Category Archives: Section Six

The Word of God as Jesus Understands It

Who Am I? Part 15

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This is a continuation of my consideration of “5 Bible Passages That Caused Me to Lose My Faith” by Kristi Burke. Her first Bible passage was “Romans 9…the starting point of my deconstruction journey.”1 Though she began with verse 16, I started at the beginning of the chapter to gain some context.

What shall we say then? Paul continued. Is there injustice with God?2 He asked rhetorically in direct response to God’s preference for Jacob over Esau even before they were born or had done anything good or bad.3 But I think one could apply his rhetorical question to his contention that not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel4 as well (Romans 9:14b, 15 NET):

Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” [Table].

According to a note (29) in the NET Paul quoted from Exodus 33:19. At the very moment when people may have thought that in the law they had the ultimate knowledge of good and evil, at the very moment some people were authorized to judge others by that law, God freed Himself from human judgments based on law (Exodus 33:19 NET [Table]).

And the Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious; I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.”

Ms. Burke said:5

I was an evangelist. So, I believed in going out to my communities and spreading the word and trying to win as many souls as possible, because I looked around and there were people going to hell and I didn’t want that to happen.

And when I was seventeen-years-old I was introduced to the concept of Calvinism. And when I was introduced to this I said, “No way. There is no way that god created people just to go to hell.”

She was offended by a concept called “non-election,” to those who would be the “non-elect.” John Piper was quoted in an interview in “Do the Non-Elect Have a Chance to Repent?” on desiringGod online:

The first truth is, from all eternity God has chosen from among the entire fallen, sinful humanity a people for himself — but not everyone. Thus, this selection is owing to no merit at all in those chosen people. God pursues their salvation not only by effectively achieving the atonement for their sin through Christ, but also by sovereignly overcoming all their rebellion and bringing them to saving faith.

And Daniel R. Hyde wrote in “What Does Predestination Mean for the Non-Elect?”:

A simple reading of Scripture shows that not only are some chosen to salvation in God’s eternal purpose, but some are not. Those Scripture passages that teach God’s election of a particular people unto salvation also teach God’s non-election of others.

Ms. Burke continued:

And then I read Romans 9.

As confirmation that Paul wrote “that god created people just to go to hell,” she quoted Romans 9:16-24 (NIV):

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy [Table]. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” [Table] But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Ms. Burke presented a “Before” and “After” account of her encounter with Romans 9:

Before

After
Up until the point that I read and studied and chewed on the words in Romans 9, I believed in a god who created all people, gave them free will and that he wanted all people to be saved but he couldn’t violate their free will to save them. And that it was the most loving thing he could do to give people freedom. And within that freedom they could either choose him and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell. And that would be entirely their choice. It says starting in verse 16, “It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy,” meaning: there is nothing about you that can come to God and choose. God has to choose you.

She was correct that Romans 9:16 called her initial belief that people had the “freedom” to “either choose [Jesus] and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell” into serious question. But consider this:

Romans 9:16 (NET)

Romans 11:32 (NET)
So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.

I consider this Paul’s couplet on God’s mercy in Romans 9-11. Granted, the Greek word translated shows mercy (NIV: mercy) was ἐλεῶντος, a participle of the verb ἐλεέω in the genitive case. And he may show mercy (NIV: he may have mercy) was the verb ἐλεήσῃ another form of the verb ἐλεέω. It was translated may show or may have mercy because it is in the subjunctive mood.6

The subjunctive mood indicates probability or objective possibility. The action of the verb will possibly happen, depending on certain objective factors or circumstances. It is oftentimes used in conditional statements (i.e. ‘If…then…’ clauses) or in purpose clauses.

The Greek word translated so that was ἵνα, making he may show mercy to them all (NIV: he may have mercy on them all) “a purpose or result clause.” The definition of the subjunctive mood continued:7

However if the subjunctive mood is used in a purpose or result clause, then the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.

In other words, he shows mercy to them all (NIV: he has mercy on them all). The most common limit placed on all here is to assume that Paul meant only those who believe:

For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all who believe.

Before her encounter with Romans 9 Ms. Burke might have limited all further still, to all who believe of their own free will:

For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all who believe of their own free will.

Part of the beauty of this verse is that the Greek words translated all are τοὺς πάντας in the first clause as well as in the second. So, if we limit all in the second clause, we should place the same limit on the first clause:

For God has consigned all people who believe of their own free will to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all who believe of their own free will.

That sounds odd, but it points to what Ms. Burke might have wanted it to say. And please don’t think I’m picking on her. Before my encounter with Romans 9 (among other passages) I wanted, even expected, this verse to say:

For God has consigned all people who do not believe of their own free will to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all who believe of their own free will.

And this is precisely what this verse does not say. So, I want to repeat some of the previous verses while bearing in mind that God shows mercy to all (Romans 9:16-18 NIV).

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy [Table]. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

Ms. Burke responded:8

It says in verse 18: “Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.” When Christians talk about, you have a hardened heart against God, the Bible says that God’s the one that hardened it.

Actually, Paul wrote that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart for a very specific purpose at a specific time: that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Nothing about that statement implies that God is responsible for every hardened heart. People are quite capable of hardening their hearts all on their own.

Jesus described God’s understanding of marriage to some Pharisees who questioned Him about divorce (Matthew 19:6-8 NET):

“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?” Jesus said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way” [Table].

Though God hardened Pharaoh’s heart for a specific purpose at a specific time, it’s always important to remember that God shows mercy to all as well. Paul continued (Romans 9:19-22 NIV):

One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” [Table] But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?

The Greek word translated prepared here was κατηρτισμένα, a plural participle of the verb καταρτίζω in the middle voice. The definition of the middle voice in Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on ntgreek.org online reads:

The Greek middle voice shows the subject acting in his own interest or on his own behalf, or participating in the results of the verbal action. In overly simplistic terms, sometimes the middle form of the verb could be translated as “the performer of the action actually acting upon himself” (reflexive action).

For example: “I am washing myself.” “I” is the subject of the sentence (performing the action of the verb) and yet “I” am also receiving the action of the verb. This is said to be in the “Middle Voice”. Many instances in the Greek are not this obvious and cannot be translated this literally.

In other words, people prepare themselves for destruction (ἀπώλειαν, a form of ἀπώλεια). But Jesus came to seek and to save the lost9 (τὸ ἀπολωλός) as a singular collective. Ms. Burke responded:10

If He has decided He wants to create you just to destroy you, then He’s going to do that. That’s his right you don’t get to question that. And realizing this changed everything about my perspective of God. Realizing this made me see a god who did not desire people to be saved but instead creates people as puppets, does what he wants with them and then tells them, you’re not allowed to question it. That is just in direct contradiction to any kind of a loving, kind, father god that I was taught growing up in the church. I was fed one version of god who was a loving father but I’m learning about this completely different god who intentionally creates people to go to hell.

This sounds so ominous, but remember Ms. Burke’s original description of “a loving, kind, father god”:

…god…created all people, gave them free will and…he wanted all people to be saved but he couldn’t violate their free will to save them.

So, by definition her “loving, kind, father god” was powerless to accomplish his own will. She continued:

…the most loving thing he could do [is] to give people freedom. And within that freedom they could either choose him and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell. And that would be entirely their choice.

Now she has chosen to “reject him and go to hell.” So, again, by her own definition “a loving, kind, father god” must let her go her own way since he is powerless to do otherwise. Frankly, that is not my experience of God, who tracked me down and drew me, sometimes kicking and screaming, to Himself: For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.11

Though Mr. Piper denied (“but not everyone,” he wrote) that God shows mercy to all, he gave an admirable description of that mercy:

Thus, this selection is owing to no merit at all in those chosen people. God pursues their salvation not only by effectively achieving the atonement for their sin through Christ, but also by sovereignly overcoming all their rebellion and bringing them to saving faith.

It becomes clear as one proceeds in Romans 9-11 that the so-called “non-elect” here were Paul’s people, [his] fellow countrymen, who are Israelites12 those of whom he wrote: I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed—cut off from Christ—for [their] sake13 [Table]. If he believed that they were “intentionally” created “just to go to hell,” he was in a predicament very similar to Ms. Burke’s when she became an “evangelist.”

I believed in going out to my communities and spreading the word and trying to win as many souls as possible, because I looked around and there were people going to hell and I didn’t want that to happen.

She did this (of her own free will?), despite believing in an impotent god: though “he wanted all people to be saved…he couldn’t violate their free will to save them.” I’ll pick this up in another essay.

According to a note (33) in the NET Paul quoted from Exodus 9:16 in Romans 9:17. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to the Septuagint follows.

Romans 9:17b (NET Parallel Greek)

Exodus 9:16 (Septuagint BLB) Table

Exodus 9:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐξήγειρα σε ὅπως ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν δύναμιν μου καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομα μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ καὶ ἕνεκεν τούτου διετηρήθης ἵνα ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν ἰσχύν μου καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ καὶ ἕνεκεν τούτου διετηρήθης, ἵνα ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν ἰσχύν μου, καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ

Romans 9:17b (NET)

Exodus 9:16 (NETS)

Exodus 9:16 (English Elpenor)
For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. And for this reason you have been spared in order that I might display in you my power and in order that my name might be proclaimed in all the land. And for this purpose hast thou been preserved, that I might display in thee my strength, and that my name might be published in all the earth.

2 Romans 9:14a (NET)

3 Romans 9:11a (NET) Table

4 Romans 9:6b (NET)

7 Ibid.

9 Luke 19:10b (NET)

11 Romans 11:32 (NET)

12 Romans 9:3b, 4a (NET)

13 Romans 9:1-3a (NET)

Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 10

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This is a continuation of my intent to become much more familiar with the Greek translation of יְהֹוָ֨ה (Yᵊhōvâ) and יֱהֹוִה֙ (yᵊhōvâ) in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 3:11 (Tanakh/KJV)

Genesis 3:11 (NET)

Genesis 3:11 (NETS)

Genesis 3:11 (English Elpenor)
And He said (וַיֹּ֕אמֶר): ‘Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’ And the Lord God said (‘āmar, ויאמר), “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” And he said (καὶ εἶπεν) to him, “Who told you that you are naked, unless you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, of this one alone, not to eat from it?” And God said (καὶ εἶπεν…ὁ Θεός) to him, Who told thee that thou wast naked, unless thou hast eaten of the tree concerning which I charged thee of it alone not to eat?

Here the Hebrew verb וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (‘āmar) was translated And He said (Tanakh, KJV) or And the Lord God said (NET). A note (28) in the NET explained:

Heb “and he said.” The referent (the Lord God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

It goes a long way to explaining the different translations in the Septuagint: καὶ εἶπεν (BLB), And he said (NETS), or καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς (Elpenor), And God said (English Elpenor). But why did He ask this misleading question in the first place? Why didn’t He just come straight out with it, right here in the beginning?

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (Tanakh/KJV)

Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (NET)

Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (NETS)

Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (English Elpenor)
I am God (אֵל֙), and there is none else; I am God (אֱלֹהִ֖ים), and there is none like me [Table], I am God (‘ēl, אל), I have no peer; I am God (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים), and there is none like me, I am God (ὁ θεός), and there is no other besides me [Table], I am God (ὁ Θεός), and there is none other beside me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (חֶפְצִ֖י) [Table]: who announces the end from the beginning and reveals beforehand what has not yet occurred; who says, ‘My plan will be realized, I will accomplish what I desire (ḥēp̄eṣ, חפצי);’ declaring the last things first, before they happen, and at once they came to pass, and I said, “My whole plan shall stand, and I will do all the things I have planned (βεβούλευμαι)” [Table], telling beforehand the latter events before they come to pass, and they are accomplished together: and I said, all my counsel shall stand, and I will do all things that I have planned (βεβούλευμαι):

It has taken the better part of a lifetime for me to recognize that these declarative statements, of which I am so fond, are remedial education for dullards. This is the take-home message I was expected to understand from the first two chapters of Genesis, and probably would have if not for a heart and mind dominated by sin, that innate drive to do my own thing even if, especially if, God disapproves.

Paul’s confession comes readily to mind (Romans 7:7b, 8a NET):

I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires.

The “educated” minds I fawned over when I was younger would have me believe that God was not unique, knowledgeable or determined to accomplish all his pleasure until Isaiah declared Him so sometime after his alleged prophecies came to pass, because “God” was the creation of lying Jews. But what happens if I assume that the Creator of the heavens and the earth1 was already unique, knowledgeable and determined to accomplish all his pleasure in the beginning? What might I understand if I don’t assume that He was ignorant of what had transpired, guessing by some form of reasoning and in need of Adam’s confirmation that He had guessed correctly?

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 3:12 (Tanakh)

Genesis 3:12 (NET)

Genesis 3:12 (NETS)

Genesis 3:12 (English Elpenor)
And the man said: ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.’ The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.” And Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And Adam said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me– she gave me of the tree and I ate.

With my mind cleansed of the idea that God was ignorant, guessing at what had transpired and seeking Adam’s confirmation, buttressed by the knowledge that He was already unique, knowledgeable and determined to accomplish all his pleasure, I assume that Adam’s response was what God wanted to achieve when He asked the question. A table comparing Adam’s answer to the narrator’s description of what had transpired follows.

Adam

Narrator
The woman whom you gave me, The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him” [Table]…So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was asleep, he took part of the man’s side and closed up the place with flesh [Table]. Then the Lord God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man [Table].

Genesis 2:18, 21, 22 (NET)
she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.

Genesis 3:12 (NET)

 She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it [Table].

Genesis 3:6b (NET)

The Lord God asked Eve a similar question.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 3:13 (Tanakh)

Genesis 3:13 (NET)

Genesis 3:13 (NETS)

Genesis 3:13 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem (יְהֹוָ֧ה) G-d (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) said unto the woman: ‘What is this thou hast done?’ And the woman said: ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’ So the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) God (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים) said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” And God (κύριος ὁ θεὸς) said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.” And the Lord (Κύριος) God (ὁ Θεὸς) said to the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me and I ate.

Here the narrator called God יְהֹוָ֧ה (Yᵊhōvâ) in the Masoretic text which was corroborated by Κύριος in both versions of the Septuagint, though the NETS translation God might indicate the existence of another version without Κύριος. A table comparing Eve’s answer to the narrator’s description of what had transpired follows.

Eve

Narrator
The serpent tricked me, The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die [Table], for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” [Table].

Genesis 3:4, 5 (NET)
and I ate.

Genesis 3:13b (NET)

 When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it [Table].

Genesis 3:6a (NET)

Both Adam and Eve responded to God’s questions with true answers accurately restating events as related by the narrator of Genesis. The Lord God asked the serpent no questions.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 3:14, 15 (Tanakh)

Genesis 3:14, 15 (NET)

Genesis 3:14, 15 (NETS)

Genesis 3:14, 15 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem (יְהֹוָ֨ה) G-d (אֱלֹהִ֥ים) said unto the serpent: ‘Because thou hast done this, cursed (אָר֤וּר) art thou from among all cattle, and from among all beasts of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) God (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים) said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed (‘ārar, ארור) are you above all the cattle and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat all the days of your life. And the Lord (κύριος) God (ὁ θεὸς) said to the snake, “Because you have done this, cursed (ἐπικατάρατος) are you from all the domestic animals and from the wild animals of the earth; upon your chest and belly you shall go, and earth you shall eat all the days of your life. And the Lord (Κύριος) God (ὁ Θεὸς) said to the serpent, Because thou hast done this thou art cursed (ἐπικατάρατος) above all cattle and all the brutes of the earth, on thy breast and belly thou shalt go, and thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise (יְשֽׁוּפְךָ֣) thy head, and thou shalt bruise (תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ) their heel.’ And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike (šûp̄, ישופך) your head, and you will strike (šûp̄, תשופנו) his heel.” And I will put enmity between you and between the woman and between your offspring and between her offspring; he will watch (τηρήσει) your head, and you will watch (τηρήσεις) his heel.” And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, he shall watch against (τηρήσει) thy head, and thou shalt watch against (τηρήσεις) his heel.

Here again the narrator called God יְהֹוָ֨ה (Yᵊhōvâ) in the Masoretic text. It was corroborated by Κύριος in both Greek versions of the Septuagint and Lord in both English translations. Though the Lord God asked the serpent no questions, Rashi described the serpent’s answer to the question: “Why have you done this?”

Now the serpent was cunning: What is the connection of this matter here? Scripture should have juxtaposed (below verse 21): “And He made for Adam and for his wife shirts of skin, and He dressed them.” But it teaches you as a result of what plan the serpent thrust himself upon them. He saw them naked and engaging in intercourse before everyone’s eyes, and he desired her. — [from Gen. Rabbah 18:6]2

And I shall place hatred: You intended that the man should die when he would eat first, and you would marry Eve, and you came to Eve first only because women are easily enticed, and they know how to entice their husbands. Therefore, “I shall place hatred.”3

So, according to Rashi Eve’s nudity stirred-up lust and a murderous plot in the serpent’s heart: the serpent coveted Adam’s wife. If God had clothed Eve properly and given her a shelter for “engaging in intercourse” away from “everyone’s eyes” perhaps none of this would have happened. But I wonder why Rashi assumed that the serpent wanted Eve rather than Adam. All this conjecture leads away from the point:

God questioned Adam: Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?4 Adam answered truthfully relative to the narration of Genesis. The Lord God questioned Eve: What is this you have done?5 She didn’t deny Adam’s answer but added her own perspective truthfully relative to the narration of Genesis. The Lord God asked the serpent no questions at all. Was He unfair? Did He curse the serpent on Eve’s word alone? No, He didn’t need anyone to tell Him what He already knew.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:14, 15 NET):

But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty6 again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life” [Table]. The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come7 here to draw water.”

The Samaritan woman was already drinking out of Jesus’ hand, so to speak. But rather than explaining straightforwardly that the fountain of water springing up to eternal life He spoke of was the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit, as I would have preferred, Jesus’ mind took an abrupt turn (John 4:16 NET):

He8 said to her, “Go call your husband (τὸν ἄνδρα |σου|) and come back here.”

The Samaritan woman might have obeyed Jesus and run to fetch her man: ἄνδρα, a form of ἀνήρ means man as well as husband. But she seemed to grasp his meaning (John 4:17, 18 NET):

The woman replied,9 “I have no husband (ἄνδρα).” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ‘I have no husband (ἄνδρα),’ for you have had five husbands (ἄνδρας), and the man you are living with now is not your husband (ἀνήρ). This you said truthfully (ἀληθὲς, a form of ἀληθής)!”

The Greek word translated man above was the masculine ὃν rather than the feminine ἥν. I would have known nothing of this woman’s past except for Jesus’ word, which she corroborated when she called, not her husband but, the whole town to Jesus: Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.10 Jesus remained focused on truth (John 4:23, 24 NET):

But11 a time is coming—and now is here—when the true (ἀληθινοὶ, a form of ἀληθινός) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (ἀληθείᾳ), for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (ἀληθείᾳ).

The Father seeks (ζητεῖ, a form of ζητέω) such people to be his worshipers, those who will worship the Father in spirit and truth.12 This is quite moving: For the Son of Man came to seek (ζητῆσαι, another form of ζητέω) and to save the lost (τὸ ἀπολωλός).13 Is that why the Lord God questioned Adam and Eve? He sought them as worshipers after they disobeyed Him? To read Jesus’ out-of-his-way effort, to find something truthful in the Samaritan woman He sought, back into the Lord God’s questions to Adam and Eve seems difficult.

Neither the narrator nor the Lord God called Adam’s or Eve’s responses truthful. I’m the one comparing them to the narration and declaring them true. Perhaps it’s safer to say, that I hear Jesus’ personality in the Lord God’s questions. I tell you the solemn truth, Jesus said, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.14 And, I always do those things that please him.15 This seems like one of those places He saw the Father doing and did likewise.

What I call the Old Testament was written uniquely for, and primarily to, that 12-year-old boy who grew into the man I know as Jesus Christ. And it is his understanding of the Scriptures that I want to know. He is the One who proved Paul’s saying true: live by the Spirit and you will not carry out (οὐ μὴ τελέσητε16) the desires of the flesh.17 He found a loving Father in the pages of Scripture: One who gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life;18 One who did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him;19 One who does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance;20 One who gave all authority in heaven and on earth21 to his Son that his Son will draw all people to22 Himself. Now this is eternal life, the Son prayed to his Father, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.23

I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Genesis 3:11; 3:12; 3:13; 3:14 and 3:15 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET; and tables comparing Genesis 3:11; 3:12; 3:13; 3:14 and 3:15 in the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint with the English translations from Hebrew and Greek, and tables comparing the Greek of John 4:15; 4:16; 4:17 and 4:23 the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 3:11 (Tanakh)

Genesis 3:11 (KJV)

Genesis 3:11 (NET)
And He said: ‘Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’ And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the Lord God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Genesis 3:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ τίς ἀνήγγειλέν σοι ὅτι γυμνὸς εἶ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου οὗ ἐνετειλάμην σοι τούτου μόνου μὴ φαγεῖν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγες καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός· τίς ἀνήγγειλέ σοι ὅτι γυμνὸς εἶ, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, οὗ ἐνετειλάμην σοι τούτου μόνου μὴ φαγεῖν, ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγες

Genesis 3:11 (NETS)

Genesis 3:11 (English Elpenor)
And he said to him, “Who told you that you are naked, unless you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, of this one alone, not to eat from it?” And God said to him, Who told thee that thou wast naked, unless thou hast eaten of the tree concerning which I charged thee of it alone not to eat?

Genesis 3:12 (Tanakh)

Genesis 3:12 (KJV)

Genesis 3:12 (NET)
And the man said: ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.’ And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.”

Genesis 3:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Αδαμ ἡ γυνή ἣν ἔδωκας μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ αὕτη μοι ἔδωκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Αδάμ· ἡ γυνή, ἣν ἔδωκας μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, αὕτη μοι ἔδωκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, καὶ ἔφαγον

Genesis 3:12 (NETS)

Genesis 3:12 (English Elpenor)
And Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And Adam said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me– she gave me of the tree and I ate.

Genesis 3:13 (Tanakh)

Genesis 3:13 (KJV)

Genesis 3:13 (NET)
And HaShem G-d said unto the woman: ‘What is this thou hast done?’ And the woman said: ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’ And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῇ γυναικί τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέν με καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῇ γυναικί· τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας; καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέ με, καὶ ἔφαγον

Genesis 3:13 (NETS)

Genesis 3:13 (English Elpenor)
And God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.” And the Lord God said to the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me and I ate.

Genesis 3:14 (Tanakh)

Genesis 3:14 (KJV)

Genesis 3:14 (NET)
And HaShem G-d said unto the serpent: ‘Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou from among all cattle, and from among all beasts of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ ὄφει ὅτι ἐποίησας τοῦτο ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ τῷ στήθει σου καὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ πορεύσῃ καὶ γῆν φάγῃ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ὄφει· ὅτι ἐποίησας τοῦτο, ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἐπὶ τῷ στήθει σου καὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ πορεύσῃ καὶ γῆν φαγῇ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου.

Genesis 3:14 (NETS)

Genesis 3:14 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God said to the snake, “Because you have done this, cursed are you from all the domestic animals and from the wild animals of the earth; upon your chest and belly you shall go, and earth you shall eat all the days of your life. And the Lord God said to the serpent, Because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all cattle and all the brutes of the earth, on thy breast and belly thou shalt go, and thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life.

Genesis 3:15 (Tanakh)

Genesis 3:15 (KJV)

Genesis 3:15 (NET)
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise their heel.’ And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 3:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν καὶ ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σοῦ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς· αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν, καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν

Genesis 3:15 (NETS)

Genesis 3:15 (English Elpenor)
And I will put enmity between you and between the woman and between your offspring and between her offspring; he will watch your head, and you will watch his heel.” And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, he shall watch against thy head, and thou shalt watch against his heel.

John 4:15 (NET)

John 4:15 (KJV)
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

John 4:15 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 4:15 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

John 4:15 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ γυνή· κύριε, δός μοι τοῦτο τὸ ὕδωρ, ἵνα μὴ διψῶ μηδὲ διέρχωμαι ἐνθάδε ἀντλεῖν λεγει προς αυτον η γυνη κυριε δος μοι τουτο το υδωρ ινα μη διψω μηδε ερχωμαι ενθαδε αντλειν λεγει προς αυτον η γυνη κυριε δος μοι τουτο το υδωρ ινα μη διψω μηδε ερχομαι ενθαδε αντλειν

John 4:16 (NET)

John 4:16 (KJV)
He said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.” Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

John 4:16 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 4:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

John 4:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγει αὐτῇ· ὕπαγε φώνησον τὸν ἄνδρα |σου| καὶ ἐλθὲ ἐνθάδε λεγει αυτη ο ιησους υπαγε φωνησον τον ανδρα σου και ελθε ενθαδε λεγει αυτη ο ιησους υπαγε φωνησον τον ανδρα σου και ελθε ενθαδε

John 4:17 (NET)

John 4:17 (KJV)
The woman replied, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ‘I have no husband,’ The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

John 4:17 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 4:17 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

John 4:17 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπεκρίθη ἡ γυνὴ καὶ εἶπεν |αὐτῷ|· οὐκ ἔχω ἄνδρα. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· καλῶς εἶπας ὅτι ἄνδρα οὐκ ἔχω· απεκριθη η γυνη και ειπεν ουκ εχω ανδρα λεγει αυτη ο ιησους καλως ειπας οτι ανδρα ουκ εχω απεκριθη η γυνη και ειπεν ουκ εχω ανδρα λεγει αυτη ο ιησους καλως ειπας οτι ανδρα ουκ εχω

John 4:23 (NET)

John 4:23 (KJV)
But a time is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

John 4:23 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 4:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

John 4:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀλλὰ ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐστιν, ὅτε οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνήσουσιν τῷ πατρὶ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ· καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ τοιούτους ζητεῖ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτόν αλλ ερχεται ωρα και νυν εστιν οτε οι αληθινοι προσκυνηται προσκυνησουσιν τω πατρι εν πνευματι και αληθεια και γαρ ο πατηρ τοιουτους ζητει τους προσκυνουντας αυτον αλλ ερχεται ωρα και νυν εστιν οτε οι αληθινοι προσκυνηται προσκυνησουσιν τω πατρι εν πνευματι και αληθεια και γαρ ο πατηρ τοιουτους ζητει τους προσκυνουντας αυτον

1 Gensis 1:1b (NET) Table

2 From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 3:1 (Tanakh), chabad.org

3 From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 3:15 (Tanakh), chabad.org

4 Genesis 3:11 (NET)

5 Genesis 3:13a (NET)

6 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had διψήσει here in the future tense and indicative mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had διψήσῃ (KJV: shall…thirst) in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood. Since the negation is οὐ μὴ here, διψήσῃ is the stronger of the two: the subjunctive of emphatic negation.

8 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο ιησους (KJV: Jesus) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

9 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐτῷ (“to him”) here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

10 John 4:29a (NET)

12 John 4:23b (NET)

13 Luke 19:10 (NET)

14 John 5:19 (NET) Table

15 John 8:29b (NET) Table

16 This is a subjunctive of emphatic negation: “However, when this combination [οὐ µή (ou mē)] 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.” From “EMPHATIC NEGATIONS IN BIBLICAL GREEK” on the BLB Blog online.

17 Galatians 5:16 (NET)

18 John 3:16 (NET) Table

19 John 3:17 (NET) Table

20 2 Peter 3:9b (NET) Table

21 Matthew 28:18b (NET) Table

22 John 12:32b (NET)

23 John 17:3 (NET)

Wonders and False Wonders, Part 2

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Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon [Table]. And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful (Ὡραίαν, a form of ὡραῖος) Gate” every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money.1 Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.2

This is the first story about any apostles after Luke declared: many wonders (τέρατα, a form of τέρας) and miraculous signs (σημεῖα, a form of σημεῖον) came about by the apostles.3 I’ll use the knowledge gleaned from the translation of Exodus 4:21 and 4:8, 9 in the Septuagint to analyze this miraculous sign as “the thing itself,” and distinguish it from “the wonder, the voice of the sign…the effect it has on the one who witnesses the sign.”4

First, the miraculous sign (Acts 3:6-8a NET):

But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up5 and walk!” Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong [Table]. He jumped up, stood and began walking around…

Next came the first two wonders of this miraculous sign, the first two voices of the sign (Acts 3:8b-10 NET):

…and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and6 they recognized him as the man7 who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him.

So first, a man who sat outside of the temple because it seemed like a good place to meet people who might take pity on him entered the temple courts with Peter and John praising God. Then the people who saw him recognized him and were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him. This snowball is beginning to gain some mass and momentum as it rolls downhill.

The next wonder follows (Acts 3:11 NET):

While the man8 was hanging on to Peter and John,9 all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway called Solomon’s Portico.

And so Peter proclaimed the Gospel to those who assembled there. I’ve already covered that in other essays10 and won’t repeat it here. The next obvious wonder or voice of the sign occurred after this Gospel proclamation (Acts 4:4 NET [Table]):

But many of those who had listened to the message believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000.

There was another, perhaps, less obvious wonder that occurred as well (Acts 4:1-3 NET):

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of11 the dead. So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day (for it was already evening).

I call this a wonder of the miraculous sign of healing the lame man because, first, it led to another Gospel proclamation to the leaders in Jerusalem. Again, I covered it in another essay and won’t repeat it here. Any of these leaders would have been disturbed about any positive mention of Jesus, since they had condemned Him as an enemy of the state (John 11:48-50). But the Sadducees were doubly angered by the resurrection of the dead. All three synoptic Gospels mention their unbelief.

Matthew 22:23 (NET)

Mark 12:18 (NET)

Luke 20:27 (NET)
The same day Sadducees (who12 say there is no resurrection) came to him and asked him, Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) also came to him and asked13 him, Now some Sadducees (who contend that there is no resurrection) came to him.

Paul put this particular rift between Pharisees and Sadducees to good use (Acts 23:6-8 NET):

Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out14 in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.15 I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” When he said16 this, an argument began between the Pharisees and the17 Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or18 angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

As they deliberated that day after the arrest of Peter and John, “What should we do with these men?” the next wonder came to light: both Sadducees and Pharisees became reluctant witnesses to the miraculous sign performed in Jesus’ name (Acts 4:16 NET [Table]):

For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable (γνωστὸν, a form of γνωστός) miraculous sign (σημεῖον) has come about through them, and we cannot deny it.

The next wonder of this miraculous sign follows (Acts 4:21, 22 NET):

After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened [Table]. For the man, on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed,19 was over forty years old.

Though it may be somewhat arbitrary to say, the last wonder of this miraculous sign follows (Acts 4:23, 24a, 29-31 NET):

When they were released, Peter and John went to their fellow believers (τοὺς ἰδίους; NET note 54: “to their own [people]”) and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said,20

“…Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage, while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs (σημεῖα) and wonders (τέρατα) through the name of your holy servant (ἁγίου παιδός σου) Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the21 Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously.

It’s not too difficult to extrapolate the false wonder from all of this: a healing that does not result in faith in God through the Lord Jesus Christ, or confidence in his word, both to hear and to proclaim it. This could potentially mean the entire medical industry, though it’s not likely to be the kind of false wonder that deceives the elect. Jesus said (Mark 13:22, 23 NET):

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs (σημεῖα) and wonders (τέρατα) to deceive, if possible, the elect. Be careful!22 I have told you everything ahead of time.

There is no cause to be puffed up by the term the elect (τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς). It is simply a phrase to distinguish those who have been drawn to Christ currently from those who are yet to be drawn: For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.”23

In most other fields of science when someone comes up with a clever idea, it will take time, weeks to centuries, for someone else to come up with a clever test to falsify that hypothesis. That’s why it makes more sense to pay attention to the history of any given field of science rather than the latest and greatest. When I was young, I thought medicine with its life and death feedback would be the best of the sciences.

Be that as it may, at any prayer meeting one might attend, those who have fallen ill and into the hands of doctors or surgeons, are a major portion of the prayers offered to God. These signs (σημεῖα) will accompany those who believe, Jesus promised: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up snakes with their hands,24 and whatever poison they drink will not harm25 them; they will place their hands on the sick and they will be well.26

The Greek words translated whatever poison here were θανάσιμον τι (literally: “anything deadly”). So, I assume it would include the harmful side effects of medications, medical treatments or procedures, especially since the negation here is οὐ μὴ and the verb negated is βλάψῃ27 in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood. That makes this a subjunctive of emphatic negation:28

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.

With that level of uncontrollable confounding medical science may be one of the worst of the sciences. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be next in line to take any medication, medical treatment or procedure after one bathed in the prayer of the elect and promised health and protection, if I were trusting in that medication, medical treatment, procedure, doctor, surgeon or medical science instead of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’ll continue with this in another essay.

According to a note (8) in the NET Paul quoted from Isaiah 45:23. A table comparing the Greek of Romans 14:11 with that of Isaiah 45:23 in the Septuagint follows.

Romans 14:11 (NET Parallel Greek)

Isaiah 45:23b (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 45:23b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει κύριος, ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ θεῷ ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ Θεῷ

Romans 14:11 (NET)

Isaiah 45:23b (NETS)

Isaiah 45:23b (English Elpenor)
As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. because to me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall acknowledge God, that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God,

The phrase ζῶ ἐγώ λέγει κύριος (NET: As I live, says the Lord) is fairly common in the Septuagint. It’s found in Numbers 14:28; Isaiah 49:18; Jeremiah 22:24; Jeremiah 46:18; Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 14:16; Ezekiel 14:18; Ezekiel 14:20; Ezekiel 16:48; Ezekiel 17:16; Ezekiel 18:3; Ezekiel 20:31; Ezekiel 20:33; Ezekiel 34:8; Ezekiel 35:6; Ezekiel 35:11 and Zephaniah 2:9. In Romans 14:11 as it relates to Isaiah 45:23a, however, it seems to be Paul’s paraphrase of another oath:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Isaiah 45:23 (Tanakh/KJV)

Isaiah 45:23 (NET)

Isaiah 45:23 (NETS)

Isaiah 45:23 (English Elpenor)
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. I solemnly make this oath—what I say is true and reliable: ‘Surely every knee will bow to me, every tongue will solemnly affirm; By myself I swear, “Verily righteousness shall go forth from my mouth; my words shall not be turned back, because to me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall acknowledge God, By myself I swear, righteousness shall surely proceed out of my mouth; my words shall not be frustrated; that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God,

Tables comparing Isaiah 45:23 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET; and comparing Isaiah 45:23 in the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint with the English translations from Hebrew and Greek, and tables comparing the Greek of Acts 3:3; 3:6; 3:10; 3:11; 4:2; Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18; Acts 23:6-8; 4:22; 4:24; 4:31; Mark 13:23 and 16:18 in the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 45:23 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 45:23 (KJV)

Isaiah 45:23 (NET)
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. I solemnly make this oath—what I say is true and reliable: ‘Surely every knee will bow to me, every tongue will solemnly affirm;

Isaiah 45:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 45:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κατ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω ἦ μὴν ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου δικαιοσύνη οἱ λόγοι μου οὐκ ἀποστραφήσονται ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ θεῷ κατ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω, ἦ μὴν ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου δικαιοσύνη, οἱ λόγοι μου οὐκ ἀποστραφήσονται, ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ Θεῷ

Isaiah 45:23 (NETS)

Isaiah 45:23 (English Elpenor)
By myself I swear, “Verily righteousness shall go forth from my mouth; my words shall not be turned back, because to me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall acknowledge God, By myself I swear, righteousness shall surely proceed out of my mouth; my words shall not be frustrated; that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God,

Acts 3:3 (NET)

Acts 3:3 (KJV)
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

Acts 3:3 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 3:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 3:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὃς ἰδὼν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην μέλλοντας εἰσιέναι εἰς τὸ ἱερόν, ἠρώτα ἐλεημοσύνην λαβεῖν ος ιδων πετρον και ιωαννην μελλοντας εισιεναι εις το ιερον ηρωτα ελεημοσυνην λαβειν ος ιδων πετρον και ιωαννην μελλοντας εισιεναι εις το ιερον ηρωτα ελεημοσυνην

Acts 3:6 (NET)

Acts 3:6 (KJV)
But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!” Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Acts 3:6 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 3:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 3:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἶπεν δὲ Πέτρος· ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι, ὃ δὲ ἔχω τοῦτο σοι δίδωμι· ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου [ἔγειρε καὶ] περιπάτει ειπεν δε πετρος αργυριον και χρυσιον ουχ υπαρχει μοι ο δε εχω τουτο σοι διδωμι εν τω ονοματι ιησου χριστου του ναζωραιου εγειραι και περιπατει ειπεν δε πετρος αργυριον και χρυσιον ουχ υπαρχει μοι ο δε εχω τουτο σοι διδωμι εν τω ονοματι ιησου χριστου του ναζωραιου εγειραι και περιπατει

Acts 3:10 (NET)

Acts 3:10 (KJV)
and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him. And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

Acts 3:10 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 3:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 3:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐπεγίνωσκον δὲ αὐτὸν ὅτι |αὐτὸς| ἦν ὁ πρὸς τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῇ ὡραίᾳ πύλῃ τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν θάμβους καὶ ἐκστάσεως ἐπὶ τῷ συμβεβηκότι αὐτῷ επεγινωσκον τε αυτον οτι ουτος ην ο προς την ελεημοσυνην καθημενος επι τη ωραια πυλη του ιερου και επλησθησαν θαμβους και εκστασεως επι τω συμβεβηκοτι αυτω επεγινωσκον τε αυτον οτι ουτος ην ο προς την ελεημοσυνην καθημενος επι τη ωραια πυλη του ιερου και επλησθησαν θαμβους και εκστασεως επι τω συμβεβηκοτι αυτω

Acts 3:11 (NET)

Acts 3:11 (KJV)
While the man was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway called Solomon’s Portico. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

Acts 3:11 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 3:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 3:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Κρατοῦντος δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸν Πέτρον καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην συνέδραμεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ στοᾷ τῇ καλουμένῃ Σολομῶντος ἔκθαμβοι κρατουντος δε του ιαθεντος χωλου τον πετρον και ιωαννην συνεδραμεν προς αυτους πας ο λαος επι τη στοα τη καλουμενη σολομωντος εκθαμβοι κρατουντος δε του ιαθεντος χωλου τον πετρον και ιωαννην συνεδραμεν προς αυτους πας ο λαος επι τη στοα τη καλουμενη σολομωντος εκθαμβοι

Acts 4:2 (NET)

Acts 4:2 (KJV)
angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

Acts 4:2 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 4:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 4:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
διαπονούμενοι διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαὸν καὶ καταγγέλλειν ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν διαπονουμενοι δια το διδασκειν αυτους τον λαον και καταγγελλειν εν τω ιησου την αναστασιν την εκ νεκρων διαπονουμενοι δια το διδασκειν αυτους τον λαον και καταγγελλειν εν τω ιησου την αναστασιν των νεκρων

Matthew 22:23 (NET)

Matthew 22:23 (KJV)
The same day Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to him and asked him, The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

Matthew 22:23 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 22:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 22:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ Σαδδουκαῖοι (λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν) καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν εν εκεινη τη ημερα προσηλθον αυτω σαδδουκαιοι οι λεγοντες μη ειναι αναστασιν και επηρωτησαν αυτον εν εκεινη τη ημερα προσηλθον αυτω σαδδουκαιοι οι λεγοντες μη ειναι αναστασιν και επηρωτησαν αυτον

Mark 12:18 (NET)

Mark 12:18 (KJV)
Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) also came to him and asked him, Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

Mark 12:18 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 12:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 12:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἔρχονται Σαδδουκαῖοι πρὸς αὐτόν (οἵτινες λέγουσιν ἀνάστασιν μὴ εἶναι) καὶ ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες και ερχονται σαδδουκαιοι προς αυτον οιτινες λεγουσιν αναστασιν μη ειναι και επηρωτησαν αυτον λεγοντες και ερχονται σαδδουκαιοι προς αυτον οιτινες λεγουσιν αναστασιν μη ειναι και επηρωτησαν αυτον λεγοντες

Acts 23:6-8 (NET)

Acts 23:6-8 (KJV)
Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

Acts 23:6 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 23:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 23:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι τὸ ἓν μέρος ἐστὶν Σαδδουκαίων τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Φαρισαίων ἔκραζεν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ Φαρισαῖος εἰμι, υἱὸς Φαρισαίων, περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν [ἐγὼ] κρίνομαι γνους δε ο παυλος οτι το εν μερος εστιν σαδδουκαιων το δε ετερον φαρισαιων εκραξεν εν τω συνεδριω ανδρες αδελφοι εγω φαρισαιος ειμι υιος φαρισαιου περι ελπιδος και αναστασεως νεκρων εγω κρινομαι γνους δε ο παυλος οτι το εν μερος εστιν σαδδουκαιων το δε ετερον φαρισαιων εκραξεν εν τω συνεδριω ανδρες αδελφοι εγω φαρισαιος ειμι υιος φαρισαιου περι ελπιδος και αναστασεως νεκρων εγω κρινομαι
When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

Acts 23:7 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 23:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 23:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοῦ |εἰπόντος| ἐγένετο στάσις τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων καὶ ἐσχίσθη τὸ πλῆθος τουτο δε αυτου λαλησαντος εγενετο στασις των φαρισαιων και των σαδδουκαιων και εσχισθη το πληθος τουτο δε αυτου λαλησαντος εγενετο στασις των φαρισαιων και των σαδδουκαιων και εσχισθη το πληθος
(For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

Acts 23:8 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 23:8 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 23:8 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Σαδδουκαῖοι |μὲν| γὰρ λέγουσιν μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν μήτε ἄγγελον μήτε πνεῦμα, Φαρισαῖοι δὲ ὁμολογοῦσιν τὰ ἀμφότερα σαδδουκαιοι μεν γαρ λεγουσιν μη ειναι αναστασιν μηδε αγγελον μητε πνευμα φαρισαιοι δε ομολογουσιν τα αμφοτερα σαδδουκαιοι μεν γαρ λεγουσιν μη ειναι αναστασιν μηδε αγγελον μητε πνευμα φαρισαιοι δε ομολογουσιν τα αμφοτερα

Acts 4:22 (NET)

Acts 4:22 (KJV)
For the man, on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed, was over forty years old. For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

Acts 4:22 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 4:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 4:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐτῶν γὰρ ἦν πλειόνων τεσσεράκοντα ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐφ᾿ ὃν γεγόνει τὸ σημεῖον τοῦτο τῆς ἰάσεως ετων γαρ ην πλειονων τεσσαρακοντα ο ανθρωπος εφ ον εγεγονει το σημειον τουτο της ιασεως ετων γαρ ην πλειονων τεσσαρακοντα ο ανθρωπος εφ ον εγεγονει το σημειον τουτο της ιασεως

Acts 4:24 (NET)

span style=”font-size: small;”>Acts 4:24 (KJV)
When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, “Master of all, you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them, And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

Acts 4:24 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 4:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 4:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦραν φωνὴν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπαν· δέσποτα, σὺ ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς, οι δε ακουσαντες ομοθυμαδον ηραν φωνην προς τον θεον και ειπον δεσποτα συ ο θεος ο ποιησας τον ουρανον και την γην και την θαλασσαν και παντα τα εν αυτοις οι δε ακουσαντες ομοθυμαδον ηραν φωνην προς τον θεον και ειπον δεσποτα συ ο θεος ο ποιησας τον ουρανον και την γην και την θαλασσαν και παντα τα εν αυτοις

Acts 4:31 (NET)

Acts 4:31 (KJV)
When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 4:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 4:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ δεηθέντων αὐτῶν ἐσαλεύθη ὁ τόπος ἐν ᾧ ἦσαν συνηγμένοι, καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ ἐλάλουν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ παρρησίας και δεηθεντων αυτων εσαλευθη ο τοπος εν ω ησαν συνηγμενοι και επλησθησαν απαντες πνευματος αγιου και ελαλουν τον λογον του θεου μετα παρρησιας και δεηθεντων αυτων εσαλευθη ο τοπος εν ω ησαν συνηγμενοι και επλησθησαν απαντες πνευματος αγιου και ελαλουν τον λογον του θεου μετα παρρησιας

Mark 13:23 (NET)

Mark 13:23 (KJV)
Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Mark 13:23 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 13:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 13:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὑμεῖς δὲ βλέπετε· προείρηκα ὑμῖν πάντα υμεις δε βλεπετε ιδου προειρηκα υμιν παντα υμεις δε βλεπετε ιδου προειρηκα υμιν παντα

Mark 16:18 (NET)

Mark 16:18 (KJV)
they will pick up snakes with their hands, and whatever poison they drink will not harm them; they will place their hands on the sick and they will be well. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:18 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 16:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 16:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)
[καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν] ὄφεις ἀροῦσιν κὰν θανάσιμον τι πίωσιν οὐ μὴ αὐτοὺς βλάψῃ, ἐπὶ ἀρρώστους χεῖρας ἐπιθήσουσιν καὶ καλῶς ἕξουσιν οφεις αρουσιν καν θανασιμον τι πιωσιν ου μη αυτους βλαψει επι αρρωστους χειρας επιθησουσιν και καλως εξουσιν οφεις αρουσιν καν θανασιμον τι πιωσιν ου μη αυτους βλαψη επι αρρωστους χειρας επιθησουσιν και καλως εξουσιν

2 Acts 3:1-5 (NET)

3 Acts 2:43 (NET) Table

8 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐτοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had του ιαθεντος χωλου (KJV: as the lame man which was healed).

9 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τὸν preceding John. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

12 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οι (KJV: which) preceding say. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

14 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἔκραζεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εκραξεν (KJV: he cried out).

15 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the plural Φαρισαίων here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular φαρισαιου (KJV: of a Pharisee).

17 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article των here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

18 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μήτε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μηδε (KJV: neither).

21 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τοῦ preceding Holy. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

22 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιδου (KJV: behold) following Be careful! (KJV: take…heed). The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

23 Romans 14:11 (NET)

24 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν (NET: with their hands) here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

26 Mark 16:17, 18 (NET)

27 The Stephanus Textus Receptus had βλαψει (KJV: it shall…hurt) here in the future tense and indicative mood, which is also a strong form of negation. From Emphatic Negations in Biblical Greek: “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.” But βλάψῃ in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood is currently considered more original in the NA28. It also occurs most frequently in the eastern manuscripts as shown by the Byzantine Majority Text.

28 From “Emphatic Negations in Biblical Greek,” on the BLB Blog online.

Christianity, Part 12

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There are 3 occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians [see Table below] the Greek word translated all people in: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people (πάντας, a form of πᾶς) to myself.1 This is a continuation of my consideration of the first (1 Corinthians 7:7 ESV):

I wish that all (πάντας ἀνθρώπους) were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another [Table].

I think everyone (NET) is a good translation of πάντας ἀνθρώπους above, despite “Paul’s assumptions [in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34] about the beautiful preoccupations of an unmarried man and an unmarried or betrothed woman”2 limited to “those who were born…of the flesh of Adam” and born “from above…by the Spirit.”3 Here I want to explore the beauty of the story of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech more thoroughly. It began when Abram and Sarai journeyed to Egypt.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 12:10-13 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:10-13 (NET)

Genesis 12:10-13 (NETS)

Genesis 12:10-13 (English Elpenor)
And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land. There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay for a while because the famine was severe. And a famine occurred upon the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine prevailed upon the land. And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, because the famine prevailed in the land.
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife (אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ): ‘Behold now, I know that thou art a fair (יְפַת) woman (אִשָּׁ֥ה) to look upon (מַרְאֶ֖ה). As he approached Egypt, he said to his wife (‘iššâ, אשתו) Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman [NET note 34: Heb “a woman (‘iššâ, אשה) beautiful (yāp̄ê, יפת) of appearance (mar’ê, מראה) are you”]. And it came about when Abram drew near to enter into Egypt that Abram said to his wife (τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ) Sara, “I do know that your are a woman (γυνὴ) beautiful in countenance (εὐπρόσωπος), And it came to pass when Abram drew nigh to enter into Egypt, Abram said to Sara his wife (τῇ γυναικί), I know that thou art a fair (εὐπρόσωπος) woman (γυνὴ).
And it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say: This is his wife (אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ); and they will kill me, but thee they will keep alive. When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife (‘iššâ, אשתו).’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive. it will be, therefore, that should the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’ (γυνὴ αὐτοῦ), and they will kill me, but you they will keep for themselves. It shall come to pass then that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife (γυνὴ αὐτοῦ), and they shall slay me, but they shall save thee alive.
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.’ So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you and my life will be spared on account of you.” Say, therefore, ‘I am his sister’, so that it may go well with me because of you, and my soul will live on your account.” Say, therefore, I am his sister, that it may be well with me on account of thee, and my soul shall live because of thee.

I am harder on Abram/Abraham about this fear than I should be. I’ve never lived in a world where anyone thought to kill me before having sex with my girlfriends or wives. Only God’s care makes Abram’s fear seem foolish. I’ve certainly feared matters of much less import when I should have trusted Him. And Abram’s fear—should the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’, and they will kill me, but you they will keep for themselves4—sounds very much like a rationalization of the religious mind among those who have some compunction about sex with another man’s wife.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 12:14-16 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:14-16 (NET)

Genesis 12:14-16 (NETS)

Genesis 12:14-16 (English Elpenor)
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman (הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה) that she was very (מְאֹֽד) fair (יָפָ֥ה). When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman (‘iššâ, האשה) was very (mᵊ’ōḏ, מאד) beautiful (yāp̄ê, יפה). And it came about when Abram entered into Egypt—as the Egyptians saw the woman (τὴν γυναῖκα), that she was very (σφόδρα) beautiful (καλὴ)— And it came to pass when Abram entered into Egypt– the Egyptians having seen his wife (τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ) that she was very (σφόδρα) beautiful (καλὴ)–
And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken (וַתֻּקַּ֥ח) into Pharaoh’s house [Table]. When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife was taken (lāqaḥ, ותקח) into the household of Pharaoh, that then the rulers of Pharao saw her and praised her to Pharao and brought (εἰσήγαγον) her into Pharao’s house [Table]. that the princes of Pharao saw her, and praised her to Pharao and brought (εἰσήγαγον) her into the house of Pharao.
And he dealt well with Abram for her sake; and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels [Table]. and he did treat Abram well on account of her. Abram received sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels. And for her sake they dealt well with Abram, and he had sheep and calves and donkeys, male and female slaves, mules and camels [Table]. And they treated Abram well on her account, and he had sheep, and calves, and asses, and men-servants, and women-servants, and mules, and camels.

The Hebrew word יָפָ֥ה (yāp̄ê), fair (Tanakh, KJV), beautiful (NET), was translated καλὴ, a form of καλός, in the Septuagint. I want to review what happened after Abimelech took Sarah to contrast that beauty to the story of Pharaoh and Sarai.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 20:3 (Tanakh) Table

Genesis 20:3 (NET)

Genesis 20:3 (NETS) Table

Genesis 20:3 (English Elpenor)
But G-d came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: ‘Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman (הָֽאִשָּׁ֣ה) whom thou hast taken (לָקַ֔חְתָּ); for she is a man’s wife’. But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman (‘iššâ, האשה) you have taken (lāqaḥ, לקחת), for she is someone else’s wife.” And God came in to Abimelech in his sleep during the night and said, “Look, you are about to die by reason of the woman (τῆς γυναικός) whom you have taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she is married to a man.” And God came to Abimelech by night in sleep, and said, Behold, thou diest for the woman (τῆς γυναικός), whom thou hast taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she has lived with a husband.

God did not warn Pharaoh in a dream:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 12:17 (Tanakh) Table

Genesis 12:17 (NET)

Genesis 12:17 (NETS) Table

Genesis 12:17 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife (אֵ֥שֶׁת). But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases because of Sarai, Abram’s wife (‘iššâ, אשת). And God tried Pharao and his house with great and grievous trials because of Sara, Abram’s wife (τῆς γυναικὸς). And God afflicted Pharao with great and severe afflictions, and his house, because of Sara, Abram’s wife (τῆς γυναικὸς).

Was Abimelech somehow different from Pharoah?

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 20:4a (Tanakh) Table

Genesis 20:4a (NET)

Genesis 20:4a (NETS) Table

Genesis 20:4a (English Elpenor)
Now Abimelech had not come near (קָרַ֖ב) her; Now Abimelech had not gone near (qāraḇ, קרב) her. Now Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her, But Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her,

The implication is strong that Pharoah had…come near (qāraḇ, קָרַ֖ב) her (Tanakh), he had…touched (ἥψατο) her (NETS, English Elpenor). Is that why God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night,5 but struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases?6 Well, maybe, since the law, which came [more than] 430 years afterward7 said, “You shall not commit adultery”8?

But that answer only prompts another question, for God said to Abimelech:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 20:6b (Tanakh) Table

Genesis 20:6b (NET)

Genesis 20:6b (NETS) Table

Genesis 20:6b (English Elpenor)
I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch (לִנְגֹּ֥עַ) her. I have kept you from sinning against me and..I did not allow you to touch (nāḡaʿ, לנגע) her. I was the one who spared you so that you did not sin in regard to me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch (ἅψασθαι) her. I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.

Here the implication that Pharoah sinned against God by touching Sarai borders on certainty.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 12:18, 19 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:18, 19 (NET)

Genesis 12:18, 19 (NETS)

Genesis 12:18, 19 (English Elpenor)
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said: ‘What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife (אִשְׁתְּךָ֖)? So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife (‘iššâ,אשתך)? Now when Pharao had called Abram he said, “What is this you have done to me, that you did not tell me that she is your wife (γυνή σού)? And Pharao having called Abram, said, What is this thou hast done to me, that thou didst not tell me that she was thy wife (γυνή σου)?
Why saidst thou: She is my sister? so that I took (וָֽאֶקַּ֥ח) her to be my wife (לְאִשָּׁ֑ה); now therefore behold thy wife (אִשְׁתְּךָ֖), take her (קַ֥ח), and go thy way.’ Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took (lāqaḥ, ואקח) her to be my wife (‘iššâ, לאשה)? Now, here is your wife (‘iššâ, אשתך). Take her (lāqaḥ, קח) and go!” Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? And I took (ἔλαβον) her to myself for a wife (γυναῖκα). And now here is your wife (ἡ γυνή σου) before you; take her (λαβὼν); hurry off.” Wherefore didst thou say, She is my sister? and I took (ἔλαβον) her for a wife (γυναῖκα) to myself; and now, behold, thy wife (ἡ γυνή σου) is before thee, take her (λαβὼν) and go quickly away.

So, if God did not allow [Abimelech] to touch Sarah, why didn’t He do the same for Pharaoh and Sarai? Before I go on, I should acknowledge that Rashi potentially disputed my “certainty” that Pharaoh “touched” Sarai:9

And the Lord plagued Pharaoh…[with] great plagues: He was stricken with the plague of “ra’athan,” making intercourse harmful to him. Gen. Rabbah (41:2)

as well as his household: lit. and his house. As the Targum states: and upon the people of his house, (and its midrashic interpretation (Tan. Lech Lecha 8) is that this includes its walls, pillars, and utensils. In an old Rashi).

on account of Sarai: [The words עַל דְבַר שָׂרַי mean literally] according to her words: she would say to the angel, “Strike,” and he would strike. [from Tan. Lech Lecha 5]

From the word דְּבַ֥ר (dāḇār), a word not translated independently into English, Rashi constructed a scene where Sarai called on an angel to strike Pharaoh and his household. The word “strike” was וַיְנַגַּ֨ע (nāḡaʿ), translated plagued (Tanakh, KJV) and struck (NET), from the same root as לִנְגֹּ֥ע (nāḡaʿ), translated to touch (Tanakh, KJV, NET) when God told Abimelech: I did not allow you to touch her.10 Rashi didn’t say explicitly whether Sarai told the angel to strike before or after Pharaoh “touched” her. But consider God’s command to Abimelech:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 20:7 (Tanakh)

Genesis 20:7 (NET)

Genesis 20:7 (NETS)

Genesis 20:7 (English Elpenor)
Now therefore restore the man’s wife (אֵֽשֶׁת); for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.’ But now give back the man’s wife (‘iššâ, אשת). Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don’t give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you.” And now return the woman (τὴν γυναῖκα) to the man, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If, however, you do not restore her, know that you shall die, you and all that are yours.” But now return the man his wife (τὴν γυναῖκα); for he is a prophet, and shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; but if thou restore her not, know that thou shalt die and all thine.

Then consider Rashi’s commentary:11

return the man’s wife: And do not think that perhaps she will be repugnant to him, and he will not accept her, or that he will hate you and not pray for you. (Abimelech said to Him, “Who will let him know that I did not touch her?” He replied,)

because he is a prophet: And he knows that you did not touch her; therefore, “he will pray for you.” – [from Tan. Buber, Vayera 25]

The suggestion here, that Sarai would or should “be repugnant” to Abram if she told the angel to strike after Pharaoh “touched” her, implies that Rashi intended before Pharaoh “touched” her. I was a little surprised that many if not most commentators seemed to hold that the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases12 before Pharaoh “touched” Sarai. It was also the hope or expectation of most people I found online.13 It would’ve been my own preference. That’s why I’m pursuing the question.

It just seems to me now that the contrast between the two stories implies that Pharaoh “touched” Sarai. I’ll back off from my “certainty.” The text doesn’t explicitly say that Pharaoh “touched” Sarai any more than it says that Sarai “would say to the angel, ‘Strike,’ and he would strike.” The same phrase עַל־דְּבַ֥ר, made up of two words עַל (ʿal) and דְּבַ֥ר (dāḇār), is found in Genesis 20:11.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 20:11 (Tanakh) Table

Genesis 20:11 (NET)

Genesis 20:11 (NETS) Table

Genesis 20:11 (English Elpenor)
And Abraham said: ‘Because I thought: Surely the fear of G-d is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake. Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife. And Abraam said, “Because I said, It appears there is no piety in this place, and so they will kill me because of my wife. And Abraam said, Why I said, Surely there is not the worship of God in this place, and they will slay me because of my wife.

Here that two word phrase was translated for…sake (Tanakh) and because of (NET). A note (28) in the NET reads: “Heb ‘over the matter of.’” That seems to be the most reasonable understanding of the phrase in Genesis 12:17. The story of Sarai calling on an angel to defend her virtue would have been a good one to tell, if it actually happened. It sounds a little too much like the chivalric code:

The code of chivalry that developed in medieval Europe had its roots in earlier centuries. It arose in the Carolingian Empire from the idealisation of the cavalryman—involving military bravery, individual training, and service to others—especially in Francia, among horse soldiers in Charlemagne’s cavalry.[4]: 2 [5]

It’s not too hard to imagine that a medieval French rabbi, learning and teaching at a time when these ideals of justice and virtue were percolating, thought that God would put his knight at the fair lady Sarai’s disposal. I’m a little distressed how unchivalrous Abram seems 918 years after Rashi died. This is how Abraham explained it to Abimelech:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 20:13 (Tanakh) Table

Genesis 20:13 (NET)

Genesis 20:13 (NETS) Table

Genesis 20:13 (English Elpenor)
And it came to pass, when G-d caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her: This is thy kindness (חַסְדֵּ֔ךְ) which thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me: He is my brother.’ When God made me wander from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty (ḥeseḏ, חסדך) to me: Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’” Now it came about when God brought me forth from my father’s house, that then I said to her, ‘This righteousness (δικαιοσύνην) you shall do for me: in every place, there where we enter, say about me, He is my brother.’” And it came to pass when God brought me forth out of the house of my father, that I said to her, This righteousness (δικαιοσύνην) thou shalt perform to me, in every place into which we may enter, say of me, He is my brother.

The Hebrew word חַסְדֵּ֔ךְ (ḥeseḏ), translated kindness (Tanakh, KJV) and loyalty (NET), was rendered δικαιοσύνην (righteousness) by the rabbis who translated the Septuagint. So, rather than cavil at Abraham’s apparent lack of medieval European moral sensibilities, I should marvel at how far Sarai/Sarah was willing to go to obey her husband, her owner, her lord.

Without speaking a word against Abraham, Peter drew a sharp contrast quietly commending Sarah as one who did good and [did] not fear anything that is frightening.14 And the Lord didn’t need to constantly critique and criticize Abraham as I am prone to do, since He had already given him a wife who demonstrated such faithful, patient obedience without fear, that he may be won15 without a word by the conduct of16 his wife.

I’ll pick this up in another essay. The table mentioned above follows.

Occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians
Reference

NET Parallel Greek

 ESV
1 Corinthians 7:7 θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν I wish that all were as I myself am.
1 Corinthians 14:5

θέλω δὲ πάντας ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν γλώσσαις

Now I want you all to speak in tongues,
1 Corinthians 15:25 ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Tables comparing Genesis 12:10; 12:11; 12:12; 12:13; 12:14; 12:18; 12:19 and 20:7 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 12:10; 12:11; 12:12; 12:13; 12:14; 12:18; 12:19 and 20:7 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing 1 Peter 3:1 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 12:10 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:10 (KJV)

Genesis 12:10 (NET)
And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land. And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land. There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay for a while because the famine was severe.

Genesis 12:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 12:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ κατέβη Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον παροικῆσαι ἐκεῖ ὅτι ἐνίσχυσεν ὁ λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς Καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ κατέβη ῞Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον παροικῆσαι ἐκεῖ, ὅτι ἐνίσχυσεν ὁ λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

Genesis 12:10 (NETS)

Genesis 12:10 (English Elpenor)
And a famine occurred upon the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine prevailed upon the land. And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, because the famine prevailed in the land.

Genesis 12:11 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:11 (KJV)

Genesis 12:11 (NET)
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife: ‘Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon. And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: As he approached Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman.

Genesis 12:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 12:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἤγγισεν Αβραμ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον εἶπεν Αβραμ Σαρα τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ γινώσκω ἐγὼ ὅτι γυνὴ εὐπρόσωπος εἶ ἐγένετο δέ, ἡνίκα ἤγγισεν ῞Αβραμ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, εἶπεν ῞Αβραμ Σάρᾳ τῇ γυναικί· γινώσκω ἐγώ, ὅτι γυνὴ εὐπρόσωπος εἶ

Genesis 12:11 (NETS)

Genesis 12:11 (English Elpenor)
And it came about when Abram drew near to enter into Egypt that Abram said to his wife Sara, “I do know that your are a woman beautiful in countenance, And it came to pass when Abram drew nigh to enter into Egypt, Abram said to Sara his wife, I know that thou art a fair woman.

Genesis 12:12 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:12 (KJV)

Genesis 12:12 (NET)
And it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say: This is his wife; and they will kill me, but thee they will keep alive. Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive.

Genesis 12:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 12:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἔσται οὖν ὡς ἂν ἴδωσίν σε οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἐροῦσιν ὅτι γυνὴ αὐτοῦ αὕτη καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσίν με σὲ δὲ περιποιήσονται ἔσται οὖν, ὡς ἂν ἴδωσί σε οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, ἐροῦσιν ὅτι γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν αὐτή, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσί με, σὲ δὲ περιποιήσονται

Genesis 12:12 (NETS)

Genesis 12:12 (English Elpenor)
it will be, therefore, that should the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’, and they will kill me, but you they will keep for themselves. It shall come to pass then that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife, and they shall slay me, but they shall save thee alive.

Genesis 12:13 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:13 (KJV)

Genesis 12:13 (NET)
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.’ Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you and my life will be spared on account of you.”

Genesis 12:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 12:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰπὸν οὖν ὅτι ἀδελφὴ αὐτοῦ εἰμι ὅπως ἂν εὖ μοι γένηται διὰ σέ καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἕνεκεν σοῦ εἰπὸν οὖν, ὅτι ἀδελφὴ αὐτοῦ εἰμι, ὅπως ἂν εὖ μοι γένηται διὰ σέ, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἕνεκέν σου

Genesis 12:13 (NETS)

Genesis 12:13 (English Elpenor)
Say, therefore, ‘I am his sister’, so that it may go well with me because of you, and my soul will live on your account.” Say, therefore, I am his sister, that it may be well with me on account of thee, and my soul shall live because of thee.

Genesis 12:14 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:14 (KJV)

Genesis 12:14 (NET)
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

Genesis 12:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 12:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἰδόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν γυναῖκα ὅτι καλὴ ἦν σφόδρα ἐγένετο δέ, ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν ῞Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἰδόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, ὅτι καλὴ ἦν σφόδρα

Genesis 12:14 (NETS)

Genesis 12:14 (English Elpenor)
And it came about when Abram entered into Egypt—as the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful— And it came to pass when Abram entered into Egypt– the Egyptians having seen his wife that she was very beautiful–

Genesis 12:18 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:18 (KJV)

Genesis 12:18 (NET)
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said: ‘What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?

Genesis 12:18 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 12:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καλέσας δὲ Φαραω τὸν Αβραμ εἶπεν τί τοῦτο ἐποίησάς μοι ὅτι οὐκ ἀπήγγειλάς μοι ὅτι γυνή σού ἐστιν καλέσας δὲ Φαραὼ τὸν ῞Αβραμ εἶπε· τί τοῦτο ἐποίησάς μοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπήγγειλάς μοι, ὅτι γυνή σου ἐστίν;

Genesis 12:18 (NETS)

Genesis 12:18 (English Elpenor)
Now when Pharao had called Abram he said, “What is this you have done to me, that you did not tell me that she is your wife? And Pharao having called Abram, said, What is this thou hast done to me, that thou didst not tell me that she was thy wife?

Genesis 12:19 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:19 (KJV)

Genesis 12:19 (NET)
Why saidst thou: She is my sister? so that I took her to be my wife; now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.’ Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!”

Genesis 12:19 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 12:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἵνα τί εἶπας ὅτι ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου ἐναντίον σου λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε ἱνατί εἶπας ὅτι ἀδελφή μου ἐστί; καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ γυναῖκα, καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου ἔναντί σου· λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε

Genesis 12:19 (NETS)

Genesis 12:19 (English Elpenor)
Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? And I took her to myself for a wife. And now here is your wife before you; take her; hurry off.” Wherefore didst thou say, She is my sister? and I took her for a wife to myself; and now, behold, thy wife is before thee, take her and go quickly away.

Genesis 20:7 (Tanakh)

Genesis 20:7 (KJV)

Genesis 20:7 (NET)
Now therefore restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.’ Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don’t give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you.”

Genesis 20:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 20:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
νῦν δὲ ἀπόδος τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὅτι προφήτης ἐστὶν καὶ προσεύξεται περὶ σοῦ καὶ ζήσῃ εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀποδίδως γνῶθι ὅτι ἀποθανῇ σὺ καὶ πάντα τὰ σά νῦν δὲ ἀπόδος τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὅτι προφήτης ἐστὶ καὶ προσεύξεται περὶ σοῦ καὶ ζήσῃ· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀποδίδως, γνώσῃ ὅτι ἀποθανῇ σὺ καὶ πάντα τὰ σά

Genesis 20:7 (NETS)

Genesis 20:7 (English Elpenor)
And now return the woman to the man, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If, however, you do not restore her, know that you shall die, you and all that are yours.” But now return the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; but if thou restore her not, know that thou shalt die and all thine.

1 Peter 3:1 (NET)

1 Peter 3:1 (KJV)
In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live, Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

1 Peter 3:1 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Peter 3:1 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Peter 3:1 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ὁμοίως [αἱ] γυναῖκες, ὑποτασσόμεναι τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν, ἵνα |καὶ| εἴ τινες ἀπειθοῦσιν τῷ λόγῳ, διὰ τῆς τῶν γυναικῶν ἀναστροφῆς ἄνευ λόγου κερδηθήσονται ομοιως αι γυναικες υποτασσομεναι τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν ινα και ει τινες απειθουσιν τω λογω δια της των γυναικων αναστροφης ανευ λογου κερδηθησωνται ομοιως αι γυναικες υποτασσομεναι τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν ινα και ει τινες απειθουσιν τω λογω δια της των γυναικων αναστροφης ανευ λογου κερδηθησονται

1 John 12:32 (ESV)

4 Genesis 12:13 (NETS)

5 Genesis 20:3a (NET) Table

6 Genesis 12:17a (NET) Table

7 Galatians 3:17a (ESV) Table

8 Exodus 20:14 (ESV) Table

9 From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 12:17 (Tanakh), chabad.org

10 Genesis 20:6b (NET) Table

11 From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 20:7 (Tanakh), chabad.org

12 Genesis 12:17a (NET) Table

14 1 Peter 3:6b (ESV)

15 The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had κερδηθήσονται (NET: they will be won over) here in the future tense and indicative mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had κερδηθησωνται (KJV: they…may…be won) in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood.

16 1 Peter 3:1b (ESV)

Christianity, Part 11

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There are 3 occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians [see Table below], the Greek word translated all people in: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people (πάντας, a form of πᾶς) to myself.1 The first occurrence will take some time (1 Corinthians 7:7 ESV):

I wish2 that all (πάντας ἀνθρώπους) were as I myself am. But3 each has his own gift from God, one4 of one kind and one5 of another.

Here πάντας was clearly limited by ἀνθρώπους (KJV: all men). Paul did not wish that all porcupines were as I myself am. I admit when I first read it I considered even all men limited to “very few men” because I heard the second clause as “But most of you aren’t as spiritual as I am.” Yet here πάντας ἀνθρώπους was translated all, everyone in the NET, which has the advantage of eliminating porcupines and other non-humans. And now I no longer think that everyone is wrong, misleading or a poor translation.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote,6 Paul began this particular explanation, but what was written wasn’t recorded. Perhaps that’s because it seems fairly obvious that the question involved whether certain people at a certain place and time should or could marry, depending on whether the writers were doing the forbidding, being forbidden or both. Or perhaps it was because the Holy Spirit regarded Paul’s answer as more universally applicable than the questions as written. Paul continued (1 Corinthians 7:1b ESV)

“It is good for a man not to have sexual relations (ἅπτεσθαι) with a woman” [Table].

The Greek word translated good here was καλὸν (a form of καλός), the “beautiful good,” rather than ἀγαθόν (a form of ἀγαθός). I wrote about the “beautiful good” in another essay. So, why did Paul write, It is good (a beautiful good) for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman?

According to Britannica online, “The philosophical and religious ideals of celibacy in the Classical world strongly influenced subsequent practices of celibacy and monasticism in Christianity.”7 Was Paul persuaded that pagan celibacy was the highest form of self-righteousness? Probably not.

As I studied, I wondered why Paul chose ἅπτεσθαι, “to touch,” rather than λαμβάνεσθαι, a present middle/passive infinitive form of λαμβάνω, “to take.” And I also wondered why γυναικὸς (ESV: woman), a form of γυνή in the genitive case, was chosen rather than γυνήν in the accusative case or even γυνῇ in the dative. I typed the latter question into a search engine and Barnes’ Notes on the Bible directed me to the story of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 20:2-6 (Tanakh)

Genesis 20:2-6 (NET)

Genesis 20:2-6 (NETS)

Genesis 20:2-6 (English Elpenor)
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife (אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ): ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took (וַיִּקַּ֖ח) Sarah. Abraham said about his wife (‘iššâ, אשתו) Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took (lāqaḥ, ויקח) her. And Abraam said of his wife (τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ) Sarra, “She is my sister,” lest perhaps the men of the city kill him on her account. Then Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took (ἔλαβεν) Sarra. And Abraam said concerning Sarrha his wife (τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ), She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the city should kill him for her sake. So Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took (ἔλαβε) Sarrha.
But G-d came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: ‘Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman (הָֽאִשָּׁ֣ה) whom thou hast taken (לָקַ֔חְתָּ); for she is a man’s (בָּֽעַל) wife (בְּעֻ֥לַת)’ [Table]. But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman (‘iššâ, האשה) you have taken (lāqaḥ, לקחת), for she is someone else’s (baʿal, בעל) wife (bāʿal, בעלת).” And God came in to Abimelech in his sleep during the night and said, “Look, you are about to die by reason of the woman (τῆς γυναικός) whom you have taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she is married (συνῳκηκυῗα) to a man (ἀνδρί)” [Table]. And God came to Abimelech by night in sleep, and said, Behold, thou diest for the woman (τῆς γυναικός), whom thou hast taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she has lived (συνῳκηυῖα) with a husband (ἀνδρί).
Now Abimelech had not come near (קָרַ֖ב) her; and he said: ‘L-rd, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation? Now Abimelech had not gone near (qāraḇ, קרב) her. He said, “Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation? Now Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her, and he said, “Lord, will you destroy an unwitting and righteous nation? But Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her, and he said, Lord, wilt thou destroy an ignorantly [sinning] and just nation?
Said he not himself unto me: She is my sister? and she, even she herself said: He is my brother. In the simplicity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.’ Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!” Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said to me, ‘He is my brother’. I did this with a pure heart and righteousness of hands.” Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said to me, ‘He is my brother’. I did this with a pure heart and righteousness of hands.”
And G-d said unto him in the dream: ‘Yea, I know that in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch (לִנְגֹּ֥עַ) her. Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch (nāḡaʿ, לנגע) her. Then God said to him during his sleep, “I too knew that you did this with a pure heart, and I was the one who spared you so that you did not sin in regard to me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch (ἅψασθαι) her. And God said to him in sleep, Yea, I knew that thou didst this with a pure heart, and I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.

Abimelech took (וַיִּקַּ֖ח) Sarah. In the Septuagint the Greek word translated took was ἔλαβε(ν) (a form of λαμβάνω). Abimelech had every intention of making Sarah one of his wives but he had not come near (קָרַ֖ב) her,8 he had not touched (ἥψατο, a form of ἅπτω in the middle voice) her.9 The Greek word translated sexual relations (ἅπτεσθαι) in 1 Corinthians 7:1b (ESV) was an infinitive form of ἅπτω also in the middle voice. I did not allow you to touch her,10 God told Abimelech in a dream. The Greek word translated to touch here was ἅψασθαι, another infinitive form of ἅπτω in the middle voice.

The Greek word γυναικὸς (a form of γυνή) was in the genitive case because whether translated wife11 or woman,12 she is married (συνῳκηκυῗα) to a man (ἀνδρί),13 or she has lived (συνῳκηυῖα) with a husband (ἀνδρί).14 A note (5) in the NET explained that the Hebrew was literally: “and she is owned by an owner.” Though this concept has been misunderstood as abusive authority, I think the Holy Spirit understands it as a man’s responsibility for his wife.

Consider an owner’s responsibility, written in the law, for an ox or bull:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Exodus 21:28, 29 (Tanakh)

Exodus 21:28, 29 (NET)

Exodus 21:28, 29 (NETS)

Exodus 21:28, 29 (English Elpenor)
And if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner (וּבַ֥עַל) of the ox shall be quit. “If an ox gores a man or a woman so that either dies, then the ox must surely be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner (baʿal, ובעל) of the ox will be acquitted. Now if a bull gores a man or a woman and he dies, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and its meat shall not be eaten, but the owner (κύριος) of the bull shall not be liable. And if a bull gore a man or woman and they die, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner (κύριος) of the bull shall be clear.
But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and warning hath been given to its owner (בִּבְעָלָיו֙), and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner (בְּעָלָ֖יו) also shall be put to death. But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner (baʿal, בבעליו) was warned but he did not take the necessary precautions, and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man (baʿal, בעליו) must be put to death. But if the bull was prone to gore before yesterday and before the third day and they warn its owner (κυρίῳ) and he does not restrain it and it kills a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner (κύριος) shall die as well. But if the bull should have been given to goring in former time, and men should have told his owner (κυρίῳ), and he have not removed him, but he should have slain a man or woman, the bull shall be stoned, and his owner (κύριος) shall die also.

Husbands, love your15 wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, Paul wrote, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself [Table].16 The Greek words translated should here are ὀφείλουσιν [καὶ], and love is ἀγαπᾶν, an infinitive form of ἀγαπάω in the present tense: In the same way husbands owe also to love their wives as their own bodies.

Yes, I am asking myself at this very moment if I took ownership of, if I accepted the responsibility for, my wife’s spiritual well-being while we were married. No, I’m not at all happy with the answer. “Find’em, feel’em, fuck’em and forget’em,” was the guiding maxim of the 4F club. It was something I learned in elementary school, not part of the official curriculum but handed down from a classmate’s older brother. And though I scoffed at it in my youth as morally beneath me, in my old age I reckon I’ve lived more nearly in compliance to that odious maxim than to any semblance of Christ-likeness. A feminist is not a godly husband: See to that17 yourself,18 was too often my attitude as I was preoccupied with more worldly concerns.

It seems like I understand Paul’s insight in 1 Corinthians 7:1b better, at least grasp its generality better, if I don’t even try to translate his word string into a fluent English sentence: καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ γυναικὸς μὴ ἅπτεσθαι, “beautiful man wife not to touch.” That beauty is obvious in the story of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech, when a man does not touch another man’s wife. The beauty of God’s intervention to spare both Sarah and Abimelech is beyond compare. I’ll return to that later. Paul described the beauty of a man not touching his own wife for an agreed upon period of time a few verses after this, and the beauty of not taking a wife at all in some verses after that (1 Corinthians 7:28-35 ESV):

But if you do marry,19 you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world20 as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please21 the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please22 his wife, and his interests are divided.23 And the unmarried or betrothed woman24 is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body25 and spirit.26 But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please27 her husband. I say this for your own benefit,28 not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion29 to the Lord.

I’ve discounted this entire chapter way too much: the appointed time has grown very short spoke to me of the return of Christ. I couldn’t calculate how Paul might have amended his words if he had known that I would still be waiting in the fall of 2023, and so I failed to pay enough attention to what is actually written here. Now, as I approach my seventieth birthday my appointed time has grown very short and my attention is more focused, perhaps, than in the past. There are things to consider about συνεσταλμένος, the Greek word translated very short, a participle of the verb συστέλλω in the perfect tense. But for the moment I’d rather consider and address something else.

Paul’s assumptions about the beautiful preoccupations of an unmarried man and an unmarried or betrothed woman were not made regarding those who are born of the flesh of Adam only. His words are folly to those who are perishing.30 That which is born of the flesh is flesh,31 Jesus explained to Nicodemus. “None is righteous,” Paul wrote of those born only of the flesh of Adam, “no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one [Table]. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”32

In this letter Paul addressed those who were born, not only of the flesh of Adam but, from above as well, by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:4-9 ESV):

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

I say: “I’ve lived more nearly in compliance to that odious [4F club] maxim than to any semblance of Christ-likeness.” But Paul wrote that, our Lord Jesus Christ…will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.33 The Greek word translated will sustain was βεβαιώσει, a 3rd person singular form of βεβαιόω in the future tense, active voice and indicative mood: “to establish, strengthen, stabilize, make firm, confirm, secure, warrant, make good.” The word translated you was the plural ὑμᾶς, so I assume Paul meant individuals rather than the Corinthian church as a singular collective.

Everything I’m complaining about in my self-assessment happened after I said a sinner’s prayer to Jesus. Some of it after I returned from atheism. What hurts the most is the more recent events in my forties and fifties when I thought I was doing better. At the very time when 1 Corinthians 7 and Ephesians 5 should have been my daily meditation, I ignored them and became anxious about worldly things, how to please [my] wife,34 and I should’ve known better—but, clearly, I didn’t. During this study, as my failure to understand the love owed to my wife was brought to my attention (how many years after the fact?), I moaned, “Why don’t You just kill me, and be done with it?”

That wouldn’t really accomplish anything from God’s perspective: for all live to him.35 So I suck it up and appropriate Paul’s words as my own, finding hope and comfort (even fellowship) in them (1 Timothy 1:15, 16 ESV):

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life [Table].

I left a sermon on the first chapter of 1 Peter recently, disgruntled. Peter is not my favorite writer, though my Pastor is beginning to help overcome that antipathy in me. The text was: Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.36 I left the worship service that afternoon mumbling something about, “pie in the sky bye and bye.” It took me a day or so to put my disgruntled feelings into words.

But when I finally expressed myself honestly…

No, thank you. I’ll put my hope fully on the grace that is brought to me new every morning, the fruit of Your Spirit: Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

…the Lord’s answer was immediate:

Why do you hope for what you already see?

There wasn’t much left for me to say:

Duh, because I’m an idiot?

And so He corrected my misunderstanding.

Any time I compare myself to Jesus, I come up short. And the appointed time has grown very short37 for that gap to be closed before I see Him face to face. Here is real hope: to set [my] hope fully on the grace that will be brought to [me] at the revelation of Jesus Christ. For now, I keep following Him through the Scripture, all too aware that those who have suffered the most from this gap are those whom I have loved and continue to love (e.g., because I do it so poorly).

I’ll pick this up in another essay. The table mentioned above follows.

Occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians
Reference

NET Parallel Greek

 ESV
1 Corinthians 7:7 θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν I wish that all were as I myself am.
1 Corinthians 14:5

θέλω δὲ πάντας ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν γλώσσαις

Now I want you all to speak in tongues,
1 Corinthians 15:25 ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Tables comparing Genesis 20:2; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; Exodus 21:28 and 21:29 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 20:2; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; Exodus 21:28 and 21:29 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing 1 Corinthians 7:7; Ephesians 5:25; Matthew 27:4; 1 Corinthians 7:28 and 7:31-35 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 20:2 (Tanakh)

Genesis 20:2 (KJV)

Genesis 20:2 (NET)
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife: ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah. Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

Genesis 20:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 20:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Αβρααμ περὶ Σαρρας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν ἐφοβήθη γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὅτι γυνή μού ἐστιν μήποτε ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως δι᾽ αὐτήν ἀπέστειλεν δὲ Αβιμελεχ βασιλεὺς Γεραρων καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν Σαρραν εἶπε δὲ ῾Αβραὰμ περὶ Σάρρας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀδελφή μου ἐστίν· ἐφοβήθη γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὅτι γυνή μου ἐστί, μή ποτε ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως δι᾿ αὐτήν. ἀπέστειλε δὲ ᾿Αβιμέλεχ, βασιλεὺς Γεράρων, καὶ ἔλαβε τὴν Σάρραν

Genesis 20:2 (NETS)

Genesis 20:2 (English Elpenor)
And Abraam said of his wife Sarra, “She is my sister,” lest perhaps the men of the city kill him on her account. Then Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took Sarra. And Abraam said concerning Sarrha his wife, She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the city should kill him for her sake. So Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took Sarrha.

Genesis 20:4 (Tanakh)

Genesis 20:4 (KJV)

Genesis 20:4 (NET)
Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said: ‘L-rd, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation? But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation? Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation?

Genesis 20:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 20:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
Αβιμελεχ δὲ οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν κύριε ἔθνος ἀγνοοῦν καὶ δίκαιον ἀπολεῖς ᾿Αβιμέλεχ δὲ οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε, ἔθνος ἀγνοοῦν καὶ δίκαιον ἀπολεῖς

Genesis 20:4 (NETS)

Genesis 20:4 (English Elpenor)
Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said, “Lord, will you destroy an unwitting and righteous nation? But Abimelech had not touched her, and he said, Lord, wilt thou destroy an ignorantly [sinning] and just nation?

Genesis 20:5 (Tanakh)

Genesis 20:5 (KJV)

Genesis 20:5 (NET)
Said he not himself unto me: She is my sister? and she, even she herself said: He is my brother. In the simplicity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.’ Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!”

Genesis 20:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 20:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ αὐτός μοι εἶπεν ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν καὶ αὐτή μοι εἶπεν ἀδελφός μού ἐστιν ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ χειρῶν ἐποίησα τοῦτο οὐκ αὐτός μοι εἶπεν, ἀδελφή μου ἐστί; καὶ αὕτη μοι εἶπεν, ἀδελφός μου ἐστίν; ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ χειρῶν ἐποίησα τοῦτο

Genesis 20:5 (NETS)

Genesis 20:5 (English Elpenor)
Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said to me, ‘He is my brother’. I did this with a pure heart and righteousness of hands.” Said he not to me, She is my sister, and said she not to me, He is my brother? with a pure heart and in the righteousness of my hands have I done this.

Genesis 20:6 (Tanakh)

Genesis 20:6 (KJV)

Genesis 20:6 (NET)
And G-d said unto him in the dream: ‘Yea, I know that in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her.

Genesis 20:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 20:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς καθ᾽ ὕπνον κἀγὼ ἔγνων ὅτι ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ ἐποίησας τοῦτο καὶ ἐφεισάμην ἐγώ σου τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτεῖν σε εἰς ἐμέ ἕνεκεν τούτου οὐκ ἀφῆκά σε ἅψασθαι αὐτῆς λίγο εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς καθ᾿ ὕπνον· κἀγὼ ἔγνων ὅτι ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ ἐποίησας τοῦτο, καὶ ἐφεισάμην σου τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτεῖν σε εἰς ἐμέ· ἕνεκα τούτου οὐκ ἀφῆκά σε ἅψασθαι αὐτῆς

Genesis 20:6 (NETS)

Genesis 20:6 (English Elpenor)
Then God said to him during his sleep, “I too knew that you did this with a pure heart, and I was the one who spared you so that you did not sin in regard to me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch her. And God said to him in sleep, Yea, I knew that thou didst this with a pure heart, and I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch her.

Exodus 21:28 (Tanakh)

Exodus 21:28 (KJV)

Exodus 21:28 (NET)
And if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. “If an ox gores a man or a woman so that either dies, then the ox must surely be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted.

Exodus 21:28 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 21:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ κερατίσῃ ταῦρος ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα καὶ ἀποθάνῃ λίθοις λιθοβοληθήσεται ὁ ταῦρος καὶ οὐ βρωθήσεται τὰ κρέα αὐτοῦ ὁ δὲ κύριος τοῦ ταύρου ἀθῷος ἔσται ᾿Εὰν δὲ κερατίσῃ ταῦρος ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, λίθοις λιθοβοληθήσεται ὁ ταῦρος, καὶ οὐ βρωθήσεται τὰ κρέα αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ κύριος τοῦ ταύρου ἀθῷος ἔσται

Exodus 21:28 (NETS)

Exodus 21:28 (English Elpenor)
Now if a bull gores a man or a woman and he dies, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and its meat shall not be eaten, but the owner of the bull shall not be liable. And if a bull gore a man or woman and they die, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall be clear.

Exodus 21:29 (Tanakh)

Exodus 21:29 (KJV)

Exodus 21:29 (NET)
But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and warning hath been given to its owner, and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner was warned but he did not take the necessary precautions, and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man must be put to death.

Exodus 21:29 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 21:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ταῦρος κερατιστὴς ᾖ πρὸ τῆς ἐχθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης καὶ διαμαρτύρωνται τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃ αὐτόν ἀνέλῃ δὲ ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα ὁ ταῦρος λιθοβοληθήσεται καὶ ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ προσαποθανεῖται ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ταῦρος κερατιστὴς ᾖ πρὸ τῆς χθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης, καὶ διαμαρτύρωνται τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃ αὐτόν, ἀνέλῃ δὲ ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα, ὁ ταῦρος λιθοβοληθήσεται καὶ ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ προσαποθανεῖται

Exodus 21:29 (NETS)

Exodus 21:29 (English Elpenor)
But if the bull was prone to gore before yesterday and before the third day and they warn its owner and he does not restrain it and it kills a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall die as well. But if the bull should have been given to goring in former time, and men should have told his owner, and he have not removed him, but he should have slain a man or woman, the bull shall be stoned, and his owner shall die also.

1 Corinthians 7:7 (NET)

1 Corinthians 7:7 (KJV)
I wish that everyone was as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

1 Corinthians 7:7 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν· ἀλλὰ ἕκαστος ἴδιον ἔχει χάρισμα ἐκ θεοῦ, ὁ μὲν οὕτως, ὁ δὲ οὕτως θελω γαρ παντας ανθρωπους ειναι ως και εμαυτον αλλ εκαστος ιδιον χαρισμα εχει εκ θεου ος μεν ουτως ος δε ουτως θελω γαρ παντας ανθρωπους ειναι ως και εμαυτον αλλ εκαστος ιδιον χαρισμα εχει εκ θεου ος μεν ουτως ος δε ουτως

Ephesians 5:25 (NET)

Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Ephesians 5:25 (NET Parallel Greek)

Ephesians 5:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Ephesians 5:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς οι ανδρες αγαπατε τας γυναικας εαυτων καθως και ο χριστος ηγαπησεν την εκκλησιαν και εαυτον παρεδωκεν υπερ αυτης οι ανδρες αγαπατε τας γυναικας εαυτων καθως και ο χριστος ηγαπησεν την εκκλησιαν και εαυτον παρεδωκεν υπερ αυτης

Matthew 27:4 (NET)

Matthew 27:4 (KJV)
saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!” Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

Matthew 27:4 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 27:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 27:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγων· ἥμαρτον παραδοὺς αἷμα |ἀθῷον|. οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· τί πρὸς ἡμᾶς; σὺ ὄψῃ λεγων ημαρτον παραδους αιμα αθωον οι δε ειπον τι προς ημας συ οψει λεγων ημαρτον παραδους αιμα αθωον οι δε ειπον τι προς ημας συ οψει

1 Corinthians 7:28 (NET)

1 Corinthians 7:28 (KJV)
But if you marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face difficult circumstances, and I am trying to spare you such problems. But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

1 Corinthians 7:28 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:28 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:28 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐὰν δὲ καὶ γαμήσῃς, οὐχ ἥμαρτες, καὶ ἐὰν γήμῃ |ἡ| παρθένος, οὐχ ἥμαρτεν· θλῖψιν δὲ τῇ σαρκὶ ἕξουσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι, ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομαι εαν δε και γημης ουχ ημαρτες και εαν γημη η παρθενος ουχ ημαρτεν θλιψιν δε τη σαρκι εξουσιν οι τοιουτοι εγω δε υμων φειδομαι εαν δε και γημης ουχ ημαρτες και εαν γημη η παρθενος ουχ ημαρτεν θλιψιν δε τη σαρκι εξουσιν οι τοιουτοι εγω δε υμων φειδομαι

1 Corinthians 7:31-35 (NET)

1 Corinthians 7:31-35 (KJV)
those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape of this world is passing away. And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

1 Corinthians 7:31 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ οἱ χρώμενοι τὸν κόσμον ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι· παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου και οι χρωμενοι τω κοσμω τουτω ως μη καταχρωμενοι παραγει γαρ το σχημα του κοσμου τουτου και οι χρωμενοι τω κοσμω τουτω ως μη καταχρωμενοι παραγει γαρ το σχημα του κοσμου τουτου
And I want you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

1 Corinthians 7:32 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:32 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:32 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους εἶναι. ὁ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κυρίου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῷ κυρίῳ· θελω δε υμας αμεριμνους ειναι ο αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου πως αρεσει τω κυριω θελω δε υμας αμεριμνους ειναι ο αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου πως αρεσει τω κυριω
But a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife, But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:33 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:33 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:33 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ δὲ γαμήσας μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῇ γυναικί ο δε γαμησας μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τη γυναικι ο δε γαμησας μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τη γυναικι
and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

1 Corinthians 7:34 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:34 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:34 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ μεμέρισται. καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄγαμος καὶ ἡ παρθένος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κυρίου, ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία |καὶ| τῷ σώματι καὶ τῷ πνεύματι· ἡ δὲ γαμήσασα μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῷ ἀνδρί μεμερισται η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου ινα η αγια και σωματι και πνευματι η δε γαμησασα μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τω ανδρι μεμερισται και η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου ινα η αγια και σωματι και πνευματι η δε γαμησασα μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τω ανδρι
I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

1 Corinthians 7:35 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:35 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:35 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς τὸ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν σύμφορον λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα βρόχον ὑμῖν ἐπιβάλω ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ εὔσχημον καὶ εὐπάρεδρον τῷ κυρίῳ ἀπερισπάστως τουτο δε προς το υμων αυτων συμφερον λεγω ουχ ινα βροχον υμιν επιβαλω αλλα προς το ευσχημον και ευπροσεδρον τω κυριω απερισπαστως τουτο δε προς το υμων αυτων συμφερον λεγω ουχ ινα βροχον υμιν επιβαλω αλλα προς το ευσχημον και ευπροσεδρον τω κυριω απερισπαστως

1 John 12:32 (ESV)

2 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had δὲ (not translated in the NET) near the beginning of this clause, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γαρ (KJV: For).

3 The NET parallel Greek text had the conjunction ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had ἀλλ᾽.

4 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article ὁ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the relative pronoun ος.

5 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article ὁ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the relative pronoun ος.

6 1 Corinthians 7:1a (ESV) Table

7 “Pagan religions of the ancient Mediterranean,” celibacy, Britannica

8 Genesis 20:4 (Tanakh)

9 Genesis 20:4 (NETS, English Elpenor)

10 Genesis 20:6 (NETS)

11 Genesis 20:2 (NETS, English Elpenor)

12 Genesis 20:3 (NETS, English Elpenor) Table

13 Genesis 20:3b (NETS) Table

14 Genesis 20:3b (English Elpenor) Table

16 Ephesians 5:25-28 (ESV)

17 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὄψῃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οψει (KJV: see…to that).

19 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had γαμήσῃς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γημης (KJV: thou marry).

23 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καὶ μεμέρισται (NET: and he is divided) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had simply μεμερισται (KJV: There is difference also between).

24 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄγαμος καὶ ἡ παρθένος (NET: An unmarried woman or a virgin) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος (KJV: a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman).

25 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τῷ preceding body. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

26 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τῷ preceding spirit. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

28 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the noun σύμφορον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had συμφερον (KJV: profit), a participle of the verb συμφέρω.

30 1 Corinthians 1:18b (ESV)

31 John 3:6a (ESV)

32 Romans 3:10b-18 (ESV)

33 1 Corinthians 1:7b, 8 (ESV)

34 1 Corinthians 7:33b (ESV)

35 Luke 20:38b (ESV)

36 1 Peter 1:13 (ESV)

37 1 Corinthians 7:29a (ESV)

The Day of the Lord, Part 6

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This is a continuation of my consideration whether my assumption that Jesus called Judas Iscariot ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας (NET: the one destined for destruction) is like Jesus’ disciples’ discussion about having no bread1 after He said: “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”2

In another essay I began to look at John’s description of antichrist and many antichrists because Meyer’s NT Commentary stated that many of the Church Fathers had understood Paul’s description of the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, as the Antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:3b, 4 (NET)

The Church Fathers
For [the day of the Lord] will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας) [Table]. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God [Table]. They correctly agree in considering that by the advent (2 Thessalonians 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:8), or the day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:2), is to be understood the personal advent of Christ for the last judgment and for the completion of the Messianic kingdom. Also it is correctly regarded as proved, that the Antichrist here described is to be considered as an individual person, in whom sin will embody itself.

The last insight into antichrist I considered in another essay I titled “the antichrist…denies the Father and the Son.” John penned a contrast to this title in the final verse I quoted under that heading: The person who confesses (ὁ ὁμολογῶν) the Son has the Father also.3 His explanation of this point is my final insight:

4. …the spirit of the antichrist…refuses to confess Jesus

John wrote (1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 1:7 NET):

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that refuses to confess Jesus, that spirit is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist (ἀντιχρίστου), which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world [Table].

For many deceivers have gone out4 into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.5 Though I might otherwise have focused on test (δοκιμάζετε, a form of δοκιμάζω) the spirits, this study has focused my attention on the many antichrists who went out from us.

1 John 2:18b, 19a (NET Parallel Greek) Table

1 John 4:1b (NET Parallel Greek)
καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασιν…ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθαν ὅτι πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐξεληλύθασιν εἰς τὸν κόσμον

1 John 2:18b, 19a (NET)

1 John 4:1b (NET)
so now many antichrists have appeared…They went out from us because many false prophets have gone out into the world

This is, admittedly, the first time I’ve made any strong connection between ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ (many antichrists) and πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται (many false prophets). The connection is made primarily by John’s descriptions of antichrist and many antichrists, but also through the verbs ἐξῆλθαν (They went out) and ἐξεληλύθασιν (have gone out), forms of ἐξέρχομαι. I hadn’t thought of these many false prophets as those who went out from us before. Jesus warned, Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.6

Up until this moment my religious mind had limited my understanding of false prophets to “religious” things, to those who make false predictions about Jesus’ return or some other false teaching of Scripture. Combined with the many antichrists who went out from us, Jesus’ warning that whoever does not gather with me scatters (σκορπίζει, a form of σκορπίζω) and my initial insights into false wonders, however, I’m willing to modify that understanding.

Charles Darwin doesn’t appear to be one who went out from the visible church literally. “Darwin and his family had a lifetime involvement with the Church of England, and various dissenting establishments…His local activities in the village of Down paint a fascinating picture of a man who, despite his own divergent beliefs and uncertainties, was determined to support the church as a social institution.”7 This was partly explained by the existence of a state church in England: “A nominal adherence to the Anglican Church’s teachings was still essential for admittance to many of the elite cultural and political institutions of England. It was required to enter Oxford and Cambridge, for example, and an Oxbridge degree was often crucial, in turn, in securing a position in the most prestigious professions. As a young man, Charles went up to Cambridge in 1828 with the aim of completing the necessary studies to be a clergyman.”8

On the other hand, it is apparent that Aleister Crowley went out from the Plymouth Brethren. An entry in Wikipedia describing “The Confessions of Aleister Crowley: An Autohagiography” states: “In reference to his early years of being raised by fundamentalist Christians, Crowley explains how he became a rebel against conventional religion and how his behaviour and conflicts with authority figures contributed to his reputation as a dark magician. Whilst Crowley does not deny dabbling with demonic forces, his memoirs reveal that his aim was the progress and spiritual freedom of humanity.”9

E.O. Wilson, the controversial10 “father of sociobiology,” according to an entry11 in Wikipedia online:

…described his position as “provisional deism”[71] and explicitly denied the label of “atheist”, preferring “agnostic”.[72] He explained his faith as a trajectory away from traditional beliefs: “I drifted away from the church, not definitively agnostic or atheistic, just Baptist & Christian no more.”[45] Wilson argued that belief in God and the rituals of religion are products of evolution.[73] He argued that they should not be rejected or dismissed, but further investigated by science to better understand their significance to human nature. In his book The Creation, Wilson wrote that scientists ought to “offer the hand of friendship” to religious leaders and build an alliance with them, stating that “Science and religion are two of the most potent forces on Earth and they should come together to save the creation.”[74]

…In a New Scientist interview published on January 21, 2015, however, Wilson said that “Religion ‘is dragging us down’ and must be eliminated ‘for the sake of human progress'”, and “So I would say that for the sake of human progress, the best thing we could possibly do would be to diminish, to the point of eliminating, religious faiths.”[76]

An entry titled “Sociobiology” in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy online states:

Human behavioral ecology (HBE), or human evolutionary ecology, is the current evolutionary social science most closely related to Wilson’s sociobiological project; it is the project that is sometimes still referred to as “sociobiology” by some philosophers of science (Griffiths, 2008; Sterelny and Griffiths, 1999)…

To understand the purposes of the HBE project, let’s consider one of its classic examples: Kaplan and Hill’s (1992) work on prey choice strategies amongst the Ache foragers of Paraguay. Just as in non-human behavioral ecology, behavioral strategies in HBE are usually described as complex behavioral dispositions. Behavioral dispositions involve behavioral responses to local stimuli; behavioral strategies then involve producing a set of different responses to a set of different stimuli (i.e. the response conditions of the strategy). According to Kaplan and Hill, the Ache prey choice strategy involves choosing a variety of different potential prey items from the environment; whether or not a prey item is taken depends on a number of circumstances acting as the response conditions: for example, the presence of prey with certain specific features, such as the caloric return of the prey given the time necessary to process it (known as the profitability); the rate at which that prey occurs in the environment; whether or not the prey is encountered on their search; and the search time available on a foraging trip…

HBEs explicitly accept that social learning of general purpose reasoning may be responsible for human behavioral strategies such as the Ache’s.

This was followed immediately by a Human Behavioral Ecology “statement of faith”:

However, this is ultimately irrelevant; one way or another, natural selection has, in effect, “seen to it” that humans behave in ways that tend to maximize their reproductive success.

The Lord used statements like this in E.O. Wilson’s comments on Sociobiology to help wean me from any consideration of evolution as a plausible alternative to his creation of life. As for “means” (e.g., God used evolution to create life as we see it now), it’s not what the Scripture says. Perhaps, the benefit I’ve derived from considering each of these men as I followed Jesus through the Scriptures has made me slow (or even loathe) to recognize them as false prophets and antichrists. And that brings me at last to Friedrich Nietzsche.

According to an entry in Wikipedia online, Friedrich Nietzsche was the son of “a Lutheran pastor[15]…Academic records from one of the schools attended by Nietzsche noted that he excelled in Christian theology.”[17] The Lord used Nietzsche’s12 writings to help me understand my own unbelief. I wrote of Nietzsche in another essay:

When I consider the justice of God’s mercy in and through Christ I am reminded of Friedrich Nietzsche. Jesus said, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.[30] The soul cannot be killed with weaponry. But Friedrich Nietzsche came about as close to being a soul killer as I can imagine a human being becoming. Who can calculate his devastating impact on the souls of academics and the intelligentsia? But if I imagine him in torment in hell for all eternity, cursing his nonexistent god, I realize that I can imagine no greater destruction of the personality I know as Friedrich Nietzsche than to find him one day clothed and in his right mind,[31] and sitting at the feet of Jesus.

This particular blog entry posted: May 25, 2013. The confirmation of this “no greater destruction” insight posted: December 14, 2022. It was the first time I really grappled with the differences between the mind of Christ and my religious mind vis-a-vis John 12:31, 32 (NET).

Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Before that study I could only see these as three independent projects on a to-do list. Afterward, I began to see the first two accomplished in the promise of the third. Present day scientists and philosophers would call that confirmation bias. Possibly so, but it’s the kind of confirmation bias that helps to keep me following Jesus through the Scripture.

Frankly, I would much rather tell you that I learned about the judgment of this world13 from Jesus’ words, explained in his promise, And I…will draw all people to myself,14 and then declared “that I can imagine no greater destruction of the personality I know as Friedrich Nietzsche than to find him one day clothed and in his right mind,[31] and sitting at the feet of Jesus.” The opposite, that I had this insight before I heard Jesus’ words (which I had read many times before), makes me feel stupid and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!15 And the prophet here was none other than the Lord Himself!

Granted, some of my stupidity and slowness of heart to believe is attributable to the fact that what I am believing now is contrary to my religion and even to my own religious mind. This confirmation bias is one of many that helps me to gain the courage to stand up to my religion and my own religious mind and say: “No, I would rather be wrong trusting Jesus’ words when I stand before Him in judgment, than right trusting yours.”

Having said that, I think it’s important to point out that John limited the terms antichrist, false prophets and deceivers (πλάνοι, a form of πλάνος) to those who do not confess Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh,16 to people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh.17 These are not terms John threw out at brothers and sisters who are slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. The resurrected Jesus described us as, You foolish people (ὦ ἀνόητοι).18 The Greek word ἀνόητοι is a plural form of the adjective ἀνόητος: “uneducated, low intelligence, unintelligent, lacking understanding; unwise, not thought on, unheard of; foolish, senseless.”

I’ll continue with this in another essay. A table comparing 2 John 1:7 in the NET and KJV follows.

2 John 1:7 (NET)

2 John 1:7 (KJV)
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist! For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

2 John 1:7 (NET Parallel Greek)

2 John 1:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

2 John 1:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οἱ μὴ ὁμολογοῦντες Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐν σαρκί· οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ πλάνος καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος οτι πολλοι πλανοι εισηλθον εις τον κοσμον οι μη ομολογουντες ιησουν χριστον ερχομενον εν σαρκι ουτος εστιν ο πλανος και ο αντιχριστος οτι πολλοι πλανοι εισηλθον εις τον κοσμον οι μη ομολογουντες ιησουν χριστον ερχομενον εν σαρκι ουτος εστιν ο πλανος και ο αντιχριστος

1 Mark 8:16b (NET) Table

2 Mark 8:15b (NET)

3 1 John 2:23b (NET) Table

4 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐξῆλθον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εισηλθον (KJV: are entered).

5 1 John 4:1 (NET)

6 Matthew 12:30 (NET)

8 Ibid.

10 Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, 1975, “Reception and controversy,” E. O. Wilson

11 “God and religion,” E. O. Wilson

13 John 12:31 (NET)

14 John 12:32 (NET)

15 Luke 24:25b (NET)

16 1 John 4:2, 3 (NET) Table

17 2 John 1:7 (NET)

18 Luke 24:25b (NET)

The Day of the Lord, Part 5

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This is a continuation of my consideration whether my assumption that Jesus called Judas Iscariot ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας (NET: the one destined for destruction) is like Jesus’ disciples’ discussion about having no bread1 after He said: “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”2

Paul wrote (2 Thessalonians 2:1-6 NET):

Now regarding the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be easily shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας) [Table]. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God [Table]. Surely you recall that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you. And so you know what holds him back, so that he will be revealed in his own time.

The interpretation of many of the Church Fathers was summarized in Meyer’s NT Commentary:

The apocalyptic teaching of the apostle in chap. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 has occupied Christians of all times, and has been very variously interpreted. A chief distinction in the interpretations consists in this, that this Pauline prediction may be considered either as that which will be fulfilled in the near or more distant future, or as having already received its fulfilment.

I. The Church Fathers belong to the representatives of the first view…They correctly agree in considering that by the advent (2 Thessalonians 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:8), or the day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:2), is to be understood the personal advent of Christ for the last judgment and for the completion of the Messianic kingdom. Also it is correctly regarded as proved, that the Antichrist here described is to be considered as an individual person, in whom sin will embody itself…The restraining power by which the appearance of Antichrist is delayed, is usually considered to be the continuance of the Roman Empire (τὸ κατέχον) and its representative the Roman emperor (ὁ κατέχων).

And thus the “Who is the Antichrist?” guessing game began. There isn’t anything intrinsically wrong with a guessing game, I suppose. Jesus let his disciples guess who would betray Him, during dinner the night He was betrayed.

Matthew 26:21-23 (NET)

Mark 14:18-20 (NET)

Luke 22:21-23 (NET)

John 13:21, 22 (NET)
And while they were eating he said, While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed in spirit, and testified,
“But look, the hand of the one who betrays (παραδιδόντος) me is with me on the table.
“I tell you the truth, one of you will betray (παραδώσει) me.” “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me will betray (παραδώσει) me.” “I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray (παραδώσει) me.”
For3 the Son of Man is to go just as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed (παραδίδοται)!”
They became greatly distressed They4 were distressed, The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about.
So they began to question one another as to which of them it could possibly be who would do this.
and each one5 began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?” He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray (παραδώσει) me. and one by6 one said to him, “Surely not I?”7 He said8 to them, “It is one of9 the twelve, one who dips his hand with me into the bowl.

The tone of μήτι ἐγώ10 and μήτι ἐγώ εἰμι11 is more difficult to decipher than I expected. It’s not quite the open-ended Is it I? of the King James Version, something I’ve heard preached and intended to contrast here to the suspicion and accusation of the Antichrist guessing game. Surely not I? doesn’t feel quite right either. The Greek question seems to be a more hesitant denial, seeking independent confirmation or assurance from Jesus.

And I considered Luke’s account more closely this time: So they began to question one another as to which of them it could possibly be who would do this.12 The Greek word translated to question (συζητεῖν, an infinitive form of συζητέω) means “to seek together; to discuss, carry on a discussion; to reflect, mediate, contemplate, think.” But it can also mean “to dispute, debate, argue (with someone).”

The Greek words translated one another (πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς) do very little to dissuade me of the idea that Jesus’ disciples may have suspiciously accused one another. Since ἑαυτοὺς is in the accusative case, πρὸς means: “to; toward, in the direction of; beside; against; with; at.” As Luke’s account continued, it added a little more fuel to the fire of these suspicious accusations (Luke 22:24 NET).

A dispute (φιλονεικία) also (καὶ) started among them over which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.

Here again, Jesus’ disciples seem to have blocked out his “morbid fascination” with his own death because they “knew” He was the promised Messiah who would overthrow the Roman pagans and restore “faithful” Israel to its rightful place as the head and not the tail.13 Each one seemed most concerned about his own place in that new order.

John recorded a conclusion to the “Who is the betrayer?” guessing game, for his readers if not yet for the other disciples at that moment (John 13:23-26 NET):

One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor [Table]. So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 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 (John 13:18), Simon’s son [Table].

John was also the one who described antichrist (1 John 2:18, 19 NET):

Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the14 antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. They went out15 from us, but they did not really belong to us because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us.

First, John affirmed that ἀντίχριστος ἔρχεται (NET: antichrist is coming). The Greek verb ἔρχεται is a singular form of the verb ἔρχομαι in the present tense. A note in the Koine Greek Lexicon explained: “The present is sometimes used with the force of the future.” Whether this is one of those times is a matter of interpretation, since John continued: καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασιν (NET: so now many antichrists have appeared).

The Greek verb γεγόνασιν is a 3rd person plural form of γίνομαι in the perfect tense. “The basic thought of the perfect tense,” according to the entry in Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online:

…is that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect. In other words, the progress of the action has reached its culmination and the finished results are now in existence. Unlike the English perfect, which indicates a completed past action, the Greek perfect tense indicates the continuation and present state of a completed past action.

This sounds similar to Paul’s affirmation that the man of lawlessness…the son of destruction16…will be revealed in his own time. For the hidden power of lawlessness is already at work.17 John proceeded to characterize the many antichrists.

1. They went out from us…

This was ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθαν or ἐξῆλθον in Greek. The difference is insignificant: ἐξῆλθαν and ἐξῆλθον are both 3rd person plural forms of ἐξέρχομαι. (The latter might also be understood as a 1st person singular form.) I assume that ἡμῶν (NET: us) refers to the visible church generally. But John may have meant visible church leaders or even apparent apostles more specifically.

Consider how he began this letter (1 John 1:1-3 NET):

This is what we proclaim to you:18 what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our (ἡμῶν) eyes, what we have looked at and our (ἡμῶν) hands have touched (concerning the word of life—and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you [ὑμῖν] the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us [ἡμῖν]). What we have seen and heard we announce to you (ὑμῖν) too,19 so that you (ὑμεῖς) may have fellowship with us [ἡμῶν] (and indeed our [ἡμετέρα]20 fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ).

Is the ἐξῆλθαν or ἐξῆλθον of the many antichrists equivalent to the rebellion21 (ἡ ἀποστασία) of which Paul wrote? I would assume so, unless John’s second characterization of the many antichrists precludes that possibility.

2. …but they did not really belong to us…

The Greek here is ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν (literally: “but existed not from us”). I take that to mean that at the time They went out, the many antichrists were not yet born from above, not yet born of the Spirit, not yet born…by God. John continued to explain: because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate (φανερωθῶσιν) that all of them do not belong to us.22

Then John contrasted the many antichrists to his faithful readers (1 John 2:20, 21 NET):

Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all23 know. I have not written to you that you do not know the truth, but that you do know it (αὐτὴν), and that no lie is of the truth.

3. …the antichrist…denies the Father and the Son

This led him to another characterization of antichrist, which I assume applies to the many antichrists as well (1 John 2:22, 23 NET).

Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist (ὁ ἀντίχριστος): the person who denies the Father and the Son. Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also.24

The Greek word translated denies all three times above was ἀρνούμενος, a present participle of the verb ἀρνέομαι: “to say that a statement heard or presented is untrue; to deny (the value of or validity of); to contradict, disavow, reject, abnegate, refuse, disown; to refuse (to do); to repent.” If you had asked me sometime before I became an atheist if I denied that Jesus is the Christ or if I denied the Father and the Son, I would have said “no.” And as far as I understood it, that was true.

I denied his “value” and “validity” all day every day, however, not out of any particular malice but, out of ignorance. I didn’t know Him. What I “knew” of imputed righteousness (Romans 4:22-25 KJV) was that it was a figment of God’s imagination, a mind game He played on Himself. Likewise, the righteousness of God without the law (Romans 3:21-24 KJV) was the same divine play pretending. I “knew” the only way to make it real was for me to obey the rules: the laws of the Old Testament, the commands of the New, along with those of my parents, teachers, coaches, pastors, doctors, city laws, county laws, state laws, national laws and on and on and on.

Is that what I was taught? I don’t remember what I was taught. It seems almost impossible to disentangle what I was taught from what I learned, sixty years or so after the fact. Maybe I was stupid, probably I didn’t pay enough attention, perhaps I wasn’t actually born from above just because I said a sinner’s prayer to Jesus so I wouldn’t burn in hell for all eternity when I was five-years-old. I do recall that the adults over me expected me to obey them—immediately.

The fastest way to do that was in my own strength. I expected Jesus to help. But He didn’t help me have my own righteousness derived from the law. And there didn’t seem to be much time or patience afforded to me to figure out how to live by the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness,25 even if I had believed that his righteousness was available to me, or such a way of life was possible through faith in Jesus Christ.

I’ll continue with this in another essay.

Tables comparing Deuteronomy 28:13 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Deuteronomy 28:13 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Matthew 26:22; Mark 14:19, 20; Luke 22:22; 1 John 2:18, 19; 1:3; 2:20 and 2:23 in the NET and KJV follow.

Deuteronomy 28:13 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 28:13 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 28:13 (NET)
And HaShem will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of HaShem thy G-d, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them; And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them: The Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always end up at the top and not at the bottom, if you obey his commandments that I am urging you today to be careful to do.

Deuteronomy 28:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 28:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καταστήσαι σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου εἰς κεφαλὴν καὶ μὴ εἰς οὐράν καὶ ἔσῃ τότε ἐπάνω καὶ οὐκ ἔσῃ ὑποκάτω ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς τῶν ἐντολῶν κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον φυλάσσειν καὶ ποιεῖν καταστήσαι σε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου εἰς κεφαλὴν καὶ μὴ εἰς οὐράν, καὶ ἔσῃ τότε ἐπάνω καὶ οὐκ ἔσῃ ὑποκάτω, ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς τῆς φωνῆς Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου, ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον φυλάσσειν καὶ ποιεῖν

Deuteronomy 28:13 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 28:13 (English Elpenor)
May the Lord your God set you up as a head and not as a tail, and you shall then be on top, and you shall not be underneath—if you hear the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, to guard and to perform. The Lord thy God make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt then be above and thou shalt not be below, if thou wilt hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, in all things that I charge thee this day to observe.

Matthew 26:22 (NET)

Matthew 26:22 (KJV)
They became greatly distressed and each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?” And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?

Matthew 26:22 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 26:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 26:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ λυπούμενοι σφόδρα ἤρξαντο λέγειν αὐτῷ εἷς ἕκαστος· μήτι ἐγώ εἰμι, κύριε και λυπουμενοι σφοδρα ηρξαντο λεγειν αυτω εκαστος αυτων μητι εγω ειμι κυριε και λυπουμενοι σφοδρα ηρξαντο λεγειν αυτω εκαστος αυτων μητι εγω ειμι κυριε

Mark 14:19, 20 (NET)

Mark 14:19, 20 (KJV)
They were distressed, and one by one said to him, “Surely not I?” And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?

Mark 14:19 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 14:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 14:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἤρξαντο λυπεῖσθαι καὶ λέγειν αὐτῷ εἷς κατὰ εἷς· μήτι ἐγώ οι δε ηρξαντο λυπεισθαι και λεγειν αυτω εις καθ εις μητι εγω και αλλος μητι εγω οι δε ηρξαντο λυπεισθαι και λεγειν αυτω εις καθ εις μητι εγω και αλλος μητι εγω
He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips his hand with me into the bowl. And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.

Mark 14:20 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 14:20 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 14:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· εἷς τῶν δώδεκα, ὁ ἐμβαπτόμενος μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ εἰς τὸ τρύβλιον ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις εις εκ των δωδεκα ο εμβαπτομενος μετ εμου εις το τρυβλιον ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις εις εκ των δωδεκα ο εμβαπτομενος μετ εμου εις το τρυβλιον

Luke 22:22 (NET)

Luke 22:22 (KJV)
For the Son of Man is to go just as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

Luke 22:22 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 22:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 22:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς μὲν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ τὸ ὡρισμένον πορεύεται, πλὴν οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκείνῳ δι᾿ οὗ παραδίδοται και ο μεν υιος του ανθρωπου πορευεται κατα το ωρισμενον πλην ουαι τω ανθρωπω εκεινω δι ου παραδιδοται και ο μεν υιος του ανθρωπου πορευεται κατα το ωρισμενον πλην ουαι τω ανθρωπω εκεινω δι ου παραδιδοται

1 John 2:18, 19 (NET)

1 John 2:18, 19 (KJV)
Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1 John 2:18 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 2:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 2:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Παιδία, ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν, καὶ καθὼς ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἀντίχριστος ἔρχεται, καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασιν, ὅθεν γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν παιδια εσχατη ωρα εστιν και καθως ηκουσατε οτι ο αντιχριστος ερχεται και νυν αντιχριστοι πολλοι γεγονασιν οθεν γινωσκομεν οτι εσχατη ωρα εστιν παιδια εσχατη ωρα εστιν και καθως ηκουσατε οτι ο αντιχριστος ερχεται και νυν αντιχριστοι πολλοι γεγονασιν οθεν γινωσκομεν οτι εσχατη ωρα εστιν
They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

1 John 2:19 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 2:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 2:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθαν ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν· εἰ γὰρ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἦσαν, μεμενήκεισαν ἂν μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν· ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα φανερωθῶσιν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν πάντες ἐξ ἡμῶν εξ ημων εξηλθον αλλ ουκ ησαν εξ ημων ει γαρ ησαν εξ ημων μεμενηκεισαν αν μεθ ημων αλλ ινα φανερωθωσιν οτι ουκ εισιν παντες εξ ημων εξ ημων εξηλθον αλλ ουκ ησαν εξ ημων ει γαρ ησαν εξ ημων μεμενηκεισαν αν μεθ ημων αλλ ινα φανερωθωσιν οτι ουκ εισιν παντες εξ ημων

1 John 1:3 (NET)

1 John 1:3 (KJV)
What we have seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have fellowship with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:3 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 1:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 1:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν, ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν. (καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.) ο εωρακαμεν και ακηκοαμεν απαγγελλομεν υμιν ινα και υμεις κοινωνιαν εχητε μεθ ημων και η κοινωνια δε η ημετερα μετα του πατρος και μετα του υιου αυτου ιησου χριστου ο εωρακαμεν και ακηκοαμεν απαγγελλομεν υμιν ινα και υμεις κοινωνιαν εχητε μεθ ημων και η κοινωνια δε η ημετερα μετα του πατρος και μετα του υιου αυτου ιησου χριστου

1 John 2:20 (NET)

1 John 2:20 (KJV)
Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

1 John 2:20 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 2:20 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 2:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ὑμεῖς χρῖσμα ἔχετε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου |καὶ| οἴδατε πάντες και υμεις χρισμα εχετε απο του αγιου και οιδατε παντα και υμεις χρισμα εχετε απο του αγιου και οιδατε παντα

1 John 2:23 (NET)

1 John 2:23 (KJV)
Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

1 John 2:23 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 2:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 2:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
πᾶς ὁ ἀρνούμενος τὸν υἱὸν οὐδὲ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει, ὁ ὁμολογῶν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει πας ο αρνουμενος τον υιον ουδε τον πατερα εχει πας ο αρνουμενος τον υιον ουδε τον πατερα εχει

1 Mark 8:16b (NET) Table

2 Mark 8:15b (NET)

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

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

5 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἷς preceding each (KJV: every one), while the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτων (KJV: of them) following every one (NET: each).

7 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και αλλος μητι εγω (KJV: and another said, Is it I?) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

8 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αποκριθεις (KJV: answered and) preceding he said. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

10 Mark 14:19

11 Matthew 26:22

12 Luke 22:23 (NET)

13 Deuteronomy 28:13 (NET)

14 The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding antichrist. The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

16 2 Thessalonians 2:3b (NET) Table

17 2 Thessalonians 2:6b, 7a (NET)

18 NET note 1: The phrase “This is what we proclaim to you” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the English. The main verb which governs all of these relative clauses is ἀπαγγέλλομεν (apangellomen) in v. 3. This is important for the proper understanding of the relative clauses in v. 1, because the main verb ἀπαγγέλλομεν in v. 3 makes it clear that all of the relative clauses in vv. 1 and 3 are the objects of the author’s proclamation to the readers rather than the subjects. To indicate this the phrase “This is what we proclaim to you” has been supplied at the beginning of v. 1.

20 I assume that John used a different word here for our (ἡμετέρα, a singular form of ἡμέτερος in the 1st person) to include his readers in the fellowship…with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, rather than to limit that fellowship to visible church leaders or apostles, actual or apparent.

21 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NET) Table

22 1 John 2:19b (NET)

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

24 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὁ ὁμολογῶν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει (NET: The person who confesses the Son has the Father also) here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

25 Philippians 3:9 (NET)

The Day of the Lord, Part 4

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In another essay I quoted Paul: For [the day of the Lord] will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας).1 Now I have to consider whether my assumption that Jesus called Judas Iscariot ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας (NET: the one destined for destruction) is like Jesus’ disciples’ discussion about having no bread2 after He said: “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”3

Here I’ll start with Paul’s description of what the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, does (2 Thessalonians 2:4 NET).

He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple,4 displaying himself as God.

According to a note (10) in the NET Paul alluded here to three different prophecies, which I’ll consider one at a time. The first was Isaiah 14:13-14.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Isaiah 14:12-14 (Tanakh/KJV)

Isaiah 14:12-14 (NET)

Isaiah 14:12-14 (NETS)

Isaiah 14:12-14 (English Elpenor)
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer (הֵילֵ֣ל), son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken (חוֹלֵ֖שׁ) the nations! “Look how you have fallen from the sky, O shining one (hêlēl, הילל), son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O conqueror (ḥālaš, חולש) of the nations! How is fallen from heaven the Day Star (ἑωσφόρος), which used to rise early in the morning! He has been crushed into the earth who used to send light (ἀποστέλλων) to all the nations! How has Lucifer (ἑωσφόρος), that rose in the morning, fallen from heaven! He that sent [orders] (ἀποστέλλων) to all the nations is crushed to the earth.
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: You said to yourself, ‘I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon. You said in your mind, “I will ascend to heaven; I will set my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on a lofty mountain, upon the lofty mountains toward the north; But thou saidst in thine heart, I will go up to heaven, I will set my throne above the stars of heaven: I will sit on a lofty mount, on the lofty mountains toward the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!’ I will ascend above the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” I will go up above the clouds: I will be like the Most High.

The end of Lucifer, shining one, the Day Star (i.e., the king of Babylon) was also prophesied:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Isaiah 14:15-17 (Tanakh/KJV)

Isaiah 14:15-17 (NET)

Isaiah 14:15-17 (NETS)

Isaiah 14:15-17 (English Elpenor)
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell (שְׁא֛וֹל), to the sides of the pit. But you were brought down to Sheol (šᵊ’ôl, שאול), to the remote slopes of the Pit. But now you will descend into Hades (ᾅδου) and into the foundations of the earth. But now thou shalt go down to hell (ᾅδην), even to the foundations of the earth.
They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; Those who see you stare at you, they look at you carefully, thinking: ‘Is this the man who shook the earth, the one who made kingdoms tremble? Those who see you will marvel at you and say: “Is this the man who troubles the earth, shaking kings?” They that see thee shall wonder at thee, and say, This is the man that troubled the earth, that made kings to shake;
That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? Is this the one who made the world like a wilderness, who ruined its cities and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?’ The one who made the whole world desolate and overthrew the cities has not released those who are in misery. that made the whole world desolate, and destroyed its cities; he loosed not those who were in captivity.

The next allusion was to Daniel 11:36 according to the note (10) in the NET. “The identity of this king is problematic,” according to another note (81) in the NET:

If vv. 36-45 continue the description of Antiochus Epiphanes, the account must be viewed as erroneous, since the details do not match what is known of Antiochus’ latter days. Most modern scholars take this view, concluding that this section was written just shortly before the death of Antiochus and that the writer erred on several key points as he tried to predict what would follow the events of his own day. Conservative scholars, however, usually understand the reference to shift at this point to an eschatological figure, viz., the Antichrist. The chronological gap that this would presuppose to be in the narrative is not necessarily a problem, since by all accounts there are many chronological gaps throughout the chapter, as the historical figures intended by such expressions as “king of the north” and “king of the south” repeatedly shift.

 

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Daniel 11:36 (Tanakh/KJV)

Daniel 11:36 (NET)

Daniel 11:36 (NETS)

Daniel 11:36 (English Elpenor)
And the king shall do according to his will (כִרְצֹנ֜וֹ); and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. “Then the king will do as he pleases (rāṣôn, כרצונו). He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity, and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur. the king will act according to his will (τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ). And he will be enraged and will be exalted over every god and will speak strange things against the God of gods. And he will succeed until the wrath is completed, for completion pertaining to him is coming. And he shall do according to his will (τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ), and the king shall exalt and magnify himself against every god, and shall speak great swelling words, and shall prosper until the indignation shall be accomplished: for it is coming to an end.

The end of this king was also prophesied:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Daniel 11:45 (Tanakh/KJV)

Daniel 11:45 (NET)

Daniel 11:45 (NETS)

Daniel 11:45 (English Elpenor)
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him. And he will set up his tent then between the seas and the mountain of the will of the holy one. And the hour of his consummation will come, and there will be no one who helps him. And he shall pitch the tabernacle of his palace between the seas in the holy mountain of beauty: [but] he shall come to his portion, and there is none to deliver him.

The final allusion was to Ezekiel 28:2-9 according to the note (10) in the NET. I’ll break this into two parts to match the others.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Ezekiel 28:1-5 (Tanakh/KJV)

Ezekiel 28:1-5 (NET)

Ezekiel 28:1-5 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:1-5 (English Elpenor)
The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, The Lord’s message came to me: And a word of the Lord came to me, saying: And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘Your heart is proud and you said, “I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas”—yet you are a man and not a god, though you think you are godlike. And you, son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, This is what the Lord says: Because your heart was exalted and you said, “I am a god; I have inhabited a habitation of a god in the heart of the sea,” yet you are human and not a god, and you rendered your heart as a god’s heart. And thou, son of man, say to the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord; Because thine heart has been exalted, and thou hast said, I am God, I have inhabited the dwelling of God in the heart of the sea; yet thou art man and not God, though thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God:
Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: Look, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you. Surely, you are not wiser than Daniel? Or did wise ones not discipline you with their knowledge? art thou wiser than Daniel? or have not the wise instructed thee with their knowledge?
With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself; you have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. Surely, by your knowledge and by your prudence you did not make for yourself power, both gold and silver in your treasuries? Hast thou gained power for thyself by thine [own] knowledge or thine [own] prudence, and [gotten] gold and silver in thy treasures?
By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: By your great skill in trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart is proud because of your wealth. Or by your great knowledge and commerce did you multiply your power? Was your heart exalted by your power? By thy abundant knowledge and thy traffic thou hast multiplied thy power; thy heart has been lifted up by thy power.

The end of this ruler was prophesied as well:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Ezekiel 28:6-10 (Tanakh/KJV)

Ezekiel 28:6-10 (NET)

Ezekiel 28:6-10 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:6-10 (English Elpenor)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you think you are godlike, Therefore this is what the Lord says: Since you have rendered your heart as a god’s heart, Therefore thus saith the Lord; Since thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;
Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. I am about to bring foreigners against you, the most terrifying of nations. They will draw their swords against the grandeur made by your wisdom, and they will defile your splendor. therefore, behold, I am bringing against you foreign pests from the nations, and they shall unsheathe their daggers against you and against the beauty of your knowledge and wound your beauty unto destruction. because of this, behold, I [will] bring on thee strange plagues from the nations; and they shall draw their swords against thee, and against the beauty of thy knowledge, (8) and they shall bring down thy beauty to destruction.
They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. They will bring you down to the Pit, and you will die violently in the heart of the seas. And they shall bring you down, and you shall die by the death of the wounded in the heart of the sea. And they shall bring thee down; and thou shalt die the death of the slain in the heart of the sea.
Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Will you still say, “I am a god,” before the one who kills you—though you are a man and not a god—when you are in the power of those who wound you? When you speak, will you actually say, “I am a god,” before those that are killing you? But you are a human and not a god. Wilt thou indeed say, I am God, before them that slay thee? whereas thou art man, and not God.
Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. You will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” By a multitude of the uncircumcised you shall perish, by the hands of foreigners, for I have spoken, says the Lord. Thou shalt perish by the hands of strangers among the multitude of the uncircumcised: for I have spoken it, saith he Lord.

As written these texts describe three different personalities with a similar delusion. Some would reduce that number to two personalities, connecting Lucifer and the prince of Tyre through Satan. Dr. David Jeremiah described this traditional interpretation in a blog post: “Who Is Lucifer in the Bible.”5 The Hebrew word translated Lucifer הֵילֵ֣ל (hêlēl) occurs only once in the Masoretic text.

According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance הֵילֵ֣ל (hêlēl) is derived from a root word הָלַל (hālal), which occurs many more times and would probably make a good word study. The first occurrence, for instance, is found in Genesis when Abram, out of fear for his own life, effectively pimped (Genesis 12:10-16) his wife Sarai to Pharaoh.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 12:15 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:15 (NET)

Genesis 12:15 (NETS)

Genesis 12:15 (English Elpenor)
And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised (וַיְהַֽלֲל֥וּ) her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised (hālal, ויהללו) her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife was taken into the household of Pharaoh, that then the rulers of Pharao saw her and praised (ἐπῄνεσαν) her to Pharao and brought her into Pharao’s house. that the princes of Pharao saw her, and praised (ἐπῄνεσαν) her to Pharao and brought her into the house of Pharao.

The Hebrew word הֵילֵ֣ל (hêlēl), translated Lucifer (Tanakh, KJV) and shining one (NET), was translated ἑωσφόρος in the Septuagint. There are no occurrences of ἑωσφόρος in the New Testament. There are two other occurrences in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Job 11:17 (Tanakh/KJV)

Job 11:17 (NET)

Job 11:17 (NETS)

Job 11:17 (English Elpenor)
And thine age shall be clearer (יָק֣וּם) than the noonday: thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning (כַּבֹּ֥קֶר). And life will be brighter (qûm, יקום) than the noonday; though there be darkness, it will be like the morning (bōqer, כבקר). And your prayer will be as the morning star (ἑωσφόρος), and at midday life will dawn for you. And thy prayer [shall be] as the morning star (ἑωσφόρος), and life shall arise to thee [as] from the noonday.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Job 38:12 (Tanakh/KJV)

Job 38:12 (NET)

Job 38:12 (NETS)

Job 38:12 (English Elpenor)
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring (הַשַּׁ֣חַר) to know his place; Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, or made the dawn (šaḥar, השחר) know its place, “Was it in your time that I instructed the morning light and that the morning star (ἑωσφόρος) saw its post, Or did I order the morning light in thy time; and [did] the morning star (ἑωσφόρος) [then first] see his appointed place;

“Lucifer is the Latin name for the morning appearances of the planet Venus,” according to the Wikipedia article titled “Lucifer”:

It corresponds to the Greek names Phosphorus Φωσφόρος, “light-bringer”, and Eosphorus Ἑωσφόρος, “dawn-bringer”. The entity’s Latin name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil.

The Greek word φωσφόρος does occur once in the New Testament, probably not referring to the planet Venus or the devil (2 Peter 1:19 NET):

Moreover, we possess the prophetic word as an altogether reliable thing. You do well if you pay attention to this as you would to a light shining in a murky place, until the day dawns and the morning star (φωσφόρος) rises in your hearts.

I appreciate this study as a relatively concise course with several useful examples of the differences between the words used in Scripture and the interpretations of those words in translation and commentary. I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Isaiah 14:12; 14:13; 14:14; 14:15; 14:16; 14:17; Daniel 11:36; 11:45; Ezekiel 28:1; 28:2; 28:3; 28:4; 28:5; 28:6; 28:7; 28:8; 28:9; 28:10; Genesis 12:15; Job 11:17 and 38:12 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Isaiah 14:12; 14:13; 14:14; 14:15; 14:16; 14:17; Daniel 11:36; 11:45; Ezekiel 28:1; 28:2; 28:3; 28:4; 28:5; 28:6; 28:7; 28:8; 28:9; 28:10; Genesis 12:15; Job 11:17 and 38:12 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing 2 Thessalonians 2:4 in the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 14:12 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 14:12 (KJV)

Isaiah 14:12 (NET)
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! “Look how you have fallen from the sky, O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O conqueror of the nations!

Isaiah 14:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 14:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πῶς ἐξέπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὁ ἑωσφόρος ὁ πρωὶ ἀνατέλλων συνετρίβη εἰς τὴν γῆν ὁ ἀποστέλλων πρὸς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη πῶς ἐξέπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὁ ἑωσφόρος ὁ πρωΐ ἀνατέλλων; συνετρίβη εἰς τὴν γῆν ὁ ἀποστέλλων πρὸς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη

Isaiah 14:12 (NETS)

Isaiah 14:12 (English Elpenor)
How is fallen from heaven the Day Star, which used to rise early in the morning! He has been crushed into the earth who used to send light to all the nations! How has Lucifer, that rose in the morning, fallen from heaven! He that sent [orders] to all the nations is crushed to the earth.

Isaiah 14:13 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 14:13 (KJV)

Isaiah 14:13 (NET)
For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: You said to yourself, ‘I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon.

Isaiah 14:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 14:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
σὺ δὲ εἶπας ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ σου εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβήσομαι ἐπάνω τῶν ἄστρων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ θήσω τὸν θρόνον μου καθιῶ ἐν ὄρει ὑψηλῷ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τὰ ὑψηλὰ τὰ πρὸς βορρᾶν σὺ δὲ εἶπας ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ σου· εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβήσομαι, ἐπάνω τῶν ἀστέρων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ θήσω τὸν θρόνον μου, καθιῶ ἐν ὄρει ὑψηλῷ, ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη τὰ ὑψηλὰ τὰ πρὸς Βορρᾶν,

Isaiah 14:13 (NETS)

Isaiah 14:13 (English Elpenor)
You said in your mind, “I will ascend to heaven; I will set my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on a lofty mountain, upon the lofty mountains toward the north; But thou saidst in thine heart, I will go up to heaven, I will set my throne above the stars of heaven: I will sit on a lofty mount, on the lofty mountains toward the north:

Isaiah 14:14 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 14:14 (KJV)

Isaiah 14:14 (NET)
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!’

Isaiah 14:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 14:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀναβήσομαι ἐπάνω τῶν νεφελῶν ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ ὑψίστῳ ἀναβήσομαι ἐπάνω τῶν νεφῶν, ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ ῾Υψίστῳ

Isaiah 14:14 (NETS)

Isaiah 14:14 (English Elpenor)
I will ascend above the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” I will go up above the clouds: I will be like the Most High.

Isaiah 14:15 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 14:15 (KJV)

Isaiah 14:15 (NET)
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. But you were brought down to Sheol, to the remote slopes of the Pit.

Isaiah 14:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 14:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
νῦν δὲ εἰς ᾅδου καταβήσῃ καὶ εἰς τὰ θεμέλια τῆς γῆς νῦν δὲ εἰς ᾅδην καταβήσῃ καὶ εἰς τὰ θεμέλια τῆς γῆς

Isaiah 14:15 (NETS)

Isaiah 14:15 (English Elpenor)
But now you will descend into Hades and into the foundations of the earth. But now thou shalt go down to hell, even to the foundations of the earth.

Isaiah 14:16 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 14:16 (KJV)

Isaiah 14:16 (NET)
They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; Those who see you stare at you, they look at you carefully, thinking: ‘Is this the man who shook the earth, the one who made kingdoms tremble?

Isaiah 14:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 14:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οἱ ἰδόντες σε θαυμάσουσιν ἐπὶ σοὶ καὶ ἐροῦσιν οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ παροξύνων τὴν γῆν σείων βασιλεῖς οἱ ἰδόντες σε θαυμάσονται ἐπὶ σοὶ καὶ ἐροῦσιν· οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ παροξύνων τὴν γῆν, ὁ σείων βασιλεῖς

Isaiah 14:16 (NETS)

Isaiah 14:16 (English Elpenor)
Those who see you will marvel at you and say: “Is this the man who troubles the earth, shaking kings?” They that see thee shall wonder at thee, and say, This is the man that troubled the earth, that made kings to shake;

Isaiah 14:17 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 14:17 (KJV)

Isaiah 14:17 (NET)
That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? Is this the one who made the world like a wilderness, who ruined its cities and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?’

Isaiah 14:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 14:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ θεὶς τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην ἔρημον καὶ τὰς πόλεις καθεῖλεν τοὺς ἐν ἐπαγωγῇ οὐκ ἔλυσεν ὁ θεὶς τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην ἔρημον καὶ τὰς πόλεις αὐτοῦ καθεῖλε, τοὺς ἐν ἐπαγωγῇ οὐκ ἔλυσε

Isaiah 14:17 (NETS)

Isaiah 14:17 (English Elpenor)
The one who made the whole world desolate and overthrew the cities has not released those who are in misery. that made the whole world desolate, and destroyed its cities; he loosed not those who were in captivity.

Daniel 11:36 (Tanakh)

Daniel 11:36 (KJV)

Daniel 11:36 (NET)
And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. “Then the king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every deity, and he will utter presumptuous things against the God of gods. He will succeed until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been decreed must occur.

Daniel 11:36 (Septuagint BLB)

Daniel 11:36 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ποιήσει κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑψωθήσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ μεγαλυνθήσεται ἐπὶ πάντα θεὸν καὶ λαλήσει ὑπέρογκα καὶ κατευθυνεῖ μέχρις οὗ συντελεσθῇ ἡ ὀργή εἰς γὰρ συντέλειαν γίνεται καὶ ποιήσει κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ὑψωθήσεται καὶ μεγαλυνθήσεται ἐπὶ πάντα θεὸν καὶ λαλήσει ὑπέρογκα καὶ κατευθυνεῖ, μέχρις οὗ συντελεσθῇ ἡ ὀργή, εἰς γὰρ συντέλειαν γίνεται

Daniel 11:36 (NETS)

Daniel 11:36 (English Elpenor)
the king will act according to his will. And he will be enraged and will be exalted over every god and will speak strange things against the God of gods. And he will succeed until the wrath is completed, for completion pertaining to him is coming. And he shall do according to his will, and the king shall exalt and magnify himself against every god, and shall speak great swelling words, and shall prosper until the indignation shall be accomplished: for it is coming to an end.

Daniel 11:45 (Tanakh)

Daniel 11:45 (KJV)

Daniel 11:45 (NET)
And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. He will pitch his royal tents between the seas toward the beautiful holy mountain. But he will come to his end, with no one to help him.

Daniel 11:45 (Septuagint BLB)

Daniel 11:45 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ πήξει τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ εφαδανω ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν θαλασσῶν εἰς ὄρος σαβι ἅγιον καὶ ἥξει ἕως μέρους αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ῥυόμενος αὐτόν καὶ πήξει τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ ἐφαδανῶ ἀναμέσον τῶν θαλασσῶν, εἰς ὄρος σαβεὶ ἅγιον· καὶ ἥξει ἕως μέρους αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ρυόμενος αὐτόν

Daniel 11:45 (NETS)

Daniel 11:45 (English Elpenor)
And he will set up his tent then between the seas and the mountain of the will of the holy one. And the hour of his consummation will come, and there will be no one who helps him. And he shall pitch the tabernacle of his palace between the seas in the holy mountain of beauty: [but] he shall come to his portion, and there is none to deliver him.

Ezekiel 28:1 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:1 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:1 (NET)
The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, The Lord’s message came to me:

Ezekiel 28:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρός με λέγων ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με λέγων·

Ezekiel 28:1 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:1 (English Elpenor)
And a word of the Lord came to me, saying: And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 28:2 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:2 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:2 (NET)
Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God: “Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “‘Your heart is proud and you said, “I am a god; I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas”—yet you are a man and not a god, though you think you are godlike.

Ezekiel 28:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ σύ υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου εἰπὸν τῷ ἄρχοντι Τύρου τάδε λέγει κύριος ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ὑψώθη σου ἡ καρδία καὶ εἶπας θεός εἰμι ἐγώ κατοικίαν θεοῦ κατῴκηκα ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης σὺ δὲ εἶ ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐ θεὸς καὶ ἔδωκας τὴν καρδίαν σου ὡς καρδίαν θεοῦ καὶ σὺ υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, εἰπὸν τῷ ἄρχοντι Τύρου· τάδε λέγει Κύριος· ἀνθ’ ὧν ὑψώθη σου ἡ καρδία, καὶ εἶπας· θεός εἰμι ἐγώ, κατοικίαν θεοῦ κατῴκησα ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης, σὺ δὲ εἶ ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐ Θεός, καὶ ἔδωκας τὴν καρδίαν σου ὡς καρδίαν Θεοῦ

Ezekiel 28:2 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:2 (English Elpenor)
And you, son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, This is what the Lord says: Because your heart was exalted and you said, “I am a god; I have inhabited a habitation of a god in the heart of the sea,” yet you are human and not a god, and you rendered your heart as a god’s heart. And thou, son of man, say to the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord; Because thine heart has been exalted, and thou hast said, I am God, I have inhabited the dwelling of God in the heart of the sea; yet thou art man and not God, though thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God:

Ezekiel 28:3 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:3 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:3 (NET)
Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee: Look, you are wiser than Daniel; no secret is hidden from you.

Ezekiel 28:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ σοφώτερος εἶ σὺ τοῦ Δανιηλ σοφοὶ οὐκ ἐπαίδευσάν σε τῇ ἐπιστήμῃ αὐτῶν μὴ σοφώτερος εἶ σὺ τοῦ Δανιήλ; ἢ σοφοὶ οὐκ ἐπαίδευσάν σε τῇ ἐπιστήμη αὐτῶν

Ezekiel 28:3 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:3 (English Elpenor)
Surely, you are not wiser than Daniel? Or did wise ones not discipline you with their knowledge? art thou wiser than Daniel? or have not the wise instructed thee with their knowledge?

Ezekiel 28:4 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:4 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:4 (NET)
With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures: By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself; you have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.

Ezekiel 28:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ ἐν τῇ ἐπιστήμῃ σου ἢ ἐν τῇ φρονήσει σου ἐποίησας σεαυτῷ δύναμιν καὶ χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον ἐν τοῖς θησαυροῖς σου μὴ ἐν τῇ ἐπιστήμῃ σου ἢ τῇ φρονήσει σου ἐποίησας σεαυτῷ δύναμιν καὶ χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον ἐν τοῖς θησαυροῖς σου

Ezekiel 28:4 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:4 (English Elpenor)
Surely, by your knowledge and by your prudence you did not make for yourself power, both gold and silver in your treasuries? Hast thou gained power for thyself by thine [own] knowledge or thine [own] prudence, and [gotten] gold and silver in thy treasures?

Ezekiel 28:5 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:5 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:5 (NET)
By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches: By your great skill in trade you have increased your wealth, and your heart is proud because of your wealth.

Ezekiel 28:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῇ πολλῇ ἐπιστήμῃ σου καὶ ἐμπορίᾳ σου ἐπλήθυνας δύναμίν σου ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία σου ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου ἐν τῇ πολλῇ ἐπιστήμῃ σου καὶ ἐμπορίᾳ σου ἐπλήθυνας δύναμίν σου, ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία σου ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου

Ezekiel 28:5 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:5 (English Elpenor)
Or by your great knowledge and commerce did you multiply your power? Was your heart exalted by your power? By thy abundant knowledge and thy traffic thou hast multiplied thy power; thy heart has been lifted up by thy power.

Ezekiel 28:6 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:6 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:6 (NET)
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you think you are godlike,

Ezekiel 28:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος ἐπειδὴ δέδωκας τὴν καρδίαν σου ὡς καρδίαν θεοῦ διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος· ἐπειδὴ δέδωκας τὴν καρδίαν σου ὡς καρδίαν Θεοῦ

Ezekiel 28:6 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:6 (English Elpenor)
Therefore this is what the Lord says: Since you have rendered your heart as a god’s heart, Therefore thus saith the Lord; Since thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God;

Ezekiel 28:7 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:7 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:7 (NET)
Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations: and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. I am about to bring foreigners against you, the most terrifying of nations. They will draw their swords against the grandeur made by your wisdom, and they will defile your splendor.

Ezekiel 28:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀντὶ τούτου ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ σὲ ἀλλοτρίους λοιμοὺς ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν καὶ ἐκκενώσουσιν τὰς μαχαίρας αὐτῶν ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ κάλλος τῆς ἐπιστήμης σου καὶ στρώσουσιν τὸ κάλλος σου εἰς ἀπώλειαν ἀντὶ τούτου ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ σὲ ἀλλοτρίους λοιμοὺς ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν, καὶ ἐκκενώσουσι τὰς μαχαίρας αὐτῶν ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ κάλλος τῆς ἐπιστήμης σου καὶ στρώσουσι τὸ κάλλος σου εἰς ἀπώλειαν

Ezekiel 28:7 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:7, 8a (English Elpenor)
therefore, behold, I am bringing against you foreign pests from the nations, and they shall unsheathe their daggers against you and against the beauty of your knowledge and wound your beauty unto destruction. because of this, behold, I [will] bring on thee strange plagues from the nations; and they shall draw their swords against thee, and against the beauty of thy knowledge, (8) and they shall bring down thy beauty to destruction.

Ezekiel 28:8 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:8 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:8 (NET)
They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. They will bring you down to the Pit, and you will die violently in the heart of the seas.

Ezekiel 28:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ καταβιβάσουσίν σε καὶ ἀποθανῇ θανάτῳ τραυματιῶν ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης καὶ καταβιβάσουσί σε, καὶ ἀποθανῇ θανάτῳ τραυματιῶν ἐν καρδίᾳ θαλάσσης

Ezekiel 28:8 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:8b (English Elpenor)
And they shall bring you down, and you shall die by the death of the wounded in the heart of the sea. And they shall bring thee down; and thou shalt die the death of the slain in the heart of the sea.

Ezekiel 28:9 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:9 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:9 (NET)
Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. Will you still say, “I am a god,” before the one who kills you—though you are a man and not a god—when you are in the power of those who wound you?

Ezekiel 28:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ λέγων ἐρεῖς θεός εἰμι ἐγώ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀναιρούντων σε σὺ δὲ εἶ ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐ θεός ἐν πλήθει [28:10a in the NETS and Elpenor] μὴ λέγων ἐρεῖς· Θεός εἰμι ἐγώ, ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀναιρούντων σε; σὺ δὲ εἶ ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐ Θεός

Ezekiel 28:9 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:9 (English Elpenor)
When you speak, will you actually say, “I am a god,” before those that are killing you? But you are a human and not a god. Wilt thou indeed say, I am God, before them that slay thee? whereas thou art man, and not God.

Ezekiel 28:10 (Tanakh)

Ezekiel 28:10 (KJV)

Ezekiel 28:10 (NET)
Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. You will die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners; for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Ezekiel 28:9b, 10 (Septuagint BLB)

Ezekiel 28:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
(9b) ἐν πλήθει (10) ἀπεριτμήτων ἀπολῇ ἐν χερσὶν ἀλλοτρίων ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐλάλησα λέγει κύριος ἐν πλήθει ἀπεριτμήτων ἀπολῇ ἐν χερσὶν ἀλλοτρίων, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐλάλησα, λέγει Κύριος

Ezekiel 28:10 (NETS)

Ezekiel 28:10 (English Elpenor)
By a multitude of the uncircumcised you shall perish, by the hands of foreigners, for I have spoken, says the Lord. Thou shalt perish by the hands of strangers among the multitude of the uncircumcised: for I have spoken it, saith he Lord.

Genesis 12:15 (Tanakh)

Genesis 12:15 (KJV)

Genesis 12:15 (NET)
And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife was taken into the household of Pharaoh,

Genesis 12:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 12:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδον αὐτὴν οἱ ἄρχοντες Φαραω καὶ ἐπῄνεσαν αὐτὴν πρὸς Φαραω καὶ εἰσήγαγον αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν οἶκον Φαραω καὶ εἶδον αὐτὴν οἱ ἄρχοντες Φαραὼ καὶ ἐπῄνεσαν αὐτὴν πρὸς Φαραὼ καὶ εἰσήγαγον αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν οἶκον Φαραώ·

Genesis 12:15 (NETS)

Genesis 12:15 (English Elpenor)
that then the rulers of Pharao saw her and praised her to Pharao and brought her into Pharao’s house. that the princes of Pharao saw her, and praised her to Pharao and brought her into the house of Pharao.

Job 11:17 (Tanakh)

Job 11:17 (KJV)

Job 11:17 (NET)
And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday: thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And life will be brighter than the noonday; though there be darkness, it will be like the morning.

Job 11:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 11:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἡ δὲ εὐχή σου ὥσπερ ἑωσφόρος ἐκ δὲ μεσημβρίας ἀνατελεῖ σοι ζωή ἡ δὲ εὐχή σου ὥσπερ ἑωσφόρος, ἐκ δὲ μεσημβρίας ἀνατελεῖ σοι ζωή·

Job 11:17 (NETS)

Job 11:17 (English Elpenor)
And your prayer will be as the morning star, and at midday life will dawn for you. And thy prayer [shall be] as the morning star, and life shall arise to thee [as] from the noonday.

Job 38:12 (Tanakh)

Job 38:12 (KJV)

Job 38:12 (NET)
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place; Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, or made the dawn know its place,

Job 38:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 38:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἦ ἐπὶ σοῦ συντέταχα φέγγος πρωινόν ἑωσφόρος δὲ εἶδεν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τάξιν ἦ ἐπὶ σοῦ συντέταχα φέγγος πρωϊνόν; ἑωσφόρος δὲ εἶδε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τάξιν

Job 38:12 (NETS)

Job 38:12 (English Elpenor)
“Was it in your time that I instructed the morning light and that the morning star saw its post, Or did I order the morning light in thy time; and [did] the morning star [then first] see his appointed place;

2 Thessalonians 2:4 (NET)

2 Thessalonians 2:4 (KJV)
He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 (NET Parallel Greek)

2 Thessalonians 2:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

2 Thessalonians 2:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ ἀντικείμενος καὶ ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα λεγόμενον θεὸν ἢ σέβασμα, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καθίσαι ἀποδεικνύντα ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἔστιν θεός ο αντικειμενος και υπεραιρομενος επι παντα λεγομενον θεον η σεβασμα ωστε αυτον εις τον ναον του θεου ως θεον καθισαι αποδεικνυντα εαυτον οτι εστιν θεος ο αντικειμενος και υπεραιρομενος επι παντα λεγομενον θεον η σεβασμα ωστε αυτον εις τον ναον του θεου ως θεον καθισαι αποδεικνυντα εαυτον οτι εστιν θεος

1 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NET)

2 Mark 8:16b (NET) Table

3 Mark 8:15b (NET)

4 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ως θεον (KJV: as God) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

5 Rachel Schmoyer provided some personal insight into the connection between the King of Tyre and Satan in her blog post, “Who is the King of Tyre? Ezekiel 28.”

Nothing True, Part 4

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Eliphaz continued his response to Job’s lament:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Job 4:6 (Tanakh/KJV)

Job 4:6 (NET)

Job 4:6 (NETS)

Job 4:6 (English Elpenor)
Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? Is not your piety your confidence, and your blameless ways your hope? Is your fear not based on a lack of sense, so too your hope and the innocence of your way? Is not thy fear [founded] in folly, thy hope also, and the mischief of thy way?

The first Hebrew word in this word string was הֲלֹ֣א (lō’). It was translated Is not in the Tanakh, KJV and NET. It was followed by יִ֖רְאָֽתְךָ (yir’â), which was translated thy fear in the Tanakh and KJV, and your piety in the NET. The translators of the Tanakh and KJV added this as well. The translators of the NET did not. The Septuagint corroborates the two words in the Masoretic text with many more: πότερον οὐχ ὁ φόβος σού ἐστιν; Is your fear not (NETS), Is not thy fear (English Elpenor).

A note (17) in the NET reads:

The word יִרְאָה (yirʾah, “fear”) in this passage refers to Job’s fear of the Lord, his reverential devotion to God. H. H. Rowley (Job [NCBC], 46) says that on the lips of Eliphaz the word almost means “your religion.” He refers to Moffatt’s translation, “Let your religion reassure you.”

The next Hebrew word in this word string was כִּסְלָתֶ֑ךָ (kislâ). It was translated thy confidence (Tanakh, KJV) and your confidence (NET). But the rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ; based on a lack of sense (NETS), [founded] in folly (English Elpenor). There is only one other occurrence of a form of כִּסְלָה (kislâ) in the Old Testament.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Psalm 85:8 (Tanakh/KJV)

Psalm 85:8 (NET)

Psalm 84:9 (NETS)

Psalm 84:9 (English Elpenor)
I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly (לְכִסְלָֽה). I will listen to what God the Lord says. For he will make peace with his people, his faithful followers. Yet they must not return to their foolish ways (kislâ, לכסלה). I will hear what the Lord God will speak with me, because he will speak peace to his people and to his devout and to those who turn to him their heart (πρὸς αὐτὸν καρδίαν). I will hear what the Lord God will say concerning me: for he shall speak peace to his people, and to his saints, and to those that turn their heart toward him (καρδίαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν).

Forms of כִּסְלָה (kislâ) can mean confidence, folly or stupidity. But here, too, the rabbis who translated the Septuagint diverged from the English translation of the Masoretic text. Was לְכִסְלָֽה (kislâ) the word they found in the Hebrew text they translated? Or perhaps more to the point, was the negative particle וְאַל (‘al), translated but let…not (Tanakh/KJV) or Yet…must not (NET), in the text they translated? Or was it added later? I won’t spend any more time on it here.

The note (18) on Job 4:6 in the NET reads:

The word כִּסְלָתֶךָ (kislatekha, “your confidence”) is rendered in the LXX by “founded in folly.” The word כֶּסֶל (kesel) is “confidence” (see 8:14) and elsewhere “folly.” Since it is parallel to “your hope” it must mean confidence here.

Both the word כִּסְלָה (kislâ) and the disparity in its translation between the Septuagint and the English translators of the Masoretic text remind me of the Lord’s word through Ezekiel.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Ezekiel 33:12-17 (Tanakh/KJV)

Ezekiel 33:12-17 (NET)

Ezekiel 33:12-17 (NETS)

Ezekiel 33:12-17 (English Elpenor)
Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth [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.’ Say to the sons of your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in whatever day he err, and the lawlessness of the impious shall not harm him on whatever day he turn back from his lawlessness, and the righteous shall not be able to be saved [Table]. Say to the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him, in the day wherein he errs: and the iniquity of the ungodly shall not harm him, in the day wherein he turns from his iniquity, but the righteous [erring] shall not be able to deliver himself.
When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust (בָטַ֥ח) 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 [Table]. Suppose I tell the righteous that he will certainly live, but he becomes confident (bāṭaḥ, בטח) in his righteousness and commits iniquity. None of his righteous deeds will be remembered; because of the iniquity he has committed he will die. When I say to the righteous, “He trusts (πέποιθεν) 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 [Table]. When I say to the righteous, [Thou shalt live; and] he trusts (πέποιθεν) 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.
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 [Table]; Suppose I say to the wicked, ‘You must certainly die,’ but he turns from his sin and does what is just and right. 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 [Table] And when I say to the ungodly, Thou shalt surely die; and he shall turn from his sin, and do judgment and justice,
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 [Table]. 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. 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 [Table]; 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.
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 [Table]. None of the sins he has committed will be counted against him. He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live. none of his sins that he has committed shall be recalled, for he has performed judgment and righteousness; in them he shall live [Table]. None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered: because he has wrought judgment and righteousness; by them shall he live.
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal [Table]. “Yet your people say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their behavior that is not right. And the sons of your people shall say, “The way of the Lord is not right,” and this way of theirs is not right [Table]. Yet the children of thy people will say, The way of the Lord is not straight: whereas this their way is not straight.

Though Eliphaz had probably never heard Ezekiel the rabbis who translated the Septuagint certainly had. I wonder if they didn’t hear Eliphaz’s reasoning as something like: Job is suffering, therefore Job sinned; apart from repentance Job’s fear of the Lord is folly because Job’s former righteousness will not save him from his present sinfulness.

The next word in the Hebrew word string of Job 4:6 in the Masoretic text was תִּ֜קְוָֽתְךָ֗ (tiqvâ). It was translated thy hope (Tanakh, KJV) and your hope (NET). It was rendered καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς σου in the Septuagint, so too your hope (NETS), thy hope also (English Elpenor).

This was followed by וְתֹ֣ם (tōm), which was translated and the uprightness (Tanakh/KJV) or and your blameless (NET). In the Septuagint it was καὶ ἡ ἀκακία (BLB), and the innocence (NETS), or καὶ ἡ κακία (Elpenor), and the mischief (English Elpenor). The occurrence of ἀκακία (NETS: innocence) in the BLB tends to corroborate וְתֹ֣ם (tōm) in the Masoretic text.

So what happened in the Elpenor version of the Septuagint? Was it a copyist error, dropping the initial ἀ, changing ἀκακία to κακία? It could be. I’m also beginning to wonder if the translators of the Elpenor version simply chose to expose Eliphaz’s sarcasm, to make his accusation more explicit for the Greek reader.

The final Hebrew word in the word string that is Job 4:6 in the Masoretic text was דְּרָכֶֽיךָ (dereḵ). It was translated of thy ways (Tanakh, KJV) and ways (NET). In the Septuagint it was τῆς ὁδοῦ σου, of your way (NETS) and of thy way (English Elpenor). Is not your fear of God your confidence, And the integrity of your ways your hope?1 is how I first read it. A note (19) in the NET reads:

Eliphaz is not being sarcastic to Job. He knows that Job is a God-fearing man who lives out his faith in life. But he also knows that Job should apply to himself the same things he tells others.

This is more or less how I heard Eliphaz when I read an English translation of the Masoretic text only. David conveyed a similar concept regarding וּכְתֻמִּ֣י (tōm).

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Psalm 7:8-10 (Tanakh/KJV)

Psalm 7:8-10 (NET)

Psalm 7:9-11 (NETS)

Psalm 7:9-11 (English Elpenor)
The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity (וּכְתֻמִּ֣י) that is in me. The Lord judges the nations. Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, because I am blameless (tōm, וכתמי), O Exalted One.2 The Lord will judge peoples; do me justice, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the innocence (ἀκακίαν) in me. The Lord shall judge the nations: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my innocence (ἀκακίαν) that is in me.
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. May the evil deeds of the wicked come to an end. But make the innocent secure, O righteous God, you who examine inner thoughts and motives. Do let evil of sinners be brought to an end, and you shall direct the righteous. God is one who tests hearts and kidneys. Oh let the wickedness of sinners come to an end; and [then] thou shalt direct the righteous, O God that searchest the hearts and reins.
My defence is of God, which saveth the upright (יִשְׁרֵי) in heart. The Exalted God is my shield, the one who delivers the morally upright (yāšār, ישרי). Righteous is my help from God, he who saves the upright (τοὺς εὐθεῖς) in heart. My help is righteous, [coming] from God who saves the upright (τοὺς εὐθεῖς) in heart.

I may understand this prayer somewhat differently from David, maybe not. But I’m not a king surrounded by hostile armies. The wickedness of the wicked which concerns me most of the time is that which yet resides in my flesh. Another prayer of David’s follows:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Psalm 26:9-11 (Tanakh/KJV)

Psalm 26:9-11 (NET)

Psalm 25:9-11 (NETS)

Psalm 25:9-11 (English Elpenor)
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: Do not sweep me away with sinners, or execute me along with violent people, Do not destroy my soul together with the impious and my life with men of blood, Destroy not my soul together with the ungodly, nor my life with bloody men:
In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes. who are always ready to do wrong or offer a bribe. in whose hands are acts of lawlessness; their right hand was filled with gifts. in whose hands [are] iniquities, [and] their right hand is filled with bribes.
But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity (בְּתֻמִּ֥י): redeem me, and be merciful unto me. But I have integrity (tōm, בתמי). Rescue me and have mercy on me! But as for me, I walked in my guilessness [sic] (ἐν ἀκακίᾳ μου); redeem me, and have mercy on me. But I have walked in my innocence (ἐν ἀκακίᾳ μου): redeem me, and have mercy upon me.

Despite his integrity, guilelessness or innocence, or perhaps because of it, David asked for redemption and mercy. I’ll consider one more example.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Psalm 41:12 (Tanakh/KJV)

Psalm 41:12 (NET)

Psalm 40:13 (NETS)

Psalm 40:13 (English Elpenor)
And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity (בְּ֖תֻמִּי), and settest me before thy face for ever. As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity (tōm, בתמי); you allow me permanent access to your presence. But me you supported on account of my innocence (διὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν) and secured me before you forever. But thou didst help me because of [mine] innocence (διὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν), and hast established me before thee for ever.

This comes closest to explaining how Job’s blameless ways might be his hope.3 Still, I can’t help wondering if modern translators haven’t reached too far to bolster Eliphaz’s integrity, guilelessness and innocence, especially if you have spoken nothing true in my presence4 is the more reliable understanding of the Lord’s critique of Eliphaz’s words. At any rate, if one thinks Eliphaz was sincere rather than sarcastic, one is more likely to hear what follows as a banal or ill-timed restatement of principle rather than a barely veiled accusation.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Job 4:7, 8 (Tanakh/KJV)

Job 4:7, 8 (NET)

Job 4:7, 8 (NETS)

Job 4:7, 8 (English Elpenor)
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent (נָקִ֣י)? or where were the righteous cut off? Call to mind now: Who, being innocent (nāqî, נקי), ever perished? And where were upright people ever destroyed? “Think now, who, being pure (καθαρὸς), perished, or when did the true perish root and all? Remember then who has perished, being pure (καθαρὸς)? or when were the true-hearted utterly destroyed?
Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same. For instance, I saw those who plow wrongs, and those who sow them reap torments for themselves. Accordingly as I have seen men ploughing barren places, and they that sow them will reap sorrows for themselves.

I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Job 4:6; Psalm 85:8; 7:8; 7:9; 7:10; 26:9; 26:10; 26:11; 41:12; Job 4:7 and 4:8 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Job 4:6; Psalm 85:8 (84:9); 7:8 (7:9); 7:9 (7:10); 7:10 (7:11); 26:9 (25:9); 26:10 (25:10); 26:11 (25:11); 41:12 (40:13); Job 4:7 and 4:8 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Job 4:6 (Tanakh)

Job 4:6 (KJV)

Job 4:6 (NET)
Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways? Is not your piety your confidence, and your blameless ways your hope?

Job 4:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 4:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πότερον οὐχ ὁ φόβος σού ἐστιν ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς σου καὶ ἡ ἀκακία τῆς ὁδοῦ σου πότερον οὐχ ὁ φόβος σού ἐστιν ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς σου καὶ ἡ κακία τῆς ὁδοῦ σου

Job 4:6 (NETS)

Job 4:6 (English Elpenor)
Is your fear not based on a lack of sense, so too your hope and the innocence of your way? Is not thy fear [founded] in folly, thy hope also, and the mischief of thy way?

Psalm 85:8 (Tanakh)

Psalm 85:8 (KJV)

Psalm 85:8 (NET)
I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. I will listen to what God the Lord says. For he will make peace with his people, his faithful followers. Yet they must not return to their foolish ways.

Psalm 85:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 84:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀκούσομαι τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ κύριος ὁ θεός ὅτι λαλήσει εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας πρὸς αὐτὸν καρδίαν ἀκούσομαι τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεός, ὅτι λαλήσει εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας καρδίαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν

Psalm 84:9 (NETS)

Psalm 84:9 (English Elpenor)
I will hear what the Lord God will speak with me, because he will speak peace to his people and to his devout and to those who turn to him their heart. I will hear what the Lord God will say concerning me: for he shall speak peace to his people, and to his saints, and to those that turn their heart toward him.

Psalm 7:8 (Tanakh)

Psalm 7:8 (KJV)

Psalm 7:8 (NET)
The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. The Lord judges the nations. Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, because I am blameless, O Exalted One.

Psalm 7:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 7:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κύριος κρινεῖ λαούς κρῖνόν με κύριε κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν μου ἐπ᾽ ἐμοί Κύριος κρινεῖ λαούς. κρῖνόν με, Κύριε, κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν μου ἐπ᾿ ἐμοί

Psalm 7:9 (NETS)

Psalm 7:9 (English Elpenor)
The Lord will judge peoples; do me justice, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the innocence in me. The Lord shall judge the nations: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my innocence that is in me.

Psalm 7:9 (Tanakh)

Psalm 7:9 (KJV)

Psalm 7:9 (NET)
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins. May the evil deeds of the wicked come to an end. But make the innocent secure, O righteous God, you who examine inner thoughts and motives.

Psalm 7:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 7:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
συντελεσθήτω δὴ πονηρία ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ κατευθυνεῖς δίκαιον ἐτάζων καρδίας καὶ νεφροὺς ὁ θεός συντελεσθήτω δὴ πονηρία ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ κατευθυνεῖς δίκαιον, ἐτάζων καρδίας καὶ νεφροὺς ὁ Θεός

Psalm 7:10 (NETS)

Psalm 7:10 (English Elpenor)
Do let evil of sinners be brought to an end, and you shall direct the righteous. God is one who tests hearts and kidneys. Oh let the wickedness of sinners come to an end; and [then] thou shalt direct the righteous, O God that searchest the hearts and reins.

Psalm 7:10 (Tanakh)

Psalm 7:10 (KJV)

Psalm 7:10 (NET)
My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. The Exalted God is my shield, the one who delivers the morally upright.

Psalm 7:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 7:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
δικαία ἡ βοήθειά μου παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ σῴζοντος τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ δικαία ἡ βοήθειά μου παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ σῴζοντος τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ

Psalm 7:11 (NETS)

Psalm 7:11 (English Elpenor)
Righteous is my help from God, he who saves the upright in heart. My help is righteous, [coming] from God who saves the upright in heart.

Psalm 26:9 (Tanakh)

Psalm 26:9 (KJV)

Psalm 26:9 (NET)
Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: Do not sweep me away with sinners, or execute me along with violent people,

Psalm 26:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 25:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ συναπολέσῃς μετὰ ἀσεβῶν τὴν ψυχήν μου καὶ μετὰ ἀνδρῶν αἱμάτων τὴν ζωήν μου μὴ συναπολέσῃς μετὰ ἀσεβῶν τὴν ψυχήν μου καὶ μετὰ ἀνδρῶν αἱμάτων τὴν ζωήν μου

Psalm 25:9 (NETS)

Psalm 25:9 (English Elpenor)
Do not destroy my soul together with the impious and my life with men of blood, Destroy not my soul together with the ungodly, nor my life with bloody men:

Psalm 26:10 (Tanakh)

Psalm 26:10 (KJV)

Psalm 26:10 (NET)
In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes. In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes. who are always ready to do wrong or offer a bribe.

Psalm 26:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 25:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὧν ἐν χερσὶν ἀνομίαι ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτῶν ἐπλήσθη δώρων ὧν ἐν χερσὶν ἀνομίαι, ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτῶν ἐπλήσθη δώρων

Psalm 25:10 (NETS)

Psalm 25:10 (English Elpenor)
in whose hands are acts of lawlessness; their right hand was filled with gifts. in whose hands [are] iniquities, [and] their right hand is filled with bribes.

Psalm 26:11 (Tanakh)

Psalm 26:11 (KJV)

Psalm 26:11 (NET)
But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. But I have integrity. Rescue me and have mercy on me!

Psalm 26:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 25:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν ἀκακίᾳ μου ἐπορεύθην λύτρωσαί με καὶ ἐλέησόν με ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν ἀκακίᾳ μου ἐπορεύθην· λύτρωσαί με καὶ ἐλέησόν με

Psalm 25:11 (NETS)

Psalm 25:11 (English Elpenor)
But as for me, I walked in my guilessness; redeem me, and have mercy on me. But I have walked in my innocence: redeem me, and have mercy upon me.

Psalm 41:12 (Tanakh)

Psalm 41:12 (KJV)

Psalm 41:12 (NET)
And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity; you allow me permanent access to your presence.

Psalm 41:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 40:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐμοῦ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν ἀντελάβου καὶ ἐβεβαίωσάς με ἐνώπιόν σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐμοῦ δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν ἀντελάβου, καὶ ἐβεβαίωσάς με ἐνώπιόν σου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

Psalm 40:13 (NETS)

Psalm 40:13 (English Elpenor)
But me you supported on account of my innocence and secured me before you forever. But thou didst help me because of [mine] innocence, and hast established me before thee for ever.

Job 4:7 (Tanakh)

Job 4:7 (KJV)

Job 4:7 (NET)
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Call to mind now: Who, being innocent, ever perished? And where were upright people ever destroyed?

Job 4:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 4:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μνήσθητι οὖν τίς καθαρὸς ὢν ἀπώλετο ἢ πότε ἀληθινοὶ ὁλόρριζοι ἀπώλοντο μνήσθητι οὖν, τίς καθαρὸς ὢν ἀπώλετο ἢ πότε ἀληθινοὶ ὁλόρριζοι ἀπώλοντο

Job 4:7 (NETS)

Job 4:7 (English Elpenor)
“Think now, who, being pure, perished, or when did the true perish root and all? Remember then who has perished, being pure? or when were the true-hearted utterly destroyed?

Job 4:8 (Tanakh)

Job 4:8 (KJV)

Job 4:8 (NET)
Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. Even as I have seen, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble reap the same.

Job 4:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 4:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καθ᾽ ὃν τρόπον εἶδον τοὺς ἀροτριῶντας τὰ ἄτοπα οἱ δὲ σπείροντες αὐτὰ ὀδύνας θεριοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς καθ᾿ ὃν τρόπον εἶδον τοὺς ἀροτριῶντας τὰ ἄτοπα, οἱ δὲ σπείροντες αὐτὰ ὀδύνας θεριοῦσιν ἑαυτοῖς

Job 4:8 (NETS)

Job 4:8 (English Elpenor)
For instance, I saw those who plow wrongs, and those who sow them reap torments for themselves. Accordingly as I have seen men ploughing barren places, and they that sow them will reap sorrows for themselves.

1 Job 4:6 (NASB)

2 NET note 26: The Hebrew form עָלָי (ʿalay) has been traditionally understood as the preposition עַל (ʿal, “over”) with a first person suffix. But this is syntactically awkward and meaningless. The form is probably a divine title derived from the verbal root עָלָה (ʿalah, “ascend”). This relatively rare title appears elsewhere in the OT (see HALOT 824-25 s.v. I עַל, though this text is not listed) and in Ugaritic as an epithet for Baal (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 98). See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:44-45, and P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 98.

3 Job 4:6b (NET)

4 Job 42:7b (NETS) Table

Who Am I? Part 14

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I came across a YouTube video recently: “5 Bible Passages That Caused Me to Lose My Faith” by Kristi Burke. It was short and to the point. Ms. Burke looked to be about my daughter’s age. My daughter won’t articulate her own deconstruction experience around me. She will only state her preference for the witchcraft/neopagan beliefs and community she espouses now. So, I clicked on the link.

It seems only fair to let Ms. Burke state her own purpose:

Hi, guys, welcome back to my channel, where we deconstruct all of the things we were taught not to question growing up in evangelical, fundamentalist, conservative christian churches.

We have similar backgrounds. But I can’t honestly say that I was “taught not to question.” Why didn’t I talk to anyone about what I was going through at the time?1 I thought I already knew what they would say. Might I have been pleasantly surprised? I don’t know. I didn’t talk to anyone. But nothing is ever quite as simple as what I was taught “growing up in evangelical, fundamentalist, conservative christian churches.”

I had a home with parents and a brother and a sister. I went to school. I had friends (and enemies) at home, at school and at church. I played sports and had friends (and enemies) on various teams. And I knew more or less how to fit in in all of these different environments. The rub came sometime in what is now called my tween years, when I began to recognize that God didn’t create me to be a social chameleon, but one person made in his image in all of these different social environments.

I had a few years of experience by then (which felt like a lifetime at the time) of how adult advice didn’t often pan out when navigating all the different social environments they had placed me in. I “knew” I had to figure it out pretty much on my own. And about that time I also became more self-conscious of my own free will: “I want” (θέλω). What did I want in all of it?

Ms. Burke described her faith prior to encountering the “5 Bible Passages”:

I believed in a god who created all people, gave them free will and that he wanted all people to be saved but he couldn’t violate their free will to save them. And that it was the most loving thing he could do to give people freedom. And within that freedom they could either choose him and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell. And that would be entirely their choice.

This was essentially my belief except that Ms. Burke made no mention of Jesus or sin: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,2 Paul wrote Timothy. I have not come to call the righteous, Jesus said, but sinners to repentance.3 Granted, Ms. Burke’s purpose was not to present a true or even a credible gospel but to “deconstruct all of the things we were taught not to question growing up in evangelical, fundamentalist, conservative christian churches.”

I’m coming fresh from reviewing the story of Eve and the serpent. Her free will led to an attempt to be like God by following the serpent’s advice. Could her free will have led her to reject the serpent’s advice once she saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasing for the eyes to look at and it was beautiful to contemplate?4 I don’t think so. All of that desire seems to have determined what she wanted and therefore shaped her free will.

What did Jesus say about his own free will?

Matthew 26:39 (NET) Table

John 10:17, 18 (NET)
Going a little farther, [Jesus] threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will (θέλω), but what you will.” This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will (ἐμαυτοῦ). I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father.”

While I have no particular quarrel with translating ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ of my own free will, I appreciate the precision of Scripture in Greek. Jesus did not use the verb θέλω here. His own will, what He wanted, was not to die a torturous death. And his ἐμαυτοῦ (NET: my own free will) was an authority (ἐξουσίαν, a form of ἐξουσία) received (ἔλαβον, a form of λαμβάνω) by commandment (ἐντολὴν, a form of ἐντολή) from God his Father.

The writer of Hebrews described Jesus’ purpose in the world (Hebrews 10:4-7 NET):

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. So when [Christ] came into the world, he said,

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.

Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in.

Then I said, ‘Here I am: I have come—it is written of me in the scroll of the book—to do your will (θέλημα), O God.’”

The Greek word θέλημα is the noun form of the verb θέλω. Those who believe that salvation is a choice made by a sinner’s free will tend to make the Gospel something that they think might appeal to a sinner’s free will: going to heaven rather than to hell, heaven being a euphemism here for not-hell. The pitch relies on the implication that heaven is where one gets what one wants (i.e., one’s own free will).

Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 5:10 NET):

…may your kingdom come, may your will (θέλημα σου) be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The implication here is that God’s will is done in heaven. How much would a sinner striving faithfully to pursue a sinner’s free will care for Jesus’ heaven? Jesus said to Nicodemus (John 3:3 NET):

I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God [Table].

The Greek word translated see was ἰδεῖν (a form of εἴδω). It was the same root word Nicodemus used when he said (John 3:2 NET):

Rabbi, we know (οἴδαμεν, another form of εἴδω) that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him [Table].

In other words, Jesus didn’t threaten Nicodemus with eternal damnation, but commended his partial insight. It helps one to understand why He was so surprised that Nicodemus didn’t actually understand one of these earthly things (John 3:6, 7 NET).

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.’

Not all free will (θέλω) is born of the flesh. Jesus said (John 15:7 NET):

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want (θέλητε, another form of θέλω), and it will be done for you [Table].

Here, I would assume that as you remain in Jesus and his words remain in you, whatever you want is born of the Spirit. The Greek words translated whatever were ὃ ἐὰν. So how did Jesus’ Gospel presentation differ (Matthew 11:28-30 NET)?

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls [Table]. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.

It doesn’t really matter if people are weary (κοπιῶντες, a form of κοπιάω) and burdened (πεφορτισμένοι, a form of φορτίζω) by their lives lived in sin—foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending [their] lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another5—or from their attempts to make themselves righteous by obeying rules. While the invitation is sincere, Jesus also said (John 6:44, 45 NET):

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day [Table]. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me [Table].

These are not as contradictory as they seem in English. The Greek word translated come in the phrase come to me was the adverb δεῦτε, and in the phrase no one can come to me it was the verb ἐλθεῖν (a form of ἔρχομαι). Anyone who believes that salvation is the result of a sinner’s free will is unlikely to believe that they will all be taught by God effectually, but Jesus also said (John 12:31, 32 NET):

Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Disbelieving Him adversely impacts one’s knowledge of God, but doesn’t change his mind, no matter how many people refuse to take Him at his word: Let God be proven true, and every human being shown up as a liar,6 Paul wrote in response to his own rhetorical question: If some were unfaithful, their unfaithfulness will not nullify God’s faithfulness, will it?7

With that as background I’ll turn to Ms. Burke’s first Bible passage: “Romans 9, which was the starting point of my deconstruction journey,”8 she said. Though she began in verse 16, I’ll start at the beginning of the chapter to gain some context (Romans 9:1-6a NET):

I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed—cut off from Christ—for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen [Table], who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.

It is not as though the word of God had failed.

Here was the perfect opportunity for Paul to explain how God “gave them free will and that he wanted all people to be saved but he couldn’t violate their free will to save them. And that it was the most loving thing he could do to give people freedom. And within that freedom they could either choose him and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell. And that would be entirely their choice.”9

Instead, Paul wrote (Romans 9:6b, 7 NET):

For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather “through Isaac will your descendants be counted” [See Greek Table Comparison].

What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit, Jesus said. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’10 And Paul began here to explain the implications of that difference, contrasting the children of the flesh to the children of God or the children of promise (Romans 9:8-13 NET).

This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants. For this is what the promise declared: “About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son.” Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac—even before they were born or had done anything good or bad11 (so that God’s purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling)—it was said12 to her, “The older will serve the younger,” just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Those who believe salvation is a choice of a sinner’s free will would be content it seems to let those for whom Paul had great sorrow and unceasing anguish in [his] heart13 hear Jesus say: Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!14 It was, after all, their choice, wasn’t it?

There is no commandment of God granting any authority to sinners to come to Jesus of their own free will, according to Jesus: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.15 The “most loving thing he could do” is not “to give people freedom”16 to destroy themselves forever. For who are the children of promise that God’s purpose in election would stand, according to Jesus? And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.17

According to a note (5) in the NET Hebrews 10:5b-7 was a quotation from Psalm 40:6-8. A table follows comparing the Greek of Hebrews 10:5b-7 to that of the Septuagint.

Hebrews 10:5b, 6 (NET Parallel Greek)

Psalm 40:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ εὐδόκησας θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας ὠτία δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ᾔτησας θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι· ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ἐζήτησας

Hebrews 10:5b, 6 (NET)

Psalm 39:7 (NETS)

Psalm 39:7 (English Elpenor)
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me. Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in. Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but ears you fashioned for me. Whole burnt offering and one for sin you did not request. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; but a body hast thou prepared me: whole-burnt-offering and [sacrifice] for sin thou didst not require.

Hebrews 10:7 (NET Parallel Greek)

Psalm 40:7, 8a (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:8, 9a (Septuagint Elpenor)
τότε εἶπον· ἰδοὺ ἥκω, ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι ὁ θεὸς τὸ θέλημα σου τότε εἶπον ἰδοὺ ἥκω ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου ὁ θεός μου ἐβουλήθην τότε εἶπον· ἰδοὺ ἥκω, ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, ὁ Θεός μου, ἐβουλήθην

Hebrews 10:7 (NET)

Psalm 39:8, 9a (NETS)

Psalm 39:8, 9a (English Elpenor)
Then I said, ‘Here I am: I have come—it is written of me in the scroll of the book—to do your will, O God.’” Then I said, “Look, I have come; in a scroll of a book it is written of me. To do your will, O my God, I desired — Then I said, Behold, I come: in the volume of the book it is written concerning me, I desired to do thy will, O my God,

I’m becoming more convinced that the Holy Spirit corrected the false pen of the scribes through the writer of Hebrews.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Jeremiah 8:8 (Tanakh/KJV)

Jeremiah 8:8 (NET)

Jeremiah 8:8 (NETS)

Jeremiah 8:8 (English Elpenor)
How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen (עֵ֖ט) of the scribes is in vain (שֶׁ֥קֶר). How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, those who teach it have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean [Note 24: The lying (šeqer, שקר) pen (ʿēṭ, עט) of the scribes has made (it) into a lie]. How will you say, “We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us?” A false pen (σχοῖνος ψευδὴς) has become of no use to scribes. How will ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? In vain have the scribes used a false pen (σχοῖνος ψευδὴς).

According to a note (21) in the NET Romans 9:9b was a quotation from Genesis 18:10 and 14. Two tables follow comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

Romans 9:9b (NET Parallel Greek)

Genesis 18:10b (Septuagint BLB) Table

Genesis 18:10b (Septuagint Elpenor)
κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐλεύσομαι καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάρρᾳ υἱός κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον εἰς ὥρας καὶ ἕξει υἱὸν Σαρρα ἡ γυνή σου κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον εἰς ὥρας, καὶ ἕξει υἱὸν Σάρρα ἡ γυνή σου

Romans 9:9b (NET)

Genesis 18:10b (NETS)

Genesis 18:10b (English Elpenor)
About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son. I will come to you, when I return, during this season next year, and Sarra your wife shall have a son. I will return and come to thee according to this period seasonably, and Sarrha thy wife shall have a son

Romans 9:9b (NET Parallel Greek)

Genesis 18:14b (Septuagint BLB) Table

Genesis 18:14b (Septuagint Elpenor)
κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐλεύσομαι καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάρρᾳ υἱός εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἀναστρέψω πρὸς σὲ εἰς ὥρας καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σαρρα υἱός εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἀναστρέψω πρὸς σὲ εἰς ὥρας· καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάρρᾳ υἱός

Romans 9:9b (NET)

Genesis 18:14b (NETS)

Genesis 18:14b (English Elpenor)
About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son. In this season I will come back to you next year, and Sarra shall have a son. I will return and come to thee according to this period seasonably, and Sarrha thy wife shall have a son

According to a note (27) in the NET Romans 9:12b was a quotation from Genesis 25:23. A table follows comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

Romans 9:12b (NET Parallel Greek)

Genesis 25:23b (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 25:23b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι

Romans 9:12b (NET)

Genesis 25:23b (NETS)

Genesis 25:23b (English Elpenor)
The older will serve the younger the greater shall be subject to the lesser. the elder shall serve the younger.

According to a note (28) in the NET Romans 9:13b was a quotation from Malachi 1:2, 3. A table follows comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

Romans 9:13b (NET Parallel Greek)

Malachi 1:2b, 3a (Septuagint BLB)

Malachi 1:2b, 3a (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἠγάπησα, τὸν δὲ Ἠσαῦ ἐμίσησα ἠγάπησα τὸν Ιακωβ τὸν δὲ Ησαυ ἐμίσησα ἠγάπησα τόν ᾿Ιακώβ, τὸν δὲ ῾Ησαῦ ἐμίσησα

Romans 9:13b (NET)

Malachi 1:2b, 3a (NETS)

Malachi 1:2b, 3a (English Elpenor)
Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. I loved Iakob, but I hated Esau I loved Jacob, and hated Esau

Tables comparing Psalm 40:6; 40:7; 40:8; Jeremiah 8:8; Genesis 25:23; Malachi 1:2 and 1:3 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET; and tables comparing Psalm 40:6 (39:7); 40:7 (39:8); 40:8 (39:9); Jeremiah 8:8; Genesis 25:23; Malachi 1:2 and 1:3 in the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint with the English translations from Hebrew and Greek, and a table comparing the Greek of Romans 9:11, 12 the NET and KJV follow.

Psalm 40:6 (Tanakh)

Psalm 40:6 (KJV)

Psalm 40:6 (NET)
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. You make that quite clear to me. You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.

Psalm 40:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας ὠτία δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ᾔτησας θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι· ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ἐζήτησας

Psalm 39:7 (NETS)

Psalm 39:7 (English Elpenor)
Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but ears you fashioned for me. Whole burnt offering and one for sin you did not request. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; but a body hast thou prepared me: whole-burnt-offering and [sacrifice] for sin thou didst not require.

Psalm 40:7 (Tanakh)

Psalm 40:7 (KJV)

Psalm 40:7 (NET)
Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, Then I say, “Look, I come! What is written in the scroll pertains to me.

Psalm 40:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τότε εἶπον ἰδοὺ ἥκω ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ τότε εἶπον· ἰδοὺ ἥκω, ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ

Psalm 39:8 (NETS)

Psalm 39:8 (English Elpenor)
Then I said, “Look, I have come; in a scroll of a book it is written of me. Then I said, Behold, I come: in the volume of the book it is written concerning me,

Psalm 40:8 (Tanakh)

Psalm 40:8 (KJV)

Psalm 40:8 (NET)
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I want to do what pleases you, my God. Your law dominates my thoughts.”

Psalm 40:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου ὁ θεός μου ἐβουλήθην καὶ τὸν νόμον σου ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, ὁ Θεός μου, ἐβουλήθην καὶ τὸν νόμον σου ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου

Psalm 39:9 (NETS)

Psalm 39:9 (English Elpenor)
To do your will, O my God, I desired—and your law, within my belly.” I desired to do thy will, O my God, and thy law in the midst of mine heart.

Jeremiah 8:8 (Tanakh)

Jeremiah 8:8 (KJV)

Jeremiah 8:8 (NET)
How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, those who teach it have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean.

Jeremiah 8:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Jeremiah 8:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πῶς ἐρεῖτε ὅτι σοφοί ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς καὶ νόμος κυρίου ἐστὶν μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν εἰς μάτην ἐγενήθη σχοῖνος ψευδὴς γραμματεῦσιν πῶς ἐρεῖτε· ὅτι σοφοί ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς, καὶ νόμος Κυρίου μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἐστιν; εἰς μάτην ἐγενήθη σχοῖνος ψευδὴς γραμματεῦσιν

Jeremiah 8:8 (NETS)

Jeremiah 8:8 (English Elpenor)
How will you say, “We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us?” A false pen has become of no use to scribes. How will ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? In vain have the scribes used a false pen.

Genesis 25:23 (Tanakh)

Genesis 25:23 (KJV)

Genesis 25:23 (NET)
And HaShem said unto her: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. and the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from within you. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

Genesis 25:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 25:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος αὐτῇ δύο ἔθνη ἐν τῇ γαστρί σού εἰσιν καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σου διασταλήσονται καὶ λαὸς λαοῦ ὑπερέξει καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι καὶ εἶπε Κύριος αὐτῇ· δύο ἔθνη ἐν γαστρί σου εἰσί, καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σου διασταλήσονται· καὶ λαὸς λαοῦ ὑπερέξει, καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι

Genesis 25:23 (NETS)

Genesis 25:23 (English Elpenor)
and the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your uterus shall be divided, and a people shall excel over a people, and the greater shall be subject to the lesser.” And the Lord said to her, There are two nations in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy belly, and one people shall excel the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.

Malachi 1:2 (Tanakh)

Malachi 1:2 (KJV)

Malachi 1:2 (NET)
I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, “I have shown love to you,” says the Lord, but you say, “How have you shown love to us?”

“Esau was Jacob’s brother,” the Lord explains, “yet I chose Jacob

Malachi 1:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Malachi 1:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς λέγει κύριος καὶ εἴπατε ἐν τίνι ἠγάπησας ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἀδελφὸς ἦν Ησαυ τοῦ Ιακωβ λέγει κύριος καὶ ἠγάπησα τὸν Ιακωβ ᾿Ηγάπησα ὑμᾶς, λέγει Κύριος. καὶ εἴπατε· ἐν τίνι ἠγάπησας ἡμᾶς; οὐκ ἀδελφὸς ἦν ῾Ησαῦ τοῦ ᾿Ιακώβ; λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἠγάπησα τόν ᾿Ιακώβ

Malachi 1:2 (NETS)

Malachi 1:2 (English Elpenor)
I loved you, says the Lord. And you said, “How did you love us?” Was not Esau Iakob’s brother? says the Lord. And I loved Iakob, I have loved you, saith the Lord. And ye said, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob,

Malachi 1:3 (Tanakh)

Malachi 1:3 (KJV)

Malachi 1:3 (NET)
And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. and rejected Esau. I turned Esau’s mountains into a deserted wasteland and gave his territory to the wild jackals.”

Malachi 1:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Malachi 1:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὸν δὲ Ησαυ ἐμίσησα καὶ ἔταξα τὰ ὅρια αὐτοῦ εἰς ἀφανισμὸν καὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ εἰς δόματα ἐρήμου τὸν δὲ ῾Ησαῦ ἐμίσησα καὶ ἔταξα τὰ ὅρια αὐτοῦ εἰς ἀφανισμὸν καὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ εἰς δώματα ἐρήμου

Malachi 1:3 (NETS)

Malachi 1:3 (English Elpenor)
but I hated Esau, and I made his mountains an annihilation and his heritage gifts of the wilderness. and hated Esau and laid waste his borders, and made his heritage as dwellings of the wilderness?

Romans 9:11, 12 (NET)

Romans 9:11, 12 (KJV)
even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling)— (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

Romans 9:11, 12a (NET Parallel Greek)

Romans 9:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Romans 9:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)
μήπω γὰρ γεννηθέντων μηδὲ πραξάντων τι ἀγαθὸν ἢ φαῦλον (ἵνα ἡ κατ᾿ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις τοῦ θεοῦ μένῃ (12a) οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος) μηπω γαρ γεννηθεντων μηδε πραξαντων τι αγαθον η κακον ινα η κατ εκλογην του θεου προθεσις μενη ουκ εξ εργων αλλ εκ του καλουντος μηπω γαρ γεννηθεντων μηδε πραξαντων τι αγαθον η κακον ινα η κατ εκλογην προθεσις του θεου μενη ουκ εξ εργων αλλ εκ του καλουντος
it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,” It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

Romans 9:12b (NET Parallel Greek)

Romans 9:12 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Romans 9:12 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐρρέθη αὐτῇ ὅτι ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι ερρηθη αυτη οτι ο μειζων δουλευσει τω ελασσονι ερρηθη αυτη οτι ο μειζων δουλευσει τω ελασσονι

2 1 Timothy 1:15b (NET)

3 Luke 5:32 (NET)

5 Titus 3:3 (NET)

6 Romans 3:4b (NET) Table

7 Romans 3:3 (NET)

9 Ibid.

10 John 3:6, 7 (NET)

13 Romans 9:2 (NET)

14 Matthew 25:41b (NET)

15 John 6:44a (NET) Table

17 John 12:32 (NET)