Category Archives: Section Two

Fear – Exodus, Part 8

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Yahweh told Moses (Exodus 34:10 NET):

See, I am going to make a covenant before all your people.  I will do wonders such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation.  All the people among whom you live will see the work of the Lord, for it is a fearful (yârêʼ)[1] thing that I am doing with you.

The Rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose θαυμαστά here.  In John’s vision on Patmos[2] [those who had conquered the beast and his image and the number of his name[3]] sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and astounding (θαυμαστά, a form of θαυμαστός)[4] are your deeds, Lord God, the All-Powerful!  Just and true are your ways, King over the nations!”[5] It is not that θαυμαστά is all positive spin, any more than φοβέω is all negative.  John also used θαυμαστόν (another form of θαυμαστός) to describe the seven angels who have seven final plagues as a great and astounding (θαυμαστόν) sign in heaven.[6]  But I think I can feel why the Rabbis chose θαυμαστά for the revised covenant over a form φοβέω.[7]

How tragic that the once-faithful city has become a prostitute (Septuagint, πόρνη),[8] reads part of the message about Judah and Jerusalem that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah reigned over Judah.[9]  She was once a center of justice, fairness resided in her, but now only murderers.[10]  Your officials are rebels, they associate with thieves.  All of them love bribery, and look for payoffs.  They do not take up the cause of the orphan, or defend the rights of the widow.[11]

The sovereign Lord who commands armies, the powerful ruler of Israel, had a plan to rectify this situation.  But it was not a plan to redeem Israel’s officials and fill them by his Spirit with the love that is the fulfillment of the law[12]—not yet anyway.  It was a plan to remove them by death or exile in a foreign land.  “Ah, I will seek vengeance against my adversaries, He said, “I will take revenge against my enemies.  I will attack you; I will purify your metal with flux.  I will remove all your slag.  I will reestablish honest judges as in former times, wise advisers as in earlier days.  Then you will be called, ‘The Just City, Faithful Town.’”[13]

All the people among whom you live will see the work of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am doing with you,[14] He had said to Moses.

Most prophets were sent with dire warnings of impending doom in the hope that the people to whom they were sent would hear, believe and repent.  Not so with Isaiah.  His was truly a ministry that produced condemnation and death.[15]  “Go and tell these people,” Isaiah heard the sovereign master say,[16] “‘Listen continually, but don’t understand!  Look continually, but don’t perceive!’  Make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind!  Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.”[17]

“How long, sovereign master?”[18] Isaiah replied.

“Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated, and houses are uninhabited, and the land is ruined and devastated, and the Lord has sent the people off to a distant place, and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned.  Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed, like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down.”[19]  This devastation happened as it was written.

But Isaiah also prophesied about another time: “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.  “Speak kindly to Jerusalem, and tell her that her time of warfare is over, that her punishment is completed.  For the Lord has made her pay double for all her sins.”[20]  And Jeremiah had prophesied, The Lord God of Israel who rules over all says, “I will restore the people of Judah to their land and to their towns.  When I do, they will again say of Jerusalem, ‘May the Lord bless you, you holy mountain, the place where righteousness dwells.’”[21] 

“Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.  It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt.  For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,” says the Lord.  “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord.  “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds.  I will be their God and they will be my people.

“People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me.  For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord.  “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”[22]

The quotation of this passage in the letter to the Hebrews reads, “And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know (γνῶθι, a form of γινώσκω)[23] the Lord,’ since they will all know (εἰδήσουσιν, a form of εἴδω)[24] me, from the least to the greatest.  For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.”[25]

To Know the Lord is how Jesus defined eternal life: Now this is eternal life – that they know (γινώσκωσιν, another form of γινώσκω) you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.[26]  When Jesus asked Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen (ἑώρακας, a form of ὁράω)[27] me?” He pronounced a blessing on those who believed without seeing: “Blessed are the people who have not seen (ἰδόντες, another form of εἴδω) and yet have believed.”[28]  But He did not indicate that Thomas or anyone who knew Him by seeing, knew Him any the less for seeing Him: they will all know (εἰδήσουσιν, a form of εἴδω)[29] me, from the least to the greatest.

The prophet Daniel had received and recorded this message from Gabriel: Seventy weeks have been determined concerning your people and your holy city to put an end to rebellion, to bring sin to completion, to atone for iniquity, to bring in perpetual righteousness, to seal up the prophetic vision, and to anoint a most holy place.  So know and understand: From the issuing of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until an anointed one, a prince arrives, there will be a period of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks.[30]

If Daniel’s seventy weeks meant literal weeks then that time had long passed with no apparent fulfillment.  But if it meant seventy times seven years, that hope was still future to the rabbis who translated the Septuagint.  They lived in interesting times, after the people of Judah had been restored to their land and to their towns as The Lord God of Israel had promised.  It would be natural for them to assume, that [Jerusalem’s] time of warfare is over, that her punishment is completed, and that they looked forward to a new covenant and the coming of an anointed one.  It is not too difficult to see why the Rabbis saw that fearful thing the Lord was doing as θαυμαστά rather than φοβηθεῖσα or some other form of φοβέω.

But when the Anointed One appeared, speaking in parables, continuing Isaiah’s ministry of condemnation and death even as He inaugurated the New Covenant by his own death and resurrection, most in Israel did not pivot quickly in faith.  They didn’t recognize that their time of punishment was not yet complete, or that Jerusalem was about to be destroyed again, to pay double for all her sins.  And I don’t write this to blame them for it, but to learn from their mistakes.

I, too, didn’t understand faith[31] as “listening attentively”[32] to the Holy Spirit, remaining open and flexible and conformable to his teaching.  I thought faith was a kind of rigidity, an unwillingness to be persuaded by anything I hadn’t heard before.  And as far as I can tell, the word before meant some arbitrary time in an individual’s past or, worse, a particular period in church history.  (And I say worse because it indicates that one never even tried to “listen attentively” to the living God but only to the opinions of dead men.)

Jesus told the chief priests and the Pharisees[33] a parable about a landowner who planted a vineyard and leased it to tenant farmers.[34]  When the landowner sent his slaves to collect his fruit[35] (καρποὺς[36] αὐτοῦ[37]) from his vineyard, the tenants beat and killed them.  Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.”  But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!”  So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.[38]

Jesus asked them what they thought the landowner would do with those tenants.  They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men!  Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him”[39] this fruit (τοὺς[40] καρποὺς).  Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous (θαυμαστὴ, a form of θαυμαστός, also in the Septuagint) in our eyes’?”[41]

For this reason I tell you, Jesus continued, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit (καρποὺς αὐτῆς).[42]  When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.  They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds regarded him as a prophet.[43]  All the people among whom you live will see the work of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am doing with you, He promised Moses.

Still, I must consider that Jesus’ expectation for the Gentile churches was that they would be that people who will produce the fruit of the kingdom of God, the fruit of his Spirit, because if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him.[44]  But in the definition of καρποὺς in the NET online Bible the fruit of the Spirit is not even mentioned, except perhaps obliquely: “2) that which originates or comes from something, an effect, result.”

What is specified however is this: “is used in fig. discourse of those who by their labours have fitted souls to obtain eternal life.” So while there is no direct mention of Jesus’ stated reason for taking the kingdom of God away from the chief priests and Pharisees to give it to another people, “those who by their labours have fitted souls to obtain eternal life” is spelled out in detail and attached to the word καρποὺς (fruit).  But if the fruit of the kingdom of God is nothing more than the works of “those who by their labours have fitted souls to obtain eternal life” there was no cause to seek another people.  The chief priests and Pharisees were already far more advanced down that road than any others.

I am the Lord!  That is my name!  I will not share my glory with anyone else,[45] He told Isaiah.  All the people among whom you live will see the work of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am doing with you, He said to Moses.  Paul preached the Gospel in the power of the Spirit of God.  And he watched with a profound gratitude mixed with great sorrow and unceasing anguish[46] as—The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers[47]—heard his message and entered the kingdom of God while his own people judged themselves unworthy of eternal life[48] (καὶ οὐκ ἀξίους κρίνετε ἑαυτοὺς τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς) in Paul’s words.  After he had wrestled with these things he wrote (Romans 11:20-22, 25-36 NET):

They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith.  Do not be arrogant, but fear (φοβοῦ, a form of φοβέω)!  For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.  Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God – harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.   And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”

In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers.  For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.  Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.  For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways!  For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?  Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him?  For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be glory forever!  Amen.

Fear – Exodus, Part 9

Back to Romans, Part 70

[3] Revelation 15:2 (NET)

[5] Revelation 15:3 (NET)

[6] Revelation 15:1 (NET)

[8] Isaiah 1:21a (NET)

[9] Isaiah 1:1 (NET)

[10] Isaiah 1:21b (NET)

[11] Isaiah 1:23 (NET)

[12] Romans 13:10 (NET)

[13] Isaiah 1:24-26 (NET)

[14] Exodus 34:10b (NET)

[16] Isaiah 6:8 (NET)

[17] Isaiah 6:9, 10 (NET)

[18] Isaiah 6:11a (NET)

[19] Isaiah 6:11b-13a (NET)

[20] Isaiah 40:1, 2 (NET)

[21] Jeremiah 31:23 (NET)

[22] Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NET)

[25] Hebrews 8:11, 12 (NET)

[26] John 17:3 (NET)

[28] John 20:29 (NET)

[33] Matthew 21:45 (NET)

[34] Matthew 21:33 (NET)

[38] Matthew 21:37-39 (NET)

[39] Matthew 21:41 (NET)

[41] Matthew 21:42 (NET)

[42] Matthew 21:43 (NET)

[43] Matthew 21:45, 46 (NET)

[44] Romans 8:9b (NET)

[45] Isaiah 42:8a (NET)

[46] Romans 9:2 (NET)

[47] 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NET)

Romans, Part 47

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If [the gift] is contributing (μεταδιδοὺς, a form of μεταδίδωμι),[1] Paul continued to list the different gifts (χαρίσματα, a form of χάρισμα) we have according to the grace given to us,[2] he must do so with sincerity (ἁπλότητι, a form of ἁπλότης).[3]  In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar,[4] Luke recounted in his Gospel narrative, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  He went into all the region around the Jordan River, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.[5]  He included what seems like a sample of John’s preaching to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him[6] (Luke 3:7-9 NET):

“You offspring of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’  For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!  Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

In Mathew’s Gospel account however this tirade was ignited when John saw many Pharisees[7] and Sadducees[8] coming to his baptism,[9] the religious and political leaders at the time Jesus began his earthly ministry.  For I can testify that they are zealous for God, Paul wrote of at least his fellow Pharisees, but their zeal is not in line with the truth.  For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  For Christ is the end of the law, with the result that there is righteousness for everyone who believes.[10]

So the crowds were asking, Luke’s Gospel narrative continued, “What then should we do?”  John answered them, “The person who has two tunics must share (μεταδότω, another form of μεταδίδωμι) with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.”[11]  It is a beautiful contrast.  Those who ignored the righteousness that comes from God and sought instead to establish their own righteousness were given a rule and an ultimatum, “Share or be cut down and thrown into the fire!”  Those who receive the Lord Jesus, the righteousness that comes from God, are given a gift of contributing, to make Israel jealous.[12]

The one who steals must steal no longer, Paul wrote the church at Ephesus, rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share (μεταδιδόναι, another form of μεταδίδωμι) with the one who has need.[13]  There is an implicit assumption here that the believing thief in Ephesus would have the gift of contributing, and that he should acquire something to satisfy that God-given desire to share by doing good with his own hands rather than stealing from others.  That this gift of contributing comes from God was very important to Paul (1 Thessalonians 2:3-5 NET).

For the appeal (παράκλησις)[14] we make does not come from error or impurity or with deceit, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.  For we never appeared with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is our witness…

This appeal Paul mentioned (literally, exhortation) is nothing less than the ministry of reconciliation: all these things are from God, Paul wrote the Corinthians, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.  In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea through us.  We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”[15]

For Paul to accept financial support (even food and shelter) from anyone, he needed to know that that gift came from God through the gift of contributing.  There could be no suspicion that the giver was attempting to pay, or felt obligated to pay, Paul for salvation, reconciliation to God through Christ.  This idea of a man standing before a congregation saying, “Give money to me and God will give money to you,” is a pyramid scam, a crime and a lie that has no place in the ministry of reconciliation, all “success stories” notwithstanding.  In fact, the “success stories” shill for the scam artist not for God, and bring equal shame to the ministry.  But I suspect that those who fall for such things also care more for money than they do for reconciliation with God.

Jesus said, “don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’  For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”[16]  I notice that Jesus did not say above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness and give money to a religious scam artist and all these things will be given to you as well.  So I trust Jesus rather than religious scam artists.

My point is certainly not that all clergy are scam artists or that all giving is a religious work to be assiduously avoided.  So it’s probably only fair to comment how I decide to give.  How do I distinguish between a desire to pay, or payback, and the gift of contributing?  First, I pay for many things.  That is much more on the path of righteousness than stealing them, for instance.  And I pay back many things.  If a coworker takes me to lunch I pick up the check next time.  But I don’t consider these activities as giving or contributing.  I don’t even consider giving to causes or ministries contributing in this sense.  I care about certain things, I give money to those things I care about.  It is a matter of self-interest.  The real issue for me was alms-giving.

I travel quite a bit into urban areas where there are many people seeking alms.  (I’m using this archaic term deliberately because beggar has such a nasty derogatory connotation.)  Actually, the problem became more acute when I moved into an urban area.  I carry cash for tips when I travel but generally do not at home.  I quickly learned to carry some but often faced the very same people on the same corner of the street.

Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you,[17] Jesus said.  Given all we’d been through together, I didn’t want to turn that into a law I obeyed without thought or spiritual input.  But neither did I want to become one of the judges with evil motives[18] James warned about.  Paul’s attitude helped me out here.  The gift of contributing is apparently not limited to financial giving.  Like a nursing mother caring for her own children, with such affection for you we were happy to share (μεταδοῦναι, another form of μεταδίδωμι) with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.[19]

Though here Paul was happy to share…the gospel of God with the Thessalonians, I was familiar with a different take on this subject that I related to the gift of contributing:  For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this.[20]  So, if I can walk by someone on the street without giving alms, I do so.  If I can’t, I give.  If I have a moment’s doubt about it, I err on the side of giving.  Maybe I just bought someone more drugs or alcohol, but if I passed by without contributing I might have deprived someone (or their child) of a meal.  And more often than not the recipient—no matter how shabbily dressed, dirty or smelly—has prayed aloud that God would bless me for the relative pittance I handed him or her.

For I long to see you, Paul wrote the Romans before he had been to Rome, so that I may impart (μεταδῶ, another form of μεταδίδωμι) to you some spiritual gift (χάρισμα) to strengthen you…[21] I included this because it shocked me at first, as if Paul were claiming authority to give χάρισμα to people.  But he went on to explain, that is, that we may be mutually comforted (συμπαρακληθῆναι, a form of συμπαρακαλέω)[22] by one another’s faith, both yours and mine.[23]  So I saw it as a further expansion of the meaning of the gift of contributing.  Even that desire to be with others of faith, to encourage them and be encouraged by them, comes from God’s χάρισμα.

Through the evidence of this service (διακονίας, a form of διακονία),[24] Paul wrote the Corinthians, they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity (ἁπλότητι, a form of ἁπλότης) of your sharing with them and with everyone.[25]  I included this to begin to look at ἁπλότητι, translated sincerity in—if [the gift] is contributing, he must do so with sincerity[26]—and generosity here.  At first I wondered why ἁπλότητι wasn’t translated generosity in Romans, but as I studied the ninth chapter of 2 Corinthians that question reversed.

For it is not necessary for me to write you about this service (διακονίας, another form of διακονία) to the saints,[27] Paul began this portion of his letter to the Corinthians.  And, the service (διακονία) of this ministry (λειτουργίας, a form of λειτουργία,[28] literally “a public office which a citizen undertakes to administer at his own expense”) is not only providing for the needs of the saints but is also overflowing with many thanks to God.[29]  Three times (in 2 Corinthians 9:1, 12, 13 NET) he described the gift of contributing as a ministry not unlike the ministry (διακονίαν, another form of διακονία) of reconciliation.[30]  In other words, it should be taken seriously.

I know your eagerness to help (προθυμίαν, a form of προθυμία),[31] he wrote again about that inner compulsion from God.  Paul had boasted about them to the Macedonians, and your zeal to participate (ζῆλος)[32] has stirred up most of them.[33]  But he was concerned if some from Macedonia accompanied him to Corinth whether the boast would prove to be true.  Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution (εὐλογίαν, a form of εὐλογία)[34] you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift (εὐλογίαν, a form of εὐλογία) and not as something you feel forced to do (πλεονεξίαν, a form of πλεονεξία).[35]

The Greek word εὐλογίαν was translated generous contribution and generous gift.  Paul was surely talking about the money the Corinthians were gathering, or wanted to gather, to contribute to others.   But he used a word that meant praise, commendation or adoration.  It is the root of our word eulogy.  He said this because his eye was fixed on the thanksgiving to God (v. 11) resulting from their promised gift, which was overflowing with many thanks to God (v. 12), and through which they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ (v. 13).  Even with that in view, especially with that in view, he desired that their giving flowed out from God’s gift of contributing rather than a sense of greediness (πλεονεξίαν, a form of πλεονεξία), not the greediness of others nor their own.

My point is this, Paul continued, The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously (εὐλογίαις, another form of εὐλογία) will also reap generously (εὐλογίαις, another form of εὐλογία).[36]  In other words, one who sows with a view toward the praise, commendation or adoration of God will reap the same from God.  Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart [as compelled by the gift of contributing], not reluctantly (λύπης, a form of λύπη)[37] or under compulsion (ἀνάγκης, a form of ἀναγκή),[38] because God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.[39]

So giving out of that inner compulsion from the Holy Spirit, the gift of contributing, is good.  But giving out of the compulsion of “1) necessity, imposed either by the circumstances, or by law of duty regarding to one’s advantage, custom, argument 2) calamity, distress, straits” with “sorrow, pain, grief, or annoyance” was not what Paul was seeking from the Corinthians.  The latter would be merely money.  Perhaps it would provide for some of the needs of the saints, but it would never be the obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity (ἁπλότητι, a form of ἁπλότης) of your sharing with them and with everyone that would glorify God.  So, I now think sincerity would have been a better translation here as well.  For it is that sincerity of giving out of God’s gift of contributing that secures the promise (2 Corinthians 9:10 NET):

Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow.

[2] Romans 12:6 (NET)

[3] Romans 12:8 (NET)

[4] Luke 3:1 (NET)

[5] Luke 3:2, 3 (NET)

[6] Luke 3:7 (NET)

[7] NET note 10: “Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.”

[8] NET note 11: “The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.”

[9] Matthew 3:7 (NET)

[10] Romans 10:2-4 (NET)

[11] Luke 3:10, 11 (NET)

[13] Ephesians 4:28 (NET)

[15] 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NET)

[16] Matthew 6:31-33 (NET)

[17] Matthew 5:42 (NET) Table

[19] 1 Thessalonians 2:7b, 8 (NET)

[20] 1 Corinthians 9:16a (NET)

[21] Romans 1:11 (NET)

[23] Romans 1:12 (NET)

[25] 2 Corinthians 9:13 (NET)

[26] Romans 12:8 (NET)

[27] 2 Corinthians 9:1 (NET)

[29] 2 Corinthians 9:12 (NET)

[30] 2 Corinthians 5:18 (NET)

[31] 2 Corinthians 9:2a (NET)

[33] 2 Corinthians 9:2b (NET)

[35] 2 Corinthians 9:5 (NET)

[36] 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NET)

[39] 2 Corinthians 9:7, 8 (NET)

Fear – Exodus, Part 7

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When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry.  He threw the tablets [of the law] from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain.1  Moses saw that the people were running wild, for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies.2

King James’ translators painted a more vivid picture of how out of control the people were running wild.  Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies).3  Even in this translation Aaron’s role seems potentially passive.  By conceding to their demands for a golden calf Aaron made them naked (euphemistically speaking) unto their shame among their enemies.  John Nelson Darby4 gave this verse a different twist in his translation: Moses saw the people how they were stripped; for Aaron had stripped them to [their] shame before their adversaries.  This sounds more like Aaron as officiating priest commanded the people to strip for πορνεία, the ritualized sexual worship they had practiced in Egypt.5

The translators of the NET do not believe that the Israelites engaged in such worship6 in Exodus 32 (nor that the Greek word πορνεία7 refers to it, as far as I can tell).  The note on the word translated running wild and completely out of control reads: “The word is difficult to interpret. There does not seem to be enough evidence to justify the KJV’s translation ‘naked.’ It appears to mean something like ‘let loose’ or ‘lack restraint’ (Prov 29:18). The idea seems to be that the people had broken loose, were undisciplined, and were completely given over to their desires.”  In 1 Corinthians 10:7, however, Paul’s quotation of Exodus 32:6—The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play—the note reads: “The term ‘play’ may refer to idolatrous, sexual play here, although that is determined by the context rather than the meaning of the word itself (cf. BDAG 750 s.v. παίζω).”

Whoever is for the Lord, come to me, Moses said.  All the Levites gathered around him, and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Each man fasten his sword on his side, and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”8

I have seen this people, the Lord had said to Moses on the mountain.  Look what a stiff-necked people they are [Table]!  So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them [Table]…9  With these words in his mind, though he had pleaded with the Lord to turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people,10 when he saw their sin with his own eyes Moses formed an ad hoc militia or national guard.  Here I can see the ministry that produced death (θανάτου, a form of θάνατος) – carved in letters on stone tablets11 functioning as the ministry that produced condemnation (κατακρίσεως, a form of κατάκρισις).12

Though I have considered whether Moses had a change of heart, I think it was the same Spirit, who through Moses’ words caused the Lord to relent over the evil that he had said he would do to his people,13 who spoke the words through him, Each man fasten his sword on his side, and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.  And He did this for the very same reason, to spare most of the people of Israel, to remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.”14

The Levites did what Moses ordered, and that day about three thousand men of the people died.15  The Levites were not included in the census of males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army.16  Whether their number was comparable to the other clans (50,000) or half the size of the smallest clan (16,000), their campaign was not exceptionally ruthless.  Apparently these deaths served no other purpose than to restore order, to bring a halt to the people’s play.

The deaths of three thousand men had provided no atonement (Exodus 32:30-32 NET).

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a very serious sin, but now I will go up to the Lord – perhaps I can make atonement on behalf of your sin.”  So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold [Table].  But now, if you will forgive their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written” [Table].

In fact, Moses was unable to make atonement for those who sinned.  And the deaths of three thousand men were not sufficient punishment (Exodus 32:33-35 NET).

The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me – that person I will wipe out of my book.  So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about.  See, my angel will go before you.  But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.” And the Lord sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf – the one Aaron made.

This is law.  This is fear-based righteousness.  It is not the fear of witnessing the catastrophic destruction of the Egyptian army.  It is not the fear of hearing a voice from something like a volcano in full ash eruption.  It is the fear of leaders (Moses and the Levites) using lethal force to uphold the law, and the fear of God as a potential enemy.

The Lord said to Moses, “Go up from here, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’  I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.  Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey.”17

It sounds wonderful.  The Lord will lead and guide them into a land of plenty.  But the fear must be ever present.  But I will not go up among you, the Lord continued, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.18

Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, at a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting.  Anyone seeking the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.

And when Moses went out to the tent, all the people would get up and stand at the entrance to their tents and watch Moses until he entered the tent.  And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.  When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his own tent, would rise and worship.  The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, the way a person speaks to a friend.19

It may not have occurred to Moses to consider his exalted position the ministry that produced death or the ministry that produced condemnation, though he seemed to recognize it in respect to the Levites who followed him.  “You have been consecrated today for the Lord,” he said to them, “for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today.”20  But it did occur to him to seek something more from God, something we might call a ministry of the Spirit21 or a ministry that produces righteousness.22

Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me.  But you said, ‘I know you by name, and also you have found favor in my sight.’  Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your way, that I may know you, that I may continue to find favor in your sight.  And see that this nation is your people.”23

“All24 things have been given to me by my Father,” Jesus said.  “No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him.”  Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!  For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see but did not see25 it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”26

And the Lord said [to Moses], “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  And Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not take us up from here.  For how will it be known then that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people?  Is it not by your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?”27

 

Addendum: July 2, 2026
Tables comparing Exodus 32:25; 32:26; 32:27; 32:28; Numbers 1:45; Exodus 32:30; 32:33; 32:34; 32:35; 33:1; 33:2; 33:3; 33:7; 33:8; 33:9; 33:10; 33:11; 32:29; 33:12; 33:13; 33:14; 33:15 and 33:16 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 32:25; 32:26; 32:27; 32:28; Numbers 1:45; Exodus 32:30; 32:33; 32:34; 32:35; 33:1; 33:2; 33:3; 33:7; 33:8; 33:9; 33:10; 33:11; 32:29; 33:12; 33:13; 33:14; 33:15 and 33:16 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Luke 10:22 and 10:24 in the NET and KJV follow.

Exodus 32:25 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:25 (KJV)

Exodus 32:25 (NET)
And when Moses saw that the people were broken loose–for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies– And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) Moses saw that the people were running wild, for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies.

Exodus 32:25 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἰδὼν Μωυσῆς τὸν λαὸν ὅτι διεσκέδασται διεσκέδασεν γὰρ αὐτοὺς Ααρων ἐπίχαρμα τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις αὐτῶν καὶ ἰδὼν Μωυσῆς τὸν λαὸν ὅτι διεσκέδασται, διεσκέδασε γὰρ αὐτοὺς ᾿Ααρὼν ἐπίχαρμα τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις αὐτῶν

Exodus 32:25 (NETS)

Exodus 32:25 (English Elpenor)
And when Moyses saw the people, that it had scattered—for Aaron scattered them, an object of gloating to their opponents— And when Moses saw that the people was scattered,– for Aaron [had] scattered them [so as to be] a rejoicing to their enemies,–

Exodus 32:26 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:26 (KJV)

Exodus 32:26 (NET)
then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said: ‘Whoso is on HaShem’S side, let him come unto me.’ And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. So Moses stood at the entrance of the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” All the Levites gathered around him,

Exodus 32:26 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἔστη δὲ Μωυσῆς ἐπὶ τῆς πύλης τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ εἶπεν τίς πρὸς κύριον ἴτω πρός με συνῆλθον οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ Λευι ἔστη δὲ Μωυσῆς ἐπὶ τῆς πύλης τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ εἶπε· τίς πρὸς Κύριον; ἴτω πρός με. συνῆλθον οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ Λευί

Exodus 32:26 (NETS)

Exodus 32:26 (English Elpenor)
then Moyses stood at the gate of the camp and said, “Who is with the Lord? Let him come to me!” Then all the sons of Leui gathered to him. then stood Moses at the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come to me. Then all the sons of Levi came to him.

Exodus 32:27 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:27 (KJV)

Exodus 32:27 (NET)
And he said unto them: ‘Thus saith HaShem, the G-d of Israel: Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.’ And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. and he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has said ‘Each man fasten his sword on his side, and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”

Exodus 32:27 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ θέσθε ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ῥομφαίαν ἐπὶ τὸν μηρὸν καὶ διέλθατε καὶ ἀνακάμψατε ἀπὸ πύλης ἐπὶ πύλην διὰ τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ ἀποκτείνατε ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἔγγιστα αὐτοῦ καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ· θέσθε ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ῥομφαίαν ἐπὶ τὸν μηρὸν καὶ διέλθατε καὶ ἀνακάμψατε ἀπὸ πύλης ἐπὶ πύλην διά τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ ἀποκτείνατε ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸ ἔγγιστα αὐτοῦ

Exodus 32:27 (NETS)

Exodus 32:27 (English Elpenor)
And he says to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Each one put his own sword on his thigh, and go through, and return from gate to gate through the camp, and each one kill his brother, and each one his neighbor, and each one the one nearest to him’.” And he says to them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every one his sword on his thigh, and go through and return from gate to gate through the camp, and slay every one his brother, and every one his neighbour, and every one him that is nearest to him.

Exodus 32:28 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:28 (KJV)

Exodus 32:28 (NET)
And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. The Levites did what Moses ordered, and that day about 3,000 men of the people died.

Exodus 32:28 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Λευι καθὰ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς καὶ ἔπεσαν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ εἰς τρισχιλίους ἄνδρας καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Λευὶ καθὰ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς, καὶ ἔπεσαν ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ εἰς τρισχιλίους ἄνδρας

Exodus 32:28 (NETS)

Exodus 32:28 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of Leui did according as Moyses said to them, and there fell from the people on that day about three thousand men. And the sons of Levi did as Moses spoke to them, and there fell of the people in that day to the [number of] three thousand men.

Numbers 1:45 (Tanakh)

Numbers 1:45 (KJV)

Numbers 1:45 (NET)
And all those that were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel; So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel; All the Israelites who were twenty years old or older, who could serve in Israel’s army, were numbered according to their families.

Numbers 1:45 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 1:45 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο πᾶσα ἡ ἐπίσκεψις υἱῶν Ισραηλ σὺν δυνάμει αὐτῶν ἀπὸ εἰκοσαετοῦς καὶ ἐπάνω πᾶς ὁ ἐκπορευόμενος παρατάξασθαι ἐν Ισραηλ καὶ ἐγένετο πᾶσα ἡ ἐπίσκεψις υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ σὺν δυνάμει αὐτῶν ἀπὸ εἰκοσαετοῦς καὶ ἐπάνω, πᾶς ὁ ἐκπορευόμενος παρατάξασθαι ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ

Numbers 1:45 (NETS)

Numbers 1:45 (English Elpenor)
And the whole enrollment of the sons of Israel with their force from twenty years and above, everyone who would go out to do battle in Israel was And the whole numbering of the children of Israel with their host from twenty years old and upward, every one that goes out to set himself in battle array in Israel, came to

Exodus 32:30 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:30 (KJV)

Exodus 32:30 (NET)
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people: ‘Ye have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up unto HaShem, peradventure I shall make atonement for your sin.’ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a very serious sin, but now I will go up to the Lord—perhaps I can make atonement on behalf of your sin.”

Exodus 32:30 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὴν αὔριον εἶπεν Μωυσῆς πρὸς τὸν λαόν ὑμεῖς ἡμαρτήκατε ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην καὶ νῦν ἀναβήσομαι πρὸς τὸν θεόν ἵνα ἐξιλάσωμαι περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν Καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τὴν αὔριον εἶπε Μωυσῆς πρὸς τὸν λαόν· ὑμεῖς ἡμαρτήκατε ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην· καὶ νῦν ἀναβήσομαι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, ἵνα ἐξιλάσωμαι περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν

Exodus 32:30 (NETS)

Exodus 32:30 (English Elpenor)
And it happened on the next day that Moyses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin, and now I will go up to God in order that I might make atonement for your sin.” And it came to pass after the morrow [had begun], that Moses said to the people, Ye have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up to God, that I may make atonement for your sin.

Exodus 32:33 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:33 (KJV)

Exodus 32:33 (NET)
And HaShem said unto Moses: ‘Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me—that person I will wipe out of my book.

Exodus 32:33 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν εἴ τις ἡμάρτηκεν ἐνώπιόν μου ἐξαλείψω αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς βίβλου μου καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν· εἴ τις ἡμάρτηκεν ἐνώπιόν μου, ἐξαλείψω αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς βίβλου μου

Exodus 32:33 (NETS)

Exodus 32:33 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord said to Moyses, “If anyone has sinned before me, I will erase him from my book. And the Lord said to Moses, If any one has sinned against me, I will blot them out of my book.

Exodus 32:34 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:34 (KJV)

Exodus 32:34 (NET)
And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, Mine angel shall go before thee; nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.’ Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.”

Exodus 32:34 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
νυνὶ δὲ βάδιζε κατάβηθι καὶ ὁδήγησον τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον εἰς τὸν τόπον ὃν εἶπά σοι ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄγγελός μου προπορεύεται πρὸ προσώπου σου ᾗ δ᾽ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκέπτωμαι ἐπάξω ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῶν νυνὶ δὲ βάδιζε, κατάβηθι καὶ ὁδήγησον τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον εἰς τὸν τόπον, ὃν εἶπά σοι· ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄγγελός μου προπορεύσεται πρὸ προσώπου σου· ᾗ δ᾿ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκέπτωμαι, ἐπάξω ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῶν

Exodus 32:34 (NETS)

Exodus 32:34 (English Elpenor)
But now go, and lead this people to the place that I to the place that l told you. Look, my angel will go before your face. But on whichever day I concern myself, I will bring upon them their sin.” And now go, descend, and lead this people into the place of which I spoke to thee: behold, my angel shall go before thy face; and in the day when I shall visit I will bring upon them their sin.

Exodus 32:35 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:35 (KJV)

Exodus 32:35 (NET)
And HaShem smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. And the Lord sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf—the one Aaron made.

Exodus 32:35 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπάταξεν κύριος τὸν λαὸν περὶ τῆς ποιήσεως τοῦ μόσχου οὗ ἐποίησεν Ααρων καὶ ἐπάταξε Κύριος τὸν λαὸν περὶ τῆς ποιήσεως τοῦ μόσχου, οὗ ἐποίησεν ᾿Ααρών

Exodus 32:35 (NETS)

Exodus 32:35 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord struck the people for the making of the calf that Aaron made. And the Lord smote the people for the making the calf, which Aaron made.

Exodus 33:1 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:1 (KJV)

Exodus 33:1 (NET)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses: ‘Depart, go up hence, thou and the people that thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land of which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying: Unto thy seed will I give it– And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: The Lord said to Moses, “Go up from here, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’

Exodus 33:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν πορεύου ἀνάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν σὺ καὶ ὁ λαός σου οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου εἰς τὴν γῆν ἣν ὤμοσα τῷ Αβρααμ καὶ Ισαακ καὶ Ιακωβ λέγων τῷ σπέρματι ὑμῶν δώσω αὐτήν ΚΑΙ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν· προπορεύου, ἀνάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν σὺ καὶ ὁ λαός σου, οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, εἰς τὴν γῆν, ἣν ὤμοσα τῷ ῾Αβραὰμ καὶ ᾿Ισαὰκ καὶ ᾿Ιακὼβ λέγων· τῷ σπέρματι ὑμῶν δώσω αὐτήν

Exodus 33:1 (NETS)

Exodus 33:1 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord said to Moyses, “Go, ascend from here, you and your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, into the land that I swore to Abraam, Isaak and Iakob, saying, ‘To your seed I will give it’. And the Lord said to Moses, Go forward, go up hence, thou and thy people, whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, into the land which I swore to Abraam, and Isaac, and Jacob, saying, I will give it to your seed.

Exodus 33:2 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:2 (KJV)

Exodus 33:2 (NET)
and I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite– And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

Exodus 33:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ συναποστελῶ τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου καὶ ἐκβαλεῖ τὸν Αμορραῖον καὶ Χετταῖον καὶ Φερεζαῖον καὶ Γεργεσαῖον καὶ Ευαῖον καὶ Ιεβουσαῖον καὶ συναποστελῶ τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, καὶ ἐκβαλεῖ τὸν ᾿Αμορραῖον καὶ Χετταῖον καὶ Φερεζαῖον καὶ Γεργεσαῖον καὶ Εὐαῖον καὶ ᾿Ιεβουσαῖον καὶ Χαναναῖον

Exodus 33:2 (NETS)

Exodus 33:2 (English Elpenor)
And I will send along my angel before you, and he will cast out the Amorrite and Chettite and Pherezite and Gergasite and Heuite and Iebousite. And I will send at the same time my angel before thy face, and he shall cast out the Amorite and the Chettite, and the Pherezite and Gergesite, and Evite, and Jebusite, and Chananite.

Exodus 33:3 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:3 (KJV)

Exodus 33:3 (NET)
unto a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people; lest I consume thee in the way.’ Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.”

Exodus 33:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἰσάξω σε εἰς γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι οὐ γὰρ μὴ συναναβῶ μετὰ σοῦ διὰ τὸ λαὸν σκληροτράχηλόν σε εἶναι ἵνα μὴ ἐξαναλώσω σε ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ καὶ εἰσάξω σε εἰς γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι· οὐ γὰρ μὴ συναναβῶ μετὰ σοῦ, διὰ τὸ λαὸν σκληροτράχηλόν σε εἶναι, ἵνα μὴ ἐξαναλώσω σε ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ

Exodus 33:3 (NETS)

Exodus 33:3 (English Elpenor)
And he will lead you into a land flowing with milk and honey. For I shall never go up together with you because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I exterminate you in the way.” And I will bring thee into a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up with thee, because thou art a stiff-necked people, lest I consume thee by the way.

Exodus 33:7 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:7 (KJV)

Exodus 33:7 (NET)
Now Moses used to take the tent and to pitch it without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it The tent of meeting. And it came to pass, that every one that sought HaShem went out unto the tent of meeting, which was without the camp. And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, at a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone seeking the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.

Exodus 33:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λαβὼν Μωυσῆς τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ ἔπηξεν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς παρεμβολῆς καὶ ἐκλήθη σκηνὴ μαρτυρίου καὶ ἐγένετο πᾶς ὁ ζητῶν κύριον ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς Καὶ λαβὼν Μωυσῆς τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ ἔπηξεν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς, μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς παρεμβολῆς, καὶ ἐκλήθη σκηνὴ μαρτυρίου· καὶ ἐγένετο, πᾶς ὁ ζητῶν Κύριον ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τὴν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς

Exodus 33:7 (NETS)

Exodus 33:7 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and it was called “tent of witness.” And it happened that everyone who was seeking the Lord would go out to the tent outside the camp. And Moses took his tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, at a distance from the camp; and it was called the Tabernacle of Testimony: and it came to pass [that] every one that sought the Lord went forth to the tabernacle which was without the camp.

Exodus 33:8 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:8 (KJV)

Exodus 33:8 (NET)
And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the Tent, that all the people rose up, and stood, every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the Tent. And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And when Moses went out to the tent, all the people would get up and stand at the entrance to their tents and watch Moses until he entered the tent.

Exodus 33:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἡνίκα δ᾽ ἂν εἰσεπορεύετο Μωυσῆς εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς εἱστήκει πᾶς ὁ λαὸς σκοπεύοντες ἕκαστος παρὰ τὰς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ κατενοοῦσαν ἀπιόντος Μωυσῆ ἕως τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν σκηνήν ἡνίκα δ᾿ ἂν εἰσεπορεύετο Μωυσῆς εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς, εἱστήκει πᾶς ὁ λαὸς σκοπεύοντες ἕκαστος παρὰ τὰς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ κατενοοῦσαν ἀπιόντος Μωυσῆ ἕως τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν σκηνήν

Exodus 33:8 (NETS)

Exodus 33:8 (English Elpenor)
And when Moyses would go into the tent, all the people stood, watching, each one at the door of his tent, and they would pay attention as Moyses went away until he entered into his tent. And whenever Moses went into the tabernacle without the camp, all the people stood every one watching by the doors of his tent; and when Moses departed, they took notice until he entered into the tabernacle.

Exodus 33:9 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:9 (KJV)

Exodus 33:9 (NET)
And it came to pass, when Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the Tent; and HaShem spoke with Moses. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.

Exodus 33:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς δ᾽ ἂν εἰσῆλθεν Μωυσῆς εἰς τὴν σκηνήν κατέβαινεν ὁ στῦλος τῆς νεφέλης καὶ ἵστατο ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν τῆς σκηνῆς καὶ ἐλάλει Μωυσῇ ὡς δ᾿ ἂν εἰσῆλθε Μωυσῆς εἰς τὴν σκηνήν, κατέβαινεν ὁ στῦλος τῆς νεφέλης, καὶ ἵστατο ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν τῆς σκηνῆς, καὶ ἐλάλει Μωυσῇ

Exodus 33:9 (NETS)

Exodus 33:9 (English Elpenor)
And whenever Moyses entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the doors of the tent and would speak to Moyses. And when Moses entered into the tabernacle, the pillar of the cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and [God] talked to Moses.

Exodus 33:10 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:10 (KJV)

Exodus 33:10 (NET)
And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at his tent door. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his own tent, would rise and worship.

Exodus 33:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἑώρα πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὸν στῦλον τῆς νεφέλης ἑστῶτα ἐπὶ τῆς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς καὶ στάντες πᾶς ὁ λαὸς προσεκύνησαν ἕκαστος ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἑώρα πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὸν στῦλον τῆς νεφέλης ἑστῶτα ἐπὶ τῆς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς, καὶ στάντες πᾶς ὁ λαὸς προσεκύνησαν ἕκαστος ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ

Exodus 33:10 (NETS)

Exodus 33:10 (English Elpenor)
And all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the doors of the tent, and all the people stood and did obeisance each one at the door of his tent. And all the people saw the pillar of the cloud standing by the door of the tabernacle, and all the people stood and worshipped every one at the door of his tent.

Exodus 33:11 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:11 (KJV)

Exodus 33:11 (NET)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he would return into the camp; but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, the way a person speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.

Exodus 33:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἐνώπιος ἐνωπίῳ ὡς εἴ τις λαλήσει πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ φίλον καὶ ἀπελύετο εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν ὁ δὲ θεράπων Ἰησοῦς υἱὸς Ναυη νέος οὐκ ἐξεπορεύετο ἐκ τῆς σκηνῆς καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἐνώπιος ἐνωπίῳ, ὡς εἴ τις λαλήσει πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ φίλον. καὶ ἀπελύετο εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν, ὁ δὲ θεράπων ᾿Ιησοῦς υἱὸς Ναυῆ νέος οὐκ ἐξεπορεύετο ἐκ τῆς σκηνῆς

Exodus 33:11 (NETS)

Exodus 33:11 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord spoke to Moyses face to face, as if someone should speak to his own friend. And he would return to the camp, but his attendant, Iesous son of Naue, a young man, would not go out of the tent. And all the people saw the pillar of the cloud standing by the door of the tabernacle, and all the people stood and worshipped every one at the door of his tent.

Exodus 32:29 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:29 (KJV)

Exodus 32:29 (NET)
And Moses said: ‘Consecrate yourselves to-day to HaShem, for every man hath been against his son and against his brother; that He may also bestow upon you a blessing this day.’ For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day. Moses said, “You have been consecrated today for the Lord, for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today.”

Exodus 32:29 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς ἐπληρώσατε τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν σήμερον κυρίῳ ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ υἱῷ ἢ τῷ ἀδελφῷ δοθῆναι ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς εὐλογίαν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς· ἐπληρώσατε τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν σήμερον Κυρίῳ, ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ υἱῷ ἢ ἐν τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, δοθῆναι ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς εὐλογίαν

Exodus 32:29 (NETS)

Exodus 32:29 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses said to them, “You filled your hands today for the Lord, each one by the son or by the brother, for a blessing to be bestowed upon you.” And Moses said to them, Ye have filled your hands this day to the Lord each one on his son or on his brother, so that blessing should be given to you.

Exodus 33:12 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:12 (KJV)

Exodus 33:12 (NET)
And Moses said unto HaShem: ‘See, Thou sayest unto me: Bring up this people; and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said: I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in My sight. And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name, and also you have found favor in my sight.’

Exodus 33:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Μωυσῆς πρὸς κύριον ἰδοὺ σύ μοι λέγεις ἀνάγαγε τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἐδήλωσάς μοι ὃν συναποστελεῖς μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ σὺ δέ μοι εἶπας οἶδά σε παρὰ πάντας καὶ χάριν ἔχεις παρ᾽ ἐμοί Καὶ εἶπε Μωυσῆς πρὸς Κύριον· ἰδοὺ σύ μοι λέγεις· ἀνάγαγε τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἐδήλωσάς μοι, ὃν συναποστελεῖς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ· σὺ δέ μοι εἶπας· οἶδά σε παρὰ πάντας, καὶ χάριν ἔχεις παρ᾿ ἐμοί

Exodus 33:12 (NETS)

Exodus 33:12 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses said to the Lord, “Look, you say to me, ‘Lead up this people!’ but you did not disclose to me whom you would send along with me. And you said to me, ‘I have known you above all others, and you have favor with me’. And Moses said to the Lord, Lo! thou sayest to me, Lead on this people; but thou hast not shewed me whom thou wilt send with me, but thou hast said to me, I know thee above all, and thou hast favour with me.

Exodus 33:13 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:13 (KJV)

Exodus 33:13 (NET)
Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy ways, that I may know Thee, to the end that I may find grace in Thy sight; and consider that this nation is Thy people.’ Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your way, that I may know you, that I may continue to find favor in your sight. And see that this nation is your people.”

Exodus 33:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰ οὖν εὕρηκα χάριν ἐναντίον σου ἐμφάνισόν μοι σεαυτόν γνωστῶς ἴδω σε ὅπως ἂν ὦ εὑρηκὼς χάριν ἐναντίον σου καὶ ἵνα γνῶ ὅτι λαός σου τὸ ἔθνος τὸ μέγα τοῦτο εἰ οὖν εὕρηκα χάριν ἐναντίον σου, ἐμφάνισόν μοι σεαυτὸν γνωστῶς, ἵνα ἴδω σε, ὅπως ἂν ὦ εὑρηκὼς χάριν ἐναντίον σου, καὶ ἵνα γνῶ ὅτι λαός σου τὸ ἔθνος τὸ μέγα τοῦτο

Exodus 33:13 (NETS)

Exodus 33:13 (English Elpenor)
If then I have found favor before you, disclose yourself to me. Let me see you recognizably in order that I might find favor before you and in order that I might know that this nation is your people.” If then I have found favour in thy sight, reveal thyself to me, that I may evidently see thee; that I may find favour in thy sight, and that I may know that this great nation [is] thy people.

Exodus 33:14 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:14 (KJV)

Exodus 33:14 (NET)
And He said: ‘My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’ And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And the Lord said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λέγει αὐτὸς προπορεύσομαί σου καὶ καταπαύσω σε καὶ λέγει· αὐτὸς προπορεύσομαί σου καὶ καταπαύσω σε

Exodus 33:14 (NETS)

Exodus 33:14 (English Elpenor)
And he says, “I myself will go before you, and I will give you rest.” And he says, I myself will go before thee, and give thee rest.

Exodus 33:15 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:15 (KJV)

Exodus 33:15 (NET)
And he said unto Him: ‘If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. And Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not take us up from here.

Exodus 33:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς σὺ πορεύῃ μή με ἀναγάγῃς ἐντεῦθεν καὶ λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν· εἰ μὴ αὐτὸς σὺ συμπορεύῃ, μή με ἀναγάγῃς ἐντεῦθεν

Exodus 33:15 (NETS)

Exodus 33:15 (English Elpenor)
And he says to him, “If you yourself do not go, do not lead me up from here.” And he says to him, If thou go not up with us thyself, bring me not up hence.

Exodus 33:16 (Tanakh)

Exodus 33:16 (KJV)

Exodus 33:16 (NET)
For wherein now shall it be known that I have found grace in Thy sight, I and Thy people? is it not in that Thou goest with us, so that we are distinguished, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth?’ For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. For how will it be known then that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not by your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?”

Exodus 33:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 33:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ πῶς γνωστὸν ἔσται ἀληθῶς ὅτι εὕρηκα χάριν παρὰ σοί ἐγώ τε καὶ ὁ λαός σου ἀλλ᾽ ἢ συμπορευομένου σου μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν καὶ ἐνδοξασθήσομαι ἐγώ τε καὶ ὁ λαός σου παρὰ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ὅσα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐστιν καὶ πῶς γνωστὸν ἔσται ἀληθῶς, ὅτι εὕρηκα χάριν παρὰ σοί, ἐγώ τε καὶ ὁ λαός σου, ἀλλ᾿ ἢ συμπορευομένου σου μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν; καὶ ἐνδοξασθήσομαι ἐγώ τε καὶ ὁ λαός σου παρὰ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ὅσα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐστι

Exodus 33:16 (NETS)

Exodus 33:16 (English Elpenor)
And how shall it be truly known that I have found favor with you, both I and your people, other than if you go along with us? And we shall be glorified, both I and your people, above all the nations that are on the earth.” And how shall it be surely known, that both I and this people have found favour with thee, except only if thou go with us? So both I and thy people shall be glorified beyond all the nations, as many as are upon the earth.

Luke 10:22 (NET)

Luke 10:22 (KJV)
All things have been given to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him.” All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Luke 10:22 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 10:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 10:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
πάντα μοι παρεδόθη ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ οὐδεὶς γινώσκει τίς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ, καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ πατὴρ εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς καὶ ᾧ ἐὰν βούληται ὁ υἱὸς ἀποκαλύψαι και στραφεις προς τους μαθητας ειπεν παντα παρεδοθη μοι υπο του πατρος μου και ουδεις γινωσκει τις εστιν ο υιος ει μη ο πατηρ και τις εστιν ο πατηρ ει μη ο υιος και ω εαν βουληται ο υιος αποκαλυψαι και στραφεις προς τους μαθητας ειπεν παντα μοι παρεδοθη υπο του πατρος μου και ουδεις γινωσκει τις εστιν ο υιος ει μη ο πατηρ και τις εστιν ο πατηρ ει μη ο υιος και ω εαν βουληται ο υιος αποκαλυψαι

Luke 10:24 (NET)

Luke 10:24 (KJV)
For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Luke 10:24 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 10:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 10:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ βασιλεῖς ἠθέλησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ ὑμεῖς βλέπετε καὶ οὐκ εἶδαν, καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ ἀκούετε καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν λεγω γαρ υμιν οτι πολλοι προφηται και βασιλεις ηθελησαν ιδειν α υμεις βλεπετε και ουκ ειδον και ακουσαι α ακουετε και ουκ ηκουσαν λεγω γαρ υμιν οτι πολλοι προφηται και βασιλεις ηθελησαν ιδειν α υμεις βλεπετε και ουκ ειδον και ακουσαι α ακουετε και ουκ ηκουσαν

1 Exodus 32:19 (NET) Table

2 Exodus 32:25 (NET)

3 Exodus 32:25 (KJV)

8 Exodus 32:26, 27 (NET)

9 Exodus 32:9, 10a (NET)

10 Exodus 32:12b (NET) Table

11 2 Corinthians 3:7 (NET) Table

12 2 Corinthians 3:9 (NET) Table

13 Exodus 32:14b (NET) Table

14 Exodus 32:13 (NET) Table

15 Exodus 32:28 (NET)

16 Numbers 1:45 (NET)

17 Exodus 33:1-3a (NET)

18 Exodus 33:3b (NET)

19 Exodus 33:7-11a (NET)

20 Exodus 32:29 (NET) [Addendum 7/1/2026: Note 63 in the NET reads: “Your hand was filled.” The phrase “fill your hands” is a familiar expression having to do with commissioning and devotion to a task that is earlier used in 28:41; 29:9, 29, 33, 35. This has usually been explained as a Qal imperative. S. R. Driver explains it “Fill your hand today,” meaning, take a sacrifice to God and be installed in the priesthood (Exodus, 355). But it probably is a Piel perfect, meaning “they have filled your hands today,” or, “your hand was filled today.” This was an expression meant to say that they had been faithful to God even though it turned them against family and friends—but God would give them a blessing. (See note 64 as well.)]

21 2 Corinthians 3:8 (NET)

22 2 Corinthians 3:9 (NET) Table

23 Exodus 33:12, 13 (NET)

24 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και στραφεις προς τους μαθητας ειπεν (“And having turned to the disciples, he said”) preceding this saying. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

26 Luke 10:22-24 (NET)

27 Exodus 33:14-16 (NET)

Saving Demons, Part 2

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While studying the different gifts of the Spirit I came across the following (2 Corinthians 3:7-9 NET):

But if the ministry (διακονία) that produced death – carved in letters on stone tablets – came with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective) [Table], how much more glorious will the ministry (διακονία) of the Spirit be?  For if there was glory in the ministry (διακονίᾳ, a form of διακονία) that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry (διακονία) that produces righteousness excel in glory! [Table]

I can’t help but ask, what if the glory of the ministry (διακονίᾳ, a form of διακονία) that produces righteousness is made ineffective (καταργουμένην, a form of καταργέω) by the religious mind?  The note 14 on made ineffective in the NET reads: “Or ‘which was transitory.’ Traditionally this phrase is translated as ‘which was fading away.’ The verb καταργέω in the corpus Paulinum uniformly has the meaning ‘to render inoperative, ineffective’; the same nuance is appropriate here. The glory of Moses’ face was rendered ineffective by the veil Moses wore. For discussion of the meaning of this verb in this context, see S. J. Hafemann, Paul, Moses, and the History of Israel (WUNT 81), 301-13. A similar translation has been adopted in the two other occurrences of the verb in this paragraph in vv. 11 and 13.”

So, if verse 7 means that the “glory of Moses’ face was rendered ineffective by the veil Moses wore,” Paul expanded that meaning in verse 10: For indeed, what had been glorious [the ministry that produced condemnation] now has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it1 [the ministry that produces righteousness].  Paul continued (2 Corinthians 3:11, 12 NET):

For if what was made ineffective (καταργούμενον, another form of καταργέω) came with glory, how much more has what remains (μένον, a form of μένω) come in glory!  Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness, and not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at the result of the glory that was made ineffective (καταργουμένου, another form of καταργέω).

The Greek word translated remains is μένον a form of μένω, as is μένει in, And now these three remain (μένει, another form of μένω): faith, hope, and love.  But the greatest of these is love.2  It is easy to see why some translators related the forms of καταργέω in 2 Corinthians 3 to those in 1 Corinthians 13 (vv. 8, 10, 11; set aside, NET) and rendered them as passing away.  But the word μένον is also found in, The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining (μένον) – this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.3

So it is also easy to see why other translators related what Paul said about the law, the ministry that produced condemnation, and the ministry of the Spirit, the ministry that produces righteousness, to Romans:  For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened (ἠσθένει, a form of ἀσθενέω) through the flesh.  By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.4

It also makes sense then to relate this weakness through the flesh to the forms of καταργέω in 2 Corinthians 3 and render them as made ineffective (the law was weakened through the flesh to the point that it was made ineffective as far as righteousness is concerned).  This makes even more sense if the writing of 2 Corinthians followed the writing of Romans sequentially rather than directly after 1 Corinthians.

Moses…put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at the result (τέλος) of the glory that was made ineffective,5 Paul wrote.  In one sense he referred to the basic facts of Exodus 34:29-33 (NET):

Now when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand – when he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.  When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to approach him.  But Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and Moses spoke to them.  After this all the Israelites approached, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.  When Moses finished speaking with them, he would put a veil on his face.

So the result that the Israelites were kept from staring at was the glowing skin of Moses’ face.  There was another meaning to Paul’s metaphor as well.  But their minds were closed, He continued.  For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read.6 Here, the result or end that the veil keeps people from staring intently at is the fact that the law is the ministry that produced condemnation.  For the law brings wrath…7  For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.8  [The veil] has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away (καταργεῖται, another form of καταργέω).9  My mind was also closed when I tried to pass myself off as in Christ (ἐν Χριστῷ) while striving to make myself righteous by keeping the law.

[Adendum 6/11/2026: This insight was more profound than I realized at the time. I would now understand ἐν Χριστῷ in the dative case as “by means of Christ.” While my newfound desire for a righteousness of my own that comes from the law was certainly “by means of Christ,” my attempt to satisfy that desire “by keeping the law” missed the point entirely.]

But until this very day, Paul continued, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds, but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom.  And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit.10

In my case the Lord was faithful even when I was not; If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself.11  And perhaps I should let it go at that.  But I still wonder, if I had remained faithless, or while I persisted in my faithlessness, did I give Him cause to show mercy to demons or fallen angels, since He was and remains faithful to me?

Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God – harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off [Table].  And even they – if they do not continue in their unbelief – will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again [Table].  For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?12

For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.  Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy [Table].  For God has consigned all people [the qualifier “people” is not literally in the text though “these” (τοὺς) is] to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.13

 

Addendum: June 16, 2026
Tables comparing Exodus 34:29; 34:30; 34:31; 34:32 and 34:33 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 34:29; 34:30; 34:31; 34:32 and 34:33 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Exodus 34:29 (Tanakh)

Exodus 34:29 (KJV)

Exodus 34:29 (NET)
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of the testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face sent forth beams while He talked with him. And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. Now when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand—when he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

Exodus 34:29 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 34:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς δὲ κατέβαινεν Μωυσῆς ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους καὶ αἱ δύο πλάκες ἐπὶ τῶν χειρῶν Μωυσῆ καταβαίνοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους Μωυσῆς οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι δεδόξασται ἡ ὄψις τοῦ χρώματος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ λαλεῖν αὐτὸν αὐτῷ ὡς δὲ κατέβαινε Μωυσῆς ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους, καὶ αἱ δύο πλάκες ἐπὶ τῶν χειρῶν Μωυσῆ· καταβαίνοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους, Μωυσῆς οὐκ ᾔδει ὅτι δεδόξασται ἡ ὄψις τοῦ χρώματος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ λαλεῖν αὐτὸν αὐτῷ

Exodus 34:29 (NETS)

Exodus 34:29 (English Elpenor)
And as Moyses was descending from the mountain, the two tablets also were in Moyses’ hands. Now as he was descending from the mountain, Moyses did not know that the appearance of the skin of his face was charged with glory while he was speaking to him. And when Moses went down from the mountain, [there were] the two tables in the hands of Moses,– as then he went down from the mountain, Moses knew not that the appearance of the skin of his face was glorified, when God spoke to him.

Exodus 34:30 (Tanakh)

Exodus 34:30 (KJV)

Exodus 34:30 (NET)
And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face sent forth beams; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to approach him.

Exodus 34:30 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 34:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδεν Ααρων καὶ πάντες οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Ισραηλ τὸν Μωυσῆν καὶ ἦν δεδοξασμένη ἡ ὄψις τοῦ χρώματος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν ἐγγίσαι αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶδεν ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ πάντες οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ᾿Ισραὴλ τὸν Μωυσῆν καὶ ἦν δεδοξασμένη ἡ ὄψις τοῦ χρώματος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν ἐγγίσαι αὐτῷ

Exodus 34:30 (NETS)

Exodus 34:30 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron and all the elders of Israel saw Moyses, and the appearance of the skin of his face was charged with glory, and they were afraid to come near him. And Aaron and all the elders of Israel saw Moses, and the appearance of the skin of his face was made glorious, and they feared to approach him.

Exodus 34:31 (Tanakh)

Exodus 34:31 (KJV)

Exodus 34:31 (NET)
And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him; and Moses spoke to them. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. But Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and Moses spoke to them.

Exodus 34:31 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 34:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς Μωυσῆς καὶ ἐπεστράφησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ααρων καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς συναγωγῆς καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς Μωυσῆς, καὶ ἐπεστράφησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς συναγωγῆς, καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς

Exodus 34:31 (NETS)

Exodus 34:31 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses called them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation turned to him, and Moyses spoke to them. And Moses called them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the synagogue turned towards him, and Moses spoke to them.

Exodus 34:32 (Tanakh)

Exodus 34:32 (KJV)

Exodus 34:32 (NET)
And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh, and he gave them in commandment all that HaShem had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. After this all the Israelites approached, and he commanded them all that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.

Exodus 34:32 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 34:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα προσῆλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σινα καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα προσῆλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς πάντα, ὅσα ἐνετείλατο Κύριος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σινά

Exodus 34:32 (NETS)

Exodus 34:32 (English Elpenor)
And after these things all the sons of Israel drew near to him, and he commanded them all the things that the Lord said to him on the mountain, Sina. And afterwards all the children of Israel came to him, and he commanded them all things, whatsoever the Lord had commanded him in the mount of Sina.

Exodus 34:33 (Tanakh)

Exodus 34:33 (KJV)

Exodus 34:33 (NET)
And when Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. When Moses finished speaking with them, he would put a veil on his face.

Exodus 34:33 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 34:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπειδὴ κατέπαυσεν λαλῶν πρὸς αὐτούς ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ κάλυμμα καὶ ἐπειδὴ κατέπαυσε λαλῶν πρὸς αὐτούς, ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ κάλυμμα

Exodus 34:33 (NETS)

Exodus 34:33 (English Elpenor)
And when he stopped speaking to them, he placed a covering over his face. And when he ceased speaking to them, he put a veil on his face.

1 2 Corinthians 3:10 (NET) Table

2 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET)

3 John 1:33b (NET)

4 Romans 8:3, 4 (NET)

5 2 Corinthians 3:13 (NET) Table

6 2 Corinthians 3:14a (NET) Table

7 Romans 4:15 (NET) Table

8 Romans 3:20 (NET)

9 2 Corinthians 3:14b (NET) Table

10 2 Corinthians 3:15-18 (NET)

11 2 Timothy 2:13 (NET) Table

12 Romans 11:22-24 (NET)

13 Romans 11:29-32 (NET)

Romans, Part 46

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If it is service (διακονίαν, a form of διακονία), Paul wrote, to continue considering the different gifts (χαρίσματα, a form of χάρισμα) that comprise the diversity of oneness, he must serve (διακονίᾳ, another form of διακονία).1  Paul wrote to the Corinthians about different gifts (χαρισμάτων, another form of χάρισμα) and different ministries (διακονιῶν, another form of διακονία): the message of wisdom…the message of knowledge…faith…gifts (χαρίσματα) of healing…performance of miracles…prophecy…discernment of spirits…different kinds of tongues, and…the interpretation of tongues [Table].2  Yet in the previous chapter of Romans Paul wrote, Seeing that I am an apostle (ἀπόστολος) to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry (διακονίαν, a form of διακονία)…3  As I consider this and the historical fact that most of the different ministries (διακονιῶν, another form of διακονία) listed in 1 Corinthians above were associated with Jesus’ apostles, I assume that the ministry (διακονίαν, a form of διακονία) of an apostle was the service (διακονίαν, a form of διακονία) Paul had primarily in mind in Romans 12.

Still, the service (διακονίαν, a form of διακονία) most associated with the apostles is the ministry (διακονία) of reconciliation: God…reconciled us to himself through Christ, and…has given us the ministry (διακονία) of reconciliation.4  And the ministry (διακονία) of reconciliation is nothing less than the ministry (διακονία) of the Spirit, the ministry (διακονία) that produces righteousness (2 Corinthians 3:7-9 NET).

But if the ministry (διακονία) that produced death – carved in letters on stone tablets – came with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective) [Table], how much more glorious will the ministry (διακονία) of the Spirit be?  For if there was glory in the ministry (διακονίᾳ, another form of διακονία) that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry (διακονία) that produces righteousness excel in glory! [Table]

It was [Jesus], Paul wrote the Ephesians, who gave some as apostles (ἀποστόλους, another form of ἀπόστολος)…5  And God has placed in the church first apostles6 (ἀποστόλους, another form of ἀπόστολος), he wrote the Corinthians.  Not all are apostles (ἀπόστολοι, another form of ἀπόστολος), are they?7 Paul asked rhetorically.

If [the gift] is teaching (διδάσκων, a form of διδάσκω), Paul continued in Romans, he must teach (διδασκαλίᾳ, a form of διδασκαλία).8  In Corinth the Lord said to Paul by a vision in the night, “Do not be afraid,but speak and do not be silent, because I am with you, and no one will assault you to harm you, because I have many people in this city” [Table].  So9 he stayed there a year and six months, teaching (διδάσκων, a form of διδάσκω) the word of God among them.10  Paul11 lived12 [in Rome] two whole years in his own rented quarters and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching (διδάσκων, a form of διδάσκω) about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction [Table].13

I was appointed, Paul wrote Timothy, a preacher and apostle (ἀπόστολος) and teacher (διδάσκαλος)14 of the fact that our Savior Christ Jesus…has broken the power of death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.15  Apparently Timothy was also appointed as a teacher.  Until I come, Paul wrote to him, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation, to teaching (διδασκαλίᾳ, a form of διδασκαλία).16  And he continued (1 Timothy 4:14-16 NET):

Do not neglect the spiritual gift (χαρίσματος, another form of χάρισμα) you have, given to you and confirmed by prophetic words (προφητείας, another form of προφητεία) when the elders laid hands on you.  Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress.  Be conscientious about how you live and what you teach (διδασκαλίᾳ, a form of διδασκαλία).  Persevere in this, because by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

It was [Jesus], Paul wrote the Ephesians, who gave some…as pastors and teachers (διδασκάλους, another form of διδάσκαλος), to equip the saints for the work of ministry (διακονίας, another form of διακονία), that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.17  And God has placed in the church…third teachers18 (διδασκάλους, another form of διδάσκαλος), he wrote the Corinthians.  Not all are teachers (διδάσκαλοι, another form of διδάσκαλος), are they? He asked rhetorically.  He also gave Timothy the following prophetic warning (2 Timothy 4:3 NET):

 For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound (ὑγιαινούσης, a form of ὑγιαίνω) teaching (διδασκαλίας, another form of διδασκαλία).  Instead, following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers (διδασκάλους, another form of διδάσκαλος) for themselves, because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things [Table].

In other words, the teachers most honored by people and the teachers spiritually gifted to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature, may not be one and the same.  But the next gift to consider may provide a method for distinguishing between the two.

If [the gift] is exhortation (παρακαλῶν, a form of παρακαλέω), Paul continued in Romans, he must exhort (παρακλήσει, a form of παράκλησις)…19  Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Paul began his second letter to the Corinthians, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort (παρακλήσεως, another form of παράκλησις), who comforts (παρακαλῶν, a form of παρακαλέω) us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort (παρακαλεῖν, another form of παρακαλέω) those experiencing any trouble with the comfort (παρακλήσεως, another form of παράκλησις) with which we ourselves are comforted (παρακαλούμεθα, another form of παρακαλέω) by God.20

Paul wrote again about receiving God’s exhortation through the message brought by Titus:  But God, who encourages (παρακαλῶν, a form of παρακαλέω) the downhearted, encouraged (παρεκάλεσεν, another form of παρακαλέω) us by the arrival of Titus.  We were encouraged not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement (παρακλήσει, a form of παράκλησις) you gave (παρεκλήθη, another form of παρακαλέω) him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your deep concern for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever.21

The Corinthians’ longing, mourning and deep concern for Paul also exhorted him: I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf.  I am filled with encouragement (παρακλήσει, a form of παράκλησις); I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering.22  Therefore we have been encouraged (παρακεκλήμεθα, another form of παρακαλέω).  And in addition to our23 own encouragement (παρακλήσει, a form of παράκλησις), we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit.24  And Paul told Timothy not only to teach but to comfort and encourage his people in a similar manner: Until I come, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhortation (παρακλήσει, a form of παράκλησις), to teaching (διδασκαλία).25

A teacher’s exhortation reveals that teacher’s knowledge and faith.  It may even be another valid way to test the spirits to determine if they are from God.26  Surely the Spirit from God knows the depth (βάθος) of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God,27 that from him and through him and to him are all things.28  For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep (βάθη, a form of βάθος) things of God.29  Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God,30 John wrote.  Does a given teacher comfort me with the knowledge of the love that God has in us, or encourage me to believe the love that God has in us31 in Jesus, the Christ who has come in the flesh, the Son of God, through his Holy Spirit?  Or does that teacher rob me of such comfort, and encourage me to know or to believe or to do something else instead?

 

Addendum: June 11, 2026
Tables comparing Acts 18:11 and 2 Corinthians 7:13 in the KJV and NET follow.

Acts 18:11 (NET)

Acts 18:11 (KJV)
So he stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Acts 18:11 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 18:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 18:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἐκάθισεν δὲ ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ μῆνας ἓξ διδάσκων ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ εκαθισεν τε ενιαυτον και μηνας εξ διδασκων εν αυτοις τον λογον του θεου εκαθισεν τε ενιαυτον και μηνας εξ διδασκων εν αυτοις τον λογον του θεου

2 Corinthians 7:13 (NET)

2 Corinthians 7:13 (KJV)
Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus because all of you have refreshed his spirit. Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

2 Corinthians 7:13 (NET Parallel Greek)

2 Corinthians 7:13 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

2 Corinthians 7:13 (Byzantine Majority Text)
διὰ τοῦτο παρακεκλήμεθα. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ παρακλήσει ἡμῶν περισσοτέρως μᾶλλον ἐχάρημεν ἐπὶ τῇ χαρᾷ Τίτου, ὅτι ἀναπέπαυται τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ πάντων ὑμῶν δια τουτο παρακεκλημεθα επι τη παρακλησει υμων περισσοτερως δε μαλλον εχαρημεν επι τη χαρα τιτου οτι αναπεπαυται το πνευμα αυτου απο παντων υμων δια τουτο παρακεκλημεθα επι δε τη παρακλησει υμων περισσοτερως μαλλον εχαρημεν επι τη χαρα τιτου οτι αναπεπαυται το πνευμα αυτου απο παντων υμων

1 Romans 12:7a (NET)

2 1 Corinthians 12:4, 5, 8-10 (NET)

3 Romans 11:13b (NET) Table

4 2 Corinthians 5:18 (NET) Table

5 Ephesians 4:11a (NET)

6 1 Corinthians 12:28a (NET) Table

7 1 Corinthians 12:29a (NET)

8 Romans 12:7b (NET)

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

10 Acts 18:9-11 (NET)

13 Acts 28:30, 31 (NET)

14 2 Timothy 1:11 (NET) Table

15 2 Timothy 1:10 (NET)

16 1 Timothy 4:13 (NET)

17 Ephesians 4:11-13 (NET)

18 1 Corinthians 12:28 (NET) Table

19 Romans 12:8 (NET)

20 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 (NET)

21 2 Corinthians 7:6, 7 (NET)

22 2 Corinthians 7:4 (NET)

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

24 2 Corinthians 7:13 (NET)

25 1 Timothy 4:13 (NET)

26 1 John 4:1 (NET)

27 Romans 11:33a (NET)

28 Romans 11:36a (NET)

29 1 Corinthians 2:10b (NET) Table

30 1 John 4:2 (NET) Table

Son of God – 1 John, Part 3

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Dear friends, John wrote to fellow believers, let us love (ἀγαπῶμεν, a form of ἀγαπάω) one another, because love (ἀγάπη) is from God, and everyone who loves (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω) by God and knows (γινώσκει, a form of γινώσκω) God.1  John used the word ἀγαπῶμεν over and over again in his letters to describe this love (ἀγάπη).

For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love (ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν) one another (ἀλλήλους)…2  We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love (ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν) our fellow Christians (τοὺς ἀδελφούς).3  Little children, let us not love (μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν) with word or with tongue (λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ) but in deed and truth.4  Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love (καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν) one another (ἀλλήλους), just as he gave us the commandment.5  No one has seen God at any time.  If we love (ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν) one another (ἀλλήλους), God resides in us, and his love (ἀγάπη) is perfected in us.6  We love (ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν) because he loved (ἠγάπησεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) us first.7  By this we know that we love (ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν) the children of God (τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ): whenever we love God (ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν) and obey8 his commandments (καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν).9  But now I ask you, lady (not as if I were writing a new commandment to you, but the one we have had from the beginning), that we love (ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν)10 one another (ἀλλήλους).11

This love (ἀγάπη) is from God,12 not from us.  It is the love (ἀγάπη) that does no wrong to a neighbor, and the love (ἀγάπη) that is the fulfillment of the law.13  It is the love (ἀγάπη) that is patient, the love (ἀγάπη) that is kind, and the love (ἀγάπη) that does not brag.14  It is the love (ἀγάπη) that never ends as opposed to prophecies, tongues and knowledge that will be set aside.15  It is one of the three that remain along with faith and hope, but the greatest of these is love (ἀγάπη).16  It is the love (ἀγάπη) of Christ17 that controls (συνέχει, a form of συνέχω) us,18 and it is the love that holds the preeminent place in the fruit of his Spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love (ἀγάπη), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law [Table].19

John emphasized, everyone who loves has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω) by God and knows (γινώσκει, a form of γινώσκω) God.20  The person who does not love (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) me, Jesus said, does not obey (τηρεῖ, a form of τηρέω) my words.  And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.21  And Paul wrote, the one who loves (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) his neighbor has fulfilled the law.22

This love is the natural (e.g., super-natural) state of those born (γεννηθῇ, another form of γεννάω) from above,23 born (γεννηθῇ) of water and spirit,24 not born (ἐγεννήθησαν, another form of  γεννάω) by human parents (οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, literally, “not out of blood”) or by human desire (οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, literally, “neither out from the will of the flesh”) or a husband’s decision (οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς, literally, “neither out from the will of a husband”), but by God (ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν, literally, “but out from God born”).25

If you know (εἰδῆτε, a form of εἴδω) that he is righteous, John wrote, you also26 know (γινώσκετε, another form of γινώσκω) that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω) by him.27  Everyone who has been fathered (γεγεννημένος, another form of γεννάω) by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered (γεγέννηται) by God.28  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered (γεγέννηται) by God…29

I am the good shepherd, Jesus said.  I know (γινώσκω) my own and my own know (γινώσκουσι, another form of γινώσκω) me [Table] – just as the Father knows (γινώσκει, another form of γινώσκω) me and I know (γινώσκω) the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.30  And John added, The person who does not love (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) does not know (ἔγνω, another form of γινώσκω) God, because God is love (ἀγάπη).31  The point here is not for me to act like a hypocrite and turn Paul’s definition of ἀγάπη into a list of rules I strive to obey to con people into believing that I have been fathered by God.  The point is for me to believe Him and receive all that He has given to me in Christ.

By this the love (ἀγάπη) of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him.  In this is love (ἀγάπη): not that we have loved (ἠγαπήκαμεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) God, but that he loved (ἠγάπησεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins [Table].32

Dear friends (Ἀγαπητοί, a form of ἀγαπητός), John continued, if God so loved (ἠγάπησεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) us, then we also ought to love (ἀγαπᾶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) one another.  No one has seen God at any time.  If we love (ἀγαπῶμεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) one another, God resides in us, and his love (ἀγάπη) is perfected in us.33  Once again, lest I stray into hypocrisy believing that this ἀγάπη originates with me so that I may prove that God resides in me, John made it plain.  By this we know (γινώσκομεν, another form of γινώσκω) that we reside in God and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit,34 both gifts and fruit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world,35 i.e., through his ἀγάπη (God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him).

Then John connected knowing and believing this ἀγάπη with confessing that Jesus is the Son of God:  If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God [Table].  And we have come to know (ἐγνώκαμεν, another form of γινώσκω) and to believe (πεπιστεύκαμεν, a form of πιστεύω) the love (ἀγάπην, another form of ἀγάπη) that God has in us [Table].36  I began this study of the Son of God because I was curious37 how Peter, James and John followed through on Jesus’ command to tell (after his resurrection)38 about the vision when a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight.  Listen to him!”39

Peter obeyed Jesus’ command to the letter.  He recounted the story of the transfiguration.40  But John wrote more in the spirit of Jesus’ command about the Son of God and all that meant.  From the very beginning of his ministry Paul proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God: For several days [Paul]41 was with the disciples in Damascus [Table], and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “This man is the Son of God” [Table]42  And the writings of John and Paul most vividly portray the truth, And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us.  I can’t say much about Peter’s knowledge or faith, but his writing did not convey this same knowledge and faith in God’s love.

You have not seen him, Peter wrote, but you love (ἀγαπᾶτε, a form of ἀγαπάω) him.  You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy [Table], because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.43  This sounds like my feeling for Jesus rather than his ἀγάπη in us.  You have purified your souls by obeying the truth, Peter continued, in order to show sincere mutual love (φιλαδελφίαν, a form of φιλαδελφία).  So love (ἀγαπήσατε, a form of ἀγαπάω) one another earnestly from a pure heart.44  This sounds like our love for each other.  Perhaps brotherly affection and ἀγάπη were essentially interchangeable in the Greek language when Peter wrote.  But this usage doesn’t indicate any appreciation for the meaning that Paul ascribed to the ἀγάπη from God, or that John carried forward in his Gospel and letters.

Peter continued to make brotherly affection equivalent to ἀγάπη.  Honor all people, love (ἀγαπᾶτε, a form of ἀγαπάω) the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.45  Above all keep your love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη) for one another fervent, because love (ἀγάπη) covers a multitude of sins.46  The love in this quotation of Proverbs 10:12 was φιλία in the Septuagint not ἀγάπη.  And Peter used ἀγάπη to describe a religious rite: Greet one another with a loving (ἀγάπης, a form of ἀγάπη) kiss.47

He did grant some ascendency to ἀγάπη over φιλαδελφίᾳ (brotherly affection) when he wrote, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection (φιλαδελφίαν, a form of φιλαδελφίᾳ); to brotherly affection (φιλαδελφίᾳ), unselfish love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη).48  But while I was busy adding all of these things to my faith I failed to understand that God’s divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence.49  Or I thought the rich knowledge of the one who called us and the key to this life and godliness was the law.  

In other words I mistook the knowledge of sin50 for the knowledge of God,51 that intimate form of knowing alluded to in Romans 7:4, God is ἀγάπη,52 ἀγάπη is from God,53 and ἀγάπη is the fulfillment (πλήρωμα; fulfilling KJV) of the law.54  Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, Jesus said.  I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, a form of πληρόω) them.55  Apart from Paul’s and John’s writings I never would have understood that this ἀγάπη from God was the fruit of the Spirit, and, in a word, the credited righteousness of God.

God is love, John wrote, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him [Table].  By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world.  There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love.  We love because he loved us first [Table].56  For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments.  And his commandments do not weigh us down, because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world.  This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our57 faith [i.e., in Him, yes, and in this love (ἀγάπην, another form of ἀγάπη) that God has in us; Table].  Now58 who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?59

If we accept the testimony of men, John continued, the testimony of God is greater [referring, I think, to the vision of the transfiguration], because this is the testimony of God that60 he has testified concerning his Son.  (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself;61 the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.)62  And this is the testimony… And here, I think, John made the ἀγάπη from God functionally equivalent63 to the life that is eternal (Love never ends).64  God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life.  I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.65

And finally having received this ἀγάπη from God (Give us today our daily bread66):  We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one (πονηρὸς, a form of πονηρός) cannot touch him [Table].  [And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (πονηροῦ, another form of πονηρός).67]  We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (πονηρῷ, another form of πονηρός).  And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ.  This one is the true God and eternal life.  Little children, guard yourselves from idols.68

It takes a religious mind to be in close proximity to this ἀγάπη from God and yet reject it for the self-aggrandizing vindication of religious works.  For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.69  I’ve been there, and I’ve done that.

I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! – that I may gain Christ [Table],  and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.  My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead [Table].70

 

Addendum: June 7, 2026
Tables comparing 1 John 5:2; 2:29; 1 Peter 5:14; 1 John 5:5; 5:9, 10 and 5:13 in the KJV and NET follow.

1 John 5:2 (NET)

1 John 5:2 (KJV)
>By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

1 John 5:2 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 5:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 5:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν εν τουτω γινωσκομεν οτι αγαπωμεν τα τεκνα του θεου οταν τον θεον αγαπωμεν και τας εντολας αυτου τηρωμεν εν τουτω γινωσκομεν οτι αγαπωμεν τα τεκνα του θεου οταν τον θεον αγαπωμεν και τας εντολας αυτου τηρωμεν

1 John 2:29 (NET)

1 John 2:29 (KJV)
If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered by him. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

1 John 2:29 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 2:29 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 2:29 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐὰν εἰδῆτε ὅτι δίκαιος ἐστιν, γινώσκετε ὅτι |καὶ| πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται εαν ειδητε οτι δικαιος εστιν γινωσκετε οτι πας ο ποιων την δικαιοσυνην εξ αυτου γεγεννηται εαν ειδητε οτι δικαιος εστιν γινωσκετε οτι πας ο ποιων την δικαιοσυνην εξ αυτου γεγεννηται

1 Peter 5:14 (NET)

1 Peter 5:14 (KJV)
Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

1 Peter 5:14 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Peter 5:14 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Peter 5:14 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἀγάπης. Εἰρήνη ὑμῖν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ ασπασασθε αλληλους εν φιληματι αγαπης ειρηνη υμιν πασιν τοις εν χριστω ιησου αμην ασπασασθε αλληλους εν φιληματι αγαπης ειρηνη υμιν πασιν τοις εν χριστω ιησου αμην

1 John 5:5 (NET)

1 John 5:5 (KJV)
Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

1 John 5:5 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 5:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 5:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Τίς [δέ] ἐστιν ὁ νικῶν τὸν κόσμον εἰ μὴ ὁ πιστεύων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τις εστιν ο νικων τον κοσμον ει μη ο πιστευων οτι ιησους εστιν ο υιος του θεου τις εστιν ο νικων τον κοσμον ει μη ο πιστευων οτι ιησους εστιν ο υιος του θεου

1 John 5:9, 10 (NET)

1 John 5:9, 10 (KJV)
If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

1 John 5:9 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 5:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 5:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἰ τὴν μαρτυρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνομεν, ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦ μείζων ἐστίν· ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι μεμαρτύρηκεν περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ει την μαρτυριαν των ανθρωπων λαμβανομεν η μαρτυρια του θεου μειζων εστιν οτι αυτη εστιν η μαρτυρια του θεου ην μεμαρτυρηκεν περι του υιου αυτου ει την μαρτυριαν των ανθρωπων λαμβανομεν η μαρτυρια του θεου μειζων εστιν οτι αυτη εστιν η μαρτυρια του θεου ην μεμαρτυρηκεν περι του υιου αυτου
(The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.) He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

1 John 5:10 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 5:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 5:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
(ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἔχει τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἐν |ἑαυτῷ|, ὁ μὴ πιστεύων τῷ θεῷ ψεύστην πεποίηκεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὐ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἣν μεμαρτύρηκεν ὁ θεὸς περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ.) ο πιστευων εις τον υιον του θεου εχει την μαρτυριαν εν εαυτω ο μη πιστευων τω θεω ψευστην πεποιηκεν αυτον οτι ου πεπιστευκεν εις την μαρτυριαν ην μεμαρτυρηκεν ο θεος περι του υιου αυτου ο πιστευων εις τον υιον του θεου εχει την μαρτυριαν εν αυτω ο μη πιστευων τω θεω ψευστην πεποιηκεν αυτον οτι ου πεπιστευκεν εις την μαρτυριαν ην μεμαρτυρηκεν ο θεος περι του υιου αυτου

1 John 5:13 (NET)

1 John 5:13 (KJV)
I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

1 John 5:13 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 John 5:13 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 John 5:13 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ταῦτα ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ἵνα εἰδῆτε ὅτι ζωὴν ἔχετε αἰώνιον, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ταυτα εγραψα υμιν τοις πιστευουσιν εις το ονομα του υιου του θεου ινα ειδητε οτι ζωην εχετε αιωνιον και ινα πιστευητε εις το ονομα του υιου του θεου ταυτα εγραψα υμιν τοις πιστευουσιν εις το ονομα του υιου του θεου ινα ειδητε οτι ζωην αιωνιον εχετε και ινα πιστευητε εις το ονομα του υιου του θεου

1 1 John 4:7 (NET)

2 1 John 3:11 (NET)

3 1 John 3:14 (NET) Table

4 1 John 3:18 (NET) Table

5 1 John 3:23 (NET) Table

6 1 John 4:12 (NET)

7 1 John 4:19 (NET) Table

8 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ποιῶμεν here, a form of ποιέω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τηρωμεν (KJV: keep), a form of τηρέω.

9 1 John 5:2 (NET)

10 Why was “should” inserted into 1 John 3:11 (NET)? …that we should love one another… (ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους).  1 John 4:19 (NET) We love because he loved us first (ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς).  1 John 5:2 (NET) By this we know that we love the children of God (ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ): whenever we love God and obey his commandments, (ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν).

11 2 John 1:5 (NET) Table

12 1 John 4:7 (NET)

13 Romans 13:10 (NET)

14 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NET)

15 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NET) Table

16 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET)

17 NET note 26: “The phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ (hē agapē tou Christou, ‘the love of Christ’) could be translated as either objective genitive (‘our love for Christ’) or subjective genitive (‘Christ’s love for us’). Either is grammatically possible, but with the reference to Christ’s death for all in the following clauses, a subjective genitive (‘Christ’s love for us’) is more likely.”

18 2 Corinthians 5:14 (NET) Table

19 Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

20 1 John 4:7 (NET)

21 John 14:24 (NET)

22 Romans 13:8 (NET)

23 John 3:3 (NET) Table

24 John 3:5 (NET) Table

25 John 1:13 (NET)

27 1 John 2:29 (NET)

28 1 John 3:9 (NET)

29 1 John 5:1a (NET) Table

30 John 10:14, 15 (NET)

31 1 John 4:8 (NET)

32 1 John 4:9, 10 (NET)

33 1 John 4:11, 12 (NET)

34 1 John 4:13 (NET)

35 1 John 4:14 (NET)

36 1 John 4:15, 16a (NET)

39 Matthew 17:5 (NET)

41 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο σαυλος (KJV: Saul) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

42 Acts 9:19b, 20 (NET)

43 1 Peter 1:8, 9 (NET)

44 1 Peter 1:22 (NET) Table

45 1 Peter 2:17 (NET) Table

46 1 Peter 4:8 (NET) Table

47 1 Peter 5:14a (NET)

48 2 Peter 1:5-7 (NET)

49 2 Peter 1:3 (NET) Table

53 1 John 4:7 (NET); love comes from God (CEV, GWT, ISVNT, TEV, TMSG); love has its origin in God (MSNT), Greek: ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν (“because this love [1) out of, from, by, away from] the God is”)

55 Matthew 5:17 (NET)

56 1 John 4:16b-19 (NET)

57 The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus had ἡμῶν here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had υμων (plural “your”).

59 1 John 5:3-5 (NET)

60 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the conjunction ὅτι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the relative pronoun ην (KJV: which).

61 The NET parallel Greek text and Stephanus Textus Receptus had ἑαυτῷ here, a form of the reflexive pronoun ἑαυτοῦ in the dative case, where the Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had the personal pronoun αὐτῷ (“him”), a form of αὐτός in the dative case.

62 1 John 5:9, 10 (NET)

65 1 John 5:11-13 (NET) The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και ινα πιστευητε εις το ονομα του υιου του θεου (KJV: and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

66 Matthew 6:11 (NET)

67 Matthew 6:13 (NET) Table

68 1 John 5:18-21 (NET)

69 Romans 10:3 (NET)

70 Philippians 3:8-11 (NET)

Antichrist, Part 5

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“After premiering at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where Gainsbourg won the festival’s award for Best Actress, [“Antichrist”] immediately caused controversy, with critics generally praising the film’s artistic execution but strongly divided regarding its substantive merit…The ecumenical jury at the Cannes festival gave the film a special ‘anti-award’ and declared the film to be ‘the most misogynist movie from the self-proclaimed biggest director in the world’.  Cannes festival director Thierry Frémaux responded that this was a ‘ridiculous decision that borders on a call for censorship’ and that it was ‘scandalous coming from an ecumenical jury’.”1

“The Ecumenical Jury (French: Jury Œcuménique) is one of three juries at the Cannes Film Festival…The award was created by Christian film makers, film critics and other film professionals.  The objective of the award is to ‘honour works of artistic quality which witnesses to the power of film to reveal the mysterious depths of human beings through what concerns them, their hurts and failings as well as their hopes.’”2  Given that objective I tend to agree in part with Thierry Frémaux that labeling Antichrist “the most misogynist movie” was a “ridiculous decision.”  But I still asked myself, was it misogynist?

A blurb from “Gynocide: Hysterectomy, Capitalist Patriarchy, and the Medical Abuse Of Women” by Mariarosa Dalla Costa, read: “How much of contemporary medical practice still derives from a practice rooted in the witch-hunts that plagued Europe from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century, and burned at the stake, after horrible torture, hundreds of thousands of midwives and healers along with other poor women — the greatest sexocide in recorded history?  Women’s bodies and their medical knowledge were burned on those stakes to be replaced by a male “science” and a male gynecological profession controlled by the state and church.”3

From that perspective perhaps her defection from her thesis on gynocide in a story written by a man could be viewed as misogynist.  But she was far and away the more sympathetic character in my opinion.  He was at best a tool of male dominated “science,” and at worst the perpetrator of the very violence Mariarosa Dalla Costa decried.  I can reach no definitive conclusion, even in my own mind.  What was important to me was what the film brought to my attention about me.

I already mentioned how I repressed my own feelings and realized that my wife at least should know them and my reasons for acting contrary to them.  Another thing “Antichrist” brought to my attention (or perhaps I should say, the Lord brought to my attention through viewing and considering the film) was that despite the Scripture and my own experience I still harbor a romantic notion that there is some innate goodness in women that desires and pursues love (ἀγάπη) over power, property and prestige.

Except for organized sports (and disorganized sports where I was socialized by peers), I was socialized by women.  They all believed themselves to be morally superior to men.  “You’re just like your father,” was not the way my mother expressed her approval of me.  But “Antichrist” compelled me to stare down my socialization and acknowledge the fact that a woman who rejects the grace of God in Jesus Christ and his credited righteousness is as lost as any man.

I was prepped for this by its inverse in the “Twilight” series.  Talking with a female coworker I mentioned that I understood why young men didn’t like the movie.  While female sexuality personified by Bella was all sweetness and light, male sexuality personified by Edward and Jacob was portrayed as dark and dangerous and evil.  “That’s kind of hard on young men,” I said.

“Because it’s so true,” she replied.

I said, no, I didn’t think it was true, but it got me thinking about my upbringing.  I learned that my only interest in females was to fuck them from women.  That’s partly true because I shunned boys or men who felt or talked that way about girls or women.  But my own feelings that she was pretty, or that I liked to hear her voice, or that we shared interests and liked to talk to one another were completely brushed aside for the occult truth that I wanted to fuck her.  And this was at a time in my development before I knew what fucking was, or, later, before I had overcome my childish aversion to fucking as silly, embarrassing and mildly disgusting.  But the only way I could be kept from fucking her was to have no friendships with girls when young, and no unchaperoned associations with young women when older.

God help the first woman who finds herself alone with a man socialized like this!  And, no, I didn’t rape her.  I did keep her out way too late—talking.  I had a lot of lost time to make up for.  But I didn’t have a clue that my desire to talk rather than fuck was the ἐγκράτεια of the Holy Spirit.  I don’t recall knowing anything about the fruit of the Spirit at sixteen, though it’s hard to imagine that I hadn’t heard of it at all in a fundamentalist church.

I certainly didn’t understand that ἐγκράτεια (and love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness [Table]4) was formed in me by the Holy Spirit as mysteriously as a new human life is formed inside a woman.  I wouldn’t have made that sexual connection at all.  I thought self-control was something I did to prove my love for God, not something He did because He loves me (not to mention the women who crossed my path).  Or if I telescope back in time something I know I learned later, I thought ἐγκράτεια was something I had to earn by doing other religious deeds to prove my love for God.  Simply trusting Jesus’ Father for my daily bread of life was a long time coming.

There is another piece to all of this.  In my mid-twenties grappling with faith intellectually for the first time as an adult, I was troubled by “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” Paul’s recounting in Romans 4:3 (NET) of Genesis 15:6 [Greek Comparison Table], Abram believed the Lord… [Table]  Why?

I was too immature in my thinking to regard “my faith” as “my share in Christ’s faithfulness.”  I only thought of it as the new work I must do to inherit eternal life.  What was wrong (or right) with Abram that after years of empirical proof (and one scientific experiment with Sarai’s maid) to the contrary he still believed God’s promise that he would have an heir by Sarai (Sarah)?

The sermon the next Sunday was on Genesis 17.  God addressed Himself to Abram as El Shaddai.  The pastor explained briefly that El meant power.  Shaddai had at its root the word shad, the female breast.  The pastor went on with his sermon.  I was stuck right there—shocked!  God called Himself “Power Tit!?”  A “Mighty Boob!?”  I suddenly had a whole new appreciation for Woody Allen armed with a crucifix luring a savage breast into a giant bra in “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex.”  But it got my attention.

I was stuck there all afternoon, maybe for days.  I don’t actually remember.  Then, in a moment of weakness perhaps, when my religious guard was down, in my imagination I saw Abram, sweaty and spent, collapse on Sarai’s breast, resting there as if on a pillow, wondering, “could this be the time the promise of God would be fulfilled?  Will my wife’s breasts flow with life-giving milk to nourish my son?”

Then with fresh ears I heard God address Himself to Abram again as El Shaddai.  My hard heart was broken, tears flowed from my eyes, sobs and wailing erupted from my mouth as I understood that Abram believed God for the simplest reason of all.  No one would call so intimate a friend a liar to his face.

I wrote all this (minus the “Power Tit” and “Mighty Boob” part) in a letter to the pastor, part confession, part thanksgiving.  He answered my letter, writing that he used to teach the passage that way when he was younger, back East, but no longer, not in the conservative Midwest, not in a mixed congregation.  And I realized that the women of the congregation thought they were holier than God.

I wasn’t socialized by whores and prostitutes, but by wives.  And I’m old enough, from a blue collar religious background, that I think I’m safe to assume that most of their husbands were also virgins when they married, or married the woman they gave their virginity to.  These wives either had no intention to submit to their husbands5 in everything…as6 the church submits to Christ,7 or no clue that submission would include fucking or carry any sexual overtones.  They knew that their husbands wanted to fuck more than they did, and they knew that was evil, and they endeavored to purify their sons of that evil.  And I never met a believing man who stood up to them.

 

Addendum: June 1, 2026
A table comparing Ephesians 5:24 in the KJV and NET follows.

Ephesians 5:24 (NET)

Ephesians 5:24 (KJV)
But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Ephesians 5:24 (NET Parallel Greek)

Ephesians 5:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Ephesians 5:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀλλὰ ὡς ἡ ἐκκλησία ὑποτάσσεται τῷ Χριστῷ, οὕτως καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ἐν παντί αλλ ωσπερ η εκκλησια υποτασσεται τω χριστω ουτως και αι γυναικες τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν εν παντι αλλ ωσπερ η εκκλησια υποτασσεται τω χριστω ουτως και αι γυναικες τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν εν παντι

Fear – Exodus, Part 6

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The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly [Table].  They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them – they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt [Table].’”1

What follows is the classic story of the jealous Jehovah dissuaded by the brave hero Moses from carrying out his “evil” wrath on the descendants of Israel.  Moses seems to me like a man who would be horrified by this reading of his story.  I think his matter-of-fact writing style doesn’t convey tone or some of the nuance that a more artful writer (Luke, for instance) might convey.

I have seen this people, the Lord continued.  Look what a stiff-necked people they are [Table]!  So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation [Table].2  In his response, O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, Moses’ writing style paints himself as clueless as it paints Jehovah vengeful.  Yet the provocation for Jehovah’s anger is clearly stated in the rest of Moses’ rhetorical question.  O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?3

Who wouldn’t be angry if his or her beneficence was credited by its recipients to their own work?  How angry should Jehovah be when we claim that his gift of righteousness through his bearing of our sins by his death on a cross and his resurrection is by our own efforts or our own intrinsic goodness?

As I read this I heard Jehovah shouting angrily, Look what a stiff-necked people they are!  So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.  But would Moses have disobeyed Jehovah’s direct command—leave me alone—spoken in anger?  Or did he hear the lamentation in Jehovah’s voice and understand that Jehovah was asking leave of Moses to stand aside and allow Jehovah’s anger to follow its natural course and burn against them and destroy them?

Why should the Egyptians say, “For evil (raʿ, בְּרָעָה) he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth” Moses continued.  Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people.4  Again, the writing here leaves the impression that Moses didn’t understand the covenant the people agreed to, Whoever sacrifices to a god other than the Lord alone must be utterly destroyed.5  They had violated the covenant.  Did Moses expect Jehovah to violate it, too?

Moses had told the people all the Lord’s words and all the decisions.  All the people answered together, “We are willing to do all the words that the Lord has said” [Table], and Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.6  He took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people, and they said, “We are willing to do and obey all that the Lord has spoken.”7  By what authority did Moses declare the Lord Jehovah’s intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it evil?

I am not saying that Jehovah did wrong by declining to carry out the punishment demanded by the covenant.  Jehovah never bound Himself to that, but said to Moses, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.8  What I am saying is, though the collection of writings known as the Old Testament continues for many volumes, the Old Covenant as an agreement between Jehovah and the descendants of Israel to keep his commandments and receive his blessing came to its crashing conclusion right here.  When Jehovah declined to exact his vengeance on Israel according to the covenant they agreed to, when He did not purge9 the evil from Israel by executing them but showed them mercy, He consigned all [Israel] to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.10

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, Moses pleaded, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.”11  And Paul wrote the Romans (Romans 4:13-17 NET):

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith [Table].  For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified.  For the law brings wrath, because12 where there is no law there is no transgression either [Table].  For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations” [Quotation Comparison Table]).  He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.

Then the Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people.13  Moses was not as clueless as his writing style made him appear to be.  As for Jehovah—and I want to say this as reverently as possible—there is always a sense of theatricality in his interactions with human beings, for He knew this particular circumstance, this particular conversation and its particular outcome before the beginning, when He created the heavens and the earth.14  For many years I declined to tell Him about my day, my reactions to it, the ways I thought and felt about it all.  It seemed like a waste of time.  He knew me better than I knew myself.  Eventually I realized that fact alone made the retelling valuable—for me.  As I tell Him about it He points out things that I missed or didn’t understand, about me and the things that happened during the day.

As I turn my attention to the authority by which Moses declared the Lord Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it evil, I am confronted with three different instances.  All three however are the same word raʽ, רַע.  Yes, the Hebrew word for evil sounds like the Egyptian word for sun god.  Allan Langner15 wrote in the Jewish Bible Quarterly,16 “in Exodus 32:12, when Moses pleads with God…The word for evil [b’raah] can also be taken as a reference to Ra.  The verse would then read: ‘Wherefore should the Egyptians say, Ra brought them out to slay them in the mountains?’”17  Perhaps the Egyptians would have said that.  Perhaps Moses would have said that the Egyptians would say that.  Or, perhaps Moses said that the Egyptians would say that Jehovah had led Israel into, or for, an evil purpose.

None of this compels me to conclude that Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it was in fact evil.  But in the next instance—Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil (raʽ, בְּרָעָה) against your people18—Moses called Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it evil.  This was more troubling.  The note in the NET reads: “The word ‘evil’ means any kind of life-threatening or fatal calamity. ‘Evil’ is that which hinders life, interrupts life, causes pain to life, or destroys it.”  In other words, Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it would only be apparently evil from a human perspective, not actually evil from Jehovah’s perspective.

I did entertain the idea that Moses meant trouble as opposed to evil.  The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble (raʽ, בְּרָע) when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily quota of your bricks.”19  Moses used a different word (albeit the root verb) when he complained to Jehovah about it.  Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Lord, why have you caused trouble (râʽaʽ, הֲרֵעֹתָה) for this people?  Why did you ever send me?  From the time I went to speak to Pharaoh in your name, he has caused trouble (râʽaʽ, הֵרַע) for this people, and you have certainly not rescued them!”20  But the third instance was the kicker, if you will.

Then the Lord relented over the evil (raʽ, הָרָעָה) that he had said he would do to his people.21  It is simply a statement of fact, like, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.22  Here the Holy Spirit declared that Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it would have been evil from Jehovah’s perspective.  And here for Moses Jehovah Himself modeled the behavior of repentance, giving up his right of vengeance by covenant (by law) for a higher righteousness.  Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me, He said later, troubled by his own death.  Yet not my will but yours be done.23

This brings me back to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (raʽ, וָרָע).  We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard [Table], Eve replied to the serpent, but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, “You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die” [Table].24  Adam’s gezerah—and you must not touch it—and the alteration (whether Adam’s or Eve’s) of you will surely die25 to or else you will die seems to imply that Adam and Eve thought the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (raʽ, וָרָע) was poisonous or contained some intrinsic property that caused death.

This opened the door for the serpent to say, Surely you will not die.26  And Eve handled and tasted the fruit with impunity.  She didn’t die.  Of course, her eyes weren’t opened and she didn’t become like a divine being knowing good and evil (raʽ, וָרָע) either.  But when she approached her husband with the forbidden fruit she had at least part of the assurance of the shrewdest of any of the wild animals that the Lord God had made,27 and (with every breath she took) a rapidly increasing quantity of empirical proof that Adam, too, would not die from eating forbidden fruit.  Adam had only his memory of God’s word.  When he ate the forbidden fruit, the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked…28  It was unpleasant no doubt, but was it death?

My point here is that God did not give Adam knowledge of forbidden fruit when He said, You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard [Table], but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die [Table].29  He gave Adam knowledge of God, what God would do; namely, the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken [Table].  When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life [Table].30

I think it is important not to miss that distinction here as well.  When the Holy Spirit says, Then the Lord relented over the evil (raʽ, הָרָעָה) that he had said he would do to his people, He is teaching me knowledge of God rather than moral philosophy.  After this interaction with Moses, He 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.31  There is a sense here that He said to Moses my new name is, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.

It is repeated when the event occurred: The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with [Moses] there and proclaimed the Lord by name.  The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness [Table], keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” [Table].32  And for those who might rightly protest, “But the Lord is not a jolly old soul, an easy-going, devil-may-care sort of fellow,” Jehovah continued proclaiming his name: “But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”33

Granted, it is a long name, but it does me good from time to time to remember Him by name and repeat it aloud.  It is knowledge of God, who He is, what He is doing and will accomplish—and it is eternal life.34

 

Addendum: May 26, 2026
Tables comparing Exodus 24:4; 24:7; 32:14; 5:19; 5:22; 5:23 and 34:5 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 24:4; 24:7; 32:14; 5:19; 5:22; 5:23 and 34:5 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Exodus 24:4 (Tanakh)

Exodus 24:4 (KJV)

Exodus 24:4 (NET)
And Moses wrote all the words of HaShem, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the mount, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. and Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. Early in the morning he built an altar at the foot of the mountain and arranged twelve standing stones—according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Exodus 24:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 24:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔγραψεν Μωυσῆς πάντα τὰ ῥήματα κυρίου ὀρθρίσας δὲ Μωυσῆς τὸ πρωὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν θυσιαστήριον ὑπὸ τὸ ὄρος καὶ δώδεκα λίθους εἰς τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ ἔγραψε Μωυσῆς πάντα τὰ ρήματα Κυρίου. ὀρθρίσας δὲ Μωυσῆς τὸ πρωΐ ᾠκοδόμησε θυσιαστήριον ὑπὸ τὸ ὄρος καὶ δώδεκα λίθους εἰς τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ

Exodus 24:4 (NETS)

Exodus 24:4 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses wrote all the words of the Lord. Now, early in the morning, Moyses constructed an altar at the foot of the mountain and twelve stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and [set up] twelve stones for the twelve tribes of Israel.

Exodus 24:7 (Tanakh)

Exodus 24:7 (KJV)

Exodus 24:7 (NET)
And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the hearing of the people; and they said: ‘All that HaShem hath spoken will we do, and obey.’ And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. He took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people, and they said, “We are willing to do and obey all that the Lord has spoken.”

Exodus 24:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 24:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λαβὼν τὸ βιβλίον τῆς διαθήκης ἀνέγνω εἰς τὰ ὦτα τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ εἶπαν πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησεν κύριος ποιήσομεν καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα καὶ λαβὼν τὸ βιβλίον τῆς διαθήκης ἀνέγνω εἰς τὰ ὦτα τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ εἶπαν· πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησε Κύριος, ποιήσομεν καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα

Exodus 24:7 (NETS)

Exodus 24:7 (English Elpenor)
And taking the book of the covenant, he read in the ears of the people, and they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do and heed.” And he took the book of the covenant and read it in the ears of the people, and they said, All things whatsoever the Lord has spoken we will do and hearken therein.

Exodus 32:14 (Tanakh)

Exodus 32:14 (KJV)

Exodus 32:14 (NET)
And HaShem repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people. And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. Then the Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people.

Exodus 32:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἱλάσθη κύριος περὶ τῆς κακίας ἧς εἶπεν ποιῆσαι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἱλάσθη Κύριος περὶ τῆς κακίας, ἧς εἶπε ποιῆσαι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ

Exodus 32:14 (NETS)

Exodus 32:14 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord was propitiated concerning the harm that he said he would do to his people. And the Lord was prevailed upon to preserve his people.

Exodus 5:19 (Tanakh)

Exodus 5:19 (KJV)

Exodus 5:19 (NET)
And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were set on mischief, when they said: ‘Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily task.’ And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task. The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily quota of your bricks.”

Exodus 5:19 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 5:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἑώρων δὲ οἱ γραμματεῖς τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἑαυτοὺς ἐν κακοῖς λέγοντες οὐκ ἀπολείψετε τῆς πλινθείας τὸ καθῆκον τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἑώρων δὲ οἱ γραμματεῖς τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἑαυτοὺς ἐν κακοῖς λέγοντες· οὐκ ἀπολείψετε τῆς πλινθείας τὸ καθῆκον τῇ ἡμέρᾳ

Exodus 5:19 (NETS)

Exodus 5:19 (English Elpenor)
Now the recorders of the sons of Israel were seeing themselves in difficulties, because they were saying, “You shall not come short of the customary amount of brick-making daily.” And the accountants of the children of Israel saw themselves in an evil light, [men] saying, Ye shall not fail to deliver the daily rate of the brick-making.

Exodus 5:22 (Tanakh)

Exodus 5:22 (KJV)

Exodus 5:22 (NET)
And Moses returned unto HaShem, and said: ‘L-rd, wherefore hast Thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that Thou hast sent me? And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why did you ever send me?

Exodus 5:22 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 5:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπέστρεψεν δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς κύριον καὶ εἶπεν κύριε διὰ τί ἐκάκωσας τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον καὶ ἵνα τί ἀπέσταλκάς με ἐπέστρεψε δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς Κύριον καὶ εἶπε· δέομαι, Κύριε· τί ἐκάκωσας τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον; καὶ ἱνατί ἀπέσταλκάς με

Exodus 5:22 (NETS)

Exodus 5:22 (English Elpenor)
Then Moyses turned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why did you harm this people? And why have you sent me? And Moses turned to the Lord, and said, I pray, Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? and wherefore hast thou sent me?

Exodus 5:23 (Tanakh)

Exodus 5:23 (KJV)

Exodus 5:23 (NET)
For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all.’ For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. From the time I went to speak to Pharaoh in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have certainly not rescued them!”

Exodus 5:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 5:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀφ᾽ οὗ πεπόρευμαι πρὸς Φαραω λαλῆσαι ἐπὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι ἐκάκωσεν τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον καὶ οὐκ ἐρρύσω τὸν λαόν σου καὶ ἀφ᾿ οὗ πεπόρευμαι πρὸς Φαραὼ λαλῆσαι ἐπὶ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι, ἐκάκωσε τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, καὶ οὐκ ἐρρύσω τὸν λαόν σου

Exodus 5:23 (NETS)

Exodus 5:23 (English Elpenor)
Even from the time when I have gone in to Pharao to speak in your name, he has harmed the people, and you have not delivered your people.” For from the time that I went to Pharao to speak in thy name, he has afflicted this people, and thou hast not delivered thy people.

Exodus 34:5 (Tanakh)

Exodus 34:5 (KJV)

Exodus 34:5 (NET)
And HaShem descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of HaShem. And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord by name.

Exodus 34:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 34:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ κατέβη κύριος ἐν νεφέλῃ καὶ παρέστη αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου καὶ κατέβη Κύριος ἐν νεφέλῃ καὶ παρέστη αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ· καὶ ἐκάλεσε τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου

Exodus 34:5 (NETS)

Exodus 34:5 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord descended in a cloud, and he stood beside him there, and he called the name of the Lord. And the Lord descended in a cloud, and stood near him there, and called by the name of the Lord.

1 Exodus 32:7, 8 (NET)

2 Exodus 32:9, 10 (NET)

3 Exodus 32:11 (NET) Table

4 Exodus 32:12 (NET) Table

5 Exodus 22:20 (NET) Table

6 Exodus 24:3, 4a (NET)

7 Exodus 24:7 (NET)

8 Exodus 33:19b (NET) Table

9 Deuteronomy 13:5 (NET) Table

10 Romans 11:32 (NET)

11 Exodus 32:13 (NET) Table

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

13 Exodus 32:14 (NET)

14 Genesis 1:1 (NET) Table

15 From the footnote in “THE GOLDEN CALF AND RA”: “Allan M. Langner was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1948. He was Rabbi of Congregation Beth-El, Mt. Royal, Quebec, Canada, for 40 years, and is now Rabbi Emeritus.”

16 31:1 January – March 2003, Vol. XXXI:1 (121), “THE GOLDEN CALF AND RA”

18 Exodus 32:12b (NET) Table

19 Exodus 5:19 (NET)

20 Exodus 5:22, 23 (NET)

21 Exodus 32:14 (NET)

22 Genesis 1:1 (NET) Table

23 Luke 22:42 (NET) Table

24 Genesis 3:2, 3 (NET)

25 Genesis 2:17 (NET) Table

26 Genesis 3:4 (NET) Table

27 Genesis 3:1 (NET) Table

28 Genesis 3:7 (NET) Table

29 Genesis 2:16, 17 (NET)

30 Genesis 3:23, 24 (NET)

31 Exodus 33:19 (NET) Table

32 Exodus 34:5-7a (NET)

33 Exodus 34:7b (NET) Table

Romans, Part 45

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For by the grace (χάριτος, a form of χάρις) given to me, Paul continued describing the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect,1 I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.2  To offset my own tendency to think that sober discernment is necessary because God has distributed a niggardly measure of faith (μέτρον πίστεως) to me, I want to look at two other occurrences of χάριτος.  The first described the words Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:18, 19 NET):

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed [Table], to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

After Jesus returned the scroll to the attendant and sat down, he added, Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.3  Luke wrote, All were speaking well of him, and were amazed at the gracious (χάριτος, a form of χάρις) words coming out of his mouth.4  So proclaiming 1) good news to the poor, 2) release to the captives, 3) the regaining of sight to the blind, 4) setting free those who are oppressed, and 5) the year of the Lord’s favor were called gracious (χάριτος) words.5  There was nothing niggardly about it.

For if, by the transgression of the one man, Paul wrote the first time he used χάριτος in his letter to the Romans, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace (χάριτος, a form of χάρις) and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!6  Sober discernment entails all of these facts without implying a niggardly measure of faith, but the realization that any of the recipients of this χάριτος is one person among many.  For just as in (ἐν) one (ἑνὶ, a form of εἷς) body we have many members, Paul continued, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one (ἓν, another form of εἷς) body in (ἐν) Christ, and individually7 we are members who belong to one (εἷς) another.8

I think sober discernment was equivalent for Paul to walking worthily of the calling with which [we] have been called, as he wrote the Ephesians, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love [Table], making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.9  For here, too, a description of oneness followed (Ephesians 4:4-7 NET).

There is one (῞Εν) body and one (ἓν) Spirit, just as you too were called to (ἐν) the one (μιᾷ, yet another form of εἷς) hope of your calling, one (εἷς) Lord, one (μία) faith, one (ἓν) baptism, one (εἷς) God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in (ἐν) all [Table].  But to each one (Ἑνὶ, still another form of εἷς) of us grace (χάρις) was given according to the measure (μέτρον) of the gift of Christ.

And we have different gifts (χαρίσματα, a form of χάρισμα) according to the grace given to us, Paul continued to describe the diversity of this oneness in Romans, a theme he revisited often:

The Diversity of Oneness
And we have different gifts (χαρίσματα) according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy (προφητείαν, a form of προφητεία), that individual must use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.

Romans 12:6-8 (NET)

 It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets (προφήτας, a form of προφήτης), some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NET)

 Now there are different gifts (χαρισμάτων, another form of χάρισμα), but the same Spirit.  And there are different ministries, but the same Lord.  And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone [Table].  To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.  For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts (χαρίσματα) of healing by the one Spirit, to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy (προφητεία), and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues [Table].  It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NET)

I want to consider these different10 gifts (χαρίσματα) individually.   If the gift is prophecy (προφητείαν), that individual must use it in proportion to his faith.11  I am assuming that in proportion (ἀναλογίαν, a form of ἀναλογία) to his faith relates back to that measure (μέτρον) of faith God has distributed to each.  In the law the Lord said to Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18-20 NET):

I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites.  I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command [Table].  I will personally hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet speaks in my name [Table].  But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.

Now if you say to yourselves, the Lord continued, “How can we tell that a message is not from the Lord (yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה)?” – whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not spoken it; the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear (gûr, תָגוּר; Septuagint: ἀφέξεσθε, a form of ἀπέχω) him.12  But a fulfilled prediction alone was not sufficient to declare one a prophet of yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה (Deuteronomy 13:1-5 NET):

Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, “Let us follow other gods” – gods whom you have not previously known – “and let us serve them.”  You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, for the Lord your God will be testing you to see if you love him with all your mind and being.  You must follow the Lord your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him.  As for that prophet or dreamer, he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from that place of slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to go.  In this way you must purge out evil from within.

The prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah (apparently a false prophet), From earliest times, the prophets who preceded you and me invariably prophesied war, disaster, and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms.  So if a prophet prophesied peace and prosperity, it was only known that the Lord truly sent him when what he prophesied came true.13  In this light I can begin to appreciate the proportion of Jesus’ faith when He read those gracious words—The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor; He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor—and added, Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.

And so Paul wrote, If the gift is prophecy (προφητείαν), that individual must use it in proportion to his faith.  And if I have prophecy (προφητείαν), he wrote the Corinthians, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.14  I can’t tell if this was a hypothetical consideration to highlight the preeminence of love, or an actual concern.  It is difficult to imagine an individual who received so many of the different gifts15 (Διαιρέσεις δὲ χαρισμάτων) of the Spirit, not shared by all (For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom16…to another prophecy [προφητεία]17…), and yet did not have the love that is given by the same Spirit to all believers.  If such a monstrosity is actually possible it would seem to be someone with a religious mind believing something other than the word of the Lord to quench the love that is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Love never ends, Paul continued to contrast love and prophecy in Corinthians.  But if there are prophecies (προφητεῖαι, another form of προφητεία), they will be set aside18…when what is perfect comes…19  Pursue love, he wrote, and be eager for the spiritual gifts (πνευματικά, a form of πνευματικός), especially that you may prophesy (προφητεύητε, a form of προφητεύω).20  Then he contrasted prophesying to one speaking in a tongue.

Tongues

Prophecy
For the one speaking in a tongue does not speak to people but to God, for no one understands; he is speaking mysteries by the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:2 (NET)

 But the one who prophesies (προφητεύων, another form of προφητεύω) speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement, and consolation.

1 Corinthians 14:3 (NET)
The one who speaks in a tongue builds himself up…

1 Corinthians 14:4a (NET)

 …but the one who prophesies (προφητεύων, another form of προφητεύω) builds up the church.

1 Corinthians 14:4b (NET)
I wish you all spoke in tongues…

1 Corinthians 14:5a (NET) Table

 …but even more that you would prophesy (προφητεύητε, a form of προφητεύω).

1 Corinthians 14:5b (NET) Table
…unless he interprets so that the church may be strengthened.

1 Corinthians 14:5d (NET) Table

 The one who prophesies (προφητεύων, another form of προφητεύω) is greater than the one who speaks in tongues…

1 Corinthians 14:5c (NET) Table

Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, Paul concluded, seek to abound in order to strengthen the church.  So then,21 one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret.22  And, I thank God23 that I speak24 in tongues more than all of you, but25 in the church I want to speak five words with my mind26 to instruct others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue.27  Then he quoted the Old Testament prophecy concerning tongues: By people with strange tongues and by the lips of strangers28 I will speak to this people, yet not even in this way will they listen to me…29  So then, tongues, he concluded, are a sign…for unbelievers.  Prophecy (προφητεία), however, is…for believers.30

So if the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and unbelievers or uninformed people enter, will they not say that you have lost your minds?31  In other words, the Old Testament prophecy holds true: unbelievers hearing strange tongues will not listen to the Lord.  Rather, they say, you have lost your minds.  But if all prophesy (προφητεύωσιν, another form of προφητεύω), and an unbeliever or uninformed person enters, he will be convicted by all, he will be called to account by all.  The32 secrets of his heart are disclosed…33  So prophecy is for believers, their rightful occupation that brings an unbeliever or uninformed person to faith and repentance, and in this way he will fall down with his face to the ground and worship God, declaring, “God is really among you.”34

Still, It was [Jesus] who gave…some [not all] as prophets (προφήτας, another form of προφήτης) …to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature.35  And God has placed in the church[Table]…second prophets (προφήτας, another form of προφήτης)…Not all are prophets (προφῆται, another form of προφήτης), are they?36  No, because we have different gifts (χαρίσματα, a form of χάρισμα) according to the grace given to us.37  For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another.38

 

Addendum (7/18/2015): Jim Searcy has published that the Septuagint is a hoax written by Origen and Eusebius 200 hundred years after Christ.  “In fact, the Septuagint ‘quotes’ from the New Testament and not vice versa…”  His contention is that the “King James Version is the infallible Word of God.”  So, I’ll re-examine the quotations above with the KJV.

My thoughts on Luke 4:18, 19 are too long to append to this essay.  This addendum is found as Study: Luke 4:18-19.

 

Addendum: May 24, 2026
According to a note (71) in the NET Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1, 2a and Isaiah 58:6 in Luke 4:18, 19. The following tables compare the Greek of that reading with the Septuagint.

Luke 4:18, 19 (NET Parallel Greek)

Isaiah 61:1, 2a (Septuagint BLB) Table

Isaiah 61:1, 2a (Septuagint Elpenor)
πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισεν με εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς, ἀπέσταλκεν με, κηρύξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν, ἀποστεῖλαι τεθραυσμένους ἐν ἀφέσει, (19) κηρύξαι ἐνιαυτὸν κυρίου δεκτόν πνεῦμα κυρίου ἐπ᾽ ἐμέ οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέν με εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς ἀπέσταλκέν με ἰάσασθαι τοὺς συντετριμμένους τῇ καρδίᾳ κηρύξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν [Table] (2a) καλέσαι ἐνιαυτὸν κυρίου δεκτὸν [Table] ΠΝΕΥΜΑ Κυρίου ἐπ᾿ ἐμέ, οὗ εἵνεκεν ἔχρισέ με· εὐαγγελίσασθαι πτωχοῖς ἀπέσταλκέ με, ἰάσασθαι τοὺς συντετριμένους τὴν καρδίαν, κηρύξαι αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν (2a) καλέσαι ἐνιαυτὸν Κυρίου δεκτὸν

Luke 4:18, 19 (NET)

Isaiah 61:1, 2a (NETS)

Isaiah 61:1, 2a (English Elpenor)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, (19) to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, (2a) to summon the acceptable year of the Lord The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me; he has sent me to preach glad tidings to the poor, to heal the broken in heart, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; (2a) to declare the acceptable year of the Lord

The scroll Jesus read in the synagogue was not written in Greek, nor did Luke simply hear about Jesus reading a scroll in a synagogue and turn to the Septuagint to fill in a blank space in his Gospel narrative. I’m reasonably convinced that this is not a Greek translation of a transcript of an electromagnetic or digital recording of Jesus reading a scroll in Hebrew in a synagogue, but the implications for inspiration here are quite compelling.

Luke 4:18b (NET Parallel Greek)

Isaiah 58:6b (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 58:6b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀποστεῖλαι τεθραυσμένους ἐν ἀφέσει ἀπόστελλε τεθραυσμένους ἐν ἀφέσει ἀπόστελλε τεθραυσμένους ἐν ἀφέσει

Luke 4:18b (NET)

Isaiah 58:6b (NETS)

Isaiah 58:6b (English Elpenor)
to set free those who are oppressed, let the oppressed go free set the bruised free

Jesus could read from anywhere in the scroll He chose to read when his purpose was to reveal fulfilled prophecy as far as I’m concerned. What surprises me is that He could insert one line from the Lord’s fast into the middle of the passage about the Lord’s anointing of the Messiah without stirring up any comment or question.

According to a note (10) in the NET Paul quoted from Isaiah 28:11, 12 in 1 Corinthians 14:21. The following table compares the Greek of that quotation with the Septuagint.

1 Corinthians 14:21b (NET Parallel Greek)

Isaiah 28:11, 12 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 28:11, 12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν ἑτερογλώσσοις καὶ ἐν χείλεσιν ἑτέρων λαλήσω τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ καὶ οὐδ᾿ οὕτως εἰσακούσονται μου διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας ὅτι λαλήσουσιν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ [Table] (12) λέγοντες αὐτῷ τοῦτο τὸ ἀνάπαυμα τῷ πεινῶντι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σύντριμμα καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἀκούειν [Table] διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας, ὅτι λαλήσουσι τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ (12) λέγοντες αὐτῷ· τοῦτο τὸ ἀνάπαυμα τῷ πεινῶντι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σύντριμμα, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἀκούειν

1 Corinthians 14:21b (NET)

Isaiah 28:11, 12 (NETS)

Isaiah 28:11, 12 (English Elpenor)
By people with strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, yet not even in this way will they listen to me because of contempt from lips, through a different tongue, because they will speak to this people, (12) saying to them, “This is the rest for the hungry, and this is the destruction”; yet they would not hear. by reason of the contemptuous [words] of the lips, by means of another language: for they shall speak to this people, saying to them, (12) This is the rest to him that is hungry, and this is the calamity: but they would not hear.

Both of these passages practically beg for a word-for-word consideration in Hebrew and Greek, but I won’t undertake that here now.

Tables comparing Isaiah 58:6; Deuteronomy 18:20; 18:21; 18:22; 13:1 (13:2); 13:2 (13:3); 13:3 (13:4); 13:4 (13:5); 13:5 (13:6); Jeremiah 28:8 and 28:9 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Isaiah 58:6; Deuteronomy 18:20; 18:21; 18:22; 13:1 (13:2); 13:2 (13:3); 13:3 (13:4); 13:4 (13:5); 13:5 (13:6); Jeremiah 28:8 (35:8) and 28:9 (35:9) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 14:13; 14:18, 19; 14:21 and 14:25 in the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 58:6 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 58:6 (KJV)

Isaiah 58:6 (NET)
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? No, this is the kind of fast I want: I want you to remove the sinful chains, to tear away the ropes of the burdensome yoke, to set free the oppressed, and to break every burdensome yoke.

Isaiah 58:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 58:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐχὶ τοιαύτην νηστείαν ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην λέγει κύριος ἀλλὰ λῦε πάντα σύνδεσμον ἀδικίας διάλυε στραγγαλιὰς βιαίων συναλλαγμάτων ἀπόστελλε τεθραυσμένους ἐν ἀφέσει καὶ πᾶσαν συγγραφὴν ἄδικον διάσπα οὐχὶ τοιαύτην νηστείαν ἐγὼ ἐξελεξάμην, λέγει Κύριος, ἀλλὰ λύε πάντα σύνδεσμον ἀδικίας, διάλυε στραγγαλιὰς βιαίων συναλλαγμάτων, ἀπόστελλε τεθραυσμένους ἐν ἀφέσει καὶ πᾶσαν συγγραφὴν ἄδικον διάσπα

Isaiah 58:6 (NETS)

Isaiah 58:6 (English Elpenor)
I have not chosen such a fast, says the Lord; rather loose every bond of injustice; undo the knots of contracts made by force; let the oppressed go free, and tear up every unjust note. I have not chosen such a fast, saith the Lord; but do thou loose every burden of iniquity, do thou untie the knots of hard bargains, set the bruised free, and cancel every unjust account.

Deuteronomy 18:20 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 18:20 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 18:20 (NET)
But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. “But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die.

Deuteronomy 18:20 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 18:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πλὴν ὁ προφήτης ὃς ἂν ἀσεβήσῃ λαλῆσαι ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου ῥῆμα ὃ οὐ προσέταξα λαλῆσαι καὶ ὃς ἂν λαλήσῃ ἐπ᾽ ὀνόματι θεῶν ἑτέρων ἀποθανεῖται ὁ προφήτης ἐκεῖνος πλὴν ὁ προφήτης, ὃς ἂν ἀσεβήσῃ λαλῆσαι ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου ρῆμα, ὃ οὐ προσέταξα λαλῆσαι, καὶ ὃς ἂν λαλήσῃ ἐν ὀνόματι θεῶν ἑτέρων, ἀποθανεῖται ὁ προφήτης ἐκεῖνος

Deuteronomy 18:20 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 18:20 (English Elpenor)
But the prophet who acts impiously by speaking a word in my name that I have not ordered to speak and who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.” But the prophet whosoever shall impiously speak in my name a word which I have not commanded him to speak, and whosoever shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.

Deuteronomy 18:21 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 18:21 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 18:21 (NET)
And if thou say in thy heart: ‘How shall we know the word which HaShem hath not spoken?’ And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? Now if you say to yourselves, ‘How can we tell that a message is not from the Lord?’—

Deuteronomy 18:21 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 18:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου πῶς γνωσόμεθα τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ οὐκ ἐλάλησεν κύριος ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου· πῶς γνωσόμεθα τὸ ρῆμα, ὃ οὐκ ἐλάλησε Κύριος

Deuteronomy 18:21 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 18:21 (English Elpenor)
But if you say in your heart, “How will we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?” But if thou shalt say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?

Deuteronomy 18:22 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 18:22 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 18:22 (NET)
When a prophet speaketh in the name of HaShem, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which HaShem hath not spoken; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not spoken it; the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him.”

Deuteronomy 18:22 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 18:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅσα ἐὰν λαλήσῃ ὁ προφήτης ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου καὶ μὴ γένηται τὸ ῥῆμα καὶ μὴ συμβῇ τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ οὐκ ἐλάλησεν κύριος ἐν ἀσεβείᾳ ἐλάλησεν ὁ προφήτης ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀφέξεσθε αὐτοῦ ὅσα ἐὰν λαλήσῃ ὁ προφήτης ἐκεῖνος τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου, καὶ μὴ γένηται καὶ μὴ συμβῇ, τοῦτο τὸ ρῆμα ὃ οὐκ ἐλάλησε Κύριος· ἐν ἀσεβείᾳ ἐλάλησεν ὁ προφήτης ἐκεῖνος, οὐκ ἐφέξεσθε αὐτοῦ

Deuteronomy 18:22 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 18:22 (English Elpenor)
whatever the prophet might speak in the name of the Lord but the thing does not take place and does not happen, this is the word that the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken it in impiety; you shall not spare him. Whatsoever words that prophet shall speak in the name of the Lord, and they shall not come true, and not come to pass, this [is] the thing which the Lord has not spoken; that prophet has spoken wickedly: ye shall not spare him.

Deuteronomy 13:2 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 13:1 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 13:1 (NET)
If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams–and he give thee a sign or a wonder, If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder,

Deuteronomy 13:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 13:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἀναστῇ ἐν σοὶ προφήτης ἢ ἐνυπνιαζόμενος ἐνύπνιον καὶ δῷ σοι σημεῖον ἢ τέρας ἐὰν δὲ ἀναστῇ ἐν σοὶ προφήτης ἢ ἐνυπνιαζόμενος τὸ ἐνύπνιον καὶ δῷ σοι σημεῖον ἢ τέρας

Deuteronomy 13:1 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 13:2 (English Elpenor)
Now if a prophet or one who divines by a dream should appear among you and give you a sign or a wonder, And if there arise within thee a prophet, or one who dreams a dream, and he gives thee a sign or a wonder,

Deuteronomy 13:3 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 13:2 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 13:2 (NET)
and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke unto thee–saying: ‘Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them’; And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, “Let us follow other gods”—gods whom you have not previously known—“and let us serve them.”

Deuteronomy 13:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 13:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔλθῃ τὸ σημεῖον ἢ τὸ τέρας ὃ ἐλάλησεν πρὸς σὲ λέγων πορευθῶμεν καὶ λατρεύσωμεν θεοῖς ἑτέροις οὓς οὐκ οἴδατε καὶ ἔλθῃ τὸ σημεῖον ἢ τὸ τέρας, ὃ ἐλάλησε πρός σε λέγων· πορευθῶμεν καὶ λατρεύσωμεν θεοῖς ἑτέροις, οὓς οὐκ οἴδατε

Deuteronomy 13:2 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 13:3 (English Elpenor)
and the sign or wonder should come about, which he spoke to you, saying: “Let us go and serve other gods (whom you have not known),” and the sign or the wonder come to pass which he spoke to thee, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye know not;

Deuteronomy 13:4 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 13:3 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 13:3 (NET)
thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams; for HaShem your G-d putteth you to proof, to know whether ye do love HaShem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul. Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, for the Lord your God will be testing you to see if you love him with all your mind and being.

Deuteronomy 13:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 13:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἀκούσεσθε τῶν λόγων τοῦ προφήτου ἐκείνου ἢ τοῦ ἐνυπνιαζομένου τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐκεῖνο ὅτι πειράζει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι εἰ ἀγαπᾶτε κύριον τὸν θεὸν ὑμῶν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς ὑμῶν οὐκ ἀκούσεσθε τῶν λόγων τοῦ προφήτου ἐκείνου ἢ τοῦ ἐνυπνιαζομένου τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐκεῖνο, ὅτι πειράζει Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου ὑμᾶς εἰδέναι, εἰ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν Θεὸν ὑμῶν ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς ὑμῶν

Deuteronomy 13:3 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 13:4 (English Elpenor)
you shall not hear the words of that prophet or diviner by that dream, for the Lord God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with the whole of your heart and with the whole of your soul. ye shall not hearken to the words of that prophet, or the dreamer of that dream, because the Lord thy God tries you, to know whether ye love your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 13:5 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 13:4 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 13:4 (NET)
After HaShem your G-d shall ye walk, and Him shall ye fear, and His commandments shall ye keep, and unto His voice shall ye hearken, and Him shall ye serve, and unto Him shall ye cleave. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him. You must follow the Lord your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him.

Deuteronomy 13:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 13:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὀπίσω κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν πορεύεσθε καὶ αὐτὸν φοβηθήσεσθε καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φυλάξεσθε καὶ τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε καὶ αὐτῷ προστεθήσεσθε ὀπίσω Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν πορεύσεσθε καὶ τοῦτον φοβηθήσεσθε καὶ τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε καὶ αὐτῷ προστεθήσεσθε

Deuteronomy 13:4 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 13:5 (English Elpenor)
Go after the Lord your God, and him you shall fear, and his commandments you shall keep, and his voice you shall hear, and to him you shall be joined. Ye shall follow the Lord your God, and fear him, and ye shall hear his voice, and attach yourselves to him.

Deuteronomy 13:6 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 13:5 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 13:5 (NET)
And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken perversion against HaShem your G-d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of bondage, to draw thee aside out of the way which HaShem thy G-d commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. As for that prophet or dreamer, he must be executed because he encouraged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt, redeeming you from that place of slavery, and because he has tried to entice you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to go. In this way you must purge evil from among you.

Deuteronomy 13:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 13:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἐκεῖνος ἢ ὁ τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐνυπνιαζόμενος ἐκεῖνος ἀποθανεῖται ἐλάλησεν γὰρ πλανῆσαί σε ἀπὸ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου τοῦ ἐξαγαγόντος σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου τοῦ λυτρωσαμένου σε ἐκ τῆς δουλείας ἐξῶσαί σε ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἧς ἐνετείλατό σοι κύριος ὁ θεός σου πορεύεσθαι ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἀφανιεῖς τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἐκεῖνος ἢ ὁ τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐνυπνιαζόμενος ἐκεῖνος ἀποθανεῖται· ἐλάλησε γὰρ πλανῆσαί σε ἀπὸ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου τοῦ ἐξαγαγόντος σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, τοῦ λυτρωσαμένου σε ἐκ τῆς δουλείας, ἐξῶσαί σε ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἧς ἐνετείλατό σοι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου πορεύεσθαι ἐν αὐτῇ· καὶ ἀφανιεῖς τὸ πονηρὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν

Deuteronomy 13:5 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 13:6 (English Elpenor)
And that prophet or that diviner by dream shall die, for he spoke to lead you astray from the Lord your God—who brought you out of the land of Egypt, who redeemed you from slavery—to thrust you from the way that the Lord your God commanded you to go upon it. And you shall eliminate the evil one from yourselves. And that prophet or that dreamer of a dream, shall die; for he has spoken to make thee err from the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, who redeemed thee from bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in: so shalt thou abolish the evil from among you.

Jeremiah 28:8 (Tanakh)

Jeremiah 28:8 (KJV)

Jeremiah 28:8 (NET)
The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. From earliest times, the prophets who preceded you and me invariably prophesied war, disaster, and plagues against many countries and great kingdoms.

Jeremiah 28:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Jeremiah 35:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οἱ προφῆται οἱ γεγονότες πρότεροί μου καὶ πρότεροι ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἐπροφήτευσαν ἐπὶ γῆς πολλῆς καὶ ἐπὶ βασιλείας μεγάλας εἰς πόλεμον οἱ προφῆται οἱ γεγονότες πρότεροί μου καὶ πρότεροι ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἐπροφήτευσαν ἐπὶ γῆς πολλῆς καὶ ἐπὶ βασιλείας μεγάλας εἰς πόλεμον

Jeremiah 35:8 (NETS)

Jeremiah 35:8 (English Elpenor)
The prophets who preceded me and preceded you from ancient times also prophesied with reference to much land and great kingdoms for war. The prophets that were before me and before you of old, also prophesied over much country, and against great kingdoms, concerning war.

Jeremiah 28:9 (Tanakh)

Jeremiah 28:9 (KJV)

Jeremiah 28:9 (NET)
The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him. The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him. So if a prophet prophesied peace and prosperity, it was only known that the Lord truly sent him when what he prophesied came true.”

Jeremiah 28:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Jeremiah 35:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ προφήτης ὁ προφητεύσας εἰς εἰρήνην ἐλθόντος τοῦ λόγου γνώσονται τὸν προφήτην ὃν ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοῖς κύριος ἐν πίστει ὁ προφήτης ὁ προφητεύσας εἰς εἰρήνην, ἐλθόντος τοῦ λόγου γνώσονται τὸν προφήτην, ὃν ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοῖς Κύριος ἐν πίστει

Jeremiah 35:9 (NETS)

Jeremiah 35:9 (English Elpenor)
As for the prophet who prophesied for peace—when the matter came to pass, they would know the prophet, him whom the Lord had sent in faithfulness.” [As for] the prophet that has prophesied for peace, when the word has come [to pass], they shall know the prophet whom the Lord has sent them in truth.

Romans 12:5 (NET)

Romans 12:5 (KJV)
so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Romans 12:5 (NET Parallel Greek)

Romans 12:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Romans 12:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
οὕτως οἱ πολλοὶ ἓν σῶμα ἐσμεν ἐν Χριστῷ, τὸ δὲ καθ᾿ εἷς ἀλλήλων μέλη ουτως οι πολλοι εν σωμα εσμεν εν χριστω ο δε καθ εις αλληλων μελη ουτως οι πολλοι εν σωμα εσμεν εν χριστω ο δε καθ εις αλληλων μελη

1 Corinthians 14:13 (NET)

1 Corinthians 14:13 (KJV)
So then, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

1 Corinthians 14:13 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 14:13 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 14:13 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Διὸ ὁ λαλῶν γλώσσῃ προσευχέσθω ἵνα διερμηνεύῃ διοπερ ο λαλων γλωσση προσευχεσθω ινα διερμηνευη διοπερ ο λαλων γλωσση προσευχεσθω ινα διερμηνευη

1 Corinthians 14:18, 19 (NET)

1 Corinthians 14:18, 19 (KJV)
I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you, I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:

1 Corinthians 14:18 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 14:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 14:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ, πάντων ὑμῶν μᾶλλον γλώσσαις λαλῶ ευχαριστω τω θεω μου παντων υμων μαλλον γλωσσαις λαλων ευχαριστω τω θεω μου παντων υμων μαλλον γλωσσαις λαλων
but in the church I want to speak five words with my mind to instruct others, rather than ten thousand words in a tongue. Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

1 Corinthians 14:19 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 14:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 14:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀλλὰ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ θέλω πέντε λόγους τῷ νοί_ μου λαλῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ ἄλλους κατηχήσω, ἢ μυρίους λόγους ἐν γλώσσῃ αλλ εν εκκλησια θελω πεντε λογους δια του νοος μου λαλησαι ινα και αλλους κατηχησω η μυριους λογους εν γλωσση αλλ εν εκκλησια θελω πεντε λογους δια του νοος μου λαλησαι ινα και αλλους κατηχησω η μυριους λογους εν γλωσση

1 Corinthians 14:21 (NET)

1 Corinthians 14:21 (KJV)
It is written in the law: “By people with strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, yet not even in this way will they listen to me,” says the Lord. In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.

1 Corinthians 14:21 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 14:21 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 14:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐν τῷ νόμῳ γέγραπται ὅτι ἐν ἑτερογλώσσοις καὶ ἐν χείλεσιν ἑτέρων λαλήσω τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ καὶ οὐδ᾿ οὕτως εἰσακούσονται μου, λέγει κύριος εν τω νομω γεγραπται οτι εν ετερογλωσσοις και εν χειλεσιν ετεροις λαλησω τω λαω τουτω και ουδ ουτως εισακουσονται μου λεγει κυριος εν τω νομω γεγραπται οτι εν ετερογλωσσοις και εν χειλεσιν ετεροις λαλησω τω λαω τουτω και ουδ ουτως εισακουσονται μου λεγει κυριος

1 Corinthians 14:25 (NET)

1 Corinthians 14:25 (KJV)
The secrets of his heart are disclosed, and in this way he will fall down with his face to the ground and worship God, declaring, “God is really among you.” And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

1 Corinthians 14:25 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 14:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 14:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ φανερὰ γίνεται, καὶ οὕτως πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον προσκυνήσει τῷ θεῷ ἀπαγγέλλων ὅτι ὄντως ὁ θεὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν και ουτως τα κρυπτα της καρδιας αυτου φανερα γινεται και ουτως πεσων επι προσωπον προσκυνησει τω θεω απαγγελλων οτι ο θεος οντως εν υμιν εστιν και ουτως τα κρυπτα της καρδιας αυτου φανερα γινεται και ουτως πεσων επι προσωπον προσκυνησει τω θεω απαγγελλων οτι ο θεος οντως εν υμιν εστιν

1 Romans 12:2b (NET) Table

2 Romans 12:3 (NET)

3 Luke 4:21 (NET)

4 Luke 4:22a (NET) Table

5 Luke 4:22 (NET) Table

6 Romans 5:17 (NET)

7 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the neuter article τὸ preceding individually, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the masculine article ο.

8 Romans 12:4, 5 (NET)

9 Ephesians 4:1-3 (NET)

10 κατὰ τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν διάφορα (literally, “according to the grace given to us differently”) Romans 12:6 (NET) [Addendum 5/21/2026: διάφορα is a noun, “difference, distinction, diversity, variety,” or an adjective, διάφορα, rather than an adverb. It still seems to me that the “difference, distinction, diversity, variety” indicated is us rather than grace or different gifts, referring back to χαρίσματα. In 1 Corinthians 12:4a (NET) Διαιρέσεις δὲ χαρισμάτων εἰσίν was translated Now there are different gifts.]

11 Romans 12:6b (NET)

12 Deuteronomy 18:21, 22 (NET)

13 Jeremiah 28:8, 9 (NET)

14 1 Corinthians 13:2 (NET) Table

15 1 Corinthians 12:4 (NET)

16 1 Corinthians 12:8 (NET)

17 1 Corinthians 12:10 (NET) Table

18 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NET) Table

19 1 Corinthians 13:10 (NET) Table

20 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NET)

21 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the conjunction Διὸ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had διοπερ (KJV: Wherefore).

22 1 Corinthians 14:12b, 13 (NET)

23 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the genitive pronoun μου (KJV: my) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

24 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the 1st person singular verb λαλῶ here, a form of λαλέω in the active voice and present tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the nominative present participle λαλων.

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

26 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῷ νοί μου here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δια του νοος μου (KJV: with my understanding).

27 1 Corinthians 14:18, 19 (NET)

28 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the adjective ἑτέρων here, a form of ἕτερος in the genitive case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the dative form ετεροις (KJV: other).

29 1 Corinthians 14:21 (NET)

30 1 Corinthians 14:22 (NET)

31 1 Corinthians 14:23 (NET)

32 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και ουτως (KJV: And thus) beginning this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

33 1 Corinthians 14:24, 25a (NET)

34 1 Corinthians 14:25b (NET)

35 Ephesians 4:11-13 (NET)

36 1 Corinthians 12:28, 29 (NET)

37 Romans 12:6a (NET)

38 Romans 12:4, 5 (NET)

Fear – Exodus, Part 5

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The next occurrence of yârêʼ (יָרֵא) in Exodus is found in the song Moses and the Israelites sang…to the Lord.1  It was a song of praise and thanksgiving, looking back to the events when the Egyptian army chased them through the sea:  I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously, the horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea.2  The chariots of Pharaoh and his army he has thrown into the sea…3  The depths have covered them, they went down to the bottom like a stone.4  Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?  Who is like you? – majestic in holiness, fearful (yârêʼ, נוֹרָא) in praises, working wonders?5

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose θαυμαστὸς.  One of the definitions of θαυμαστὸς in the NET online Bible is “1c) causing amazement joined with terror.”  So the word is a legitimate choice, but something in me still wonders if “marvelous in expectation” (θαυμαστὸς ἐν δόξαις) carries any of the sense of the costliness of Israel’s salvation that I perceive in the linkage of fear (yârêʼ, נוֹרָא) and praise (tᵊhillâ, תְהִלֹּת).  I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked (rāšāʿ, הָרָשָׁע),6 the Lord told Ezekiel.  How much less in the death of those He had hardened and those who followed them into battle?

Though θαυμαστὸς does not appear in the New Testament in its root form, the first occurrence was Jesus’ question to the chief priests and elders.  “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.  This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous (θαυμαστὴ, a form of θαυμαστός) in our eyes’”?7  Whatever my concern about the costliness of Israel’s salvation, as well as my own, it is harder to miss when Yahweh Himself—not Egyptian military officers and soldiers—died for us, in our place.

After writing that I walked away.  It felt like I was straining at gnats and still not getting to the root of what was gnawing at me.  I did other things.

When I walked to the Redbox to satisfy my daily movie fix I had already decided to rent “Killing Them Softly.”  I didn’t know why.  I had avoided it because I heard it was excessively violent, and because I had worked for Linara (the only woman in the cast) on another film she co-produced with her husband.  Ordinarily, I would have run to see a movie with someone I knew in it.  But I had overheard her talking about being topless in the scene with James Gandolfini.  Between the violence and my own indecision (whether I wanted to see Linara or her breasts in action) I had put it off until that evening.

It was an underworld crime story set in the turmoil of the 2008 economic crisis and presidential election.  Brad Pitt played a mob enforcer.  Linara’s topless work had been cut, but she played well with the big boys, Pitt and Gandolfini.  There was a heavy-handed capitalists-are-like-gangsters theme, and no real ending.  It seemed primed for “Killing Them Softly 2” where the mysterious “corporate types,” who hired Brad Pitt’s character Jackie through an intermediary, would be revealed as they hired someone to kill Jackie, and possibly their intermediary.  I don’t think the movie did well enough financially to warrant a sequel however.  And then I went to bed.  But when I awoke the next morning lines from the movie were buzzing around in my head.  They actually helped me clarify what I was thinking about cultivating fear in Exodus the day before.

This is a spoiler alert for anyone who finds a movie ruined by knowing its story.

The story got started when John Amato (aka Squirrel, Vincent Curatola) hired Frank (Scoot McNairy) and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn) to rob a mob card game run by Markie Trattman (Ray Liotta).  They thought they could get away with it because Trattman had robbed his own card game years earlier.  He withstood the enhanced interrogation techniques Dillion (Sam Shepard) the enforcer used on him, but when the subject came up in another card game with his cronies he couldn’t stop laughing, and confessed the whole thing.  Everybody liked Markie so they let it slide.  Squirrel assumed that Trattman would be the primary suspect if his own card game was robbed again, that he would be killed, and then that would be the end of it.  He rightly perceived that cultivating a righteousness based on fear was more important to the powers-that-be than recovering the money.

Squirrel had an insight into mob righteousness.  He didn’t want Russell on the job because his attitude and manner would invite confrontation.  “Then you gotta…shoot somebody,” he told Frank, “and I don’t want that.  There’s no reason for that, you know?  You don’t get any more money…”  What he failed to realize was that Jackie (Dillion’s replacement as mob enforcer, Brad Pitt) was smart enough to know that Markie Trattman was too smart to think that he could get away with it twice.  Jackie immediately suspected other culprits.  And he had a firm grasp on fear based righteousness, too.

Jackie lobbied with the Counselor (the intermediary for the corporate types running things) to kill Trattman anyway and correct the real issue:  “It don’t make a bit of difference if Trattman did it or someone did it to Trattman,” Jackie explained.  “If people think he did it and he’s still walking around, you’re gonna have kids waiting in line to knock them…games over.”

Jackie even had a fear based redemption scheme for Frank.  Frank had to confess where Squirrel would be and then witness the execution, or be executed himself.  “I got to be there and everything?” Frank whined.  “Frank, you made a mistake,” Jackie explained patiently.  “Now you gotta show you understand you made a mistake.  And you gotta make things right…”

As they waited in the car for Squirrel to arrive, Frank tried to intercede for him: “Look, Jackie, he’s not a bad guy, you know?  I mean, he’s not a bad guy at all.”

“None of them are, kid.  They’re all nice guys.”

Then Jackie got out of the car and shot Squirrel with a shotgun from across the parking lot, because he liked “killing them softly…from a distance, not close enough for feelings.”  Of course, he did walk across the parking lot and finish the job up close.  And he wasn’t that far from Frank when he shot him in the head.  Ultimately, Jackie’s fear based redemption scheme didn’t fare well against the necessities of fear based righteousness.

None of this is to say that I think God is, or was, like a mob enforcer.  My question is, why did One with foreknowledge put Himself in the position to be mistaken for a mob enforcer by wicked people?  (Who among us hasn’t wished for God to get those guys, those evildoers, or wondered incredulously why He waits so long?)  The answer that comes to me is that God risked it for my benefit, that I might know the difference between fear based righteousness and Holy Spirit based righteousness (faith is integral to both: When Israel saw the great power that the Lord had exercised over the Egyptians, they feared (yārē’, וַיִּירְאוּ) the Lord, and they believed in the Lord…8).

Israel, like Frank, was compelled to participate in and witness the destruction of the Egyptian army.  Then at Sinai they experienced a non-lethal fear as they stood at the base of a mountain, described as something like a volcano in full ash eruption,9 and lived to tell the tale:  All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking – and when the people saw it they trembled with fear (nûaʿ, וַיָּנֻעוּ) and kept their distance.10  The word translated fear here was φοβηθέντες (a form of φοβέω) in the Septuagint.  After Jesus calmed the storm with a word his disciples were afraid (φοβηθέντες) and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this?  He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!”11

Do not fear (yârêʼ, תִּירָאוּ), Moses said, for God has come to test you, that the fear (yir’â, יִרְאָתוֹ) of him may be before you so that you do not sin.”12  The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose θαρσεῖτε (a form of θαρσέω) for Do not fear.  It is the same Greek word Jesus used when the disciples saw Him walking on the water and were terrified that he was a ghost:  Have courage (θαρσεῖτε)!  It is I.13  For yir’â, יִרְאָתוֹ, the fear of him, the rabbis chose φόβος.  And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, was seized with fear (φόβος).14

When I began this study I hoped to find a clear delineation between the fear that puts to flight and the reverence that binds and draws one to God.  A cursory look at the concordance seemed to justify that hope in the words yârêʼ (יָרֵא) and yir’â (יִרְאָה).  The first occurrence of yir’â (יִרְאָה) in Abraham’s explanation to Abimelech—I thought that there would be no one here who has reverence (yir’â, יִרְאַת) for God15—was translated θεοσέβεια in the Septuagint and I thought I was on the way.  It is a compound of θεός and σέβομαι, the reverence or worship that is negated by the ἀσέβειαν (a form of ἀσέβεια) of people that brought the wrath of God in Romans 1:18.

I also expected to find that the fear of the Lord was something different, something other than a conviction to act in accordance with the word of the Lord, the functional equivalent in the Old Testament of the fruit of the Spirit,16 the desire and the effort brought forth by God for the sake of his good pleasure,17  because it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy,18  and the love of God19 that is the fulfillment of the law.20  That equivalence took me by surprise and has colored everything.  The Good News Translation of the Bible captured the essence of fear based righteousness when the translators (paraphrasists?) skipped the middle man as it were in their paraphrase of yir’â, יִרְאָה.  Don’t be afraid (yârêʼ, תִּירָאוּ); Moses said, God has only come to test you and make you keep on obeying (yir’â, יִרְאָתוֹ) him, so that you will not sin.21

So this alchemist’s notion of deriving reverence (σέβομαι) for God from the human fear (φόβος) of death or punishment seems like a doomed enterprise from the very beginning, a folly of the religious mind.  It was difficult enough to title an essay “Paul’s Religious Mind,” so I did not and will not call this “God’s Religious Mind.”  But that is what I’m thinking.

Why would an Omniscient One with foreknowledge embark on such a futile course?  Again, I can only assume that it was for my benefit.  I am the one, after all (and probably not the only one), whose knee-jerk reaction to the way of righteousness (for other evildoers, of course) is swifter “justice,” harsher punishment and longer prison sentences.  But does anyone really believe that those things produce righteousness?  (Does anyone really believe that our municipal, county, state or federal governments can afford to do this anymore?)

In that light I can’t help but see the giving of the law at Sinai as a massive psychological experiment to test the power and potential of fear based righteousness.  The finding of this particular experiment was forty days.22  After forty days the descendants of Israel returned to the worship practices23 they learned in Egypt.24  And they did this 1) after witnessing the destruction of the Egyptian army; 2) after seeing Mount Sinai…completely covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a great furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently;25 and 3) after agreeing to abide by a covenant26 that they would not sacrifice to a god other than the Lord alone [or] be utterly destroyed.27

 

Addendum: May 12, 2026
According to a note (64) in the NET Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22, 23 (117:22, 23) in Matthew 21:42. The following table compares the Greek of that quotation with the Septuagint.

Matthew 21:42b (NET Parallel Greek)

Psalm 118:22, 23 (Septuagint BLB) Table

Psalm 117:22, 23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας· παρὰ κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη καὶ ἔστιν θαυμαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας [Table] (23) παρὰ κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη καὶ ἔστιν θαυμαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν λίθον, ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας (23) παρὰ Κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη καὶ ἔστι θαυμαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν

Matthew 21:42b (NET)

Psalm 117:22, 23 (NETS)

Psalm 117:22, 23 (English Elpenor)
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes A stone which the builders rejected, this one became the chief cornerstone. (23) This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. (23) This has been done of the Lord; and it is wonderful in our eyes.

Tables comparing Exodus 15:11; 19:18 and Psalm 118:23 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 15:11; 19:18 and Psalm 118:23 (117:23) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing Mark 6:50 in the NET and KJV follow.

Exodus 15:11 (Tanakh)

Exodus 15:11 (KJV)

Exodus 15:11 (NET)
Who is like unto Thee, O HaShem, among the mighty? who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, working wonders?

Exodus 15:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 15:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τίς ὅμοιός σοι ἐν θεοῖς κύριε τίς ὅμοιός σοι δεδοξασμένος ἐν ἁγίοις θαυμαστὸς ἐν δόξαις ποιῶν τέρατα τίς ὅμοιός σοι ἐν θεοῖς, Κύριε; τίς ὅμοιός σοι, δεδοξασμένος ἐν ἁγίοις, θαυμαστὸς ἐν δόξαις, ποιῶν τέρατα

Exodus 15:11 (NETS)

Exodus 15:11 (English Elpenor)
“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord? Who is like you, glorified among holy ones, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? Who is like to thee among the gods, O Lord? who is like to thee? glorified in holiness, marvelous in glories, doing wonders.

Exodus 19:18 (Tanakh)

Exodus 19:18 (KJV)

Exodus 19:18 (NET)
Now mount Sinai was altogether on smoke, because HaShem descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. Now Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire, and its smoke went up like the smoke of a great furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.

Exodus 19:18 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 19:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὸ δὲ ὄρος τὸ Σινα ἐκαπνίζετο ὅλον διὰ τὸ καταβεβηκέναι ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸ τὸν θεὸν ἐν πυρί καὶ ἀνέβαινεν ὁ καπνὸς ὡς καπνὸς καμίνου καὶ ἐξέστη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς σφόδρα τὸ ὄρος τὸ Σινὰ ἐκαπνίζετο ὅλον διὰ τὸ καταβεβηκέναι ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸ τὸν Θεὸν ἐν πυρί, καὶ ἀνέβαινεν ὁ καπνὸς ὡσεὶ καπνὸς καμίνου, καὶ ἐξέστη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς σφόδρα

Exodus 19:18 (NETS)

Exodus 19:18 (English Elpenor)
Now the mountain Sina was smoking in its entirety, because God had come down upon it in fire, and the smoke was rising up like the smoke of a furnace. And all the people were astonished. The mount of Sina was altogether on a smoke, because God had descended upon it in fire; and the smoke went up as the smoke of a furnace, and the people were exceedingly amazed.

Psalm 118:23 (Tanakh)

Psalm 118:23 (KJV)

Psalm 118:23 (NET)
This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the Lord’s work. We consider it amazing!

Psalm 118:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 117:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
παρὰ κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη καὶ ἔστιν θαυμαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν παρὰ Κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη καὶ ἔστι θαυμαστὴ ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν

Psalm 117:23 (NETS)

Psalm 117:23 (English Elpenor)
This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes. This has been done of the Lord; and it is wonderful in our eyes.

Mark 6:50 (NET)

Mark 6:50 (KJV)
for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.

Mark 6:50 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 6:50 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 6:50 (Byzantine Majority Text)
πάντες γὰρ αὐτὸν εἶδον καὶ ἐταράχθησαν. ὁ δὲ εὐθὺς ἐλάλησεν μετ᾿ αὐτῶν, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· θαρσεῖτε, ἐγώ εἰμι· μὴ φοβεῖσθε παντες γαρ αυτον ειδον και εταραχθησαν και ευθεως ελαλησεν μετ αυτων και λεγει αυτοις θαρσειτε εγω ειμι μη φοβεισθε παντες γαρ αυτον ειδον και εταραχθησαν και ευθεως ελαλησεν μετ αυτων και λεγει αυτοις θαρσειτε εγω ειμι μη φοβεισθε

1 Exodus 15:1a (NET) Table

2 Exodus 15:1b (NET) Table

3 Exodus 15:4a (NET) Table

4 Exodus 15:5 (NET) Table

5 Exodus 15:11 (NET)

6 Ezekiel 33:11 (NET) Table

7 Matthew 21:42 (NET)

8 Exodus 14:31 (NET) Table

10 Exodus 20:18 (NET) Table

11 Luke 8:25 (NET) Table

12 Exodus 20:20 (NET) Table

13 Mark 6:50 (NET)

14 Luke 1:12 (NET)

15 Genesis 20:11a (TEV-Good News Translation) [Table]

17 Philippians 2:13 (NET) Table

18 Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

20 Romans 13:10 (NET)

21 Exodus 20:20 (TEV-Good News Translation)

25 Exodus 19:18 (NET)

27 Exodus 22:20 (NET) Table