kind, He is not envious.  He does not brag, He is not puffed up.  He is not rude, He is not self-serving, He is not easily angered or resentful.  He is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.

The Bible is translated into English by committees of the righteous, not by committees of sinners.  I don’t have a lot of personal experience to know what it feels like to be the righteous.  I have Jesus’ word (Luke 15:11-32) that they may feel that God has treated them unfairly when He shows mercy to a sinner like me.

Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, Jesus said, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.[1]

I’m led to examine the Greek.

John 6:37
 NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus
πᾶν ὃ δίδωσιν μοι ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς ἐμὲ ἥξει, καὶ τὸν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς |ἐμὲ| οὐ μὴ ἐκβάλω ἔξω παν ο διδωσιν μοι ο πατηρ προς εμε ηξει και τον ερχομενον προς με ου μη εκβαλω εξω

NET

KJV
Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

The Greek word translated Everyone (KJV: All) is πᾶν (a form of πᾶς).  It is listed as an adjective that may be in the nominative case or the accusative case, but stands as the subject of this clause in both translations.  It is singular and neuter while πᾶς is singular and masculine. But πᾶν (everyone or all) is limited and specified by what follows.

The next word is the relative pronoun ὃ, a singular neuter form of ὅς, translated whom in the NET signaling the translators’ choice of the accusative case over the nominative case.  The KJV translators’ choice, that, is more difficult to ferret out.  The verb δίδωσιν, a form of δίδωμι in the present tense, active voice and indicative mood follows this relative pronoun.  Jesus makes a factual statement here as opposed to proposing a hypothetical situation.

The personal pronoun μοι, a first person singular form of ἐγώ in the dative case follows the verb.  So I have: “Everyone whom [an as yet unspecified third person singular] gives me” or gives “to me.”  Then the giver is specified: ὁ πατὴρ, the Father, unequivocally in the nominative case.  “Everyone whom the Father gives me…”

The preposition πρὸς is next, followed by the personal pronoun ἐμὲ, the first person form of ἐγώ in the accusative case.  This signifies that ἐμὲ is the direct object of πρὸς, and that the meaning of πρὸς is selected from the following pool: “to; toward, in the direction of; beside; against; with; at; toward daybreak.”  So I have: “Everyone whom the Father gives me, to me…”

The verb ἥξει, a third person singular form of ἥκω, completes this clause.  It is in the future tense, active voice and indicative mood.  This remains a factual statement through and through: “Everyone whom the Father gives me, to me will come.”

Frankly, my knowledge of Greek is insufficient to see why—other than word order—this wasn’t translated: “the Father gives me everyone who will come to me.”  The grammarian in my head actually prefers it.  Of course my grammarian is still more familiar with American English than Koine Greek.  The logician in my head hears “everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me” and “the Father gives me everyone who will come to me” as logically equivalent, so long as I’m not confused by will.

The English word will in the NET doesn’t refer to any forms of the Greek verbs θέλω or βούλομαι (to will), or any forms of the nouns θέλημα or βουλή (the will).  It was simply half of the two word phrase, will come, the NET translators chose for the Greek verb ἥξει.  And though both verbs, δίδωσιν and ἥξει, are in the active voice, I hear no cause and effect between them here necessarily.

Yes, one could argue that, No one can come to me (ἐλθεῖν πρός με) unless the Father who sent me draws him,[2] adds a sense of cause and effect to this clause retrospectively.  But in context it’s not yet the point of this clause.  The logical equivalence of the one the Father gives Jesus with the one who will come to Jesus is really leaping off the page at me.

Imprisoned in time as I am, I’m unqualified to use this clause to judge another negatively.  In other words, I can’t say, it appears to me that you have not come to Jesus yet, therefore the Father has not given you to Jesus.  I may have a limited qualification to judge positively: It appears to me that you have come to Jesus, therefore the Father has given you to Jesus.  But it seems to me, as one who will stand before Jesus to give an account, that the best understanding of this clause is that anyone who appears to me to have come to, toward, in the direction of, beside, with, even against Jesus, should be recognized as at least potentially a precious gift of God the Father to God the Son.

The next clause begins with the conjunction καὶ.  This is followed by τὸν ἐρχόμενον.  Apparently, placing a definite article before a verb (a form of ἔρχομαι here) transforms it into something like a gerund, a verb functioning as a noun, “the coming one,” translated the one who comes (NET) or him that cometh (KJV).  Since τὸν and ἐρχόμενον are both in the accusative case, the one who comes is the direct object of this clause.

The prepositional phrase πρὸς |ἐμὲ| in the NET parallel Greek text or προς με in the Stephanus Textus Receptus follows ἐρχόμενον.  So I have: “and the one who comes to me…”

The negation which follows is οὐ μὴ.  It is nothing like a double negative in English.  Rather, it is an emphatic negation.  The verb it negates is ἐκβάλω, a 2nd aorist tense form of ἐκβάλλω in the active voice and subjunctive mood.   Though it is not the future tense ἐκβαλῶ, it was translated as a potential future event, I will…send away (NET) or I will…cast out (KJV), relative to the time one comes to Jesus.

Here is Justin Alfred again on the emphatic negation of a future event in the aorist tense.[3]

However, when these two Greek negative particles are combined in the form of οὐ µή (ou mē) with reference to a future event, what results is an intensified form of the negative: “οὐ µή (ou mē) is the most decisive way of negativing something in the future.” Thayer adds, “The particles οὐ µή in combination augment the force of the negation, and signify not at all, in no wise, by no means; . . .”

However, when this combination is attached to an Aorist Subjunctive, what occurs is what has been termed the Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation. As was pointed out above, the Subjunctive Mood indicates the probability of an event, and the Aorist Tense emphasizes an action as simply occurring, without any specific reference to time, apart from the use of an adverbial modifier (e.g., that which would describe when, where, how much, or how often). Thus, when you have οὐ µή (ou mē) in combination with the Aorist Subjunctive, what occurs is the absolute and unequivocal denial of the probability of an event EVER OCCURING at any moment or time in the future.

The Greek word ἔξω, translated away (NET) or out (KJV), may be an adverb or a preposition.  I’ll assume that it’s an adverb here modifying ἐκβάλω, since no object of the preposition is present.  I don’t think it diminishes the power of the “Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation” as described by Mr. Alfred above.

The Father and I are one,[4] Jesus said: ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν.

I’ve already encountered ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ, “I and the Father.”  The adjective ἕν (a form of εἷς) is the number one.  And ἐσμεν is a 1st person plural form of εἰμί in the present tense, active voice and indicative mood: “I and the Father one are.”  In other words, God the Father and God the Son exist as one God.  He is not divided against Himself.

So I have “the absolute and unequivocal denial of the probability” that one God will “EVER…at any moment or time in the future” send away the one who comes to Jesus, as a fact before I even come to the metaphor in John 15:1-8.  This fact must be the basis for any assumptions I make when translating that metaphor into English.

When Jesus said to his disciples, I am the vine; you are the branches,[5] he clarified the meaning of a metaphor.  He didn’t transform human beings into the branches of a vine.  Human beings they remained, fully capable of autonomous motion, with agile minds, easily bored, easily captivated by other people and other concepts than Jesus and his word.  Such a hypothetical human being “[is] not one remaining in [Jesus], [and is] like a branch [that] was thrown out and dried up, they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and it burns.”  This is a description of this hypothetical human being’s present condition, not a prophecy necessarily of this hypothetical human beings’ future.

On the contrary, Jesus’ point was: Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me [Table]…The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing,[6] as far as bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit is concerned.

Don’t be fooled.  To other human beings imprisoned in time the human being not remaining in Jesus may appear exceptionally accomplished professionally, politically, academically, artistically, commercially, even, dare I say it, religiously as a “soul winner.”  But as far as the fruit of the Spirit of God is concerned, this one can accomplish nothing, “like a branch [that] was thrown out and dried up, they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and it burns.”

On the other hand, when Jesus spoke of “every branch in me that does not bear fruit,” He speaks of a human being in Jesus, captivated by Him and his word.  And here I’ll mix Jesus’ and Paul’s metaphors: This one participates in the richness of the olive root;[7] this one is continuously filled with God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.[8]  But what proceeds out of this one is not very loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle or self-controlled at present.

I’ll take me for an example, talking politics.  God help me I’m neither Democrat nor Republican but a bomb-throwing anarchist at heart.  And I in this area, even as a branch in Jesus that does not yet bear the fruit that is so generously supplied, can be assured that the gardener, God our Father, will lift us up, move us upward, raise us to a higher level, carry us along, bear with us, endure with us until He causes his fruit to emerge through us.

We can know this for certain by faith in Jesus Christ, who said takes away ain’t no option in Greek for an English translation of αἴρει in John 15:2 concerning the One true God regarding the one who remains in Jesus.  My Father is honored by this, Jesus said, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.[9]

A table comparing John 6:44 in the NET and KJV follow.

John 6:44 (NET)

John 6:44 (KJV)
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με ἐὰν μὴ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ πέμψας με ἑλκύσῃ αὐτόν, καγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ουδεις δυναται ελθειν προς με εαν μη ο πατηρ ο πεμψας με ελκυση αυτον και εγω αναστησω αυτον τη εσχατη ημερα ουδεις δυναται ελθειν προς με εαν μη ο πατηρ ο πεμψας με ελκυση αυτον και εγω αναστησω αυτον εν τη εσχατη ημερα

He Takes Away, Part 2

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A gnat of a notion that takes away may not be the best translation of αἴρει (a form of αἴρω) in, He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me,[1] became important enough to address directly.  Here is a table of possible translations.

Meanings of αἴρω Possible Translations of αἴρει in John 15:2a
to lift up, take up, pick up He lifts up every branch that does not bear fruit in me.
to look up (in prayer) He looks up (in prayer) every branch that does not bear fruit in me.
to move upward, raise vertically He moves every branch that does not bear fruit in me upward.
to raise to a higher level He raises every branch that does not bear fruit in me to a higher level.
to take up and carry along He takes up and carries along every branch that does not bear fruit in me.
to lift up and carry away, remove He lifts up and carries away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.
to take away, remove (no suggestion of lifting up) He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.
to bear with, endure He bears with every branch that does not bear fruit in me.
to carry, transport He carries every branch that does not bear fruit in me.
to bear and uphold He bears and upholds every branch that does not bear fruit in me.
to be dressed as an office-bearer He dresses every branch that does not bear fruit in me as an office-bearer.
to cause to emerge He causes every branch that does not bear fruit in me to emerge.

The previous essay went in a direction I didn’t expect.  Though I enjoyed diagramming sentences in elementary school, I had no idea I could begin to do it in Greek.  Comparing the Greek construction of the clauses of John 15:2a to Mark 4:15b and Luke 8:12b I realized that Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away[2] was structurally more like with their hands they will lift you up[3] than either immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them,[4] or then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.[5]

Here I want to consider Paul’s usage of a similar metaphor.  I realize this can be frustrating.  I’m well past the point where at other times in my life I’ve abandoned Jesus and done whatever I wanted instead.  But ever since I prayed my slightly insulting prayer of miniscule faith—“If you’re really out there, I really want to know you”—something has changed.  “Whatever I wanted instead” has never turned out to be exactly what I wanted then or now.  For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.[6]  I eventually wound up back with Jesus studying the Bible.

With this history between us, we laugh at my frustration now, go to bed, get up and do it again the next morning.  Now[7] I am speaking to you Gentiles, Paul wrote believers in Rome (Romans 11:13-21 NET).

Seeing that[8] I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I could provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them.  For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? [Table]  If the first portion of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy, and if the root is holy, so too are the branches.

Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root,[9] do not boast over the branches.  But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.  Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in” [Table].  Granted!  They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith.  Do not be arrogant, but fear!  For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.

The Greek words translated perhaps above in the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 were μή πως, and μήπως in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.  The former were in brackets indicating a suspicion that μή πως may not be original.  For all I know that is a suspicion that μήπως is more original.  I’m not studying the manuscripts.  From a logical perspective, however, I could argue that perhaps is not original to Paul.

For if God did not spare the natural branches (those in Israel who did not believe Jesus), he will not spare you (Gentiles who do not believe Jesus).  Gentiles (ἔθνεσιν and ἐθνῶν, both forms of ἔθνος) do not comprise a special favored class with potentially unique rights and privileges in Paul’s theology.  And will…spare you (σοῦ φείσεται) here means to spare one from being broken off in the future as some were broken off (ἐξεκλάσθησαν, a form of ἐκκλάω) in the past from participation in the richness of the olive root (NET) or partaking in the root and fatness of the olive tree (KJV).

Viewed from the perspective Paul revealed in this passage the question was not: is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?[10]  Rather, the question was: “is this the time you are restoring Israel to the kingdom?”  But Jesus didn’t correct his disciples’ question (Acts 1:7, 8 NET).

He told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth” [Table].

So how does this relate to He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me?  I made the connection initially through the English word branches.  I got in trouble for that kind of thinking once.

I had written an essay much like one of these, comparing/contrasting various passages from the Bible, but had made my linkages in English translation only.  I showed it to my brother.  He was not very far into it before he got red in the face and tore it up.  This wasn’t something stored on disc somewhere that I could easily reprint.  It was my only copy laboriously typed.  But I don’t want to make it sound worse than it was.  I was a musician, an athlete and a sinner.  I was used to being yelled at, didn’t necessarily like it, but very accustomed to it.

What hurt the most was that I had been sincerely excited about what I thought I was learning in my new NASB Bible.  When my brother calmed down, he showed me how to use Strong’s Concordance.  It was a big book only keyed to the KJV at the time.  So I began the habit of reading the NASB, checking with the KJV, looking up words in the concordance and writing out lists of verses which contained the Greek or Hebrew word in question.  When I looked back at my lists of verses and couldn’t recall the sense they had made to me, I copied longer passages.  Eventually I got a Commodore 64 and started typing verses and passages.  Different computers and more notes later, I looked back at my lists of Bible passages.  When I couldn’t remember what I was thinking at the time I had compiled them, I began to write essays again.

Here are some of the differences between the two passages in question.

Romans 11:16, 17 (NET)

John 15:1, 2 (NET)
11:16 root ρίζα 15:1 vine ἄμπελος
branches κλάδοι, a form of κλάδος 15:2 branch κλῆμα
11:17 κλάδων, another form of κλάδος
broken off ἐξεκλάσθησαν, a form of ἐκκλάω takes away αἴρει, a form of αἴρω

A Greek reader wouldn’t necessarily make any connection between these metaphors based on these words.  The only potential connection is the imagery conjured by the words.  I took the following for comparison: If anyone does not remain[11] in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the[12] fire, and are burned up.[13]  Jesus is trying to get me to slow down and pay particular attention to the Greek.  So here goes.

Romans 11:21

 John 15:6
 NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus  NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus
εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, [μή πως] οὐδὲ σοῦ φείσεται ει γαρ ο θεος των κατα φυσιν κλαδων ουκ εφεισατο μηπως ουδε σου φεισηται ἐὰν μή τις μένῃ ἐν ἐμοί, ἐβλήθη ἔξω ὡς τὸ κλῆμα καὶ ἐξηράνθη καὶ συνάγουσιν αὐτὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ πῦρ βάλλουσιν καὶ καίεται εαν μη τις μεινη εν εμοι εβληθη εξω ως το κλημα και εξηρανθη και συναγουσιν αυτα και εις πυρ βαλλουσιν και καιεται

NET

 KJV NET

KJV
For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed[14] lest he also spare not thee. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

There is a factual statement in Romans 11:21 indicated by the negation οὐκ and the verb it negates: God did not spare the natural branches.  Or if I put the words back closer to their order in Greek: God the natural branches did not spare.  The phrase did…spare was the way the NET translators rendered ἐφείσατο, a form of φείδομαι in the aorist tense and the indicative mood.

Then he used that fact (εἰ γὰρ, translated For if) to deduce another: he will not spare you.  Or if I put the words back closer to their order in Greek: neither you will he spare.  The phrase will…spare was the way the NET translators rendered φείσεται, another form of φείδομαι in the future tense and the indicative mood.  The negation οὐδὲ is a negation of fact as well.

So, if Paul actually felt the necessity to place μή πως or μηπως in the midst of this deductively valid if-then statement, it says something extraordinary, not about Gentiles but about being in Christ.  And though the originality of μή πως is questioned in the NA28 and NET parallel Greek text, it still stands.

Jesus proposed a hypothetical situation.  This is indicated by the qualified negation μή and the verb μένῃ.[15]  Justin Alfred in a posting on the BLB Blog, “EMPHATIC NEGATIONS IN BIBLICAL GREEK,” quoted from Thayer’s Greek Lexicon:

µή, the Septuagint for אַל , אַיִן , אֵין, a particle of negation, which differs from οὐ (which is always an adverb) in that οὐ denies the thing itself (or to speak technically, denies simply, absolutely, categorically, directly, objectively), but µή denies the thought of the thing, or the thing according to the judgment, opinion, will, purpose, preference, of someone (hence, as we say technically, indirectly, hypothetically, subjectively).

The Greek verb translated does…remain (NET) is μένῃ, a form of μένω in the present tense and subjunctive mood.  “It is an important distinction to understand…that the only place in which ‘time’ comes to bear directly upon the tense of a verb is when the verb is in the indicative mood.  In all other moods and uses the aktionsart of the verb tense should be seen as primary.”[16]

What is the aktionsart?

In English, we think of the tense of a verb as denoting the “time” of the action. In Greek also time is indicated by tense, but only absolutely so in the Indicative mood. And time is not the primary significance of Greek tenses. Fundamentally, Kind of Action, rather than Time of Action, is indicated by tense…

The kind of action indicated by the use of the present tense is durative…

The durative (linear or progressive) in the present stem: the action is represented as durative (in progress) and either as timeless (ἔστιν ὁ θεός) or as taking place in present time (including, of course, duration on one side or the other of the present moment: γράφω ‘I am writing [now]’;…The present stem may also be iterative: ἔβαλλεν ‘threw repeatedly (or each time)’. (Blass & DeBrunner, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 166.)[17]

So a word like μένῃ is durative (in progress).  I can grasp that.  Except for tense If anyone does not remain in me (present tense) was translated as if the Greek was identical to if God did not spare the natural branches (past tense).  It gives me the impression that one has remained in Jesus at some point in the past but presently does not.  The qualified negation μή does not immediately precede the verb μένῃ, however, as the absolute negation does (οὐκ ἐφείσατο) in Paul’s factual statement.  In Jesus’ hypothetical statement μή immediately precedes the pronoun and creates something more like a logical category, μή τις μένῃ (if not one remaining in me).  Granted, remaining may not be the best translation of the present tense, but I’m trying to avoid adding the helper verb to do.

The translators assumed that the verb ἐβλήθη (a form of βάλλω) had no subject, so they supplied he: ἐβλήθη ἔξω, he is thrown out.  The aorist tense is so weird I’m sure a clever translator can justify the present tense here.  But the main reason ἐβλήθη ἔξω was translated he is thrown out rather than “he was thrown out” is the assumption that it has no subject.  The supplied subject he seems to refer back to the first clause, so the aorist verb must be conformed to the present tense because the verb μένῃ is in the present tense.

A table of the verbs in John 15:6, excluding μένῃ, follows.

Verb A Form Of… Syntactical Classification NET KJV
ἐβλήθη βάλλω Aorist Tense, Passive Voice, Indicative Mood, 3rd Person Singular is thrown is cast
ἐξηράνθη ξηραίνω Aorist Tense, Passive Voice, Indicative Mood, 3rd Person Singular dries up is withered
συνάγουσιν συνέχω Present Tense, Active Voice, Indicative Mood, 3rd Person Plural are gathered up gather
βάλλουσιν βάλλω Present Tense, Active Voice, Indicative Mood, 3rd Person Plural thrown cast
καίεται καίω Present Tense, Middle/Passive Voice, Indicative Mood, 3rd Person Singular are burned up are burned

I think I can do more justice to these verbs by assuming that τὸ κλῆμα was the intended subject of at least the singular verbs: “If not one remaining in me, like a branch was thrown out and dried up.”  (The NIV translators did this for the first two singular verbs.)

The next two plural verbs are tricky.  The KJV translators supplied men as the subject.  A note (21) in the NET acknowledged that “they gather them up and throw them into the fire” is an appropriate translation of the Greek.  But I think the NET translators were onto something (despite translating the two active verbs in a passive voice) treating αὐτὰ as an implied subject/object of this sudden intrusion of plural branches, such branches: “If not one remaining in me, like a branch was thrown out and dried up, such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire.”

The final verb is singular again and refers back to the singular branch, τὸ κλῆμα: “If not one remaining in me, like a branch was thrown out and dried up, such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and it burns.”  Or if I want to be a stickler about the active voice: “If not one remaining in me, like a branch was thrown out and dried up, they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and it burns.”  I need to add some words to make this anything like an English sentence: “If [he is] not one remaining in me, [he is] like a branch [that] was thrown out and dried up, they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and it burns.”

About this time it dawned on me that maybe that was the translators’ intent all along and my own tendency to read a sin/punishment motif into things prevented me from understanding it that way.  Another note (20) in the NET makes this supposition doubtful as far as the NET translators are concerned.  But then, that‘s what I’ve grown to appreciate about the NET, the sense that the translators and I are from the same socially constructed reality, the same religious milieu, unlike the KJV translators.

So, just about the time I began to feel like I was straining out a gnat, I was reminded of the camel I was compelled to swallow if I didn’t entertain this particular one.

The Greek words translated thrown out are ἐβλήθη (a form of βάλλω) ἔξω.  It is not, “If anyone does not remain in me, he throws himself out;” ἐβλήθη is in the passive voice.  The implication is that the one who does not remain in me (ἐν ἐμοί) is thrown out by someone else.  The gardener, Jesus’ father, is the most likely referent in this metaphor.  This gardener (our Father to all who believe) would do two things then: 1) He takes away every branch in Jesus that bears no fruit; and, 2) He throws out every branch that does not remain in Jesus.

Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, Jesus said, and the one who comes to me I will never send away[18]…(but the gardener, my Father, might).

I’ll pick this up in another essay.  Tables comparing Luke 8:12; Romans 11:13; 11:17 and John 15:6 in the NET and KJV follow.

Luke 8:12 (NET)

Luke 8:12 (KJV)
Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οἱ δὲ παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν εἰσιν οἱ ἀκούσαντες, εἶτα ἔρχεται ὁ διάβολος καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, ἵνα μὴ πιστεύσαντες σωθῶσιν οι δε παρα την οδον εισιν οι ακουοντες ειτα ερχεται ο διαβολος και αιρει τον λογον απο της καρδιας αυτων ινα μη πιστευσαντες σωθωσιν οι δε παρα την οδον εισιν οι ακουοντες ειτα ερχεται ο διαβολος και αιρει τον λογον απο της καρδιας αυτων ινα μη πιστευσαντες σωθωσιν

Romans 11:13 (NET)

Romans 11:13 (KJV)
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles.  Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὑμῖν δὲ λέγω τοῖς ἔθνεσιν· ἐφ᾿ ὅσον μὲν οὖν εἰμι ἐγὼ ἐθνῶν ἀπόστολος, τὴν διακονίαν μου δοξάζω υμιν γαρ λεγω τοις εθνεσιν εφ οσον μεν ειμι εγω εθνων αποστολος την διακονιαν μου δοξαζω υμιν γαρ λεγω τοις εθνεσιν εφ οσον μεν ειμι εγω εθνων αποστολος την διακονιαν μου δοξαζω

Romans 11:17 (NET)

Romans 11:17 (KJV)
Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root, And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Εἰ δέ τινες τῶν κλάδων ἐξεκλάσθησαν, σὺ δὲ ἀγριέλαιος ὢν ἐνεκεντρίσθης ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ συγκοινωνὸς τῆς ρίζης τῆς πιότητος τῆς ἐλαίας ἐγένου ει δε τινες των κλαδων εξεκλασθησαν συ δε αγριελαιος ων ενεκεντρισθης εν αυτοις και συγκοινωνος της ριζης και της πιοτητος της ελαιας εγενου ει δε τινες των κλαδων εξεκλασθησαν συ δε αγριελαιος ων ενεκεντρισθης εν αυτοις και συγκοινωνος της ριζης και της πιοτητος της ελαιας εγενου

John 15:6 (NET)

John 15:6 (KJV)
If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

 

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἐὰν μή τις μένῃ ἐν ἐμοί, ἐβλήθη ἔξω ὡς τὸ κλῆμα καὶ ἐξηράνθη καὶ συνάγουσιν αὐτὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ πῦρ βάλλουσιν καὶ καίεται εαν μη τις μεινη εν εμοι εβληθη εξω ως το κλημα και εξηρανθη και συναγουσιν αυτα και εις πυρ βαλλουσιν και καιεται εαν μη τις μεινη εν εμοι εβληθη εξω ως το κλημα και εξηρανθη και συναγουσιν αυτα και εις το πυρ βαλλουσιν και καιεται

[1] John 15:2a (NET)

[2] John 15:2a (KJV)

[3] Matthew 4:6b (NET)

[4] Mark 4:15b (NET) Table

[5] Luke 8:12b (NET)

[6] Galatians 5:17 (NET) Table

[7] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had δὲ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γαρ (KJV: For).

[8] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had οὖν (not translated in the NET) here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[9] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had της ριζης και της πιοτητος της ελαιας εγενου (KJV: of the root and fatness of the olive tree) here, where the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῆς ρίζης τῆς πιότητος τῆς ἐλαίας ἐγένου (NET: in the richness of the olive root).

[10] Acts 1:6b (NET) Table

[11] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μένῃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεινη (KJV: abide).

[12] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τὸ here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

[13] John 15:6 (NET)

[14] The Stephanus Textus Receptus is the closest Greek text that I have found online to serve as parallel Greek for the KJV.  Here is one of the places it falls short.  According to Strong’s Concordance circa 1890 a form of ὁράω (ὁρᾶτε possibly) occurred somewhere in this verse, translated take heed.

[15] The verb was μεινη (another form of μένω) in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.  I don’t think that would alter what I’m saying here about a “hypothetical situation” but I am struggling with both the qualified negation and aorist tense.

[16] Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), Verb Tenses, Time & “Kind of Action” in Greek Verbs

[17] Aktionsart & the Present Tense

[18] John 6:37 (NET) Table

He Takes Away, Part 1

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He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.[1]  I would like to say that I was blindsided by the suggestion that takes away may not be the best translation of αἴρει (a form of αἴρω) here.  But a quarterback searching downfield for an open receiver knows when he has been tackled from behind.  This was more like being blindsided by a gnat, annoying, but insufficient to shake the well established truth that poor job performance is just cause for termination.

Matthew 3:10 (NET)

 Matthew 7:19 (NET)

Luke 3:9 (NET)
Even now[2] the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good (καλὸν, a form of καλός) fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Every tree that does not bear good (καλὸν, a form of καλός) fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good (καλὸν, a form of καλός) fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Nothing clicked until I examined the meaning of καθαίρει (a form of καθαίρω), translated he prunes in: He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.[3]  I chuckled then, and quipped, “The translators seem to have been a little too enamored with a gardening metaphor and a little too careless with the meaning of the words.”  The gnat was buzzing around my face then.

It wasn’t until later that day, walking and praying, that it dawned on me that I wasn’t merely accusing the Johnny-come-lately translators of the NET (my contemporaries) of carelessness, but the translators of the KJV as well, not to mention anyone else who ever translated John 15:2 into English.  This gnat was not about to be easily brushed away.  It deserved to be entertained or crushed.

Here are the first two occurrences of αἴρει in the New Testament.

Matthew 9:16 (NET)

Mark 2:21 (NET)
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away (αἴρει) from the garment and the tear will be worse. No[4] one sews[5] a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment;[6] otherwise, the patch pulls away from[7] it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse.

The KJV rendered it: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away (αἴρει) from the old,[8] virtually identical to Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away (αἴρει).[9]  So can I crush this pesky gnat?  Actually, it slipped through my fingers.

Here is a table comparing Mark 2:21b to John 15:2a.

Mark 2:21b

John 15:2a

 NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus  NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus
αἴρει τὸ πλήρωμα ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὸ καινὸν τοῦ παλαιοῦ αιρει το πληρωμα αυτου το καινον του παλαιου πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο

NET

 KJV NET

KJV
the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:

In the NET the patch was a very clever and concise translation of τὸ πλήρωμα relative to the accurate but somewhat awkward the..piece that filled..up in the KJV.  The translators assumed here that τὸ πλήρωμα was in the nominative case rather than the accusative case: the patch pulls away from it (NET), the..piece that filled it up taketh away (KJV) rather than “he pulls away the patch from it” or “he taketh away the piece that filled it up.”  The translators assumed the Greek word αὐτοῦ, translated it, was an adverb referring back to the old garment (ἱματίῳ παλαιῷ in the Setphanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text; see Table2 below).

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away [from me], the KJV translators left me to assume.  The NET translators simply made it explicit: He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.  But what does αυτο mean here?

Surely, it’s not to be understood in the nominative case.  Jesus didn’t refer to the gardener (ὁ γεωργός) his Father with a neuter pronoun.  Surely He (KJV: he) was derived from the 3rd person singular verb αἴρει, and αυτο then was to be understood in the accusative case referring back to every branch that does not bear fruit in me or Every branch in me that beareth not fruit.

So in the NET it was redundant: He takes [it] away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.  The NET translators didn’t translate αυτο in the second clause either: He prunes [αυτο] every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.  The KJV translators did, however, translate αυτο in the second clause: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it (αυτο), that it may bring forth more fruit.[10]  So what’s up with the first clause?  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh [it] away, is not that bad.

I compared this construction to the first occurrence of another form of αἴρω.  The devil said to Jesus (Matthew 4:6 NET):

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.  For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will lift you up (ἀροῦσιν, another form of αἴρω), so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Here is a table comparing Matthew 4:6b to John 15:2a.

Matthew 4:6b

 John 15:2a
 NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus  NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus
ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσιν σε επι χειρων αρουσιν σε πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο

NET

 KJV NET

KJV
with their hands they will lift you up in their hands they shall bear thee up He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:

Here the future tense 3rd person plural verb ἀροῦσιν was translated they will lift…up (NET) and they shall bear…up (KJV).  The 2nd person accusative pronoun σε, translated you (NET) or thee (KJV), is what they will lift up with or in their hands.  The main reason ἀροῦσιν was translated will lift or shall bear up here instead of “will take away” was because it is itself a translation in the Septuagint of ישׁאונך (nâśâʼ) from Psalm 91:12.  But I also noticed that there is no place mentioned anywhere near the verb where you might be taken away from, only a reason given why they will lift you up, so that (μήποτε) you will not strike your foot against a stone.

This caused me to wonder if ἐν ἐμοὶ, translated in me, in John 15:2 was really a place to be taken away from, or a description of πᾶν κλῆμα, translated every branch.  Perhaps, a better way to frame the question is: does the gardener prune every branch that bears fruit or only those ἐν ἐμοὶ that bear fruit?  The phrase πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ wasn’t repeated in the second clause, only the word πᾶν a form of πᾶς, “every, all.”  So did Jesus say that every branch that bears fruit will be pruned by the gardener (his Father) so that it will bear more fruit whether that branch is ἐν ἐμοὶ or not?

The answer to that question seems fairly obvious a couple of verses later: Remain in me (ἐν ἐμοί), and I will remain in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me (ἐν ἐμοὶ).[11]  That means that the text should be understood a little differently than it might be read literally.

John 15:2 read literally…

John 15:2 understood…
πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό, καὶ πᾶν τὸ καρπὸν φέρον καθαίρει αὐτὸ ἵνα καρπὸν πλείονα φέρῃ πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό, καὶ πᾶν [κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ] τὸ καρπὸν φέρον καθαίρει αὐτὸ ἵνα καρπὸν πλείονα φέρῃ
He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.  He prunes [anything] that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.  He prunes every branch [in me] that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.

So if ἐν ἐμοὶ was meant to distinguish πᾶν κλῆμα from all branches in both clauses, the gardener does two different things for every branch that is ἐν ἐμοὶ, depending on whether it bears fruit (τὸ καρπὸν φέρον) or does not bear fruit (μὴ φέρον καρπὸν) presently.

It seemed unlikely then to me that the gardener’s action could be to remove the branch from the modifier (ἐν ἐμοὶ) that distinguished it from all branches in the first place.  But then, I don’t know Greek as well as those who have translated the New Testament into English.  So I continued.

Jesus explained a parable:

Mark 4:15 (NET)

Luke 8:12 (NET) Table
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately[12] Satan comes and snatches (αἴρει) the word that was sown in[13] them.[14] Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away (αἴρει) the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

There is a third account of this explanation which didn’t contain the word αἴρει: When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path.[15]  The Greek word translated snatches was ἁρπάζει (a form of ἁρπάζω) here: “to seize, snatch, catch, pluck, pull, take (by force); to plunder, rob, steal, carry off, raven; to tear away, forcibly remove, drag away; to seize, grab hold; to captivate, allure.”

Here is a comparison of Mark 4:15b to John 15:2a.

Mark 4:15b

John 15:2a

 NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus  NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus
εὐθὺς ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐσπαρμένον εἰς αὐτούς ευθεως ερχεται ο σατανας και αιρει τον λογον τον εσπαρμενον εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο

NET

 KJV NET

KJV
immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:

The first clause begins with an adverb, εὐθὺς in the NET parallel Greek text and ευθεως in the Stephanus Textus Receptus, both translated immediately.  Next is a verb ἔρχεται, translated comes (NET) or cometh (KJV).  The subject, who comes or cometh, follows that verb: ὁ σατανᾶς, translated Satan.

The beginning of the second clause is marked by the conjunction καὶ, translated and.  This lets me know that Satan comes and snatches (NET) or Satan cometh…and taketh away (KJV).  There is no need to derive or supply he as a subject for the second 3rd person singular verb αἴρει.  The direct object, what Satan snatches or taketh away, follows that verb: τὸν λόγον, translated the word.

That direct object is modified by τὸν ἐσπαρμένον, translated that was sown, pointing back to: The sower sows the word (ὁ σπείρων τὸν λόγον σπείρει).[16]  Finally, εἰς αὐτούς (NET: in them) or εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων (KJV: in their hearts) specifies where the word was sown, and consequently from where Satan snatches or taketh it away.

The parallel account in Luke 8:12 is very similar:

Luke 8:12b

 John 15:2a
 NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus  NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus
εἶτα ἔρχεται ὁ διάβολος καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, ἵνα μὴ πιστεύσαντες σωθῶσιν ειτα ερχεται ο διαβολος και αιρει τον λογον απο της καρδιας αυτων ινα μη πιστευσαντες σωθωσιν πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο

NET

 KJV NET

KJV
then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:

The beginning of the clause is marked by an adverb εἶτα, translated then.  The verb ἔρχεται (translated comes or cometh) is the same as in Mark’s account, but the subject here is ὁ διάβολος, translated the devil.  The next clause begins identically to Mark’s account: conjunction, verb, direct object, καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον.  Then things change a bit.

Rather than τὸν ἐσπαρμένον specifying which τὸν λόγον, Luke’s Gospel narrative is explicit where the devil takes away the word from: ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, translated from or out of their hearts.  A reason follows that, why the devil does this: ἵνα μὴ πιστεύσαντες σωθῶσιν, so that they may not believe and be saved (NET) or lest they should believe and be saved (KJV).

I had to admit that compared to Mark 4:15b and Luke 8:12b, the construction of the Greek in John 15:2a was more like Matthew 4:6b above.  It nudged me further along the path to considering that αἴρει in John 15:2a should have been translated some other way than takes away or taketh away.  But Paul wrote believers in Rome, Then you will say, “The[17] branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”[18]

I’ll pick this up in another essay.  Tables comparing Matthew 3:10; Mark 2:21; 4:15 and Romans 11:19 in the NET and KJV follow.

Matthew 3:10 (NET)

Matthew 3:10 (KJV)
Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἤδη δὲ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ρίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται· πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται ηδη δε και η αξινη προς την ριζαν των δενδρων κειται παν ουν δενδρον μη ποιουν καρπον καλον εκκοπτεται και εις πυρ βαλλεται ηδη δε και η αξινη προς την ριζαν των δενδρων κειται παν ουν δενδρον μη ποιουν καρπον καλον εκκοπτεται και εις πυρ βαλλεται

Mark 2:21 (NET)

Mark 2:21 (KJV)
No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Οὐδεὶς ἐπίβλημα ράκους ἀγνάφου ἐπιράπτει ἐπὶ ἱμάτιον παλαιόν· εἰ δὲ μή, αἴρει τὸ πλήρωμα ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὸ καινὸν τοῦ παλαιοῦ καὶ χεῖρον σχίσμα γίνεται και ουδεις επιβλημα ρακους αγναφου επιρραπτει επι ιματιω παλαιω ει δε μη αιρει το πληρωμα αυτου το καινον του παλαιου και χειρον σχισμα γινεται και ουδεις επιβλημα ρακους αγναφου επιρραπτει επι ιματιω παλαιω ει δε μη αιρει το πληρωμα αυτου το καινον του παλαιου και χειρον σχισμα γινεται

Mark 4:15 (NET)

Mark 4:15 (KJV)
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν· ὅπου σπείρεται ὁ λόγος καὶ ὅταν ἀκούσωσιν, εὐθὺς ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐσπαρμένον εἰς αὐτούς ουτοι δε εισιν οι παρα την οδον οπου σπειρεται ο λογος και οταν ακουσωσιν ευθεως ερχεται ο σατανας και αιρει τον λογον τον εσπαρμενον εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων ουτοι δε εισιν οι παρα την οδον οπου σπειρεται ο λογος και οταν ακουσωσιν ευθεως ερχεται ο σατανας και αιρει τον λογον τον εσπαρμενον εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων

Romans 11:19 (NET)

Romans 11:19 (KJV)
Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἐρεῖς οὖν· ἐξεκλάσθησαν κλάδοι ἵνα ἐγὼ ἐγκεντρισθῶ ερεις ουν εξεκλασθησαν οι κλαδοι ινα εγω εγκεντρισθω ερεις ουν εξεκλασθησαν κλαδοι ινα εγω εγκεντρισθω

[1] John 15:2a (NET)

[2] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: also) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[3] John 15:2b (NET)

[4] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: also) at the beginning of this clause.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[5] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐπιράπτει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επιρραπτει (KJV: seweth).

[6] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἱμάτιον παλαιόν here in the nominative case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιματιω παλαιω in the dative case.

[7] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀπ᾿ here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[8] Mark 2:21b (KJV)

[9] John 15:2a (KJV)

[10] John 15:2b (KJV)

[11] John 15:4 (NET) Table

[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εὐθὺς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ευθεως.

[13] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἰς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν.

[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐτούς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ταις καρδιαις αυτων (KJV: their hearts).

[15] Matthew 13:19 (NET)

[16] Mark 4:14 (NET)  Here the direct object τὸν λόγον (in the accusative case) precedes the verb σπείρει.  It was not ὁ σπείρων τοῦ λόγου σπείρει (The sower of the word sows) in the genitive case, but the placement of the direct object makes me feel like I should understand that the sower of the word sows the word.

[17] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article οι preceding branches.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[18] Romans 11:19 (NET)

To Make Holy, Part 8

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The next form of ἁγιάζω I want to consider is found in Jesus’ prayer to his Father: Set them apart (ἁγίασον, a form of ἁγιάζω) in the truth; your word is truth.[1]  But I’m making a slow pilgrimage through his prayer because I believe I can know his holiness here.  Jesus prayer continued (John 17:14, 15 NET):

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.  I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one.

The Greek words translated your word were τὸν λόγον σου.  Jesus had spoken to a Samaritan woman (John 4:39-42 NET):

Now many Samaritans[2] from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I ever[3] did.”  So when the Samaritans[4] came to him, they began asking him to stay with them.  He stayed there two days, and because of his word many more believed.  They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one really is the Savior of the world.”[5]

The Greek words translated the report of the woman were τὸν λόγον τῆς γυναικὸς.  So I have the word of the woman to contrast with the word of Jesus’ father: Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did, the woman told her friends.  Surely he can’t be the Messiah (ὁ χριστός), can he?[6]  Her friends believed her enough to obey her: So[7] they left the town and began coming to him.[8]  I should back up to point out that the woman’s word which her friends obeyed was a relatively tentative presentation of Jesus’ word (John 4:25, 26 NET):

The woman said to [Jesus], “I know that Messiah[9] is coming” (the one called Christ); “whenever he comes, he will tell us everything.”[10]  Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”

The woman’s friends also demonstrated their faith in her word, a relatively tentative presentation of Jesus’ word, by asking Jesus to stay with them.  The Greek word translated to stay was μεῖναι (a form of μένω).  Other forms of μένω occur in Jesus’ teaching to his disciples (John 15:4 NET):

Remain (μείνατε, another form of μένω) in me, and I will remain in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains[11] (μένῃ, another form of μένω) in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain[12] (μένητε, another form of μένω) in me.

Jesus stayed (ἔμεινεν, another form of μένω) there two days, and because of his word (τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ) many more believed.  After two days these Samaritans had acquired two important concepts: 1) They had learned to value Jesus’ word above that of the woman.  This is my daily prayer: “Please let any who read these essays hear your voice instead of mine.”  And, 2) they knew Jesus as the Savior of the world (ο σωτηρ του κοσμου).

These Samaritans didn’t know Jesus as a conqueror who would overthrow the Romans and bring the whole world into submission to the descendants of Israel.  They knew Him as the Savior of the world at a time when his own hand-picked disciples were chomping at the bit for Him to get down to the serious messianic business of overthrowing the Romans and restoring the kingdom to Israel.  And lest I suppose that these were just ignorant Samaritans, their knowledge agreed with the the word of God through Jesus and a much more spiritually mature John, one of the original twelve disciples: For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him (σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι᾿ αὐτοῦ).[13]

Here is the next occurrence of λόγον in John’s Gospel narrative (John 5:24-30 NET):

“I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned (κρίσιν, a form of κρίσις), but has crossed over from death to life.  I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming—and is now here—when the dead will hear[14] the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself, and he has granted the Son authority to execute judgment (κρίσιν, a form of κρίσις), because he is the Son of Man.

“Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear[15] his voice and will come out—the ones who have done what is good (ἀγαθὰ, a form of ἀγαθός) to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil (φαῦλα, a form of φαῦλος) to the resurrection resulting in condemnation (κρίσεως, another form of κρίσις).  I can do nothing on my own initiative.  Just as I hear, I judge (κρίνω), and my judgment (κρίσις) is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one[16] who sent me.

The Greek words translated my message were τὸν λόγον μου.  I assume that the dead, in the dead (νεκροὶ, a form of νεκρός) will hear the voice of the Son of God, referred to something more like what Paul meant when he wrote to believers in Ephesus: you were dead (νεκροὺς, another form of νεκρός) in your offenses and sins[17] (Ephesians 2:1-10).  And all who are in the tombs will hear his voice seems fairly obvious in its reference to something more like Matthew’s Gospel account (Matthew 27:50-53).  The implication is consistent that to hear Jesus’ word is a divinely facilitated activity: So then faith comes by hearing (ἀκοῆς, a form of ἀκοή), and hearing (ἀκοὴ) by the word (ρήματος, a form of ῥῆμα) of God.[18]

The human part in hearing is to sit and listen, or read and study as the case may be, rather than to hold one’s ears and flee in terror.  And if one is as slow and stupid as I have been, hearing may take longer relative to another less prone to argument.  One of my best teachers in college had been a mediocre student.  It made him very aware as a teacher of the information that had confused him as a student.

The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God who has been granted authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.  I can do nothing on my own initiative, the Judge proclaimed.  Just as I hear (ἀκούω), I judge (κρίνω), and my judgment (κρίσις) is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me…not…to condemn (κρίνῃ, a form of κρίνω) the world, but that the world should be saved through [me].  The words are important.

The Judge whom God sent that the world should be saved through him continued (John 5:36-40 NET):

I have a testimony greater than that from John (John 5:33-35; 1:6-8; 1:19-37; 3:22-36).  For the deeds that the Father has assigned me to complete—the deeds I[19] am now doing—testify about me that the Father has sent me.  And the Father who sent me has himself[20] testified about me.  You people have never heard (ἀκηκόατε, a form of ἀκούω) his voice nor seen his form at any time, nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent.  You study[21] the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life (ζωὴν αἰώνιον), and it is these same scriptures that testify about me, but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

The Greek words translated his word were τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, and residing was μενοντα (another form of μένω).  When I studied the Bible searching for rules to obey I wasn’t consciously seeking to know…the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent,[22] ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ, eternal life according to Jesus in prayer to his Father.   So despite my best efforts to curry favor with God by finding more and more rules to (dis-)obey, I did begin to know Him.  And it was a little frustrating to me that He showed mercy far too often rather than meting out the punishment the law required.

Why don’t you understand what I am saying? Jesus continued (John 8:43-47 NET):

It is because you cannot accept (ἀκούειν, another form of ἀκούω) my teaching.  You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies [Table].  But because I am telling you the truth, you do not believe me.  Who among you can prove me guilty of any sin?  If[23] I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me?  The one who belongs to God listens and responds to (ἀκούει, another form of ἀκούω) God’s words (ρήματα, another form of ῥῆμα).  You don’t listen and respond (ἀκούετε, another form of ἀκούω), because you don’t belong to God.”

The Greek words translated my teaching were τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐμόν.  Jesus spoke to those Judeans who had believed him, but this truth applies to all human beings not yet born from above.  And I would encourage those born from above to take it to heart as well.  I’ve heard some claim freedom from all residue of sin and the old nature, but it’s not my experience.  I agree with Paul that when I want to do good (καλόν, a form of καλός), evil (κακὸν, a form of κακός) is present with me.[24]  Evil doesn’t always win out, in the sense that it is what comes out of me, yet it is always an option but for the grace of God, the fruit of his Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-23).

I am not trying to get (ζητῶ, a form of ζητέω) praise for myself, Jesus continued (John 8:50-56 NET).

There is one who demands (ζητῶν, another form of ζητέω) it, and he also judges (κρίνων, a form of κρίνω).  I tell you the solemn truth, if anyone obeys (τηρήσῃ, a form of τηρέω) my teaching,[25] he will never see death.”[26]

Then[27] the Judeans responded, “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon!  Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet you say, ‘If anyone obeys (τηρήσῃ, a form of τηρέω) my teaching, he will never experience death.’[28]  You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?  And the prophets died too!  Who do you claim to be?” [Table]  Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless.  The one who glorifies[29] me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our[30] God.’  Yet you do not know him, but I know him.  If[31] I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you.[32]  But[33] I do know him, and I obey (τηρῶ, another form of τηρέω) his teaching.  Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”

The Greek words translated my teaching were τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον and τὸν λόγον μου respectively, and his teaching was τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ.  Jesus continued (John 14:23-26 NET):

“If anyone loves me, he will obey (τηρήσει, another form of τηρέω) my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him [Table].  The person who does not love me does not obey (τηρεῖ, another form of τηρέω) my words.  And the word you hear (ἀκούετε, another form of ἀκούω) is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

“I have spoken these things while staying (μένων, another form of μένω) with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you [Table].

The Greek words translated my word were τὸν λόγον μου and my words were τοὺς λόγους μου.  When Jesus speaks, however, the word (ὁ λόγος) you hear is not mine (οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸς), but the Father’s who sent me.  He continued (John 15:1-4 NET):

I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.  He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.  He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.  You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.

I think it’s prudent here to highlight all of the meanings of the Greek word translated takes away (αἴρει, a form of αἴρω): “to lift up, take up, pick up; to look up (in prayer); to move upward, raise vertically; to raise to a higher level; to take up and carry along; to lift up and carry away, remove; to take away, remove (no suggestion of lifting up); to bear with, endure; to carry, transport; to bear and uphold; to be dressed as an office-bearer; to cause to emerge.”  If one fears punishment for a failure to do good works then takes away may be an appropriate understanding of αἴρει.  And I have accepted this understanding uncritically until this very moment.

I plan to do a thorough word study of forms of αἴρω in another essay.  Here I’ll propose that if one has begun to know the love of God through Jesus Christ, There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment (κόλασιν, a form of κόλασις).[34]  In that light I’m willing to consider some of the other meanings of αἴρει that may describe the Father’s activity in my life better: “to lift up, take up, pick up; to move upward, raise vertically; to raise to a higher level; to take up and carry along; to bear with, endure; to carry, transport; to bear and uphold; to cause to emerge.”

The Greek words translated the word were τὸν λόγον.  The Greek word translated He prunes was καθαίρει (a form of καθαίρω), which means: “to make clean, purge, cleanse; to remove impurities and things undesirable; to sift, winnow (grain).”  It is essentially the verb form of the noun translated clean (καθαροί, a form of καθαρός), which means: “clear; pure, containing no foreign mixture (e.g., pure gold); morally pure, religiously pure; clean, free from dirt; released from the power of (an oath); free from guilt, innocent.”

Remember what I told you, Jesus continued, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.  If they obeyed (ἐτήρησαν, another form of τηρέω) my word, they will obey (τηρήσουσιν, another form of τηρέω) yours too.[35]  The Greek words translated my word were τὸν λόγον μου.

And finally Jesus prayed (John 17:6-8 NET):

I have revealed your name to the men you gave me out of the world.  They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed (τετήρηκαν, another form of τηρέω) your word [Table].  Now they understand that everything you have given me comes[36] from you, because I have given them the words you have given[37] me.  They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

The Greek words translated your word were τὸν λόγον σου.  And with this I’ve completed a fairly thorough examination of what Jesus meant by I have given them your word[38] (ἐγὼ δέδωκα αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον σου) according to John’s Gospel narrative.  I want to return to examine other words in John 17:14 and 15 in more detail in other essays.

Tables comparing John 4:39, 40; 4:42; 4:30; 4:25; 15:4; 5:25; 5:28; 5:30; 5:36, 37; 8:46; 8:51, 52; 8:54, 55 and 17:7, 8 in the NET and KJV follow.

John 4:39, 40 (NET) John 4:39, 40 (KJV)
Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐκ δὲ τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν τῶν Σαμαριτῶν διὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς γυναικὸς μαρτυρούσης ὅτι εἶπεν μοι πάντα ἃ ἐποίησα εκ δε της πολεως εκεινης πολλοι επιστευσαν εις αυτον των σαμαρειτων δια τον λογον της γυναικος μαρτυρουσης οτι ειπεν μοι παντα οσα εποιησα εκ δε της πολεως εκεινης πολλοι επιστευσαν εις αυτον των σαμαρειτων δια τον λογον της γυναικος μαρτυρουσης οτι ειπεν μοι παντα οσα εποιησα
So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking him to stay with them.  He stayed there two days, So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ὡς οὖν ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ Σαμαρῖται, ἠρώτων αὐτὸν μεῖναι παρ᾿ αὐτοῖς· καὶ ἔμεινεν ἐκεῖ δύο ἡμέρας ως ουν ηλθον προς αυτον οι σαμαρειται ηρωτων αυτον μειναι παρ αυτοις και εμεινεν εκει δυο ημερας ως ουν ηλθον προς αυτον οι σαμαρειται ηρωτων αυτον μειναι παρ αυτοις και εμεινεν εκει δυο ημερας
John 4:42 (NET) John 4:42 (KJV)
They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one really is the Savior of the world.” And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
τῇ τε γυναικὶ ἔλεγον |ὅτι| οὐκέτι διὰ τὴν σὴν λαλιὰν πιστεύομεν, αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀκηκόαμεν καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὗτος ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου τη τε γυναικι ελεγον οτι ουκετι δια την σην λαλιαν πιστευομεν αυτοι γαρ ακηκοαμεν και οιδαμεν οτι ουτος εστιν αληθως ο σωτηρ του κοσμου ο χριστος τη τε γυναικι ελεγον οτι ουκετι δια την σην λαλιαν πιστευομεν αυτοι γαρ ακηκοαμεν και οιδαμεν οτι ουτος εστιν αληθως ο σωτηρ του κοσμου ο χριστος
John 4:30 (NET) John 4:30 (KJV)
So they left the town and began coming to him. Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ἐξῆλθον ἐκ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἤρχοντο πρὸς αὐτόν εξηλθον ουν εκ της πολεως και ηρχοντο προς αυτον εξηλθον εκ της πολεως και ηρχοντο προς αυτον
John 4:25 (NET) John 4:25 (KJV)
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ); “whenever he comes, he will tell us everything.” The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ γυνή· οἶδα ὅτι Μεσσίας ἔρχεται (ὁ λεγόμενος χριστός)· ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, ἀναγγελεῖ ἡμῖν ἅπαντα λεγει αυτω η γυνη οιδα οτι μεσσιας ερχεται ο λεγομενος χριστος οταν ελθη εκεινος αναγγελει ημιν παντα λεγει αυτω η γυνη οιδα οτι μεσιας ερχεται ο λεγομενος χριστος οταν ελθη εκεινος αναγγελει ημιν παντα
John 15:4 (NET) John 15:4 (KJV)
Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
μείνατε ἐν ἐμοί, καγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. καθὼς τὸ κλῆμα οὐ δύναται καρπὸν φέρειν ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ ἐὰν μὴ μένῃ ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ, οὕτως οὐδὲ ὑμεῖς ἐὰν μὴ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένητε μεινατε εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν καθως το κλημα ου δυναται καρπον φερειν αφ εαυτου εαν μη μεινη εν τη αμπελω ουτως ουδε υμεις εαν μη εν εμοι μεινητε μεινατε εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν καθως το κλημα ου δυναται καρπον φερειν αφ εαυτου εαν μη μεινη εν τη αμπελω ουτως ουδε υμεις εαν μη εν εμοι μεινητε
John 5:25 (NET) John 5:25 (KJV)
I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming—and is now here—when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐστιν ὅτε οἱ νεκροὶ ἀκούσουσιν τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀκούσαντες ζήσουσιν αμην αμην λεγω υμιν οτι ερχεται ωρα και νυν εστιν οτε οι νεκροι ακουσονται της φωνης του υιου του θεου και οι ακουσαντες ζησονται αμην αμην λεγω υμιν οτι ερχεται ωρα και νυν εστιν οτε οι νεκροι ακουσονται της φωνης του υιου του θεου και οι ακουσαντες ζησονται
John 5:28 (NET) John 5:28 (KJV)
“Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
μὴ θαυμάζετε τοῦτο, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα ἐν ᾗ πάντες οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις ἀκούσουσιν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ μη θαυμαζετε τουτο οτι ερχεται ωρα εν η παντες οι εν τοις μνημειοις ακουσονται της φωνης αυτου μη θαυμαζετε τουτο οτι ερχεται ωρα εν η παντες οι εν τοις μνημειοις ακουσονται της φωνης αυτου
John 5:30 (NET) John 5:30 (KJV)
I can do nothing on my own initiative.  Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me. I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
Οὐ δύναμαι ἐγὼ ποιεῖν ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐδέν· καθὼς ἀκούω κρίνω, καὶ ἡ κρίσις ἡ ἐμὴ δικαία ἐστίν, ὅτι οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντος με ου δυναμαι εγω ποιειν απ εμαυτου ουδεν καθως ακουω κρινω και η κρισις η εμη δικαια εστιν οτι ου ζητω το θελημα το εμον αλλα το θελημα του πεμψαντος με πατρος ου δυναμαι εγω ποιειν απ εμαυτου ουδεν καθως ακουω κρινω και η κρισις η εμη δικαια εστιν οτι ου ζητω το θελημα το εμον αλλα το θελημα του πεμψαντος με πατρος
John 5:36, 37 (NET) John 5:36, 37 (KJV)
I have a testimony greater than that from John.  For the deeds that the Father has assigned me to complete—the deeds I am now doing—testify about me that the Father has sent me. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐγὼ δὲ ἔχω τὴν μαρτυρίαν μείζω τοῦ Ἰωάννου· τὰ γὰρ ἔργα ἃ δέδωκεν μοι ὁ πατὴρ ἵνα τελειώσω αὐτά, αὐτὰ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ποιῶ μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ ὅτι ὁ πατήρ με ἀπέσταλκεν εγω δε εχω την μαρτυριαν μειζω του ιωαννου τα γαρ εργα α εδωκεν μοι ο πατηρ ινα τελειωσω αυτα αυτα τα εργα α εγω ποιω μαρτυρει περι εμου οτι ο πατηρ με απεσταλκεν εγω δε εχω την μαρτυριαν μειζω του ιωαννου τα γαρ εργα α εδωκεν μοι ο πατηρ ινα τελειωσω αυτα αυτα τα εργα α εγω ποιω μαρτυρει περι εμου οτι ο πατηρ με απεσταλκεν
And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me.  You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me.  Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ὁ πέμψας με πατὴρ ἐκεῖνος μεμαρτύρηκεν περὶ ἐμοῦ. οὔτε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ πώποτε ἀκηκόατε οὔτε εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἑωράκατε και ο πεμψας με πατηρ αυτος μεμαρτυρηκεν περι εμου ουτε φωνην αυτου ακηκοατε πωποτε ουτε ειδος αυτου εωρακατε και ο πεμψας με πατηρ αυτος μεμαρτυρηκεν περι εμου ουτε φωνην αυτου ακηκοατε πωποτε ουτε ειδος αυτου εωρακατε
John 8:46 (NET) John 8:46 (KJV)
Who among you can prove me guilty of any sin?  If I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Which of you convinceth me of sin?  And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐλέγχει με περὶ ἁμαρτίας; εἰ ἀλήθειαν λέγω, διὰ τί ὑμεῖς οὐ πιστεύετε μοι τις εξ υμων ελεγχει με περι αμαρτιας ει δε αληθειαν λεγω δια τι υμεις ου πιστευετε μοι τις εξ υμων ελεγχει με περι αμαρτιας ει δε αληθειαν λεγω δια τι υμεις ου πιστευετε μοι
John 8:51, 52 (NET) John 8:51, 52 (KJV)
I tell you the solemn truth, if anyone obeys my teaching, he will never see death.” Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐάν τις τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον τηρήσῃ, θάνατον οὐ μὴ θεωρήσῃ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα αμην αμην λεγω υμιν εαν τις τον λογον τον εμον τηρηση θανατον ου μη θεωρηση εις τον αιωνα αμην αμην λεγω υμιν εαν τις τον λογον τον εμον τηρηση θανατον ου μη θεωρηση εις τον αιωνα
Then the Judeans responded, “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon!  Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet you say, ‘If anyone obeys my teaching, he will never experience death.’ Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil.  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
εἶπον αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· νῦν ἐγνώκαμεν ὅτι δαιμόνιον ἔχεις. Ἀβραὰμ ἀπέθανεν καὶ οἱ προφῆται, καὶ σὺ λέγεις· ἐάν τις τὸν λόγον μου τηρήσῃ, οὐ μὴ γεύσηται θανάτου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ειπον ουν αυτω οι ιουδαιοι νυν εγνωκαμεν οτι δαιμονιον εχεις αβρααμ απεθανεν και οι προφηται και συ λεγεις εαν τις τον λογον μου τηρηση ου μη γευσεται θανατου εις τον αιωνα ειπον ουν αυτω οι ιουδαιοι νυν εγνωκαμεν οτι δαιμονιον εχεις αβρααμ απεθανεν και οι προφηται και συ λεγεις εαν τις τον λογον μου τηρηση ου μη γευσηται θανατου εις τον αιωνα
John 8:54, 55 (NET) John 8:54, 55 (KJV)
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless.  The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our God.’ Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· ἐὰν ἐγὼ δοξάσω ἐμαυτόν, ἡ δόξα μου οὐδέν ἐστιν· ἔστιν ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ δοξάζων με, ὃν ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι θεὸς |ἡμῶν| ἐστιν απεκριθη ιησους εαν εγω δοξαζω εμαυτον η δοξα μου ουδεν εστιν εστιν ο πατηρ μου ο δοξαζων με ον υμεις λεγετε οτι θεος υμων εστιν απεκριθη ιησους εαν εγω δοξαζω εμαυτον η δοξα μου ουδεν εστιν εστιν ο πατηρ μου ο δοξαζων με ον υμεις λεγετε οτι θεος ημων εστιν
Yet you do not know him, but I know him.  If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you.  But I do know him, and I obey his teaching. Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ οὐκ ἐγνώκατε αὐτόν, ἐγὼ δὲ οἶδα αὐτόν. κὰν εἴπω ὅτι οὐκ οἶδα αὐτόν, ἔσομαι ὅμοιος ὑμῖν ψεύστης· ἀλλὰ οἶδα αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ τηρῶ και ουκ εγνωκατε αυτον εγω δε οιδα αυτον και εαν ειπω οτι ουκ οιδα αυτον εσομαι ομοιος υμων ψευστης αλλ οιδα αυτον και τον λογον αυτου τηρω και ουκ εγνωκατε αυτον εγω δε οιδα αυτον και εαν ειπω οτι ουκ οιδα αυτον εσομαι ομοιος υμων ψευστης αλλ οιδα αυτον και τον λογον αυτου τηρω
John 17:7, 8 (NET) John 17:7, 8 (KJV)
Now they understand that everything you have given me comes from you, Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
νῦν ἔγνωκαν ὅτι πάντα ὅσα |δέδωκας| μοι παρὰ σοῦ εἰσιν νυν εγνωκαν οτι παντα οσα δεδωκας μοι παρα σου εστιν νυν εγνωκαν οτι παντα οσα δεδωκας μοι παρα σου εστιν
because I have given them the words you have given me.  They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ὅτι τὰ ρήματα ἃ ἔδωκας μοι δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλαβον καὶ ἔγνωσαν ἀληθῶς ὅτι παρὰ σοῦ ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας οτι τα ρηματα α δεδωκας μοι δεδωκα αυτοις και αυτοι ελαβον και εγνωσαν αληθως οτι παρα σου εξηλθον και επιστευσαν οτι συ με απεστειλας οτι τα ρηματα α δεδωκας μοι δεδωκα αυτοις και αυτοι ελαβον και εγνωσαν αληθως οτι παρα σου εξηλθον και επιστευσαν οτι συ με απεστειλας

[1] John 17:17 (NET)

[2] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Samaritans was spelled Σαμαριτῶν, and σαμαρειτων in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[3] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἃ, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οσα (KJV: that ever).

[4] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Samaritans was spelled Σαμαρῖται, and σαμαρειται in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[5] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο χριστος (KJV: the Christ) following world.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[6] John 4:29 (NET)

[7] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had ουν (KJV: Then) here.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[8] John 4:30 (NET)

[9] In the NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus Messiah was spelled Μεσσίας, and μεσιας in the Byzantine Majority Text.

[10] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἅπαντα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παντα (KJV: all things).

[11] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μένῃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεινη (KJV: abide).

[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μένητε here, where the the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεινητε (KJV: abide).

[13] John 3:17 (NET) Table

[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀκούσουσιν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ακουσονται (KJV: shall hear).  “THE MIDDLE VOICE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT,” by George J. Cline, Grace Theological Seminary, 1983

[15] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀκούσουσιν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ακουσονται (KJV: shall hear).

[16] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πατρος (KJV: Father) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[17] Ephesians 2:1 (NET) Table

[18] Romans 10:17 (NKJV) Table

[19] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγω here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[20] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐκεῖνος here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτος.

[21] Though the NET parallel Greek text, NA28, Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text all had ἐραυνᾶτε here, the KJV translators treated it like the imperative ἐρευνήσατε (KJV: Search the scriptures), transforming Jesus’ observation into a command, a rule to obey.  A sign of the Protestant times circa 1611 or an early example of product placement advertising?  Addendum: July 14, 2020 – Somehow I missed that the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ερευνατε here.

[22] John 17:3b (NET)

[23] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: And) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[24] Romans 7:21 (NET)

[25] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τον preceding teaching and my.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τον preceding my only.

[26] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28, Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα (not translated in NET or KJV) here.  A note (134) in the NET translated it forever (2 Corinthians 5:1-10).

[27] The Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had ουν here.  The NET parallel Greek text did not.

[28] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28, Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα (not translated in NET or KJV) here.  A note (143) in the NET translated it forever (2 Corinthians 5:1-10).

[29] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had δοξάσω here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δοξαζων (KJV: honoureth).

[30] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἡμῶν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had υμων (KJV: your).

[31] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had κὰν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και εαν (KJV: and if).

[32] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὑμῖν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had υμων (KJV: unto you).

[33] The NET parallel Greek text had ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had ἀλλ’.

[34] 1 John 4:18 (NET)

[35] John 15:20 (NET)

[36] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἰσιν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εστιν (KJV: are).

[37] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἔδωκας here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δεδωκας (KJV: thou gavest).

[38] John 17:14a (NET)

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 15

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I am disgruntled every time I must go out to accomplish anything during this pandemic.  Still, I sense the Holy Spirit pumping God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness into me like a racing heart.  And my God will supply your every need, Paul wrote believers in Philippi, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.[1]  As I look around me, waiting in line, it’s hard to imagine that others aren’t feeling something of the same frustration inwardly, yet outwardly they are as placid and pleasant as I am.

I’ve been considering yehôvâh’s (יהוה) fearful pronouncement: I punish (pâqad, פקד) the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me…[2]  There is a fairly succinct review in another essay.  I hope to wrap up this side excursion with what seems to me like the single most irrelevant law in Leviticus.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Leviticus 20:19, 20 (Tanakh) Leviticus 20:19, 20 (NET) Leviticus 20:19, 20 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:19, 20 (Elpenor English)
And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness (וְעֶרְוַ֨ת) of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister; for he hath made naked his near kin; they shall bear (יִשָּֽׂאוּ) their iniquity (עֲו‍ֹנָ֥ם). You must not expose the nakedness (ʽervâh, וערות) of your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for such a person has exposed his own close relative.  They must bear (nâśâʼ, ישׁאו) their punishment for iniquity (ʽâvôn, עונם). And you shall not uncover the shame (ἀσχημοσύνην) of your father’s sister or of your mother’s sister, for one has laid bare one’s own blood family; they shall carry (ἀποίσονται) guilt (ἁμαρτίαν). And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness (ἀσχημοσύνην) of thy father’s sister, or of the sister of thy mother; for that man has uncovered the nakedness of one near akin: they shall bear (ἀποίσονται) their iniquity (ἁμαρτίαν).
And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife—he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness (עֶרְוַ֥ת)—they shall bear (יִשָּׂ֖אוּ) their sin;[3] they shall die childless. If a man goes to bed with his aunt, he has exposed his uncle’s nakedness (ʽervâh, ערות); they must bear (nâśâʼ, ישׁאו) responsibility for their sin, they will die childless. He who lies with one who is his relative—he has uncovered the shame (ἀσχημοσύνην) of his kinship; they shall die childless. Whosoever shall lie with his near kinswoman, has uncovered the nakedness (ἀσχημοσύνην) of one near akin to him: they shall die childless.

For all of my ἀσέβειαν (ἀσεβείας? NET: ungodliness) and all my many sins it never entered my mind to even want to see any of my aunts naked, much less to uncover their nakedness, have sex with them or children by them.  Granted, none of my ten uncles or three great uncles had married women anywhere near my age.  If they had, well, who knows?

The Hebrew words translated nakedness were וְעֶרְוַ֨ת (ʽervâh) and עֶרְוַ֥ת (ʽervâh).  The rabbis chose ἀσχημοσύνην (a form of ἀσχημοσύνη).  This is not the naked of Genesis.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 2:25 (Tanakh) Genesis 2:25 (NET) Genesis 2:25 (NETS)

Genesis 2:25 (Elpenor English)
And they were both naked (עֲרוּמִּ֔ים), the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. The man and his wife were both naked (ʽârôm, ערומים), but they were not ashamed. And the two were naked (γυμνοί), both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed. And the two were naked (γυμνοί), both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.

There is a table below listing all occurrences of forms of עָרוֹם (ʽârôm) in the Old Testament along with their translations in the Septuagint (all forms of γυμνὸς).   Here is the first occurrence of עֶרְוַ֣ת (ʽervâh) in the Masoretic text.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 9:22, 23 (Tanakh) Genesis 9:22, 23 (NET) Genesis 9:22, 23 (NETS)

Genesis 9:22, 23 (Elpenor English)
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness (עֶרְוַ֣ת) of his father, and told his two brethren without. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness (ʽervâh, ערות) and told his two brothers who were outside. And Cham, the father of Channan, saw the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of his father, and after he had gone out he told his two brothers outside. And Cham the father of Chanaan saw the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of his father, and he went out and told his two brothers without.
And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness (עֶרְוַ֣ת) of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness (וְעֶרְוַ֥ת). Shem and Japheth took the garment and placed it on their shoulders.  Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father’s nakedness (ʽervâh, ערות).  Their faces were turned the other way so they did not see their father’s nakedness (ʽervâh, וערות). And Sem and Iapheth, when they had taken the garment, laid it on their two backs and walked backward and covered the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of their father, and their face was looking backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness (γύμνωσιν). And Sem and Japheth having taken a garment, put it on both their backs and went backwards, and covered the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of their father; and their face [was] backward, and they saw not the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of their father.

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose γύμνωσιν (a form of γύμνωσις).  They didn’t begin to use forms of ἀσχημοσύνη until Exodus (Table below).  Christopher Fisher in his essay “was Canaan the child of Ham and Noah’s wife” quoted Leviticus 20:11 to make his point.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Leviticus 20:11 (Tanakh) Leviticus 20:11 (NET) Table Leviticus 20:11 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:11 (Elpenor English)
And the man that lieth with his father’s wife–he hath uncovered (גִּלָּ֑ה) his father’s nakedness–both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. If a man goes to bed with his father’s wife, he has exposed (galah, גלה) his father’s nakedness.  Both of them must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves. And if anyone lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered (ἀπεκάλυψεν) his father’s shame; let both of them by death be put to death; they are liable. And if any one should lie with his father’s wife, he has uncovered (ἀπεκάλυψε) his father’s nakedness: let them both die the death, they are guilty.

By equating Ham…saw (râʼâh, וַיַּ֗רְא; Septuagint: εἶδε(ν), a form of ὁράω) the nakedness of his father with he hath uncovered (galah, גִּלָּ֑ה; Septuagint: ἀπεκάλυψε(ν), a form of ἀποκαλύπτω) his father’s nakedness, Mr. Fisher argued that the former was a euphemism for Ham’s seduction/rape of his mother.

Gen 9:22 Ham (father of Canaan is highlighted) seeing that his father is incapacitated makes advances on his mother. After all, sex is pleasurable, men tend to desire multiple partners, not many women are available after a global flood, and his mother is probably still attractive due to pre-flood aging conditions. He gloats of his conquest to his brothers.
Gen 9:23 The brothers try damage control. They cover up their mother (is she drunk also?). The Bible tends to omit relevant facts about woman in Genesis (what was her name?).[4]

If I wanted to convict Ham anachronistically of violating Leviticus 20:11, I would say that he uncovered or exposed his father’s nakedness when he told his brothers about it rather than simply covering his father and going on about his day.

Dr. Rabbi David Frankel in his essay “Noah, Ham and the Curse of Canaan: Who Did What to Whom in the Tent? A new solution to why Canaan (not Ham) was cursed” argued that “Leviticus 20:17 shows that ‘seeing nakedness’ is a euphemism for sex.”

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Leviticus 20:17 (Tanakh) Leviticus 20:17 (NET) Table Leviticus 20:17 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:17 (Elpenor English)
And if a man shall take (יִקַּ֣ח) his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see (וְרָאָ֨ה) her nakedness, and she see (תִרְאֶ֤ה) his nakedness: it is a shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. If a man has marital relations (lâqach, יקח) with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, so that he sees (râʼâh, וראה) her nakedness and she sees (râʼâh, תראה) his nakedness, it is a disgrace.  They must be cut off in the sight of the children of their people.  He has exposed his sister’s nakedness; he will bear his punishment for iniquity. He who takes (λάβῃ) his sister, from his father or from his mother, and sees (ἴδῃ) her shame, and she sees (ἴδῃ) his shame; it is a disgrace; they shall be exterminated before the sons of their race; he has uncovered his sister’s shame; he shall bear guilt. Whosoever shall take (λάβῃ) his sister by his father or by his mother, and shall see (ἴδῃ) her nakedness, and she see (ἴδῃ) his nakedness, it is a reproach: they shall be destroyed before the children of their family; he has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, they shall bear their sin.

I agree with the NET translators here that יִקַּ֣ח (lâqach; Tanakh: shall take) is the “euphemism for sex.”  More to the point marital relations is a possible meaning for both יִקַּ֣ח (lâqach) and λάβῃ (a form of λαμβάνω).  The clauses—and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness—clarified which meaning of shall take God intended.  Without any indication that Ham “took” Noah, Dr. Frankel imagined “an earlier version” of the story:

As already anticipated by the Rabbis,[1] and suggested by some modern scholars, an earlier version of our story probably related a much more severe crime – the homosexual rape of his father when he was inebriated. This indeed is the kind of offense that would most naturally provoke the severe reaction depicted in the text.[5]

Why is it so difficult for us (for I’ve done it, too) to acknowledge the obvious truth that seeing his father’s nakedness and telling his brothers about it does not merit Noah’s angry curse?  Not for Ham, certainly not for Canaan.  I want to approach an answer a little differently this time (Ezekiel 33:10-20 NET).

“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have said: “Our rebellious acts and our sins have caught up with us, and we are wasting away because of them.  How then can we live? [Table]”’  Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live.  Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds!  Why should you die, O house of Israel? [Table]’
“And you, son of man, say to your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him if he rebels.  As for the wicked, his wickedness will not make him stumble if he turns from it.  The righteous will not be able to live by his righteousness if he sins [Table].’  Suppose I tell the righteous that he will certainly live, but he becomes confident in his righteousness and commits iniquity.  None of his righteous deeds will be remembered; because of the iniquity he has committed he will die.  Suppose I say to the wicked, ‘You must certainly die,’ but he turns from his sin and does what is just and right.  He returns what was taken in pledge, pays back what he has stolen, and follows the statutes that give life, committing no iniquity.  He will certainly live—he will not die.  None of the sins he has committed will be counted against him.  He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live.
“Yet your people say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their behavior that is not right.  When a righteous man turns from his godliness and commits iniquity, he will die for it.  When the wicked turns from his sin and does what is just and right, he will live because of it.  Yet you say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’  House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.”

This is God’s own description of his criteria for judgment after the law was given, and before Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.[6]  The Hebrew word translated righteous in, Suppose I tell the righteous that he will certainly live, was לַצַּדִּיק֙ (tsaddı̂yq).  The rabbis chose δικαίῳ, a form of δίκαιος in the Septuagint.  Moses described Noah as follows:

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 6:9 (Tanakh) Genesis 6:9 (NET) Table Genesis 6:9 (NETS)

Genesis 6:9 (Elpenor English)
These are the generations of Noah.  Noah was in his generations a man righteous (צַדִּ֛יק) and wholehearted; Noah walked with G-d. This is the account of Noah.  Noah was a godly (tsaddı̂yq, צדיק) man; he was blameless among his contemporaries.  He walked with God. Now these are the generations of Noe.   Noe was a righteous (δίκαιος) man, being perfect in his era; Noe was well-pleasing to God. And these [are] the generations of Noe.  Noe was a just (δίκαιος) man; being perfect in his generation, Noe was well-pleasing to God.

Before I fear too much for his soul I’m reminded of Paul’s description of Noah’s time: for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law.[7]  Noah had a bad morning after a drunken night.  The effect over time of his angry outburst was so horrific we want to blame it on God rather than sin.  We’re not told how Canaan reacted to Noah’s curse, only how the Canaanites turned out vis-à-vis Noah’s God (Leviticus 20:22, 23).

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Leviticus 20:22, 23 (Tanakh) Leviticus 20:22, 23 (NET) Leviticus 20:22, 23 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:22, 23 (Elpenor English)
Ye shall therefore keep (וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם) all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do (וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם) them, that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out. “‘You must be sure (shâmar, ושמרתם) to obey (ʽâśâh, ועשׁיתם) all my statutes and regulations, so that the land to which I am about to bring you to take up residence does not vomit you out. And you shall keep (φυλάξασθε) all my ordinances and all my judgments and do (ποιήσετε) them, and the land to which I bring you there to settle in it will never be angry with you. And keep (φυλάξασθε) ye all my ordinances, and my judgments; and ye shall do (ποιήσετε) them, and the land shall not be aggrieved with you, into which I bring you to dwell upon it.
And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you; for they did (עָשׂ֔וּ) all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. You must not walk in the statutes of the nations which I am about to drive out before you, because they have done (ʽâśâh, עשׁו) all these things and I am filled with disgust against them. And you shall not walk by the precepts of the nations that I am sending out away from you.  Because they did (ἐποίησαν) all these things, I also abhorred them. And walk ye not in the customs of the nations which I drive out from before you; for they have done (ἐποίησαν) all these things, and I have abhorred them:

Though Jesus said, I have not come to call the righteous (δικαίους, another form of δίκαιος), but sinners to repentance,[8] Noah’s bad example highlights the same take home message for the righteous as it does for sinners: Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’[9]  So what does this have to do with I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me?

Meditating on a law I’ve never thought to break seems clearer somehow than those that tempt me.  This is law; they shall die childless is a penalty for violating a law, a punishment.  I thought that God’s raison d’etre was to punish me for sin.[10]  Mr. Fisher was offended by “literalists.”  Dr. Frankel must understand the Old Testament without Jesus’ confidence or guidance.  We’ve all come to the Bible and to God with personal issues to work through and erroneous beliefs in need of correction.

There was a time when I regarded children as God’s punishment[11] for sex.  What if I had meditated on Leviticus 20:19 and 20 fifty years ago?  Would I have discovered the errors in my thinking?  Or would I have found my aunts a whole lot sexier?

Banging my head against a wall hurts and causes bruises, bumps and bleeding.  Given my history, thinking of pain, bruises, bumps and bleeding as God’s punishment for banging my head against a wall seems too much like serving under the old written code rather than in the new life of the Spirit.[12]  Of course, God could have made me in such a way that banging my head against a wall didn’t cause me any pain, bruises, bumps or bleeding.  So I suppose some may think of pain, bruises, bumps or bleeding as punishment.  The point—whether I think of it as punishment or not—is to stop banging my head against a wall.

A table of occurrences of all the forms of עָרוֹם (ʽârôm) and their translations in two versions of the Septuagint follows.

Reference Tanakh (Chabad.org)  NET Parallel Greek BLB Septuagint Elpenor Septuagint
Genesis 2:25 עֲרוּמִּ֔ים ʽârôm, ערומים γυμνοί γυμνοί
1 Samuel (1 Kings) 19:24 עָרֹ֔ם ʽârôm, ערם γυμνὸς γυμνὸς
Job 1:21 עָרֹ֨ם ʽârôm, ערם γυμνὸς γυμνὸς
וְעָרֹם֙ ʽârôm, וערם γυμνὸς γυμνὸς
Job 22:6 עֲרוּמִּ֣ים ʽârôm, ערומים γυμνῶν γυμνῶν
Job 24:7 עָר֣וֹם ʽârôm, ערום γυμνοὺς γυμνοὺς
Job 24:10 עָר֣וֹם ʽârôm, ערום γυμνοὺς γυμνοὺς
Job 26:6 עָר֣וֹם ʽârôm, ערום γυμνὸς γυμνὸς
Ecclesiastes 5:15 (5:14) עָר֛וֹם ʽârôm, ערום γυμνός γυμνός
Isaiah 20:2 עָר֥וֹם ʽârôm, ערום γυμνὸς γυμνὸς
Isaiah 20:3 עָר֣וֹם ʽârôm, ערום γυμνὸς γυμνὸς
Isaiah 20:4 עָר֣וֹם ʽârôm, ערום γυμνοὺς γυμνοὺς
Isaiah 58:7[13] עָרֹם֙ ʽârôm, ערם γυμνόν γυμνόν
Hosea 2:3 (2:5) עֲרֻמָּ֔ה ʽârôm, ערמה γυμνὴν γυμνὴν
Amos 2:16 עָר֛וֹם ʽârôm, ערום γυμνὸς γυμνὸς
Micah 1:8 וְעָר֑וֹם ʽârôm, וערום γυμνή γυμνή

A table of occurrences of forms of עֶרְוָה (ʽervâh) in Genesis through Leviticus and their translations in two versions of the Septuagint follows.

Reference Tanakh (Chabad.org)  NET Parallel Greek BLB Septuagint Elpenor Septuagint
Genesis 9:22 עֶרְוַ֣ת ʽervâh, ערות γύμνωσιν γύμνωσιν
Genesis 9:23 עֶרְוַ֣ת ʽervâh, ערות γύμνωσιν γύμνωσιν
וְעֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, וערות γύμνωσιν γύμνωσιν
Genesis 42:9 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἴχνη ἴχνη
Genesis 42:12 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἴχνη ἴχνη
Exodus 20:26 (20:23) עֶרְוָֽתְךָ֖ ʽervâh, ערותך ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Exodus 28:42 (28:38) עֶרְוָ֑ה ʽervâh, ערוה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:6 עֶרְוָ֑ה ʽervâh, ערוה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:7 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
וְעֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, וערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוָתָֽהּ ʽervâh, ערותה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:8 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνη ἀσχημοσύνη
Leviticus 18:9 עֶרְוַ֨ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוָתָֽן ʽervâh, ערותן ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:10 עֶרְוַ֤ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוָתָ֑ן ʽervâh, ערותן ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוָֽתְךָ֖ ʽervâh, ערותך ἀσχημοσύνη ἀσχημοσύνη
Leviticus 18:11 עֶרְוַ֨ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוָתָֽהּ ʽervâh, ערותה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:12 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:13 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:14 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:15 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוָתָֽהּ ʽervâh, ערותה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:16 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνη ἀσχημοσύνη
Leviticus 18:17 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוָתָ֔הּ ʽervâh, ערותה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:18 עֶרְוָתָ֛הּ ʽervâh, ערותה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:19 עֶרְוָתָֽהּ ʽervâh, ערותה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:11 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Levitiscus 20:17 עֶרְוָתָ֜הּ ʽervâh, ערותה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוָתוֹ֙ ʽervâh, ערותו ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
עֶרְוַ֧ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:18 עֶרְוָתָהּ֙ ʽervâh, ערותה ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:19 וְעֶרְוַ֨ת ʽervâh, וערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:20 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:21 עֶרְוַ֥ת ʽervâh, ערות ἀσχημοσύνην ἀσχημοσύνην

Tables comparing Leviticus 20:19; 20:20; Genesis 2:25; 9:22; 9:23; Leviticus 20:11; 20:17; Ezekiel 33:13; 33:14; 33:15; 33:16; 33:17; 33:18; 33:19; 33:20; Genesis 6:9; Leviticus 20:22 and 20:23 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Leviticus 20:19; 20:20; Genesis 2:25; 9:22; 9:23; Leviticus 20:11; 20:17; Ezekiel 33:13; 33:14; 33:15; 33:16; 33:17; 33:18; 33:19; 33:20; Genesis 6:9; Leviticus 20:22 and 20:23 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Leviticus 20:19 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 20:19 (KJV)

Leviticus 20:19 (NET)
And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister; for he hath made naked his near kin; they shall bear their iniquity. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity. You must not expose the nakedness of your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for such a person has exposed his own close relative.  They must bear their punishment for iniquity.

Leviticus 20:19 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 20:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς πατρός σου καὶ ἀδελφῆς μητρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν γὰρ οἰκειότητα ἀπεκάλυψεν ἁμαρτίαν ἀποίσονται καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς πατρός σου καὶ ἀδελφῆς μητρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις· τὴν γὰρ οἰκειότητα ἀπεκάλυψεν, ἁμαρτίαν ἀποίσονται

Leviticus 20:19 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:19 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not uncover the shame of your father’s sister or of your mother’s sister, for one has laid bare one’s own blood family; they shall carry guilt. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister, or of the sister of thy mother; for that man has uncovered the nakedness of one near akin: they shall bear their iniquity.

Leviticus 20:20 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 20:20 (KJV)

Leviticus 20:20 (NET)
And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife–he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness–they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife, he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless. If a man goes to bed with his aunt, he has exposed his uncle’s nakedness; they must bear responsibility for their sin, they will die childless.

Leviticus 20:20 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 20:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὃς ἂν κοιμηθῇ μετὰ τῆς συγγενοῦς αὐτοῦ ἀσχημοσύνην τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν ἄτεκνοι ἀποθανοῦνται ὃς ἂν κοιμηθῇ μετὰ τῆς συγγενοῦς αὐτοῦ, ἀσχημοσύνην τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν, ἄτεκνοι ἀποθανοῦνται

Leviticus 20:20 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:20 (English Elpenor)
He who lies with one who is his relative—he has uncovered the shame of his kinship; they shall die childless. Whosoever shall lie with his near kinswoman, has uncovered the nakedness of one near akin to him: they shall die childless.

Genesis 2:25 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 2:25 (KJV)

Genesis 2:25 (NET)
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. The man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:25 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἦσαν οἱ δύο γυμνοί ὅ τε Αδαμ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο καὶ ἦσαν οἱ δύο γυμνοί, ὅ τε ᾿Αδὰμ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο

Genesis 2:25 (NETS)

Genesis 2:25 (English Elpenor)
And the two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed. And the two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 9:22 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 9:22 (KJV)

Genesis 9:22 (NET)
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers who were outside.

Genesis 9:22 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 9:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδεν Χαμ ὁ πατὴρ Χανααν τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἀνήγγειλεν τοῗς δυσὶν ἀδελφοῗς αὐτοῦ ἔξω καὶ εἶδε Χὰμ ὁ πατὴρ Χαναὰν τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἀνήγγειλε τοῖς δυσὶν ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ ἔξω

Genesis 9:22 (NETS)

Genesis 9:22 (English Elpenor)
And Cham, the father of Channan, saw the nakedness of his father, and after he had gone out he told his two brothers outside. And Cham the father of Chanaan saw the nakedness of his father, and he went out and told his two brothers without.

Genesis 9:23 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 9:23 (KJV)

Genesis 9:23 (NET)
And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness. Shem and Japheth took the garment and placed it on their shoulders.  Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father’s nakedness.  Their faces were turned the other way so they did not see their father’s nakedness.

Genesis 9:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 9:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λαβόντες Σημ καὶ Ιαφεθ τὸ ἱμάτιον ἐπέθεντο ἐπὶ τὰ δύο νῶτα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὀπισθοφανῶς καὶ συνεκάλυψαν τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν ὀπισθοφανές καὶ τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ εἶδον καὶ λαβόντες Σὴμ καὶ ᾿Ιάφεθ τὸ ἱμάτιον ἐπέθεντο ἐπὶ τὰ δύο νῶτα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὀπισθοφανῶς καὶ συνεκάλυψαν τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν ὀπισθοφανῶς, καὶ τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ εἶδον

Genesis 9:23 (NETS)

Genesis 9:23 (English Elpenor)
And Sem and Iapheth, when they had taken the garment, laid it on their two backs and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father, and their face was looking backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. And Sem and Japheth having taken a garment, put it on both their backs and went backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their face [was] backward, and they saw not the nakedness of their father.

Leviticus 20:11 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 20:11 (KJV)

Leviticus 20:11 (NET)
And the man that lieth with his father’s wife–he hath uncovered his father’s nakedness–both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. If a man goes to bed with his father’s wife, he has exposed his father’s nakedness.  Both of them must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves.

Leviticus 20:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 20:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐάν τις κοιμηθῇ μετὰ γυναικὸς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀσχημοσύνην τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν θανάτῳ θανατούσθωσαν ἀμφότεροι ἔνοχοί εἰσιν καὶ ἐάν τις κοιμηθῇ μετὰ γυναικὸς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἀσχημοσύνην τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψε, θανάτῳ θανατούσθωσαν, ἀμφότεροι ἔνοχοί εἰσι

Leviticus 20:11 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:11 (English Elpenor)
And if anyone lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s shame; let both of them by death be put to death; they are liable. And if any one should lie with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness: let them both die the death, they are guilty.

Leviticus 20:17 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 20:17 (KJV)

Leviticus 20:17 (NET)
And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness: it is a shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. If a man has marital relations with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace.  They must be cut off in the sight of the children of their people.  He has exposed his sister’s nakedness; he will bear his punishment for iniquity.

Leviticus 20:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 20:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὃς ἐὰν λάβῃ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἢ ἐκ μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἴδῃ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς καὶ αὕτη ἴδῃ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ ὄνειδός ἐστιν ἐξολεθρευθήσονται ἐνώπιον υἱῶν γένους αὐτῶν ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν ἁμαρτίαν κομιοῦνται ὃς ἂν λάβῃ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἢ ἐκ μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἴδῃ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς καὶ αὕτη ἴδῃ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ, ὄνειδός ἐστιν, ἐξολοθρευθήσονται ἐνώπιον υἱῶν γένους αὐτῶν· ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν, ἁμαρτίαν κομιοῦνται

Leviticus 20:17 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:17 (English Elpenor)
He who takes his sister, from his father or from his mother, and sees her shame, and she sees his shame; it is a disgrace; they shall be exterminated before the sons of their race; he has uncovered his sister’s shame; he shall bear guilt. Whosoever shall take his sister by his father or by his mother, and shall see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness, it is a reproach: they shall be destroyed before the children of their family; he has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, they shall bear their sin.

Ezekiel 33:13 (Tanakh)

 Ezekiel 33:13 (KJV)

Ezekiel 33:13 (NET)
When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Suppose I tell the righteous that he will certainly live, but he becomes confident in his righteousness and commits iniquity.  None of his righteous deeds will be remembered; because of the iniquity he has committed he will die.

Ezekiel 33:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 33:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῷ εἶπαί με τῷ δικαίῳ οὗτος πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσῃ ἀνομίαν πᾶσαι αἱ δικαιοσύναι αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἀναμνησθῶσιν ἐν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ αὐτοῦ ᾗ ἐποίησεν ἐν αὐτῇ ἀποθανεῗται ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν με τῷ δικαίῳ· οὗτος πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ποιήσει ἀνομίαν, πᾶσαι αἱ δικαιοσύναι αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἀναμνησθῶσιν· ἐν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ᾗ ἐποίησεν, ἐν αὐτῇ ἀποθανεῖται

Ezekiel 33:13 (NETS)

Ezekiel 33:13 (English Elpenor)
When I say to the righteous, “He trusts in his righteousness,” and should he commit lawlessness, none of his righteous acts shall be recalled in his injustice that he has committed; in it he shall die. When I say to the righteous, [Thou shalt live; and] he trusts in his righteousness, and shall commit iniquity, none of his righteousnesses shall be remembered; in his unrighteousness which he has wrought, in it shall he die.

Ezekiel 33:14 (Tanakh)

 Ezekiel 33:14 (KJV)

Ezekiel 33:14 (NET)
Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; Suppose I say to the wicked, ‘You must certainly die,’ but he turns from his sin and does what is just and right.

Ezekiel 33:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 33:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐν τῷ εἶπαί με τῷ ἀσεβεῗ θανάτῳ θανατωθήσῃ καὶ ἀποστρέψῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσῃ κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν με τῷ ἀσεβεῖ· θανάτῳ θανατωθήσῃ, καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσει κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην

Ezekiel 33:14 (NETS)

Ezekiel 33:14 (English Elpenor)
And when I say to the impious, “By death you shall be put to death, and you shall turn back from your sin,” and should he perform judgment and righteousness And when I say to the ungodly, Thou shalt surely die; and he shall turn from his sin, and do judgment and justice,

Ezekiel 33:15 (Tanakh)

 Ezekiel 33:15 (KJV)

Ezekiel 33:15 (NET)
If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. He returns what was taken in pledge, pays back what he has stolen, and follows the statutes that give life, committing no iniquity.  He will certainly live—he will not die.

Ezekiel 33:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 33:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνεχύρασμα ἀποδῷ καὶ ἅρπαγμα ἀποτείσῃ ἐν προστάγμασιν ζωῆς διαπορεύηται τοῦ μὴ ποιῆσαι ἄδικον ζωῇ ζήσεται καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ καὶ ἐνεχύρασμα ἀποδῷ καὶ ἅρπαγμα ἀποτίσει, ἐν προστάγμασι ζωῆς διαπορεύηται τοῦ μὴ ποιῆσαι ἄδικον, ζωῇ ζήσεται καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ

Ezekiel 33:15 (NETS)

Ezekiel 33:15 (English Elpenor)
and restore a pledge and give back robbery, walk in the ordinances of life so as not to do what is wrong, by life he shall live, and he shall not die; and return the pledge, and repay that which he has robbed, [and] walk in the ordinances of life, so as to do no wrong; he shall surely live, and shall not die.

Ezekiel 33:16 (Tanakh)

 Ezekiel 33:16 (KJV)

Ezekiel 33:16 (NET)
None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. None of the sins he has committed will be counted against him.  He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live.

Ezekiel 33:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 33:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πᾶσαι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτοῦ ἃς ἥμαρτεν οὐ μὴ ἀναμνησθῶσιν ὅτι κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐποίησεν ἐν αὐτοῗς ζήσεται πᾶσαι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτοῦ, ἃς ἥμαρτεν, οὐ μὴ ἀναμνησθῶσιν, ὅτι κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐποίησεν, ἐν αὐτοῖς ζήσεται

Ezekiel 33:16 (NETS)

Ezekiel 33:16 (English Elpenor)
none of his sins that he has committed shall be recalled, for he has performed judgment and righteousness; in them he shall live. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered: because he has wrought judgment and righteousness; by them shall he live.

Ezekiel 33:17 (Tanakh)

 Ezekiel 33:17 (KJV)

Ezekiel 33:17 (NET)
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. “Yet your people say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their behavior that is not right.

Ezekiel 33:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 33:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐροῦσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ εὐθεῗα ἡ ὁδὸς τοῦ κυρίου καὶ αὕτη ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῗα καὶ ἐροῦσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ σου· οὐκ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς τοῦ Κυρίου· καὶ αὕτη ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῖα

Ezekiel 33:17 (NETS)

Ezekiel 33:17 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of your people shall say, “The way of the Lord is not right,” and this way of theirs is not right. Yet the children of thy people will say, The way of the Lord is not straight: whereas this their way is not straight.

Ezekiel 33:18 (Tanakh)

 Ezekiel 33:18 (KJV)

Ezekiel 33:18 (NET)
When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. When a righteous man turns from his godliness and commits iniquity, he will die for it.

Ezekiel 33:18 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 33:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέψαι δίκαιον ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσῃ ἀνομίας καὶ ἀποθανεῗται ἐν αὐταῗς ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέψαι δίκαιον ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσει ἀνομίας, καὶ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν αὐταῖς

Ezekiel 33:18 (NETS)

Ezekiel 33:18 (English Elpenor)
When a righteous one has turned back from his righteousness and should he commit acts of lawlessness, he shall die in them. When the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and shall commit iniquities, then shall he die in them.

Ezekiel 33:19 (Tanakh)

 Ezekiel 33:19 (KJV)

Ezekiel 33:19 (NET)
But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. When the wicked turns from his sin and does what is just and right, he will live because of it.

Ezekiel 33:19 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 33:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσῃ κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐν αὐτοῗς αὐτὸς ζήσεται καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσει κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην, ἐν αὐτοῖς αὐτὸς ζήσεται

Ezekiel 33:19 (NETS)

Ezekiel 33:19 (English Elpenor)
And when the sinner turns back from his lawlessness and performs judgment and righteousness, in them he shall live. And when the sinner turns from his iniquity, and shall do judgment and righteousness, he shall live by them.

Ezekiel 33:20 (Tanakh)

 Ezekiel 33:20 (KJV)

Ezekiel 33:20 (NET)
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal.  O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal.  O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways. Yet you say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’  House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.”

Ezekiel 33:20 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 33:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ εἴπατε οὐκ εὐθεῗα ἡ ὁδὸς κυρίου ἕκαστον ἐν ταῗς ὁδοῗς αὐτοῦ κρινῶ ὑμᾶς οἶκος Ισραηλ καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὃ εἴπατε· οὐκ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς Κυρίου· ἕκαστον ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ κρινῶ ὑμᾶς, οἶκος ᾿Ισραήλ

Ezekiel 33:20 (NETS)

Ezekiel 33:20 (English Elpenor)
And this is what you said, “The way of the Lord is not right”; I will judge each of you by his ways, O house of Israel. And this is that which ye said, The way of the Lord is [not] straight.  I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one for his ways.

Genesis 6:9 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 6:9 (KJV)

Genesis 6:9 (NET)
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was in his generations a man righteous and wholehearted; Noah walked with G-d. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. This is the account of Noah.  Noah was a godly man; he was blameless among his contemporaries.  He walked with God.

Genesis 6:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 6:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Νωε Νωε ἄνθρωπος δίκαιος τέλειος ὢν ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ αὐτοῦ τῷ θεῷ εὐηρέστησεν Νωε Αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Νῶε· Νῶε ἄνθρωπος δίκαιος, τέλειος ὢν ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ αὐτοῦ· τῷ Θεῷ εὐηρέστησε Νῶε

Genesis 6:9 (NETS)

Genesis 6:9 (English Elpenor)
Now these are the generations of Noe.  Noe was a righteous man, being perfect in his era; Noe was well-pleasing to God. And these [are] the generations of Noe.  Noe was a just man; being perfect in his generation, Noe was well-pleasing to God.

Leviticus 20:22 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 20:22 (KJV)

Leviticus 20:22 (NET)
Ye shall therefore keep all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do them, that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out. Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out. “‘You must be sure to obey all my statutes and regulations, so that the land to which I am about to bring you to take up residence does not vomit you out.

Leviticus 20:22 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 20:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ φυλάξασθε πάντα τὰ προστάγματά μου καὶ τὰ κρίματά μου καὶ ποιήσετε αὐτά καὶ οὐ μὴ προσοχθίσῃ ὑμῗν ἡ γῆ εἰς ἣν ἐγὼ εἰσάγω ὑμᾶς ἐκεῗ κατοικεῗν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς Καὶ φυλάξασθε πάντα τὰ προστάγματά μου, καὶ τὰ κρίματά μου καὶ ποιήσετε αὐτά, καὶ οὐ μὴ προσοχθίσῃ ὑμῖν ἡ γῆ, εἰς ἣν ἐγὼ εἰσάγω ὑμᾶς ἐκεῖ κατοικεῖν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς

Leviticus 20:22 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:22 (English Elpenor)
And you shall keep all my ordinances and all my judgments and do them, and the land to which I bring you there to settle in it will never be angry with you. And keep ye all my ordinances, and my judgments; and ye shall do them, and the land shall not be aggrieved with you, into which I bring you to dwell upon it.

Leviticus 20:23 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 20:23 (KJV)

Leviticus 20:23 (NET)
And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. You must not walk in the statutes of the nations which I am about to drive out before you, because they have done all these things and I am filled with disgust against them.

Leviticus 20:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 20:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐχὶ πορεύεσθε τοῗς νομίμοις τῶν ἐθνῶν οὓς ἐξαποστέλλω ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν ὅτι ταῦτα πάντα ἐποίησαν καὶ ἐβδελυξάμην αὐτούς καὶ οὐχὶ πορεύεσθε τοῖς νομίμοις τῶν ἐθνῶν, οὓς ἐξαποστέλλω ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν· ὅτι ταῦτα πάντα ἐποίησαν, καὶ ἐβδελυξάμην αὐτούς.

Leviticus 20:23 (NETS)

Leviticus 20:23 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not walk by the precepts of the nations that I am sending out away from you.  Because they did all these things, I also abhorred them. And walk ye not in the customs of the nations which I drive out from before you; for they have done all these things, and I have abhorred them:

[1] Philippians 4:19 (NET) Table

[2] Deuteronomy 5:9b (NET) Table

[3] This clause translated from the Masoretic text was ignored by the rabbis who translated the Septuagint or absent from the Hebrew source they translated.

[4] Christopher Fisher, “was Canaan the child of Ham and Noah’s wife”

[5] Dr. Rabbi David Frankel, “Noah, Ham and the Curse of Canaan: Who Did What to Whom in the Tent? A new solution to why Canaan (not Ham) was cursed”

[6] 1 Corinthians 15:3b (NET)

[7] Romans 5:13 (NET)

[8] Luke 5:32 (NET)

[9] John 3:7 (NET)

[10] Who Am I? Part 2; Who Am I? Part 3; Torture, Part 4

[11] David’s Forgiveness, Part 2; Torture, Part 4; Romans, Part 2

[12] Romans 7:6b (NET)

[13] It is extremely interesting to compare Isaiah 58:6-11 with Matthew 25:31-46.

The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 2

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Lazarus had been buried four days.  Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11:38-44).  John recalled the aftermath (John 11:45-53 NET):

Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him.  But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done [Table].  So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing?  For this man is performing many miraculous signs.  If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.”

Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You know nothing at all!  You do not realize that it is more to your[1] advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.”  (Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied[2] that Jesus[3] was going to die for the Jewish nation, and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.)  So from that day they planned together[4] to kill him.

The Greek word translated perish was ἀπόληται (a form of ἀπόλλυμι).  I don’t think for a moment that Caiaphas meant: it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to burn in hell for all eternity.  Caiaphas feared something more like what happened in 70 AD.  But Caiaphas was high priest that year, John recalled, he did not say this on his own but prophesied.  So what did the Holy Spirit mean?  The events of 70 AD were not averted by Jesus’ death.

I tell you, my friends, Jesus said, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do [Table].  But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell (γέενναν, a form of γέεννα).  Yes, I tell you, fear him![5]

The Greek word ἀπόληται was also translated perish in, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.[6]  If I’m not careful I read this as God…gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not burn in hell for all eternity but go to heaven.  This reading is so ingrained I find it difficult to accept Jesus’ judgment if He proposes different criteria for departing into the eternal fire (Matthew 25:31-46).

Condemning those, however, who have demonstrated no care or concern for Jesus’ brothers and sisters into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels[7] is consistent with Jesus’ teaching on the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28-34a NET):

Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating.  When he saw[8] that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”[9]  Jesus[10] answered,[11] “The most important[12] is:[13] ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one [Table].  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength’[14] [Table].  The[15] second is:[16] ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no other commandment greater than these.”  The expert in the law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say[17] that he[18] is one, and there is no one else besides him.  And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind,[19] and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important[20] than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” [Table].  When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

For there is no partiality with God [Table], Paul wrote believers in Rome (Romans 2:11-16 NET).

For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish (ἀπολοῦνται, a form of ἀπόλλυμι) apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged (κριθήσονται, a form of κρίνω) by the law.  For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous [Table].  For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves [Table].  They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, on the day when God will judge (κρίνει, a form of κρίνω) the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

We who have believed in Jesus, been born from above, received his Holy Spirit and rested in God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control have a clear advantage.  But do we have the monopoly on being among those who do not hear, Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels?  I could argue that we do.

Frankly, I expected so much more of the righteous before God…those who do the law, than merely something other than the absolute negation[21] of those who saw a brother or sister of Jesus hungry and…gave them nothing (οὐκ) to eat…thirsty and…gave [them] nothing (οὐκ) to drink…a stranger and…did not (οὐ) receive them as a guest, naked and…did not (οὐ) clothe them, sick and in prison and…did not (οὐκ) visit them.[22]  Perhaps Jesus didn’t mean what it sounds like He said.

How can one go from nothing one does pleases God (Romans 3:10-18) to almost anything one does that demonstrates some care or concern for Jesus’ brothers or sisters is sufficient to be called righteous by the Judge and to hear: Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world?[23]  Surely, this implies that one has been delivered…from the power of darkness and transferred…to the kingdom of the Son he loves[24] already!  But my argument falls apart faster than I can make it.

The great commission is to make disciples of all nations, not to save people from burning in hell for all eternity (Matthew 28:18-20 NET):

Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth[25] has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey (τηρεῖν, a form of τηρέω) everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”[26]

Should I be surprised if the righteousness of disciples exceeds that of those who escape the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels by demonstrating some care or concern for Jesus’ disciples?  (Yes, I’m equating Jesus’ disciples with his brothers or sisters.)  I’m tired of arguing with the Judge who has received all authority in heaven and on earth.  I lack standing to dispute with Him who gives life to whomever he wishes.[27]  As a matter of fear toward the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw me into hell I concede the point.

But who can live in a manner worthy of such a calling?

I begin to understand why the monastic system may have formed.  Don’t worry, I also see how it went awry.  Even if the master was led by the Holy Spirit, the initiates perceived that their master lived by following certain rules, and then eventually believed they could become like their master by obeying the rules they had mistakenly perceived as the source of the master’s way of life.  Still, I agree that the most important thing I do any and every day is to pray God’s grace and mercy for all in Jesus’ name.

He has tried to get me to reconsider my understanding of—God…gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not burn in hell for all eternity but go to heaven—before.  I can grasp the absolute negation in Greek.  Those who hear, Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels,[28] don’t hear it because of some minor lapses in their care or concern for Jesus’ brothers and sisters.  But the qualified negation—so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life[29]—is more difficult for me to grasp.

My first stab at it was that the qualified negation allowed for the possibility that one could both perish and have eternal life.  A tear streaked my cheek as I recognized that ἀπόληται could hardly mean “burn in hell for all eternity” if that were true.  Though I value such emotional experiences I don’t take them as proof of truth necessarily.  I get all teary-eyed when Reggie (Freddy Rodriguez) steps up as the Guardian to defend the Narf (Bryce Dallas Howard) from a Scrunt in the movie Lady in the Water.

I consider that emotional experience a testament to M. Night Shyamalan’s skill as a  story-teller, which is not to disparage Bryce Dallas Howard’s skill portraying a vulnerable and precious child or Paul Giametti’s skill portraying a bereaved father desperate to nurture and protect her.  Jesus is a better story-teller than Mr. Shyamalan and I have all kinds of emotional reactions to being folded into his story.  Besides I’ve already imagined a possible scenario where I the old human burn for all eternity in a lake of fire even as I the new human am face to face with God.  How’s that for a salvation by faith predicated on a human choice?

I looked online for some help understanding the qualified negation in Greek.  I found some shock therapy on Gary Gagliardi’s site “Christ’s Words — What Is Lost in Translation from Greek.”  His translation of John 3:16 and his explanation of the qualified negation in that verse follow:

Therefore, since God was fond of the world order, he appointed the son unique in order that all believing in him might not want to cease to exist but might possess life eternal.

The negative “not” used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that “you don’t want” to do something, not that it isn’t done or don’t think something that might be true. If it wasn’t done or wasn’t true, the objective negative of fact would be used. The sense here is that the person doesn’t “want” to cease to exist.

The word translated as “shall…perish” means “to cease to exist.” The form is one of possibility not the future tense. With the negative used, the sense is “might not want to cease to exist”. This seems…[to] indicate that those who do not trust in him do not want to continue to exist. The sense is that not trusting in his promise equates to no trusting in a continued life and having access to it.

I’m not implying that this is the one and only true translation and interpretation of John 3:16.  All things considered Mr. Gagliardi’s translation qualifies as an outlier among English translations of John 3:16.  It is interesting as a potential translation as I try to overcome my misunderstanding.

At his arrest Jesus said, “I told you that I am he.  If you are looking for me, let these men go.”  And John added, He said this to fulfill the word he had spoken, “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.”[30]  The word translated lost was ἀπώλεσα, an active form of ἀπόλλυμι:  “to ruin, destroy; to demolish, dismantle, trash, wreck; to lose; to take away; to conceal and make inaccessible; to be unavailable, be taken away; not to be found, have vanished, have gone missing.”  The negation is ουκ (a form of οὐ) the absolute negation, so nothing tricky about it.

Before I continue I want to back up and consider Mr. Gagliardi’s translation and explanation of ἀπώλετο in John 17:12.

At that time I was with them, I watched over them in your name, whoever you appointed to me, and I have defended them [formed them into a tribe] and none from them has been lost except the child of the lost so that what is written might be completed.

Also, from the translation, you wouldn’t know that the word translated as “lost” from “none of them have been lost” is the verb form of the same word translated as “perdition.” The verse actually says that none have been lost except for the son of the lost. The word’s primary meaning is “to destroy” so the translation would then come out as “none have been destroyed except the son of destruction.”

So this leads me to a Gospel harmony of how Judas was lost or “destroyed.”

Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16 (NET)

 Mark 14:1,2, 10, 11 (NET)

Luke 22:1-6 (NET)
When Jesus had finished saying all these things (Matthew 24-25), he told his disciples,
“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.
and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
Then the chief priests[31] and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.
They planned to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. the chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. The chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find some way to execute Jesus,
But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there won’t be a riot among the people.” For[32] they said, “Not during the feast, so there won’t be a riot among the people.”
for they were afraid of the people.
Then Satan[33] entered Judas, the one called[34] Iscariot, who was one of the twelve.
Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests Then Judas[35] Iscariot,[36] one of the twelve, went to the chief priests He went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard
to betray[37] Jesus into their hands. how he might betray Jesus, handing him over to them.
and said, “What will you give me to betray him into your hands?”
When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him money. They were delighted and arranged to give him money.
So they set out thirty silver coins for him.
So Judas agreed
From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him. So Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray[38] him. and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus
when no crowd was present.

John let this stand without comment in his Gospel narrative, except to reinforce at the last supper that the devil had already put into the heart of Judas[39] Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray[40] Jesus.[41]  Jesus specified which prophecy Judas would fulfill: I know the ones[42] I have chosen.  But this is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who eats my[43] bread has turned against me.’[44]

A table comparing this to Psalm 41:9b (the presumed source text) in the Septuagint follows.  It is more thought for thought than a word for word quotation.

John 13:18a (NET Parallel Greek)

 Psalm 41:9b (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 40:10b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ τρώγων μου τὸν ἄρτον ἐπῆρεν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ τὴν πτέρναν αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου, ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν

John 13:18b (NET)

 Psalm 40:10b (NETS)

Psalm 40:10b (English Elpenor)
The one who eats my bread has turned against me. he who would eat of my bread, magnified trickery against me. who ate my bread, lifted up [his] heel against me.

If I accept the NET translation piece of bread for ψωμίον, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy deliberately (John 13:21-27 NET):

When he had said these things (John 13:18-20), Jesus was greatly distressed in spirit, and testified, “I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray me.”  The[45] disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about.  One[46] of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor.[47]  So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to.  Then the disciple whom Jesus loved[48] leaned back[49] against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”  Jesus replied, “It is the one to whom I will give[50] this piece of bread after I have dipped[51] it in the dish.”  Then[52] he dipped[53] the piece of bread in the dish and[54] gave it to Judas Iscariot,[55] Simon’s son.  And after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.  Jesus said to him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

Before I did this study I assumed that Jesus’ concern in the garden was that his remaining disciples were not arrested and killed.  Now I’m reasonably convinced that He was concerned that they not be arrested, threatened with death perhaps, and apart from Him and before receiving the Holy Spirit, be turned away from Him as Judas was.  In other words, He did not want them to be lost or “destroyed.”

Tables comparing Psalm 41:9 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Psalm 41:9 (40:10) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Following those are tables comparing John 11:50, 51; 11:53; Matthew 28:18; 28:20; John 18:8; Matthew 26:3; Mark 14:2; 14:10, 11; Luke 22:3; John 13:2; 13:18; 13:22, 23 and 13:25, 26 in the NET and KJV.

Psalm 41:9 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 41:9 (KJV)

Psalm 41:9 (NET)
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. Even my close friend whom I trusted, he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.

Psalm 41:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 40:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς εἰρήνης μου ἐφ᾽ ὃν ἤλπισα ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς εἰρήνης μου, ἐφ᾿ ὃν ἤλπισα, ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου, ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν

Psalm 40:10 (NETS)

Psalm 40:10 (English Elpenor)
Indeed, the person at peace with me, in whom I hoped, he who would eat of my bread, magnified trickery against me. For even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, lifted up [his] heel against me.

John 11:50, 51 (NET)

John 11:50, 51 (KJV)
You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οὐδὲ λογίζεσθε ὅτι συμφέρει ὑμῖν ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ ἔθνος ἀπόληται ουδε διαλογιζεσθε οτι συμφερει ημιν ινα εις ανθρωπος αποθανη υπερ του λαου και μη ολον το εθνος αποληται ουδε διαλογιζεσθε οτι συμφερει ημιν ινα εις ανθρωπος αποθανη υπερ του λαου και μη ολον το εθνος αποληται
(Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
(τοῦτο δὲ ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου ἐπροφήτευσεν ὅτι ἔμελλεν Ἰησοῦς ἀποθνῄσκειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους τουτο δε αφ εαυτου ουκ ειπεν αλλα αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου προεφητευσεν οτι εμελλεν ο ιησους αποθνησκειν υπερ του εθνους τουτο δε αφ εαυτου ουκ ειπεν αλλα αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου προεφητευσεν οτι εμελλεν ιησους αποθνησκειν υπερ του εθνους

John 11:53 (NET)

John 11:53 (KJV)
So from that day they planned together to kill him. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπ᾿ ἐκείνης οὖν τῆς ἡμέρας ἐβουλεύσαντο ἵνα ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτόν απ εκεινης ουν της ημερας συνεβουλευσαντο ινα αποκτεινωσιν αυτον απ εκεινης ουν της ημερας συνεβουλευσαντο ινα αποκτεινωσιν αυτον

Matthew 28:18 (NET)

Matthew 28:18 (KJV)
Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ [τῆς] γῆς και προσελθων ο ιησους ελαλησεν αυτοις λεγων εδοθη μοι πασα εξουσια εν ουρανω και επι γης και προσελθων ο ιησους ελαλησεν αυτοις λεγων εδοθη μοι πασα εξουσια εν ουρανω και επι γης

Matthew 28:20 (NET)

Matthew 28:20 (KJV)
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.  Amen.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος διδασκοντες αυτους τηρειν παντα οσα ενετειλαμην υμιν και ιδου εγω μεθ υμων ειμι πασας τας ημερας εως της συντελειας του αιωνος αμην διδασκοντες αυτους τηρειν παντα οσα ενετειλαμην υμιν και ιδου εγω μεθ υμων ειμι πασας τας ημερας εως της συντελειας του αιωνος αμην

John 18:8 (NET)

John 18:8 (KJV)
Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he.  If you are looking for me, let these men go.” Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· εἶπον ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. εἰ οὖν ἐμὲ ζητεῖτε, ἄφετε τούτους ὑπάγειν απεκριθη ο ιησους ειπον υμιν οτι εγω ειμι ει ουν εμε ζητειτε αφετε τουτους υπαγειν απεκριθη ιησους ειπον υμιν οτι εγω ειμι ει ουν εμε ζητειτε αφετε τουτους υπαγειν

Matthew 26:3 (NET)

Matthew 26:3 (KJV)
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Τότε συνήχθησαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως τοῦ λεγομένου Καϊάφα τοτε συνηχθησαν οι αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις και οι πρεσβυτεροι του λαου εις την αυλην του αρχιερεως του λεγομενου καιαφα τοτε συνηχθησαν οι αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις και οι πρεσβυτεροι του λαου εις την αυλην του αρχιερεως του λεγομενου καιαφα

Mark 14:2 (NET)

Mark 14:2 (KJV)
For they said, “Not during the feast, so there won’t be a riot among the people.” But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἔλεγον γάρ μὴ ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, μήποτε ἔσται θόρυβος τοῦ λαοῦ ελεγον δε μη εν τη εορτη μηποτε θορυβος εσται του λαου ελεγον δε μη εν τη εορτη μηποτε θορυβος εσται του λαου

Mark 14:10, 11 (NET)

Mark 14:10, 11 (KJV)
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus into their hands. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριὼθ ὁ εἷς τῶν δώδεκα ἀπῆλθεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς ἵνα αὐτὸν παραδοῖ αὐτοῖς και ο ιουδας ο ισκαριωτης εις των δωδεκα απηλθεν προς τους αρχιερεις ινα παραδω αυτον αυτοις και ο ιουδας ο ισκαριωτης εις των δωδεκα απηλθεν προς τους αρχιερεις ινα παραδω αυτον αυτοις
When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him money.  So Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money.  And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐχάρησαν καὶ ἐπηγγείλαντο αὐτῷ ἀργύριον δοῦναι. καὶ ἐζήτει πῶς αὐτὸν εὐκαίρως παραδοῖ οι δε ακουσαντες εχαρησαν και επηγγειλαντο αυτω αργυριον δουναι και εζητει πως ευκαιρως αυτον παραδω οι δε ακουσαντες εχαρησαν και επηγγειλαντο αυτω αργυριον δουναι και εζητει πως ευκαιρως αυτον παραδω

Luke 22:3 (NET)

Luke 22:3 (KJV)
Then Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Εἰσῆλθεν δὲ σατανᾶς εἰς Ἰούδαν τὸν καλούμενον Ἰσκαριώτην, ὄντα ἐκ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν δώδεκα εισηλθεν δε ο σατανας εις ιουδαν τον επικαλουμενον ισκαριωτην οντα εκ του αριθμου των δωδεκα εισηλθεν δε σατανας εις ιουδαν τον επικαλουμενον ισκαριωτην οντα εκ του αριθμου των δωδεκα

John 13:2 (NET)

John 13:2 (KJV)
The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ δείπνου γινομένου, τοῦ διαβόλου ἤδη βεβληκότος εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἵνα παραδοῖ αὐτὸν Ἰούδας Σίμωνος |Ἰσκαριώτου| και δειπνου γενομενου του διαβολου ηδη βεβληκοτος εις την καρδιαν ιουδα σιμωνος ισκαριωτου ινα αυτον παραδω και δειπνου γενομενου του διαβολου ηδη βεβληκοτος εις την καρδιαν ιουδα σιμωνος ισκαριωτου ινα αυτον παραδω

John 13:18 (NET)

John 13:18 (KJV)
“What I am saying does not refer to all of you.  I know the ones I have chosen.  But this is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who eats my bread has turned against me.’ I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Οὐ περὶ πάντων ὑμῶν λέγω· ἐγὼ οἶδα τίνας ἐξελεξάμην· ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ· ὁ τρώγων μου τὸν ἄρτον ἐπῆρεν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ τὴν πτέρναν αὐτοῦ ου περι παντων υμων λεγω εγω οιδα ους εξελεξαμην αλλ ινα η γραφη πληρωθη ο τρωγων μετ εμου τον αρτον επηρεν επ εμε την πτερναν αυτου ου περι παντων υμων λεγω εγω οιδα ους εξελεξαμην αλλ ινα η γραφη πληρωθη ο τρωγων μετ εμου τον αρτον επηρεν επ εμε την πτερναν αυτου

John 13:22, 23 (NET)

John 13:22, 23 (KJV)
The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἔβλεπον εἰς ἀλλήλους οἱ μαθηταὶ ἀπορούμενοι περὶ τίνος λέγει εβλεπον ουν εις αλληλους οι μαθηται απορουμενοι περι τινος λεγει εβλεπον ουν εις αλληλους οι μαθηται απορουμενοι περι τινος λεγει
One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἦν ἀνακείμενος εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὃν ἠγάπα |ὁ| Ἰησοῦς ην δε ανακειμενος εις των μαθητων αυτου εν τω κολπω του ιησου ον ηγαπα ο ιησους ην δε ανακειμενος εις των μαθητων αυτου εν τω κολπω του ιησου ον ηγαπα ο ιησους

John 13:25, 26 (NET)

John 13:25, 26 (KJV)
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀναπεσὼν |οὖν| ἐκεῖνος οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λέγει αὐτῷ· κύριε, τίς ἐστιν επιπεσων δε εκεινος επι το στηθος του ιησου λεγει αυτω κυριε τις εστιν επιπεσων δε εκεινος ουτως επι το στηθος του ιησου λεγει αυτω κυριε τις εστιν
Jesus replied, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I have dipped it in the dish.”  Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it.  And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀποκρίνεται  [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς· ἐκεῖνος ἐστιν ᾧ ἐγὼ βάψω τὸ ψωμίον καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ. βάψας οὖν |τὸ| ψωμίον [λαμβάνει καὶ] δίδωσιν Ἰούδᾳ Σίμωνος Ἰσκαριώτου αποκρινεται ο ιησους εκεινος εστιν ω εγω βαψας το ψωμιον επιδωσω και εμβαψας το ψωμιον διδωσιν ιουδα σιμωνος ισκαριωτη αποκρινεται ο ιησους εκεινος εστιν ω εγω βαψας το ψωμιον επιδωσω και εμβαψας το ψωμιον διδωσιν ιουδα σιμωνος ισκαριωτη

[1] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὑμῖν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ημιν (KJV: for us).

[2] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐπροφήτευσεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had προεφητευσε.

[3] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding Jesus.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[4] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐβουλεύσαντ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had συνεβουλευσαντο (KJV: took counsel together).

[5] Luke 12:4, 5 (NET)

[6] John 3:16b (NET)

[7] Matthew 25:41b (NET)

[8] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἰδὼν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειδως (KJV: perceiving).

[9] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had πάντων here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πασων.

[10] The Stephanus Textus Receptu and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: And) preceding Jesus.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[11] The Stephanus Textus Receptu and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτω (KJV: him) following answered.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[12] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πασων των εντολων (KJV: of all the commandments) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[13] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐστίν here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[14] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτη πρωτη εντολη (KJV: this is the first commandment) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[15] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: And) at the beginning of this clause.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[16] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ομοια (KJV: like) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[17] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἶπες here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπας (KJV: thou hast said).

[18] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had θεος (KJV: God) here.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[19] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και εξ ολης της ψυχης (KJV: and with all the soul) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[20] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had περισσότερον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πλειον (KJV: more).

[21] Here are a few essays where I began to grapple with the absolute and qualified or relative negation in New Testament Greek: Son of God – John, Part 2; Fear – Genesis, Part 7; Son of God – John, Part 3

[22] Matthew 25:42, 43 (NET)

[23] Matthew 25:34 (NET)

[24] Colossians 1:13 (NET)

[25] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τῆς preceding earth.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[26] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αμην (KJV: Amen) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not

[27] John 5:21b (NET)

[28] Matthew 25:41 (NET)

[29] John 3:16b (NET)

[30] John 18:8, 9 (NET)

[31] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και οι γραμματεις (KJV: and the scribes) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[32] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had γάρ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: But).

[33] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding Satan.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[34] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καλούμενον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επικαλουμενον (KJV: surnamed).

[35] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ο preceding Judas.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[36] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Iscariot was spelled Ἰσκαριὼθ, and ισκαριωτης in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[37] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παραδοῖ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παραδω.

[38] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παραδοῖ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παραδω.

[39] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Judas was spelled Ἰούδας, and ιουδα in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[40] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παραδοῖ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παραδω.

[41] John 13:2b (NET)

[42] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τίνας here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the pronoun ους (KJV: whom).

[43] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μου here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μετ εμου (KJV: with me).

[44] John 13:18b (NET)

[45] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: Then) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[46] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: Now) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[47] NET note 57 explains the idiom.

[48] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐκεῖνος οὕτως here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had simply εκεινος (KJV: He).

[49] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀναπεσὼν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επιπεσων (KJV: lying on).

[50] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επιδωσω (KJV: shall give).

[51] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had βάψω here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had βαψας.

[52] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had οὖν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: And).

[53] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had βαψας here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εμβαψας (KJV: had dipped).

[54] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had λαμβάνει καὶ (λαμβάνει was not translated in the NET) here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[55] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had Ἰσκαριώτου here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ισκαριωτη.

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 5

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Another statement of the law of the Sabbath in Exodus reads as follows:

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Exodus 23:12 (Tanakh) Exodus 23:12 (NET) Exodus 23:12 (NETS)

Exodus 23:12 (English Elpenor)
Six days thou shalt do thy work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest (תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת); that thine ox and thine ass may have rest (יָנ֗וּחַ), and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease (shâbath, תשבת), in order that your ox and your donkey may rest (nûach, ינוח) and that your female servant’s son and the resident foreigner may refresh themselves. Six days you shall do your tasks, but on the seventh day you shall rest (ἀνάπαυσις) in order that your ox and your draft animal might rest (ἀναπαύσηται) and that the son of your female servant and the guest might be refreshed. Six days shalt thou do thy works, and on the seventh day there shall be rest (ἀνάπαυσις), that thine ox and thine ass may rest (ἀναπαύσηται), and that the son of thy maid-servant and the stranger may be refreshed.

All of these translations pass the test—The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath[1]—in my opinion.  Here rest was תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת (shâbath) in the clause but on the seventh day thou shalt rest in the Masoretic text, and ἀνάπαυσις in the Septuagint.  The Hebrew root is the same in and He rested (shâbath, וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙) on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.[2]  The Greek root is the same in Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (ἀνάπαυσιν, a form of ἀνάπαυσις) for your souls.[3]

The second rest—that thine ox and thine ass may have rest—was יָנ֗וּחַ (nûach) in the Masoretic text and ἀναπαύσηται (a form of ἀναπαύω) in the Septuagint.   The Hebrew root is the same in the ten commandments: in six days HaShem made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested (nûach, וַיָּ֖נַח) on the seventh day.[4]  The Greek root is the same in Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (ἀναπαύσω, a form of ἀναπαύω).[5]

I looked up may be refreshed out of curiosity: It was וְיִנָּפֵ֥שׁ (nâphash) in the Masoretic text and ἀναψύξῃ (a form of ἀναψύχω) in the Septuagint.  There is only one occurrence of a form of ἀναψύχω in the New Testament (2 Timothy 1:16-18 NET):

May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed (ἀνέψυξεν a form of ἀναψύχω) me and was not ashamed[6] of my imprisonment.  But when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly[7] searched for me and found me.  May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!  And you know very well all the ways he served me in Ephesus.

I was about to return to Exodus when a question came to mind: Did Paul consider Onesiphorus a fellow believer?  May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!  Is that the way he would write about a fellow believer?  I won’t argue yea or nay here.  But it sent me back to Jesus’ teaching as it shed some light on something I had heard the night before.  I’ll try to put all this back into perspicuous form.

I don’t listen to Todd Friel often.  He is a bit snarky for my taste.  (Perhaps, I should say that his snarkiness appeals way too much to my flesh.)  Apparently, he did stand-up comedy[8] in another life.  The night before I began this study a YouTube video titled, “The #1 reason there are so many FALSE Christian converts,” was the clickbait I needed to deviate from my usual course.  Mr. Friel explained:

The problem is they aren’t presenting the gospel…God will pull the rug out from under anybody to get their attention.  But it’s not that He wants them to come to him so the rug can be replaced.  He wants to get their attention so that they recognize: You’re at the end of your rope because I hold the rope, and one day I’m going to pull your rope in and I am going to judge you for every thought, word and deed.  And if you are not hidden in the cleft of the rock, My Son the Lord Jesus Christ, I will grind you to powder.

The next morning Paul’s prayer for Onesiphorus—May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day—sent me back to Jesus’ description of that day (Matthew 25:31-40 NET):

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats [Table].  He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.  Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited[12] me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you?  When did we see you sick[13] or in prison and visit you?’  And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’

The Greek word translated brothers or sisters was ἀδελφῶν (a form of ἀδελφός).  Paul wrote believers in Rome (Romans 8:28-30 NET):

And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (ἀδελφοῖς, another form of ἀδελφός).  And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

Those who were accursed demonstrated no care or concern (Matthew 25:42-45) for Jesus’ brothers and sisters: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!’[14]  And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous (e.g., those who demonstrated some level of care or concern for Jesus’ brothers and sisters) into eternal life.”[15]

For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, Jesus taught his disciples, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes (John 5:21-24 NET).

Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father.  The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him [Table].

“I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.

Jesus defined eternal life for us in a prayer to his Father: Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.[16]  And the Holy Spirit reminded me of more knowledge of the Judge the Father appointed, who He is, how He judges.  Jesus taught his disciples (Matthew 10:40-42 NET):

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.  Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive[17] a prophet’s reward.  Whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive[18] a righteous person’s reward.  And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, he will never lose his reward.

I received a gospel similar to the one presented by Mr. Friel: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ or burn in hell for all eternity.  I was five.  I don’t recall any of the emotional baggage that would be so offensive to adults.  It was simply another fact, like cross at the crosswalk with the light, or a bus will run you down.  But there was always an undercurrent, and since I wasn’t availing myself of the word of God as a precision diagnostic and surgical instrument, I didn’t recognize that undercurrent as the flesh or the old man.

That undercurrent became progressively more vociferous throughout my young life:

I wanted to save myself from an eternity in a lake of fire.  And now, lo and behold, I find that I have become—inadvertently—a Christian!  Not a day goes by that I don’t discover yet another restriction in an endless list of prohibitions to which I must conform because I am a Christian!  On top of that there is another endless list of things I must do because I am a Christian, chief among these is to rope my friends into a way of life I would not wish on my worst enemy.

If that undercurrent sounds a little like Joe Pesci in the movie My Cousin Vinny, well, that’s a bit of literary license.  As a hilariously triumphant example of all things working together for good, even that undercurrent has become a strong motivation to rest in the fruit of the Holy Spirit—once I began to recognize that the voice of that undercurrent wasn’t mine.

I was one of the most false converts to Christ.  But God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit hasn’t given up on me yet.  Mr. Friel also mentioned substitutionary atonement as something important to the Gospel: For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.[19]  For the wages of sin is death.[20]

Clearly substitutionary atonement is of first importance.  Given my history, however, I’m wary whenever the doctrine of substitutionary atonement substitutes faith in punishment for faith in Jesus Christ.  David Instone-Brewer in his essay, “Did God Punish Jesus on the Cross?,” offers a better introduction to this concern than I have done or am doing here.

None of this is to discourage anyone from answering the call of God in Jesus Christ, just a reminder that God is not the enemy here.  Sin is the enemy.  For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures[21] because this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.[22] I will not speak with you much longer, Jesus told his disciples, for the ruler of this world[23] is coming.  He has no power over me, but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.[24]

When Joeseph considered divorcing Mary because she was already pregnant, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit [Table].  She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”[25]  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may cease from sinning and live for righteousness.  By his wounds you were healed.[26]  John Piper preached a sermon—Christ Died for Our Sins That We Might Die to Sin—that is clearer than anything I’ve written.

It is true that there was wrath in the past.  The Grand Canyon in Arizona is a visible memorial to a time when The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended.[27]  There is a time of wrath and revelation of Jesus Christ yet to come.  Now, dear friends, Peter wrote, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that a single day is like a thousand years with the Lord and a thousand years are like a single day.  The[28] Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you,[29] because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.[30]

Different believers estimate the strength of μακροθυμεῖ (a form of μακροθυμέω; NET: patient; KJV: longsuffering) and βουλόμενος (a form of βούλομαι) in different ways.  The NET translators, for instance, chose wish for βουλόμενος where the KJV translators chose longsuffering.  The Koine Greek Lexicon online indicates that forms of βούλομαι with a negative, as it is here (μὴ βουλόμενος), mean “to refuse, not to consent.”  Likewise, I may have a different experience of God’s patience than one who has never strayed far from Christian faith.

To end this excursion where it began: the man who marveled at Jesus’ definition of eternal life in my musical composition not only alerted me to how illiterate I had actually become, caring more for the sounds of words than their meaning, he also provided me with a handy tool—this is—to begin to understand the Bible better.  This Jew who found philosophical comfort in Buddhism, who thought that salvation by faith was too non-human to be true the last time I had any contact with him, was a great help to me in my journey to know the only true God and Jesus Christ.  May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day.

Tables comparing Exodus 23:12 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Exodus 23:12 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Following those are tables comparing 2 Timothy 1:16, 17; 25:36; 25:39; 10:41; John 14:30 and 2 Peter 3:9 in the NET and KJV.

Exodus 23:12 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 23:12 (KJV)

Exodus 23:12 (NET)
Six days thou shalt do thy work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest; that thine ox and thine ass may have rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, in order that your ox and your donkey may rest and that your female servant’s son and the resident foreigner may refresh themselves.

Exodus 23:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 23:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἓξ ἡμέρας ποιήσεις τὰ ἔργα σου τῇ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀνάπαυσις ἵνα ἀναπαύσηται ὁ βοῦς σου καὶ τὸ ὑποζύγιόν σου καὶ ἵνα ἀναψύξῃ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης σου καὶ ὁ προσήλυτος ἓξ ἡμέρας ποιήσεις τὰ ἔργα σου, τῇ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀνάπαυσις, ἵνα ἀναπαύσηται ὁ βοῦς σου καὶ τὸ ὑποζύγιόν σου, καὶ ἵνα ἀναψύξῃ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς παιδίσκης σου καὶ ὁ προσήλυτος

Exodus 23:12 (NETS)

Exodus 23:12 (English Elpenor)
Six days you shall do your tasks, but on the seventh day you shall rest in order that your ox and your draft animal might rest and that the son of your female servant and the guest might be refreshed. Six days shalt thou do thy works, and on the seventh day there shall be rest, that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and that the son of thy maid-servant and the stranger may be refreshed.

2 Timothy 1:16, 17 (NET)

2 Timothy 1:16, 17 (KJV)
May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my imprisonment. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
δῴη ἔλεος ὁ κύριος τῷ Ὀνησιφόρου οἴκῳ, ὅτι πολλάκις με ἀνέψυξεν καὶ τὴν ἅλυσιν μου οὐκ ἐπαισχύνθη δωη ελεος ο κυριος τω ονησιφορου οικω οτι πολλακις με ανεψυξεν και την αλυσιν μου ουκ επησχυνθη δωη ελεος ο κυριος τω ονησιφορου οικω οτι πολλακις με ανεψυξεν και την αλυσιν μου ουκ επαισχυνθη
But when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me. But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀλλὰ γενόμενος ἐν Ῥώμῃ σπουδαίως ἐζήτησεν με καὶ εὗρεν αλλα γενομενος εν ρωμη σπουδαιοτερον εζητησεν με και ευρεν αλλα γενομενος εν ρωμη σπουδαιοτερον εζητησεν με και ευρεν

Matthew 25:36 (NET)

Matthew 25:36 (KJV)
I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
γυμνὸς καὶ περιεβάλετε με, ἠσθένησα καὶ ἐπεσκέψασθε με, ἐν φυλακῇ ἤμην καὶ ἤλθατε πρός με γυμνος και περιεβαλετε με ησθενησα και επεσκεψασθε με εν φυλακη ημην και ηλθετε προς με γυμνος και περιεβαλετε με ησθενησα και επεσκεψασθε με εν φυλακη ημην και ηλθετε προς με

Matthew 25:39 (NET)

Matthew 25:39 (KJV)
When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
πότε δέ σε εἴδομεν ἀσθενοῦντα ἢ ἐν φυλακῇ καὶ ἤλθομεν πρός σε ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ασθενη η εν φυλακη και ηλθομεν προς σε ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ασθενη η εν φυλακη και ηλθομεν προς σε

Matthew 10:41 (NET)

Matthew 10:41 (KJV)
Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.  Whoever receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δεχόμενος προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου μισθὸν προφήτου λήμψεται, καὶ ὁ δεχόμενος δίκαιον εἰς ὄνομα δικαίου μισθὸν δικαίου λήμψεται ο δεχομενος προφητην εις ονομα προφητου μισθον προφητου ληψεται και ο δεχομενος δικαιον εις ονομα δικαιου μισθον δικαιου ληψεται ο δεχομενος προφητην εις ονομα προφητου μισθον προφητου ληψεται και ο δεχομενος δικαιον εις ονομα δικαιου μισθον δικαιου ληψεται

John 14:30 (NET)

John 14:30 (KJV)
I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming.  He has no power over me, Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οὐκέτι πολλὰ λαλήσω μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν, ἔρχεται γὰρ ὁ τοῦ κόσμου ἄρχων· καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ οὐκ ἔχει οὐδέν ουκ ετι πολλα λαλησω μεθ υμων ερχεται γαρ ο του κοσμου τουτου αρχων και εν εμοι ουκ εχει ουδεν ουκετι πολλα λαλησω μεθ υμων ερχεται γαρ ο του κοσμου αρχων και εν εμοι ουκ εχει ουδεν

2 Peter 3:9 (NET)

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
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. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οὐ βραδύνει κύριος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ὥς τινες βραδύτητα ἡγοῦνται, ἀλλὰ μακροθυμεῖ εἰς ὑμᾶς, μὴ βουλόμενος τινας ἀπολέσθαι ἀλλὰ πάντας εἰς μετάνοιαν χωρῆσαι ου βραδυνει ο κυριος της επαγγελιας ως τινες βραδυτητα ηγουνται αλλα μακροθυμει εις ημας μη βουλομενος τινας απολεσθαι αλλα παντας εις μετανοιαν χωρησαι ου βραδυνει ο κυριος της επαγγελιας ως τινες βραδυτητα ηγουνται αλλα μακροθυμει εις ημας μη βουλομενος τινας απολεσθαι αλλα παντας εις μετανοιαν χωρησαι

[1] Mark 2:27 (NET) Table

[2] Genesis 2:2b (Tanakh) Table

[3] Matthew 11:29 (NET) Table

[4] Exodus 20:11a (Tanakh) Table

[5] Matthew 11:28 (NET)

[6] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐπαισχύνθη here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had επησχυνθη.

[7] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had σπουδαίως here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had σπουδαιοτερον (KJV: very diligently).

[8] The online ad for one of his books describes the author this way: “Todd Friel studied to be a pastor for four years but neglected to actually get saved.  He abandoned church ministry plans and did secular TV, radio and stand-up comedy for 6 years.  Gratefully, God saved Todd (from hell and stand-up comedy).”

[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἤλθατε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ηλθετε (KJV: ye came).

[13] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀσθενοῦντα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ασθενη.

[14] Matthew 25:41 (NET)

[15] Matthew 25:46 (NET)

[16] John 17:3 (NET)

[17] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had λήμψεται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ληψεται (KJV: shall receive).

[18] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had λήμψεται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ληψεται (KJV: shall receive).

[19] 1 Corinthians 15:3 (NET)

[20] Romans 6:23a (KJV)

[21] 1 Corinthians 15:3b, 4 (NET) Table

[22] John 3:16, 17 (NET) Table

[23] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had τουτου following world and preceding ruler. The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[24] John 14:30, 31 (NET)

[25] Matthew 1:20, 21 (NET)

[26] 1 Peter 2:24 (NET) Table

[27] Genesis 6:6 (NET) Table

[28] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ο preceding Lord.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[29] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὑμᾶς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ημας (KJV: us).

[30] 2 Peter 3:8, 9 (NET)

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 4

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As I continue to focus on the Sabbath (because it has so much material to access) I’ve arrived at the first statement of the ten commandments in Exodus.  So here is the shadow of the good things to come of the Sabbath in its most definitive form.  This section begins, And G-d spoke all these words, saying:[1]

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Exodus 20:8-11 (Tanakh) Exodus 20:8-11 (NET) Exodus 20:8-11 (NETS)

Exodus 20:8-11 (English Elpenor)
Remember the sabbath (הַשַּׁבָּ֜ת) day, to keep it holy. “Remember the Sabbath (shabbâth, השבת) day to set it apart as holy. Remember the day of the sabbaths (σαββάτων) to consecrate it. Remember the sabbath (σαββάτων) day to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; For six days you may labor and do all your work, For six days you shall labor and do all your labor, Six days thou shalt labour, and shalt perform all thy work.
but the seventh day is a sabbath (שַׁבָּ֣ת) unto HaShem thy G-d, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; but the seventh day is a Sabbath (shabbâth, שבת) to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates. but on the seventh day there is Sabbata (σάββατα) to the Lord your God.  You shall not do in it any labor, you and your son and your daughter, your male slave and your female slave, your ox and your draft animal and any animal of yours and the guest who resides among you. But on the seventh day is the sabbath (σάββατα) of the Lord thy God; on it thou shalt do no work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy servant nor thy maidservant, thine ox nor thine ass, nor any cattle of thine, nor the stranger that sojourns with thee.
in six days HaShem made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested (וַיָּ֖נַח) on the seventh day; wherefore HaShem blessed the sabbath (הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת) day, and hallowed it. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested (nûach, וינח) on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath (shabbâth, השבת) day and set it apart as holy. For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all things in them, and he rested (κατέπαυσεν) on the seventh day and consecrated it.  For this reason the Lord blessed the seventh (ἑβδόμην) day and consecrated it. For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and the sea and all things in them, and rested (κατέπαυσε) on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the seventh (ἑβδόμην) day, and hallowed it.

Do these translations effectively convey the truth that, The Sabbath was made for people, not people for the Sabbath[2]?  This isn’t a question I’ll explore necessarily in this essay.  It is a safeguard, along with Jesus’ more general key to the Old Testament—Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above’,[3] that I might not be waylaid by shadows while studying the law.

I will note a new Hebrew word וַיָּ֖נַח (nûach) here: In this reprise of Genesis 2:2—and rested on the seventh day—וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ (shâbath) has been replaced by וַיָּ֖נַח (nûach).  And the ark rested (nûach, וַתָּ֤נַח) in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.[4]  The rabbis returned to κατέπαυσε(ν) (a form of καταπαύω) in the ten commandments: The Lord rested on the seventh day; He did not “sabbatize.”  When Noah’s ark rested, however, the rabbis chose ἐκάθισεν (a form of καθίζω).

Another item of note: In the Masoretic text HaShem blessed the sabbath (shabbâth, הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת) day.  In the Septuagint the Lord blessed the seventh (ἑβδόμην, a form of ἕβδομος) day.  Since the Hebrew construction in Genesis 2:3 was identical except that הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י (shebı̂yʽı̂y) was replaced by הַשַּׁבָּ֖ת (shabbâth), it may seem that the Septuagint is the more original here.  The problem with that is Exodus 20:8 was also identical construction but the word was הַשַּׁבָּ֜ת (shabbâth), translated σαββάτων (a form of σάββατον) in the Septuagint.  I’ll call it a toss-up.

Consequently a Sabbath rest (σαββατισμὸς) remains for the people of God.  For the one who enters God’s rest (κατάπαυσιν, a form of κατάπαυσις) has also rested (κατέπαυσεν, a form of καταπαύω) from his works (ἔργων, a form of ἔργον), just as God did from his own works.[5]

This is the advantage of studying the Sabbath.  The good things to come of the Sabbath are stated as explicitly as its shadow in the law.  I’ll back up and take a run at this (Hebrews 4:1, 2 NET):

Therefore we must be wary that, while the promise of entering his rest (κατάπαυσιν, a form of κατάπαυσις) remains open, none of you may seem to have come short of it.  For we had good news proclaimed (εὐηγγελισμένοι, a form of εὐαγγελίζω; KJV: gospel preached) to us just as they did.  But the message they heard did them no good, since they did not join in with[6] those who heard it in faith.

The Greek word translated we must be wary was φοβηθῶμεν (a form of φοβέω), fear in all its connotations of fearing the Lord.  The Greek word συγκεκραμενος (a form of συγκεράννυμι) is singular and was translated being mixed with in the KJV: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.  In other words, they didn’t believe it.  In the NET, however, συγκεκερασμένους (another form of συγκεράννυμι) is plural and was translated as if it referred to the people rather than the message.  So the message they heard did them no good, since they didn’t go to church.  I’m not so sure that συγκεκερασμένους was original here.

I’ll back up a bit further (Hebrews 3:14-19 NET):

For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence firm until the end.  As it says, “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks!  Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”  For which ones heard and rebelled?  Was it not all who came out of Egypt under Moses’[7] leadership?  And against whom was God provoked for forty years?  Was it not those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest (κατάπαυσιν, a form of κατάπαυσις), except those who were disobedient (ἀπειθήσασιν, a form of ἀπειθέω; KJV: believed not)?  So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief (ἀπιστίαν, a form of ἀπιστία).

After establishing a causal relationship between ἀπιστία and ἀπειθέω—unbelief causes disobedience—I don’t see the author of Hebrews or the Holy Spirit muddying the waters with συγκεκερασμένους.  I don’t know what documents or reasons the Nestle-Aland editors employed, but on the face of it crediting disobedience to a lack of church attendance sounds like a later alteration to the Greek text.

I’ll continue from where I left off (Hebrews 4:3-8 NET):

For we who have believed enter that rest (κατάπαυσιν, a form of κατάπαυσις), as he has said, “As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest (κατάπαυσιν, a form of κατάπαυσις)!’”[8]  And yet God’s works were accomplished from the foundation of the world.  For he has spoken somewhere about the seventh day in this way: “And God rested (κατέπαυσεν, a form of καταπαύω) on the seventh day from all his works,” but to repeat the text cited earlier: “They will never enter my rest (κατάπαυσιν, a form of κατάπαυσις)!”  Therefore it remains for some to enter it, yet those to whom it was previously proclaimed (εὐαγγελισθέντες, a form of εὐαγγελίζω) did not enter because of disobedience (ἀπείθειαν, a form of ἀπείθεια; KJV: unbelief).  So God again ordains a certain day, “Today,” speaking through David[9] after so long a time, as in the words quoted before,[10] “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks!  Do not harden your hearts.”  For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken afterward about another day.

For if Jesus had given them rest, we read in the KJV, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.[11]  This is certainly the safer translation in the sense that the translators exerted the least interpretation over the Greek text.  The only safer step I can imagine would have been to transliterate Ἰησοῦς Iesous.  Jesus and Joshua are Ἰησοῦς in Greek.

Exodus 17:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 17:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐποίησεν Ἰησοῦς καθάπερ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Μωυσῆς καὶ ἐξελθὼν παρετάξατο τῷ Αμαληκ καὶ Μωυσῆς καὶ Ααρων καὶ Ωρ ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν τοῦ βουνοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ᾿Ιησοῦς καθάπερ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Μωυσῆς, καὶ ἐξελθὼν παρετάξατο τῷ ᾿Αμαλήκ· καὶ Μωυσῆς καὶ ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ ῍Ωρ ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν τοῦ βουνοῦ

Exodus 17:10 (NETS)

Exodus 17:10 (English Elpenor)
And Iesous did as Moyses said to him and set up in battle array with Amelek, and Moyses and Aaron and Hor went up onto the top of the hill. And Joshua did as Moses said to him, and he went out and set the army in array against Amalec, and Moses and Aaron and Or went up to the top of the hill.

It seems fairly obvious to translate Ἰησοῦς Joshua in Exodus 17:10.  But what about Hebrews 4:8?  God was added by the NET translators.  The KJV translators derived he from ἐλάλει, the 3rd person singular form of the verb λαλέω.

Personally, I have no difficulty these days believing that He who was born into this world as Ἰησοῦς rested on the seventh day from all his works of creation, swore in [his] anger, ‘They will never enter my rest’ in the time of Moses, did not grant the rest He was concerned with in the time of Joshua and promised another day of rest through his prophet David.  But would I have understood that this particular passage referred to Joshua’s conquest of Canaan if the NET translators (like most modern translators) hadn’t translated Ἰησοῦς Joshua and distinguished him from the one speaking in Psalm 95?  I don’t know, probably not until I began to study this deeply.

Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God, the writer of Hebrews continued.  For the one who enters God’s rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works.[12]  Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (ἀναπαύσω, a form of ἀναπαύω), Jesus promised.  Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (ἀνάπαυσιν, a form of ἀνάπαυσις; Exodus 16:23 Septuagint) for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.[13]

My entering into God’s rest differs from his rest in a significant way.  He rested from works that were very good: God saw all that he had made—and it was very good![14]  I am eager to rest from works of evil at one extreme, hypocrisy at the other (the works of an actor playing at righteousness) or some jumbled combination of the two everywhere in between.  Wretched man that I am! Paul lamented.  Who will rescue me from this body of death?[15]  Paul understood entering God’s rest this way (Galatians 2:20, 21 NET):

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

Though he never used the words, I think Paul wrote extensively about this Sabbath rest from the works of the flesh (Romans 3:30, 31; 13:9, 10; Galatians 5:16, 17; 5:22-25 NET):

Since[16] God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.  Do we then nullify the law through faith?  Absolutely not!  Instead we uphold the law.[17]

For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself” [Table].  Love does no wrong to a neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want [Table].

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law [Table].  Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.

And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.[18]  He knows better than I do when I’m relying on, resting in the fruit of his Spirit, or when I’m trying to make myself righteous by obeying some rule.  And I am not so attuned to his Holy Spirit that I discern any of this apart from studying the Bible with Him (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).  For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge (κριτικὸς) the desires and thoughts of the heart.[19]

I’ll pick this up in another essay.  A table comparing the Greek of Psalm 95:7b, 8a (94:7b, 8a) in the Septuagint with that of the quotation in Hebrews 3:15 follows:

Hebrews 3:15 (NET Parallel Greek)

 Psalm 95:7b, 8a (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 94:8a (Septuagint Elpenor)
σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ σήμερον, ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ

Hebrews 3:15 (NET)

 Psalm 94:7b, 8a (NETS)

Psalm 94:8a (English Elpenor)
Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks!  Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as at the embittering, To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation,

A table comparing the Greek of Psalm 95:11 (94:11) in the Septuagint with that of the quotation in Hebrews 4:3 follows:

Hebrews 4:3a (NET Parallel Greek)

 Psalm 95:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 94:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν μου ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου· εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου

Hebrews 4:3a (NET)

 Psalm 94:11 (NETS)

Psalm 94:11 (English Elpenor)
“As I swore in my anger, ‘They will never enter my rest!’” As I swore in my wrath, “If they shall enter into my rest!” So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

A table comparing the Greek of Genesis 2:2 in the Septuagint with that of the quotation in Hebrews 4:4 follows:

Hebrews 4:4b (NET Parallel Greek) Genesis 2:2b (Septuagint BLB) Genesis 2:2b (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ κατέπαυσεν ὁ θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέπαυσεν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ καὶ κατέπαυσε τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ
Hebrews 4:4b (NET) Genesis 2:2b (NETS) Genesis 2:2b (English Elpenor)
“And God rested on the seventh day from all his works,” and he left off on the seventh day from all his works and he ceased on the seventh day from all his works

Tables comparing Exodus 20:1; 20:8; 20:9; 20:10; 20:11; Genesis 8:4; Psalm 95:7; 95:8; 95:11; Exodus 17:10 and Genesis 1:31 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Exodus 20:1; 20:8; 20:9; 20:10; 20:11; Genesis 8:4 (8:3b); Psalm 95:7 (94:7); 95:8 (94:8); 95:11 (94:11); Exodus 17:10 and Genesis 1:31 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Following those are tables comparing Hebrews 4:2, 3:16; 4:7 and Romans 3:30, 31 in the NET and KJV.

Exodus 20:1 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 20:1 (KJV)

Exodus 20:1 (NET)
And G-d spoke all these words, saying: And God spake all these words, saying, God spoke all these words:

Exodus 20:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 20:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους λέγων ΚΑΙ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους λέγων

Exodus 20:1 (NETS)

Exodus 20:1 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord spoke all these words, saying: And the Lord spoke all these words, saying:

Exodus 20:8 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 20:8 (KJV)

Exodus 20:8 (NET)
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. “Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart as holy.

Exodus 20:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 20:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μνήσθητι τὴν ἡμέραν τῶν σαββάτων ἁγιάζειν αὐτήν μνήσθητι τὴν ἡμέρα τῶν σαββάτων ἁγιάζειν αὐτήν

Exodus 20:8 (NETS)

Exodus 20:8 (English Elpenor)
Remember the day of the sabbaths to consecrate it. Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.

Exodus 20:9 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 20:9 (KJV)

Exodus 20:9 (NET)
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: For six days you may labor and do all your work,

Exodus 20:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 20:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἓξ ἡμέρας ἐργᾷ καὶ ποιήσεις πάντα τὰ ἔργα σου ἓξ ἡμέρας ἐργᾷ καὶ ποιήσεις πάντα τὰ ἔργα σου

Exodus 20:9 (NETS)

Exodus 20:9 (English Elpenor)
For six days you shall labor and do all your labor, Six days thou shalt labour, and shalt perform all thy work.

Exodus 20:10 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 20:10 (KJV)

Exodus 20:10 (NET)
but the seventh day is a sabbath unto HaShem thy G-d, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates.

Exodus 20:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 20:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τῇ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ σάββατα κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου οὐ ποιήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ πᾶν ἔργον σὺ καὶ ὁ υἱός σου καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ σου ὁ παῗς σου καὶ ἡ παιδίσκη σου ὁ βοῦς σου καὶ τὸ ὑποζύγιόν σου καὶ πᾶν κτῆνός σου καὶ ὁ προσήλυτος ὁ παροικῶν ἐν σοί τῇ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ σάββατα Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ σου· οὐ ποιήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ πᾶν ἔργον, σὺ καὶ ὁ υἱός σου καὶ ἡ θυγάτηρ σου, ὁ παῖς σου καὶ ἡ παιδίσκη σου, ὁ βοῦς σου καὶ τὸ ὑποζύγιόν σου καὶ πᾶν κτῆνός σου καὶ ὁ προσήλυτος ὁ παροικῶν ἐν σοί

Exodus 20:10 (NETS)

Exodus 20:10 (English Elpenor)
but on the seventh day there is Sabbata to the Lord your God.  You shall not do in it any labor, you and your son and your daughter, your male slave and your female slave, your ox and your draft animal and any animal of yours and the guest who resides among you. But on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God; on it thou shalt do no work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy servant nor thy maidservant, thine ox nor thine ass, nor any cattle of thine, nor the stranger that sojourns with thee.

Exodus 20:11 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 20:11 (KJV)

Exodus 20:11 (NET)
in six days HaShem made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore HaShem blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

Exodus 20:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 20:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν γὰρ ἓξ ἡμέραις ἐποίησεν κύριος τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῗς καὶ κατέπαυσεν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ διὰ τοῦτο εὐλόγησεν κύριος τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἑβδόμην καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν ἐν γὰρ ἓξ ἡμέραις ἐποίησε Κύριος τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ κατέπαυσε τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ· διὰ τοῦτο εὐλόγησε Κύριος τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἑβδόμην καὶ ἡγίασεν αὐτήν

Exodus 20:11 (NETS)

Exodus 20:11 (English Elpenor)
For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all things in them, and he rested on the seventh day and consecrated it.  For this reason the Lord blessed the seventh day and consecrated it. For in six days the Lord made the heaven and the earth, and the sea and all things in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.

Genesis 8:4 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 8:4 (KJV)

Genesis 8:4 (NET)
And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ark came to rest on one of the mountains of Ararat.

Genesis 8:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 8:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἡ κιβωτὸς ἐν μηνὶ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἑβδόμῃ καὶ εἰκάδι τοῦ μηνός ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τὰ Αραρατ καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἡ κιβωτὸς ἐν μηνὶ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ, ἑβδόμῃ καὶ εἰκάδι τοῦ μηνός, ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τὰ ᾿Αραράτ

Genesis 8:4 (NETS)

Genesis 8:3b (English Elpenor)
And in the seventh month, on the twenty-seventh of the month, the ark settled on the mountains of Ararat. and the ark rested in the seventh month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.

Psalm 95:7 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 95:7 (KJV)

Psalm 95:7 (NET)
For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, For he is our God; we are the people of his pasture, the sheep he owns.  Today, if only you would obey him.

Psalm 95:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 94:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ἡμεῗς λαὸς νομῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ πρόβατα χειρὸς αὐτοῦ σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ ἡμεῖς λαὸς νομῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ πρόβατα χειρὸς αὐτοῦ

Psalm 94:7 (NETS)

Psalm 94:7 (English Elpenor)
because he is our God and we are people of his pasture and sheep of his hand!  Today if you hear his voice, For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Psalm 95:8 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 95:8 (KJV)

Psalm 95:8 (NET)
Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: He says, “Do not be stubborn like they were at Meribah, like they were that day at Massah in the wilderness,

Psalm 95:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 94:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ σήμερον, ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ πειρασμοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ

Psalm 94:8 (NETS)

Psalm 94:8 (English Elpenor)
do not harden your hearts, as at the embittering, like the day of the trial in the wilderness, To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, according to the day of irritation in the wilderness:

Psalm 95:11 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 95:11 (KJV)

Psalm 95:11 (NET)
Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest. So I made a vow in my anger, ‘They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.’”

Psalm 95:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 94:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου ὡς ὤμοσα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου· εἰ εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσίν μου

Psalm 94:11 (NETS)

Psalm 94:11 (English Elpenor)
As I swore in my wrath, “If they shall enter into my rest!” So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.

Exodus 17:10 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 17:10 (KJV)

Exodus 17:10 (NET)
So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So Joshua fought against Amalek just as Moses had instructed him, and Moses and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

Exodus 17:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 17:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐποίησεν Ἰησοῦς καθάπερ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Μωυσῆς καὶ ἐξελθὼν παρετάξατο τῷ Αμαληκ καὶ Μωυσῆς καὶ Ααρων καὶ Ωρ ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν τοῦ βουνοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν ᾿Ιησοῦς καθάπερ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Μωυσῆς, καὶ ἐξελθὼν παρετάξατο τῷ ᾿Αμαλήκ· καὶ Μωυσῆς καὶ ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ ῍Ωρ ἀνέβησαν ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν τοῦ βουνοῦ

Exodus 17:10 (NETS)

Exodus 17:10 (English Elpenor)
And Iesous did as Moyses said to him and set up in battle array with Amelek, and Moyses and Aaron and Hor went up onto the top of the hill. And Joshua did as Moses said to him, and he went out and set the army in array against Amalec, and Moses and Aaron and Or went up to the top of the hill.

Genesis 1:31 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 1:31 (KJV)

Genesis 1:31 (NET)
And G-d saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. God saw all that he had made—and it was very good!  There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 1:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδεν ὁ θεὸς τὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν καὶ ἰδοὺ καλὰ λίαν καὶ ἐγένετο ἑσπέρα καὶ ἐγένετο πρωί ἡμέρα ἕκτη καὶ εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησε, καὶ ἰδοὺ καλὰ λίαν. καὶ ἐγένετο ἑσπέρα καὶ ἐγένετο πρωΐ, ἡμέρα ἕκτη

Genesis 1:31 (NETS)

Genesis 1:31 (English Elpenor)
And God saw all the things that he had made, and see, they were exceedingly good.  And it came to be evening, and it came to be morning, a sixth day. And God saw all the things that he had made, and, behold, they were very good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Hebrews 4:2 (NET)

Hebrews 4:2 (KJV)
For we had good news proclaimed to us just as they did.  But the message they heard did them no good, since they did not join in with those who heard it in faith. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ γάρ ἐσμεν εὐηγγελισμένοι καθάπερ κακεῖνοι· ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ὠφέλησεν ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀκοῆς ἐκείνους μὴ συγκεκερασμένους τῇ πίστει τοῖς ἀκούσασιν και γαρ εσμεν ευηγγελισμενοι καθαπερ κακεινοι αλλ ουκ ωφελησεν ο λογος της ακοης εκεινους μη συγκεκραμενος τη πιστει τοις ακουσασιν και γαρ εσμεν ευηγγελισμενοι καθαπερ κακεινοι αλλ ουκ ωφελησεν ο λογος της ακοης εκεινους μη συγκεκραμενους τη πιστει τοις ακουσασιν

Hebrews 3:16 (NET)

Hebrews 3:16 (KJV)
For which ones heard and rebelled?  Was it not all who came out of Egypt under Moses’ leadership? For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
τίνες γὰρ ἀκούσαντες παρεπίκραναν; ἀλλ᾿ οὐ πάντες οἱ ἐξελθόντες ἐξ Ἀιγύπτου διὰ Μωϋσέως τινες γαρ ακουσαντες παρεπικραναν αλλ ου παντες οι εξελθοντες εξ αιγυπτου δια μωσεως τινες γαρ ακουσαντες παρεπικραναν αλλ ου παντες οι εξελθοντες εξ αιγυπτου δια μωυσεως

Hebrews 4:7 (NET)

Hebrews 4:7 (KJV)
So God again ordains a certain day, “Today,” speaking through David after so long a time, as in the words quoted before, “Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks!  Do not harden your hearts.” Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
πάλιν τινὰ ὁρίζει ἡμέραν, σήμερον, ἐν Δαυὶδ λέγων μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον, καθὼς προείρηται σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν. παλιν τινα οριζει ημεραν σημερον εν δαβιδ λεγων μετα τοσουτον χρονον καθως ειρηται σημερον εαν της φωνης αυτου ακουσητε μη σκληρυνητε τας καρδιας υμων παλιν τινα οριζει ημεραν σημερον εν δαυιδ λεγων μετα τοσουτον χρονον καθως ειρηται σημερον εαν της φωνης αυτου ακουσητε μη σκληρυνητε τας καρδιας υμων

Romans 3:30, 31 (NET)

Romans 3:30, 31 (KJV)
Since God is one, he will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
εἴπερ εἷς ὁ θεὸς ὃς δικαιώσει περιτομὴν ἐκ πίστεως καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως επειπερ εις ο θεος ος δικαιωσει περιτομην εκ πιστεως και ακροβυστιαν δια της πιστεως επειπερ εις ο θεος ος δικαιωσει περιτομην εκ πιστεως και ακροβυστιαν δια της πιστεως
Do we then nullify the law through faith?  Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law. Do we then make void the law through faith?  God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
νόμον οὖν καταργοῦμεν διὰ τῆς πίστεως; μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ νόμον ἱστάνομεν νομον ουν καταργουμεν δια της πιστεως μη γενοιτο αλλα νομον ιστωμεν νομον ουν καταργουμεν δια της πιστεως μη γενοιτο αλλα νομον ιστωμεν

[1] Exodus 20:1 (Tanakh)

[2] Mark 2:27 (NET) Table

[3] John 3:7 (NET)

[4] Genesis 8:4 (Tanakh)

[5] Hebrews 4:9, 10 (NET)

[6] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had συγκεκερασμένους here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had συγκεκραμενος (KJV: being mixed with).

[7] In the Stephanus Textus Receptus Moses was spelled μωσεως, and Μωϋσέως in the NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text.  Despite this single difference in Greek, the KJV translation is quite different: For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.

[8] The Greek of the NET, NA28, Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text, Septuagint BLB and Elpenor is identical, but the English translation of the KJV (Hebrews 4:3) and NETS (Psalm 94:11)—if they shall enter into my rest—is different.  My knowledge of Greek is insufficient to choose between them.

[9] In the NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text David was spelled Δαυὶδ, and δαβιδ in the Stephanus Textus Receptus.

[10] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had προείρηται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειρηται (KJV: it is said).

[11] Hebrews 4:8 (KJV)

[12] Hebrews 4:9, 10 (NET)

[13] Matthew 11:28-30 (NET) Table

[14] Genesis 1:31 (NET)

[15] Romans 7:24 (NET)

[16] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἴπερ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επειπερ (KJV: Seeing).

[17] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἱστάνομεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιστωμεν  (KJV: establish).

[18] Hebrews 4:13 (NET)

[19] Hebrews 4:12 (NET) Table