Category Archives: Exodus

Fear – Exodus, Part 9

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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 (yârêʼ)[1] to approach him.[2]  The Greek word ἐφοβήθησαν (a form of φοβέω)[3] was chosen for this fear in the Septuagint.  This word occurs in the phrase ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον[4] μέγαν[5] in Mark’s gospel and was translated, They were overwhelmed by fear.[6]

Jesus and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat.  Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped.[7]  Jesus was asleep in the stern.  His disciples woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?”  So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Calm down!”  Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.[8]

I thought Jesus rebuked them then.  “Why are you cowardly?” He said according to Mark’s account (which I assume was Peter’s account and Mark served as chronicler, if not his scribe).  Do you still not have faith?”[9]  In Matthew’s account Jesus’ rebuke—“Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?”[10]—came even before He calmed the storm.  (Matthew/Levi hadn’t been called yet, according to Matthew.[11])  Of course, the text doesn’t actually say that Jesus rebuked them.

He rebuked (ἐπετίμησεν, a form of ἐπιτιμάω)[12] the wind (the cause[13] of the problem, if you will), and said (εἶπεν, a form of ῥέω)[14] to the sea as He said (εἶπεν) to his disciples.  Matthew recorded what He said (λέγει, a form of λέγω)[15] to his disciples, and how He rebuked (ἐπετίμησεν) the winds and the sea.  But when I believed that my faith was the work that made me worthy of heaven—Why are you cowardly?  Do you still not have faith? and Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?—stung like rebuke.  My opinion began to change, however, after I began to believe that his 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,[16] and that credited righteousness[17] was a functional,[18] rather than merely a formal,[19] righteousness.

My original opinion about Jesus’ rebuke was rendered absurd when I began to believe that even faith did not come out of or out from me: For by grace you are saved through faith (πίστεως, a form of πίστις),[20] and this is not from yourselves (καὶ[21] τοῦτο[22] οὐκ[23] ἐξ[24] ὑμῶν[25]), it is the gift of God.[26]  I heard the argument that this (τοῦτο, literally these) cannot refer back to faith (πίστεως) because τοῦτο “is neuter plural and ‘Faith’ [πίστεως] is feminine.”[27]  And I certainly tried to live by its consequences: “God bestows grace on those who faithfully obey His truth (Romans 6:15-18).  Man’s obedient faith does not cancel grace.  The fact is that an obedient faith allows initial grace (Acts 2:38) and permits continual grace (1 John 1:7).”[28]  My faith proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was never up to the task.  On the other hand, “Grace is feminine…And even Salvation (as a noun) is feminine.”[29]  So τοῦτο (literally these) refers to none of them or all three of them.

Though now it seems somewhat redundant and unnecessary to say that God’s grace is not from yourselves, there was a time when I needed to hear that his grace was not from works, so that no one can boast.[30]  Though now it seems somewhat redundant and unnecessary to say that God’s salvation is not from yourselves, there was a time when I needed to hear that his salvation was not from works, so that no one can boast.  Likewise there was a time when I reached the end of MY faith and needed to hear that even faith is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.[31]  It is Christ’s faithfulness, not mine, the fruit of his Spirit.

And notice how easily these lofty requirements are fulfilled when the faithfulness in question is Christ’s rather than mine: “God bestows grace on those who faithfully obey His truth.  [Christ’s] obedient faith does not cancel grace.  The fact is that an obedient faith allows initial grace and permits continual grace.”  I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.[32]  And, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (πίστις), gentleness, and self-control.[33]

I’m not thinking here of the works of the flesh,[34] but that desire of the flesh that is most perniciously opposed to the Spirit[35] even after its works are largely under his control; namely, the desire to be accepted by God as righteous by my own works on my own terms.  But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites, Jesus said to men who pursued that kind of righteousness.  You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven!  For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.[36]  I know Paul didn’t explicitly say that this is a desire of the flesh in his letter to the Galatians, so I may be giving the flesh more credit than it deserves.  Perhaps the desire to be right is nothing more than a perversion or short-circuiting of a God-given hunger and thirst for righteousness.[37]  Regardless, the fruit and the glory are God’s, not mine.

The Greek word for this “obedient faith” in the New Testament is ὑπακοή.  At the beginning and the end of his letter to the Romans Paul went out of his way to make it clear that he did not mean “my own works by my own righteousness,” in fact, he called it faith’s obedience (Romans 1:5; 16:25-27 NET):

Through him we have received grace and our apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith (ὑπακοὴν[38] πίστεως) among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that had been kept secret for long ages, but now is disclosed, and through the prophetic scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the command of the eternal God [κατ᾿[39] ἐπιταγὴν[40] τοῦ[41] αἰωνίου[42] θεοῦ[43]] to bring about the obedience of faith [εἰς[44] ὑπακοὴν πίστεως] – to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever!   Amen.

While it is correct to translate ὑπακοή obedience relative to the Greek language, when Paul used ὑπακοή, even alone, relative to the Gospel he did not refer to “my own works by my own righteousness” any more than his use of the word θεοῦ referred to Zeus, Hera, Apollo or Aphrodite.  So I have to ask, how harshly did the Lord Jesus criticize his disciples for not demonstrating the faith He had not yet given them?  And look, I am sending you what my Father promised, Jesus told his Apostles after his resurrection.  But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.[45]

Jesus’ disciples knew, or suspected, that He was the Messiah, or Christ.  That’s why they followed Him, according to John’s Gospel account.  Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John [the Baptist] said and followed Jesus.  He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah (Μεσσίαν, a form of Μεσσίας)!”[46] (which is translated Christ [χριστός]).[47]  Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”[48]

Up to that time a messiah (Hebrew: mâshı̂yach, maw-shee’-akh) was simply a man anointed by God for a specific purpose.  Though incredulous at first that anything good could come out of Nazareth,[49] when he met Jesus, Nathaniel revealed some of his expectation regarding this particular anointed one at this particular time in Israel’s history, Rabbi, you are the Son of God (υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ); you are the king of Israel![50]  I’m not sure what Nathaniel meant by υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.  I don’t think he recognized yet that Jesus was Yahweh in human flesh.  I do think it is that particular lack of faith to which Jesus referred when He said, Why are you cowardly?  Do you still not have faith? or Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?  I’m just not so sure any more that it was a rebuke.

The word translated cowardly in both Mark’s and Matthew’s accounts is δειλοί, a form of δειλός.[51]  Online in a section labeled HELPSTM Word-studies it reads, “deilós is always used negatively in the NT and stands in contrast to the positive fear which can be expressed by 5401 /phóbos [φόβος] (‘fear,’ see Phil 2:12).”[52]  Actually δειλός only occurs three or perhaps four times in the New Testament.  The fourth was rejected by the writer(s) of this particular definition: So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe (δέους, possibly another form of δειλός).[53]  This is quite similar to Philippians 2:12 (NET): So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe (φόβου, a form of φόβος)[54] and reverence…

In a section labeled “Forms and Transliterations” at the bottom of the web-page in the Bible Hub δέους is listed along with δειλοί: “δειλοι, δειλοί, δειλοις, δειλοίς, δειλοῖς, δειλός, δεους, δέους.”  It is a form of δέος (δειλός is from δέος in Strong’s) according to the Greek Word Study Tool,[55] but it is a form of αἰδώς[56] according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.  The NET online Bible jumps to αἰδώς if I click on awe in English.  If I click on δέους in Greek the busy signal spins perpetually.  If δέους actually is another form of δειλός, Jesus’ saying might have been translated, Why are you [awestruck]?

The problem is, the one time δειλοῖς (another form of δειλός) occurs in the New Testament it is first in the list of the damned: But to the cowards (δειλοῖς), unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.  That is the second death.[57]  And so Thayer’s Greek Lexicon reads, “δειλός, δείλη, δειλόν (δείδω to fear), timid, fearful: Matthew 8:28 [actually, Matthew 8:26]; Mark 4:40; in Revelation 21:8 of Christians who through cowardice give way under persecutions and apostatize. (From Homer down.)”[58]

Before I get too carried away by the idea that the Lord Jesus used δειλός in the same way that Homer used it, I’ll look more deeply into the context in Revelation.  But that kind of confusion could explain why Peter believed that Jesus wanted him to die[59] defending Him with a sword in the garden of Gethsemane.

The damned in Revelation were contrasted to one who conquers: The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω)[60] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.[61]  The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) will in no way be harmed by the second death.[62]  The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it.  I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well.[63]

And to the one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) and who continues in my deeds (τὰ ἔργα[64] μου[65]) until the end, I will give him authority over the nations…[66]  The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) will be dressed like [the few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes][67] in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.[68]  I have not found your deeds complete (σου |τὰ| ἔργα πεπληρωμένα[69]) in the sight of my God,[70] the Lord complained against most in Sardis.  Wake up then, and strengthen what remains,[71] He said, remember what (πῶς)[72] you received (εἴληφας, a form of λαμβάνω)[73] and heard, and obey it, and repent.[74]

Ordinarily, εἴληφας, a form of λαμβάνω, means to take.[75]  Of course, coupled with πῶς which means how, in what way (translated what), the translation received makes more sense.  How could anyone take from the Lord except to receive what He has given?  What do you have that you did not receive (ἔλαβες, another form of λαμβάνω)?  And if you received (ἔλαβες) it, why do you boast as though you did (λαβών, another form of λαμβάνω) not?[76]

Translated as remember what you received I think of the Holy Spirit and all the righteousness, both fruit and gifts, that flows from Him: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.[77]  And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us.  If the gift is prophecy, 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.[78]

On the other hand if I think of it translated as remember what you [took], I am reminded of the law: You shall not take (Septuagint, λήμψῃ,[79] another form of λαμβάνω) the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes (Septuagint, λαμβάνοντα,[80] another form of λαμβάνω) his name in vain.[81]  Most in Sardis had not continued in Christ’s deeds, τὰ ἔργα μου (literally, my works, these works of mine).  They had not come into the light, so that it may be plainly evident that [their] deeds have been done in [or, by] God.[82]  They relied on their own works.  I have not found your deeds complete (ἔργα πεπληρωμένα [a form of πληρόω, fulfilled]) in the sight of my God, Jesus said.  He came to fulfill his works in and through us who believe (Matthew 5:17 NET):

Do not think that I have come to abolish (καταλῦσαι, a form of καταλύω)[83] the law or the prophets.  I have not come to abolish (καταλῦσαι, a form of καταλύω) these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, a form of πληρόω) them.

One of the things the one who conquers will inherit[84] is a promise: To the one who is thirsty (διψῶντι, a form of διψάω)[85] I will give water free of charge from the spring of the water of life.[86]  The translators admitted (NET note 13) that they added the word water because it “is implied.  Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.”  So the text reads, To the one who is thirsty I will give free of charge from the spring of the water of life.  The implied direct object in this case is not water but righteousness: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst (διψῶντες, another form of διψάω) for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.[87]

Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty (διψήσει, another form of διψάω) again, Jesus, pointing at a well, told a Samaritan woman.  But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty (διψήσει, another form of διψάω) again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.[88]  So the way that righteousness, the will of God, is achieved in heaven is through free access to God’s Holy Spirit, not an occasional spurt of righteousness, but a spring or fountain springing up to eternal life, which is not so much a timeless time or place as an eternal way of life.  And so it is on earth: may your will be done (γενηθήτω, a form of γίνομαι, literally become)[89] on earth as it is in heaven.[90]

And so it was with our Lord and Savior: I will grant the one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered (ἐνίκησα, a form of νικάω) and sat down with my Father on his throne.[91]  For everyone who has been fathered by God conquers (νικᾷ, a form of νικάω) the world.  This is the conquering power that has conquered (νικήσασα, a form of νικάω) the world: our faith.  Now who is the person who has conquered (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?[92]  If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God.  And we have come to know and to believe the love [the fruit of his Spirit] that God has in us.  God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him [Table].[93]

With that in mind I want to reconsider the story of Jesus calming the wind and the waves.  I’ll use my imagination along with a psalm to get into the scene a little deeper.  When a great windstorm developed and the waves first began breaking into the boat,[94] though the other disciples may have been immediately afraid, I imagine Peter, Andrew, James and John took it in stride, for they were fishermen (Psalm 107:23-25 NET).

Some traveled on the sea in ships, and carried cargo over the vast waters.  They witnessed the acts of the Lord, his amazing feats on the deep water.  He gave the order for a windstorm, and it stirred up the waves of the sea.

As Peter gave orders to man the sail, ropes or oars, I imagine he smiled to himself that Jesus could sleep through it all.  Obviously, the Messiah wasn’t worried that He might drown in a storm on the Sea of Galilee (Psalm 107:26a NET Table).

They reached up to the sky, then dropped into the depths.

That’s an apt description of a boat riding out a storm fairly successfully.  But in the midst of an inland lake, the longer the wind blows, the more confused the waves become as they bounce back from every shore.  In the dark with no clue where the next wave would come from, it became almost impossible to head into the waves, so that the boat was nearly swamped.[95]  As the level of the water rose inside the boat, I imagine Peter’s amusement gave way to dismay, that the Messiah could sleep through it all (Psalm 107:26b-28a NET).

The sailors’ strength left them because the danger was so great [Table].  They swayed and staggered like a drunk, and all their skill proved ineffective.  They cried out to the Lord in their distress…

Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?[96] Peter roused Jesus from his slumber.  I imagine that it was Peter, telling on himself through Mark (Psalm 107:28b, 29 NET).

…he delivered them from their troubles.  He calmed the storm, and the waves grew silent.

Granted, there are more appropriate ways to cry out to the Lord at the end of one’s own faith.  I’ve certainly said worse than—Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?—but the Lord’s love is not easily angered or resentful.[97]  And with time in, living at the edge of my faith, his peace and patience work out more appropriate prayers for salvation in me.  My point in all this is that Jesus was not concerned with the fear his disciples felt during the storm.  They responded more or less appropriately to that fear according to the Scripture.

Hear how the words—Why are you cowardly?  Do you still not have faith?—sound, if they were spoken quietly with a smile and a wink as Jesus headed back to bed, rather than an imperious scowl.  Granted, the order of events in Matthew’s Gospel account lends more credence to that imperious scowl, but then in Matthew the phrase you people of little faith[98] is one word, ὀλιγόπιστοι (a form of ὀλιγόπιστος).[99]  Knowing that, it sounds more like a pet name or a term of endearment than a curse, or even a rebuke.

Where the disciples were in danger of diverging from Scripture was after Jesus calmed the storm, after He revealed that this particular Messiah was in fact Yahweh (Psalms 65:5-7; 89:8, 9; 93:3, 4 NET), who spoke to the wind and the waves and, Even the wind and sea obey him![100]  The sailors [in the psalm] rejoiced because the waves grew quiet, and he led them to the harbor they desired.[101]  Jesus disciples were overwhelmed by fear (ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον μέγαν).[102]

So, when Aaron and all the Israelites…were afraid (Septuagint, ἐφοβήθησαν, a form of φοβέω) to approach [Moses] because the skin of his face shone,[103] they were not frightened by a strange sight.  They had seen stranger sights.  They were frightened by the implication of Moses’ shining face, that Moses was becoming like Yahweh.  The fear of becoming like God, if it is not faced, could keep one from conquering, from inheriting, and from hearing the Lord say, I will be his God and he will be my son.[104]

So that fear fully deserves its place first in the list of the damned.  Aaron and all the Israelites faced that fear, however, and drew near to Moses anyway.  Jesus’ Apostles, except for Judas Iscariot, faced it and overcame by faith in Him, because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world.[105]

[2] Exodus 34:29, 30 (NET)

[4] a form of φόβος

[5] a form of μέγας

[7] Mark 4:37 (NET)

[8] Mark 4:38, 39 (NET)

[9] Mark 4:40 (NET)

[10] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

[11] Matthew 9:9 (NET) As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow me,” he said to him.  And he got up and followed him.

[13] Now a great windstorm (λαῖλαψ μεγάλη [another form of μέγας]) developed and the waves, careening back and forth between the shores of the lake called the Sea of Galilee, were the result.

[15] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

[16] 2 Peter 1:3 (NET)

[17] Romans 4

[22] a form of οὗτος

[25] a form of σύ; of you

[26] Ephesians 2:8 (NET)

[30] Ephesians 2:9 (NET)

[31] Ephesians 2:8, 9 (NET)

[32] Galatians 5:16 (NET)

[33] Galatians 5:22, 23a (NET)

[36] Matthew 23:13 (NET)

[38] a form of ὑπακοή

[40] a form of ἐπιταγή

[41] a form of ὁ

[42] a form of αἰώνιος, of eternal

[43] a form of θεός, of God

[45] Luke 24:49 (NET) Table

[47] John 1:40, 41 (NET)

[48] John 1:45 (NET)

[49] John 1:46 (NET)

[50] John 1:49 (NET)

[53] Hebrews 12:28 (NET)

[57] Revelation 21:8 (NET)

[59] The Soul

[61] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

[62] Revelation 2:11b (NET)

[63] Revelation 3:12 (NET)

[64] a form of ἔργον

[65] a form of ἐγώ

[66] Revelation 2:26 (NET)

[68] Revelation 3:5 (NET)

[69] a form of πληρόω

[70] Revelation 3:2b (NET)

[71] Revelation 3:2a (NET)

[74] Revelation 3:3a (NET)

[75] Revelation 11:17b (NET) …you have taken (εἴληφας) your great power and begun to reign.

[77] Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

[78] Romans 12:6-8 (NET)

[79] http://www.ericlevy.com/lxx/?Book=Gen&Chapter=24  Point to the word with the mouse to see a popup translation; then point to “search” in the popup to see another popup with the root form of the word.

[81] Exodus 20:7 (NET) Table

[82] John 3:21 (NET)

[86] Revelation 21:6 (NET)

[87] Matthew 5:6 (NET)

[88] John 4:13, 14 (NET)

[90] Matthew 6:10 (NET) Table

[91] Revelation 3:21 (NET)

[92] 1 John 5:4, 5 (NET)

[93] 1 John 4:15, 16 (NET)

[94] Mark 4:37a (NET)

[95] Mark 4:37b (NET)

[96] Mark 4:38 (NET)

[97] 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NET)

[98] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

[100] Mark 4:41 (NET)

[101] Psalm 107:30 (NET)

[102] Mark 4:41 (NET)

[103] Exodus 34:29, 30 (NET)

[104] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

[105] 1 John 5:4 (NET)

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)

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)

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

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

Fear – Exodus, Part 4

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Here I continue to see the Lord cultivating the fear that is a conviction to act in accordance with his word in Israel.  It happened at midnight – the Lord attacked all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle.1  But the plague of the firstborn did not touch the Israelites who heard the word of the Lord and marked their doors with the blood of the Passover lamb: For the Lord will pass through to strike Egypt, and when he sees the blood on the top of the doorframe and the two side posts, then the Lord will pass over the door, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.2

Pharaoh got up in the night, along with all his servants and all Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no house in which there was not someone dead [Table].  Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron in the night and said, “Get up, get out from among my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, serve the Lord as you have requested [Table]!  Also, take your flocks and your herds, just as you have requested, and leave.  But bless me also” [Table] 3

And so the descendants of Israel (and others) left Egypt:  There were about 600,000 men on foot, plus their dependents [Table].  A mixed multitude also went up with them, and flocks and herds – a very large number of cattle [Table].4  A note (94) in the NET reads: “The ‘mixed multitude’ (עֵרֶב רַב, ’erev rav) refers to a great ‘swarm’ (see a possible cognate in 8:21[17]) of folk who joined the Israelites, people who were impressed by the defeat of Egypt, who came to faith, or who just wanted to escape Egypt (maybe slaves or descendants of the Hyksos). The expression prepares for later references to riffraff who came along.”

In this context of cultivating a fear of the Lord that is a conviction to act in accordance with his word I begin to see a purpose for hardening Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 14:1-4 NET).

The Lord spoke to Moses [Table]: “Tell the Israelites that they must turn and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you are to camp by the sea before Baal Zephon opposite it [Table].  Pharaoh will think regarding the Israelites, ‘They are wandering around confused in the land – the desert has closed in on them’ [Table].  I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them.  I will gain honor because of Pharaoh and because of all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”  So this is what they did [Table].

It happened as the Lord promised Moses (Exodus 14:5-7 NET):

When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and the king and his servants said, “What in the world have we done?  For we have released the people of Israel from serving us!”  Then he prepared his chariots and took his army with him.  He took six hundred select chariots, and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, and officers on all of them.

If I am correct in seeing this fear that is a conviction to act in accordance with the word of the Lord as the functional equivalent in the Old Testament of the fruit of the Spirit,5 the desire and the effort brought forth by God for the sake of his good pleasure,6  because it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy,7  and the love of God8 that is the fulfillment of the law,9 then the contemporary Gentile response to the events of Exodus is telling.  It is a clear revelation of the ασεβεια in human hearts, the ungodliness (ἀσέβειαν, a form of ἀσέβεια) and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness;10 namely, the learned consensus that the Exodus didn’t happen as described in the Bible.  It is difficult to believe that God would do such things for anyone (the descendents of Israel), let alone for everyone (For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.11).

But orchestrating the events to cultivate such a fear could have the opposite effect, creating a fear that caused Israel to flee, in their hearts if not with their feet (Exodus 14:10-12 NET).

When Pharaoh got closer, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified (yârêʼ, וַיִּירְאוּ).  The Israelites cried out to the Lord [Table], and they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert?  What in the world have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? [Table]  Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians, because it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’” [Table]

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint used ἐφοβήθησαν (a form of φοβέω) here.  The next occurrence of ἐφοβήθησαν in the New Testament is in Matthew’s Gospel when Christ, our Passover lamb, [was] sacrificed.12  Now from noon until three, darkness came over all the land [Table].  At about three o’clock Jesus shouted [the opening line of Psalm 22] with a loud voice…“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Table]13  Apparently some bystanders didn’t know Aramaic (the language of Judah’s Babylonian/Persian captors and didn’t recognize the Psalm in that ancient tongue: Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? [8/19/2017: For a different take on this see, DID THE MESSIAH SPEAK ARAMAIC OR HEBREW? (PART 2) BY E.A.KNAPP]).  They said, This man is calling for Elijah14 (e.g., Eli, Eli—My God, My God).  Leave him alone!  Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him.15

Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.  Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from16 top to bottom.  The earth shook and the rocks were split apart.  And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised17…Now when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified (ἐφοβήθησαν, a form of φοβέω) and said, “Truly this one was God’s Son!”18

I doubt that the Centurion and his companions on Golgotha saw the curtain that separated the holy place from the most holy place ripped, though they may have seen or at least heard the commotion afterward.  I assume they witnessed the earthquake and the tombs opening.  Whether they saw any of the dead come out of their tombs depends on how limiting verse 53 is meant to be taken, They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.19  I’m not sure I can make that kind of determination based only on ἐκ, which can mean out of or away from.  But whatever they saw and heard frightened them like the Israelites were frightened when they looked up, and there were the Egyptians marching after them.

But Moses, who was privy to God’s plan, said, Do not fear (yârêʼ, תִּירָאוּ)!  Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord that he will provide for you today; for the Egyptians that you see today you will never, ever see again.20  The word translated fear above was θαρσεῖτε (a form of θαρσέω) in the Septuagint.  When Jesus’ disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them: “Have courage (θαρσεῖτε)!  It is I.  Do not be afraid.”21

Israel crossed the sea on dry ground.  The Egyptians were drowned when they attempted to follow.  When Israel saw the great power that the Lord had exercised over the Egyptians, they feared (yârêʼ, וַיִּירְאוּ) the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.22  And so, for the moment, God had successfully cultivated that combination of faith and fear that is the functional equivalent of: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,23 and the fruit of the Spirit,24 the desire and the effort brought forth by God for the sake of his good pleasure,25  because it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy,26  and the love of God27 that is the fulfillment of the law.28

 

Addendum: April 15, 2026
According to a footnote (82) in the NET Jesus quoted from Psalm 22:1 in Matthew 27:46. The following table compares the Greek of that quotation with that of the Septuagint.

Matthew 27:46b (NET Parallel Greek)

Psalm 22:1b (BLB Septuagint) Table

Psalm 22:1b (Septuagint Elpenor)
Θεέ μου θεέ μου, ἱνατί με ἐγκατέλιπες ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός μου πρόσχες μοι ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με Ο ΘΕΟΣ, ὁ Θεός μου, πρόσχες μοι· ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με

Matthew 27:46b (NET)

Psalm 22:1b (NETS)

Psalm 22:1b (English Elpenor)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

 God, my God, attend to me; why did you forsake me? O God, my God, attend to me: why hast thou forsaken me?

Tables comparing Exodus 12:23; 14:5; 14:6 and 14:7 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 12:23; 14:5; 14:6 and 14:7 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Matthew 27:47 and 27:51, 52 in the NET and KJV follow.

Exodus 12:23 (Tanakh)

Exodus 12:23 (KJV)

Exodus 12:23 (NET)
For HaShem will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, HaShem will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. For the Lord will pass through to strike Egypt, and when he sees the blood on the top of the doorframe and the two side posts, then the Lord will pass over the door, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

Exodus 12:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 12:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ παρελεύσεται κύριος πατάξαι τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους καὶ ὄψεται τὸ αἷμα ἐπὶ τῆς φλιᾶς καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν σταθμῶν καὶ παρελεύσεται κύριος τὴν θύραν καὶ οὐκ ἀφήσει τὸν ὀλεθρεύοντα εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὰς οἰκίας ὑμῶν πατάξαι καὶ παρελεύσεται Κύριος πατάξαι τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους καὶ ὄψεται τὸ αἷμα ἐπὶ τῆς φλιᾶς καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν σταθμῶν, καὶ παρελεύσεται Κύριος τὴν θύραν καὶ οὐκ ἀφήσει τὸν ὀλοθρεύοντα εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὰς οἰκίας ὑμῶν πατάξαι

Exodus 12:23 (NETS)

Exodus 12:23 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord will pass by to strike the Egyptians, and he will see the blood upon the lintel and on both doorposts, and the Lord will pass by the door, and he will not allow the destroyer to enter into your house to strike. And the Lord shall pass by to smite the Egyptians, and shall see the blood upon the lintel, and upon both the door-posts; and the Lord shall pass by the door, and shall not suffer the destroyer to enter into your houses to smite [you].

Exodus 14:5 (Tanakh)

Exodus 14:5 (KJV)

Exodus 14:5 (NET)
And it was told the king of Egypt that the people were fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned towards the people, and they said: ‘What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? When it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and the king and his servants said, “What in the world have we done? For we have released the people of Israel from serving us!”

Exodus 14:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 14:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ὅτι πέφευγεν ὁ λαός καὶ μετεστράφη ἡ καρδία Φαραω καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν καὶ εἶπαν τί τοῦτο ἐποιήσαμεν τοῦ ἐξαποστεῖλαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ τοῦ μὴ δουλεύειν ἡμῖν καὶ ἀνηγγέλη τῷ βασιλεῖ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ὅτι πέφευγεν ὁ λαός· καὶ μετεστράφη ἡ καρδία Φαραὼ καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν, καὶ εἶπαν· τί τοῦτο ἐποιήσαμεν τοῦ ἐξαποστεῖλαι τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ, τοῦ μὴ δουλεύειν ἡμῖν

Exodus 14:5 (NETS)

Exodus 14:5 (English Elpenor)
And it was reported to the king of the Egyptians that the people had escaped. And the heart of Pharao and his attendants was turned against the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, sending away the sons of Israel so they are not subject to us?” And it was reported to the king of the Egyptians that the people had fled: and the heart of Pharao was turned, and that of his servants against the people; and they said, What is this that we have done, to let the children of Israel go, so that they should not serve us?

Exodus 14:6 (Tanakh)

Exodus 14:6 (KJV)

Exodus 14:6 (NET)
And he made ready his chariots, and took his people with him. And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: Then he prepared his chariots and took his army with him.

Exodus 14:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 14:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἔζευξεν οὖν Φαραω τὰ ἅρματα αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ συναπήγαγεν μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ ἔζευξεν οὖν Φαραὼ τὰ ἅρματα αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ συναπήγαγε μεθ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ

Exodus 14:6 (NETS)

Exodus 14:6 (English Elpenor)
Then Pharao hitched up his chariots and led away all his people together with him, So Pharao yoked his chariots, and led off all his people with himself:

Exodus 14:7 (Tanakh)

Exodus 14:7 (KJV)

Exodus 14:7 (NET)
And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them. And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. He took 600 select chariots, and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, and officers on all of them.

Exodus 14:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 14:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λαβὼν ἑξακόσια ἅρματα ἐκλεκτὰ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἵππον τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τριστάτας ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ λαβὼν ἑξακόσια ἅρματα ἐκλεκτὰ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἵππον τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τριστάτας ἐπὶ πάντων

Exodus 14:7 (NETS)

Exodus 14:7 (English Elpenor)
and he took six hundred choice chariots and all the cavalry of the Egyptians and the third-ranked officers over all of them. having also taken six hundred chosen chariots, and all the cavalry of the Egyptians, and rulers over all.

Matthew 27:47 (NET)

Matthew 27:47 (KJV)
When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

Matthew 27:47 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 27:47 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 27:47 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τινὲς δὲ τῶν ἐκεῖ ἑστηκότων ἀκούσαντες ἔλεγον ὅτι Ἠλίαν φωνεῖ οὗτος τινες δε των εκει εστωτων ακουσαντες ελεγον οτι ηλιαν φωνει ουτος τινες δε των εκει εστωτων ακουσαντες ελεγον οτι ηλιαν φωνει ουτος

Matthew 27:51, 52 (NET)

Matthew 27:51, 52 (KJV)
Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks were split apart. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Matthew 27:51 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 27:51 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 27:51 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἰδοὺ τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ ἐσχίσθη |ἀπ᾿| ἄνωθεν ἕως κάτω εἰς δύο καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐσείσθη καὶ αἱ πέτραι ἐσχίσθησαν και ιδου το καταπετασμα του ναου εσχισθη εις δυο απο ανωθεν εως κατω και η γη εσεισθη και αι πετραι εσχισθησαν και ιδου το καταπετασμα του ναου εσχισθη εις δυο απο ανωθεν εως κατω και η γη εσεισθη και αι πετραι εσχισθησαν
And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised. And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

Matthew 27:52 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 27:52 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 27:52 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ τὰ μνημεῖα ἀνεῴχθησαν καὶ πολλὰ σώματα τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἁγίων ἠγέρθησαν και τα μνημεια ανεωχθησαν και πολλα σωματα των κεκοιμημενων αγιων ηγερθη και τα μνημεια ανεωχθησαν και πολλα σωματα των κεκοιμημενων αγιων ηγερθη

1 Exodus 12:29 (NET) Table

2 Exodus 12:23 (NET)

3 Exodus 12:30-32 (NET)

4 Exodus 12:37b, 38 (NET)

6 Philippians 2:13 (NET) Table

7 Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

10 Romans 1:18 (NET)

11 Romans 11:32 (NET)

12 1 Corinthians 5:7b (NET) Table

13 Matthew 27:45, 46 (NET) Table

14 Matthew 27:47 (NET)

15 Matthew 27:49 (NET)

16 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the preposition ἀπ᾿ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απο.

17 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἠγέρθησαν here, a plural form of ἐγείρω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular ηγερθη (KJV: arose).

18 Matthew 27:50-52, 54 (NET)

19 Matthew 27:53 (NET)

20 Exodus 14:13 (NET) Table

21 Matthew 14:26, 27 (NET) Table

22 Exodus 14:31 (NET) Table There are no more occurrences of ἐφοβήθη (the word the rabbis chose in the Septuagint) in the New Testament.

23 Romans 10:9 (NET)

25 Philippians 2:13 (NET) Table

26 Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

Fear – Exodus, Part 3

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The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: “Release my people so that they may serve me!”’”1  This is the seventh plague on Egypt.  You are still exalting yourself against my people by not releasing them [Table], the Lord continued.  I am going to cause very severe hail to rain down about this time tomorrow, such hail as has never occurred in Egypt from the day it was founded until now [Table].  So now, send instructions to gather your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place.  Every person or animal caught in the field and not brought into the house – the hail will come down on them, and they will die! [Table]2

Those of Pharaoh’s servants who feared (yârêʼ, הַיָּרֵא) the word of the Lord hurried to bring their servants and livestock into the houses [Table], but those who did not take the word of the Lord seriously left their servants and their cattle in the field [Table].3  The rabbis who translated the Septuagint used φοβούμενος (a present participle of φοβέω).  Jesus told a parable about a judge who neither feared (φοβούμενος) God nor respected people.4  But even this judge could be persuaded by a widow’s persistence.  I will give her justice, the judge said, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.5  But even after six other plagues happened as prophesied by Moses there were still those who did not take the word of the Lord seriously.  The rabbis used προσέσχεν [Addendum 12/26/2025: a form of προσέχω] (hold to), they did not hold to the word of the Lord.

It caused me to consider that those who did not take the word of the Lord seriously were actually hardened.  The judge did not fear God but could be persuaded by his own inconvenience.  To lose one’s animals and slaves is a major inconvenience.  Six out of six plagues would seemingly convince one that the seventh was possible if not likely.  Reason alone would persuade one to take precautions at least at the time of day prophesied simply to avoid the greater inconvenience of losing everything.  But only those who feared the word of the Lord acted rationally.  It gave me the impression that the others believed (though did not fear) that the word was the Lord’s, and acted contrary to his word because it was his word.  They were hardened.

The hail struck everything in the open fields, both people and animals, throughout all the land of Egypt.  The hail struck everything that grows in the field, and it broke all the trees of the field to pieces [Table].  Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail [Table].  So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time!  The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are guilty.  Pray to the Lord, for the mighty thunderings and hail are too much!  I will release you and you will stay no longer.”6

Moses promised to pray that the hail cease.  But as for you, He said to Pharaoh, and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear (yârêʼ, תִּירְאוּן) the Lord God.7  In the Septuagint the rabbis used πεφόβησθε, (afraid).  This form was not used in the New Testament.

When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again: both he and his servants hardened their hearts.  So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.8  Pharaoh certainly believed the word was the Lord’s as a fact, but he did not fear that word.  Here I begin to grasp the fear of the Lord as something that is combined with factual acceptance to become New Testament faith, as opposed to dead faith or faith alone.

This fear is obviously not a flight of terror but a conviction to act in accordance with the word (Septuagint: ῥῆμα) of the Lord.  In New Testament terms it would be equivalent to the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.9  And this is because it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.10  In a similar sense the New Testament meaning of the fear of the Lord is equivalent to the love of God: Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep his commandments.  The one who says “I have come to know God” and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person [Table].  But whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected.11

Luke used the phrase fear of the Lord in this association with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit: Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace and thus was strengthened.   Living12 in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church increased in numbers.13  At first glance Paul seemed to use fear of the Lord in a more fearful sense: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil [Table].  Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people…14

If I expand the context, however, Paul spoke first of faith: For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens.15  While the natural person clings to this earthly tent for dear life we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.16  Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose, Paul continued (including by the way appearing before the judgment seat of Christ) is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.17  So is any of this a cause to be fearful?

Paul continued (2 Corinthians 5:6-9 NET):

Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord – for we live by faith, not by sight.  Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him.

And what is this ambition to please him but the fear of the Lord?  Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade people, but we are well known to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too.18  For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died [Table].  And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.19

And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation [Table].  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!”  God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God [Table].20

So before Christ was crucified, rose again, ascended to heaven and the Holy Spirit was given to provide this love, this desire and this effort, the Lord cultivated fear to motivate his people:  The Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order to display these signs of mine before him, and in order that in the hearing of your son and your grandson you may tell how I made fools of the Egyptians and about my signs that I displayed among them, so that you may know that I am the Lord.”21  Perhaps more to the point was Moses’ response to Israel’s fear when God spoke the law at Sinai: Do not fear (yārē’, תִּירָאוּ), for God has come to test you, that the fear of him (yir’â, יִרְאָתוֹ; KJV: his fear) may be before you so that you do not sin.22

 

Addendum: March 15, 2026
Tables comparing Exodus 9:27; 9:28; 9:30; 9:34; 9:35; 10:1; 10:2 and 20:20 (20:17) in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 9:27; 9:28; 9:30; 9:34; 9:35; 10:1; 10:2 and 20:20 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Exodus 9:27 (Tanakh)

Exodus 9:27 (KJV)

Exodus 9:27 (NET)
And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them: ‘I have sinned this time; HaShem is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time! The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are guilty.

Exodus 9:27 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀποστείλας δὲ Φαραω ἐκάλεσεν Μωυσῆν καὶ Ααρων καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ἡμάρτηκα τὸ νῦν ὁ κύριος δίκαιος ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ὁ λαός μου ἀσεβεῖς ἀποστείλας δὲ Φαραώ ἐκάλεσε Μωυσῆν καὶ ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἡμάρτηκα τὸ νῦν· ὁ Κύριος δίκαιος, ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ὁ λαός μου ἀσεβεῖς

Exodus 9:27 (NETS)

Exodus 9:27 (English Elpenor)
Then Pharao sent and summoned Moyses and Aaron and said to them, “Now I have sinned. The Lord is just but I and my people are impious. And Pharao sent and called Moses and Aaron, and said to them, I have sinned this time: the Lord [is] righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

Exodus 9:28 (Tanakh)

Exodus 9:28 (KJV)

Exodus 9:28 (NET)
Entreat HaShem, and let there be enough of these mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.’ Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer. Pray to the Lord, for the mighty thunderings and hail are too much! I will release you and you will stay no longer.”

Exodus 9:28 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εὔξασθε οὖν περὶ ἐμοῦ πρὸς κύριον καὶ παυσάσθω τοῦ γενηθῆναι φωνὰς θεοῦ καὶ χάλαζαν καὶ πῦρ καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ ὑμᾶς καὶ οὐκέτι προσθήσεσθε μένειν εὔξασθε οὖν περὶ ἐμοῦ πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ παυσάσθω τοῦ γενηθῆναι φωνὰς Θεοῦ καὶ χάλαζαν καὶ πῦρ· καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐκέτι προστεθήσεσθε μένειν

Exodus 9:28 (NETS)

Exodus 9:28 (English Elpenor)
Therefore pray for me to the Lord, and let him put a stop to God’s sounds and hail and fire, and I will send you away, and you will no longer continue to stay.” Pray then for me to the Lord, and let him cause the thunderings of God to cease, and the hail and the fire, and I will send you forth and ye shall remain no longer.

Exodus 9:30 (Tanakh)

Exodus 9:30 (KJV)

Exodus 9:30 (NET)
But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear HaShem G-d.’– But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God. But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.”

Exodus 9:30 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ θεράποντές σου ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι οὐδέπω πεφόβησθε τὸν κύριον καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ θεράποντές σου, ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι οὐδέπω πεφόβησθε τὸν Κύριον

Exodus 9:30 (NETS)

Exodus 9:30 (English Elpenor)
Both you and your attendants—I know that you have not yet come to fear the Lord.” But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye have not yet feared the Lord.

Exodus 9:34 (Tanakh)

Exodus 9:34 (KJV)

Exodus 9:34 (NET)
And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again: both he and his servants hardened their hearts.

Exodus 9:34 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδὼν δὲ Φαραω ὅτι πέπαυται ὁ ὑετὸς καὶ ἡ χάλαζα καὶ αἱ φωναί προσέθετο τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ ἐβάρυνεν αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ ἰδὼν δὲ Φαραὼ ὅτι πέπαυται ὁ ὑετὸς καὶ ἡ χάλαζα καὶ αἱ φωναί, προσέθετο τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν καὶ ἐβάρυνεν αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ

Exodus 9:34 (NETS)

Exodus 9:34 (English Elpenor)
Now when Pharao saw that the rain had ceased, and the hail and the sounds, he continued to sin and made his heart and that of his attendants heavy. And when Pharao saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders ceased, he continued to sin; and [he] hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants.

Exodus 9:35 (Tanakh)

Exodus 9:35 (KJV)

Exodus 9:35 (NET)
And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go; as HaShem had spoken by Moses. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.

Exodus 9:35 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐσκληρύνθη ἡ καρδία Φαραω καὶ οὐκ ἐξαπέστειλεν τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ καθάπερ ἐλάλησεν κύριος τῷ Μωυσῇ καὶ ἐσκληρύνθη ἡ καρδία Φαραώ, καὶ οὐκ ἐξαπέστειλε τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ, καθάπερ ἐλάλησε Κύριος τῷ Μωυσῇ

Exodus 9:35 (NETS)

Exodus 9:35 (English Elpenor)
And the heart of Pharao was hardened, and he did not send away the sons of Israel, according as the Lord said to Moyses. And the heart of Pharao was hardened, and he did not send forth the children of Israel, as the Lord said to Moses.

Exodus 10:1 (Tanakh)

Exodus 10:1 (KJV)

Exodus 10:1 (NET)
And HaShem said unto Moses: ‘Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs in the midst of them; And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him: The Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order to display these signs of mine before him,

Exodus 10:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 10:1, 2a (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων εἴσελθε πρὸς Φαραω ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐσκλήρυνα αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ ἵνα ἑξῆς ἐπέλθῃ τὰ σημεῖα ταῦτα ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς ΕΙΠΕ δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων· εἴσελθε πρὸς Φαραώ· ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐσκλήρυνα αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἑξῆς ἐπέλθῃ τὰ σημεῖα ταῦτα ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς (2) ὅπως

Exodus 10:1 (NETS)

Exodus 10:1 (English Elpenor)
Then the Lord said to Moyses,”Go in to Pharao. For I made his heart and that of his attendants heavy in order that one after another these signs might come upon them. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Go in to Pharao: for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that these signs may come upon them; in order

Exodus 10:2 (Tanakh)

Exodus 10:2 (KJV)

Exodus 10:2 (NET)
and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what I have wrought upon Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am HaShem.’ And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD. and in order that in the hearing of your son and your grandson you may tell how I made fools of the Egyptians and about my signs that I displayed among them, so that you may know that I am the Lord.”

Exodus 10:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 10:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅπως διηγήσησθε εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν τέκνων ὑμῶν καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις τῶν τέκνων ὑμῶν ὅσα ἐμπέπαιχα τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ τὰ σημεῖά μου ἃ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος ὅπως διηγήσησθε εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν τέκνων ὑμῶν καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις τῶν τέκνων ὑμῶν, ὅσα ἐμπέπαιχα τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις, καὶ τὰ σημεῖά μου, ἃ ἐποίησα ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος

Exodus 10:2 (NETS)

Exodus 10:1b, 2 (English Elpenor)
that you may account in the ears of your children and to the children of your children how I mocked the Egyptians, and my signs that I did among them, and you will know that I am the Lord.” in order (2) that ye may relate in the ears of your children, and to your children’s children, in how many things I have mocked the Egyptians, and my wonders which I wrought among them; and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord.

Exodus 20:17 (Tanakh)

Exodus 20:20 (KJV)

Exodus 20:20 (NET)
And Moses said unto the people: ‘Fear not; for G-d is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before you, that ye sin not.’ And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you so that you do not sin.”

Exodus 20:20 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 20:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς θαρσεῖτε ἕνεκεν γὰρ τοῦ πειράσαι ὑμᾶς παρεγενήθη ὁ θεὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὅπως ἂν γένηται ὁ φόβος αὐτοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτάνητε καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς· θαρσεῖτε, ἕνεκεν γὰρ τοῦ πειράσαι ὑμᾶς παρεγενήθη ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὅπως ἂν γένηται ὁ φόβος αὐτοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτάνητε

Exodus 20:20 (NETS)

Exodus 20:20 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses says to them, “Take courage! For in order to test you God has come to you in order that his fear might be in you so that you do not sin.” And Moses says to them, Be of good courage, for God is come to you to try you, that his fear may be among you, that ye sin not.

1 Exodus 9:13 (NET) Table

2 Exodus 9:17-19 (NET)

3 Exodus 9:20, 21 (NET)

4 Luke 18:2 (NET)

5 Luke 18:5 (NET)

6 Exodus 9:25-28 (NET)

7 Exodus 9:30 (NET)

8 Exodus 9:34, 35 (NET)

9 Philippians 2:13 (NET) Table

10 Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

11 1 John 2:3-5a (NET)

12 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the singular πορευομένη here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural πορευομεναι (KJV: walking).

13 Acts 9:31 (NET) [Table] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the singular ἐπληθύνετο here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural επληθυνοντο (KJV: were multiplied).

14 2 Corinthians 5:10, 11 (NET)

15 2 Corinthians 5:1 (NET)

16 2 Corinthians 5:4 (NET) Table

17 2 Corinthians 5:5 (NET) Table

18 2 Corinthians 5:11 (NET)

19 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15 (NET)

20 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NET)

21 Exodus 10:1, 2 (NET)

22 Exodus 20:20 (NET)

Fear – Exodus Part 2

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“Why have you done this and let the boys live?”1 the king of Egypt accused the midwives.  Hebrew women are vigorous, they answered, they give birth before the midwife gets to them!2  Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “All sons that are born you must throw into the river, but all daughters you may let live.”3  But Moses’ mother disobeyed the law.  She hid her baby for three months.  Then she set him adrift in a papyrus basket, where Pharaoh’s daughter found him and raised him as her own.

In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and observed their hard labor, and he saw an Egyptian man attacking a Hebrew man, one of his own people.  He looked this way and that and saw that no one was there, and then he attacked the Egyptian and concealed the body in the sand.4  Then he saw two Hebrew men fighting.  When he tried to break it up one of them said, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?  Are you planning to kill me like you killed that Egyptian?”  Then Moses was afraid (yârêʼ, וַיִּירָא), thinking, “Surely what I did has become known.”5

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose ἐφοβήθη (a form of φοβέω) here.  There are no more occurrences of ἐφοβήθη in the New Testament.  By choosing this word however they have made Moses’ fear equivalent to Sarah’s fear when she lied to God about laughing at him.6  It was like Lot’s fear to live in Zoar after witnessing the destruction of the surrounding cities,7 and Isaac’s fear to acknowledge Rebekah as his wife.8  It was like Jacob’s fear of Bethel the morning after his dream,9 and when he heard that Esau was coming out to meet him on his return to Canaan.10

When Pharaoh heard [what Moses did to the Egyptian], he sought to kill Moses.  So Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian…11  During that long period of time the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites groaned because of the slave labor.  They cried out, and their desperate cry because of their slave labor went up to God.12  And God responded (Exodus 3:1-5 NET).

Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.  The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush.  He looked – and the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed!  So Moses thought, “I will turn aside to see this amazing sight.  Why does the bush not burn up?”  When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”  And Moses said, “Here I am.”  God said, “Do not approach any closer!  Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

God added, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid (yârêʼ, יָרֵא) to look at God.13  In the Septuagint εὐλαβεῖτο (a form of εὐλαβέομαι) was used.  It does not occur in the New Testament but is close to εὐλαβηθεὶς, translated reverent regard in Hebrews: By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard (εὐλαβηθεὶς, a participle of εὐλαβέομαι) constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family.  Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.14

The Lord said [to Moses], “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt.  I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.  I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a land that is both good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the region of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.  And now indeed the cry of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them.  So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”15

I think the rabbis who translated the Septuagint were wise to choose εὐλαβηθεὶς [Addendum 1/30/2026: The word in the Septuagint in Exodus 3:6 was actually εὐλαβεῖτο, a 3rd person singular form of εὐλαβέομαι in the present tense.] (a form of εὐλαβέομαι) here rather than φοβέω, a word that connotes flight.  The NET online definition of εὐλαβηθεὶς is a continuum from caution through wariness to reverence.  For Moses was not afraid to stand and argue with God:  “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”16 And his question prompted a couple of my own about the timing of God’s calling.  Wouldn’t it have been better to call a prince of Egypt for this diplomatic mission than a shepherd from Midian?   And certainly the moralist in me would prefer that God had called Moses before he became a murderer and a fugitive from justice.

To address my first question I turned to Paul:  For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.”17  Paul quoted the prophetic word of God through Isaiah as a clear statement of God’s purpose and intent.  This is like an overarching theme with God.  Then Paul elaborated (1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NET):

Think about the circumstances of your call (κλῆσιν, a form of κλῆσις), brothers and sisters.  Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.  But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.  God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence [Table].  He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Given my upbringing and temperament it probably bears saying that Paul did not invent rules for God to obey.  He revealed what he heard from Christ or observed of God’s behavior in Scripture.  David was the youngest of Jesse’s sons (and a shepherd, by the way), not the eldest.  Jephthah was the illegitimate son of Gilead and a prostitute.  Solomon was apparently not the eldest of David’s sons with Bathsheba,18 and David’s and Bathsheba’s relationship began as an adulterous affair, yet God called Solomon Jedidiah, beloved of the Lord.

As for Moses being a murderer and a fugitive from justice it is clear that God was working at (what I would call) cross-purposes.  If God sent me to gain the Israelites release from Pharaoh I would hope, and even prayer, that He would grant me favor with Pharaoh.  He told Moses, So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.19  But I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.20

It occurred to me years ago that one way God might have hardened Pharaoh’s heart was to grant him wealth, position, power and prestige without first humbling him to serve God.  As I imagine the scene now I see Moses, a murderer and fugitive from Egyptian justice, standing before the king of Egypt, saying, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us.  So now, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.21  It was almost guaranteed that his heart would be hardened against such a request from such a man.  And if Egyptian justice had become forgetful of Moses’ crime as a prince in Egypt, Moses had become a Midianite shepherd.  Again Pharaoh’s heart was likely to be hardened, for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting (KJV, an abomination) to the Egyptians.22

I am in the heart now of the issues that Paul considered important when discussing election:  So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy [Table].  For the scripture says to Pharaoh: “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”  So then, God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden.23

What was God’s response to Moses’ objection?  Surely I will be with you [literally, I AM with you], and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve God on this mountain.24  God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble,25 both James and Peter quoted from the Proverbs of Solomon.

Anyone called to the salvation of righteousness in Jesus Christ might feel just like Moses.  Who am I to love [my] enemy and pray for those who persecute [me] [Table], so that [I] may be like [my] Father in heaven [Table]?26  Who am I to Rejoice and be glad27 when people insult [me] and persecute [me] and say all kinds of evil things about [me] falsely on account of [You]?28  I’m not one of the prophets.  Like Peter I might say, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”29  But as He promised Moses, I AM with you, so He does not intend that I do righteousness on my own, but tapped into that infinite daily living stream of his Holy Spirit, relying on his love, his joy, his peace, his patience, his kindness, his goodness, his faithfulness, his  gentleness, and his self-control.  Against such things there is no law [Table].30

 

Addendum: February 6, 2026
According to a note (22) in the NET Paul quoted from Isaiah 29:14. The following table compares the Greek of that quotation with that of the Septuagint.

1 Corinthians 1:19b (NET Parallel Greek)

Isaiah 29:14b (Septuagint BLB) Table

Isaiah 29:14b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν ἀθετήσω ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν κρύψω ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν κρύψω

1 Corinthians 1:19b (NET)

Isaiah 29:14b (NETS)

Isaiah 29:14b (English Elpenor)
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent. [I will] destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will hide. I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will hide the understanding of the prudent.

According to a note (33) in the NET Paul quoted from Jeremiah 9:24. The following table compares the Greek of that quotation with that of the Septuagint.

1 Corinthians 1:31b (NET Parallel Greek)

Jeremiah 9:24a (Septuagint BLB) Table

Jeremiah 9:24a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ καυχώμενος ἐν κυρίῳ καυχάσθω ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ἐν τούτῳ καυχάσθω ὁ καυχώμενος συνίειν καὶ γινώσκειν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐν τούτῳ καυχάσθω ὁ καυχώμενος, συνίειν καὶ γινώσκεν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος

1 Corinthians 1:31b (NET)

Jeremiah 9:24a (NETS)

Jeremiah 9:24a (English Elpenor)
Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. But let him who boasts boast in this: that he understands and knows that I am the Lord but let him that boasts boast in this, the understanding and knowing that I am the Lord

Tables comparing Exodus 1:18; 1:19; 1:22; 2:11; 2:12; 2:14; 2:15: 2:23; 3:1; 3:2; 3:3; 3:4; 3:5; 3:7; 3:8; 3:9; 3:10; 3:11; 3:18; Genesis 46:34 and Exodus 3:12 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 1:18; 1:19; 1:22; 2:11; 2:12; 2:14; 2:15; 2:23; 3:1; 3:2; 3:3; 3:4; 3:5; 3:7; 3:8; 3:9; 3:10; 3:11; 3:18; Genesis 46:34 and Exodus 3:12 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Exodus 1:18 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:18 (KJV)

Exodus 1:18 (NET)
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them: ‘Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?’ And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?”

Exodus 1:18 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐκάλεσεν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου τὰς μαίας καὶ εἶπεν αὐταῖς τί ὅτι ἐποιήσατε τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο καὶ ἐζωογονεῖτε τὰ ἄρσενα ἐκάλεσε δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου τὰς μαίας καὶ εἶπεν αὐταῖς· τί ὅτι ἐποιήσατε τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο καὶ ἐζωογονεῖτε τὰ ἄρσενα

Exodus 1:18 (NETS)

Exodus 1:18 (English Elpenor)
Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why is it that you have done this thing and tried to keep the males alive?” And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, Why is it that ye have done this thing, and saved the male children alive?

Exodus 1:19 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:19 (KJV)

Exodus 1:19 (NET)
And the midwives said unto Pharaoh: ‘Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.’ And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women—for the Hebrew women are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!”

Exodus 1:19 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπαν δὲ αἱ μαῖαι τῷ Φαραω οὐχ ὡς γυναῖκες Αἰγύπτου αἱ Εβραῖαι τίκτουσιν γὰρ πρὶν ἢ εἰσελθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὰς τὰς μαίας καὶ ἔτικτον εἶπαν δὲ αἱ μαῖαι τῷ Φαραώ· οὐχ ὡς γυναῖκες Αἰγύπτου αἱ ῾Εβραῖαι, τίκτουσι γὰρ πρὶν ἢ εἰσελθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὰς τὰς μαίας· καὶ ἔτικτον

Exodus 1:19 (NETS)

Exodus 1:19 (English Elpenor)
The midwives then said to Pharao, “The Hebrew women are not like the women of Egypt, for they give birth before the midwives go in to them,” and they were already giving birth. And the midwives said to Pharao, The Hebrew women are not as the women of Egypt, for they are delivered before the midwives go in to them. So they bore children.

Exodus 1:22 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:22 (KJV)

Exodus 1:22 (NET)
And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying: ‘Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.’ And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?”

Exodus 1:22 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
συνέταξεν δὲ Φαραω παντὶ τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ λέγων πᾶν ἄρσεν ὃ ἐὰν τεχθῇ τοῖς Εβραίοις εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν ῥίψατε καὶ πᾶν θῆλυ ζωογονεῖτε αὐτό συνέταξε δὲ Φαραὼ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ λέγων· πᾶν ἄρσεν, ὃ ἐὰν τεχθῇ τοῖς ῾Εβραίοις, εἰς τὸν ποταμὸν ῥίψατε· καὶ πᾶν θῆλυ, ζωογονεῖτε αὐτό

Exodus 1:22 (NETS)

Exodus 1:22 (English Elpenor)
Then Pharao instructed all his people, saying, “Every male that might be born to the Hebrews, throw into the river, and every female, keep it alive.” And Pharao charged all his people, saying, Whatever male [child] shall be born to the Hebrews, cast into the river; and every female, save it alive.

Exodus 2:11 (Tanakh)

Exodus 2:11 (KJV)

Exodus 2:11 (NET)
And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and observed their hard labor, and he saw an Egyptian man attacking a Hebrew man, one of his own people.

Exodus 2:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 2:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταῖς πολλαῖς ἐκείναις μέγας γενόμενος Μωυσῆς ἐξήλθεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ κατανοήσας δὲ τὸν πόνον αὐτῶν ὁρᾷ ἄνθρωπον Αἰγύπτιον τύπτοντά τινα Εβραῖον τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφῶν τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ ᾿Εγένετο δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταῖς πολλαῖς ἐκείναις μέγας γενόμενος Μωυσῆς, ἐξῆλθε πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραήλ. κατανοήσας δὲ τὸν πόνον αὐτῶν ὁρᾷ ἄνθρωπον Αἰγύπτιον τύπτοντά τινα ῾Εβραῖον τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἀδελφῶν τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ

Exodus 2:11 (NETS)

Exodus 2:11 (English Elpenor)
Now it came to pass in the course of those many days, when he had fully grown, Moyses went out to his brothers, the sons of Israel. And as he observed their toil, he saw an Egyptian man beating some Hebrew from his own brothers, the sons of Israel. And it came to pass in that length of time, that Moses having grown, went out to his brethren the sons of Israel: and having noticed their distress, he sees an Egyptian smiting a certain Hebrew of his brethren the children of Israel.

Exodus 2:12 (Tanakh)

Exodus 2:12 (KJV)

Exodus 2:12 (NET)
And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. He looked this way and that and saw that no one was there, and then he attacked the Egyptian and concealed the body in the sand.

Exodus 2:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 2:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
περιβλεψάμενος δὲ ὧδε καὶ ὧδε οὐχ ὁρᾷ οὐδένα καὶ πατάξας τὸν Αἰγύπτιον ἔκρυψεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἄμμῳ περιβλεψάμενος δὲ ὧδε καὶ ὧδε οὐχ ὁρᾷ οὐδένα καὶ πατάξας τὸν Αἰγύπτιον, ἔκρυψεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἄμμῳ

Exodus 2:12 (NETS)

Exodus 2:12 (English Elpenor)
Now when he looked around this way and that, he saw no one, and he struck the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And having looked round this way and that way, he sees no one; and he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

Exodus 2:14 (Tanakh)

Exodus 2:14 (KJV)

Exodus 2:14 (NET)
And he said: ‘Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? thinkest thou to kill me, as thou didst kill the Egyptian?’ And Moses feared, and said: ‘Surely the thing is known.’ And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. The man replied, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Are you planning to kill me like you killed that Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Surely what I did has become known.”

Exodus 2:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 2:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστὴν ἐφ᾽ ἡμῶν μὴ ἀνελεῖν με σὺ θέλεις ὃν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες ἐχθὲς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον ἐφοβήθη δὲ Μωυσῆς καὶ εἶπεν εἰ οὕτως ἐμφανὲς γέγονεν τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ὁ δὲ εἶπε· τίς σε κατέστησεν ἄρχοντα καὶ δικαστὴν ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν; μὴ ἀνελεῖν με σὺ θέλεις, ὃν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες χθὲς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον; ἐφοβήθη δὲ Μωυσῆς, καὶ εἶπεν· εἰ οὕτως ἐμφανὲς γέγονε τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο

Exodus 2:14 (NETS)

Exodus 2:14 (English Elpenor)
But he said, “Who appointed you ruler and judge over us? You do not intend to kill me, do you, in the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” Then Moyses was afraid and said, “Has this matter perhaps become so well known?” And he said, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? wilt thou slay me as thou yesterday slewest the Egyptian? Then Moses was alarmed, and said, If [it be] thus, this matter has become known.

Exodus 2:15 (Tanakh)

Exodus 2:15 (KJV)

Exodus 2:15 (NET)
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. When Pharaoh heard about this event, he sought to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he settled by a certain well.

Exodus 2:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 2:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἤκουσεν δὲ Φαραω τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καὶ ἐζήτει ἀνελεῖν Μωυσῆν ἀνεχώρησεν δὲ Μωυσῆς ἀπὸ προσώπου Φαραω καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Μαδιαμ ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς γῆν Μαδιαμ ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ τοῦ φρέατος ἤκουσε δὲ Φαραὼ τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο καὶ ἐζήτει ἀνελεῖν Μωυσῆν· ἀνεχώρησε δὲ Μωυσῆς ἀπὸ προσώπου Φαραὼ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Μαδιάμ, ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς γῆν Μαδιὰμ ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ τοῦ φρέατος

Exodus 2:15 (NETS)

Exodus 2:15 (English Elpenor)
Now Pharao heard about this matter, and he was seeking to kill Moyses. Then Moyses withdrew from Pharao’s presence and settled in the land of Madian. Now when he came into the land of Madian, he sat upon the well. And Pharao heard this matter, and sought to slay Moses; and Moses departed from the presence of Pharao, and dwelt in the land of Madiam; and having come into the land of Madiam, he sat on the well.

Exodus 2:23 (Tanakh)

Exodus 2:23 (KJV)

Exodus 2:23 (NET)
And it came to pass in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto G-d by reason of the bondage. And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. During that long period of time the king of Egypt died, and the Israelites groaned because of the slave labor. They cried out, and their desperate cry because of their slave labor went up to God.

Exodus 2:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 2:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μετὰ δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς πολλὰς ἐκείνας ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου καὶ κατεστέναξαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων καὶ ἀνεβόησαν καὶ ἀνέβη ἡ βοὴ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων Μετὰ δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς πολλὰς ἐκείνας ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου. καὶ κατεστέναξαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων καὶ ἀνεβόησαν, καὶ ἀνέβη ἡ βοὴ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων

Exodus 2:23 (NETS)

Exodus 2:23 (English Elpenor)
Now after those many days the king of Egypt died, and the sons of Israel groaned from the tasks and cried out, and their cry rose up to God form their tasks. And in those days after a length of time, the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel groaned because of their tasks, and cried, and their cry because of their tasks went up to God.

Exodus 3:1 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:1 (KJV)

Exodus 3:1 (NET)
Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of G-d, unto Horeb. Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. Now Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.

Exodus 3:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ Μωυσῆς ἦν ποιμαίνων τὰ πρόβατα Ιοθορ τοῦ γαμβροῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἱερέως Μαδιαμ καὶ ἤγαγεν τὰ πρόβατα ὑπὸ τὴν ἔρημον καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος Χωρηβ ΚΑΙ Μωυσῆς ἦν ποιμαίνων τὰ πρόβατα ᾿Ιοθόρ τοῦ γαμβροῦ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἱερέως Μαδιὰμ καὶ ἤγαγε τὰ πρόβατα ὑπὸ τὴν ἔρημον καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος Χωρήβ

Exodus 3:1 (NETS)

Exodus 3:1 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses was tending the sheep of Iothor, his father-in-law, the priest of Madian, and he led the sheep beyond the wilderness and came to the mountain, Choreb. And Moses was feeding the flock of Jothor his father-in-law, the priest of Madiam; and he brought the sheep nigh to the wilderness, and came to the mount of Choreb.

Exodus 3:2 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:2 (KJV)

Exodus 3:2 (NET)
And the angel of HaShem appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. He looked, and the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed!

Exodus 3:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἐν φλογὶ πυρὸς ἐκ τοῦ βάτου καὶ ὁρᾷ ὅτι ὁ βάτος καίεται πυρί ὁ δὲ βάτος οὐ κατεκαίετο ὤφθη δὲ αὐτῷ ἄγγελος Κυρίου ἐν πυρὶ φλογὸς ἐκ τοῦ βάτου, καὶ ὁρᾷ ὅτι ὁ βάτος καίεται πυρί, ὁ δὲ βάτος οὐ κατεκαίετο

Exodus 3:2 (NETS)

Exodus 3:2 (English Elpenor)
Now an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a fire of flame out of the bush, and he saw that the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not burning up. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him in flaming fire out of the bush, and he sees that the bush burns with fire,– but the bush was not consumed.

Exodus 3:3 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:3 (KJV)

Exodus 3:3 (NET)
And Moses said: ‘I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.’ And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. So Moses thought, “I will turn aside to see this amazing sight. Why does the bush not burn up?”

Exodus 3:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Μωυσῆς παρελθὼν ὄψομαι τὸ ὅραμα τὸ μέγα τοῦτο τί ὅτι οὐ κατακαίεται ὁ βάτος εἶπε δὲ Μωυσῆς· παρελθὼν ὄψομαι τὸ ὅραμα τὸ μέγα τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐ κατακαίεται ὁ βάτος

Exodus 3:3 (NETS)

Exodus 3:3 (English Elpenor)
Then Moyses said, “When I pass by, I will look at this great sight, why it is that the bush is not burning up.” And Moses said, I will go near and see this great sight, why the bush is not consumed.

Exodus 3:4 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:4 (KJV)

Exodus 3:4 (NET)
And when HaShem saw that he turned aside to see, G-d called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said: ‘Moses, Moses.’ And he said: ‘Here am I.’ >And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Exodus 3:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς δὲ εἶδεν κύριος ὅτι προσάγει ἰδεῖν ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν κύριος ἐκ τοῦ βάτου λέγων Μωυσῆ Μωυσῆ ὁ δὲ εἶπεν τί ἐστιν ὡς δὲ εἶδε Κύριος ὅτι προσάγει ἰδεῖν, ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸν ὁ Κύριος ἐκ τοῦ βάτου λέγων· Μωυσῆ, Μωυσῆ. ὁ δὲ εἶπε τί ἐστι

Exodus 3:4 (NETS)

Exodus 3:4 (English Elpenor)
Now when the Lord saw that he was drawing near to see, the Lord called him from the bush, saying, “Moyses, Moyses.” And he said, “What is it?” And when the Lord saw that he drew nigh to see, the Lord called him out of the bush, saying, Moses, Moses; and he said, What is it?

Exodus 3:5 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:5 (KJV)

Exodus 3:5 (NET)
And He said: ‘Draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.’ And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. God said, “Do not approach any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

Exodus 3:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν μὴ ἐγγίσῃς ὧδε λῦσαι τὸ ὑπόδημα ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν σου ὁ γὰρ τόπος ἐν ᾧ σὺ ἕστηκας γῆ ἁγία ἐστίν ὁ δὲ εἶπε· μή ἐγγίσῃς ὧδε. λῦσαι τὸ ὑπόδημα ἐκ τῶν ποδῶν σου· ὁ γὰρ τόπος, ἐν ᾧ σὺ ἕστηκας, γῆ ἁγία ἐστί

Exodus 3:5 (NETS)

Exodus 3:5 (English Elpenor)
And he said, “Do not come near here! Loose the sandal from your feet! For the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, Draw not nigh hither: loose thy sandals from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

Exodus 3:7 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:7 (KJV)

Exodus 3:7 (NET)
And HaShem said: ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their pains; And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

Exodus 3:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἰδὼν εἶδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ τῆς κραυγῆς αὐτῶν ἀκήκοα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐργοδιωκτῶν οἶδα γὰρ τὴν ὀδύνην αὐτῶν εἶπε δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν· ἰδὼν εἶδον τὴν κάκωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου τοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ τῆς κραυγῆς αὐτῶν ἀκήκοα ἀπὸ τῶν ἐργοδιωκτῶν· οἶδα γὰρ τὴν ὀδύνην αὐτῶν

Exodus 3:7 (NETS)

Exodus 3:7 (English Elpenor)
Then the Lord said to Moyses, “When I looked, I saw the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry on account of the taskmasters. For I know their pain. And the Lord said to Moses, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and I have heard their cry [caused] by their task-masters; for I know their affliction.

Exodus 3:8 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:8 (KJV)

Exodus 3:8 (NET)
and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a land that is both good and spacious, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the region of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

Exodus 3:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης καὶ εἰσαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς γῆν ἀγαθὴν καὶ πολλήν εἰς γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι εἰς τὸν τόπον τῶν Χαναναίων καὶ Χετταίων καὶ Αμορραίων καὶ Φερεζαίων καὶ Γεργεσαίων καὶ Ευαίων καὶ Ιεβουσαίων καὶ κατέβην ἐξελέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἐκείνης καὶ εἰσαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς γῆν ἀγαθὴν καὶ πολλήν, εἰς γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι, εἰς τὸν τόπον τῶν Χαναναίων καὶ Χετταίων καὶ ᾿Αμορραίων καὶ Φερεζαίων καὶ Γεργεσαίων καὶ Εὐαίων καὶ ᾿Ιεβουσαίων

Exodus 3:8 (NETS)

Exodus 3:8 (English Elpenor)
And I came down to deliver them them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land and to bring them into a good and spacious land, into a land flowing with milk and honey, into the place of the Chananites and Chettites and Amorites and Pherezites and Heuites and Gergesites and Iebousites. And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land, and to bring them into a good and wide land, into a land flowing with milk and honey, into the place of the Chananites, and the Chettites, and Amorites, and Pherezites, and Gergesites, and Evites, and Jebusites.

Exodus 3:9 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:9 (KJV)

Exodus 3:9 (NET)
And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto Me; moreover I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. And now indeed the cry of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them.

Exodus 3:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ κραυγὴ τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἥκει πρός με κἀγὼ ἑώρακα τὸν θλιμμόν ὃν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι θλίβουσιν αὐτούς καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ κραυγὴ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἥκει πρός με, κἀγὼ ἑώρακα τὸν θλιμμόν, ὃν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι θλίβουσιν αὐτούς

Exodus 3:9 (NETS)

Exodus 3:9 (English Elpenor)
And now, look, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to me, and I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come to me, and I have seen the affliction with which the Egyptians afflict them.

Exodus 3:10 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:10 (KJV)

Exodus 3:10 (NET)
Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt.’ Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

Exodus 3:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν δεῦρο ἀποστείλω σε πρὸς Φαραω βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐξάξεις τὸν λαόν μου τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ νῦν δεῦρο ἀποστείλω σε πρὸς Φαραὼ βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἐξάξεις τὸν λαόν μου τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισρὴλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

Exodus 3:10 (NETS)

Exodus 3:10 (English Elpenor)
And now come, let me send you to Pharao, king of Egypt, and you will bring my people, the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt. And now come, I will send thee to Pharao king of Egypt, and thou shalt bring out my people the children of Israel from the land of Egypt.

Exodus 3:11 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:11 (KJV)

Exodus 3:11 (NET)
And Moses said unto G-d: ‘Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Μωυσῆς πρὸς τὸν θεόν τίς εἰμι ὅτι πορεύσομαι πρὸς Φαραω βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου καὶ ὅτι ἐξάξω τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ εἶπε Μωυσῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· τίς εἰμι ἐγώ, ὅτι πορεύσομαι πρὸς Φαραὼ βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ὅτι ἐξάξω τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

Exodus 3:11 (NETS)

Exodus 3:11 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharao, king of Egypt, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt?” And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharao king of Egypt, and that I should bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt?

Exodus 3:18 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:18 (KJV)

Exodus 3:18 (NET)
And they shall hearken to thy voice. And thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him: HaShem, the G-d of the Hebrews, hath met with us. And now let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to HaShem our G-d. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. “The elders will listen to you, and then you and the elders of Israel must go to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’

Exodus 3:18 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἰσακούσονταί σου τῆς φωνῆς καὶ εἰσελεύσῃ σὺ καὶ ἡ γερουσία Ισραηλ πρὸς Φαραω βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτόν ὁ θεὸς τῶν Εβραίων προσκέκληται ἡμᾶς πορευσώμεθα οὖν ὁδὸν τριῶν ἡμερῶν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ἵνα θύσωμεν τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν καὶ εἰσακούσονταί σου τῆς φωνῆς· καὶ εἰσελεύσῃ σὺ καὶ ἡ γερουσία ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸς Φαραὼ βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτόν· ὁ Θεὸς τῶν ῾Εβραίων προσκέκληται ἡμᾶς· πορευσόμεθα οὖν ὁδὸν τριῶν ἡμερῶν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, ἵνα θύσωμεν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν

Exodus 3:18 (NETS)

Exodus 3:18 (English Elpenor)
And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders’ council of Israel shall go in to Pharao, king of Egupt, and you shall say to him, “The God of the Hebrews has summoned us. Therefore, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to our God.’ And they shall hearken to thy voice, and thou and the elders of Israel shall go in to Pharao king of Egypt, and thou shalt say to him, The God of the Hebrews has called us; we will go then a journey of three days into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to our God.

Genesis 46:34 (Tanakh)

Genesis 46:34 (KJV)

Genesis 46:34 (NET)
that ye shall say: Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers; that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.’ That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians. Tell him, ‘Your servants have taken care of cattle from our youth until now, both we and our fathers,’ so that you may live in the land of Goshen, for everyone who takes care of sheep is disgusting to the Egyptians.”

Genesis 46:34 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 46:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐρεῖτε ἄνδρες κτηνοτρόφοι ἐσμὲν οἱ παῖδές σου ἐκ παιδὸς ἕως τοῦ νῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἵνα κατοικήσητε ἐν γῇ Γεσεμ Ἀραβίᾳ βδέλυγμα γάρ ἐστιν Αἰγυπτίοις πᾶς ποιμὴν προβάτων ἐρεῖτε· ἄνδρες κτηνοτρόφοι ἐσμὲν οἱ παῖδές σου ἐκ παιδὸς ἕως τοῦ νῦν, καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, ἵνα κατοικήσητε ἐν γῇ Γεσὲμ ᾿Αραβίας· βδέλυγμα γάρ ἐστιν Αἰγυπτίοις πᾶς ποιμὴν προβάτων

Genesis 46:34 (NETS)

Genesis 46:34 (English Elpenor)
you shall say, ‘We your servants are stockmen from childhood until now, both we and our fathers’—in order that you may settle in the land of Gesem of Arabia, for every shepherd of sheep is an abomination to Egyptians.” Ye shall say, We thy servants are herdsmen from our youth until now, both we and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Gesem of Arabia, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.

Exodus 3:12 (Tanakh)

Exodus 3:12 (KJV)

Exodus 3:12 (NET)
And He said: ‘Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be the token unto thee, that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve G-d upon this mountain.’ And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. He replied, “Surely I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve God at this mountain.”

Exodus 3:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 3:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ θεὸς Μωυσεῖ λέγων ὅτι ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ καὶ τοῦτό σοι τὸ σημεῖον ὅτι ἐγώ σε ἐξαποστέλλω ἐν τῷ ἐξαγαγεῖν σε τὸν λαόν μου ἐξ Αἰγύπτου καὶ λατρεύσετε τῷ θεῷ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ εἶπε δὲ ὁ Θεὸς Μωυσῇ λέγων· ὅτι ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ τοῦτό σοι τὸ σημεῖον, ὅτι ἐγώ σε ἐξαποστέλλω ἐν τῷ ἐξαγαγεῖν σε τὸν λαόν μου ἐξ Αἰγύπτου καὶ λατρεύσετε τῷ Θεῷ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ

Exodus 3:12 (NETS)

Exodus 3:12 (English Elpenor)
But God spoke to Moyses, saying, “I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you that I am sending you: when you have brought my people out of Egypt, you shall also serve God at this mountain.” And God spoke to Moses, saying, I will be with thee, and this shall be the sign to thee that I shall send thee forth,– when thou bringest out my people out of Egypt, then ye shall serve God in this mountain.

1 Exodus 1:18 (NET)

2 Exodus 1:19 (NET)

3 Exodus 1:22 (NET)

4 Exodus 2:11, 12 (NET)

5 Exodus 2:14 (NET)

11 Exodus 2:15 (NET)

12 Exodus 2:23 (NET)

13 Exodus 3:6 (NET) Table

14 Hebrews 11:7 (NET)

15 Exodus 3:7-10 (NET)

16 Exodus 3:11 (NET)

17 1 Corinthians 1:19 (NET)

19 Exodus 3:10 (NET)

20 Exodus 4:21b (NET) Table

21 Exodus 3:18b (NET)

22 Genesis 46:34b (NET)

23 Romans 9:16-18 (NET) See The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 4 for a table comparing the Greek of the quotation in Romans 9:17b to that of Exodus 9:16 in the Septuagint.

24 Exodus 3:12 (NET)

25 James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5 (NET) Table See Isaiah 53:10-12, Part 8 for a table comparing the Greek of the quotation in James 4:6 to that of Proverbs 3:34 in the Septuagint. See Isaiah 53:10-12, Part 8 for a table comparing the Greek of the quotation in 1 Peter 5:5 to that of Proverbs 3:34 in the Septuagint.

26 Matthew 5:44b-45a (NET)

27 Matthew 5:12a (NET)

28 Matthew 5:11 (NET) Table

29 Luke 5:8 (NET) Table

Fear – Exodus, Part 1

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In Egypt the Israelites were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them.  Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power over Egypt.1  The new king feared that the Israelite people might join with his enemies in time of war.  So he put foremen over the Israelites to oppress them with hard labor.2

When he was brought before Pharaoh to interpret his dreams Joseph acknowledged, It is not within my power, but God will speak concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.3  And it was through God’s Spirit that Joseph interpreted the dreams and warned Pharaoh of seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine.  But I think I’m safe to say that Joseph’s advice to Pharaoh was not of God, because its execution differed so dramatically from the economic system God ordained for Israel in the law.4

So now Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and give him authority over all the land of Egypt…he should appoint officials throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.  They should gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming…This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt [Table].5

It seemed like a good idea to Pharaoh and his officials, so Joseph was put in charge:  I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will move his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt,6 Pharaoh said to Joseph.  When the seven years of famine came Joseph sold grain back to the people.  Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment for the grain they were buying.7  Later Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.”8  When their livestock was gone the Egyptians said, Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become Pharaoh’s slaves.9  So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh,10 and, Joseph made all the people slaves from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it.11

The land must not be sold without reclaim because the land belongs to me, the Lord said, for you are foreigners and residents with me.  In all your landed property you must provide for the right of redemption of the land.  If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his near redeemer is to come to you and redeem what his brother sold.  If a man has no redeemer, but he prospers and gains enough for its redemption, he is to calculate the value of the years it was sold, refund the balance to the man to whom he had sold it, and return to his property.  If he has not prospered enough to refund a balance to him, then what he sold will belong to the one who bought it until the jubilee year [every fiftieth year], but it must revert in the jubilee and the original owner may return to his property.12

If your brother becomes impoverished and is indebted to you, the Lord continued, you must support him; he must live with you like a foreign resident.  Do not take interest or profit from him, but you must fear your God and your brother must live with you.  You must not lend him your money at interest and you must not sell him food for profit.  I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan – to be your God.13

If your brother becomes impoverished with regard to you so that he sells himself to you, the Lord added, you must not subject him to slave service.  He must be with you as a hired worker, as a resident foreigner; he must serve with you until the year of jubilee, but then he may go free, he and his children with him, and may return to his family and to the property of his ancestors.  Since they are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt, they must not be sold in a slave sale.  You must not rule over him harshly, but you must fear your God.14

So when a new king put foremen over the Israelites to oppress them with hard labor it sounds like karma, what goes around comes around.  Karma is never mentioned by name in the Bible, but one can certainly find it there.  What I recognize as karma is codified in the law: I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me [Table], and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments [Table].15  I want to address it directly here because I’ve confused karma for justice, and have thought at times that God was beholden to, rather than the dealer of, karma, whether good or bad.

I don’t suspect Joseph of any particular malice.  I’m sure he thought he was doing a good job for Pharaoh.  It was just good business.  But I believe now that he was wrong, just like I was wrong to confuse the tit-for-tat of karma for justice.  The law according to Jesus was about justice and mercy and faithfulness16 and love for God.17  And though visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations,18 sounds like bad karma to me, Yahweh is the One who looked my idea of karma right in the eyes and declared, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.19

And so I’ll amend my original statement that Joseph’s advice was not of God.  The Egyptians were not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting to do so.20  Perhaps it was part of their karma from the hand of God to be enslaved by a Hebrew slave.  I don’t know.  But it came with a price for Israel, too, or an opportunity to walk a mile in the Egyptians’ shoes.  But clearly God is not beholden to karma.  To break the wheel of karma one need only look to the One who said I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.21

The new king of Egypt hoped that hard labor would kill the Israelites off and diminish their population.  But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread.22  Instant karma.23  So he made their service harder.  And, The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you assist the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery: If it is a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, she may live.”  But the midwives feared (yārē’, וַתִּירֶאןָ) God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.24

I was actually surprised that the rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose ἐφοβήθησαν (a form of φοβέω) here.  I suppose I expected something that was more clearly reverence for God.  The next occurrence of ἐφοβήθησαν in the New Testament was in response to Jesus’ telling the chief priests, elders and Pharisees that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit (καρποὺς, a form of καρπός).25

For me that is a sobering statement.  Am I allowing Him to justify his word in me?  Is the fruit (καρπὸς) of [his] Spirit which flows so graciously into me, flowing out in worthy proportion as his love, his joy, his peace, his patience, his kindness, his goodness, his faithfulness, his gentleness, and his self-control [Table]?26  The chief priests and Pharisees had a different reaction.  They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid (ἐφοβήθησαν, a form of φοβέω) of the crowds, because27 the crowds regarded him as28 a prophet.29

I doubt they wanted “to reverence, venerate, to treat [the crowds] with deference or reverential obedience.”  I suspect that they feared or hesitated “to do something (for fear of harm).”  That may be what the rabbis had in mind concerning the Hebrew midwives’ motives.  Perhaps they hesitated (or feared) to kill baby boys because they thought that God would, or could, visit them with worse karma than the new king of Egypt.

And because the midwives feared (yārē’, יָרְאוּ) God, he made households for them.30  Good karma followed upon their fear.  Here the rabbis chose ἐφοβοῦντο.  Jesus said, The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.  They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.31  His disciples did not understand this statement and were afraid (ἐφοβοῦντο, another form of φοβέω) to ask him.32  It was a fear that seemed like respect, but lacked the knowledge or the faith of reverence.  And the Hebrew midwives I think also exhibited that kind of fear.

 

Addendum: November 27, 2025
The English translations of Genesis 47:21 in the Masoretic text and Septuagint diverge here. It seems possible that the Septuagint explains a Hebrew idiom.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 47:21 (Tanakh)

Genesis 47:21 (NET)

Genesis 47:21 (NETS)

Genesis 47:21 (English Elpenor)
And as for the people, he removed (הֶֽעֱבִ֥יר) them city by city (לֶֽעָרִ֑ים), from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof. Joseph made (ʿāḇar, העביר) all the people slaves (ʿîr, לערים) from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it. and the people he subjugated (κατεδουλώσατο) to him as slaves (παῖδας) from the furthest boundaries of Egypt to the furthest— And he brought the people into bondage (κατεδουλώσατο) to him, for servants (παῖδας), from one extremity of Egypt to the other,

So rather than nomadic shepherds wandering freely with their herds, or even agrarian freeholders, Joseph “enslaved” the Egyptians as dependents in cities, as he “elevated” the office of Pharaoh from chieftain to god-king. Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power over Egypt,33 may well be an understated critique of the unreliability of Egyptian “history.” And my own focus on history, political science and sociology probably obfuscates the meaning of the story of Joseph (and Abraham) in the Bible.

My focus is natural to me: History, political science and sociology are some of the academic pursuits that lead people astray, some of the sources of my own objections to faith in God and his word through Jesus Christ. Yes, a Pharaoh’s lust for Sarai, enriched Abram materially and made him like a king. And here a great-grandson of Abraham enriched and empowered another Pharaoh beyond anything he might ask or think. But the point is God’s care of, and provision for, his people: Abraham first and then the children of Israel. Through Joseph the Lord created a space in Egypt to incubate the relatively small population of Israel until they were more numerous and stronger than34 the Egyptians.

Tables comparing Exodus 1:7; 1:8; 1:11; Genesis 41:16; 41:33; 41:34; 41:35; 41:44; 47:14; 47:16; 47:19; 47:20; 47:21; Leviticus 25:23; 25:24; 25:25; 25:26; 25:27; 25:28; 25:35; 25:36; 25:37; 25:38; 25:39; 25:40; 25:41; 25:42; 25:43; Genesis 43:32; Exodus 1:12; 1:15; 1:16; 1:17; 1:21 and 1:9 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 1:7; 1:8; 1:11; Genesis 41:16; 41:33; 41:34; 41:35; 41:44; 47:14; 47:16; 47:19; 47:20; 47:21; Leviticus 25:23; 25:24; 25:25; 25:26; 25:27; 25:28; 25:35; 25:36; 25:37; 25:38; 25:39; 25:40; 25:41; 25:42; 25:43; Genesis 43:32 (43:31); Exodus 1:12; 1:15; 1:16; 1:17; 1:21 and 1:9 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing Matthew 21:46 in the KJV and NET follow.

Exodus 1:7 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:7 (KJV)

Exodus 1:7 (NET)
And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. The Israelites, however, were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them.

Exodus 1:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ηὐξήθησαν καὶ ἐπληθύνθησαν καὶ χυδαῖοι ἐγένοντο καὶ κατίσχυον σφόδρα σφόδρα ἐπλήθυνεν δὲ ἡ γῆ αὐτούς οἱ δὲ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ηὐξήθησαν καὶ ἐπληθύνθησαν καὶ χυδαῖοι ἐγένοντο. καὶ κατίσχυον σφόδρα σφόδρα, ἐπλήθυνε δὲ ἡ γῆ αὐτούς

Exodus 1:7 (NETS)

Exodus 1:7 (English Elpenor)
But the sons of Israel increased and multiplied and became common and were growing very, very strong. Now the land kept multiplying them. And the children of Israel increased and multiplied, and became numerous and grew exceedingly strong, and the land multiplied them.

Exodus 1:8 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:8 (KJV)

Exodus 1:8 (NET)
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power over Egypt.

Exodus 1:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀνέστη δὲ βασιλεὺς ἕτερος ἐπ᾽ Αἴγυπτον ὃς οὐκ ᾔδει τὸν Ιωσηφ ᾿Ανέστη δὲ βασιλεὺς ἕτερος ἐπ᾿ Αἴγυπτον, ὃς οὐκ ᾔδει τὸν ᾿Ιωσήφ

Exodus 1:8 (NETS)

Exodus 1:8 (English Elpenor)
Now another king arose over Egypt, who did not know Ioseph. And there arose up another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

Exodus 1:11 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:11 (KJV)

Exodus 1:11 (NET)
Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. So they put foremen over the Israelites to oppress them with hard labor. As a result they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

Exodus 1:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπέστησεν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστάτας τῶν ἔργων ἵνα κακώσωσιν αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν πόλεις ὀχυρὰς τῷ Φαραω τήν τε Πιθωμ καὶ Ραμεσση καὶ Ων ἥ ἐστιν Ἡλίου πόλις καὶ ἐπέστησεν αὐτοῖς ἐπιστάτας τῶν ἔργων, ἵνα κακώσωσιν αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις· καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν πόλεις ὀχυρὰς τῷ Φαραώ, τήν τε Πειθὼ καὶ Ῥαμεσσῆ καὶ ῎Ων, ἥ ἐστιν ῾Ηλιούπολις

Exodus 1:11 (NETS)

Exodus 1:11 (English Elpenor)
And he set over them overseers of tasks in order to afflict them in the tasks. And they built fortified cities for Pharao, both Pithom and Ramesses and On, which is Heliopolis. And he set over them task-masters, who should afflict them in their works; and they built strong cities for Pharao, both Pitho, and Ramesses, and On, which is Heliopolis.

Genesis 41:16 (Tanakh)

Genesis 41:16 (KJV)

Genesis 41:16 (NET)
And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying: ‘It is not in me; G-d will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.’ And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “It is not within my power, but God will speak concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.”

Genesis 41:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 41:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Ιωσηφ τῷ Φαραω εἶπεν ἄνευ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἀποκριθήσεται τὸ σωτήριον Φαραω ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ᾿Ιωσὴφ τῷ Φαραὼ εἶπεν· ἄνευ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἀποκριθήσεται τὸ σωτήριον Φαραώ

Genesis 41:16 (NETS)

Genesis 41:16 (English Elpenor)
And Ioseph said to Pharao in reply, “Without God the safety of Pharao will not be answered.” And Joseph answered Pharao and said, Without God an answer of safety shall not be given to Pharao.

Genesis 41:33 (Tanakh)

Genesis 41:33 (KJV)

Genesis 41:33 (NET)
Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. “So now Pharaoh should look for a wise and discerning man and give him authority over all the land of Egypt.

Genesis 41:33 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 41:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
νῦν οὖν σκέψαι ἄνθρωπον φρόνιμον καὶ συνετὸν καὶ κατάστησον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ γῆς Αἰγύπτου νῦν οὖν σκέψαι ἄνθρωπον φρόνιμον καὶ συνετὸν καὶ κατάστησον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

Genesis 41:33 (NETS)

Genesis 41:33 (English Elpenor)
Now then search out a man, sensible and intelligent, and appoint him over the land of Egypt. And Joseph answered Pharao and said, Without God an answer of safety shall not be given to Pharao.

Genesis 41:34 (Tanakh)

Genesis 41:34 (KJV)

Genesis 41:34 (NET)
Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. Pharaoh should do this—he should appoint officials throughout the land to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven years of abundance.

Genesis 41:34 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 41:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ποιησάτω Φαραω καὶ καταστησάτω τοπάρχας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀποπεμπτωσάτωσαν πάντα τὰ γενήματα τῆς γῆς Αἰγύπτου τῶν ἑπτὰ ἐτῶν τῆς εὐθηνίας καὶ ποιησάτω Φαραὼ καὶ καταστησάτω τοπάρχας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἀποπεμπτωσάτωσαν πάντα τὰ γεννήματα τῆς γῆς Αἰγύπτου τῶν ἑπτὰ ἐτῶν τῆς εὐθηνίας

Genesis 41:34 (NETS)

Genesis 41:34 (English Elpenor)
And let Pharao make and appoint district governors over the land, and let them take one-fifth of all the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty, And let Pharao make and appoint local governors over the land; and let them take up a fifth part of all the produce of the land of Egypt for the seven years of the plenty.

Genesis 41:35 (Tanakh)

Genesis 41:35 (KJV)

Genesis 41:35 (NET)
And let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. They should gather all the excess food during these good years that are coming. By Pharaoh’s authority they should store up grain so the cities will have food, and they should preserve it.

Genesis 41:35 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 41:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ συναγαγέτωσαν πάντα τὰ βρώματα τῶν ἑπτὰ ἐτῶν τῶν ἐρχομένων τῶν καλῶν τούτων καὶ συναχθήτω ὁ σῖτος ὑπὸ χεῖρα Φαραω βρώματα ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν φυλαχθήτω καὶ συναγαγέτωσαν πάντα τὰ βρώματα τῶν ἑπτὰ ἐτῶν τῶν ἐρχομένων τῶν καλῶν τούτων, καὶ συναχθήτω ὁ σῖτος ὑπὸ χεῖρα Φαραώ, βρώματα ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι φυλαχθήτω

Genesis 41:35 (NETS)

Genesis 41:35 (English Elpenor)
and let them gather all the provisions of these seven good years that are coming, and let the grain be gathered under the authority of Pharao; let provisions be kept in the cities. And let Pharao make and appoint local governors over the land; and let them take up a fifth part of all the produce of the land of Egypt for the seven years of the plenty.

Genesis 41:44 (Tanakh)

Genesis 41:44 (KJV)

Genesis 41:44 (NET)
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: ‘I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.’ And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your permission no one will move his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.”

Genesis 41:44 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 41:44 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Φαραω τῷ Ιωσηφ ἐγὼ Φαραω ἄνευ σοῦ οὐκ ἐξαρεῖ οὐθεὶς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πάσῃ γῇ Αἰγύπτου εἶπε δὲ Φαραὼ τῷ ᾿Ιωσήφ· ἐγὼ Φαραώ, ἄνευ σοῦ οὐκ ἐξαρεῖ οὐδεὶς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πάσης γῆς Αἰγύπτου

Genesis 41:44 (NETS)

Genesis 41:44 (English Elpenor)
And Pharao said to Ioseph, “I am Pharao; without you no one shall lift up a hand in reference to all the land of Egypt.” And Pharao said to Joseph, I am Pharao; without thee no one shall lift up his hand on all the land of Egypt.

Genesis 47:14 (Tanakh)

Genesis 47:14 (KJV)

Genesis 47:14 (NET)
And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, for the corn which they bought: and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. Joseph collected all the money that could be found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan as payment for the grain they were buying. Then Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s palace.

Genesis 47:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 47:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
συνήγαγεν δὲ Ιωσηφ πᾶν τὸ ἀργύριον τὸ εὑρεθὲν ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐν γῇ Χανααν τοῦ σίτου οὗ ἠγόραζον καὶ ἐσιτομέτρει αὐτοῖς καὶ εἰσήνεγκεν Ιωσηφ πᾶν τὸ ἀργύριον εἰς τὸν οἶκον Φαραω συνήγαγε δὲ ᾿Ιωσὴφ πᾶν τὸ ἀργύριον τὸ εὑρεθὲν ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐν γῇ Χαναὰν τοῦ σίτου, οὗ ἠγόραζον, καὶ ἐσιτομέτρει αὐτοῖς, καὶ εἰσήνεγκεν ᾿Ιωσὴφ πᾶν τὸ ἀργύριον εἰς τὸν οἶκον Φαραώ

Genesis 47:14 (NETS)

Genesis 47:14 (English Elpenor)
Then Ioseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Chanaan for the grain that they would buy, and he would measure out grain to them, and Ioseph brought all the money into Pharao’s house. And Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and the land of Chanaan, [in return for] the corn which they bought, and he distributed corn to them; and Joseph brought all the money into the house of Pharao.

Genesis 47:16 (Tanakh)

Genesis 47:16 (KJV)

Genesis 47:16 (NET)
And Joseph said: ‘Give your cattle, and I will give you bread for your cattle, if money fail.’ And Joseph said, Give your cattle; and I will give you for your cattle, if money fail. Then Joseph said, “If your money is gone, bring your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock.”

Genesis 47:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 47:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς Ιωσηφ φέρετε τὰ κτήνη ὑμῶν καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν ἄρτους ἀντὶ τῶν κτηνῶν ὑμῶν εἰ ἐκλέλοιπεν τὸ ἀργύριον εἶπε δὲ αὐτοῖς ᾿Ιωσήφ· φέρετε τὰ κτήνη ὑμῶν, καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν ἄρτους ἀντὶ τῶν κτηνῶν ὑμῶν, εἰ ἐκλέλοιπε τὸ ἀργύριον ὑμῶν

Genesis 47:16 (NETS)

Genesis 47:16 (English Elpenor)
And Ioseph said to them, “Bring your livestock, and I will give you bread loaves in exchange for your livestock, if the money has failed.” And Joseph said to them, Bring your cattle, and I will give you bread for your cattle, if your money is spent.

Genesis 47:19 (Tanakh)

Genesis 47:19 (KJV)

Genesis 47:19 (NET)
Wherefore should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bondmen unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.’ Wherefore shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh: and give us seed, that we may live, and not die, that the land be not desolate. Why should we die before your very eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we, with our land, will become Pharaoh’s slaves. Give us seed that we may live and not die. Then the land will not become desolate.”

Genesis 47:19 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 47:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἵνα οὖν μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν ἐναντίον σου καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐρημωθῇ κτῆσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν ἀντὶ ἄρτων καὶ ἐσόμεθα ἡμεῖς καὶ ἡ γῆ ἡμῶν παῖδες Φαραω δὸς σπέρμα ἵνα σπείρωμεν καὶ ζῶμεν καὶ μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν καὶ ἡ γῆ οὐκ ἐρημωθήσεται ἵνα οὖν μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν ἐναντίον σου καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐρημωθῇ, κτῆσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν ἀντὶ ἄρτων, καὶ ἐσόμεθα ἡμεῖς καὶ ἡ γῆ ἡμῶν παῖδες τῷ Φαραώ· δὸς σπέρμα, ἵνα σπείρωμεν καὶ ζῶμεν καὶ μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν καὶ ἡ γῆ οὐκ ἐρημωθήσεται

Genesis 47:19 (NETS)

Genesis 47:19 (English Elpenor)
So lest we die in your presence and the land be desolated, acquire us and our land in exchange for bread loaves, and we with our land will be Pharao’s slaves; grant seed in order that we may sow and live and not die, and the land will not be desolated.” In order, then, that we die not before thee, and the land be made desolate, buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants to Pharao: give seed that we may sow, and live and not die, so our land shall not be made desolate.

Genesis 47:20 (Tanakh)

Genesis 47:20 (KJV)

Genesis 47:20 (NET)
So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them; and the land became Pharaoh’s. And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaoh’s. So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh. Each of the Egyptians sold his field, for the famine was severe. So the land became Pharaoh’s.

Genesis 47:20 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 47:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐκτήσατο Ιωσηφ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τῷ Φαραω ἀπέδοντο γὰρ οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν τῷ Φαραω ἐπεκράτησεν γὰρ αὐτῶν ὁ λιμός καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ γῆ Φαραω καὶ ἐκτήσατο ᾿Ιωσὴφ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τῷ Φαραώ· ἀπέδοντο γὰρ οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν τῷ Φαραώ, ἐπεκράτησε γὰρ αὐτῶν ὁ λιμός· καὶ ἐγένετο ἡ γῇ τῷ Φαραώ

Genesis 47:20 (NETS)

Genesis 47:20 (English Elpenor)
And Ioseph acquired all the land of the Egyptians for Pharao. For the Egyptians sold their land to Pharao, because the famine gained mastery over them. And the land became Pharao’s— And Joseph bought all the land of the Egyptians, for Pharao; for the Egyptians sold their land to Pharao; for the famine prevailed against them, and the land became Pharao’s.

Genesis 47:21 (Tanakh)

Genesis 47:21 (KJV)

Genesis 47:21 (NET)
And as for the people, he removed them city by city, from one end of the border of Egypt even to the other end thereof. And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof. Joseph made all the people slaves from one end of Egypt’s border to the other end of it.

Genesis 47:21 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 47:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τὸν λαὸν κατεδουλώσατο αὐτῷ εἰς παῖδας ἀπ᾽ ἄκρων ὁρίων Αἰγύπτου ἕως τῶν ἄκρων καὶ τὸν λαὸν κατεδουλώσατο αὐτῷ εἰς παῖδας ἀπ᾿ ἄκρων ὁρίων Αἰγύπτου ἕως τῶν ἄκρων

Genesis 47:21 (NETS)

Genesis 47:21 (English Elpenor)
and the people he subjugated to him as slaves from the furthest boundaries of Egypt to the furthest— And he brought the people into bondage to him, for servants, from one extremity of Egypt to the other,

Leviticus 25:23 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:23 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:23 (NET)
And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is Mine; for ye are strangers and settlers with Me. The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. The land must not be sold without reclaim because the land belongs to me, for you are foreign residents, temporary settlers, with me.

Leviticus 25:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἡ γῆ οὐ πραθήσεται εἰς βεβαίωσιν ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ γῆ διότι προσήλυτοι καὶ πάροικοι ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐναντίον μου καὶ ἡ γῆ οὐ πραθήσεται εἰς βεβαίωσιν. ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ γῆ, διότι προσήλυτοι καὶ πάροικοι ὑμεῖς ἐστε ἐναντίον μου

Leviticus 25:23 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:23 (English Elpenor)
And the land shall not be sold irrevocably, for the land is mine, because before me you are guests and resident aliens. And the land shall not be sold for a permanence; for the land is mine, because ye are strangers and sojourners before me.

Leviticus 25:24 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:24 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:24 (NET)
And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. In all your landed property you must provide for the right of redemption of the land.

Leviticus 25:24 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν γῆν κατασχέσεως ὑμῶν λύτρα δώσετε τῆς γῆς καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν γῆν κατασχέσεως ὑμῶν λύτρα δώσετε τῆς γῆς

Leviticus 25:24 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:24 (English Elpenor)
And on the basis of all the land of your holding, you shall provide ransom for the land. And in every land of your possession, ye shall allow ransoms for the land.

Leviticus 25:25 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:25 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:25 (NET)
If thy brother be waxen poor, and sell some of his possession, then shall his kinsman that is next unto him come, and shall redeem that which his brother hath sold. If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. “‘If your brother becomes impoverished and sells some of his property, his near redeemer is to come to you and redeem what his brother sold.

Leviticus 25:25 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ πένηται ὁ ἀδελφός σου ὁ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ ἀποδῶται ἀπὸ τῆς κατασχέσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλθῃ ὁ ἀγχιστεύων ἐγγίζων ἔγγιστα αὐτοῦ καὶ λυτρώσεται τὴν πρᾶσιν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐὰν δὲ πένηται ὁ ἀδελφός σου ὁ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ ἀποδῶται ἀπὸ τῆς κατασχέσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔλθῃ ὁ ἀγχιστεύων ὁ ἐγγίζων αὐτῷ, καὶ λυτρώσεται τὴν πρᾶσιν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ

Leviticus 25:25 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:25 (English Elpenor)
But if your brother who is with you should become poor and should sell some of what he holds and the next of kin who is nearest should come, then he shall redeem the sale of his brother. And if thy brother who is with thee be poor, and should have sold [part] of his possession, and his kinsman who is nigh to him come, then he shall redeem the possession which his brother has sold.

Leviticus 25:26 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:26 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:26 (NET)
And if a man have no one to redeem it, and he be waxen rich and find sufficient means to redeem it; And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; If a man has no redeemer, but he prospers and gains enough for its redemption,

Leviticus 25:26 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ τινι ὁ ἀγχιστεύων καὶ εὐπορηθῇ τῇ χειρὶ καὶ εὑρεθῇ αὐτῷ τὸ ἱκανὸν λύτρα αὐτοῦ ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ᾖ τινι ὁ ἀγχιστεύων καὶ εὐπορηθῇ τῇ χειρὶ καὶ εὑρεθῇ αὐτῷ τὸ ἱκανὸν λύτρα αὐτοῦ

Leviticus 25:26 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:26 (English Elpenor)
But if someone does not have one who is next of kin and has plenty in hand and finds for himself what is sufficient for his ransom, And if one have no near kinsman, and he prosper with his hand, and he find sufficient money, [even] his ransom;

Leviticus 25:27 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:27 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:27 (NET)
then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; and he shall return unto his possession. Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. he is to calculate the value of the years it was sold, refund the balance to the man to whom he had sold it, and return to his property.

Leviticus 25:27 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ συλλογιεῖται τὰ ἔτη τῆς πράσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποδώσει ὃ ὑπερέχει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ᾧ ἀπέδοτο ἑαυτὸν αὐτῷ καὶ ἀπελεύσεται εἰς τὴν κατάσχεσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλογιεῖται τὰ ἔτη τῆς πράσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποδώσει ὃ ὑπερέχει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ᾧ ἀπέδοτο αὐτὸ αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπελεύσεται εἰς τὴν κατάσχεσιν αὐτοῦ

Leviticus 25:27 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:27 (English Elpenor)
then he shall compute the years of his sale and give back what he has over to the person who sold it to him, and he shall depart to his holding. then shall he calculate the years of his sale, and he shall give what is due to the man to whom he sold it, and he shall return to his possession.

Leviticus 25:28 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:28 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:28 (NET)
But if he have not sufficient means to get it back for himself, then that which he hath sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee; and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. If he has not prospered enough to refund a balance to him, then what he sold will belong to the one who bought it until the Jubilee year, but it must revert in the Jubilee and the original owner may return to his property.

Leviticus 25:28 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὐπορηθῇ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἱκανὸν ὥστε ἀποδοῦναι αὐτῷ καὶ ἔσται ἡ πρᾶσις τῷ κτησαμένῳ αὐτὰ ἕως τοῦ ἕκτου ἔτους τῆς ἀφέσεως καὶ ἐξελεύσεται τῇ ἀφέσει καὶ ἀπελεύσεται εἰς τὴν κατάσχεσιν αὐτοῦ ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὐπορηθῇ αὐτοῦ ἡ χεὶρ τὸ ἱκανόν, ὥστε ἀποδοῦναι αὐτῷ, καὶ ἔσται ἡ πρᾶσις τῷ κτησαμένῳ αὐτὰ ἕως τοῦ ἕκτου ἔτους τῆς ἀφέσεως· καὶ ἐξελεύσεται ἐν τῇ ἀφέσει, καὶ ἀπελεύσεται εἰς τὴν κατάσχεσιν αὐτοῦ

Leviticus 25:28 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:28 (English Elpenor)
But if his hand does not find what is sufficient to give it back to him, then the sale shall belong to the one who acquired them until the year of release, and at the release it shall expire, and he shall depart to his holding. But if his hand have not prospered sufficiently, so as that he should restore the money to him, then he that bought the possessions shall have them till the sixth year of the release; and it shall go out in the release, and the owner shall return to his possession.

Leviticus 25:35 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:35 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:35 (NET)
And if thy brother be waxen poor, and his means fail with thee; then thou shalt uphold him: as a stranger and a settler shall he live with thee. And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. “‘If your brother becomes impoverished and is indebted to you, you must support him; he must live with you like a foreign resident.

Leviticus 25:35 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ πένηται ὁ ἀδελφός σου καὶ ἀδυνατήσῃ ταῖς χερσὶν παρὰ σοί ἀντιλήμψῃ αὐτοῦ ὡς προσηλύτου καὶ παροίκου καὶ ζήσεται ὁ ἀδελφός σου μετὰ σοῦ ᾿Εὰν δὲ πένηται ὁ ἀδελφός σου ὁ μετὰ σοῦ καὶ ἀδυνατήσῃ ταῖς χερσὶ παρὰ σοί, ἀντιλήψῃ αὐτοῦ ὡς προσηλύτου καὶ παροίκου καὶ ζήσεται ὁ ἀδελφός σου μετὰ σοῦ

Leviticus 25:35 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:35 (English Elpenor)
Now if your brother is needy and with you becomes weak in his hands, you shall help him as a guest and a resident alien, and your brother shall live with you. And if thy brother who is with thee become poor, and he fail in resources with thee, thou shalt help him as a stranger and a sojourner, and thy brother shall live with thee.

Leviticus 25:36 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:36 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:36 (NET)
Take thou no interest of him or increase; but fear thy G-d; that thy brother may live with thee. Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. Do not take interest or profit from him, but you must fear your God, and your brother must live with you.

Leviticus 25:36 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:36 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ λήμψῃ παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ τόκον οὐδὲ ἐπὶ πλήθει καὶ φοβηθήσῃ τὸν θεόν σου ἐγὼ κύριος καὶ ζήσεται ὁ ἀδελφός σου μετὰ σοῦ οὐ λήψῃ παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ τόκον, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ πλήθει· καὶ φοβηθήσῃ τὸν Θεόν σου, ἐγὼ Κύριος, καὶ ζήσεται ὁ ἀδελφός σου μετὰ σοῦ

Leviticus 25:36 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:36 (English Elpenor)
You shall not take interest from him, not even in any amount, and you shall fear your God; I am the Lord. And your brother shall live with you. Thou shalt not receive from him interest, nor increase: and thou shalt fear thy God: I [am] the Lord: and thy brother shall live with thee.

Leviticus 25:37 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:37 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:37 (NET)
Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor give him thy victuals for increase. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase. You must not lend him your money at interest, and you must not sell him food for profit.

Leviticus 25:37 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:37 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὸ ἀργύριόν σου οὐ δώσεις αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τόκῳ καὶ ἐπὶ πλεονασμὸν οὐ δώσεις αὐτῷ τὰ βρώματά σου τὸ ἀργύριόν σου οὐ δώσεις αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τόκῳ καὶ ἐπὶ πλεονασμῷ οὐ δώσεις αὐτῷ τὰ βρώματά σου

Leviticus 25:37 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:37 (English Elpenor)
You shall not give him your money at interest; neither shall you give him your food in excess. Thou shalt not lend thy money to him at interest, and thou shalt not lend thy meat to him to be returned with increase.

Leviticus 25:38 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:38 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:38 (NET)
I am HaShem your G-d, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, to be your G-d. I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan—to be your God.

Leviticus 25:38 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:38 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου δοῦναι ὑμῖν τὴν γῆν Χανααν ὥστε εἶναι ὑμῶν θεός ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, ὁ ἐξαγαγὼν ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, δοῦναι ὑμῖν τὴν γῆν Χαναάν, ὥστε εἶναι ὑμῶν Θεός

Leviticus 25:38 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:38 (English Elpenor)
I am the Lord your God, the one who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to give you the land Chanaan in order to be your God. I [am] the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Chanaan, so as to be your God.

Leviticus 25:39 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:39 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:39 (NET)
And if thy brother be waxen poor with thee, and sell himself unto thee, thou shalt not make him to serve as a bondservant. And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: “‘If your brother becomes impoverished with regard to you so that he sells himself to you, you must not subject him to slave service.

Leviticus 25:39 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:39 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ταπεινωθῇ ὁ ἀδελφός σου παρὰ σοὶ καὶ πραθῇ σοι οὐ δουλεύσει σοι δουλείαν οἰκέτου ᾿Εὰν δὲ ταπεινωθῇ ὁ ἀδελφός σου παρὰ σοί, καὶ πραθῇ σοι, οὐ δουλεύσει σοι δουλείαν οἰκέτου

Leviticus 25:39 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:39 (English Elpenor)
Now if your brother with you is humbled and is sold to you, he shall not be subject to you with the subjection of a domestic. And if thy brother by thee be lowered, and be sold to thee, he shall not serve thee with the servitude of a slave.

Leviticus 25:40 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:40 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:40 (NET)
As a hired servant, and as a settler, he shall be with thee; he shall serve with thee unto the year of jubilee. But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile: He must be with you as a hired worker, as a resident foreigner; he must serve with you until the Year of Jubilee,

Leviticus 25:40 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:40 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς μισθωτὸς ἢ πάροικος ἔσται σοι ἕως τοῦ ἔτους τῆς ἀφέσεως ἐργᾶται παρὰ σοί ὡς μισθωτὸς ἢ πάροικος ἔσται σοι, ἕως τοῦ ἔτους τῆς ἀφέσεως ἐργᾶται παρὰ σοί

Leviticus 25:40 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:40 (English Elpenor)
He shall be to you as a hired laborer or a resident alien. He shall work with you until the year of release. He shall be with thee as a hireling or a sojourner, he shall work for thee till the year of release:

Leviticus 25:41 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:41 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:41 (NET)
Then shall he go out from thee, he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. but then he may go free, he and his children with him, and may return to his family and to the property of his ancestors.

Leviticus 25:41 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:41 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξελεύσεται τῇ ἀφέσει καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπελεύσεται εἰς τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν κατάσχεσιν τὴν πατρικὴν ἀποδραμεῖται καὶ ἐξελεύσεται τῇ ἀφέσει καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπελεύσεται εἰς τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὴν κατάσχεσιν τὴν πατρικὴν ἀποδραμεῖται

Leviticus 25:41 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:41 (English Elpenor)
And he and his children with him shall go forth at the release, and he shall go away to his kin; he shall depart to his ancestral holding. and he shall go out in the release, and his children with him; and he shall go to his family, he shall hasten back to his patrimony.

Leviticus 25:42 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:42 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:42 (NET)
For they are My servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as bondmen. For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. Since the Israelites are my servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt, they must not be sold in a slave sale.

Leviticus 25:42 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:42 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διότι οἰκέται μού εἰσιν οὗτοι οὓς ἐξήγαγον ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου οὐ πραθήσεται ἐν πράσει οἰκέτου διότι οἰκέται μού εἰσιν οὗτοι, οὓς ἐξήγαγον ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου· οὐ πραθήσεται ἐν πράσει οἰκέτου

Leviticus 25:42 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:42 (English Elpenor)
For they are my domestics, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; he shall not be sold in a sale of a domestic. Because these are my servants, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt; such an one shall not be sold as a [common] servant.

Leviticus 25:43 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 25:43 (KJV)

Leviticus 25:43 (NET)
Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy G-d. Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God. You must not rule over them harshly, but you must fear your God.

Leviticus 25:43 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 25:43 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ κατατενεῖς αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ μόχθῳ καὶ φοβηθήσῃ κύριον τὸν θεόν σου οὐ κατατενεῖς αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ μόχθῳ, καὶ φοβηθήσῃ Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου

Leviticus 25:43 (NETS)

Leviticus 25:43 (English Elpenor)
You shall not abuse him with toil, and you shall fear the Lord your God. Thou shalt not oppress him with labour, and shalt fear the Lord thy God.

Genesis 43:32 (Tanakh)

Genesis 43:32 (KJV)

Genesis 43:32 (NET)
And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians. They set a place for him, a separate place for his brothers, and another for the Egyptians who were eating with him. (The Egyptians are not able to eat with Hebrews, for the Egyptians think it is disgusting to do so.)

Genesis 43:32 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 43:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ παρέθηκαν αὐτῷ μόνῳ καὶ αὐτοῖς καθ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις τοῖς συνδειπνοῦσιν μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καθ᾽ ἑαυτούς οὐ γὰρ ἐδύναντο οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι συνεσθίειν μετὰ τῶν Εβραίων ἄρτους βδέλυγμα γάρ ἐστιν τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ παρέθηκαν αὐτῷ μόνῳ καὶ αὐτοῖς καθ᾿ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις τοῖς συνδειπνοῦσι μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καθ᾿ ἑαυτούς· οὐ γὰρ ἐδύναντο οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι συνεσθίειν μετὰ τῶν ῾Εβραίων ἄρτους, βδέλυγμα γάρ ἐστι τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις

Genesis 43:32 (NETS)

Genesis 43:31 (English Elpenor)
And they served him alone and them by themselves, for the Egyptians could not eat bread loaves together with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians. And they set on [bread] for him alone, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians feasting with him by themselves, for the Egyptians could not eat bread with the Hebrews, for it is an abomination to the Egyptians.

Exodus 1:12 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:12 (KJV)

Exodus 1:12 (NET)
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were adread because of the children of Israel. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread. As a result the Egyptians loathed the Israelites,

Exodus 1:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καθότι δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐταπείνουν τοσούτῳ πλείους ἐγίνοντο καὶ ἴσχυον σφόδρα σφόδρα καὶ ἐβδελύσσοντο οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ καθότι δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐταπείνουν, τοσούτῳ πλείους ἐγίγνοντο, καὶ ἴσχυον σφόδρα σφόδρα· καὶ ἐβδελύσσοντο οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ

Exodus 1:12 (NETS)

Exodus 1:12 (English Elpenor)
But as much as they were humbling them, by so much the more they kept becoming more numerous and stronger, and the Egyptians were disgusted with the sons of Israel. But as they humbled them, by so much they multiplied, and grew exceedingly strong; and the Egyptians greatly abhorred the children of Israel.

Exodus 1:15 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:15 (KJV)

Exodus 1:15 (NET)
And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah; And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,

Exodus 1:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ταῖς μαίαις τῶν Εβραίων τῇ μιᾷ αὐτῶν ᾗ ὄνομα Σεπφωρα καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς δευτέρας Φουα Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ταῖς μαίαις τῶν ῾Εβραίων· τῇ μιᾷ αὐτῶν ὄνομα Σεπφώρα, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς δευτέρας Φουά

Exodus 1:15 (NETS)

Exodus 1:15 (English Elpenor)
And the king of the Egyptians spoke to the Hebrews’ midwives, to one of them whose name was sepphora, and the name of the second was Phoua, And the king of the Egyptians spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews; the name of the one was, Sepphora; and the name of the second, Phua.

Exodus 1:16 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:16 (KJV)

Exodus 1:16 (NET)
and he said: ‘When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, ye shall look upon the birthstool: if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.’ And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. “When you assist the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery: If it is a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, she may live.”

Exodus 1:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὅταν μαιοῦσθε τὰς Εβραίας καὶ ὦσιν πρὸς τῷ τίκτειν ἐὰν μὲν ἄρσεν ᾖ ἀποκτείνατε αὐτό ἐὰν δὲ θῆλυ περιποιεῖσθε αὐτό καὶ εἶπεν· ὅταν μαιοῦσθε τὰς ῾Εβραίας καὶ ὦσι πρὸς τῷ τίκτειν, ἐὰν μὲν ἄρσεν ᾖ, ἀποκτείνατε αὐτό, ἐὰν δὲ θῆλυ, περιποιεῖσθε αὐτό

Exodus 1:16 (NETS)

Exodus 1:16 (English Elpenor)
and he said, “Whenever you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and they should be at the birthing stage, if then it may be male, kill it, but if female, preserve it alive.” And he said, When ye do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and they are about to be delivered, if it be a male, kill it; but if a female, save it.

Exodus 1:17 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:17 (KJV)

Exodus 1:17 (NET)
But the midwives feared G-d, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. But the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.

Exodus 1:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ αἱ μαῖαι τὸν θεὸν καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησαν καθότι συνέταξεν αὐταῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐζωογόνουν τὰ ἄρσενα ἐφοβήθησαν δὲ αἱ μαῖαι τὸν Θεὸν καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησαν καθότι συνέταξεν αὐταῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἐζωογόνουν τὰ ἄρσενα

Exodus 1:17 (NETS)

Exodus 1:17 (English Elpenor)
But the midwives feared God, and they did not do as the king of Egypt instructed them and tried to keep the males alive. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt appointed them; and they saved the male children alive.

Exodus 1:21 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:21 (KJV)

Exodus 1:21 (NET)
And it came to pass, because the midwives feared G-d, that He made them houses. And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. And because the midwives feared God, he made households for them.

Exodus 1:21 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπειδὴ ἐφοβοῦντο αἱ μαῖαι τὸν θεόν ἐποίησαν ἑαυταῖς οἰκίας ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐφοβοῦντο αἱ μαῖαι τὸν Θεόν, ἐποίησαν ἑαυταῖς οἰκίας

Exodus 1:21 (NETS)

Exodus 1:21 (English Elpenor)
Because the midwives were fearing God, they made families for themselves. And as the midwives feared God, they established for themselves families.

Exodus 1:9 (Tanakh)

Exodus 1:9 (KJV)

Exodus 1:9 (NET)
And he said unto his people: ‘Behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us; And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: He said to his people, “Look at the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are!

Exodus 1:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 1:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ τῷ ἔθνει αὐτοῦ ἰδοὺ τὸ γένος τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ μέγα πλῆθος καὶ ἰσχύει ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς εἶπε δὲ τῷ ἔθνει αὐτοῦ· ἰδοὺ τὸ γένος τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ μέγα πλῆθος καὶ ἰσχύει ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς

Exodus 1:9 (NETS)

Exodus 1:9 (English Elpenor)
Now he said to his nation, “Look, the race of the sons of Israel is a great multitude and is becoming stronger than we. And he said to his nation, Behold, the race of the children of Israel is a great multitude, and is stronger than we:

Matthew 21:46 (NET)

Matthew 21:46 (KJV)
They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds because the crowds regarded him as a prophet. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

Matthew 21:46 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 21:46 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 21:46 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ζητοῦντες αὐτὸν κρατῆσαι ἐφοβήθησαν τοὺς ὄχλους, ἐπεὶ εἰς προφήτην αὐτὸν εἶχον και ζητουντες αυτον κρατησαι εφοβηθησαν τους οχλους επειδη ως προφητην αυτον ειχον και ζητουντες αυτον κρατησαι εφοβηθησαν τους οχλους επειδη ως προφητην αυτον ειχον

1 Exodus 1:7, 8 (NET)

2 Exodus 1:11 (NET)

3 Genesis 41:16 (NET)

5 Genesis 41:33-36 (NET)

6 Genesis 41:44 (NET)

7 Genesis 47:14 (NET)

8 Genesis 47:16 (NET)

9 Genesis 47:19 (NET)

10 Genesis 47:20 (NET)

11 Genesis 47:21 (NET)

12 Leviticus 25:23-28 (NET)

13 Leviticus 25:35-38 (NET)

14 Leviticus 25:39-43 (NET)

15 Exodus 20:5, 6 (NET)

18 Exodus 20:5 (NKJV) Table

19 Exodus 33:19b (NET) Table

20 Genesis 43:32b (NET)

21 Matthew 11:28 (NET)

22 Exodus 1:12 (NET)

24 Exodus 1:15-17 (NET)

25 Matthew 21:43 (NET)

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

29 Matthew 21:46 (NET)

30 Exodus 1:21 (NET)

31 Mark 9:31 (NET) Table

32 Mark 9:32 (NET)

33 Exodus 1:8 (NET)

34 Exodus 1:9b (NET)