The Day of the Lord, Part 7

Posted on December 28, 2023 by admin

This is a continuation of my consideration whether my assumption that Jesus called Judas Iscariot ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας (NET: the one destined for destruction) is like Jesus’ disciples’ discussion about having no bread¹ after He said: “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”² In another essay I began to look at John’s description of antichrist and many antichrists because Meyer’s NT Commentary stated that many of the Church Fathers had understood Paul’s description of the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, as the Antichrist.

I highlighted two things he wrote about their insights:³

They correctly agree in considering that by the advent (2 Thessalonians 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:8), or the day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:2), is to be understood the personal advent of Christ for the last judgment and for the completion of the Messianic kingdom. Also it is correctly regarded as proved, that the Antichrist here described is to be considered as an individual person, in whom sin will embody itself.

Meyer’s NT Commentary continued to elaborate on the “view of the Fathers” regarding “the Antichrist…considered as an individual person” with the following caveat:

Meyer’s NT Commentary	Google Translate
Yet Augustin already remarks, that “nonnulli non ipsum principem, sed universum quodam modo corpus ejus i. e. ad eum pertinentem hominum multitudinem simul cum ipso suo principe hoc loco intelligi Antichristum volunt.”	Yet Augustin already remarks, that “some, not the prince himself, but the whole world, in a certain way, his body i. e. The multitude of men belonging to him, together with their own leader, want to be understood in this place as Antichrist.”

Mr. Meyer cataloged many evolving views: “[T]he view, first in the eleventh century, that the establishment and growing power of the Papacy is to be considered as the Antichrist predicted by Paul,”⁴ is a familiar one. “Yet even before the reference of Antichrist to Popery was maintained, Mohammed[55] was already regarded by the divines of the Greek church…as the Antichrist predicted by Paul.”⁵

The power which restrained Antichrist evolved as well.

The restraining power by which the appearance of Antichrist is delayed, is usually considered [by the Church Fathers] to be the continuance of the Roman Empire (τὸ κατέχον) and its representative the Roman emperor (ὁ κατέχων). Some, however, as Theodorus Mopsuestius and Theodoret, understand by it τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ὅρον, i.e. more exactly, the counsel of God to keep back the appearance of Antichrist until the gospel is proclaimed throughout the earth…Chrysostom chooses a third interpretation, that by the restraining power is meant the continuance of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit…

In recent times it has often been considered as objectionable to determine exactly the individual traits of the imagery used by Paul. Accordingly the representation of the apostle has been interpreted in a general, ideal, or symbolical sense. To this class of interpreters belongs Koppe, according to whom Paul, founding on an old national Jewish oracle, supported especially by Daniel, would describe the ungodliness preceding the last day, which already worked, but whose full outbreak was only to take place after the death of the apostle; so that Paul himself was the κατέχων.[57]⁶

Meyer’s NT Commentary continued:

Meyer’s NT Commentary	Google Translate
Similarly Storr (l.c.), who understands by the ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας [man of sin] “potestas aliqua, deo omnique religioni adversaria, quae penitus incognita et futuro demum tempore se proditura sit,” and by the preventing power the “copia hominum verissimo amore inflammatorum in christianam religionem.”	Similarly Storr (l.c.), who understands by the ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας [man of sin] “some power, hostile to God and to all religion, which is completely unknown and will betray itself in the future at the last time,” and by the preventing power the “a multitude of men inflamed with true love into the Christian religion.”

Other opinions were cited: “Nitzsch (l.c.) thinks on the power of atheism first come to have public authority, or the contempt of all religion generally.”⁷ “Pelt…sums up his views in the following words”:⁸

Meyer’s NT Commentary	Google Translate
Mihi … adversarius illi principium esse videtur sive vis spiritualis evangelio contraria, quae huc usque tamen in Pontificiorum Romanorum operibus ac serie luculentissime sese prodidit, ita tamen, ut omnia etiam mala, quae in ecclesia compareant, ad eandem Antichristi ἐνέργειαν sint referenda.	To me… it seems that the opposite principle is a spiritual force contrary to the gospel, which until now has revealed itself most clearly in the works and series of the Roman Pontiffs, so that even all the evils that appear in the church are to be referred to the same Antichrist ἐνέργειαν.
Ejus vero ΠΑΡΟΥΣΊΑ i. e. summum fastigium, quod Christi reditum qui nihil aliud est, nisi regni divini victoria,[59] antecedet, futurum adhuc esse videtur, quum illud tempus procul etiamnum abesse putemus, ubi omnes terrae incolae in eo erunt, ut ad Christi sacra transeant. Κατέχον vero cum Theodoreto putarim esse dei voluntatem illud Satanae regnum cohibentem, ne erumpat, et, si mediae spectantur causae, apostolorum tempore maxime imperii Romani vis, et quovis aevo illa resistentia, quam malis artibus, quae religionem subvertere student, privati commodi et honoris augendorum cupiditas opponere solet.	But his ΠΑΡΟΥΣΊΑ i. e. the highest climax, which precedes the return of Christ, which is nothing else but the victory of the divine kingdom, [59] seems to be yet to come, since we think that time is still far off, when all the inhabitants of the earth will be there, to pass to the sacraments of Christ. Κατέχον, with Theodoretus, I think that it is the will of God restraining that kingdom of Satan, lest it break out, and, if we look at the middle causes, in the time of the apostles the power of the Roman government was especially strong, and in every age that resistance, which is usually opposed to the evil arts which seek to subvert religion, the desire to increase private advantage and honor.

According to [Pelt], the chief stress lies on ΤῸ ΜΥΣΤΉΡΙΟΝ ἬΔΗ ἘΝΕΡΓΕῖΤΑΙ Τῆς ἈΝΟΜΊΑς [literally: the mystery already working of lawlessness]. Antichrist is a union of the individuality and spiritual tendency in masses of individuals. The revolt of the Jews from the Romans, and the fearful divine punishment in the destruction of Jerusalem, Nero, Mohammed and his spiritual devastating power, the development of the Papacy in the Middle Ages, the French Revolution of 1789, with the abrogation of Christianity, and the setting up of prostitutes on altars for worship, in the external world, as well as the constantly spreading denial of the fundamentals of all religious truth and morality, of the doctrines of God, freedom, and immortality, and likewise the self-deification of the ego in the internal world,—all these phenomena are the real precursors of Antichrist; but they contain only some of his characteristics, not all; it is the union of all these characteristics which shall make the full Antichrist.⁹

Ultimately, though I found some of them illuminating, Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer rejected the views developed in recent times:

It is evident that all these explanations are arbitrary. The Pauline description is so definitely and sharply marked, and has for its whole compass so much the idea of nearness for its supposition, that it can by no means be taken generally, and in this manner explained away.

While I’m grateful to Mr. Meyer for painstakingly collecting all of these opinions in one place, I don’t intend to play guess the identity of Antichrist as an individual person. That game scatters in my opinion, rather than gathering with the Lord Jesus: and whoever does not gather (συνάγων, a form of συνέχω) with me scatters (σκορπίζει, a form of σκορπίζω),¹⁰ Jesus said. So, I want to approach it differently.

Matthew Poole’s summation from his Commentary of the difficulty of knowing “what whithholdeth” the revelation of the man of lawlessness was very accessible:

And now ye know what withholdeth: the apostle it seems had told them, as of his coming, so of what at present withheld the revealing of him. And what this was is difficult to know now, though it seems these Thessalonians knew it: there are many conjectures about it. This I shall say in general:
1. It was something that the apostle thought not safe openly to declare in writing; else he would not have written of it so obscurely.
2. It was both a thing, and a person; a thing, to katecon, in this verse, that which withholdeth; and a person, as in the next verse, o katecwn, he who letteth.
3. It was also such a thing and such a person as were to be removed out of the way, not totally, but as they were hinderances [sic] of this revelation.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible echoed Mr. Poole’s first point:

It is not known precisely what is referred to by the phrase “what withholdeth,” τὸ κατέχον to katechon. The phrase means properly, something that “holds back,” or “restrains”….Of this, the apostle says, they had had full information; but we can only conjecture what it was.

This seems to be a natural consequence of the assumption that Antichrist is an unknown individual from the future. Rather than assuming that Paul, the Holy Spirit and the New Testament are keeping something from us, I prefer to experiment with the idea that ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀνομίας or αμαρτιας (NET: the man of lawlessness; KJV: that man of sin [Table])¹¹ and ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας (NET: the son of destruction; KJV: the son of perdition)¹² are other words for ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία (NET: sin that lives in me; KJV: sin that dwelleth in me),¹³ τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης (NET: the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires; KJV: the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts),¹⁴ ἐμοὶ τὸ κακὸν παράκειται (NET/KJV: evil…present with me)¹⁵ and ἡ…σὰρξ (NET/KJV: the flesh).¹⁶ I’ll work backwards through this.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh (σὰρξ) is weak,¹⁷ Jesus said of disciples who both believed and followed Him. The Greek word translated willing was πρόθυμον (a form of πρόθυμος): “ready, willing, eager, predisposed.” The Greek word translated weak was ἀσθενής: “weak, powerless; weak and easily defeated; sick, ill, unhealthy; disabled, physically weak, feeble, miserable; morally weak; weak in influence, without influence; structurally weak (e.g., weak stones unable to support).” What is born of the flesh (σαρκὸς, a form of σὰρξ) is flesh (σάρξ),¹⁸ He told Nicodemus; in other words, it is weak (ἀσθενής). And again, Jesus said to his disciples, The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature (σὰρξ) is of no help!¹⁹

Flesh (σὰρξ) and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,²⁰ Paul wrote the Corinthians. He elaborated on this point in his letter to the Romans (Romans 8:1-8 NET):

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death [Table]. For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened (ἠσθένει, a form of ἀσθενέω) through the flesh (σαρκός, a form of σὰρξ). By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (σαρκὸς, a form of σὰρξ) and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh (σαρκί, another form of σὰρξ), so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh (σάρκα, another form of σὰρξ) but according to the Spirit.

For those who live according to the flesh (σάρκα) have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh (σαρκὸς), but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. For the outlook of the flesh (σαρκὸς) is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace, because the outlook of the flesh (σαρκὸς) is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. Those who are in the flesh (σαρκὶ) cannot please God.

Prior to this, Paul had written, with my flesh (σαρκὶ, another form of σὰρξ) I serve the law of sin.²¹ [W]hen I want to do good, evil is present with me,²² he lamented as he characterized that evil as a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members.²³ For the flesh (σὰρξ) has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh (σαρκός, another form of σὰρξ),²⁴ he wrote to the Galatians. To the Ephesians he characterized this flesh as the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires.²⁵ He also called this old man simply, sin that lives in me.²⁶ And to the Thessalonians he described all of this as the man of lawlessness…the son of destruction.²⁷

I’ll continue with this in another essay.

The Day of the Lord, Part 8

¹ Mark 8:16b (NET) Table

² Mark 8:15b (NET)

³ From Meyer’s NT Commentary 2 Thessalonians 2:12, Bible Commentaries on Bible Hub online.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Ibid.

⁹ Ibid.

¹⁰ Matthew 12:30b (NET)

¹¹ 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Table

¹² Ibid.

¹³ Romans 7:19 Table

¹⁴ Ephesians 4:22

¹⁵ Romans 7:21

¹⁶ Galatians 5:17 Table

¹⁷ Matthew 26:41b (NET)

¹⁸ John 3:6a (NET)

¹⁹ John 6:63a (NET) Table

²⁰ 1 Corinthians 15:50b (NET) Table

²¹ Romans 7:25b (NET) Table

²² Romans 7:21b (NET)

²³ Romans 7:23b (NET) Table

²⁴ Galatians 5:17a (NET) Table

²⁵ Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

²⁶ Romans 7:17b (NET) Table, and 7:20b (NET) Table

²⁷ 2 Thessalonians 2:3b (NET) Table

The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 4

Posted on October 31, 2020 by admin

For the scripture says to Pharaoh, Paul quoted (Table below), “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.”^[1] It occurred to me in the previous essay how much the larger section in which this quotation is found influences my thinking on the lost son of perdition. I want to begin to consider that here.

This section of Paul’s letter is ostensibly about Israel: For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather “through Isaac will your descendants be counted.”^[2] John the Baptist had warned, don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!^[3]

The Gospel implications of this section are still evident, however, through this relatively transparent surface: it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.^[4] For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God,^[5] Paul had written previously. Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters, he had written elsewhere, Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God…^[6]

In this section Paul, apostle to the Gentiles, worked through a deep emotional problem over what he saw with his own eyes:^[7] For I could wish that I myself were accursed—cut off from Christ—for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen [Table], who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.^[8]

And he worked through the more urgent theological issue his limited perspective had engendered: It is not as though the word of God had failed.^[9] The Holy Spirit’s solution to this issue was immediate and direct: God’s purpose in election (κατ᾿ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις τοῦ θεοῦ). God has his own reasons why (and when from our limited perspectives) He does what He does.

God’s purpose in election engendered its own issue which Paul addressed next. And here is where his quotation (Table below) from Exodus is found (Romans 9:14-18 NET):

What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 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.

Certainly, Paul addressed his concerns for Israel here. He made that explicit later: A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.^[10] But the very nature of his concern for Israel allows the Gospel implications to show through. Now, I am so grateful that receiving the Gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ doesn’t depend on the uncertainty of human desire or exertion, but that wasn’t always true for me.

There was a time when I feared the idea that I should flee my “sure and certain” desire and exertion to have a righteousness of my own derived from the law, all the commands of the New Testament and Church doctrine for something as whimsical as the mercy of God and a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.^[11] Obviously, I didn’t understand it that clearly at the time. As I began to understand it I began to repent of my unbelief. Jeremiah wrote:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Lamentations 3:22-26 (Tanakh)	Lamentations 3:22-26 (NET)	Lamentations 3:22-26 (NETS)	Lamentations 3:22-26 (Elpenor English)
Surely HaShem’S mercies (חַֽסְדֵ֤י) are not consumed, surely His compassions fail not.	The Lord’s loyal kindness (checed, חסדי) never ceases; his compassions never end.	The mercies of the Lord are that we have not expired, that his compassion has not come to an end.	[It is] the mercies (ἐλέη) of the Lord, that he has not failed me, because his compassions are not exhausted. Pity [us], O Lord, early [every] month: for we are not brought to an end, because his compassions are not exhausted.
They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.	They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant!	They are new in the early mornings; great is your faithfulness.	[They are] new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
‘The HaShem is my portion’, saith my soul; ‘Therefore will I hope in Him.’	“My portion is the Lord,” I have said to myself, so I will put my hope in him.	“The Lord is my portion,” said my soul, “therefore I will wait for him.”	The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I wait for him.
HaShem is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.	The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him.	The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that will seek him.	The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him
It is good that a man should quietly wait for the salvation of HaShem.	It is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the Lord.	A good thing it is—and it will wait and be quiet for the salvation of the Lord.	[is] good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.

And in answer to his deep emotional problem, Paul wrote: For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.^[12]

It is reasonable to assume here that the Greek words τοὺς πάντας (a plural form of πᾶς) translated all people are equivalent to the Greek words τοὺς πάντας translated them all. It is not reasonable to assume that he may show mercy to means “he might show mercy to.” Yes, ἐλεήσῃ is a form of ἐλεέω in the subjunctive mood.

The subjunctive mood indicates probability or objective possibility. The action of the verb will possibly happen, depending on certain objective factors or circumstances…However if the subjunctive mood is used in a purpose or result clause, then the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.^[13]

The clause ἵνα τοὺς πάντας ἐλεήσῃ (so that he may show mercy to them all) is clearly the result of συνέκλεισεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τοὺς πάντας εἰς ἀπείθειαν (For God has consigned all people to disobedience).

It would have been misleading to have translated ἐλεήσῃ he will show mercy to. It is not in the future tense but the aorist. What is telling to me is that no one has translated it as “simple past tense,” he showed mercy to. Paul was not referencing Jesus’ crucifixion directly here.

John Gill seemed to have a firm grasp on Paul’s intent, coupled even with the earlier conclusion it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy, regarding those:

for whom [God] has mercy in store, and will bestow it on them; and in order to bring them to a sense of their need of it, and that he may the more illustriously display the riches of it, he leaves them for a while in a state of unbelief, and then by his Spirit thoroughly convinces them of it, and gives them faith to look to, and believe in, the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life.^[14]

God’s mercy, according to Mr. Gill however, was “not upon all the individuals of Jews and Gentiles,” but only “God’s elect among the Jews” and “God’s elect among the Gentiles” “for all are not concluded in, or convinced of the sin of unbelief, but only such who are eventually believers.”^[15] In other words, he understood τοὺς πάντας as God’s elect Jews and Gentiles: For God has consigned his elect to disobedience so that he may show mercy to his elect, e.g., so that his elect and only his elect will better recognize “the riches” of his mercy, some Jews and some Gentiles.

Some Jews believed Jesus already?^[16] How could the realization that some Jews would be shown mercy wean Paul from his wish that he were accursed—cut off from Christ—for the sake of his people, his fellow countrymen who are Israelites? Would Mr. Gill’s knowledge inspire Paul to eulogize (Romans 11:33-36 NET)?

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unfathomable 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.

I could be wrong. Perhaps Paul wasn’t weaned from his desperate, aberrant to the point of sinful, concern for those God didn’t care enough to consign to disobedience, much less to show them any mercy. But it seems much less tortured to take τοὺς πάντας (literally: the all, plural, or in a common American Southern dialect: all y’all) at face value. What other Greek words could Paul or the Holy Spirit have chosen to actually mean all?

I found no other usage of τοὺς πάντας in the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, Luke, Paul, the writer of Hebrews and Jude used πάντας τοὺς x to limit πάντας in a variety of ways. (John had a different way of expressing all alive at a certain time.)

Reference	NET Parallel Greek	NET
Matthew 2:4	πάντας τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς	all the chief priests
Matthew 2:16	πάντας τοὺς παῖδας	all the children
Matthew 8:16	πάντας τοὺς κακῶς	all who were sick
Matthew 14:35	πάντας τοὺς κακῶς	all their sick
Matthew 21:12	πάντας τοὺς πωλοῦντας	all those who were selling
Matthew 26:1	πάντας τοὺς λόγους	all these things
Mark 1:32	πάντας τοὺς κακῶς	all who were sick
Luke 5:9	πάντας τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ	all who were with him
Luke 13:2	πάντας τοὺς Γαλιλαίους	all the other Galileans
Luke 13:4	πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους	all the others
Luke 13:28	πάντας τοὺς προφήτας	all the prophets
Luke 21:35	πάντας τοὺς καθημένους	all who live (e.g., on a certain day)
Acts 5:5	πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας	all who heard
Acts 5:11	πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας	all who heard
Acts 9:14	πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους	all who call on
Acts 10:38	πάντας τοὺς καταδυναστευομένους	all who were oppressed
Acts 10:44	πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας	all those who heard
Acts 18:2	πάντας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους	all the Jews
Acts 18:23	πάντας τοὺς μαθητάς	all the disciples
Acts 19:10	πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν Ἀσίαν	all who lived in the province of Asia
Acts 26:29	πάντας τοὺς ἀκούοντας	all those who are listening
Acts 27:24	πάντας τοὺς πλέοντας μετὰ σοῦ	all who are sailing with you
Acts 28:30	πάντας τοὺς εἰσπορευομένους πρὸς αὐτόν	all who came to him
Romans 3:22	πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας	all who believe
Romans 10:12	πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους	all who call on
1 Corinthias 15:25	πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς	all his enemies
Ephesians 1:15	πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους	all the saints
Colossians 1:4	πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους	all the saints
1 Thessalonians 4:10	πάντας τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς	all the brothers and sisters
Philemon 1:5	πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους	all the saints
Hebrews 13:24	πάντας τοὺς ἡγουμένους	all your leaders
Hebrews 13:24	πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους	all the saints
Jude 1:25	πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας	all eternity

I think a tendency to judge before the time those who reject any particular presentation of the Gospel, to condemn them prematurely to an eternity in the lake of fire, was evident in Mr. Gill’s analysis. Paul wrote (Romans 9:22 NET):

But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath (Romans 1:18-32) and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction?

Mr. Gill commented:^[17]

so these are said to be “fitted for destruction”, that is, eternal damnation; not by God, for this does not respect God’s act of ordination to punishment; but by Satan, the god of this world, that blinds them, who works effectually in them, and leads them captive at his will; and by themselves, by their own wickedness, hardness of heart, and impenitence, do they treasure up to themselves wrath, against the day of wrath, so that their destruction is of themselves:

Paul didn’t write about “eternal damnation” here but the temporal effects of God having mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and (more directly to the point) hardening whom he chooses to harden, at the present time. His primary concern was God’s hardening (Isaiah 6:8-13) of Paul’s own people, his fellow countrymen, who are Israelites. And even after he described them as objects of wrath prepared for destruction, he wrote (Romans 10:1 NET Table):

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on behalf of my fellow Israelites is for their salvation.

Tucked between the former statement and the latter he quoted two passages from the prophet Hosea (Romans 9:25, 26) which foreshadowed the glorious conclusion of this particular argument (Romans 11:11-32).

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Hosea 2:23 (Tanakh)	Hosea 2:23 (NET)	Hosea 2:23 (NETS)	Hosea 2:25 (Elpenor English)
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy (וְרִֽחַמְתִּ֖י) upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.	Then I will plant her as my own in the land. I will have pity (racham, ורחמתי) on ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah). I will say to ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), ‘You are my people!’ And he will say, ‘You are my God!’”	and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have pity (ἐλεήσω) on Not Pitied, and I will say to Not My People, “You are my people,” and he shall say, “You are the Lord my God.”	And I will sow her to me on the earth; and will love (ἐλεήσω) her that was not loved, and will say to that which was not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art the Lord my God.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Hosea 1:10, 11 (Tanakh)	Hosea 1:10, 11 (NET)	Hosea 1:10, 11 (NETS)	Hosea 2:1, 2 (Elpenor English)
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.	“However, in the future the number of the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea that can be neither measured nor numbered. Although it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said to them, ‘You are children of the living God!’	And the number of the sons of Israel was like the sand of the sea, which shall not be measured nor numbered, and it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” they too shall be called, “sons of a living god.”	Yet the number of the children of Israel was as the sand of the sea, which shall not be measured nor numbered: and it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people, even they shall be called the sons of the living God.
Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up (וְעָל֣וּ) out of (מִן) the land (הָאָ֑רֶץ): for great shall be the day of Jezreel.	Then the people of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together. They will appoint for themselves one leader, and will flourish (`alah, ועלו) in (min, מן) the land (‘erets, הארץ). Certainly, the day of Jezreel will be great!	And the sons of Ioudas and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall set up for themselves one realm, and they shall go up (ἀναβήσονται) from (ἐκ) the (τῆς) land (γῆς), for great shall be the day of Jezrael.	And the children of Juda shall be gathered, and the children of Israel together, and shall appoint themselves one head, and shall come up (ἀναβήσονται) out of (ἐκ) the (τῆς) land (γῆς): for great [shall be] the day of Jezrael.

For the children of Judah and the children of Israel to be gathered together and then come up out of the earth (a likely non-Rationalist translation of both the Hebrew and the Greek) sounds like a gathering, not of this world, and a resurrection back into it: for great shall be the day of Jezreel (Ezekiel 37:11-14).

The Greek word translated destruction in the phrase prepared for destruction was ἀπώλειαν (a form of ἀπώλεια). The first two occurrences in the Septuagint follow.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 5:21-24 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 6:2-5 (NET)	Leviticus 6:2-5 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:21-24 (Elpenor English)
If any one sin, and commit a trespass against HaShem, and deal falsely with his neighbour in a matter of deposit, or of pledge, or of robbery, or have oppressed his neighbour;	“When a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by deceiving his fellow citizen in regard to something held in trust, or a pledge, or something stolen, or by extorting something from his fellow citizen,	If a soul sins and by overlooking disregards the commandments of the Lord and falsifies matters pertaining to his neighbor—in a deposit or regarding joint ownership or regarding plunder or did his neighbor some wrong	The soul which shall have sinned, and willfully overlooked the commandments of the Lord, and shall have dealt falsely in the affairs of his neighbour in the matter of a deposit, or concerning fellowship, or concerning plunder, or has in anything wronged his neighbour,
or have found that which was lost (אֲבֵדָ֛ה), and deal falsely therein, and swear to a lie; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein;	or has found something lost (‘abedah, אבדה) and denies it and swears falsely concerning any one of the things that someone might do to sin—	or has found a loss (ἀπώλειαν) and lied about it—and he swears falsely about one of all which a man may do in order to sin by these,	or has found that which was lost (ἀπώλειαν), and shall have lied concerning it, and shall have sworn unjustly concerning [any] one of all the things, whatsoever a man may do, so as to sin hereby;
then it shall be, if he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he hath gotten by oppression, or the deposit which was deposited with him, or the lost thing (הָֽאֲבֵדָ֖ה) which he found,	when it happens that he sins and he is found guilty, then he must return whatever he had stolen, or whatever he had extorted, or the thing that he had held in trust, or the lost thing (‘abedah, האבדה) that he had found,	then it shall be whenever he sins and is in error and restores the booty which he seized or the injustice he committed or the deposit which was deposited with him or the loss (ἀπώλειαν) which he found	it shall come to pass, whensoever he shall have sinned, and transgressed, that he shall restore the plunder which he has seized, or [redress] the injury which he has committed, or restore the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost article (ἀπώλειαν) which he has found of any kind,
or any thing about which he hath sworn falsely, he shall even restore it in full, and shall add the fifth part more thereto; unto him to whom it appertaineth shall he give it, in the day of his being guilty.	or anything about which he swears falsely. He must restore it in full and add one-fifth to it; he must give it to its owner when he is found guilty.	because of every matter about that which he swore about unjustly, he shall also repay the capital itself, and he shall add to it one fifth. Whosesoever it is, he shall restore to him on the day he should be convicted.	about which he swore unjustly, he shall even restore it in full; and he shall add to it a fifth part besides; he shall restore it to him whose it is in the day in which he happens to be convicted.

The first occurrence of אֲבֵדָ֛ה (‘abedah) in Exodus 22:9 was similar, and was translated ἀπωλείας, another form of ἀπώλεια, in the Septuagint.

What many of Paul’s contemporaries lost was the opportunity to begin to live the life they will lead for all eternity in their then present, to be freed from their sinfulness, their anger and hatred and live a new life through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, who prayed (John 17:3 NET):

Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

He became a human being so that they could have known Him and the only true God though Him. They could have experienced his love, his joy, his peace, his patience his kindness, his goodness, his faithfulness, his gentleness and his self-control^[18] like a fountain of water springing up in them to eternal life.^[19]

Lest it seem that I minimize the earthly consequence of this loss: everyone not led by the Holy Spirit is led by someone much less: less loving, less joyful, less peaceful, less patient, less kind, less good, less faithful, less gentle, less self-controlled, less wise, less knowledgeable, less truthful and less true. Ten to fifteen years after Paul wrote his letter to Roman believers, those of his fellow countrymen who did not heed Jesus’ warning (Luke 21:20-24) were led by religious zealots who made catastrophic political and military blunders, hoping apparently that the God whose salvation they had rejected would help them somehow establish their own. All who remained in Jerusalem suffered horrifically under their leadership.

Paul, however, found comfort in the Holy Spirit, not in human desire or exertion, but in the irrevocable (ἀμεταμέλητα, a form of ἀμεταμέλητος) gifts and…call of God.^[20]

A table comparing Paul’s quotation from Exodus and the Septuagint follows.

Romans 9:17b (NET parallel Greek)	Exodus 9:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 9:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐξήγειρα σε ὅπως ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν δύναμιν μου καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομα μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ	καὶ ἕνεκεν τούτου διετηρήθης ἵνα ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν ἰσχύν μου καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ	καὶ ἕνεκεν τούτου διετηρήθης, ἵνα ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν ἰσχύν μου, καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ
Romans 9:17b (NET)	Exodus 9:16 (NETS)	Exodus 9:16 (English Elpenor)
For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.	And for this reason you have been spared in order that I might display in you my power and in order that my name might be proclaimed in all the land.	And for this purpose hast thou been preserved, that I might display in thee my strength, and that my name might be published in all the earth.

A table comparing Paul’s quotation from Genesis and the Septuagint follows.

Romans 9:7b (NET parallel Greek)	Genesis 21:12b (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 21:12b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν Ἰσαὰκ κληθήσεται σοι σπέρμα	ἐν Ισαακ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα	ἐν ᾿Ισαὰκ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα
Romans 9:7b (NET)	Genesis 21:12b (NETS)	Genesis 21:12b (English Elpenor)
“through Isaac will your descendants be counted.”	in Isaak offspring shall be named for you.	in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

I tend to see the following as an allusion to Hosea from the Septuagint.

Romans 9:25b (NET parallel Greek)	Hosea 2:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Hosea 2:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καλέσω τὸν οὐ λαόν μου λαόν μου καὶ τὴν οὐκ ἠγαπημένην ἠγαπημένην	ἐλεήσω τὴν Οὐκ-ἠλεημένην καὶ ἐρῶ τῷ Οὐ-λαῷ-μου λαός μου εἶ σύ	ἐλεήσω τὴν Οὐκ-ἠλεημένην καὶ ἐρῶ τῷ Οὐ-λαῷ-μου· λαός μου εἰ σύ
Romans 9:25b (NET)	Hosea 2:23 (NETS)	Hosea 2:25 (English Elpenor)
“I will call those who were not my people, ‘My people,’ and I will call her who was unloved, ‘My beloved.’”	I will have pity on Not Pitied, and I will say to Not My People, “You are my people,”	[I] will love her that was not loved, and will say to that which was not my people, Thou art my people

The following is a more direct quotation from Hosea in the Septuagint.

Romans 9:26 (NET parallel Greek)	Hosea 1:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Hosea 2:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ οὗ ἐρρέθη \|αὐτοῖς\|· οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῖς, ἐκεῖ κληθήσονται υἱοὶ θεοῦ ζῶντος.	καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ οὗ ἐρρέθη αὐτοῗς οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῗς ἐκεῗ κληθήσονται υἱοὶ θεοῦ ζῶντος	καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, οὗ ἐρρέθη αὐτοῖς· οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῖς, κληθήσονται καὶ αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ ζῶντος
Romans 9:26 (NET)	Hosea 1:10 (NETS)	Hosea 2:1 (English Elpenor)
“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”	and it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” they too shall be called, “sons of a living god.”	and it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people, even they shall be called the sons of the living God.

Tables comparing Genesis 21:12; Lamentations 3:22; 3:23; 3:24; 3:25; 3:26; Hosea 2:23 (2:25); 1:10; 1:11; Leviticus 6:2 (5:21); 6:3 (5:22); 6:4 (5:23) and 6:5 (5:24) in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Genesis 21:12; Lamentations 3:22; 3:23; 3:24; 3:25; 3:26; Hosea 2:23 (2:25); 1:10 (2:1); 1:11 (2:2); Leviticus 6:2 (5:21); 6:3 (5:22); 6:4 (5:23) and 6:5 (5:24) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Genesis 21:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 21:12 (KJV)	Genesis 21:12 (NET)
And G-d said unto Abraham: ‘Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee.	And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.	But God said to Abraham, “Do not be upset about the boy or your slave wife. Do all that Sarah is telling you because through Isaac your descendants will be counted.

Genesis 21:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 21:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ θεὸς τῷ Αβρααμ μὴ σκληρὸν ἔστω τὸ ῥῆμα ἐναντίον σου περὶ τοῦ παιδίου καὶ περὶ τῆς παιδίσκης πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν εἴπῃ σοι Σαρρα ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῆς ὅτι ἐν Ισαακ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα	εἶπε δὲ ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ῾Αβραάμ· μὴ σκληρὸν ἔστω ἐναντίον σου περὶ τοῦ παιδίου καὶ περὶ τῆς παιδίσκης· πάντα ἂν ὅσα εἴπῃ σοι Σάρρα, ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῆς, ὅτι ἐν ᾿Ισαὰκ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα
Genesis 21:12 (NETS)	Genesis 21:12 (English Elpenor)
But God said to Abraham, “Do not let the matter be hard in your sight on account of the child and on account of the slave-girl; whatever Sarra says to you, obey her voice, for in Isaak offspring shall be named for you.	But God said to Abraam, Let it not be hard before thee concerning the child, and concerning the bondwoman; in all things whatsoever Sarrha shall say to thee, hear her voice, for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Lamentations 3:22 (Tanakh)	Lamentations 3:22 (KJV)	Lamentations 3:22 (NET)
Surely HaShem’S mercies are not consumed, surely His compassions fail not.	It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.	The Lord’s loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end.

Lamentations 3:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Lamentations 3:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
N/A	Τὰ ἐλέη Κυρίου, ὅτι οὐκ ἐξέλιπέμε, ὅτι οὐσυνετελέσθησαν οἱ οἰκτιρμοὶ αὐτοῦ· μῆνας εἰς τὰς πρωΐας ἐλέησον, Κύριε, ὅτι οὐ συνετελέσθημεν, ὅτι οὐ συνετελέσθησαν οἱ οἰκτιρμοὶ αὐτοῦ
Lamentations 3:22 (NETS)	Lamentations 3:22 (English Elpenor)
The mercies of the Lord are that we have not expired, that his compassion has not come to an end.	[It is] the mercies of the Lord, that he has not failed me, because his compassions are not exhausted. Pity [us], O Lord, early [every] month: for we are not brought to an end, because his compassions are not exhausted.

Lamentations 3:23 (Tanakh)	Lamentations 3:23 (KJV)	Lamentations 3:23 (NET)
They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.	They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.	They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant!

Lamentations 3:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Lamentations 3:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
N/A	καινὰ εἰς τὰς πρωΐας, πολλὴ ἡ πίστις σου
Lamentations 3:23 (NETS)	Lamentations 3:23 (English Elpenor)
They are new in the early mornings; great is your faithfulness.	[They are] new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:24 (Tanakh)	Lamentations 3:24 (KJV)	Lamentations 3:24 (NET)
‘The HaShem is my portion’, saith my soul; ‘Therefore will I hope in Him.’	The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.	“My portion is the Lord,” I have said to myself, so I will put my hope in him.

Lamentations 3:24 (Septuagint BLB)	Lamentations 3:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
N/A	μερίς μου Κύριος, εἶπεν ἡ ψυχή μου· διὰ τοῦτο ὑπομενῶ αὐτῷ
Lamentations 3:24 (NETS)	Lamentations 3:24 (English Elpenor)
“The Lord is my portion,” said my soul, “therefore I will wait for him.”	The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I wait for him.

Lamentations 3:25 (Tanakh)	Lamentations 3:25 (KJV)	Lamentations 3:25 (NET)
HaShem is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.	The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.	The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him.

Lamentations 3:25 (Septuagint BLB)	Lamentations 3:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀγαθὸς κύριος τοῗς ὑπομένουσιν αὐτόν ψυχῇ ἣ ζητήσει αὐτὸν ἀγαθὸν	᾿Αγαθὸς Κύριος τοῖς ὑπομένουσιν αὐτόν, ψυχὴ ἣ ζητήσει αὐτὸν ἀγαθὸν
Lamentations 3:25, 26a (NETS)	Lamentations 3:25, 26a (English Elpenor)
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that will seek him. A good thing it is—	The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him (26) [is] good,

Lamentations 3:26 (Tanakh)	Lamentations 3:26 (KJV)	Lamentations 3:26 (NET)
It is good that a man should quietly wait for the salvation of HaShem.	It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.	It is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the Lord.

Lamentations 3:26 (Septuagint BLB)	Lamentations 3:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὑπομενεῗ καὶ ἡσυχάσει εἰς τὸ σωτήριον κυρίου	καὶ ὑπομενεῖ καὶ ἡσυχάσει εἰς τὸ σωτήριον Κυρίου
Lamentations 3:26b (NETS)	Lamentations 3:26b (English Elpenor)
and it will wait and be quiet for the salvation of the Lord.	and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.

Hosea 2:23 (Tanakh)	Hosea 2:23 (KJV)	Hosea 2:23 (NET)
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.	And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.	Then I will plant her as my own in the land. I will have pity on ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah). I will say to ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), ‘You are my people!’ And he will say, ‘You are my God!’”

Hosea 2:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Hosea 2:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ σπερῶ αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐλεήσω τὴν Οὐκ-ἠλεημένην καὶ ἐρῶ τῷ Οὐ-λαῷ-μου λαός μου εἶ σύ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐρεῗ κύριος ὁ θεός μου εἶ σύ	καὶ σπερῶ αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐλεήσω τὴν Οὐκ-ἠλεημένην καὶ ἐρῶ τῷ Οὐ-λαῷ-μου· λαός μου εἰ σύ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐρεῖ· Κύριος ὁ Θεός μου εἶ σύ
Hosea 2:23 (NETS)	Hosea 2:25 (English Elpenor)
and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have pity on Not Pitied, and I will say to Not My People, “You are my people,” and he shall say, “You are the Lord my God.”	And I will sow her to me on the earth; and will love her that was not loved, and will say to that which was not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art the Lord my God.

Hosea 1:10 (Tanakh)	Hosea 1:10 (KJV)	Hosea 1:10 (NET)
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.	Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.	“However, in the future the number of the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea that can be neither measured nor numbered. Although it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said to them, ‘You are children of the living God!’

Hosea 1:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Hosea 2:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης ἣ οὐκ ἐκμετρηθήσεται οὐδὲ ἐξαριθμηθήσεται καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ οὗ ἐρρέθη αὐτοῗς οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῗς ἐκεῗ κληθήσονται υἱοὶ θεοῦ ζῶντος	ΚΑΙ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἣ οὐκ ἐκμετρηθήσεται οὐδὲ ἐξαριθμηθήσεται. καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, οὗ ἐρρέθη αὐτοῖς· οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῖς, κληθήσονται καὶ αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ ζῶντος
Hosea 1:10 (NETS)	Hosea 2:1 (English Elpenor)
And the number of the sons of Israel was like the sand of the sea, which shall not be measured nor numbered, and it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” they too shall be called, “sons of a living god.”	Yet the number of the children of Israel was as the sand of the sea, which shall not be measured nor numbered: and it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people, even they shall be called the sons of the living God.

Hosea 1:11 (Tanakh)	Hosea 1:11 (KJV)	Hosea 1:11 (NET)
Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.	Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.	Then the people of Judah and the people of Israel will be gathered together. They will appoint for themselves one leader, and will flourish in the land. Certainly, the day of Jezreel will be great!

Hosea 1:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Hosea 2:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ συναχθήσονται οἱ υἱοὶ Ιουδα καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ θήσονται ἑαυτοῗς ἀρχὴν μίαν καὶ ἀναβήσονται ἐκ τῆς γῆς ὅτι μεγάλη ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Ιεζραελ	καὶ συναχθήσονται υἱοὶ ᾿Ιούδα καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ θήσονται ἑαυτοῖς ἀρχὴν μίαν καὶ ἀναβήσονται ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι μεγάλη ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ ᾿Ιεζραέλ
Hosea 1:11 (NETS)	Hosea 2:2 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of Ioudas and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall set up for themselves one realm, and they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezrael.	And the children of Juda shall be gathered, and the children of Israel together, and shall appoint themselves one head, and shall come up out of the land: for great [shall be] the day of Jezrael.

Leviticus 5:21 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 6:2 (KJV)	Leviticus 6:2 (NET)
If any one sin, and commit a trespass against HaShem, and deal falsely with his neighbour in a matter of deposit, or of pledge, or of robbery, or have oppressed his neighbour;	If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;	“When a person sins and commits a trespass against the Lord by deceiving his fellow citizen in regard to something held in trust, or a pledge, or something stolen, or by extorting something from his fellow citizen,

Leviticus 6:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ψυχὴ ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ καὶ παριδὼν παρίδῃ τὰς ἐντολὰς κυρίου καὶ ψεύσηται τὰ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἐν παραθήκῃ ἢ περὶ κοινωνίας ἢ περὶ ἁρπαγῆς ἢ ἠδίκησέν τι τὸν πλησίον	ψυχὴ ἣ ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ καὶ παριδὼν παρίδῃ τὰς ἐντολὰς Κυρίου καὶ ψεύσηται τὰ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἐν παραθήκῃ ἢ περὶ κοινωνίας ἢ περὶ ἁρπαγῆς ἢ ἠδίκησέ τι τὸν πλησίον
Leviticus 6:2 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:21 (English Elpenor)
If a soul sins and by overlooking disregards the commandments of the Lord and falsifies matters pertaining to his neighbor—in a deposit or regarding joint ownership or regarding plunder or did his neighbor some wrong	The soul which shall have sinned, and willfully overlooked the commandments of the Lord, and shall have dealt falsely in the affairs of his neighbour in the matter of a deposit, or concerning fellowship, or concerning plunder, or has in anything wronged his neighbour,

Leviticus 5:22 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 6:3 (KJV)	Leviticus 6:3 (NET)
or have found that which was lost, and deal falsely therein, and swear to a lie; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein;	Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:	or has found something lost and denies it and swears falsely concerning any one of the things that someone might do to sin—

Leviticus 6:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἢ εὗρεν ἀπώλειαν καὶ ψεύσηται περὶ αὐτῆς καὶ ὀμόσῃ ἀδίκως περὶ ἑνὸς ἀπὸ πάντων ὧν ἐὰν ποιήσῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὥστε ἁμαρτεῗν ἐν τούτοις	ἢ εὗρεν ἀπώλειαν καὶ ψεύσηται περὶ αὐτῆς καὶ ὀμόσῃ ἀδίκως περὶ ἑνὸς ἀπὸ πάντων, ὧν ἐὰν ποιήσῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὥστε ἁμαρτεῖν ἐν τούτοις
Leviticus 6:3 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:22 (English Elpenor)
or has found a loss and lied about it—and he swears falsely about one of all which a man may do in order to sin by these,	or has found that which was lost, and shall have lied concerning it, and shall have sworn unjustly concerning [any] one of all the things, whatsoever a man may do, so as to sin hereby;

Leviticus 5:23 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 6:4 (KJV)	Leviticus 6:4 (NET)
then it shall be, if he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took by robbery, or the thing which he hath gotten by oppression, or the deposit which was deposited with him, or the lost thing which he found,	Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,	when it happens that he sins and he is found guilty, then he must return whatever he had stolen, or whatever he had extorted, or the thing that he had held in trust, or the lost thing that he had found,

Leviticus 6:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσται ἡνίκα ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ καὶ πλημμελήσῃ καὶ ἀποδῷ τὸ ἅρπαγμα ὃ ἥρπασεν ἢ τὸ ἀδίκημα ὃ ἠδίκησεν ἢ τὴν παραθήκην ἥτις παρετέθη αὐτῷ ἢ τὴν ἀπώλειαν ἣν εὗρεν	καὶ ἔσται ἡνίκα ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ καὶ πλημμελήσῃ, καὶ ἀποδῷ τὸ ἅρπαγμα, ὃ ἥρπασεν, ἢ τὸ ἀδίκημα, ὃ ἠδίκησεν, ἢ τὴν παραθήκην, ἥτις παρετέθη αὐτῷ, ἢ τὴν ἀπώλειαν, ἣν εὗρεν
Leviticus 6:4 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:23 (English Elpenor)
then it shall be whenever he sins and is in error and restores the booty which he seized or the injustice he committed or the deposit which was deposited with him or the loss which he found	it shall come to pass, whensoever he shall have sinned, and transgressed, that he shall restore the plunder which he has seized, or [redress] the injury which he has committed, or restore the deposit which was entrusted to him, or the lost article which he has found of any kind,

Leviticus 5:24 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 6:5 (KJV)	Leviticus 6:5 (NET)
or any thing about which he hath sworn falsely, he shall even restore it in full, and shall add the fifth part more thereto; unto him to whom it appertaineth shall he give it, in the day of his being guilty.	Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.	or anything about which he swears falsely. He must restore it in full and add one-fifth to it; he must give it to its owner when he is found guilty.

Leviticus 6:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπὸ παντὸς πράγματος οὗ ὤμοσεν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀδίκως καὶ ἀποτείσει αὐτὸ τὸ κεφάλαιον καὶ τὸ πέμπτον προσθήσει ἐπ᾽ αὐτό τίνος ἐστίν αὐτῷ ἀποδώσει ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐλεγχθῇ	ἀπὸ παντὸς πράγματος, οὗ ὤμοσε περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀδίκως, καὶ ἀποτίσει αὐτὸ τὸ κεφάλαιον καὶ τὸ ἐπίπεμπτον προσθήσει ἐπ᾿ αὐτό· τίνος ἐστίν, αὐτῷ ἀποδώσει ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐλεγχθῇ
Leviticus 6:5 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:24 (English Elpenor)
because of every matter about that which he swore about unjustly, he shall also repay the capital itself, and he shall add to it one fifth. Whosesoever it is, he shall restore to him on the day he should be convicted.	about which he swore unjustly, he shall even restore it in full; and he shall add to it a fifth part besides; he shall restore it to him whose it is in the day in which he happens to be convicted.

The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 5

Back to Isaiah 53:10-12, Part 3

Back to Patterns of Evidence: Exodus

Back to Romans, Part 18

Back to Romans, Part 21

Back to Peter’s Third Gospel Proclamation

Back to Christianity, Part 1

Back to Nothing True, Part 3

Back to Who Am I? Part 14

^[1] Romans 9:17 (NET)

^[2] Romans 9:6, 7 (NET)

^[3] Matthew 3:9 (NET)

^[4] Romans 9:8b (NET)

^[5] Romans 8:14 (NET)

^[6] 1 Corinthians 15:50 (NET) Table

^[7] Acts 13:44-52; 14:1-6; 14:19, 20; Acts 17:1-5; 18:5, 6; 18:12-17 and 19:8, 9

^[8] Romans 9:3-5 (NET)

^[9] Romans 9:6a (NET)

^[10] Romans 11:25b (NET) Table

^[11] Philippians 3:9b (NET)

^[12] Romans 11:32 (NET)

^[13] “Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions),” Verbal Moods

^[14] John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, Romans 11:32

^[15] ibid.

^[16] Acts 13:42, 43; 14:1; Acts 17:4; 18:8; and 19:1-7

^[17] John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, Romans 9:22

^[18] Galatians 5:22, 23a

^[19] John 4:14b (NET) Table

^[20] Romans 11:29 (NET)

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 4

Posted on June 27, 2020 by admin

Cain complained to יְהֹוָ֑ה (y^ehôvâh):

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

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

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

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

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

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 4:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 4:12 (NET)	Genesis 4:12 (NETS)	Genesis 4:12 (English Elpenor)
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive (נָ֥ע) and a wanderer (וָנָ֖ד) shalt thou be in the earth.’	When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless (nûaʽ, נע) wanderer (nûd, ונד) on the earth.”	For you will till the earth, and it will not continue to yield its strength to you; you will be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) on the earth.”	When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) on the earth.

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

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

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

The Lord (y^ehôvâh, יְהֹוָ֗ה) responded to Cain’s groaning and trembling.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Time passed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 Corinthians 15:45a (NET Parallel Greek)	Genesis 2:7b (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 2:7b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδὰμ εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν	ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν	ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν
1 Corinthians 15:45a (NET)	Genesis 2:7b (NETS)	Genesis 2:7b (English Elpenor)
The first man, Adam, became a living person	the man became a living being	the man became a living soul

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

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

Genesis 4:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 4:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με ἀποκτενεῗ με	εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι, καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με, ἀποκτενεῖ με
Genesis 4:14 (NETS)	Genesis 4:14 (English Elpenor)
If today you are driving me out from off the earth and I shall be hidden from your face, then I shall be groaning and trembling on the earth, and it will be that anyone who finds me will kill me.”	If thou castest me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy presence, and I shall be groaning and trembling upon the earth, then it will be that any one that finds me shall slay me.

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

Genesis 4:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 4:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος ὁ θεός οὐχ οὕτως πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Καιν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει καὶ ἔθετο κύριος ὁ θεὸς σημεῗον τῷ Καιν τοῦ μὴ ἀνελεῗν αὐτὸν πάντα τὸν εὑρίσκοντα αὐτόν	καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Κύριος ὁ Θεός· οὐχ οὕτως, πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Κάϊν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει. καὶ ἔθετο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς σημεῖον τῷ Κάϊν τοῦ μὴ ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν πάντα τὸν εὑρίσκοντα αὐτόν.
Genesis 4:15 (NETS)	Genesis 4:15 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God said to him, “Not so! Anyone who kills Kain will let loose seven acts of vengeance.” And the Lord God allocated a sign to Kain so that no one who found him would do away with him.	And the Lord God said to him, Not so, any one that slays Cain shall suffer seven-fold vengeance; and the Lord God set a mark upon Cain that no one that found him might slay him.

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

Genesis 4:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 4:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐξῆλθεν δὲ Καιν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Ναιδ κατέναντι Εδεμ	ἐξῆλθε δὲ Κάϊν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Ναὶδ κατέναντι ᾿Εδέμ
Genesis 4:16 (NETS)	Genesis 4:16 (English Elpenor)
Then Kain went away from the presence of God and lived in the land of Naid over against Edem.	So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem.

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

Genesis 4:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 4:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔγνω Καιν τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν τὸν Ενωχ καὶ ἦν οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ενωχ	Καὶ ἔγνω Κάϊν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκε τὸν ᾿Ενώχ. καὶ ἦν οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν καὶ ἐπωνόμασε τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ᾿Ενώχ
Genesis 4:17 (NETS)	Genesis 4:17 (English Elpenor)
And Kain knew his wife, and after she had conceived she bore Henoch, and he was building a city and named the city after the name of his son Henoch.	And Cain knew his wife, and having conceived she bore Enoch; and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

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

Genesis 4:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 4:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγενήθη δὲ τῷ Ενωχ Γαιδαδ καὶ Γαιδαδ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Μαιηλ καὶ Μαιηλ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Μαθουσαλα καὶ Μαθουσαλα ἐγέννησεν τὸν Λαμεχ	ἐγεννήθη δὲ τῷ ᾿Ενὼχ Γαϊδάδ, καὶ Γαϊδὰδ ἐγέννησε τὸν Μαλελεήλ, καὶ Μαλελεὴλ ἐγέννησε τὸν Μαθουσάλα, καὶ Μαθουσάλα ἐγέννησε τὸν Λάμεχ
Genesis 4:18 (NETS)	Genesis 4:18 (English Elpenor)
Then to Henoch was born Gaidad, and Gaidad was the father of Maiel, and Maiel the father of Mathousala, and Mathousala the father of Lamech.	And to Enoch was born Gaidad; and Gaidad begot Maleleel; and Maleleel begot Mathusala; and Mathusala begot Lamech.

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

Genesis 4:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 4:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Λαμεχ ταῗς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιξίν Αδα καὶ Σελλα ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς γυναῗκες Λαμεχ ἐνωτίσασθέ μου τοὺς λόγους ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοὶ καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί	εἶπε δὲ Λάμεχ ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιξίν· ᾿Αδὰ καὶ Σελλά, ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς, γυναῖκες Λάμεχ, ἐνωτίσασθέ μου τοὺς λόγους, ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοὶ καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί
Genesis 4:23 (NETS)	Genesis 4:23 (English Elpenor)
Now Lamech said to his own wives: “Ada and Sella, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to my words, because I have killed a man for a wound to me, and a young man for a welt to me,	And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, consider my words, because I have slain a man to my sorrow and a youth to my grief.

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

Genesis 4:24 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 4:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι ἑπτάκις ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ Καιν ἐκ δὲ Λαμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά	ὅτι ἑπτάκις ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ Κάϊν, ἐκ δὲ Λάμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά
Genesis 4:24 (NETS)	Genesis 4:24 (English Elpenor)
because seven times vengeance has been exacted by Kain, but by Lamech seventy times seven.”	Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain’s behalf, on Lamech’s [it shall be] seventy times seven.

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

Isaiah 59:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 59:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χεὶρ κυρίου τοῦ σῶσαι ἢ ἐβάρυνεν τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακοῦσαι	ΜΗ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χεὶρ Κυρίου τοῦ σῶσαί; ἢ ἐβάρυνε τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακοῦσαι
Isaiah 59:1 (NETS)	Isaiah 59:1 (English Elpenor)
Is not the Lord’s hand strong to save? Or has he made his ear heavy so as not to listen?	Has the hand of the Lord no power to save? or has he made his ear heavy, so that he should not hear?

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

Isaiah 59:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 59:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν διιστῶσιν ἀνὰ μέσον ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν ἀπέστρεψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι	ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν διϊστῶσιν ἀναμέσον ὑμῶν καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν ἀπέστρεψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι
Isaiah 59:2 (NETS)	Isaiah 59:2 (English Elpenor)
Rather, your sinful acts separate between you and God, and because of your sins he has turned his face away from you so as not to show mercy.	Nay, your iniquities separate between you and God, and because of your sins has he turned away [his] face from you, so as not to have mercy [upon you].

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

Isaiah 59:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 59:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αἱ γὰρ χεῗρες ὑμῶν μεμολυμμέναι αἵματι καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι ὑμῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις τὰ δὲ χείλη ὑμῶν ἐλάλησεν ἀνομίαν καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ὑμῶν ἀδικίαν μελετᾷ	αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες ὑμῶν μεμολυσμέναι αἵματι καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι ὑμῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, τὰ δὲ χείλη ὑμῶν ἐλάλησεν ἀνομίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ὑμῶν ἀδικίαν μελετᾷ
Isaiah 59:3 (NETS)	Isaiah 59:3 (English Elpenor)
For your hands have been defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins, and your lips have spoken lawlessness, and your tongue plots unrighteousness.	For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins; your lips also have spoken iniquity, and your tongue meditates unrighteousness.

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

Isaiah 59:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 59:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐδεὶς λαλεῗ δίκαια οὐδὲ ἔστιν κρίσις ἀληθινή πεποίθασιν ἐπὶ ματαίοις καὶ λαλοῦσιν κενά ὅτι κύουσιν πόνον καὶ τίκτουσιν ἀνομίαν	οὐθεὶς λαλεῖ δίκαια, οὐδέ ἐστι κρίσις ἀληθινή· πεποίθασιν ἐπὶ ματαίοις καὶ λαλοῦσι κενά, ὅτι κύουσι πόνον καὶ τίκτουσιν ἀνομίαν
Isaiah 59:4 (NETS)	Isaiah 59:4 (English Elpenor)
No one speaks righteous things, nor is there true judgment; they trust in vanities, and they speak empty words, because they conceive trouble and give birth to lawlessness.	None speaks justly, neither is there true judgment: they trust in vanities, and speak empty [words]; for they conceive trouble, and bring forth iniquity.

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

Genesis 6:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 6:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐφθάρη δὲ ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας	ἐφθάρη δὲ ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας
Genesis 6:11 (NETS)	Genesis 6:11 (English Elpenor)
Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was full of wrongdoing.	But the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with iniquity.

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

Genesis 6:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 6:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τὴν γῆν καὶ ἦν κατεφθαρμένη ὅτι κατέφθειρεν πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς	καὶ εἶδε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἦν κατεφθαρμένη, ὅτι κατέφθειρε πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
Genesis 6:12 (NETS)	Genesis 6:12 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was ruined, for all flesh had ruined his way upon the earth.	And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupted; because all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.

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

Genesis 6:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 6:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Νωε καιρὸς παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ἥκει ἐναντίον μου ὅτι ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καταφθείρω αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν γῆν	καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Νῶε· καιρὸς παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ἥκει ἐναντίον μου, ὅτι ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καταφθείρω αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν γῆν
Genesis 6:13 (NETS)	Genesis 6:13 (English Elpenor)
And God said to Noe, “The time of all humankind has come before me, for the earth has become full of wrongdoing by reason of them, and see, I am going to ruin them and the earth.	And the Lord God said to Noe, A period of all men is come before me; because the earth has been filled with iniquity by them, and, behold, I destroy them and the earth.

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

Genesis 2:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 2:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν	καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν
Genesis 2:7 (NETS)	Genesis 2:7 (English Elpenor)
And God formed man, dust from the earth, and breathed into his face a breath of life, and the man became a living being.	And God formed the man [of] dust of the earth, and breathed upon his face the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.

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

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ θεοῦ, αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν	πασα ψυχη εξουσιαις υπερεχουσαις υποτασσεσθω ου γαρ εστιν εξουσια ει μη απο θεου αι δε ουσαι εξουσιαι υπο του θεου τεταγμεναι εισιν	πασα ψυχη εξουσιαις υπερεχουσαις υποτασσεσθω ου γαρ εστιν εξουσια ει μη υπο θεου αι δε ουσαι εξουσιαι υπο του θεου τεταγμεναι εισιν

So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὥστε ὁ ἀντιτασσόμενος τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ διαταγῇ ἀνθέστηκεν, οἱ δὲ ἀνθεστηκότες ἑαυτοῖς κρίμα λήμψονται	ωστε ο αντιτασσομενος τη εξουσια τη του θεου διαταγη ανθεστηκεν οι δε ανθεστηκοτες εαυτοις κριμα ληψονται	ωστε ο αντιτασσομενος τη εξουσια τη του θεου διαταγη ανθεστηκεν οι δε ανθεστηκοτες εαυτοις κριμα ληψονται

(for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

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

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 5

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 5

Back to Psalm 22, Part 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

^[8] 1 Corinthians 15:45 (NET)

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

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

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 1

Posted on December 30, 2018 by admin

Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? Jesus said to Nicodemus. I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?^[1]

I’ve hinted at how Jesus’ teaching informs my understanding of the Old Testament. Here I intend to get explicit about these earthly things. Though I will do my best to make these essays interesting, the very repetitiveness of the subject matter may seem like A Monotonous Cycle.

Here is the general introduction (Genesis 1:26-30 Tanakh):

And G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) said: ‘Let us make man (ʼâdâm, אדם) in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth’. And G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) created man (ʼâdâm, האדם) in His own image, in the image of G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) created He him; male and female created He them. And G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) blessed them; and G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) said unto them: ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth’ [Table].

And G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) said: ‘Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed–to you it shall be for food; and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, I have given every green herb for food’ And it was so.

Here is a more detailed account of the involvement of y^ehôvâh ʼĕlôhı̂ym, corresponding to the Word (λόγος) in the opening chapter of John’s Gospel narrative (Genesis 2:4-9 Tanakh):

These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) made earth and heaven. No shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man (ʼâdâm, ואדם) to till the ground; but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. Then HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) formed man (ʼâdâm, האדם) of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man (ʼâdâm, האדם) became a living soul.

And HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there He put the man (ʼâdâm, האדם) whom He had formed. And out of the ground made HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

The Hebrew word translated good was טוב (ṭôb). The light was טוב (ṭôb). The dry land amidst the gathering together of the waters was טוב (ṭôb). The grass the earth brought forth… herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind^[2] was טוב (ṭôb). The lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night^[3] were טוב (ṭôb). The great sea-monsters, and every living creature that creepeth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after its kind, and every winged fowl after its kind^[4] were טוב (ṭôb). The beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the ground after its kind^[5] were טוב (ṭôb). In fact, every thing that He [ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים] had made^[6] was טוב (ṭôb).

The Hebrew word translated evil was ורע (râʽâh) and this is its first occurrence. In other words, ורע (râʽâh) is as yet unknown. The story continued (Genesis 2:15-17 Tanakh):

And HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) took the man (ʼâdâm, האדם), and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) commanded the man (ʼâdâm, האדם), saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat [Table]; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die’ [Table]

Thus the one and only law was given. Paul, after he was born from above and led by the Holy Spirit, wrote to others like him in Rome: For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.^[7] As David had prayed: Hear my prayer, O LORD (y^ehôvâh, יהוה), give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness [Table]. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified [Table].^[8] The story continued (Genesis 2:18-3:5 Tanakh):

And HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) said: ‘It is not good (ṭôb, טוב) that the man (ʼâdâm, האדם) should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.’ And out of the ground HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto the man (ʼâdâm, האדם) to see what he would call them; and whatsoever the man (ʼâdâm, האדם) would call every living creature, that was to be the name thereof. And the man (ʼâdâm, האדם) gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam (ʼâdâm, ולאדם) there was not found a help meet for him.

And HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man (ʼâdâm, האדם), and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the place with flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) had taken from the man (ʼâdâm, האדם), made He a woman, and brought her unto the man (ʼâdâm, האדם). And the man (ʼâdâm, האדם) said: ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh [Table]. And they were both naked, the man (ʼâdâm, האדם) and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) had made. And he said unto the woman: ‘Yea, hath G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) said: Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’

And the woman said unto the serpent: ‘Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) hath said: Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.’

And the serpent said unto the woman: ‘Ye shall not surely die [Table]; for G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, כאלהים), knowing good and evil’ [Table].

Eve, in fact, knew nothing but good (ṭôb, טוב). But though she was visited routinely by y^ehôvâh ʼĕlôhı̂ym, who spoke with her face to face, she did not know Him. The story continues (Genesis 3:6-8 Tanakh):

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles [Table]. And they heard the voice of HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) walking in the garden toward the cool of the day; and the man (ʼâdâm, האדם) and his wife hid themselves from the presence of HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) G-d (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) amongst the trees of the garden.

So they learned the meaning of ורע (râʽâh): to mistrust y^ehôvâh so as to disregard his word. And He afflicted thee, and suffered thee to hunger, Moses told Israel, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every thing that proceedeth out of the mouth of HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) doth man live.^[9] So then, just as sin entered the world through one man…^[10] Paul wrote.

To conclude with the moral of this story, I’ve made a table interspersing Jesus’ teaching to Nicodemus with Paul’s teaching on the first and last Adam.

Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

John 3:5 (NET) Table

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”;

1 Corinthians 15:45a (NET)

What is born of the flesh is flesh,

John 3:6a (NET)

the last Adam [e.g., Jesus] became a life-giving spirit.

1 Corinthians 15:45b (NET)

and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:6b (NET)

However, the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is^[11] from heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:46, 47 (NET)

Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’

John 3:7 (NET)

Like the one made of dust, so too are those made of dust, and like the one from heaven, so too those who are heavenly.

1 Corinthians 15:48 (NET)

The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:8 (NET)

And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear^[12] the image of the man of heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:49 (NET)

Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.^[13]

Tables comparing 1 Corinthians 15:47 and 15:49 in the NET and KJV follow.

1 Corinthians 15:47 (NET)	1 Corinthians 15:47 (KJV)
The first man is from the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven.	The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ἐκ γῆς χοϊκός, ὁ δεύτερος ἄνθρωπος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ	ο πρωτος ανθρωπος εκ γης χοικος ο δευτερος ανθρωπος ο κυριος εξ ουρανου	ο πρωτος ανθρωπος εκ γης χοικος ο δευτερος ανθρωπος ο κυριος εξ ουρανου

1 Corinthians 15:49 (NET)	1 Corinthians 15:49 (KJV)
And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the man of heaven.	And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ καθὼς ἐφορέσαμεν τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ, \|φορέσωμεν\| καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου	και καθως εφορεσαμεν την εικονα του χοικου φορεσομεν και την εικονα του επουρανιου	και καθως εφορεσαμεν την εικονα του χοικου φορεσωμεν και την εικονα του επουρανιου

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 2

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 5

^[1] John 3:10-12 (NET) Table

^[2] Genesis 1:12 (Tanakh)

^[3] Genesis 1:14 (Tanakh)

^[4] Genesis 1:21 (Tanakh)

^[5] Genesis 1:25 (Tanakh)

^[6] Genesis 1:31a (Tanakh)

^[7] Romans 3:20 (NET)

^[8] Psalm 143:1, 2 (Tanakh)

^[9] Deuteronomy 8:3 (Tanakh) Table

^[10] Romans 5:12 (NET)

^[11] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο κυριος (KJV: the Lord) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[12] The NET parallel Greek text and Byzantine Majority Text had φορέσωμεν in the subjunctive mood here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and NA²⁸ had φορεσομεν in the indicative mood (KJV: we shall…bear).

^[13] 1 Corinthians 15:50 (NET) Table

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

An attempt to distinguish the mind of Christ from the ordinary religious mind.

Tag Archives: 1 Corinthians 15:50

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