Imagine if Bill Clinton or George W. Bush did what David did and got off like that. But I’m more interested in knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ,1 and trying to understand Him these days, than fretting over ancient history. Besides, I’m nobody, and though I probably deserve Nadab’s, Abihu’s and Achan’s fate more than they did, the Lord has treated me more like David (not that any prophets have come calling). And for all his patience and kindness, what has He gotten in return from me? Unbelief, at least lingering doubt. That’s the essence of my perversity.
I laugh at myself when I stumble around wondering if I can really distinguish God’s kindness and patience toward me from his non-existence: “What is it, Dan? You need Him to strike you with lightning to prove that He loves you?” But for the most part that doubt is overcome by Bible study. My day is sort of empty when I’m too tired to study any more. I wake in the morning excited to get to it again. I chafe when my “real life” impinges on my study time. The Eric Liddell character in Chariots of Fire said something like, “When I run, I feel his pleasure.” I’m not a runner. But when I study the Bible I feel his pleasure.
If I am honest the real issue of doubt for me is something else now. Being struck down by lightning is something I can live up to; been there, done that, mission accomplished! The doubt creeps in when I consider living up to his patience and kindness. Can I do that in a lifetime? In an eternity? I know the answer is yes and no. No, I can’t. Yes, He can, by his Spirit, through his grace. But the doubt lingers all the same. David, however, remained faithful despite God’s forgiveness.
He wrote a song after Nathan confronted him: Have mercy on me, O God, because I’m not such a bad guy. No, that’s not what he wrote. Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! Wash away my wrongdoing!2 Somehow, in a way my perversity has forbidden me from fully embracing, David saw through all the commandments, laws, crimes and punishments to a God who is loyal love and great compassion. And David believed that God’s loyal love and great compassion were sufficient cause to wipe away his rebellious acts and wash away his wrongdoing despite all the commandments, laws, crimes and punishments proscribed against him.
Of course, this might have been desperate emotional hyperbole: David, the sinner in the hands of an angry God, trying to convince himself and perhaps persuade God that God’s loyal love and great compassion were good reasons to spare David’s life. I was certainly no stranger to emotional hyperbole. I wrote off a lot of the sayings of Jesus and most of Paul’s writings as just that—emotional hyperbole, wild exaggeration. But the more I failed to keep my end of the contract with God, the more I sinned despite my best efforts not to, the more I turned a willing ear to Paul’s letters, to those things that are hard to understand,” as Peter described Paul’s writing (2 Peter 3:14-16 NET).
Therefore, dear friends, since you are waiting for these things, strive to be found at peace, without spot or blemish, when you come into his presence. And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our dear brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, speaking of these things in all his letters.3 Some things in these letters4 are hard to understand, things the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they also do to the rest of the scriptures.
Paul had written (Romans 13:8-10 NET Table):
Owe no one anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet,” (and if there is any other commandment) are summed up in this, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
On this point Jesus and Paul seemed to agree. When asked, Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? Jesus answered (Matthew 22:36-40 NET):
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart,5 with all your soul,6 and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest7 commandment. The second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the law and the prophets depend8 on these two commandments.
“I’ve been going about this all wrong,” I thought. I had been attempting to do a negative. I was trying not to sin. What I should have been doing was trying to love. I had missed the significance of these passages many times because I thought love was an emotion, a feeling. I knew that no feeling would solve my sin problem. But this time I had connected these passages with Paul’s definition of love.9 Love was anything and everything but an emotion according to Paul. So I took Paul’s definition and reworked it. It became my new law.
Love is patient, love is kind,10 Paul penned. Thou shalt be patient, I reworked the text. Thou shalt be kind. Thou shalt not be envious. Thou shalt not brag. Thou shalt not be puffed up. Thou shalt not be rude. Thou shalt not be self-serving. Thou shalt not be easily angered. Thou shalt not be resentful. Thou shalt not be glad about injustice. Thou shalt rejoice in the truth. Thou shalt bear all things. Thou shalt believe all things. Thou shalt hope all things. Thou shalt endure all things.
Though such things are difficult to measure, I think it is fair to say that I did incrementally better at not sinning by trying to love like this rather than trying not to sin. But “incrementally better” was a long way from anything anyone would mistake for righteousness. Meanwhile, I kept reading Paul with my ears slightly more open. It occurred to me that Paul didn’t think his definition of love was just a list of rules he made for me to obey. Paul thought he was describing love as Jesus himself loved. The idea was staggering.
I began to use my commandments, “Thou shalt not be puffed up, rude, or self-serving” to force myself to hear Jesus in a new way. No matter what I thought or felt about how puffed-up, self-serving and rude Jesus was, I told myself he was not puffed-up, self-serving or rude, because that would be contrary to the law of his own love. There had to be other explanations.
Also, I began to wonder, if 1 Corinthians actually was a definition of Jesus’ love, of God’s love, could I make myself righteous—love like Jesus—by turning the definition into a law and striving to obey it? As I considered that, it seemed that Paul was shouting at me: crazy things, hopeful things, alarming-could-they-possibly-be-true-I’ve-never-heard-anything-like-these-things-in-my-life things. So I went searching through the Old Testament, looking for any precedent for these wonderful, frightening things. And in that state of mind David’s confession did not seem like emotional hyperbole to me. In fact, there are two David’s revealed in the Scripture.
Nathan went home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill.11 David fasted and prayed and wept. He spent the night lying on the ground. He wouldn’t eat and he refused to listen to those who pleaded with him to take better care of himself. A week later the child died. The people around David were afraid to tell him.
While the child was still alive he would not listen to us, they said. How can we tell him that the child is dead?12 David was so distraught they thought he would hurt or possibly kill himself. He noticed them whispering to one another. Is the child dead? David asked. Yes,13 they replied.
So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then, when he entered his palace, he requested that food be brought to him, and he ate.14
David’s people didn’t know what to make of this. While the child was still alive, you fasted and wept, they exclaimed. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food! David explained, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, “Perhaps the Lord will show pity and the child will live.” But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!”15
So the former David expressed what I’ll call an experimental faith: Let’s see what God will do if I do this. The latter David displayed what I can only call a super-rational faith accompanied by a profound peace. There was nothing cold about it. On the contrary, David was the same man whose first concern was not for his own welfare but rather how he might change God’s mind and if possible spare the cursed child.
This latter David, I believe, was the one who penned the song I am considering: Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! Wash away my wrongdoing! David was neither emotionally distraught nor particularly concerned for his own welfare when he wrote those words. For Psalm 51 was written sometime after Nathan informed David: Yes, and the Lord has forgiven your sin. You are not going to die.16
Addendum: October 4, 2019
A table of English translations of the Deuteronomy 6:5 from the Masoretic text and the Septuagint follows:
|
Masoretic Text |
Septuagint | ||
| Deuteronomy 6:5 (Tanakh) | Deuteronomy 6:5 (NET) | Deuteronomy 6:5 (NETS) |
Deuteronomy 6:5 (English Elpenor) |
| And thou shalt love HaShem thy G-d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. | You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. | And you shall love the Lord your God with the whole of your mind and with the whole of your soul and with the whole of your power. | And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and all thy strength. |
A table comparing the Greek of Matthew 22:37 with that of Deuteronomy 6:5 follows:
|
Matthew 22:37 (NET) |
Deuteronomy 6:5 (Septuagint BLB) |
Deuteronomy 6:5 (Septuagint Elpenor) |
| ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐν ὅλῃ |τῇ| καρδίᾳ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σου | ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεώς σου | ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεώς σου |
A table of English translations of the Leviticus 19:18 from the Masoretic text and the Septuagint follows:
|
Masoretic Text |
Septuagint |
||
|
Leviticus 19:18 (Tanakh) |
Leviticus 19:18 (NET) | Leviticus 19:18 (NETS) |
Leviticus 19:18 (English Elpenor) |
| Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am HaShem. | You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. | And your own hand shall not take vengeance, and you shall not be angry against the sons of your people, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself; it is I who am the Lord. | And thy hand shall not avenge thee; and thou shalt not be angry with the children of thy people; and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; I am the Lord |
A table comparing the Greek of Matthew 22:39 with that of Leviticus 19:18 follows:
|
Matthew 22:39 (NET) |
Leviticus 19:18 (Septuagint BLB) |
Leviticus 19:18 (Septuagint Elpenor) |
| ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν | ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν | ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν |
Tables comparing Psalm 51:1; 51:2; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; 2 Samuel 12:15; 12:18; 12:19; 12:20; 12:21; 12:22 and 12:23 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Psalm 51:1 (50:1-3); 51:2 (50:4); Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; 2 Samuel (Kings, Reigns) 12:15; 12:18; 12:19; 12:20; 12:21; 12:22 and 12:23 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow. Following those are tables comparing 2 Peter 3:16; Matthew 22:37, 38 and 22:40 in the NET and KJV.
| Psalm 51:1 (KJV) | ||
| Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. | Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. | For the music director, a psalm of David, written when Nathan the prophet confronted him after David’s affair with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love. Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts. |
| εἰς τὸ τέλος ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῗν πρὸς αὐτὸν Ναθαν τὸν προφήτην ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν πρὸς Βηρσαβεε ἐλέησόν με ὁ θεός κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου ἐξάλειψον τὸ ἀνόμημά μου | Εἰς τὸ τέλος· ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ ἐν τῷ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν Νάθαν τὸν προφήτην, ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθε πρὸς Βηρσαβεέ. – ΕΛΕΗΣΟΝ με, ὁ Θεός, κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου καὶ κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου ἐξάλειψον τὸ ἀνόμημά μου |
| Regarding completion. A psalm. Pertaining to Dauid. When the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bersabee. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy, and according to the abundance of your compassion blot out my lawless deed. | [For the end, a Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, when he had gone to Bersabee.] Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my transgression. |
| Psalm 51:2 (KJV) | ||
| Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. | Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. | Wash away my wrongdoing. Cleanse me of my sin. |
| ἐπὶ πλεῗον πλῦνόν με ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας μου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου καθάρισόν με | ἐπὶ πλεῖον πλῦνόν με ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας μου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου καθάρισόν με |
| Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness, and from my sin cleanse me, | Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. |
| Deuteronomy 6:5 (KJV) | ||
| And thou shalt love HaShem thy G-d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. | And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. | You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. |
| καὶ ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεώς σου | καὶ ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεώς σου |
| And you shall love the Lord your God with the whole of your mind and with the whole of your soul and with the whole of your power. | And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and all thy strength. |
| Leviticus 19:18 (KJV) | ||
| Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am HaShem. | Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. | You must not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you must love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. |
| καὶ οὐκ ἐκδικᾶταί σου ἡ χείρ καὶ οὐ μηνιεῗς τοῗς υἱοῗς τοῦ λαοῦ σου καὶ ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος | καὶ οὐκ ἐκδικᾶταί σου ἡ χείρ, καὶ οὐ μηνιεῖς τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος |
| And your own hand shall not take vengeance, and you shall not be angry against the sons of your people, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself; it is I who am the Lord. | And thy hand shall not avenge thee; and thou shalt not be angry with the children of thy people; and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; I am the Lord |
| 2 Samuel 12:15 (KJV) | ||
| And Nathan departed unto his house. And HaShem struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore unto David, and it was very sick. | And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. | Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill. |
| καὶ ἀπῆλθεν Ναθαν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔθραυσεν κύριος τὸ παιδίον ὃ ἔτεκεν ἡ γυνὴ Ουριου τῷ Δαυιδ καὶ ἠρρώστησεν | καὶ ἀπῆλθε Νάθαν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἔθραυσε Κύριος τὸ παιδίον, ὃ ἔτεκεν ἡ γυνὴ Οὐρίου τοῦ Χετταίου τῷ Δαυίδ, καὶ ἠρρώστησε |
| And Nathan went away to his house. And the Lord weakened the child that the wife of Ourias bore to Dauid, and it became ill. | And Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord smote the child, which the wife of Urias the Chettite bore to David, and it was ill. |
| 2 Samuel 12:18 (KJV) | ||
| And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said: ‘Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice; how then shall we tell him that the child is dead, so that he do himself some harm?’ | And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead! | On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, “While the child was still alive he would not listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!” |
| 2 Samuel 12:18 (Septuagint BLB) | |
| καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ καὶ ἀπέθανε τὸ παιδάριον καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ δοῦλοι Δαυιδ ἀναγγεῗλαι αὐτῷ ὅτι τέθνηκεν τὸ παιδάριον ὅτι εἶπαν ἰδοὺ ἐν τῷ ἔτι τὸ παιδάριον ζῆν ἐλαλήσαμεν πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσεν τῆς φωνῆς ἡμῶν καὶ πῶς εἴπωμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι τέθνηκεν τὸ παιδάριον καὶ ποιήσει κακά | καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ καὶ ἀπέθανε τὸ παιδάριον· καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ δοῦλοι Δαυὶδ ἀναγγεῖλαι αὐτῷ ὅτι τέθνηκε τὸ παιδάριον, ὅτι εἶπαν· ἰδοὺ ἐν τῷ τὸ παιδάριον ἔτι ζῆν ἐλαλήσαμεν πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκ εἰσήκουσε τῆς φωνῆς ἡμῶν· καὶ πῶς εἴπωμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι τέθνηκε τὸ παιδάριον; καὶ ποιήσει κακά |
| And it happened in the seventh day that the child died. And the slaves of Dauid were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to our voice, and how can we tell him that the child is dead? Indeed, he shall do harm.” | And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died: and the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive we spoke to him, and he hearkened not to our voice; and thou should we tell him that the child is dead?– so would he do [himself] harm. |
| 2 Samuel 12:19 (KJV) | ||
| But when David saw that his servants whispered together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said unto his servants: ‘Is the child dead?’ And they said: ‘He is dead.’ | But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. | When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.” |
| καὶ συνῆκεν Δαυιδ ὅτι οἱ παῗδες αὐτοῦ ψιθυρίζουσιν καὶ ἐνόησεν Δαυιδ ὅτι τέθνηκεν τὸ παιδάριον καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ πρὸς τοὺς παῗδας αὐτοῦ εἰ τέθνηκεν τὸ παιδάριον καὶ εἶπαν τέθνηκεν | καὶ συνῆκε Δαυὶδ ὅτι οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ ψιθυρίζουσι, καὶ ἐνόησε Δαυὶδ ὅτι τέθνηκε τὸ παιδάριον· καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ· εἰ τέθνηκε τὸ παιδάριον; καὶ εἶπαν· τέθνηκε |
| And Dauid noticed that his servants were whispering, and Dauid perceived that the child was dead, and Dauid said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” | And David understood that his servants were whispering, and David perceived that the child was dead: and David said to his servants, Is the child dead? and they said, He is dead. |
| 2 Samuel 12:20 (KJV) | ||
| Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of HaShem, and worshipped; then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. | Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. | So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then, when he entered his palace, he requested that food be brought to him, and he ate. |
| καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυιδ ἐκ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐλούσατο καὶ ἠλείψατο καὶ ἤλλαξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ᾔτησεν ἄρτον φαγεῗν καὶ παρέθηκαν αὐτῷ ἄρτον καὶ ἔφαγεν | καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυὶδ ἐκ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐλούσατο καὶ ἠλείψατο καὶ ἤλλαξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ· καὶ εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ᾔτησεν ἄρτον φαγεῖν καὶ παρέθηκαν αὐτῷ ἄρτον, καὶ ἔφαγε |
| And Dauid rose from the ground and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he entered into the house of God and did obeisance to him, and he entered into his house, and he asked for bread to eat, and they set bread before him, and he ate. | Then David rose up from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his raiment, and went into the house of God, and worshipped him; and went into his own house, and called for bread to eat, and they set bread before him and he ate. |
| 2 Samuel 12:21 (KJV) | ||
| Then said his servants unto him: ‘What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.’ | Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. | His servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? While the child was still alive, you fasted and wept. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food!” |
| καὶ εἶπαν οἱ παῗδες αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτόν τί τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ὃ ἐποίησας ἕνεκα τοῦ παιδαρίου ἔτι ζῶντος ἐνήστευες καὶ ἔκλαιες καὶ ἠγρύπνεις καὶ ἡνίκα ἀπέθανεν τὸ παιδάριον ἀνέστης καὶ ἔφαγες ἄρτον καὶ πέπωκας | καὶ εἶπαν οἱ παῖδες αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτόν· τί τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο, ὃ ἐποίησας ἕνεκα τοῦ παιδαρίου; ἔτι ζῶντος ἐνήστευες καὶ ἔκλαιες καὶ ἠγρύπνεις, καὶ ἡνίκα ἀπέθανε τὸ παιδάριον, ἀνέστης καὶ ἔφαγες ἄρτον καὶ πέπωκας |
| And his servants said to him, “What is this thing you did? For the sake of the child, while it was still alive, you were fasting and weeping and keeping watch, and when the child died, you rose and ate bread, and you have taken a drink.” | And his servants said to him, What [is] this thing that thou hast done concerning the child? while it was yet living thou didst fast, and weep, and watch: and when the child was dead thou didst rise up, and didst eat bread, and drink. |
| 2 Samuel 12:22 (KJV) | ||
| And he said: ‘While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said: Who knoweth whether HaShem will not be gracious to me, that the child may live? | And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? | He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Perhaps the Lord will show pity and the child will live.’ |
| καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ ἐν τῷ τὸ παιδάριον ἔτι ζῆν ἐνήστευσα καὶ ἔκλαυσα ὅτι εἶπα τίς οἶδεν εἰ ἐλεήσει με κύριος καὶ ζήσεται τὸ παιδάριον | καὶ εἶπε Δαυίδ· ἐν τῷ τὸ παιδάριον ἔτι ζῆν ἐνήστευσα καὶ ἔκλαυσα, ὅτι εἶπα· τίς οἶδεν εἰ ἐλεήσει με Κύριος καὶ ζήσεται τὸ παιδάριον |
| And Dauid said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will have pity on me and the child will live?” | And David said, While the child yet lived, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows if the Lord will pity me, and the child live? |
| 2 Samuel 12:23 (KJV) | ||
| But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.’ | But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. | But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back at this point? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!” |
| καὶ νῦν τέθνηκεν ἵνα τί τοῦτο ἐγὼ νηστεύω μὴ δυνήσομαι ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτὸ ἔτι ἐγὼ πορεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀναστρέψει πρός με | καὶ νῦν τέθνηκεν· ἱνατί τοῦτο ἐγὼ νηστεύω; μὴ δυνήσομαι ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτὸν ἔτι; ἐγὼ πορεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀναστρέψει πρός με |
| But now he is dead. Why is this, that I fast? I will not be able to bring it back again, will I? I will go to him, but he shall not return to me.” | But now it is dead, why should I fast thus? shall I be able to bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. |
|
2 Peter 3:16 (KJV) |
|
| speaking of these things in all his letters. Some things in these letters are hard to understand, things the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they also do to the rest of the scriptures. | As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. |
| Stephanus Textus Receptus | ||
| ὡς καὶ ἐν πάσαις ἐπιστολαῖς λαλῶν ἐν αὐταῖς περὶ τούτων, ἐν αἷς ἐστιν δυσνόητα τινα, ἃ οἱ ἀμαθεῖς καὶ ἀστήρικτοι στρεβλοῦσιν ὡς καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς γραφὰς πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτῶν ἀπώλειαν | ως και εν πασαις ταις επιστολαις λαλων εν αυταις περι τουτων εν οις εστιν δυσνοητα τινα α οι αμαθεις και αστηρικτοι στρεβλουσιν ως και τας λοιπας γραφας προς την ιδιαν αυτων απωλειαν | ως και εν πασαις ταις επιστολαις λαλων εν αυταις περι τουτων εν οις εστιν δυσνοητα τινα α οι αμαθεις και αστηρικτοι στρεβλουσιν ως και τας λοιπας γραφας προς την ιδιαν αυτων απωλειαν |
|
Matthew 22:37, 38 (KJV) |
|
| Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ | Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. |
| Stephanus Textus Receptus | ||
| ὁ δὲ ἔφη αὐτῷ· ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐν ὅλῃ |τῇ| καρδίᾳ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σου | ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτω αγαπησεις κυριον τον θεον σου εν ολη τη καρδια σου και εν ολη τη ψυχη σου και εν ολη τη διανοια σου | ο δε ιησους εφη αυτω αγαπησεις κυριον τον θεον σου εν ολη καρδια σου και εν ολη ψυχη σου και εν ολη τη διανοια σου |
| This is the first and greatest commandment. | This is the first and great commandment. |
| Stephanus Textus Receptus | ||
| αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μεγάλη καὶ πρώτη ἐντολή | αυτη εστιν πρωτη και μεγαλη εντολη | αυτη εστιν πρωτη και μεγαλη εντολη |
|
Matthew 22:40 (KJV) |
|
| All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” | On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. |
| Stephanus Textus Receptus | ||
| ἐν ταύταις ταῖς δυσὶν ἐντολαῖς ὅλος ὁ νόμος κρέμαται καὶ οἱ προφῆται | εν ταυταις ταις δυσιν εντολαις ολος ο νομος και οι προφηται κρεμανται | εν ταυταις ταις δυσιν εντολαις ολος ο νομος και οι προφηται κρεμανται |
1 John 17:3 (NET)
2 Psalm 51:1, 2a (NET)
3 The Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had the article ταις preceding letters. The NET parallel Greek text did not.
4 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αἷς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οις (KJV: which).
5 The NET parallel Greek text, Stephanus Textus Receptus and NA28 had the article τῇ preceding heart. The Byzantine Majority Text did not.
6 The NET parallel Greek text, Stephanus Textus Receptus and NA28 had the article τῇ preceding soul. The Byzantine Majority Text did not.
7 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article ἡ preceding greatest. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.
8 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the singular κρέμαται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural κρεμανται (KJV: hangs), reflecting the difference in word order between them.
10 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NET)
11 2 Samuel 12:15 (NET)
12 2 Samuel 12:18 (NET)
13 2 Samuel 12:19 (NET)
14 2 Samuel 12:20 (NET)
15 2 Samuel 12:21-23 (NET)