Antichrist, Part 6

Posted on June 9, 2026 by admin

I’ve been working slowly through older essays, upgrading footnotes and hyperlinks, making sure tables or links to tables are up-to-date. I discovered an unpublished addition to these essays. It wasn’t published earlier, I assume, because it doesn’t really deal with the movie Antichrist directly or John’s discussion of antichrists¹ or even the popular imagination of a future Antichrist. It simply recounts events that followed my own reaction in the previous essay in this thread to Lars von Trier’s film.

It does, however, contain an interesting musing regarding the religious mind of a serial killer which helps bridge the gap to the old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον). So, I prefer to have it in my notes and will include it here as an unpublished quotation to differentiate it from more current thoughts.

After I wrote about the women who socialized me in the preceding essay I had the opportunity to work two days doing location sound for interviews slated to be part of a television show about a serial rapist and murderer. It was a new experience. Usually the sex and violence are simulated. That doesn’t mean I’m never emotionally affected by it.

I remember working on the investment teaser for a film about a serial killer: I sat on the ground on a sound blanket behind a car monitoring audio while a young woman lying on another sound blanket in front of the car begged for her life. It brought tears to my eyes. But after several takes of her demise we all stood up and walked off to the next setup on the shot list, along with the “dead” woman. It was a performance. We were happy it was a good one.

The interviews we shot with police detectives, criminologists and a prosecuting attorney didn’t attempt to simulate sex or violence. They were cold, factual descriptions of real events. The locations weren’t movie sets but the actual places where women were raped and murdered. A surviving rape victim was our last interview before wrapping the shoot. We packed our equipment silently. I got in my truck and began the three hundred mile drive home—thinking about what I’d heard.

The rapist stalked his victims in shopping center parking lots. He picked them because he “liked their look.” He followed them home. He determined that they lived alone. He came back days, or a week or two later and broke into their homes while they were out. When a woman came home he was there—waiting.

It’s not something I ever worry about personally. If I did, I would still assume that the perpetrator would be a man rather than a woman. It was easy to understand why women with the opportunity to socialize a boy would want him to be something other than a serial rapist and murderer. And maybe it was a little easier to understand why women would consider themselves morally superior to men.

This particular man was a serial killer by definition but a rapist at heart. A prison mentor counseled him never to leave a witness alive. Prior to his first incarceration he had often apologized to his victims after the fact, even paid a few of them. But after his release from prison, though he obeyed his mentor’s rule at times, it lacked the power to perfect obedience. The rapist killed his victims haphazardly.

Once he was caught and sentenced again, he acknowledged his mentor’s rule in the interviews that were part of his plea bargain to avoid the death penalty, but couldn’t explain why he had killed some women and left others alive. His mentor’s guidance was like my use and understanding of the term religious: It was a religious rule, obeyed religiously, which is to say haphazardly, unlike the rapes that flowed from deep inside his being and out into the world.

The next night I was up late in a hotel room setting up equipment to wheel out for another recording assignment the following morning. A movie was playing on TV. When it ended, a new show about sex toys began, hosted by a pretty young woman wearing only a pair of heels. Most of the women who socialized me would have preferred that I had stood up and switched off the TV in disgust. But I was busy troubleshooting a problem with the recording equipment and, frankly, a pretty young woman comfortable in her skin doesn’t disgust me. She reminds me of Eve before Adam ate the forbidden fruit: The man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.²

No one had to teach me that a naked woman was beautiful. Well, actually, I had to grow up into the “woman” part of that. As a boy I stared at a picture of a painting of a nude woman in a 3-D Viewmaster. I assume that the artist painted her because he thought she was beautiful, but I wasn’t so sure then. I decided that the most beautiful human being I could imagine was a naked girl about my age. She was smooth and sleek, without all the dangling stuff that I had between her legs, or those floppy things on her chest like the woman in the painting.

Apparently, I stared into the Viewmaster too long. My mother took it from me, looked into it, and said, “Shame on you!”

Another belief the women who socialized me attempted to cultivate was that if I saw a pretty woman naked I would want to fuck her. Men (also socialized by women, by the way) joined in on this one, too. So it was taken for granted that Bathsheba’s nudity was the “cause” of David’s sin (2 Samuel 11:2, 3 NET):

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive. So David sent someone to inquire about the woman. The messenger said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

My mother broke ranks with the common wisdom on that one, however. She was an artist. All her figure sketches started nude. “An artist has to know what the body looks like to drape clothes on it,” she told me. Though she didn’t approve of bikinis or scantily clad women in general she would not blame Bathsheba for bathing at night.

One of the first things the Lord did to break my allegiance to the belief that I wanted to fuck every woman I saw naked was to make me understand that the world was filled with beautiful women I would never fuck. I grieved over that for a time. Eventually I began to realize that if I was free from the obligation to fuck every beautiful woman I saw (whether naked or otherwise), I was also free to enjoy women in other ways—their beauty, for instance. “Why did you make them so pretty?” I complained to Him in the midst of this transition of faith and allegiance. “Shall I make them all ugly?” He said. For a split second I believed He actually would if I asked Him. “No,” I said, “no, change me instead.”

None of this is to say that I don’t have my own innate drive toward fucking. I do, and have since I was young.

But I have the Lord Jesus Christ. Or, more to the point, He has me:

By means of Christ I have been crucified, but I live hereafter not I but He lives within me, Christ, so who now I live within flesh, by faithfulness I live by means of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.³

I’m no longer left to the mercilessness of my old self (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον; the old human), which belongs to [my] former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,⁴ but live the Lord’s new self (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον; the new human), created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.⁵ This new human is continuously filled by the Lord’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control [Table],⁶ his own righteousness, in a word, which transforms my mind and actions:

One morning I walked to a coffee shop to study the Bible with the Lord on my laptop as I ate breakfast. After an hour or so I went to the clubhouse at my apartment complex to study some more. The most direct route back to my apartment was through the walled-in pool area, but if people were swimming there, I walked around it instead. As I left the clubhouse that afternoon, the pool area seemed empty, so I took the shortcut. Halfway through I noticed a young woman sun-bathing in the corner. She had undone her top and wore only a thong as she lay on her stomach. I thanked the Lord as I walked on to my apartment: for her beauty, for my opportunity to see her beauty, and that I lived in a place where she was comfortable to sunbathe in nothing but a thong.

And as far as I know, no one raped or harassed or punished her for doing so.

Tables comparing 2 Samuel 11:2 and 11:3 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of 2 Samuel (2 Reigns, 2 Kings) 11:2 and 11:3 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

2 Samuel 11:2 (Tanakh)	2 Samuel 11:2 (KJV)	2 Samuel 11:2 (NET)
And it came to pass at eventide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house; and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.	And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.	One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive.

2 Samuel 11:2 (Septuagint BLB)	2 Kings 11:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸς ἑσπέραν καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυιδ ἀπὸ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ καὶ περιεπάτει ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ εἶδεν γυναῖκα λουομένην ἀπὸ τοῦ δώματος καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καλὴ τῷ εἴδει σφόδρα	καὶ ἐγένετο πρὸς ἑσπέραν καὶ ἀνέστη Δαυὶδ ἀπὸ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ καὶ περιεπάτει ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ εἶδε γυναῖκα λουομένην ἀπὸ τοῦ δώματος, καὶ ἡ γυνὴ καλὴ τῷ εἴδει σφόδρα
2 Reigns 11:2 (NETS)	2 Kings 11:2 (English Elpenor)
And it happened towards evening, that Dauid rose from his bed and was walking about on the roof of the house of the king, and he saw a woman bathing from the roof, and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.	And it came to pass toward evening, that David arose off his couch, and walked on the roof of the king’s house, and saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

2 Samuel 11:3 (Tanakh)	2 Samuel 11:3 (KJV)	2 Samuel 11:3 (NET)
And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said: ‘Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’	And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?	So David sent someone to inquire about the woman. The messenger said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

2 Samuel 11:3 (Septuagint BLB)	2 Kings 11:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν Δαυιδ καὶ ἐζήτησεν τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ εἶπεν οὐχὶ αὕτη Βηρσαβεε θυγάτηρ Ελιαβ γυνὴ Ουριου τοῦ Χετταίου	καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυὶδ καὶ ἐζήτησε τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ εἶπεν· οὐχὶ αὕτη Βηρσαβεὲ θυγάτηρ ᾿Ελιὰβ γυνὴ Οὐρίου τοῦ Χετταίου
2 Reigns 11:3 (NETS)	2 Kings 11:3 (English Elpenor)
And Dauid sent and inquired into the woman. And he said, “Is this not Bersabee daughter of Eliab, wife of Ourias the Chettite?”	And David sent and enquired about the woman: and [one] said, [Is] not this Bersabee the daughter of Eliab, the wife of Urias the Chettite?

¹ 1 John 2:18-27; 1 John 4:1-6; 2 John 1:1-11

² Genesis 2:25 (NET) Table

³ Galatians 2:20 (EXP11)

⁴ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

⁵ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

⁶ Galatians 5:22b, 23a (ESV)

Exploration, Part 20

Posted on June 1, 2026 by admin

I want to continue hearing with faith¹ the truth of the Gospel in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. But first, a quick review follows:

By reason of this grace I, Paul, the captive of Christ Jesus for your sake, the nations—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you (and by means of me unto you), how by revelation was made known to me the mystery, as I have written briefly [Table], (which this you can read to perceive my insight into the mystery), which to other generations was not made known to the sons of men as now has been revealed by means of his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit—to become the nations, fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of the promise by means of Christ Jesus through the gospel [Table].²

Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given me by the working of his power. To me, less than the least of all saints, was given this grace to announce good news to the Gentiles: the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone why the stewardship, or the fellowship, of the mystery hidden from the ages by means of God, who the whole created [Table], so that now may be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the purpose of the ages that he has accomplished by means of Christ Jesus, by means of whom we have boldness and access with confidence through his faithfulness [Table]. So I ask you not to lose heart by means of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory [Table].³

Paul continued (Ephesians 3:14-19 ESV):

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father [Table], from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being [Table], so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth [Table], and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The Greek is: Τούτου χάριν, For this reason. Here again, most translators understood χάριν as an adverb: “in favour of; on account of.” And here again, the translators of the Catholic Public Domain Version chose, By reason of this grace. As I wrote before, “Paul’s Greek readers would have recognized χάριν as both an adverb and a form of the noun χάρις in the accusative case.”⁴ This was immediately preceded by Paul’s request: I ask you not to lose heart by means of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

What good is it,⁵ James asked, If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food [Table], and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?⁶ Paul followed up his request with the concrete action that would cause his readers not to lose heart: κάμπτω τὰ γόνατα μου, I bow my knees, πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, before the Father (or “to the Father”). It may be worth acknowledging that the received texts (Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text) had του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου (KJV: of our Lord Jesus Christ) following Father.

Paul continued: ἐξ οὗ, from whom, πᾶσα πατριὰ, every family, ἐν οὐρανοῖς, in heaven (literally “in heavens”), καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς, and on earth, ὀνομάζεται, is named (or “is known”), ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν, that he may grant you. The verb δῷ (ESV: he may grant) is an aorist form of δίδωμι in the subjunctive mood. It is in a purpose or result clause, which is indicated by the conjunction ἵνα (ESV: that) at its beginning.

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.⁷

At the word level δῷ is translated he may grant as an English representation of the Greek verb δίδωμι in the subjunctive mood indicating “probability or objective possibility,” an action that “will possibly happen, depending on certain objective factors or circumstances.” At the level of the clause, however, the subjunctive mood “in a purpose or result clause…should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen [at some unspecified time⁸] as a result” of “the Father from whom every family in heavens and on earth is known,” and incidentally from Paul’s submission to Him. These concepts are not communicated very well in English translation, apart from a footnote or prior familiarity with this knowledge of the Greek subjunctive mood. I’ll use grant here to avoid confusion.

The received texts (Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text) had δωη here, which begs the question: Is it δῴη in the optative mood or δώῃ in the subjunctive mood?

The optative is the mood of possibility, removed even further than the subjunctive mood from something conceived of as actual. Often it is used to convey a wish or hope for a certain action to occur.⁹

And to add to this confusion, the verb is specified as δῴη on Blue Letter Bible online, but described as “subjunctive” in the bubble at the far right of the table row labeled “he would grant.”

The implicit argument of the critical text is that δῷ is the more original verb here. The obscene reality of the critical text is that it will be continuously revised by current scholarly research and opinion. That δῷ occurs in both the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ implies some stability in scholarly opinion from NA²⁷ and δωη in the received texts (e.g., the critical texts of another place and time) may also be understood in the subjunctive mood. In other words, do you trust “the Father from whom every family in heavens and on earth is known” to grant you what follows?

Paul continued: κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος, according to the riches. The received texts had τον πλουτον here. Since the definite article τὸ is both nominative and accusative it appears to do double duty, introducing the nominative noun πλοῦτος even as it follows κατὰ as an accusative article, rendering the meaning of κατὰ the same as is accomplished by the fully accusative τον πλουτον.

Paul continued: τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, of his glory, δυνάμει, with power (or “by means of power”), κραταιωθῆναι, to be strengthened, διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ, through his Spirit, εἰς τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, in your inner being (literally “into the inside human”). To review so far: “By reason of this grace I bow my knees to the Father from whom every family in heavens and on earth is known, that he grant you, according to the riches of his glory by means of power, to be strengthened through his Spirit into the inside human” κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν, so that Christ may dwell.

Apparently, the ESV translators understood κατοικῆσαι (ESV: may dwell) as a form of the verb κατοικέω in the optative mood, even as they reiterated its inclusion under the conjunction ἵνα (ESV: so that), which occurred at the beginning of verse 16. This interpretation would be more convincing if the words translated Christ were ὁ χριστός in the nominative case, the subject of the verb κατοικῆσαι rather than τὸν Χριστὸν in the accusative case, its direct object. The verb κατοικῆσαι was also translated may dwell on Blue Letter Bible, yet described as an “Infinitive” in the bubble at the far right of that table row.

It seems more straightforward to regard κατοικῆσαι as an infinitive form, “to settle the Christ” at some unspecified time (the aorist tense again), διὰ τῆς πίστεως, through the faith, ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, in your hearts (or “by means of your hearts”), ἐν ἀγάπῃ, in love (or “by means of love”), ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ τεθεμελιωμένοι, being rooted and grounded (or “being rooted and established”), ἵνα, “so that,” ἐξισχύσητε, you may have strength.

Here again, ἐξισχύσητε is a form of ἐξισχύω in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood in a purpose or result clause. It is “a definite outcome that will happen”¹⁰ at some unspecified time “as a result of”¹¹ the indwelling Christ “through the faith by means of your hearts by means of love being rooted and established.” I’ll go with you are in a position because of the infinitive verb which follows. The truth to be hearing with faith¹² so far is:

“By reason of this grace I bow my knees to the Father from whom every family in heavens and on earth is known, that he grant you, according to the riches of his glory by means of power, to be strengthened through his Spirit into the inside human to settle the Christ” (or “to be strengthened through his Spirit to settle the Christ into the inside human”) “through the faith by means of your hearts by means of love being rooted and established, so that you are in a position”¹³ καταλαβέσθαι, to comprehend (literally “to seize”), σὺν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἁγίοις, with all the saints, τί, what is, τὸ πλάτος, the breadth, καὶ μῆκος, and length, καὶ ὕψος, and height, καὶ βάθος, and depth, γνῶναι τε, and to know, τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν τῆς γνώσεως, that surpasses knowledge (literally “the surpassing of knowledge”), ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ, the love of Christ (or “Christ’s love”).

It’s easy to see why the translators chose to comprehend for καταλαβέσθαι, since it is followed by γνῶναι τε, and to know. It just feels a little weak to me. And though “Christ’s love” never excludes his love for me, I’m more often overcome by his love for you that springs up within me from the fruit of his Spirit. Paul concluded: ἵνα πληρωθῆτε, that you may be filled. This is another aorist subjective verb in a purpose or result clause: “that you are filled” at some unspecified time by all that has preceded here, εἰς πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τοῦ θεοῦ, with all the fullness of God (or “unto all of God’s fullness,” e.g., the Christ that was settled into the inside human through the faith by means of your hearts by means of love being rooted and established).

The truth to be hearing with faith¹⁴ is (Ephesians 3:14-19 EXP20):

By reason of this grace I bow my knees to the Father from whom every family in heavens and on earth is known, that he grant you, according to the riches of his glory by means of power, to be strengthened through his Spirit to settle the Christ into the inside human through the faith by means of your hearts by means of love being rooted and established, so that you are in a position to seize with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the surpassing of knowledge—Christ’s love—that you are filled unto all of God’s fullness.

This is my own daily prayer for all of us, for in this way the One new human (ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον), Jesus the Christ, becomes the new human (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον) in us all: the new self, created (κτισθέντα, a form of κτίζω) after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.¹⁵ As Jesus said (John 12:23b, 24 ESV):

The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified [Table]. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

Paul continued (Ephesians 3:20, 21 ESV):

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us [Table], to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen [Table].

The Greek is: Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ, Now to him who is able, ὑπὲρ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ, to do far more abundantly than all, ὧν αἰτούμεθα, that we ask, ἢ νοοῦμεν, or think, κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν, according to the power, τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἡμῖν, at work within us (or “working within us” or “working by means of us”: e.g., the indwelling Christ unto all of God’s fullness), αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα, to him be glory (or “to Him the glory”), ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, in the church (or “by means of the church”), καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, and in Christ Jesus (or “and by means of Christ Jesus”), εἰς πάσας τὰς γενεὰς, throughout all generations (or “unto all the generations”), τοῦ αἰῶνος τῶν αἰώνων, forever and ever, ἀμήν, Amen.

Now to him, who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power working by means of us, to Him the glory by means of the church and by means of Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever, Amen.¹⁶

The conjunction καὶ (and) isn’t inserted between the church and Christ Jesus in the received texts.

Now to him, who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power working by means of us, to Him the glory by means of the church by means of Christ Jesus unto all the generations forever and ever, Amen.

John described the following scene from the Lord Jesus’ vision of the throne of God (Revelation 4:9-11 ESV):

And whenever the living creatures give¹⁷ glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne,¹⁸ who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four¹⁹ elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,²⁰
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created (ἔκτισας, another form of κτίζω) all things,
and by your will they existed²¹ and were created” (ἐκτίσθησαν, another form of κτίζω).

Tables comparing Revelation 4:9-11 in the KJV and NET follow.

Revelation 4:9-11 (NET)	Revelation 4:9-11 (KJV)
And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,	And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

Revelation 4:9 (NET Parallel Greek)	Revelation 4:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Revelation 4:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ὅταν δώσουσιν τὰ ζῷα δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ εὐχαριστίαν τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπὶ \|τῷ θρονῷ\| τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων	και οταν δωσουσιν τα ζωα δοξαν και τιμην και ευχαριστιαν τω καθημενω επι του θρονου τω ζωντι εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων	και οταν δωσιν τα ζωα δοξαν και τιμην και ευχαριστιαν τω καθημενω επι του θρονου τω ζωντι εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων

the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns before his throne, saying:

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

Revelation 4:10 (NET Parallel Greek)	Revelation 4:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Revelation 4:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
πεσοῦνται οἱ εἴκοσι τέσσαρες πρεσβύτεροι ἐνώπιον τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν τῷ ζῶντι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων καὶ βαλοῦσιν τοὺς στεφάνους αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου λέγοντες·	πεσουνται οι εικοσι και τεσσαρες πρεσβυτεροι ενωπιον του καθημενου επι του θρονου και προσκυνουσιν τω ζωντι εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων και βαλλουσιν τους στεφανους αυτων ενωπιον του θρονου λεγοντες	πεσουνται οι κδ πρεσβυτεροι ενωπιον του καθημενου επι του θρονου και προσκυνησουσιν τω ζωντι εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων και βαλουσιν τους στεφανους αυτων ενωπιον του θρονου λεγοντες

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created!”

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 4:11 (NET Parallel Greek)	Revelation 4:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Revelation 4:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἄξιος εἶ, ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, λαβεῖν τὴν δόξαν καὶ τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν, ὅτι σὺ ἔκτισας τὰ πάντα καὶ διὰ τὸ θέλημα σου ἦσαν καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν	αξιος ει κυριε λαβειν την δοξαν και την τιμην και την δυναμιν οτι συ εκτισας τα παντα και δια το θελημα σου εισιν και εκτισθησαν	αξιος ει ο κυριος και ο θεος ημων ο αγιος λαβειν την δοξαν και την τιμην και την δυναμιν οτι συ εκτισας τα παντα και δια το θελημα σου εισιν και εκτισθησαν

Back to Antichrist, Part 6

Back to Who is a Christian? Part 1

¹ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

² Ephesians 3:1-6 (EXP18)

³ Ephesians 3:7-13 (EXP19)

⁴ Exploration, Part 18

⁵ James 2:14a (ESV)

⁶ James 2:15, 16 (ESV)

⁷ From “Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁸ “The aorist is said to be ‘simple occurrence’ or ‘summary occurrence’, without regard for the amount of time taken to accomplish the action. This tense is also often referred to as the ‘punctiliar’ tense. ‘Punctiliar’ in this sense means ‘viewed as a single, collective whole,’ a ‘one-point-in-time’ action, although it may actually take place over a period of time.” From “Verb Tenses: Aorist Tense,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁹ From “Verbal Moods: Optative Mood,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

¹⁰ From “Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

¹¹ Ibid.

¹² Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

¹³ Ephesians 3:14-18a (EXP20)

¹⁴ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

¹⁵ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

¹⁶ Ephesians 3:20, 21 (EXP20)

¹⁷ The Byzantine Majority Text had δωσιν here, a form of δίδωμι in the 2^nd aorist tense and subjunctive mood, where the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had δώσουσιν in the future tense and indicative mood.

¹⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τῷ θρονῷ in the dative case here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had του θρονου in the genitive case.

¹⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἴκοσι τέσσαρες here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had εικοσι και τεσσαρες (KJV: four and twenty) and the Byzantine Majority Text had κδ (24 in “Ancient Greek Numeral Systems”).

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had the vocative κυριε (KJV: O Lord). The Byzantine Majority Text also had ο αγιος (e.g., “the holy” or “the Holy One”) following our Lord and God.

²¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἦσαν here, a form of εἰμί in the imperfect tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εισιν (KJV: are) in the present tense, which becomes interesting to consider when one includes the new human (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον) among the creations of God through Jesus Christ.

Exploration, Part 19

Posted on April 26, 2026 by admin

I want to continue hearing with faith¹ the truth of the Gospel in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. A quick review follows (Ephesians 3:1-6 EXP18).

By reason of this grace I, Paul, the captive of Christ Jesus for your sake, the nations—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you (and by means of me unto you), how by revelation was made known to me the mystery, as I have written briefly, (which this you can read to perceive my insight into the mystery), which to other generations was not made known to the sons of men as now has been revealed by means of his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit—to become the nations, fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of the promise by means of Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Paul continued (Ephesians 3:7-13 ESV):

Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things [Table], so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him [Table]. So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory [Table].

The Greek is: οὗ, Of this gospel (literally “Of which”), ἐγενήθην διάκονος, I was made a minister. The difference here between the critical texts (NA²⁸ / NET Parallel Greek) and received texts (Stephanus Textus Receptus / Byzantine Majority Text) may be worth pausing to mention. The critical texts had ἐγενήθην, a passive form of γίνομαι, I was made (ESV), where the received texts had ἐγενόμην in the middle voice (also translated I was made in the KJV).

Passive Voice

Middle Voice

Grammatical voice indicates whether the subject is the performer of the action of the verb (active voice), or the subject is the recipient of the action (passive voice). If the subject of the sentence is being acted upon, then the verb is referred to as being in the passive voice.
For example: “Jesus … was baptized by John in the Jordan” (Mark 1:9). “Jesus” is the subject of the sentence, but in this case He is being acted upon (i.e. He is the recipient of the action), therefore the verb is said to be in the “Passive Voice”.²

The Greek middle voice shows the subject acting in his own interest or on his own behalf, or participating in the results of the verbal action. In overly simplistic terms, sometimes the middle form of the verb could be translated as “the performer of the action actually acting upon himself” (reflexive action).
For example: “I am washing myself.” “I” is the subject of the sentence (performing the action of the verb) and yet “I” am also receiving the action of the verb. This is said to be in the “Middle Voice”. Many instances in the Greek are not this obvious and cannot be translated this literally.³

I found no English translations that went full middle voice (reflexive action)—“I made myself”—but several were translated I became, including the NET (which was supposedly a translation of ἐγενήθην rather than ἐγενόμην. Paul was quite specific about how he was made or became: κατὰ τὴν δωρεὰν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ, according to the gift of God’s grace, τῆς δοθείσης μοι, which was given me, κατὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν, by the working, τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, of his power. In other words, this was God’s doing not Paul’s, regardless how offensive that may be to the old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον), your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.⁴

Paul continued: Ἐμοὶ, To me, τῷ ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ, the very least (or “less than the least”), πάντων ἁγίων, of all saints, ἐδόθη, was given, ἡ χάρις αὕτη, this grace, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, to the Gentiles, εὐαγγελίσασθαι, to preach (or “to announce good news”), τὸ ἀνεξιχνίαστον πλοῦτος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, the unsearchable riches of Christ, καὶ φωτίσαι, and to bring to light, [πάντας], for everyone… I want to pause here to review since what follows is somewhat problematic to unravel.

“Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given me by the working of his power. To me, less than the least of all saints, was given this grace to the Gentiles to announce good news (or, to announce good news to the Gentiles): the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone” τίς ἡ οἰκονομία, what is the plan. The received texts have τίς ἡ κοινωνία here, what is the fellowship (KJV). But that’s only part of the difficulty.

If κοινωνία was not original and οἰκονομία was Paul’s and the Holy Spirit’s intent, they had already used οἰκονομίαν, a form of οἰκονομία in the accusative case, translated of the stewardship in: assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you.⁵ If Paul and the Holy Spirit actually meant plan, πρόθεσις was readily available rather than a word which hearkens back to Paul’s stewardship of God’s grace.⁶ And frankly, I would prefer a translation that doesn’t force me to choose between κοινωνία (fellowship) and οἰκονομία (stewardship). Looking ahead to what follows, why, another possible translation of τίς, seems to be the question that is answered, rather than what is.

So, “to announce good news to the Gentiles: the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone why the stewardship” or “why the fellowship” τοῦ μυστηρίου, of the mystery, τοῦ ἀποκεκρυμμένου ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων, hidden for ages (or “hidden from the ages”), ἐν τῷ θεῷ, in God (or “by means of God”), τῷ, who, τὰ πάντα κτίσαντι, created all things (or, “the whole created”), ἵνα, (e.g., this is why) so that, γνωρισθῇ νῦν, might now be made known,⁷ ταῖς ἀρχαῖς, to the rulers, καὶ ταῖς ἐξουσίαις, and authorities, ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις, in the heavenly places, διὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, through the church, ἡ πολυποίκιλος σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ, the manifold wisdom of God.

The truth to be hearing with faith⁸ so far is (Ephesians 3:7-10 EXP19):

Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given me by the working of his power. To me, less than the least of all saints, was given this grace to announce good news to the Gentiles: the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone why the stewardship, or the fellowship, of the mystery hidden from the ages by means of God, who the whole created, so that now may be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places through the church the manifold wisdom of God.

Paul continued: κατὰ, This was according to (or “according to”), πρόθεσιν τῶν αἰώνων, the eternal purpose (or “the purpose of the ages”), ἣν, that, ἐποίησεν, he has realized (or “he has accomplished”), ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, in Christ Jesus (or “by means of Christ Jesus”), τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, our Lord, ἐν ᾧ, in whom (or “by means of whom”), ἔχομεν, we have, τὴν παρρησίαν, boldness, καὶ προσαγωγὴν ἐν πεποιθήσει, and access with confidence, διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ, through our faith in him.

Translating διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ through our faith in him, sounds like the Christian version of a works religion to me: “Our faith is the work we accomplish to achieve Christ’s salvation.”⁹ The plural possessive pronoun our is neither found nor implied in the phrase διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ: “through the faith of Him” or “through his faithfulness.”

Jesus corrected the misconceptions of those who chased him around the Sea of Galilee after they ate a free meal (John 6:25-29 ESV):

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” [Table].

They asked: τί ποιῶμεν, What must we do (or “What might we do”). The verb ποιῶμεν is a form of ποιέω in the subjunctive mood. The verb was ποιοῦμεν in the indicative mood in the Stephanus Textus Receptus: “What do we do.” I’m not finding a 1^st person plural form of ποιέω in the present tense active voice and imperative mood—What must we do—but perhaps this was the ESV translators’ way of indicating a preference for the indicative ποιοῦμεν.

The Greek continues: ἵνα ἐργαζώμεθα, to be doing (or “so that we might do”), τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ, the works of God? Jesus answered: τοῦτο ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ, This is the work of God, ἵνα πιστεύητε, that you believe (or “that you may believe”), εἰς ὃν, in him, ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος, whom he has sent.

Did Jesus just redefine faith as the work we must…do to be doing the works of God? The translators of the NET seem to have thought that: “This is the deed God requires—to believe in the one whom he sent.”¹⁰ But the Greek word translated to believe was not πιστεύειν, an infinitive form of πιστεύω. It was certainly not πιστεύετε, a 2^nd person plural imperative—“you must believe”—“a command or instruction given to the hearer, charging the hearer to carry out or perform a certain action.”¹¹ It is πιστεύητε in the critical texts, and πιστευσητε in the received texts. Both are in the subjunctive mood—“so that (ἵνα) you may believe in Him whom He has sent.” Both¹² are subjunctive verbs in a purpose or result clause: “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 other “stated action” is: This is the work of God, τοῦτο ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ (or, “This is God’s work”).

Jesus addressed those who (by and large) pursued a law that would lead to righteousness¹⁴ as if it were based on works; they did not pursue it by faith.¹⁵ This “cultivated old human” may have sinned somewhat less and done somewhat more good things than the old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον) who made no attempt to mitigate its corruption through deceitful desires.¹⁶ But the “cultivated old human” is not the new human (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον), the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.¹⁷ In a similar way, turning Christian into an adjective governing what people should and should not do is just pursuing another law as if it were based on works. It is the absolute antithesis of what God has accomplished by means of Christ Jesus our Lord: Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?¹⁸ You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.¹⁹

And finally: διὸ, So, αἰτοῦμαι, I ask you, μὴ ἐγκακεῖν, not to lose heart, ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, over what I am suffering for you (or “by means of what I am suffering for you”), ἥτις ἐστὶν, which is, δόξα ὑμῶν, your glory. Since I’ve questioned whether Paul was incarcerated at the time he wrote this letter, I should point out some of the other sufferings to which he may have alluded.

Paul “boasted” about his sufferings to the Corinthians. It only seems fair to quote that boasting in its own context (2 Corinthians 11:16-33 ESV):

I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do,²⁰ accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. To my shame, I must say, we were too weak²¹ for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one [Table]. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches [Table]. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the²² Lord Jesus,²³ he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order²⁴ to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

The truth to be hearing with faith²⁵ is:

By reason of this grace I, Paul, the captive of Christ Jesus for your sake, the nations—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you (and by means of me unto you), how by revelation was made known to me the mystery, as I have written briefly, (which this you can read to perceive my insight into the mystery), which to other generations was not made known to the sons of men as now has been revealed by means of his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit—to become the nations, fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of the promise by means of Christ Jesus through the gospel.²⁶
Of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given me by the working of his power. To me, less than the least of all saints, was given this grace to announce good news to the Gentiles: the unsearchable riches of Christ and to bring to light for everyone why the stewardship, or the fellowship, of the mystery hidden from the ages by means of God, who the whole created, so that now may be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the purpose of the ages that he has accomplished by means of Christ Jesus, by means of whom we have boldness and access with confidence through his faithfulness. So I ask you not to lose heart by means of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.²⁷

Tables comparing 2 Corinthians 11:16; 11:21 and 11:31, 32 in the KJV and NET follow.

2 Corinthians 11:16 (NET)	2 Corinthians 11:16 (KJV)
I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.	I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

2 Corinthians 11:16 (NET Parallel Greek)	2 Corinthians 11:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	2 Corinthians 11:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Πάλιν λέγω, μή τίς με δόξῃ ἄφρονα εἶναι· εἰ δὲ μή γε, κὰν ὡς ἄφρονα δέξασθε με, ἵνα καγὼ μικρόν τι καυχήσωμαι	παλιν λεγω μη τις με δοξη αφρονα ειναι ει δε μηγε καν ως αφρονα δεξασθε με ινα μικρον τι καγω καυχησωμαι	παλιν λεγω μη τις με δοξη αφρονα ειναι ει δε μηγε καν ως αφρονα δεξασθε με ινα καγω μικρον τι καυχησωμαι

2 Corinthians 11:21 (NET)	2 Corinthians 11:21 (KJV)
(To my disgrace I must say that we were too weak for that!) But whatever anyone else dares to boast about (I am speaking foolishly), I also dare to boast about the same thing.	I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.

2 Corinthians 11:21 (NET Parallel Greek)	2 Corinthians 11:21 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	2 Corinthians 11:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)
(κατὰ ἀτιμίαν λέγω, ὡς ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠσθενήκαμεν.) ἐν ᾧ δ᾿ ἄν τις τολμᾷ (ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ λέγω), τολμῶ καγώ	κατα ατιμιαν λεγω ως οτι ημεις ησθενησαμεν εν ω δ αν τις τολμα εν αφροσυνη λεγω τολμω καγω	κατα ατιμιαν λεγω ως οτι ημεις ησθενησαμεν εν ω δ αν τις τολμα εν αφροσυνη λεγω τολμω καγω

2 Corinthians 11:31, 32 (NET)	2 Corinthians 11:31, 32 (KJV)
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows I am not lying.	The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.

2 Corinthians 11:31 (NET Parallel Greek)	2 Corinthians 11:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	2 Corinthians 11:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ οἶδεν, ὁ ὢν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι	ο θεος και πατηρ του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου οιδεν ο ων ευλογητος εις τους αιωνας οτι ου ψευδομαι	ο θεος και πατηρ του κυριου ιησου χριστου οιδεν ο ων ευλογητος εις τους αιωνας οτι ου ψευδομαι

In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to arrest me,

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:

2 Corinthians 11:32 (NET Parallel Greek)	2 Corinthians 11:32 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	2 Corinthians 11:32 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐν Δαμασκῷ ὁ ἐθνάρχης Ἁρέτα τοῦ βασιλέως ἐφρούρει τὴν πόλιν Δαμασκηνῶν πιάσαι με	εν δαμασκω ο εθναρχης αρετα του βασιλεως εφρουρει την δαμασκηνων πολιν πιασαι με θελων	εν δαμασκω ο εθναρχης αρετα του βασιλεως εφρουρει την δαμασκηνων πολιν πιασαι με θελων

Exploration, Part 20

Back to Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 5

¹ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

² From “Grammatical Voice of Verbs: Passive Voice,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

³ From “Grammatical Voice of Verbs: Middle Voice,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁴ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

⁵ Ephesians 3:2 (ESV) Table

⁶ And πρόθεσιν, an accusative form of πρόθεσις, occurs later when that is what Paul and the Holy Spirit intended.

⁷ This is not as iffy in Greek as it sounds in English. It is quite clearly a purpose or result clause following the conjunction ἵνα. The verb γνωρισθῇ is a passive form of γνωρίζω in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood. It will be made known at an unspecified time in the present (νῦν): “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” (e.g., τῷ θεῷ τῷ τὰ πάντα κτίσαντι, “by means of God who the whole created”).

⁸ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

⁹ An interesting article online, “Salvation is Reached through works, Not by Faith Alone: A Complete Path to God,” attempts to balance faith and works in a biblical way. And it begins well, though I would quibble with the statement: “but humans, created with free will, must actively cooperate through their works for this grace to bear fruit (from “The Historical Debate: From the Reformation to the Council of Trent”). Calling the corruption of deceitful desires “free will” bothers me. And “cooperation” can be misleading: for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13 ESV). One’s “cooperation” is primarily to stop kicking against the goads (Acts 26:14 ESV), if and only if one is “cooperating” by putting off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires (Ephesians 4:22 ESV), and putting on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24 ESV) through the renewing of the mind, by his word and by his indwelling Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:23). The rest of the article devolved into a “fake it ’til you make it” scheme, which may work for some. The Lord is patient with, and accommodating to, the old human. “From a Catholic perspective, salvation is an ongoing process of sanctification, where each step brings us closer to God…It is our daily lives, our decisions, and our works that shape our relationship with Him” (from “Salvation as a Path of Personal Transformation”). I never experienced “this relationship as a growth in charity, in the love that God offers,” but only as a persistent assurance that I was in charge and everything about my sanctification depended on me, which in retrospect sounds like the old human kicking and screaming against the goads.

¹⁰ John 6:29 (NET) Table

¹¹ From “Verbal Moods: Imperative Mood,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

¹² The difference is that πιστεύητε is in the present tense—“so that you may believe in Him whom He has sent now”—and πιστευσητε is in the aorist tense—“so that you may believe in Him whom He has sent at some unspecified time.”

¹³ From “Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

¹⁴ Romans 9:31b (ESV) Table

¹⁵ Romans 9:32a (ESV) Table

¹⁶ Ephesians 4:22 (ESV)

¹⁷ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

¹⁸ Galatians 3:3 (ESV)

¹⁹ Galatians 5:4 (ESV) Table

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἰ δὲ μή γε (NET: But if you do…at least) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ει δε μηγε (KJV: if otherwise).

²¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἠσθενήκαμεν (NET: were too weak) here, a form of ἀσθενέω in the perfect tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ησθενησαμεν (KJV: had been weak) in the aorist tense.

²² The Stephanus Textus Receptus had ημων (KJV: our) here. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had χριστου (KJV: Christ) following Jesus. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁴ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had θελων (KJV: desirous), a present participle of the verb θέλω, at the end of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁵ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

²⁶ Ephesians 3:1-6 (EXP18)

²⁷ Ephesians 3:7-13 EXP19

Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 4

Posted on April 13, 2026 by admin

This is a continuation of my review of the Lord’s patience with the 24,000 killed by Mosesc, Phineas and the judges or tribes of Israel after joining themselves to Baal of Peor. The old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον)—your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires¹—never learns very much from its experience with the Lord (Exodus 16:1-3 ESV).

They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

The old human wasn’t learning that The Lord is at hand.² It was ruled by its own anxiety instead, unable and unwilling in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving [to] let [its] requests be made known to God.³ The truth seemed harsh when Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him,⁴ You are of your father the devil, and your will (θέλετε, a form of θέλω) is to do your father’s desires (ἐπιθυμίας, a form of ἐπιθυμία).⁵ But listen to the desires expressed by the words of the old human when the people’s actual desires were for meat and bread, and some sense of food security:

Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt…

Who but the devil wishes this for the nation in whom all the families of the earth [shall] be blessed?⁶ Now hear the devil’s hope for Israel:

…you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

But the Lord had different plans (Exodus 16:4-15 ESV):

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not [Table]. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily” [Table]. So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat [Table].

As Jesus, the One new human, grew to maturity, He learned not only from his own experience with God his Father but, like a force multiplier, from the experience of others recorded in Scripture. As an adult He shared those insights, reasoning with the old human who gathered to hear Him (Matthew 6:25-33 ESV).

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [Table] Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin [Table], yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all [Table]. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you [Table].

But Jesus…knew all people [Table] and needed no one to bear witness about man (ἀνθρώπου, a form of ἄνθρωπος), for he himself knew what was in man (ἀνθρώπῳ, another form of ἄνθρωπος).⁷ He knew the old human would not be persuaded by his example of faith and his reasoning alone. “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?”⁸ He chided Nicodemus (John 3:5-8 NET):

“I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God [Table]. 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.’ 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.”

This is Jesus’ key to understanding the Scriptures: to know what is in man as He knew what was in man, to recognize the old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον)—your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires⁹—in these Bible stories, and to perceive the need to be born from above, born of the Spirit, a new human (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον)—the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.¹⁰

Moses continued (Exodus 16:16-20 ESV):

This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them [Table].

“Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” It seems like a simple enough command to follow, but the old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον)—your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires¹¹—has difficulty with simple commands. It opts more often than not for its own deceitful desires. Moses was angry, but notice the Lord’s patience with the old human: He made sure that what was left over bred worms and stank (e.g., it was [not] good for food). And He made sure in some way that defies human explanation that when they measured [what they had gathered] with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack, fulfilling his command for them irrespective of their own work gathering much or little.

Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning’” [Table]. So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it [Table]. Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field [Table]. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none” [Table].

On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none [Table].¹²

Patiently the Lord taught the old human, proving his word at every step. But his patience wasn’t limitless (Exodus 16:28-31 ESV).

And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? [Table] See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day” [Table]. So the people rested on the seventh day [Table].

Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

We are meant to assume here that God spoke to Moses, who spoke to Aaron, who spoke to the people of Israel (Exodus 4:10-17). The Hebrew verb translated will you refuse is מֵאַנְתֶּם, a plural form of מָאֵן (mā’ēn). Though the translation will you refuse might lead me to expect an imperfect verb—describing “incomplete, ongoing, or potential” action—מֵאַנְתֶּם, a 2^nd person form of מָאֵן (mā’ēn), is actually a perfect verb—describing “completed” action—translated refuse ye in the KJV. It is also a Piel stem: “an intensive or causative version of the” Qal stem מָאֵן (mā’ēn). So, the Lord asked a question and the people rested on the seventh day. Why?

If one is inclined to reply, “the fear of the Lord,” I think I’m inclined to agree, though not the kind of fear that prompts a “fight or flight response.” There is no threat, either explicit or implicit, in the Lord’s question: How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? So the people rested on the seventh day. The reasons were already apparent as were the facts—anything left over from the first five days of the week bred worms and stank while anything left over from the sixth day did not stink, and there were no worms in it—and yet some refused to keep the Lord’s commandments and laws: On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather.

The old human is notoriously unreasonable, even to its own harm. After all, the old human’s father, the devil—whose desires the old human wants to do—wants you dead. So again I ask, why did the old human hear the Lord’s question, fear the Lord in the sense of reverencing Him and obey his word?

The One new human taught (Matthew 7:7-11 ESV):

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? [Table] If you then, who are evil (πονηροὶ, a plural form of πονηρός), know how to give good (ἀγαθὰ, a plural form of ἀγαθός) gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things (ἀγαθὰ, a plural form of ἀγαθός) to those who ask him!

This seems to be the key in Exodus as well. Most of the adults the Lord addressed through Moses through Aaron with the question—How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?—were currently, or had been, parents of young children. It is the way God created humankind to live on the earth, the desires He programmed into human hearts. Despite being the old human, parents know how to give good gifts to [their] children. They also know the frustration of children who refuse the good they intend to give them. So here, even the old human can know the heart of God because He made it so from the beginning. So the people [mostly parents] rested on the seventh day.

This is another example of the Lord’s patience with the old human, Israel and the 24,000. And here is a glimpse into what is required to get the old human to rest one day in seven if the Lord commands it. For while we were living in the flesh (e.g., controlled by the old human), our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.¹³

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh (ἐν σαρκὶ in the dative case; e.g., “by means of the flesh”) cannot please God.¹⁴

Paul called my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh¹⁵ a cultivated olive tree as distinguished from Gentiles, a wild olive tree.¹⁶ I will call them the cultivated old human for the sake of clarity in what follows. As difficult as it was to get Israel to rest one day in seven at the Lord’s command, once that command was inculcated into the cultivated old human, pursued [as] a law that would lead to righteousness¹⁷ as if it were based on works,¹⁸ even that cultivated old human still found itself at odds with Jesus, the One new human, over this very Sabbath rest (Mark 2:23-3:6 ESV).

One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on¹⁹ the Sabbath?” And he said²⁰ to them, “Have you never read what David²¹ did (1 Samuel 21:1-7), when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests²² to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath [Table]. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered²³ hand, “Come²⁴ here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good²⁵ or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your²⁶ hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.²⁷ The Pharisees went out and immediately held²⁸ counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him [Table].

No achievements of religious or worldly authority defend one from the dictates of the old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον)—your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.²⁹

The Pharisees were a prominent Jewish sect during the Second Temple period, known for their strict adherence to the Law of Moses and the oral traditions that they believed were equally authoritative. They were influential in the synagogues and among the common people, emphasizing purity, tithing, and Sabbath observance. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels and spirits, and the coming of the Messiah.³⁰
The Herodians were a political group associated with the Herodian dynasty, which ruled parts of Judea under Roman authority. Unlike the Pharisees, the Herodians were more aligned with the Roman government and the Herodian rulers, who were seen as collaborators with the occupying power. Their primary interest was maintaining the political status quo and the favor of Rome.³¹

The old human united these natural enemies in common cause against the Word of God come in human flesh, the One new human. What I have called the religious mind focuses primarily on the religious aspect of this phenomenon. The old human is a much better description (though I probably won’t change the name of this site at this late date).

Tables comparing Exodus 16:1; 16:2; 16:3; 16:6; 16:7; 16:8; 16:9; 16:10; 16:11; 16:12; 16:13; 16:14; 16:16; 16:17; 16:18; 16:19; 16:21; 16:22 and 16:31 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 16:1; 16:2; 16:3; 16:6; 16:7; 16:8; 16:9; 16:10; 16:11; 16:12; 16:13; 16:14; 16:16; 16:17; 16:18; 16:19; 16:21; 16:22 and 16:31 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Mark 2:24-26 and 3:3-5 in the NET and KJV follow.

Exodus 16:1 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:1 (KJV)	Exodus 16:1 (NET)
And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.	And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.	When they journeyed from Elim, the entire company of Israelites came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their exodus from the land of Egypt.

Exodus 16:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπῆραν δὲ ἐξ Αιλιμ καὶ ἤλθοσαν πᾶσα συναγωγὴ υἱῶν Ισραηλ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον Σιν ὅ ἐστιν ἀνὰ μέσον Αιλιμ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον Σινα τῇ δὲ πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ δευτέρῳ ἐξεληλυθότων αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου	ΑΠῌΡΑΝ δὲ ἐξ Αἰλεὶμ καὶ ἤλθοσαν πᾶσα συναγωγὴ υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον Σίν, ὅ ἐστιν ἀνὰ μέσον Αἰλεὶμ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον Σινά. τῇ δὲ πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ δευτέρῳ ἐξεληλυθότων αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου
Exodus 16:1 (NETS)	Exodus 16:1 (English Elpenor)
And they set out from Ailim, and the entire congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Ailim and between Sina. And on the fifteenth day, in the second month, after they had gone out from the land of Egypt,	And they departed from Aelim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Aelim and Sina; and on the fifteenth day, in the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt,

Exodus 16:2 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:2 (KJV)	Exodus 16:2 (NET)
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness;	And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:	The entire company of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

Exodus 16:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διεγόγγυζεν πᾶσα συναγωγὴ υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἐπὶ Μωυσῆν καὶ Ααρων	διεγόγγυζε πᾶσα συναγωγὴ υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐπὶ Μωυσῆν καὶ ᾿Ααρών
Exodus 16:2 (NETS)	Exodus 16:2 (English Elpenor)
the entire congregation of the sons of Israel was complaining against Moyses and Aaron,	all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 16:3 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:3 (KJV)	Exodus 16:3 (NET)
and the children of Israel said unto them: ‘Would that we had died by the hand of HaShem in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’	And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.	The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger!”

Exodus 16:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ὄφελον ἀπεθάνομεν πληγέντες ὑπὸ κυρίου ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ ὅταν ἐκαθίσαμεν ἐπὶ τῶν λεβήτων τῶν κρεῶν καὶ ἠσθίομεν ἄρτους εἰς πλησμονήν ὅτι ἐξηγάγετε ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ταύτην ἀποκτεῖναι πᾶσαν τὴν συναγωγὴν ταύτην ἐν λιμῷ	καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραήλ· ὄφελον ἀπεθάνομεν πληγέντες ὑπὸ Κυρίου ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, ὅταν ἐκαθίσαμεν ἐπὶ τῶν λεβήτων τῶν κρεῶν καὶ ἠσθίομεν ἄρτους εἰς πλησμονήν· ὅτι ἐξήγαγε ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ταύτην ἀποκτεῖναι πᾶσαν τὴν συναγωγὴν ταύτην ἐν λιμῷ
Exodus 16:3 (NETS)	Exodus 16:3 (English Elpenor)
and the sons of Israel said to them, “If only we had died, struck by the Lord, in the land, Egypt, when we sat at the cauldrons of meat and were eating bread to the full, because you led us out into this wilderness to kill all this congregation by famine.”	And the children of Israel said to them, Would we had died smitten by the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh-pots, and ate bread to satiety! for ye have brought us out into this wilderness, to slay all this congregation with hunger.

Exodus 16:6 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:6 (KJV)	Exodus 16:6 (NET)
And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel: ‘At even, then ye shall know that HaShem hath brought you out from the land of Egypt;	And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:	Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt,

Exodus 16:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Μωυσῆς καὶ Ααρων πρὸς πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν υἱῶν Ισραηλ ἑσπέρας γνώσεσθε ὅτι κύριος ἐξήγαγεν ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου	καὶ εἶπε Μωυσῆς καὶ ᾿Ααρὼν πρὸς πᾶσαν συναγωγὴν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ· ἑσπέρας γνώσεσθε ὅτι Κύριος ἐξήγαγεν ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου
Exodus 16:6 (NETS)	Exodus 16:6 (English Elpenor)
Then Moyses and Aaron said to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the Lord brought you out of the land of Egypt,	And Moses and Aaron said to all the congregation of the children of Israel, At even ye shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt;

Exodus 16:7 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:7 (KJV)	Exodus 16:7 (NET)
and in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of HaShem; for that He hath heard your murmurings against HaShem; and what are we, that ye murmur against us?’	And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?	and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your murmurings against the Lord. As for us, what are we, that you should murmur against us?”

Exodus 16:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ πρωὶ ὄψεσθε τὴν δόξαν κυρίου ἐν τῷ εἰσακοῦσαι τὸν γογγυσμὸν ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ ἡμεῖς δὲ τί ἐσμεν ὅτι διαγογγύζετε καθ᾽ ἡμῶν	καὶ πρωΐ ὄψεσθε τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου ἐν τῷ εἰσακοῦσαι τὸν γογγυσμὸν ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ· ἡμεῖς δὲ τί ἐσμεν ὅτι διαγογγύζετε καθ᾿ ἡμῶν
Exodus 16:7 (NETS)	Exodus 16:7 (English Elpenor)
and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, when he heard your complaining against God. But we, what are we that you complain against us?”	and in the morning ye shall see the glory of the Lord, inasmuch as he hears your murmuring against God; and who are we, that ye continue to murmur against us?

Exodus 16:8 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:8 (KJV)	Exodus 16:8 (NET)
And Moses said: ‘This shall be, when HaShem shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that HaShem heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against Him; and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against HaShem.’	And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.	Moses said, “You will know this when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and bread in the morning to satisfy you, because the Lord has heard your murmurings that you are murmuring against him. As for us, what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.”

Exodus 16:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Μωυσῆς ἐν τῷ διδόναι κύριον ὑμῖν ἑσπέρας κρέα φαγεῖν καὶ ἄρτους τὸ πρωὶ εἰς πλησμονὴν διὰ τὸ εἰσακοῦσαι κύριον τὸν γογγυσμὸν ὑμῶν ὃν ὑμεῖς διαγογγύζετε καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἡμεῖς δὲ τί ἐσμεν οὐ γὰρ καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὁ γογγυσμὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ	καὶ εἶπε Μωυσῆς· ἐν τῷ διδόναι Κύριον ὑμῖν ἑσπέρας κρέα φαγεῖν καὶ ἄρτους τὸ πρωΐ εἰς πλησμονὴν διὰ τὸ εἰσακοῦσαι Κύριον τὸν γογγυσμὸν ὑμῶν, ὃν ὑμεῖς διαγογγύζετε καθ᾿ ἡμῶν· ἡμεῖς δὲ τί ἐσμεν; οὐ γὰρ καθ᾿ ἡμῶν ἐστιν ὁ γογγυσμὸς ὑμῶν· ἀλλ᾿ ἢ κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ
Exodus 16:8 (NETS)	Exodus 16:8 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses said, “When the Lord gives you meat in the evening to eat and bread in the morning to the full, because the Lord heard your complaining which you complain against us, then we, what are we? For not against us is your complaining, but rather against God.”	And Moses said, [This shall be] when the Lord gives you in the evening flesh to eat, and bread in the morning to satiety, because the Lord has heard your murmuring, which ye murmur against us: and what are we? for your murmuring is not against us, but against God.

Exodus 16:9 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:9 (KJV)	Exodus 16:9 (NET)
And Moses said unto Aaron: ‘Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel: Come near before HaShem; for He hath heard your murmurings.’	And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.	Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole community of the Israelites, ‘Come before the Lord, because he has heard your murmurings.’”

Exodus 16:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς Ααρων εἰπὸν πάσῃ συναγωγῇ υἱῶν Ισραηλ προσέλθατε ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσακήκοεν γὰρ ὑμῶν τὸν γογγυσμόν	εἶπε δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς ᾿Ααρών· εἰπὸν πάσῃ συναγωγῇ υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ· προσέλθετε ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ· εἰσακήκοε γὰρ τὸν γογγυσμὸν ὑμῶν
Exodus 16:9 (NETS)	Exodus 16:9 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses said to Aaron, “Say to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel: Draw near before God. For he heard your complaining.”	And Moses said to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before God; for he has heard your murmuring.

Exodus 16:10 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:10 (KJV)	Exodus 16:10 (NET)
And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of HaShem appeared in the cloud.	And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.	As Aaron spoke to the whole community of the Israelites and they looked toward the wilderness, there the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud,

Exodus 16:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἡνίκα δὲ ἐλάλει Ααρων πάσῃ συναγωγῇ υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ ἐπεστράφησαν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον καὶ ἡ δόξα κυρίου ὤφθη ἐν νεφέλῃ	ἡνίκα δὲ ἐλάλει ᾿Ααρὼν πάσῃ συναγωγῇ υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐπεστράφησαν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, καὶ ἡ δόξα Κυρίου ὤφθη ἐν νεφέλῃ
Exodus 16:10 (NETS)	Exodus 16:10 (English Elpenor)
And when Aaron was speaking to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, they also turned about towards the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud.	And when Aaron spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they turned toward the wilderness, then the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud.

Exodus 16:11 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:11 (KJV)	Exodus 16:11 (NET)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,	and the Lord spoke to Moses,

Exodus 16:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων	καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων
Exodus 16:11 (NETS)	Exodus 16:11 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying,	And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Exodus 16:12 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:12 (KJV)	Exodus 16:12 (NET)
‘I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak unto them, saying: At dusk ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am HaShem your G-d.’	I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.	“I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘During the evening you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be satisfied with bread, so that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’”

Exodus 16:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰσακήκοα τὸν γογγυσμὸν τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ λάλησον πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἔδεσθε κρέα καὶ τὸ πρωὶ πλησθήσεσθε ἄρτων καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν	εἰσακήκοα τὸν γογγυσμὸν τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ· λάλησον πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων· τὸ πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἔδεσθε κρέα καὶ τὸ πρωΐ πλησθήσεσθε ἄρτων· καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν
Exodus 16:12 (NETS)	Exodus 16:12 (English Elpenor)
“I have heard the complaining of the sons of Israel. Speak to them saying: Towards evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord, your God.”	I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel: speak to them, saying, Towards evening ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be satisfied with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.

Exodus 16:13 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:13 (KJV)	Exodus 16:13 (NET)
And it came to pass at even, that the quails came up, and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew round about the camp.	And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.	In the evening the quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning a layer of dew was all around the camp.

Exodus 16:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἑσπέρα καὶ ἀνέβη ὀρτυγομήτρα καὶ ἐκάλυψεν τὴν παρεμβολήν τὸ πρωὶ ἐγένετο καταπαυομένης τῆς δρόσου κύκλῳ τῆς παρεμβολῆς	ἐγένετο δὲ ἑσπέρα, καὶ ἀνέβη ὀρτυγομήτρα καὶ ἐκάλυψε τὴν παρεμβολήν· τὸ πρωΐ ἐγένετο καταπαυομένης τῆς δρόσου κύκλῳ τῆς παρεμβολῆς
Exodus 16:13 (NETS)	Exodus 16:13, 14a (English Elpenor)
So evening came and quail came up and covered the camp. Then morning came when the dew was lifting around the camp,	And it was evening, and quails came up and covered the camp: (14) in the morning it came to pass as the dew ceased round about the camp,

Exodus 16:14 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:14 (KJV)	Exodus 16:14 (NET)
And when the layer of dew was gone up, behold upon the face of the wilderness a fine, scale-like thing, fine as the hoar-frost on the ground.	And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.	When the layer of dew had evaporated, there on the surface of the wilderness was a thin flaky substance, thin like frost on the earth.

Exodus 16:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τῆς ἐρήμου λεπτὸν ὡσεὶ κόριον λευκὸν ὡσεὶ πάγος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς	καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον τῆς ἐρήμου λεπτὸν ὡσεὶ κόριον λευκόν, ὡσεὶ πάγος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
Exodus 16:14 (NETS)	Exodus 16:14b (English Elpenor)
and look, upon the surface of the wilderness was something fine like coriander, white like frost on the ground.	that, behold, on the face of the wilderness [was] a small thing like white coriander seed, as frost upon the earth.

Exodus 16:16 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:16 (KJV)	Exodus 16:16 (NET)
This is the thing which HaShem hath commanded: Gather ye of it every man according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, shall ye take it, every man for them that are in his tent.’	This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.	“This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Each person is to gather from it what he can eat, an omer per person according to the number of your people; each one will pick it up for whoever lives in his tent.’”

Exodus 16:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ συνέταξεν κύριος συναγάγετε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἕκαστος εἰς τοὺς καθήκοντας γομορ κατὰ κεφαλὴν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἕκαστος σὺν τοῖς συσκηνίοις ὑμῶν συλλέξατε	τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ συνέταξε Κύριος· συναγάγετε ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἕκαστος εἰς τοὺς καθήκοντας, γομὸρ κατὰ κεφαλὴν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ἕκαστος σὺν τοῖς συσκηνίοις ὑμῶν συλλέξατε
Exodus 16:16 (NETS)	Exodus 16:16b (English Elpenor)
This is the word that the Lord instructed, ‘Each person gather from it for those appropriate; a gomor per head, according to the number of your souls, each of you with your tent mates collect’.”	This is that which the Lord has appointed: gather of it each man for his family, a homer for each person, according to the number of your souls, gather each of you with his fellow-lodgers.

Exodus 16:17 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:17 (KJV)	Exodus 16:17 (NET)
And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some less.	And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.	The Israelites did so, and they gathered—some more, some less.

Exodus 16:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐποίησαν δὲ οὕτως οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ συνέλεξαν ὁ τὸ πολὺ καὶ ὁ τὸ ἔλαττον	ἐποίησαν δὲ οὕτως οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ συνέλεξαν ὁ τὸ πολὺ καὶ ὁ τὸ ἔλαττον
Exodus 16:17 (NETS)	Exodus 16:17 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of Israel did so, and they collected, the one much and the other less.	And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some much and some less.

Exodus 16:18 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:18 (KJV)	Exodus 16:18 (NET)
And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.	And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.	When they measured with an omer, the one who gathered much had nothing left over, and the one who gathered little lacked nothing; each one had gathered what he could eat.

Exodus 16:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ μετρήσαντες τῷ γομορ οὐκ ἐπλεόνασεν ὁ τὸ πολύ καὶ ὁ τὸ ἔλαττον οὐκ ἠλαττόνησεν ἕκαστος εἰς τοὺς καθήκοντας παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ συνέλεξαν	καὶ μετρήσαντες γομόρ, οὐκ ἐπλεόνασεν ὁ τὸ πολύ, καὶ ὁ τὸ ἔλαττον οὐκ ἠλαττόνησεν· ἕκαστος εἰς τοὺς καθήκοντας παρ᾿ ἑαυτῷ συνέλεξαν
Exodus 16:18 (NETS)	Exodus 16:18 (English Elpenor)
And they measured by the gomor. The one with much did not have excess, and the one with less did not have too little. Each person collected for those appropriate at his own home.	And having measured the homer [full], he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that had gathered less had no lack; each gathered according to the need of those who belonged to him.

Exodus 16:19 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:19 (KJV)	Exodus 16:19 (NET)
And Moses said unto them: ‘Let no man leave of it till the morning.’	And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.	Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

Exodus 16:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς αὐτούς μηδεὶς καταλιπέτω ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πρωί	εἶπε δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς αὐτούς· μηδεὶς καταλειπέτω ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πρωΐ
Exodus 16:19 (NETS)	Exodus 16:19 (English Elpenor)
Then Moyses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it to the morning.”	And Moses said to them, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

Exodus 16:21 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:21 (KJV)	Exodus 16:21 (NET)
And they gathered it morning by morning, every man according to his eating; and as the sun waxed hot, it melted.	And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.	So they gathered it each morning, each person according to what he could eat, and when the sun got hot, it would melt.

Exodus 16:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ συνέλεξαν αὐτὸ πρωὶ πρωί ἕκαστος τὸ καθῆκον αὐτῷ ἡνίκα δὲ διεθέρμαινεν ὁ ἥλιος ἐτήκετο	καὶ συνέλεξαν αὐτὸ πρωΐ πρωΐ, ἕκαστος τὸ καθῆκον αὐτῷ· ἡνίκα δὲ διεθέρμαινεν ὁ ἥλιος, ἐτήκετο
Exodus 16:21 (NETS)	Exodus 16:21 (English Elpenor)
And they collected it morning by morning, each person that which was appropriate for him. But when the sun grew hot, it melted.	And they gathered it every morning, each man what he needed, and when the sun waxed hot it melted.

Exodus 16:22 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:22 (KJV)	Exodus 16:22 (NET)
And it came to pass that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.	And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.	And on the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, two omers per person; and all the leaders of the community came and told Moses..

Exodus 16:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἕκτῃ συνέλεξαν τὰ δέοντα διπλᾶ δύο Γομορ τῷ ἑνί εἰσήλθοσαν δὲ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς συναγωγῆς καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν Μωυσεῖ	ἐγένετο δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἕκτῃ, συνέλεξαν τὰ δέοντα διπλᾶ, δύο γομὸρ τῷ ἑνί· εἰσήλθοσαν δὲ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς συναγωγῆς καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν Μωυσῇ
Exodus 16:22 (NETS)	Exodus 16:22 (English Elpenor)
But it happened on the sixth day, they collected double what was required, two gomors for one person. And all the leaders of the congregation went in and reported to Moyses.	And it came to pass on the sixth day, they gathered double what was needed, two homers for one [man]; and all the chiefs of the synagogue went in and reported it to Moses.

Exodus 16:31 (Tanakh)	Exodus 16:31 (KJV)	Exodus 16:31 (NET)
And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna; and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.	And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.	The house of Israel called its name “manna.” It was like coriander seed and was white, and it tasted like wafers with honey.

Exodus 16:31 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 16:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπωνόμασαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Μαν ἦν δὲ ὡς σπέρμα κορίου λευκόν τὸ δὲ γεῦμα αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐγκρὶς ἐν μέλιτι	καὶ ἐπωνόμασαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, μάν· ἦν δὲ ὡσεὶ σπέρμα κορίου λευκόν, τὸ δὲ γεῦμα αὐτοῦ ὡς ἐγκρὶς ἐν μέλιτι
Exodus 16:31 (NETS)	Exodus 16:31 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of Israel called its name Man. Now it was white like coriander seed, but its taste was like cake with honey.	And the children of Israel called the name of it Man; and it was as white coriander seed, and the taste of it as a wafer with honey.

Mark 2:24-26 (NET)	Mark 2:24-26 (KJV)
So the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath?”	And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

Mark 2:24 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 2:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 2:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον αὐτῷ· ἴδε τί ποιοῦσιν τοῖς σάββασιν ὃ οὐκ ἔξεστιν	και οι φαρισαιοι ελεγον αυτω ιδε τι ποιουσιν εν τοις σαββασιν ο ουκ εξεστιν	και οι φαρισαιοι ελεγον αυτω ιδε τι ποιουσιν εν τοις σαββασιν ο ουκ εξεστιν

He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry—

And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

Mark 2:25 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 2:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 2:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε τί ἐποίησεν Δαυὶδ ὅτε χρείαν ἔσχεν καὶ ἐπείνασεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ	και αυτος ελεγεν αυτοις ουδεποτε ανεγνωτε τι εποιησεν δαβιδ οτε χρειαν εσχεν και επεινασεν αυτος και οι μετ αυτου	και αυτος ελεγεν αυτοις ουδεποτε ανεγνωτε τι εποιησεν δαυιδ οτε χρειαν εσχεν και επεινασεν αυτος και οι μετ αυτου

how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the sacred bread, which is against the law for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his companions?”

How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

Mark 2:26 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 2:26 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 2:26 (Byzantine Majority Text)
\|πῶς\| εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ἀβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερέως καὶ τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔφαγεν, οὓς οὐκ ἔξεστιν φαγεῖν εἰ μὴ τοὺς ἱερεῖς, καὶ ἔδωκεν καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ οὖσιν	πως εισηλθεν εις τον οικον του θεου επι αβιαθαρ του αρχιερεως και τους αρτους της προθεσεως εφαγεν ους ουκ εξεστιν φαγειν ει μη τοις ιερευσιν και εδωκεν και τοις συν αυτω ουσιν	πως εισηλθεν εις τον οικον του θεου επι αβιαθαρ αρχιερεως και τους αρτους της προθεσεως εφαγεν ους ουκ εξεστιν φαγειν ει μη τοις ιερευσιν και εδωκεν και τοις συν αυτω ουσιν

Mark 3:3-5 (NET)	Mark 3:3-5 (KJV)
So he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Stand up among all these people.”	And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

Mark 3:3 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 3:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 3:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τὴν \|ξηρὰν\| χεῖρα ἔχοντι · ἔγειρε εἰς τὸ μέσον	και λεγει τω ανθρωπω τω εξηραμμενην εχοντι την χειρα εγειραι εις το μεσον	και λεγει τω ανθρωπω τω εξηραμμενην εχοντι την χειρα εγειραι εις το μεσον

Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath, or evil, to save a life or destroy it?” But they were silent.

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

Mark 3:4 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 3:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 3:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν \|ἀγαθὸν ποιῆσαι\| ἢ κακοποιῆσαι, ψυχὴν σῶσαι ἢ ἀποκτεῖναι; οἱ δὲ ἐσιώπων	και λεγει αυτοις εξεστιν τοις σαββασιν αγαθοποιησαι η κακοποιησαι ψυχην σωσαι η αποκτειναι οι δε εσιωπων	και λεγει αυτοις εξεστιν τοις σαββασιν αγαθοποιησαι η κακοποιησαι ψυχην σωσαι η αποκτειναι οι δε εσιωπων

After looking around at them in anger, grieved by the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

Mark 3:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 3:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 3:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ περιβλεψάμενος αὐτοὺς μετ᾿ ὀργῆς, συλλυπούμενος ἐπὶ τῇ πωρώσει τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ· ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρα . καὶ ἐξέτεινεν καὶ ἀπεκατεστάθη ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ	και περιβλεψαμενος αυτους μετ οργης συλλυπουμενος επι τη πωρωσει της καρδιας αυτων λεγει τω ανθρωπω εκτεινον την χειρα σου και εξετεινεν και αποκατεσταθη η χειρ αυτου υγιης ως η αλλη	και περιβλεψαμενος αυτους μετ οργης συλλυπουμενος επι τη πωρωσει της καρδιας αυτων λεγει τω ανθρωπω εκτεινον την χειρα σου και εξετεινεν και αποκατεσταθη η χειρ αυτου υγιης ως η αλλη

Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 5

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Back to Exploration, Part 19

¹ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

² Philippians 4:5b (ESV)

³ Philippians 4:6b (ESV)

⁴ John 8:31a (ESV)

⁵ John 8:44a (ESV) Table

⁶ Genesis 28:14b (ESV) Table

⁷ John 2:24, 25 (ESV)

⁸ John 3:10 (NET) Table

⁹ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

¹⁰ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

¹¹ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

¹² Exodus 16:21-27 (ESV)

¹³ Romans 7:5 (ESV)

¹⁴ Romans 8:5-8 (ESV)

¹⁵ Romans 9:3b (ESV) Table

¹⁶ Romans 11:24 (ESV)

¹⁷ Romans 9:31 (ESV) Table

¹⁸ Romans 9:32 (ESV) Table

¹⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the preposition εν here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had λέγει here, a 3^rd person singular form of λέγω in the present tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτος ελεγεν in the imperfect tense.

²¹ In the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text David was spelled Δαυὶδ, and δαβιδ in the Stephanus Textus Receptus.

²² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τοὺς ἱερεῖς here in the accusative case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τοις ιερευσιν in the dative case.

²³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the adjective ξηρὰν here, an accusative form of ξηρός, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εξηραμμενην, a perfect participle of the verb ξηραίνω.

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔγειρε here, a 2^nd person imperative form of ἐγείρω in the present tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had an aorist infinitive εγειραι (e.g., “to stand”).

²⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀγαθὸν ποιῆσαι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the compound verb αγαθοποιησαι.

²⁶ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the genitive pronoun σου here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀπεκατεστάθη here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αποκατεσταθη. Both are listed as 3^rd person singular forms of ἀποκαθίστημι in the aorist tense, indicative mood and passive voice. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had υγιης ως η αλλη (KJV: whole as the other) at the end of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐδίδουν here, an imperfect form of δίδωμι, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εποιουν (KJV; took), an imperfect form of ποιέω.

²⁹ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

³⁰ From “The Pharisees and Herodians: Pharisees” in the Topical Encyclopedia on Bible Hub online.

³¹ From “The Pharisees and Herodians: Herodians” in the Topical Encyclopedia on Bible Hub online.

Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 4

Posted on April 4, 2026 by admin

This is a continuation of a consideration of “Matthew’s and the Holy Spirit’s word choices”¹ in Matthew 12:18-21. I’ll continue with the comparison and contrast of Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved² to Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen.³ The former refers explicitly to Jesus. The latter was made explicit to Jacob/Israel in the Septuagint. And in this comparison and contrast I gain some insight into the new human (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον)—the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness⁴—and the old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον)—your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.⁵

Jesus (Matthew 12:15 ESV)	Jacob/Israel (Isaiah 42:1 English Elpenor)
The One New Man (Luke 1:34-35; Ephesians 2:15b ESV)	The one born of the flesh (Genesis 25:24-26 ESV), chosen by God (Genesis 28:13-15 ESV)
Matthew 12:18a ESV	Isaiah 42:1a ESV
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved	Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen

Isaiah 42:1 is still the most fruitful starting point for locating the words of Isaiah that the Lord Jesus fulfilled.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 42:1a (Tanakh/KJV) Table	Isaiah 42:1a (NET)	Isaiah 42:1a (NETS) Table	Isaiah 42:1a (English Elpenor)
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul (נַפְשִׁ֑י) delighteth (רָֽצְתָ֣ה);	“Here is my servant whom I support, my chosen one in whom I (nep̄eš, נפשי) take pleasure (rāṣâ, רצתה).	Iakob is my servant; I will lay hold of him; Israel is my chosen; my soul (ἡ ψυχή μου) has accepted him (προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν);	Jacob is my servant, I will help him: Israel is my chosen, my soul (ἡ ψυχή μου) has accepted him (προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν);

Here, רָֽצְתָ֣ה, a form of רָצָה (rāṣâ), [in whom] delighteth (Tanakh, KJV), [in whom] take pleasure (NET), was translated προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν, has accepted him (NETS, English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. The Greek verb προσεδέξατο, a 3^rd person singular form of προσδέχομαι, is practically a one word synopsis of God’s patience with the old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον): “to take up, receive, receive hospitably, welcome; to pardon; to accept, admit; to assent; to agree, consent; to bear with, endure, pardon; to undertake, attempt; to look forward to; to expect, wait for, await, anticipate.” It is also a very good translation of the Qal perfect 3^rd person feminine singular verb רָֽצְתָ֣ה, a form of רָצָה (rāṣâ).

Another form of רָצָה (rāṣâ) is found in the legal instructions to the Levites (Leviticus 1:1-4 ESV):

The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying [Table], “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock [Table].

“If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord [Table]. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him [Table].

The Hebrew verb translated and it shall be accepted is וְנִרְצָ֥ה, a Niphal form of רָצָה (rāṣâ), understood here as the passive voice: “The Niphal often functions as the passive counterpart to the Qal stem, describing actions performed on the subject.”⁶ It was translated δεκτὸν, a thing acceptable (NETS), as a thing acceptable (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. The adjective δεκτὸν is a form of δεκτός: “acceptable, favourable, convenient; appropriate, convenient; received, accepted, welcomed, approved.” It complements προσδέχομαι, as a one word synopsis of God’s patience with the old human (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον).

A comparison of the Greek of Matthew 12:18a to that of Isaiah 42:1a in the Septuagint follows:

Matthew 12:18 (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 42:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 42:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
\|εἰς\| ὃν εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου	προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου	προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου
Matthew 12:18 (NET)	Isaiah 42:1 (NETS)	Isaiah 42:1 (English Elpenor)
in whom I take great delight	my soul has accepted him	my soul has accepted him

The Greek verb εὐδόκησεν is a 3^rd person singular form of εὐδοκέω (e.g., “toward whom my soul takes great delight”) in the indicative mood (a statement of fact) and the active voice: “to be well pleased, take delight; to consider good, consent, determine, resolve; to like, delight in, approve; to be willing gladly; to be favourably disposed, pleased; to be satisfied, happy; to accept favourably, accept approvingly.” Matthew’s and the Holy Spirit’s word choice seems appropriate for Jesus, the One new human (ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον)—Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased⁷—and for the new self (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον), created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness⁸ as well.

Though I found no forms of εὐδοκέω in the Greek translation of Isaiah in the Septuagint, one is found in the very first occurrence of another Qal stem (e.g., the active voice) form of רָצָה (rāṣâ). Jacob was returning to the promised land with his family and possessions (Genesis 32:3-5 ESV):

And Jacob sent messengers (מַלְאָכִים, a form of מַלְאָךְ, mal’āḵ; Septuagint: ἀγγέλους, a form of ἄγγελος) before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”

Jesus, the One new human prior to his death and resurrection, asked somewhat rhetorically: Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.⁹ He also said: Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison [Table]. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.¹⁰

Both allude to this story of Jacob’s encounter with Esau, which begs the question: Where did Jacob acquire such wisdom? And this even prior to the return of his messengers, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.”¹¹ The most general answer is that Jacob, an old human, spent his adult life living in the Lord’s favor as his chosen one. But the opening verses of this chapter reveal an even more specific example of the very tactic he employed with Esau (Genesis 32:1, 2 ESV):

Jacob went on his way, and the angels (מַלְאֲכֵי, another form of מַלְאָךְ, mal’āḵ; Septuagint: ἄγγελοι, another form of ἄγγελος) of God met him. And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

The divergence here between the Masoretic text and Septuagint deserves the following table:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 32:2, 3 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:1, 2 (NET)	Genesis 32:1, 2 (NETS)	Genesis 32:1, 2 (English Elpenor)
And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of G-d met him.	So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him.	And Iakob departed on his own way. And looking up he saw a divine camp encamped, and the angels of God met him.	AND Jacob departed for his journey; and having looked up, he saw the host of God encamped; and the angels of God met him.
And Jacob said when he saw them: ‘This is G-d’s camp (מַֽחֲנֵ֥ה).’ And he called the name of that place Mahanaim (מַֽחֲנָֽיִם).	When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, “This is the camp (maḥănê, מחנה) of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim (maḥănayim, מחנים).	Now Iakob, when he saw them, said, “This is a divine camp (Παρεμβολὴ)!” And he called the name of that place Camps (Παρεμβολαί).	And Jacob said, when he saw them, This is the Camp (παρεμβολὴ) of God; and he called the name of that place, Encampments (Παρεμβολαί).

In other words, Jacob sent messengers to Esau, much like the Camp of God sent messengers to him. Rashi’s commentary in The Complete Jewish Bible reads:

and angels of God met him. Angels of Israel came to greet him to escort him to the land.
Mahanaim. Two camps, [one of the angels] outside the land, who came with him up to here, and [one of the angels] of Israel, who came to greet him. — [from Tanchuma Vayishlach 3]
Jacob sent angels. Heb. מַלְאָכִים, literally angels (Gen. Rabbah 75:4).

After his messengers (or angels) reported that there are four hundred men with Esau (Genesis 32:7, 8 ESV):

Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps [Table], thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape” [Table].

Rashi considered this Jacob’s preparation for war with Esau, and I see no good reason to dispute him. Then, Jacob prayed (Genesis 32:9-12 ESV):

“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good’ [Table], I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two (לִשְׁנֵי, šᵊnayim; Septuagint: δύο) camps (מַחֲנוֹת, maḥănê; Septuagint: παρεμβολάς) [Table]. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children [Table]. But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude’” [Table].

And then, Jacob prepared a present (e.g., select herds of animals) for Esau. For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”¹² The Hebrew word translated I may appease is אֲכַפְּרָה, a Piel form of כָּפַר (kāp̄ar).

The Piel stem is one of the most expressive and nuanced verb forms in Biblical Hebrew. It is often associated with intensive, factitive, or causative actions, making it a critical component for understanding the depth and richness of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh).¹³
The Piel often contrasts with the Qal, Hiphil, and other stems in how it expresses an action:

Qal: Describes a simple or basic action (e.g., “to break”).

Piel: Describes an intensive or causative version of the same action (e.g., “to shatter”).

Hiphil: Describes causation but typically in a straightforward sense (e.g., “to cause to break”).¹⁴

It was translated ἐξιλάσομαι, I shall propitiate (NETS), I will propitiate (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. Jacob hoped that his brother would accept him: יִשָּׂא, an imperfect form of the Qal stem נָשָׂא (nāśā’). The rabbis translated it προσδέξεται, another form of προσδέχομαι in the future tense in the Septuagint, similar to προσεδέξατο in the aorist tense, their translation of רָֽצְתָ֣ה (a perfect form of רָצָה, rāṣâ), has accepted (NETS, English Elpenor) in Isaiah 42:1 as applied to Israel.

When the time came to meet Esau in person, Jacob himself went on before…bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.¹⁵ But God, who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,¹⁶ surprised Jacob: Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.¹⁷

After he was introduced to Jacob’s wives and children, Esau asked (Genesis 33:8 ESV):

“What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”

The key to Esau’s question is found in Jacob’s answer; for Esau was already informed for whom the droves of animals were intended. Jacob had instructed his servants (Genesis 32:17, 18 ESV):

“When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’”

The NETS translation of the Septuagint is perhaps a bit more on point: “What are these to you, all these companies that I have met?”¹⁸ And Jacob’s answer deserves a bit more consideration.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 33:8 (Tanakh)	Genesis 33:8 (NET)	Genesis 33:8 (NETS)	Genesis 33:8 (English Elpenor)
And he said: ‘What meanest thou by all this camp (הַמַּֽחֲנֶ֥ה) which I met?’ And he said: ‘To find (לִמְצֹא) favour (חֵ֖ן) in the sight of my lord.’	Esau then asked, “What did you intend by sending all these herds (maḥănê, המחנה) to meet me?” Jacob replied, “To find (māṣā‘, למצא) favor (ḥēn, חן) in your sight, my lord.”	And he said, “What are these to you, all these companies (παρεμβολαὶ) that I have met?” And he said, “That your servant may find (εὕρῃ) favor (χάριν) before you, lord.”	And he said, What are these things to thee, all these companies (παρεμβολαί) that I have met? And he said, That thy servant might find (εὕρῃ) grace (χάριν) in thy sight, my lord.

First, I thought it was interesting that even these herds of animals were called הַמַּֽחֲנֶ֥ה, a form of מַֽחֲנֶה (maḥănê), this camp (Tanakh), these herds (NET), translated παρεμβολαί, a form of παρεμβολή, these companies (NETS, English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. But more interesting was Jacob’s attempt To find favor (Tanakh, NET)—לִמְצֹא, a form of מָצָא (māṣā) followed by חֵ֖ן (ḥēn), translated εὕρῃ χάριν, a form of χάρις, may find favor (NETS), might find grace (English Elpenor)—from Esau by offering him herds of animals.

Though he tried to purchase Esau’s favor (or grace) with a present, Esau assured Jacob that no present was required: “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”¹⁹ And this was of the Lord to preserve his as yet unwritten word: since if it is by grace (χάριτι, a dative form of χάρις), it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace (χάρις) would no longer be grace (χάρις).²⁰

Chastened by the Lord, Jacob pivoted graciously (Genesis 33:10 ESV).

Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me.

A table with more detail follows:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 33:10 (Tanakh)	Genesis 33:10 (NET)	Genesis 33:10 (NETS)	Genesis 33:10 (English Elpenor)
And Jacob said: ‘Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found (מָצָ֤אתִי) favour (חֵן֙) in thy sight, then receive (וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֥) my present (מִנְחָתִ֖י) at my hand; forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of G-d, and thou wast pleased with me (וַתִּרְצֵֽנִי).	No, please take them,” Jacob said. “If I have found (māṣā‘, מצאתי) favor (ḥēn, חן) in your sight, accept (lāqaḥ, ולקחת) my gift (minḥâ, מנחתי) from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me (rāṣâ, ותרצני), it is as if I have seen the face of God.	But Iakob said, “If I have found (εὕρηκα) favor (χάριν) before you, accept (δέξαι) my presents (τὰ δῶρα) through my hands; with regard to this I saw your face, as someone might see a divine face, and you will be pleased with me (καὶ εὐδοκήσεις με).	And Jacob said, If I have found (εὗρον) grace (χάριν) in thy sight, receive (δέξαι) the gifts (τὰ δῶρα) through my hands; therefore have I seen thy face, as if any one should see the face of God, and thou shalt be well-pleased with me (καὶ εὐδοκήσεις με).

The Hebrew verb וַתִּרְצֵֽנִי, an imperfect form of the verb רָצָה (rāṣâ), and thou wast pleased with me (Tanakh), and you have accepted me (NET), was translated καὶ εὐδοκήσεις με, and you will be pleased with me (NETS), and thou shalt be well-pleased with me (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. The translators of the Tanakh and NET understood וַתִּרְצֵֽנִי as past tense while the translators of the Septuagint chose εὐδοκήσεις, a form of εὐδοκέω in the future tense.

According to an article on Biblical Hebrew online:

The core of Biblical Hebrew verbal syntax lies in the distinction between the perfect (קָטַל) and imperfect (יִקְטֹל) verb forms. These do not simply indicate past or future tenses, but rather represent different ways of viewing the nature of action: whether as completed (perfect) or incomplete, ongoing, or potential (imperfect). This article explores the morphology, aspectual logic, discourse function, and theological significance of these two essential verb forms within the framework of Biblical Hebrew grammar.

While the perfect/imperfect contrast may seem straightforward at first, deeper examination reveals a highly contextual and discourse-sensitive verbal system. This article analyzes their form, function, usage across genres, and includes clarifications for related forms such as participles, wayyiqtol, and weqatal.²¹

Unlike Indo-European languages that often focus on tense (past, present, future), Biblical Hebrew verbs are governed primarily by aspect. That is, Hebrew emphasizes how an action is viewed rather than when it occurs.

Perfect (qatal): Portrays an action as complete, whole, or viewed as a total unit.

Imperfect (yiqtol): Portrays an action as incomplete, ongoing, habitual, repeated, or not yet realized.²²

So far, it appears that the translators of the Septuagint have the upper hand. But I deliberately withheld a critical piece of information for dramatic effect. On Blue Letter Bible online, if you hover the cursor over “tools” to the left of Genesis 33:10 and select “interlinear” from the dropdown menu, a table appears with a wealth of information about the Hebrew verbs and nouns in this verse. To the far right of the table row labeled “and thou wast pleased with me.” is a green oblong bubble filled with cryptic letters and numerals: Hover the cursor over that bubble and words appear informing one that וַתִּרְצֵנִי, a form of רָצָה (rāṣâ) is not merely an imperfect verb but a sequential imperfect verb.

Wayyiqtol (Sequential Narrative Past)
This form, also called the “converted imperfect,” combines a prefixed וַ (waw consecutive) with an imperfect verb to create a narrative past chain. It is ubiquitous in Hebrew storytelling.
Genesis 22:3
וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר
“And Avraham rose early in the morning…”
Weqatal (Modal/Future Continuation)
This construction (וְ + qatal) often follows imperatives, expressing expectation, command, or future result.
Deuteronomy 5:33
תֵּלֵכוּ לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן
“You shall walk… so that you may live”
תֵּלֵכוּ and תִּחְיוּן are both imperfects. The second verb, with its unusual נון ending (nun paragogicum), reflects poetic or legal usage. This form expresses purpose and outcome in covenantal context.²³

So, the relatively modern English translators of the verb וַתִּרְצֵֽנִי, a sequential imperfect form of the verb רָצָה (rāṣâ), understood it as a Sequential Narrative Past verb, while the more ancient Greek translators understood it as something more like a Future Continuation verb:

Sequential Narrative Past
Tanakh: forasmuch as I have seen thy face…and thou wast pleased with me
NET: Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me
Future Continuation
NETS: with regard to this I saw your face…and you will be pleased with me
English Elpenor: therefore have I seen thy face…and thou shalt be well-pleased with me

In either case Jacob’s reason for giving this present to Esau had changed from an offering of appeasement or atonement to one of praise and thanksgiving to God. And this present was a gift that keeps on giving (Genesis 32:14, 15 ESV):

two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.

If I have found grace in thy sight, receive the gifts through my hands…and thou shalt be well-pleased with me²⁴ as these herds increase in the future. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me [e.g., his brother Esau accepted him and did not attempt to kill him as Jacob had asked God in prayer], and because I have enough.”²⁵

The Hebrew verb translated accept in the phrase Please accept above is קַח, an imperative form of לָקַח (lāqaḥ), translated λαβὲ, an imperative form of λαμβάνω, in the Septuagint. The noun translated my blessing is בִּרְכָתִי, a form of בְּרָכָה (bᵊrāḵâ), translated τὰς εὐλογίας μου in the Septuagint.

The first occurrence of בְּרָכָה (bᵊrāḵâ) is found in the Lord’s promise to Abram (Genesis 12:2 ESV)

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing (בְּרָכָה, bᵊrāḵâ) [Table].

So here, Jacob fulfills, at least in part, God’s promise to his grandfather Abraham to be a blessing for Esau: Thus he [Jacob] urged him [Esau], and he [Esau] took it.²⁶ The Hebrew verb translated and he took it is וַיִּקָּח, a sequential imperfect form of לָקַח (lāqaḥ), which was translated ἔλαβε(ν), a form of λαμβάνω in the 2^nd aorist tense. Jacob’s gift and blessing to Esau, expressed in these Hebrew and Greek words, reminds me of another greater gift and blessing, the ultimate blessing of Abraham by means of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:15-17 ESV):

But the free gift (τὸ χάρισμα) is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace (ἡ χάρις) of God and the free gift (ἡ δωρεὰ) by the grace (ἐν χάριτι) of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift (τὸ δώρημα) is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift (τὸ δὲ χάρισμα) following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive (λαμβάνοντες, a plural present participle of λαμβάνω) the abundance of grace (τῆς χάριτος) and the free gift (τῆς δωρεᾶς) of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

May we all like Esau graciously receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness that is so graciously given to us by God through Jesus Christ. I’ll pick this up in another essay: רָצָה (rāṣâ) is a rich vein to mine.

Tables comparing Genesis 32:3 (32:4); 32:4 (32:5); 32:5 (32:6); 32:6 (32:7); 32:1 (32:2); 32:2 (32:3); 32:20 (32:21); 33:3; 33:4; 33:8; 32:17 (32:18); 32:18 (32:19); 33:9; 33:10; 32:14 (32:15); 32:15 (32:16) and 33:11 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Genesis 32:3; 32:4; 32:5; 32:6; 32:1; 32:2; 32:20; 33:3; 33:4; 33:8; 32:17; 32:18; 33:9; 33:10; 32:14; 32:15 and 33:11 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Genesis 32:4 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:3 (KJV)	Genesis 32:3 (NET)
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the field of Edom.	And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.	Jacob sent messengers on ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the region of Edom.

Genesis 32:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπέστειλεν δὲ Ιακωβ ἀγγέλους ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πρὸς Ησαυ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς γῆν Σηιρ εἰς χώραν Εδωμ	᾿Απέστειλε δὲ ᾿Ιακὼβ ἀγγέλους ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πρὸς ῾Ησαῦ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ εἰς γῆν Σηείρ, εἰς χώραν ᾿Εδώμ
Genesis 32:3 (NETS)	Genesis 32:3 (English Elpenor)
And Iakob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir in the territory of Edom,	And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir, to the country of Edom.

Genesis 32:5 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:4 (KJV)	Genesis 32:4 (NET)
And he commanded them, saying: ‘Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now.	And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:	He commanded them, “This is what you must say to my lord Esau: ‘This is what your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban until now.

Genesis 32:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς λέγων οὕτως ἐρεῖτε τῷ κυρίῳ μου Ησαυ οὕτως λέγει ὁ παῖς σου Ιακωβ μετὰ Λαβαν παρῴκησα καὶ ἐχρόνισα ἕως τοῦ νῦν	καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς λέγων· οὕτως ἐρεῖτε τῷ κυρίῳ μου ῾Ησαῦ· οὕτως λέγει ὁ παῖς σου ᾿Ιακώβ· μετὰ Λάβαν παρῴκησα, καὶ ἐχρόνισα ἕως τοῦ νῦν
Genesis 32:4 (NETS)	Genesis 32:4 (English Elpenor)
and he commanded them, saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Iakob, ‘I lived with Laban as an alien and stayed until now,	And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye say to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob; I have sojourned with Laban and tarried until now.

Genesis 32:6 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:5 (KJV)	Genesis 32:5 (NET)
And I have oxen, and asses and flocks, and men-servants and maid-servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favour in thy sight.’	And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.	I have oxen, donkeys, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent this message to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”

Genesis 32:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένοντό μοι βόες καὶ ὄνοι καὶ πρόβατα καὶ παῖδες καὶ παιδίσκαι καὶ ἀπέστειλα ἀναγγεῖλαι τῷ κυρίῳ μου Ησαυ ἵνα εὕρῃ ὁ παῖς σου χάριν ἐναντίον σου	καὶ ἐγένοντό μοι βόες καὶ ὄνοι καὶ πρόβατα καὶ παῖδες καὶ παιδίσκαι, καὶ ἀπέστειλα ἀναγγεῖλαι τῷ κυρίῳ μου ῾Ησαῦ, ἵνα εὕρῃ ὁ παῖς σου χάριν ἐναντίον σου
Genesis 32:5 (NETS)	Genesis 32:5 (English Elpenor)
and cattle and donkeys and sheep and male and female slaves have come into my possession, and I have sent to tell my Lord Esau in order that your servant may find favor before you’.”	And there were born to me oxen, and asses, and sheep, and men-servants and women-servants; and I sent to tell my lord Esau, that thy servant might find grace in thy sight.

Genesis 32:7 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:6 (KJV)	Genesis 32:6 (NET)
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: ‘We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.’	And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.	The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has 400 men with him.”

Genesis 32:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀνέστρεψαν οἱ ἄγγελοι πρὸς Ιακωβ λέγοντες ἤλθομεν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου Ησαυ καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἔρχεται εἰς συνάντησίν σοι καὶ τετρακόσιοι ἄνδρες μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ	καὶ ἀνέστρεψαν οἱ ἄγγελοι πρὸς ᾿Ιακὼβ λέγοντες· ἤλθομεν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου ῾Ησαῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἔρχεται εἰς συνάντησίν σοι καὶ τετρακόσιοι ἄνδρες μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ
Genesis 32:6 (NETS)	Genesis 32:6 (English Elpenor)
And the messengers returned to Iakob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”	And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and lo! he comes to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

Genesis 32:2 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:1 (KJV)	Genesis 32:1 (NET)
And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of G-d met him.	And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.	So Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him.

Genesis 32:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ Ιακωβ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ὁδόν καὶ ἀναβλέψας εἶδεν παρεμβολὴν θεοῦ παρεμβεβληκυῖαν καὶ συνήντησαν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ	ΚΑΙ ᾿Ιακὼβ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν ἑαυτοῦ. καὶ ἀναβλέψας εἶδε παρεμβολὴν Θεοῦ παρεμβεβληκυῖαν, καὶ συνήντησαν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ
Genesis 32:1 (NETS)	Genesis 32:1 (English Elpenor)
And Iakob departed on his own way. And looking up he saw a divine camp encamped, and the angels of God met him.	AND Jacob departed for his journey; and having looked up, he saw the host of God encamped; and the angels of God met him.

Genesis 32:3 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:2 (KJV)	Genesis 32:2 (NET)
And Jacob said when he saw them: ‘This is G-d’s camp.’ And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.	And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.	When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.

Genesis 32:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Ιακωβ ἡνίκα εἶδεν αὐτούς Παρεμβολὴ θεοῦ αὕτη καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου Παρεμβολαί	εἶπε δὲ ᾿Ιακώβ, ἡνίκα εἶδεν αὐτούς· παρεμβολὴ Θεοῦ αὕτη· καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου Παρεμβολαί
Genesis 32:2 (NETS)	Genesis 32:2 (English Elpenor)
Now Iakob, when he saw them, said, “This is a divine camp!” And he called the name of that place Camps.	And Jacob said, when he saw them, This is the Camp of God; and he called the name of that place, Encampments.

Genesis 32:21 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:20 (KJV)	Genesis 32:20 (NET)
and ye shall say: Moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us.’ For he said: ‘I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept me.’	And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.	You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” Jacob thought, “I will first appease him by sending a gift ahead of me. After that I will meet him. Perhaps he will accept me.”

Genesis 32:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐρεῖτε ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς σου Ιακωβ παραγίνεται ὀπίσω ἡμῶν εἶπεν γάρ ἐξιλάσομαι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς δώροις τοῖς προπορευομένοις αὐτοῦ καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ὄψομαι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἴσως γὰρ προσδέξεται τὸ πρόσωπόν μου	καὶ ἐρεῖτε· ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς σου ᾿Ιακὼβ παραγίνεται ὀπίσω ἡμῶν. εἶπε γάρ· ἐξιλάσομαι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς δώροις τοῖς προπορευομένοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ὄψομαι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ· ἴσως γὰρ προσδέξεται τὸ πρόσωπόν μου
Genesis 32:20 (NETS)	Genesis 32:20 (English Elpenor)
And you shall say, “There is your servant Iakob coming behind us’.” For he said, “I shall propitiate his face with the presents that go on before him, and afterwards I shall see his face, for perhaps he will accept my face.”	and ye shall say, Behold thy servant Jacob comes after us. For he said, I will propitiate his countenance with the gifts going before his presence, and afterwards I will behold his face, for peradventure he will accept me.

Genesis 33:3 (Tanakh)	Genesis 33:3 (KJV)	Genesis 33:3 (NET)
And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.	And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.	But Jacob himself went on ahead of them, and he bowed toward the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

Genesis 33:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 33:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αὐτὸς δὲ προῆλθεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἑπτάκις ἕως τοῦ ἐγγίσαι τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ	αὐτὸς δὲ προῆλθεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἑπτάκις ἕως τοῦ ἐγγίσαι τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ
Genesis 33:3 (NETS)	Genesis 33:3 (English Elpenor)
But he himself advanced ahead of them and did obeisance upon the ground seven times until he came near his brother.	But he advanced himself before them, and did reverence to the ground seven times, until he drew near to his brother.

Genesis 33:4 (Tanakh)	Genesis 33:4 (KJV)	Genesis 33:4 (NET)
And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.	And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.	But Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both wept.

Genesis 33:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 33:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ προσέδραμεν Ησαυ εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῷ καὶ περιλαβὼν αὐτὸν ἐφίλησεν καὶ προσέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔκλαυσαν ἀμφότεροι	καὶ προσέδραμεν ῾Ησαῦ εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῷ καὶ περιλαβὼν αὐτὸν προσέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἔκλαυσαν ἀμφότεροι
Genesis 33:4 (NETS)	Genesis 33:4 (English Elpenor)
And Esau ran forward to meet him, and embracing him he kissed him and fell upon his neck, and they both wept.	And Esau ran on to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they both wept.

Genesis 33:8 (Tanakh)	Genesis 33:8 (KJV)	Genesis 33:8 (NET)
And he said: ‘What meanest thou by all this camp which I met?’ And he said: ‘To find favour in the sight of my lord.’	And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.	Esau then asked, “What did you intend by sending all these herds to meet me?” Jacob replied, “To find favor in your sight, my lord.”

Genesis 33:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 33:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν τί ταῦτά σοί ἐστιν πᾶσαι αἱ παρεμβολαὶ αὗται αἷς ἀπήντηκα ὁ δὲ εἶπεν ἵνα εὕρῃ ὁ παῖς σου χάριν ἐναντίον σου κύριε	καὶ εἶπε· τί ταῦτά σοι ἐστί, πᾶσαι αἱ παρεμβολαί αὗται, αἷς ἀπήντηκα; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ἵνα εὕρῃ ὁ παῖς σου χάριν ἐναντίον σου, κύριε
Genesis 33:8 (NETS)	Genesis 33:8 (English Elpenor)
And he said, “What are these to you, all these companies that I have met?” And he said, “That your servant may find favor before you, lord.”	And he said, What are these things to thee, all these companies that I have met? And he said, That thy servant might find grace in thy sight, my lord.

Genesis 32:18 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:17 (KJV)	Genesis 32:17 (NET)
And he commanded the foremost, saying: ‘When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying: Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?	And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?	He instructed the servant leading the first herd, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?’

Genesis 32:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνετείλατο τῷ πρώτῳ λέγων ἐάν σοι συναντήσῃ Ησαυ ὁ ἀδελφός μου καὶ ἐρωτᾷ σε λέγων τίνος εἶ καὶ ποῦ πορεύῃ καὶ τίνος ταῦτα τὰ προπορευόμενά σου	καὶ ἐνετείλατο τῷ πρώτῳ, λέγων· ἐάν σοι συναντήσῃ ῾Ησαῦ ὁ ἀδελφός μου καὶ ἐρωτᾷ σε, λέγων· τίνος εἶ καὶ ποῦ πορεύῃ, καὶ τίνος ταῦτα τὰ προπορευόμενά σου
Genesis 32:17 (NETS)	Genesis 32:17 (English Elpenor)
And he commanded the first saying, “If Esau my brother should meet you and ask you, saying, ‘Whose are you and where are you going, and whose are these going on ahead of you?’	And he charged the first, saying, If Esau my brother meet thee, and he ask thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither wouldest thou go, and whose are these possessions advancing before thee?

Genesis 32:19 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:18 (KJV)	Genesis 32:18 (NET)
then thou shalt say: They are thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord, even unto Esau; and, behold, he also is behind us.’	Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.	then you must say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. In fact Jacob himself is behind us.’”

Genesis 32:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐρεῖς τοῦ παιδός σου Ιακωβ δῶρα ἀπέσταλκεν τῷ κυρίῳ μου Ησαυ καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ὀπίσω ἡμῶν	ἐρεῖς· τοῦ παιδός σου ᾿Ιακώβ· δῶρα ἀπέσταλκε τῷ κυρίῳ μου ῾Ησαῦ, καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ὀπίσω ἡμῶν
Genesis 32:18 (NETS)	Genesis 32:18 (English Elpenor)
you shall say, ‘Your servant Iakob’s; he has sent presents to my Lord Esau, and there he is behind us’.”	Thou shalt say, Thy servant Jacob’s; he hath sent gifts to my lord Esau, and lo! he is behind us.

Genesis 33:9 (Tanakh)	Genesis 33:9 (KJV)	Genesis 33:9 (NET)
And Esau said: ‘I have enough; my brother, let that which thou hast be thine.’	And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.	But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother. Keep what belongs to you.”

Genesis 33:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 33:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Ησαυ ἔστιν μοι πολλά ἄδελφε ἔστω σοι τὰ σά	εἶπε δὲ ῾Ησαῦ· ἔστι μοι πολλά, ἀδελφέ· ἔστω σοι τὰ σά
Genesis 33:9 (NETS)	Genesis 33:9 (English Elpenor)
But Esau said, “I have much, brother, let your property be yours.”	And Esau said, I have much, my brother; keep thine own.

Genesis 33:10 (Tanakh)	Genesis 33:10 (KJV)	Genesis 33:10 (NET)
And Jacob said: ‘Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favour in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of G-d, and thou wast pleased with me.	And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.	“No, please take them,” Jacob said. “If I have found favor in your sight, accept my gift from my hand. Now that I have seen your face and you have accepted me, it is as if I have seen the face of God.

Genesis 33:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 33:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Ιακωβ εἰ εὕρηκα χάριν ἐναντίον σου δέξαι τὰ δῶρα διὰ τῶν ἐμῶν χειρῶν ἕνεκεν τούτου εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ὡς ἄν τις ἴδοι πρόσωπον θεοῦ καὶ εὐδοκήσεις με	εἶπε δὲ ᾿Ιακώβ· εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐναντίον σου, δέξαι τὰ δῶρα διὰ τῶν ἐμῶν χειρῶν· ἕνεκεν τούτου εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, ὡς ἄν τις ἴδοι πρόσωπον Θεοῦ, καὶ εὐδοκήσεις με
Genesis 33:10 (NETS)	Genesis 33:10 (English Elpenor)
But Iakob said, “If I have found favor before you, accept my presents through my hands; with regard to this I saw your face, as someone might see a divine face, and you will be pleased with me.	And Jacob said, If I have found grace in thy sight, receive the gifts through my hands; therefore have I seen thy face, as if any one should see the face of God, and thou shalt be well-pleased with me.

Genesis 32:15 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:14 (KJV)	Genesis 32:14 (NET)
two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,	Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,	200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 ewes and 20 rams,

Genesis 32:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αἶγας διακοσίας τράγους εἴκοσι πρόβατα διακόσια κριοὺς εἴκοσι	αἶγας διακοσίας, τράγους εἴκοσι, πρόβατα διακόσια, κριοὺς εἴκοσι
Genesis 32:14 (NETS)	Genesis 32:14 (English Elpenor)
two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred sheep, twenty rams,	two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred sheep, twenty rams,

Genesis 32:16 (Tanakh)	Genesis 32:15 (KJV)	Genesis 32:15 (NET)
thirty milch camels and their colts, forty kine and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals.	Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.	30 female camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, and 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys.

Genesis 32:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 32:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καμήλους θηλαζούσας καὶ τὰ παιδία αὐτῶν τριάκοντα βόας τεσσαράκοντα ταύρους δέκα ὄνους εἴκοσι καὶ πώλους δέκα	καμήλους θηλαζούσας, καὶ τὰ παιδία αὐτῶν τριάκοντα, βόας τεσσαράκοντα, ταύρους δέκα, ὄνους εἴκοσι καὶ πώλους δέκα
Genesis 32:15 (NETS)	Genesis 32:15 (English Elpenor)
thirty milch camels and their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty donkeys and ten foals.	milch camels, and their foals, thirty, forty kine, ten bulls, twenty asses, and ten colts.

Genesis 33:11 (Tanakh)	Genesis 33:11 (KJV)	Genesis 33:11 (NET)
Take, I pray thee, my gift that is brought to thee; because G-d hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.’ And he urged him, and he took it.	Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.	Please take my present that was brought to you, for God has been generous to me and I have all I need.” When Jacob urged him, he took it.

Genesis 33:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 33:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λαβὲ τὰς εὐλογίας μου ἃς ἤνεγκά σοι ὅτι ἠλέησέν με ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἔστιν μοι πάντα καὶ ἐβιάσατο αὐτόν καὶ ἔλαβεν	λαβὲ τὰς εὐλογίας μου, ἃς ἤνεγκά σοι, ὅτι ἠλέησέ με ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἔστι μοι πάντα. καὶ ἐβιάσατο αὐτὸν καὶ ἔλαβε
Genesis 33:11 (NETS)	Genesis 33:11 (English Elpenor)
Receive my blessings that I have brought to you, because God has shown mercy to me and I have everything.” And he urged him, and he received them.	Receive my blessings, which I have brought thee, because God has had mercy on me, and I have all things; and he constrained him, and he took [them].

Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 5

Back to Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 4

Back to Who is a Christian? Part 1

¹ Justice and Mercy

² Matthew 12:18a (ESV)

³ Isaiah 42:1a (ESV) Table

4 Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

⁵ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

⁶ From “Characteristics of the Niphal Stem: 1. Passive Voice” in “Mastering the Niphal Stem in Biblical Hebrew” on Biblical Hebrew online.

⁷ Matthew 12:18a (ESV)

⁸ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

⁹ Luke 14:31, 32 (ESV) Table

¹⁰ Matthew 5:25, 26 (ESV)

¹¹ Genesis 32:6 (ESV)

¹² Genesis 32:20b (ESV)

¹³ From “Mastering the Piel Stem in Biblical Hebrew: What is the Piel Stem?” on Biblical Hebrew online.

¹⁴ From “Mastering the Piel Stem in Biblical Hebrew: Piel vs. Other Stems” on Biblical Hebrew online.

¹⁵ Genesis 33:3 (ESV)

¹⁶ Ephesians 3:20 (ESV) Table

¹⁷ Genesis 33:4 (ESV)

¹⁸ Genesis 33:8a (NETS)

¹⁹ Genesis 33:9 (ESV)

²⁰ Romans 11:6 (ESV) Table

²¹ From “Perfect and Imperfect Verbs in Biblical Hebrew: Understanding Completed and Ongoing Action” on Biblical Hebrew online.

²² From “Perfect and Imperfect Verbs in Biblical Hebrew: Understanding Completed and Ongoing Action: 1. Aspect vs. Tense: The Hebrew Verb System” on Biblical Hebrew online.

²³ From “Perfect and Imperfect Verbs in Biblical Hebrew: Understanding Completed and Ongoing Action: 5. Narrative and Sequential Verbs: Wayyiqtol and Weqatal” on Biblical Hebrew online.

²⁴ Genesis 33:10 (English Elpenor)

²⁵ Genesis 33:11a (ESV)

²⁶ Genesis 33:11b (ESV)

Exploration, Part 18

Posted on March 22, 2026 by admin

I want to continue hearing with faith¹ the truth of the Gospel in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 3:1-6 ESV).

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—assuming that² you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known³ to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in⁴ other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the⁵ promise in Christ⁶ Jesus⁷ through the gospel.

The Greek is: Τούτου χάριν, For this reason. The ESV translators (along with most others) understood χάριν as an adverb here: “in favour of; on account of.” I’m assuming that choice has to do with the genitive pronoun Τούτου (rather than the accusative τοῦτον), since χάριν as a form of the noun χάρις is in the accusative case. Had Paul intended Of this grace τήν χάριν τούτου or τῆς χάριτος τούτου would have accomplished that without confusion. Still, the translators of the Catholic Public Domain Version were quite diplomatic: By reason of this grace. Paul’s Greek readers would have recognized χάριν as both an adverb and a form of the noun χάρις in the accusative case.

Be that as it may, it’s necessary to review what precedes this to understand Paul’s reason or this grace (Ephesians 2:19-22 EXP17):

So then no longer are you strangers and aliens but you are fellow-citizens of the holy and members of the household of God [Table], having been built by means of the foundation of the apostles and prophets, being the cornerstone himself, Christ Jesus, by means of whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple by means of the Lord [Table]. By means of whom also you are being built together into God’s dwelling-place by means of the Spirit.

Paul continued: ἐγὼ Παῦλος, I, Paul, ὁ δέσμιος τοῦ Χριστοῦ [Ἰησοῦ], a prisoner of Christ Jesus (literally, “the prisoner of Jesus Christ”). He used a similar self-reference later: I…a prisoner for the Lord (ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν κυρίῳ; NET note 1, “prisoner in the Lord,” or “I the prisoner by means of⁸ the Lord”).⁹

Reading in English only I’ve assumed these statements meant that Paul was incarcerated somewhere at the time he wrote to the Ephesian church. The translation prisoner implies punishment: There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment (κόλασιν, a form of κόλασις), and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.¹⁰ Another possible translation of δέσμιος is captive, a word much more attune with the language of love: I, Paul, the captive of Christ Jesus and I…the captive by means of the Lord. So, while Paul’s many incarcerations may have informed his word choice somewhat, and its usage here may even allude to those incarcerations in part, it seems prudent to keep an open mind that Paul may have intended to describe an intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; namely, as his loving and beloved captive.

Paul continued: ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν, on behalf of you Gentiles (or “for your sake, the nations”). The Lord said of Saul (aka Paul): he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel [Table]. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of (ὑπὲρ) my name.¹¹

Ephesians 3:2 continued: εἴ γε, assuming that, ἠκούσατε, you have heard. The verb ἠκούσατε is a form of ἀκούω in the indicative mood, “a statement of fact.” I’m wondering if that prompted the note (2) in the NET:

If indeed. The author is not doubting whether his audience has heard, but is rather using provocative language (if indeed) to engage his audience in thinking about the magnificence of God’s grace. However, in English translation, the apodosis (“then”-clause) does not come until v. 13, leaving the protasis (“if”-clause) dangling. Eph 3:2-7 constitute one sentence in Greek.

One might expect the verb of the protasis (“if”-clause) to be in the subjunctive mood and the apodosis (“then”-clause) to be in the indicative mood (John 12:32 ESV):

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Here the verb of the protasis (“if”-clause) ὑψωθῶ, I am lifted up (e.g., crucified), is a form of ὑψόω in the subjunctive mood. The conjunction ἐὰν was translated when, I assume, to keep the English reader from stumbling over whether Jesus was questioning at that moment if his crucifixion would actually take place. The verb of the apodosis (“then”-clause) ἑλκύσω, I…will draw, is a form of ἑλκύω in the future tense (e.g., something He will do after ὑψωθῶ becomes actual) and the indicative mood. This makes some sense: The apodosis (“then”-clause), consequent clause, becomes factual in a true conditional statement once the protasis (“if”-clause), antecedent, becomes actual. The logical argument goes something like this:

Jesus said: “If I am crucified, then I will draw all to Myself.” Jesus was crucified. Therefore He will draw all to Himself.

The note (2) in the NET indicated that the translators understood Paul to be saying: if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,¹² then I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.¹³ The logical argument would go something like this:

If you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, then I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you. You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you. Therefore I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you.

It sounds true enough on its surface, until I consider its inverse.

If you have [not] heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, then I [do not] ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you. You have [not] heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you. Therefore I [do not] ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you.

This argument doesn’t reflect the attitude of the one who wrote: I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.¹⁴ The principle of charity practically demands assuming that, the ESV translation of εἴ γε, or something similar to keep Paul’s discourse more self-contained and less obtuse. He had a tendency, however, to use an indicative verb in the protasis (“if”-clause), antecedent, of a conditional statement (Galatians 5:15 ESV).

But if you bite (δάκνετε, a form of δάκνω in the indicative mood) and devour (κατεσθίετε, a form of κατεσθίω in the indicative mood) one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

And here the verb ἀναλωθῆτε, you are consumed, in the apodosis (“then”-clause), consequent, is a form of ἀναλίσκω in the aorist tense and the subjunctive mood. So, the rather obvious form of the conditional statement accomplishes two things simultaneously: It affirms the truism—If you bite and devour one another, then you will be consumed by one another—even as it conveys Paul’s assessment of the Galatians’ relative position within the logical flow of that conditional statement: that they are currently biting and devouring one another though they have not yet consumed one another. And that, to the original point of the note in the NET in Ephesians, probably also indicates that Paul “assumed” most, if not all of his readers, have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you.

The Greek continues: τὴν οἰκονομίαν, of the stewardship, τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ, of God’s grace, τῆς δοθείσης, that was given, μοι, to me, εἰς ὑμᾶς, for you. While it is certainly meaningful and appropriate to translate τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς, of God’s grace that was given to me for you, I wonder, in the light of the Hiphil stem in Hebrew, especially its usage in Exodus 24:12—so that you may teach them¹⁵—whether of God’s grace that was given by means of me into (or, unto) you is also appropriate.

Paul continued: [ὅτι], how, κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν, by revelation, ἐγνωρίσθη μοι, was made known to me, τὸ μυστήριον, the mystery, καθὼς, as, προέγραψα, I have written, ἐν ὀλίγῳ, briefly. This latter clause refers back to Ephesians 2.

The Greek continues: πρὸς ὃ, which this, δύνασθε ἀναγινώσκοντες, you can read, νοῆσαι to perceive, τὴν σύνεσιν μου, my insight, ἐν τῷ μυστηρίῳ, into the mystery, τοῦ Χριστοῦ, of Christ, ὃ ἑτέραις γενεαῖς, which in other generations (or “which to other generations”), οὐκ ἐγνωρίσθη, was not made known, τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, to the sons of men, ὡς νῦν ἀπεκαλύφθη, as now has been revealed, τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῦ, to his holy apostles (or “by means of his holy apostles”), καὶ προφήταις, and prophets, ἐν πνεύματι, by the Spirit, εἶναι, This mystery is that (literally, “to become”), τὰ ἔθνη συγκληρονόμα, the Gentiles are fellow heirs (or “the nations, fellow heirs”), καὶ σύσσωμα, members of the same body (or “and of the same body”), καὶ συμμέτοχα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus (or “and partakers of the promise by means of Christ Jesus”), διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, through the gospel.

And Jesus came and said to them [the eleven disciples] after his crucifixion and resurrection (Matthew 28:18-20a ESV):

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me [Table]. Go therefore and make disciples of (μαθητεύσατε, a form of μαθητεύω) all nations (πάντα τὰ ἔθνη), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [Table], teaching (διδάσκοντες, a present participle of διδάσκω) them to observe all that I have commanded you [Table].

The direct object of the verb μαθητεύσατε, make disciples of, a 2^nd person plural form of μαθητεύω in the imperative mood (e.g., “you must make disciples of”) is πάντα τὰ ἔθνη (literally “all the nations”) in the accusative case. This is an ambitious project, sometimes called replacement theology: “the Christian Church has fully and permanently replaced Israel in God’s plan.” If one means that he might create in himself one new man (ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον) in place of the two, so making peace [Table], and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility¹⁶ by the term Christian Church, the idea is not without merit, apart from being a singularly catty, if not an altogether anti-Jewish, way for a former Gentile to express the revelation of this mystery.

The only true replacement theology is that your old self (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον; “the old human”), which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,¹⁷ is replaced by the new self (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον; “the new human”), created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.¹⁸ As Paul (circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless [Table]¹⁹) wrote (Galatians 2:20 EXP11):

By means of Christ I have been crucified, but I live hereafter not I but He lives within me, Christ, so who now I live within flesh, by faithfulness I live by means of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

The truth to be hearing with faith²⁰ is ( Ephesians 3:1-6 EXP18):

By reason of this grace I, Paul, the captive of Christ Jesus for your sake, the nations—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you (and by means of me unto you), how by revelation was made known to me the mystery, as I have written briefly, (which this you can read to perceive my insight into the mystery), which to other generations was not made known to the sons of men as now has been revealed by means of his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit—to become the nations, fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of the promise by means of Christ Jesus through the gospel.

So, I’m understanding verse 6 as the conclusion of Paul’s introduction of his purpose as the captive of Christ Jesus: By reason of this grace I, Paul, the captive of Christ Jesus for your sake, the nations, to become the nations, fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of the promise by means of Christ Jesus through the gospel. And behold, Jesus promised, I am with you always, to the end of the age.²¹

Tables comparing Ephesians 3:2, 3 and 3:5, 6 in the KJV and NET follow.

Ephesians 3:2, 3 (NET)	Ephesians 3:2, 3 (KJV)
if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you,	If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

Ephesians 3:2 (NET Parallel Greek)	Ephesians 3:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Ephesians 3:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἴ γε ἠκούσατε τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς δοθείσης μοι εἰς ὑμᾶς	ειγε ηκουσατε την οικονομιαν της χαριτος του θεου της δοθεισης μοι εις υμας	ειγε ηκουσατε την οικονομιαν της χαριτος του θεου της δοθεισης μοι εις υμας

that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly.

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

Ephesians 3:3 (NET Parallel Greek)	Ephesians 3:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Ephesians 3:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
[ὅτι] κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν ἐγνωρίσθη μοι τὸ μυστήριον, καθὼς προέγραψα ἐν ὀλίγῳ	οτι κατα αποκαλυψιν εγνωρισεν μοι το μυστηριον καθως προεγραψα εν ολιγω	οτι κατα αποκαλυψιν εγνωρισεν μοι το μυστηριον καθως προεγραψα εν ολιγω

Ephesians 3:5, 6 (NET)	Ephesians 3:5, 6 (KJV)
(which was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit),	Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

Ephesians 3:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	Ephesians 3:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Ephesians 3:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὃ ἑτέραις γενεαῖς οὐκ ἐγνωρίσθη τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὡς νῦν ἀπεκαλύφθη τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ προφήταις ἐν πνεύματι	ο εν ετεραις γενεαις ουκ εγνωρισθη τοις υιοις των ανθρωπων ως νυν απεκαλυφθη τοις αγιοις αποστολοις αυτου και προφηταις εν πνευματι	ο ετεραις γενεαις ουκ εγνωρισθη τοις υιοις των ανθρωπων ως νυν απεκαλυφθη τοις αγιοις αποστολοις αυτου και προφηταις εν πνευματι

namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Ephesians 3:6 (NET Parallel Greek)	Ephesians 3:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Ephesians 3:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἶναι τὰ ἔθνη συγκληρονόμα καὶ σύσσωμα καὶ συμμέτοχα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου	ειναι τα εθνη συγκληρονομα και συσσωμα και συμμετοχα της επαγγελιας αυτου εν τω χριστω δια του ευαγγελιου	ειναι τα εθνη συγκληρονομα και συσσωμα και συμμετοχα της επαγγελιας αυτου εν τω χριστω δια του ευαγγελιου

Exploration, Part 19

Back to Exploration, Part 20

Back to Who is a Christian? Part 1

¹ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἴ γε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειγε.

³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐγνωρίσθη here, a 3^rd person singular form of γνωρίζω in the passive voice, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγνωρισεν (KJV: he made known) in the active voice.

⁴ The Stephanus Textus Receptus had εν here. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτου (KJV: his) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁶ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τω preceding Christ. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had Ἰησοῦ following Christ. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

⁸ “The dative is the case of the indirect object, or may also indicate the means by which something is done.” From Noun Cases: Dative Case, GREEK NOUNS (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online. The noun κυρίῳ is a form of κύριος in the dative case.

⁹ Ephesians 4:1a (ESV)

¹⁰ 1 John 4:18 (ESV)

¹¹ Acts 9:15, 16 (ESV)

¹² Ephesians 3:2 (NET)

¹³ Ephesians 3:13b (NET) Table

¹⁴ Romans 1:14, 15 (ESV)

¹⁵ Exodus 24:12b (NET) Table

¹⁶ Ephesians 2:15b, 16 (ESV)

¹⁷ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

¹⁸ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

¹⁹ Philippians 3:5, 6 (ESV)

²⁰ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

²¹ Matthew 28:20b (ESV) Table

Hebrews 10:1-4

Posted on March 10, 2026 by admin

This is a homily for communion for the preaching course I’m taking. We’ve backed away for a time from full sermon preparation to homilies.

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed,¹ would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder (ἀνάμνησις) of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.²

The rhetorical question, would the same sacrifices not have ceased to be offered, is a compelling argument that communion is not a sacrifice, but a reminder, a recollection, a memorial done by those who have turned in obedience to follow the Lord Jesus (Luke 22:19 ESV):

And [Jesus] took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance (ἀνάμνησιν, a form of ἀνάμνησις) of me.”

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 11:25 ESV):

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance (ἀνάμνησιν, a form of ἀνάμνησις) of me” [Table].

Given who we are it may be impossible to approach the Lord’s table without being reminded of our sins. Do this in remembrance of me, Jesus said and Paul reminded us. For Christ also suffered once for sins, Peter wrote, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.³

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.⁴

But how best to proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns? Shall we weep and wail over our sins, become the loudest mourners at the funeral of our dying idol, that old self, which belongs to [our] former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires?⁵ Or shall we embrace our new Lord’s sacrifice—the only sacrifice which can truly take away sins—as our own to live the righteousness of our resurrected and indwelling Savior: loving one another with his love, rejoicing together by means of his joy, true subjects of his reign of peace, not from the outside in or the top down, but from the inside out because we are crucified with Christ and we no longer live us, but Him, enduring by means of his patience, being useful to one another by his kindness, doing good to one another by his goodness today, tomorrow and every moment of everyday forever by means of his faithfulness, ever restrained from the evil we once were, the evil we sometimes fear we might become again, by his steadfast control? Amen?

The actual goal of this assignment, however, is not the written homily above, but to become so familiar with the chosen Scripture that I can read the room and ad lib by the Holy Spirit. The only way I know to become familiar with the Scripture is to slow down and go word-for-word in Greek (or Hebrew and Greek in the Old Testament).

The Greek of Hebrews 10:1 begins: Σκιὰν γὰρ, For a shadow, ἔχων ὁ νόμος, has the law. Following the Greek word order⁶ here can be confusing in English: “a shadow has the law” might sound as if “a shadow” is the subject and “the law” is the direct object of this clause. In Greek it’s clear that Σκιὰν is a form of σκιά in the accusative case, while ὁ νόμος is in the nominative case. Still, Σκιὰν, shadow, begins this clause, which I’m no longer inclined to perceive as irrelevant. The participle ἔχων is not the verb ἔχει, but a singular active participle in the present tense, nominative case and masculine gender (ὁ νόμος is masculine and Σκιὰν is feminine).

At the moment I only note the fact, without understanding why a participle was chosen rather than a verb. While I’m inclined to translate this present participle “having,” it is mostly to remind myself that it is a participle. Perhaps the combination of the conjunction γὰρ and the present participle ἔχων accounts for the ESV translation For since.

Hebrews 10:1 continues: τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, of the good things to come. Translating the plural genitive article τῶν of the covers the genitive case, but not necessarily the plural quality of the article apart from the word things. I’ll go with “of these” for reasons which should become clearer momentarily. Translating μελλόντων, another present active participle to come, while interesting, implies the infinitive verb μέλλειν. I’ll opt for my standby “coming.” That sense of the future is a feature of the root verb μέλλω in the present tense: “to be about to, be on the point of; to be destined, inevitable; to intend, propose, have in mind; to come after that, (something) to come; to exist in the future.”

Translating ἀγαθῶν good things covers its plural quality but seems to imply either the “Substantival Meaning” of the adjective ἀγαθός (“goods, possessions, treasures, prosperity”) or limit its “Adjectival Meaning” to what is attributable to things (good action, good deed; performing well, functioning capably; fit, capable, useful, beneficial, desirable; good, well, serviceable; fine [metal]) as opposed to persons: “good, gentle, noble; good, brave; morally good and acceptable (resulting from a kind and generous character); joyful, inclined to joy.”

I prefer not to limit the meaning of ἀγαθός at this point, but am hard-pressed to find an alternative: “goods” has the same issues as good things, and “goodnesses,” while accurate, seems very awkward. “For a shadow having the law of these coming goodnesses” isn’t necessarily a better translation than For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come, but consider the reality behind these words.

Paul explained: law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient.⁷ In other words, law (Torah) was intended to put “the old human” (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον), born of Adam, fathered by the devil, your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,⁸ on a path toward righteousness. The end of that path, however, is not a reformed or rehabilitated “old human,” a shadow…of these coming goodnesses: We know that our old self (ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος) was crucified with [Christ] in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.⁹

Hebrews 10:1 continues: οὐκ αὐτὴν, instead of (literally “not she,” remember the feminine shadow Σκιὰν; e.g., “she is not”), τὴν εἰκόνα, the true form, τῶν πραγμάτων, of these realities. I prefer not to dispute the true form as a translation of τὴν εἰκόνα, but feel obliged to acknowledge that εἰκόνα, a singular feminine form of εἰκών can mean: “a likeness, image, portrait; form, appearance; phantom, apparition; something made to resemble something else.” The latter option seems the most pertinent here. These “coming goodnesses” are made to resemble the last Adam…a life-giving spirit,¹⁰ our Lord Jesus Christ as the new self (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον; e.g., the new human) created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.¹¹ In other words, the one born from above is τὴν εἰκόνα, while the highest achieving old human’s right actions are merely a Σκιὰν, an accusative form of σκιά (“shadow, shade, darkness”), however daunting and perplexing that may seem.

Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.¹²

Hebrews 10:1 continues: κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτὸν, by every year, ταῖς αὐταῖς θυσίαις, the same sacrifices, ἃς προσφέρουσιν, that are offered, εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς, continually, οὐδέποτε |δύναται|, never can, τοὺς προσερχομένους τελειῶσαι, those who draw near make perfect.

The Greek of Hebrews 10:2 is: ἐπεὶ, Otherwise, οὐκ ἂν ἐπαύσαντο, would they not have ceased, προσφερόμεναι, to be offered (or “being offered”), διὰ τὸ μηδεμίαν ἔχειν, since no longer would have, ἔτι συνείδησιν ἁμαρτιῶν, any consciousness of sins, τοὺς λατρεύοντας, the worshipers (literally, “those worshiping”), ἅπαξ κεκαθαρισμένους (or κεκαθαρμενους), once having been cleansed?

The Greek of Hebrews 10:3 is: ἀλλ᾿ ἐν αὐταῖς, But in these sacrifices (or “But by means of these”), ἀνάμνησις ἁμαρτιῶν, a reminder of sins, κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτόν, there is every year (or “by every year”).

And finally, the Greek of Hebrews 10:4 is: ἀδύνατον γὰρ αἷμα, For it is impossible for the blood (or “For impossible for blood,” or “For impossible for bloodshed”), ταύρων καὶ τράγων, of bulls and [of] goats, ἀφαιρεῖν ἁμαρτίας, to take away sins. The active infinitive verb ἀφαιρεῖν is a form of ἀφαιρέω in the present tense: “to separate, deduct, subtract; to remove, cut off, smite off; to strip off; to shift positions of; to deduct in advance and set apart (from the rest).”

A table comparing Hebrews 10:2 in the KJV and NET follows.

Hebrews 10:2 (NET)	Hebrews 10:2 (KJV)
For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin?	For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

Hebrews 10:2 (NET Parallel Greek)	Hebrews 10:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Hebrews 10:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐπαύσαντο προσφερόμεναι διὰ τὸ μηδεμίαν ἔχειν ἔτι συνείδησιν ἁμαρτιῶν τοὺς λατρεύοντας ἅπαξ κεκαθαρισμένους	επει ουκ αν επαυσαντο προσφερομεναι δια το μηδεμιαν εχειν ετι συνειδησιν αμαρτιων τους λατρευοντας απαξ κεκαθαρμενους	επει ουκ αν επαυσαντο προσφερομεναι δια το μηδεμιαν εχειν ετι συνειδησιν αμαρτιων τους λατρευοντας απαξ κεκαθαρμενους

¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had κεκαθαρισμένους here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had κεκαθαρμενους (KJV: purged). These seem to be alternate spellings of the same participle of καθαρίζω.

² Hebrews 10:1-4 (ESV)

³ 1 Peter 3:18 (ESV) Table

⁴ 1 Corinthians 11:26 (ESV) Table

⁵ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

⁶ I didn’t strictly follow the Greek word order in the case of Σκιὰν γὰρ, which would be “shadow for.” But I’ve grown accustomed to this formality of Greek syntax: the conjunction γὰρ does not begin a clause.

⁷ 1 Timothy 1:9b (ESV) Table

⁸ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

⁹ Romans 6:6 (ESV)

¹⁰ 1 Corinthians 15:45b (ESV)

¹¹ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

¹² Matthew 11:11 (ESV)

Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 3

Posted on February 25, 2026 by admin

This is a continuation of “a fuller consideration” of “Matthew’s and the Holy Spirit’s word choices”¹ in Matthew 12:18-21. It became apparent in another essay that Behold, my servant whom I have chosen² wasn’t a quotation from Isaiah 42:1 exclusively: Behold my servant, whom I uphold.³ While preparing this essay I watched Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut again, which helped to illustrate the difference between them.

I recalled my first viewing (with my own eyes wide shut) enjoying the visual smorgasbord of female nudes in classic poses, even as I struggled to find some point to its story beyond a celebration that the Lord God made a woman and brought her to Adam. The story begins, I suppose, when Alice Harford (Nicole Kidman)—having resisted the dubious “charms” of a cad at a Christmas party—is offended by her husband’s lack of jealousy over her, his too facile faith in her fidelity. She angrily and hurtfully recounts her own conflicting emotions over an unconsummated lust for a stranger at a hotel on a family vacation that summer.

The persistent (and explicit) mental image of his beautiful young wife’s desire for another man, a naval officer, propels Bill Harford (Tom Cruise), a successful medical doctor, on a dark parody of a Hero’s Journey, even a mockery of the concept of the hero’s journey. It seems, at first, like a cinematic foray into Baal worship as described by B. Z. Goldberg in “The Sacred Fire, the story of sex in religion,” consorting with prostitutes as religious rite and ritual. Bill’s bookend encounters with Mr. Milich (Rade Šerbedžija), a costumer he bribed to reopen his shop late that night, were a poignant reminder that a prostitute is somebody’s daughter.

Bill needed a tuxedo, a cape with a hood and a mask to gain admittance to a secret orgy he heard about after a timely phone call from Alice aborted an impromptu assignation with Domino (Vinessa Shaw), a prostitute who had propositioned him as he wandered the streets. Awakened by Bill, as he reopens his shop Milich discovers his underage daughter (Leelee Sobieski) entertaining two older men. “We were invited here by the young lady,” one of them explains as Milich rages: “The young lady? It is my daughter. And couldn’t you see she is a child? You will have to explain to police.” Then he lashes out at his child, “You little whore! I’ll kill you for this.” Milich locks the two men in the front room of his shop as his daughter flees and cowers behind Bill.

Then Milich tends again to his rental business as his half-naked daughter, clinging to Bill for protection, whispers coquettishly into Bill’s ear. The scene ends without revealing how Bill extricates himself from her grasp or leaves her to her fate, which sets up the bookend scene the next morning. As he returns the rental costume (everything but the missing mask), Milich’s daughter, still in her underwear, emerges from the front of the shop, smiling. Her father greets her warmly and introduces her properly to Dr. Harford. Then the same two men from the night before emerge through the same doorway, fully clothed and looking like satisfied customers, and they are regarded as such by Mr. Milich.

Perplexed, Bill reminds Milich of his intent to call the police last night (without mentioning his intent to kill his daughter). “Well, uh, things change,” Milich responds, “we have come to another arrangement.” Then he offers his daughter to Bill as another potential rental item of interest, since Bill is clearly of interest to her. But the story has morphed into a thriller as Bill investigates the disappearance of a musician friend, Nick Nightingale (Todd Field), who told him about the secret orgy in the first place, and the suspiciously timed death of a prostitute, Mandy Curran (Julienne Davis), who offered herself as a sacrifice to “redeem” Bill from further humiliation (and other more lethal threats) when he was unmasked as an unwelcome intruder at the secret orgy.

Only at the end did I recognize “Eyes Wide Shut” as a love story. And after another divorce and a few more years of Bible study with God the Father, God the Son through God the indwelling Holy Spirit, I realize it’s a love story about the grace of God, protecting Dr. and Mrs. Harford from the deceitful desires of their old human during three nights and three days when their marriage is severely tested.

Once he confesses all to Alice, Bill is uneasy, questioning what his wife is thinking and where he stands with her. Alice Harford, beautiful deeper than even her face or form, ponders aloud:

What do I think we should do? (Their young daughter Helena [Madison Eginton] interrupts.) What do I think? I don’t know. I mean, maybe I… (She tends to Helena again.) Maybe I think we should be grateful, grateful that we’ve managed to survive through all of our (she searches for a word) adventures—whether they were real or only a dream.

Gratitude is appropriate. Neither Bill nor Alice had any occasion for pride over any works of righteousness which had been done by any righteousness of their own derived from any law: Behold my servant, whom I uphold.⁴ This isn’t exactly what one expects of Jesus—Behold, my servant whom I have chosen⁵—but is appropriate to consider for servants who are not yet born from above, not yet created by means of [Christ]…into one new human.⁶

The Hebrew word translated I uphold was אֶתְמָךְ, a form of תָּמַךְ (tāmaḵ), which was translated ἀντιλήμψομαι or ἀντιλήψομαι in the Septuagint, forms of ἀντιλαμβάνω in the middle voice. The first occurrence of a form of תָּמַךְ (tāmaḵ) in the Masoretic text occurs in the story of Israel blessing Joseph and his two sons.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 48:17 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 48:17 (NET)	Genesis 48:17 (NETS) Table	Genesis 48:17 (English Elpenor)
And when Joseph saw that his father was laying his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he held up (וַיִּתְמֹ֣ךְ) his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head.	When Joseph saw that his father placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him. So he took (tāmaḵ, ויתמך) his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.	Now when Ioseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it seemed grievous to him, and Ioseph took hold (καὶ ἀντελάβετο) of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasse’s head.	And Joseph having seen that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim– it seemed grievous to him; and Joseph took hold (καὶ ἀντελάβετο) of the hand of his father, to remove it from the head of Ephraim to the head of Manasse.

The next occurrence is found in the story of Israel’s battle with Amalek.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Exodus 17:12 (Tanakh/KJV)	Exodus 17:12 (NET)	Exodus 17:12 (NETS)	Exodus 17:12 (English Elpenor)
But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up (תָּֽמְכ֣וּ) his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.	When the hands of Moses became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and Aaron and Hur held up (tāmaḵ, תמכו) his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down.	But Moyses’ hands were heavy. And they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hor kept supporting (ἐστήριζον) his hands, here one and there one. And the hands of Moyses were supported until the setting of the sun.	But the hands of Moses were heavy, and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it; and Aaron and Or supported (ἐστήριζον) his hands one on this side and the other on that, and the hands of Moses were supported till the going down of the sun.

In the first occurrence Joseph held up, took, took hold of his father’s hand to correct what he perceived as wrong. In the second occurrence Aaron and Hur stayed up, held up, kept supporting, supported Moses’ hands to help him do what they perceived as right (Exodus 17:10, 11, 13 ESV):

So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill [Table]. Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed…And [because of a form of תָּמַךְ (tāmaḵ) done by Aaron and Hur] Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

David wrote (Psalm 16:1, 2, 5 ESV):

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold (תּוֹמִ֥יךְ, a form of תָּמַךְ, tāmaḵ) my lot.

When I returned to the church where I became an atheist, I believed wholeheartedly that Jesus would finally help me have my own righteousness derived from the law,⁷ which was a major departure from many years of experience that I was neither faithful nor good enough to receive any help from Him at all. My last hope before I disbelieved Him entirely was that He would punish me for my sins. He didn’t, not in anyway I expected or perceived.

When He brought me back I didn’t actually “know” that I wanted Him to help me have my own righteousness derived from the law, because I didn’t yet know that there was any alternative to my own righteousness derived from the law. So, though He still didn’t help me have my own righteousness derived from the law, He helped me to know and to desire his righteousness (τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ), the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.⁸

The Greek words translated the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness were: τὴν, the righteousness that, διὰ, comes by way, πίστεως Χριστοῦ, of Christ’s faithfulness. A note (11) in the NET goes into some detail about scholarly arguments over translation here: in the ESV for instance τὴν διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ was translated that which comes through faith in Christ.⁹ While the arguments are interesting, the writer was Paul, who also wrote (Galatians 2:20 EXP11):

By means of Christ I have been crucified, but I live hereafter not I but He lives within me, Christ, so who now I live within flesh, by faithfulness I live by means of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul is faithful because the indwelling Christ makes it so. And Paul didn’t retain this grace as a special privilege to himself alone (Ephesians 2:8-10 EXP14):

For by means of grace you are, were and continue to be saved through faith, and this not from within you, God’s gift, not out from works, so that no one may boast [about oneself]. For we are his workmanship, created by means of Christ Jesus to good works which God prepared beforehand, so that by means of them we may walk.

At the conclusion of another essay I wrote:

Just as the conjunction καὶ (and) in Jesus’ prayer doesn’t deny his divinity but highlights and accentuates his humanity, even as the new human (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον) created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness,¹² so God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) chose this new human: Behold, my servant whom I have chosen. Eternal life is to know the only true God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and this new human. How? by knowing Jesus Christ, through the Bible certainly, yet equally if not more importantly, through the time spent with the One who died to fulfill the Scriptures.

I chide myself for being so slow to understand. The relationship between Jesus as Christ and the new human is actually quite explicit (Romans 5:12-21 ESV).

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (δι᾿ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men (εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους) because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come [Table].

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass (τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι), much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man (τῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου) Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin (οὐχ ὡς δι᾿ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήσαντος). For the judgment following one trespass (ἐξ ἑνὸς) brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass (τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι), death reigned through that one man (διὰ τοῦ ἑνός), much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man (διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς) Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as one trespass (ὡς δι᾿ ἑνὸς παραπτώματος) led to condemnation for all men (εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους), so one act of righteousness (δι᾿ ἑνὸς δικαιώματος) leads to justification and life for all men (εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους). For as by the one man’s disobedience (διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου) the many were made sinners (ἁμαρτωλοὶ κατεστάθησαν οἱ πολλοί), so by the one man’s obedience (διὰ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς) the many will be made righteous (δίκαιοι κατασταθήσονται οἱ πολλοί). Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And again (1 Corinthians 15:45-49 ESV):

Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”;¹⁰ the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven [Table]. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven [Table].

And here, I return to Matthew 12:18a (ESV).

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.

I’ll continue with the idea (NET note 28) that Isaiah 42:1 is a good place to start looking for the source of the quotation my beloved (ὁ ἀγαπητός μου). The next Hebrew word in Isaiah 42:1 in the Masoretic text is בְּחִירִ֖י, a form of בָּחִיר (bāḥîr):

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 42:1 (Tanakh/KJV) Table	Isaiah 42:1 (NET)	Isaiah 42:1 (NETS) Table	Isaiah 42:1 (English Elpenor)
mine elect (בְּחִירִ֖י)	my chosen one (bāḥîr, בחירי)	Israel is my chosen (Ισραηλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου)	Israel is my chosen (᾿Ισραὴλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου)

In another essay I considered why the Septuagint translators may have been inclined to add Israel to these words, and won’t repeat it here. But does Matthew 12:18 help to corroborate the Masoretic text as more original this time?

Matthew 12:18 (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 42:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 42:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ἀγαπητός μου	Ισραηλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου	᾿Ισραὴλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου
Matthew 12:18 (NET)	Isaiah 42:1 (NETS)	Isaiah 42:1 (English Elpenor)
the one I love	Israel is my chosen	Israel is my chosen

Granted, the word Ισραηλ is missing from Matthew’s quotation as it is from the apparent source in the Masoretic text of Isaiah. But is ἀγαπητός a fitting synonym for ἐκλεκτός, or a reasonable translation of בְּחִירִ֖י, a form of בָּחִיר (bāḥîr)? The singular adjective ἀγαπητός in the nominative case doesn’t occur in the Greek translation of Isaiah. There are, however, two occurrences of other forms.

The first is fairly straightforward (Isaiah 5:1-4 ESV):

Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?

The Hebrew word translated my love in my love song concerning his vineyard above was דּוֹדִ֖י, a form of דּוֹד (dôḏ). A table with more detail follows:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 5:1 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 5:1 (NET)	Isaiah 5:1 (NETS)	Isaiah 5:1 (English Elpenor)
Now will I sing to my wellbeloved (לִֽידִידִ֔י) a song of my beloved (דּוֹדִ֖י) touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved (לִֽידִידִ֖י) hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:	I will sing to my love (yāḏîḏ, לידידי)—a song to my lover (dôḏ, דודי) about his vineyard. My love (yāḏîḏ, לידידי) had a vineyard on a fertile hill.	I will now sing for the beloved (τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ) a song of the loved one (τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ) concerning my vineyard: The beloved (τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ) had a vineyard on a hill, on a fertile place.	Now I will sing to [my] beloved (τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ) a song of my beloved (τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ μου) concerning my vineyard. [My] beloved (τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ) had a vineyard on a high hill in a fertile place.

So, one Hebrew word occurs twice in the Masoretic text: לִֽידִידִ֔י, a form of יָדִיד (yāḏîḏ), to my wellbeloved / My wellbeloved (Tanakh, KJV), to my love / My love (NET). It was translated τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ in the Septuagint, for the beloved / The beloved (NETS), to [my] beloved / [My] beloved (English Elpenor). And another occurs once: דּוֹדִ֖י, a form of דּוֹד (dôḏ), of my beloved (Tanakh, KJV), to my lover (NET). The ESV translators chose my love, abandoning any sense of personality, treating דּוֹדִ֖י, a form of דּוֹד (dôḏ), simply as an adjective describing song. It was translated τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ in the BLB Septuagint, of the loved one (NETS), and τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ μου in the Elpenor Septuagint, of my beloved (English Elpenor).

The Greek adjective ἀγαπητοῦ is a singular form of ἀγαπητός in the genitive case. Since Matthew and the Holy Spirit chose ἀγαπητός, referring to Jesus in Matthew 12:18, rather than ἐκλεκτός (which referred to Israel in the Septuagint), I’m primed to respond to the Lord’s questions as follows:

Question 1 (Isaiah 5:4a ESV):
What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it?

Answer 1 (John 3:14-17 ESV):
As Moses¹¹ lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him¹² may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn (κρίνῃ, a form of κρίνω; literally judge) the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him [Table].

Question 2 (Isaiah 5:4b ESV):
When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?

Answer 2 (John 3:6, 7; Romans 8:3, 4 ESV):
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’ (ἄνωθεν; literally from above).
For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned (κατέκρινεν, a form of κατακρίνω) sin in the flesh (ἐν τῇ σαρκί; or “by means of the flesh”), in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

I tend to understand the allegory of the vineyard as a reference to the people of Israel, more specifically to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, or even more specifically to the Jews of Jerusalem, at the time of Isaiah. Without denying any of that, Rashi understood the vineyard as Adam, perhaps even humanity more generally (See Rashi’s commentary to Isaiah 5:7). But despite all his insight, including his recognition that God did more for Israel than for Adam, Rashi still hoped in Torah, in law, a millennium after Christ has come, Christ has died, Christ is risen again. And another millennium after Rashi “all the little Jewish children look forward to the happy day when they will begin to learn Chumash [Torah (The Pentateuch)] with Rashi…a new milestone on their wonderful and enchanting road to scholarship and wisdom.”¹³

The only other occurrence of a form of ἀγαπητός in the Greek translation of Isaiah is more difficult because the Masoretic text and Septuagint diverge significantly (Isaiah 26:16-19 ESV).

O Lord, in distress they sought you;
they poured out a whispered prayer
when your discipline was upon them.
Like a pregnant woman
who writhes and cries out in her pangs
when she is near to giving birth,
so were we because of you, O Lord;
we were pregnant, we writhed,
but we have given birth to wind.
We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth,
and the inhabitants of the world have not fallen.
Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the earth will give birth to the dead [Table].

The differences between the Masoretic text and the Septuagint are reasonably apparent in English translation:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 26:16, 17 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 26:16, 17 (NET)	Isaiah 26:16, 17 (NETS)	Isaiah 26:16, 17, 18a (English Elpenor)
LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.	O Lord, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline.	O Lord, in affliction I remembered you; with small affliction your chastening was on us.	Lord, in affliction I remembered thee; thy chastening was to us with small affliction.
Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.	As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver and strains and cries out because of her labor pains, so were we because of you, O Lord.	And as a woman in travail is about to give birth and cries out in her pangs, so were we to your beloved because of the fear of you, O Lord.	And as a woman in travail draws nigh to be delivered, [and] cries out in her pain; so have we been to thy beloved. (18) We have conceived, O Lord, because of thy fear…

I’ll pause here to consider Isaiah 26:17 (26:17, 18a) in more detail:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 26:17 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 26:17 (NET)	Isaiah 26:17 (NETS)	Isaiah 26:17, 18a (English Elpenor)
Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so (כֵּ֛ן) have we been (הָיִ֥ינוּ) in thy sight (מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ), O LORD (יְהֹוָֽה).	As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver and strains and cries out because of her labor pains, so (kēn, כן) were we (hāyâ, היינו) because of you (pānîm, מפניך), O Lord (yᵊhōvâ, יהוה).	And as a woman in travail is about to give birth and cries out in her pangs, so (οὕτως) were we (ἐγενήθημεν) to your beloved (τῷ ἀγαπητῷ σου) because of (διὰ) the fear of you (τὸν φόβον σου), O Lord (κύριε).	And as a woman in travail draws nigh to be delivered, [and] cries out in her pain; so (οὕτως) have we been (ἐγενήθημεν) to thy beloved (τῷ ἀγαπητῷ σου). (18) We have conceived, O Lord (Κύριε), because of (διὰ) thy fear (τὸν φόβον σου),

The Hebrew word כֵּ֛ן (kēn), so (Tanakh, KJV, NET), was translated οὕτως in the Septuagint, so (NETS, English Elpenor). Then הָיִ֥ינוּ a form of הָיָה (hāyâ), have we been (Tanakh, KJV), were we (NET), was translated ἐγενήθημεν, were we (NETS), have we been (English Elpenor). The next word is absent from the Masoretic text: τῷ ἀγαπητῷ σου, to your beloved (NETS), to thy beloved (English Elpenor), only occurs in the Septuagint; ἀγαπητῷ is a form of the adjective ἀγαπητός in the dative case. The rabbis apparently translated a Hebrew manuscript that had a form of דּוֹד (dôḏ) at this point in the word string (based on Isaiah 5:1). The Masoretes either dropped it or favored a manuscript from which it was absent.

The next word מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ, a form of פָּנִים (pānîm), in thy sight (Tanakh, KJV), because of you (NET), was translated διὰ, because of (NETS, English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. Then again, a word, probably a form of יָרֵא (yārē’), is absent from the Masoretic text, but was translated τὸν φόβον σου, the fear of you (NETS), thy fear (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. And finally, יְהֹוָֽה (yᵊhōvâ), O LORD (Tanakh, KJV), O Lord (NET), in the Masoretic text was translated Κύριε, O Lord (NETS, English Elpenor), in the Septuagint.

In the Greek of the Septuagint there is a point and purpose of this woman in hard labor imagery, a reference to some relationship between that labor and your beloved, thy beloved: so were we to your beloved because of the fear of you, O Lord (NETS), so have we been to thy beloved…O Lord, because of thy fear (English Elpenor). The point and purpose in the Tanakh and KJV translations of the Masoretic text is thy chastening: so have we been in thy sight, O LORD. The NET and ESV translations may hint at some other purpose: so were we because of you, O Lord. But I suspect that hint owes more to the translators’ consultation of the Septuagint than to any strict adherence to the Hebrew of the Masoretic text.

Since Matthew and the Holy Spirit chose ὁ ἀγαπητός μου in Matthew 12:18 my beloved (ESV) to specify Jesus, who fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, rather than Israel (Ισραηλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου in Isaiah 42:1 in the Septuagint), I’m primed to recognize the identity of τῷ ἀγαπητῷ σου, to your beloved (NETS), to thy beloved (English Elpenor) as a prophetic reference to Jesus. And Paul, in his lament, was quite specific about Jesus’ relationship to Israel imagined as a woman in hard labor (Romans 9:1-5 ESV).

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh [Table]. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

The differences between the Masoretic text and Septuagint continue:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 26:18, 19 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 26:18, 19 (NET)	Isaiah 26:18, 19 (NETS)	Isaiah 26:18, 19 (English Elpenor)
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.	We were pregnant, we strained, we gave birth, as it were, to wind. We cannot produce deliverance on the earth; no people are born to populate the world.	We conceived and travailed and gave birth; we produced a wind of your salvation on the earth, but those who dwell on the earth will fall.	We have conceived, O Lord, because of thy fear, and have been in pain, and have brought forth the breath of thy salvation, which we have wrought upon the earth: we shall not fall, but all that dwell upon the land shall fall.
Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead [Table].	Your dead will come back to life; your corpses will rise up. Wake up and shout joyfully, you who live in the ground! For you will grow like plants drenched with the morning dew, and the earth will bring forth its dead spirits.	The dead shall rise, and those who are in the tombs shall be raised, and those who are in the earth shall rejoice; for the dew from you is healing to them, but the land of the impious shall fall [Table].	The dead shall rise, and they that are in the tombs shall be raised, and they that are in the earth shall rejoice: for the dew from thee is healing to them: but the land of the ungodly shall perish.

A more detailed table of Isaiah 26:18 follows:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 26:18 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 26:18 (NET)	Isaiah 26:18 (NETS)	Isaiah 26:18 (English Elpenor)
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were (כְּמ֖וֹ) brought forth (יָלַ֣דְנוּ) wind (ר֑וּחַ); we have not (בַּל) wrought (נַ֣עֲשֶׂה) any deliverance (יְשׁוּעֹת֙) in the earth (אֶ֔רֶץ); neither (וּבַֽל) have the inhabitants (יֹֽשְׁבֵ֥י) of the world (תֵבֵֽל) fallen (יִפְּל֖וּ).	We were pregnant, we strained, we gave birth (yālaḏ, ילדנו), as it were (kᵊmô, כמו), to wind (rûaḥ, רוח). We cannot (bal, בל) produce (ʿāśâ, נעשׁה) deliverance (yᵊšûʿâ, ישועת) on the earth (‘ereṣ, ארץ); no people (bal, ובל) are born (nāp̄al, יפלו) to populate (yāšaḇ, ישבי) the world (tēḇēl, תבל).	We conceived and travailed and gave birth (ἐτέκομεν); we produced (ἐποιήσαμεν) a wind (πνεῦμα) of your salvation (σωτηρίας σου) on the earth (ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς), but (ἀλλὰ) those who dwell (οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες) on the earth (ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς) will fall (πεσοῦνται).	We have conceived, O Lord, because of thy fear, and have been in pain, and have brought forth (ἐτέκομεν) the breath (πνεῦμα) of thy salvation (σωτηρίας σου), which we have wrought (ἐποιήσαμεν) upon the earth (ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς): we shall not (οὐ) fall (πεσούμεθα), but (ἀλλὰ) all that dwell (πάντες οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες) upon the land (ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς) shall fall (πεσοῦνται).

The first word in the Masoretic text to diverge from the Septuagint is כְּמ֖וֹ (kᵊmô), as it were (Tanakh, KJV, NET). There is no counterpart in the Septuagint. But the next word יָלַ֣דְנוּ, a form of יָלַד (yālaḏ), we have…brought forth (Tanakh, KJV), we gave birth (NET), was translated ἐτέκομεν, gave birth (NETS), have brought forth (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. This was followed by ר֑וּחַ (rûaḥ), wind (Tanakh, KJV), to wind (NET), translated πνεῦμα, a wind (NETS), the breath (English Elpenor). Then came יְשׁוּעֹת֙, a form of יְשׁוּעָה (yᵊšûʿâ), any deliverance (Tanakh, KJV), deliverance (NET), translated σωτηρίας σου, of your salvation (NETS), of thy salvation (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint.

The next word in the Hebrew word string of the Masoretic text is בַּל (bal), not (Tanakh, KJV), cannot (NET). There is no negative particle in the BLB Septuagint; οὐ in the Elpenor Septuagint occurs later in the word string and precedes a different verb. The verb negated in the Hebrew of the Masoretic text is נַ֣עֲשֶׂה, a form of עָשָׂה (ʿāśâ), we have…wrought (Tankah, KJV), We…produce (NET), and was translated ἐποιήσαμεν without any hint of negation in the Septuagint, we produced (NETS), which we have wrought (English Elpenor). And this is followed by אֶ֔רֶץ (ereṣ), in the earth (Tanakh, KJV), on the earth (NET), translated ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, on the earth (NETS), upon the earth (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint.

In other words, prior to many in Israel rejecting Jesus as Messiah there is Greek evidence of a Hebrew manuscript which prophesied something like: we produced a wind of your salvation on the earth [e.g., your beloved] (NETS); have brought forth the breath of thy salvation [e.g., thy beloved], which we have wrought upon the earth (English Elpenor). And after their rejection the Masoretic text reads: we have as it were brought forth wind [e.g., a fart]; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth (Tanakh, KJV); we gave birth, as it were, to wind; We cannot produce deliverance on the earth (NET).

The next word in the Hebrew word string of the Masoretic text is another negative particle וּבַֽל, a form of בַּל (bal), neither (Tanakh, KJV), no people (NET). Here is where the negative particle οὐ occurs in the Elpenor Septuagint only, preceding πεσούμεθα (a form of πίπτω), we shall not fall (English Elpenor). Frankly, whether this is evidence of yet another Hebrew manuscript or simply an editorial comment identifying The dead [who] shall rise,¹⁴ is of no concern to me at present. Both the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint have the conjunction ἀλλὰ here, but (NETS, English Elpenor), rather than a negative particle when οὐ πεσούμεθα is bracketed aside.

The next word in the Hebrew of the Masoretic text is יִפְּל֖וּ, a form of נָפַל (nāp̄al), have…fallen (Tanakh, KJV), are born (NET), and was translated πεσοῦνται, will fall (NETS), shall fall (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. Then יֹֽשְׁבֵ֥י, a form of יָשַׁב (yāšaḇ), the inhabitants (Tanakh, KJV), to populate (NET), was translated οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες (BLB Septuagint), those who dwell (NETS) and πάντες οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες (Elpenor Septuagint), all that dwell (English Elpenor). Finally, תֵבֵֽל (tēḇēl), of the world (Tanakh, KJV), the world (NET), was translated ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, on the earth (NETS), upon the land (English Elpenor).

None of this persuades me that ἀγαπητός in Matthew 12:18 calls the originality of בְּחִירִ֖י, a form of בָּחִיר (bāḥîr) in Isaiah 42:1, into question. On the contrary, ἀγαπητός seems to be a deliberate choice to bind Isaiah 42 to Isaiah 5 and Isaiah 26 in Matthew 12:18, even as it distinguishes Jesus somewhat from Israel (as translated in the Septuagint). Even in the mutilated remains of Isaiah 26:18 in the Masoretic text one finds ר֑וּחַ (rûaḥ) followed by יְשׁוּעֹת֙, a form of יְשׁוּעָה (yᵊšûʿâ; pronounced yesh-oo’-aw), “spirit of salvation.” As Paul wrote: the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.¹⁵ And Matthew wrote that Jesus fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah.¹⁶ And the Holy Spirit called Him: my beloved¹⁷ (ὁ ἀγαπητός μου).

Israel…pursued a law that would lead to righteousness¹⁸…as if it were based on works,¹⁹ Paul assessed the failure of his brothers, [his] kinsmen according to the flesh.²⁰ The Masoretes confirmed his assessment: we were pregnant, we writhed, but we have given birth to wind. We have accomplished no deliverance in the earth.²¹ In other words, they did not pursue it by faith²² in the faithfulness of God: Behold my servant, whom I uphold.²³ And many still reject his “spirit of salvation,” Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved.²⁴

When Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) returned home late on the third night, he found the missing mask he had to purchase from the man who prostituted his own daughter. He found that mask, which he wore in a vain attempt to fit in at a secret orgy hoping in vain to hide his true identity, lying on his pillow in his place in his bed next to his sleeping wife—and he repented.

Tables comparing Exodus 17:12; 17:11; 17:13; Psalm 16:1; 16:2; 16:5; Isaiah 5:1; 5:2; 5:3; 5:4; 26:16; 26:17 and 26:18 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 17:12; 17:11; 17:13; Psalm 16:1 (15:1); 16:2 (15:2); 16:5 (15:5); Isaiah 5:1; 5:2; 5:3; 5:4; 26:16; 26:17 and 26:18 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing John 3:14, 15 in the KJV and NET follow.

Exodus 17:12 (Tanakh)	Exodus 17:12 (KJV)	Exodus 17:12 (NET)
But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.	But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.	When the hands of Moses became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down.

Exodus 17:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 17:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αἱ δὲ χεῖρες Μωυσῆ βαρεῖαι καὶ λαβόντες λίθον ὑπέθηκαν ὑπ᾽ αὐτόν καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ Ααρων καὶ Ωρ ἐστήριζον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐντεῦθεν εἷς καὶ ἐντεῦθεν εἷς καὶ ἐγένοντο αἱ χεῖρες Μωυσῆ ἐστηριγμέναι ἕως δυσμῶν ἡλίου	αἱ δὲ χεῖρες Μωυσῆ βαρεῖαι· καὶ λαβόντες λίθον ὑπέθηκαν ὑπ᾿ αὐτόν, καὶ ἐκάθητο ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ ῍Ωρ ἐστήριζον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ, ἐντεῦθεν εἷς καὶ ἐντεῦθεν εἷς· καὶ ἐγένοντο αἱ χεῖρες Μωυσῆ ἐστηριγμέναι ἕως δυσμῶν ἡλίου
Exodus 17:12 (NETS)	Exodus 17:12 (English Elpenor)
But Moyses’ hands were heavy. And they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hor kept supporting his hands, here one and there one. And the hands of Moyses were supported until the setting of the sun.	But the hands of Moses were heavy, and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat upon it; and Aaron and Or supported his hands one on this side and the other on that, and the hands of Moses were supported till the going down of the sun.

Exodus 17:11 (Tanakh)	Exodus 17:11 (KJV)	Exodus 17:11 (NET)
And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.	And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.	Whenever Moses would raise his hands, then Israel prevailed, but whenever he would rest his hands, then Amalek prevailed.

Exodus 17:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 17:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγίνετο ὅταν ἐπῆρεν Μωυσῆς τὰς χεῖρας κατίσχυεν Ισραηλ ὅταν δὲ καθῆκεν τὰς χεῖρας κατίσχυεν Αμαληκ	καὶ ἐγίνετο ὅταν ἐπῇρε Μωυσῆς τὰς χεῖρας, κατίσχυεν ᾿Ισραήλ· ὅταν δὲ καθῆκε τὰς χεῖρας, κατίσχυεν ᾿Αμαλήκ
Exodus 17:11 (NETS)	Exodus 17:11 (English Elpenor)
And it happened whenever Moyses held up his hands, Israel was prevailing, and whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was prevailing.	And it came to pass, when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hands, Amalec prevailed.

Exodus 17:13 (Tanakh)	Exodus 17:13 (KJV)	Exodus 17:13 (NET)
And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.	And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.	So Joshua destroyed Amalek and his army with the sword.

Exodus 17:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 17:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐτρέψατο Ἰησοῦς τὸν Αμαληκ καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας	καὶ ἐτρέψατο ᾿Ιησοῦς τὸν ᾿Αμαλὴκ καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας
Exodus 17:13 (NETS)	Exodus 17:13 (English Elpenor)
And Iesous routed Amalek and all his people by slaughter of dagger.	And Joshua routed Amalec and all his people with the slaughter of the sword.

Psalm 16:1 (Tanakh)	Psalm 16:1 (KJV)	Psalm 16:1 (NET)
Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.	Michtam of David. Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.	A prayer of David. Protect me, O God, for I have taken shelter in you.

Psalm 16:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 15:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
στηλογραφία τῷ Δαυιδ φύλαξόν με κύριε ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα	Στηλογραφία τῷ Δαυΐδ. – ΦΥΛΑΞΟΝ με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα
Psalm 15:1 (NETS)	Psalm 15:1 (English Elpenor)
A stele inscription. Pertaining to Dauid. Guard me, O Lord, because in you I hoped.	[A writing of David.] Keep me, O Lord; for I have hoped in thee.

Psalm 16:2 (Tanakh)	Psalm 16:2 (KJV)	Psalm 16:2 (NET)
O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;	O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;	I say to the Lord, “You are the Lord, my only source of well-being.”

Psalm 16:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 15:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπα τῷ κυρίῳ κύριός μου εἶ σύ ὅτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις	εἶπα τῷ Κυρίῳ· Κύριός μου εἶ σύ, ὅτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις
Psalm 15:2 (NETS)	Psalm 15:2 (English Elpenor)
I said to the Lord, “My Lord you are, because you have no need of my goods.”	I said to the Lord, Thou art my Lord; for thou hast no need of my goodness.

Psalm 16:5 (Tanakh)	Psalm 16:5 (KJV)	Psalm 16:5 (NET)
The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.	The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.	Lord, you give me stability and prosperity; you make my future secure.

Psalm 16:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 15:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κύριος ἡ μερὶς τῆς κληρονομίας μου καὶ τοῦ ποτηρίου μου σὺ εἶ ὁ ἀποκαθιστῶν τὴν κληρονομίαν μου ἐμοί	Κύριος μερὶς τῆς κληρονομίας μου καὶ τοῦ ποτηρίου μου· σὺ εἶ ὁ ἀποκαθιστῶν τὴν κληρονομίαν μου ἐμοί
Psalm 15:5 (NETS)	Psalm 15:5 (English Elpenor)
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup; you are the one who restores to me my inheritance.	The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou art he that restores my inheritance to me.

Isaiah 5:1 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 5:1 (KJV)	Isaiah 5:1 (NET)
Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:	Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:	I will sing to my love—a song to my lover about his vineyard. My love had a vineyard on a fertile hill.

Isaiah 5:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 5:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ᾄσω δὴ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ᾆσμα τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ τῷ ἀμπελῶνί μου ἀμπελὼν ἐγενήθη τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ἐν κέρατι ἐν τόπῳ πίονι	ΑΣΩ δὴ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ἆσμα τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ μου τῷ ἀμπελῶνί μου. ἀμπελὼν ἐγενήθη τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ἐν κέρατι, ἐν τόπῳ πίονι
Isaiah 5:1 (NETS)	Isaiah 5:1 (English Elpenor)
I will now sing for the beloved a song of the loved one concerning my vineyard: The beloved had a vineyard on a hill, on a fertile place.	Now I will sing to [my] beloved a song of my beloved concerning my vineyard. [My] beloved had a vineyard on a high hill in a fertile place.

Isaiah 5:2 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 5:2 (KJV)	Isaiah 5:2 (NET)
And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.	And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.	He built a hedge around it, removed its stones, and planted a vine. He built a tower in the middle of it and constructed a winepress. He waited for it to produce edible grapes, but it produced sour ones instead.

Isaiah 5:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 5:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ φραγμὸν περιέθηκα καὶ ἐχαράκωσα καὶ ἐφύτευσα ἄμπελον σωρηχ καὶ ᾠκοδόμησα πύργον ἐν μέσῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ προλήνιον ὤρυξα ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἔμεινα τοῦ ποιῆσαι σταφυλήν ἐποίησεν δὲ ἀκάνθας	καὶ φραγμὸν περιέθηκα καὶ ἐχαράκωσα καὶ ἐφύτευσα ἄμπελον Σωρὴχ καὶ ὠκοδόμησα πύργον ἐν μέσῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ προλήνιον ὤρυξα ἐν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἔμεινα τοῦ ποιῆσαι σταφυλήν, ἐποίησε δὲ ἀκάνθας
Isaiah 5:2 (NETS)	Isaiah 5:2 (English Elpenor)
And I put a hedge around it and fenced it in and planted a Sorech vine, and I built a tower in the midst of it and dug out a wine vat in it, and I waited for it to produce a cluster of grapes, but it produced thorns.	And I made a hedge round it, and dug a trench, and planted a choice vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and dug a place for the wine-vat in it: and I waited [for it] to bring forth grapes, and it brought forth thorns.

Isaiah 5:3 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 5:3 (KJV)	Isaiah 5:3 (NET)
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.	And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.	So now, residents of Jerusalem, people of Judah, you decide between me and my vineyard!

Isaiah 5:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 5:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Ιουδα καὶ οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐν Ιερουσαλημ κρίνατε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ἀμπελῶνός μου	καὶ νῦν, οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ ᾿Ιούδα, κρίνατε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ ἀμπελῶνός μου
Isaiah 5:3 (NETS)	Isaiah 5:3 (English Elpenor)
And now, man of Ioudas and those who dwell in Ierousalem, judge between me and my vineyard.	And now, ye dwellers in Jerusalem, and [every] man of Juda, judge between me and my vineyard.

Isaiah 5:4 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 5:4 (KJV)	Isaiah 5:4 (NET)
What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?	What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?	What more can I do for my vineyard beyond what I have already done? When I waited for it to produce edible grapes, why did it produce sour ones instead?

Isaiah 5:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 5:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τί ποιήσω ἔτι τῷ ἀμπελῶνί μου καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησα αὐτῷ διότι ἔμεινα τοῦ ποιῆσαι σταφυλήν ἐποίησεν δὲ ἀκάνθας	τί ποιήσω ἔτι τῷ ἀμπελώνί μου καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησα αὐτῷ; διότι ἔμεινα τοῦ ποιῆσαι σταφυλήν, ἐποίησε δὲ ἀκάνθας
Isaiah 5:4 (NETS)	Isaiah 5:4 (English Elpenor)
What more might I do for my vineyard, and I have not done for it? Because I waited for it to produce a cluster of grapes, but it produced thorns,	What shall I do any more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? Whereas I expected [it] to bring forth grapes, but it has brought forth thorns.

Isaiah 26:16 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 26:16 (KJV)	Isaiah 26:16 (NET)
LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.	LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.	O Lord, in distress they looked for you; they uttered incantations because of your discipline.

Isaiah 26:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 26:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κύριε ἐν θλίψει ἐμνήσθην σου ἐν θλίψει μικρᾷ ἡ παιδεία σου ἡμῖν	Κύριε, ἐν θλίψει ἐμνήσθην σου, ἐν θλίψει μικρᾷ ἡ παιδεία σου ἡμῖν
Isaiah 26:16 (NETS)	Isaiah 26:16 (English Elpenor)
O Lord, in affliction I remembered you; with small affliction your chastening was on us.	Lord, in affliction I remembered thee; thy chastening was to us with small affliction.

Isaiah 26:17 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 26:17 (KJV)	Isaiah 26:17 (NET)
Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.	Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.	As when a pregnant woman gets ready to deliver and strains and cries out because of her labor pains, so were we because of you, O Lord.

Isaiah 26:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 26:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὡς ἡ ὠδίνουσα ἐγγίζει τοῦ τεκεῖν καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ ὠδῖνι αὐτῆς ἐκέκραξεν οὕτως ἐγενήθημεν τῷ ἀγαπητῷ σου διὰ τὸν φόβον σου κύριε	καὶ ὡς ἡ ὠδίνουσα ἐγγίζει τοῦ τεκεῖν καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ ὠδῖνι αὐτῆς ἐκέκραξεν, οὕτως ἐγενήθημεν τῷ ἀγαπητῷ σου διὰ τὸν φόβον σου, Κύριε
Isaiah 26:17 (NETS)	Isaiah 26:17 (English Elpenor)
And as a woman in travail is about to give birth and cries out in her pangs, so were we to your beloved because of the fear of you, O Lord.	And as a woman in travail draws nigh to be delivered, [and] cries out in her pain; so have we been to thy beloved.

Isaiah 26:18 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 26:18 (KJV)	Isaiah 26:18 (NET)
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.	We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.	We were pregnant, we strained, we gave birth, as it were, to wind. We cannot produce deliverance on the earth; no people are born to populate the world.

Isaiah 26:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 26:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν καὶ ὠδινήσαμεν καὶ ἐτέκομεν πνεῦμα σωτηρίας σου ἐποιήσαμεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀλλὰ πεσοῦνται οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς	ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν καὶ ὠδινήσαμεν καὶ ἐτέκομεν· πνεῦμα σωτηρίας σου ἐποιήσαμεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὐ πεσούμεθα, ἀλλὰ πεσοῦνται πάντες οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
Isaiah 26:18 (NETS)	Isaiah 26:18 (English Elpenor)
We conceived and travailed and gave birth; we produced a wind of your salvation on the earth, but those who dwell on the earth will fall.	We have conceived, O Lord, because of thy fear, and have been in pain, and have brought forth the breath of thy salvation, which we have wrought upon the earth: we shall not fall, but all that dwell upon the land shall fall.

John 3:14, 15 (NET)	John 3:14, 15 (KJV)
Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,	And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

John 3:14 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 3:14 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 3:14 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ καθὼς Μωϋσῆς ὕψωσεν τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου	και καθως μωσης υψωσεν τον οφιν εν τη ερημω ουτως υψωθηναι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου	και καθως μωσης υψωσεν τον οφιν εν τη ερημω ουτως υψωθηναι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου

so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:15 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 3:15 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 3:15 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐν αὐτῷ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον	ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον	ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον

Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 4

Back to Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 3

Back to Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 5

Back to Antichrist, Part 6

¹ Justice and Mercy

² Matthew 12:18a (ESV)

³ Isaiah 42:1a (ESV) Table

⁴ Isaiah 42:1a (ESV) Table

⁵ Matthew 12:18a (ESV)

⁶ From “Eyes Wide Shut: Adaptation” on Wikipedia online: Kubrick adapted Eyes Wide Shut with co-writer Frederic Raphael from Arthur Schnitzler’s 1926 novella Dream Story…For the film, Kubrick transposed the events to 1990s Greenwich Village in New York City, instead featuring an American doctor, Bill, and his wife, Alice.^[19] In an introduction to a Penguin Classics edition of Dream Story, Raphael wrote that, “Fridolin is not declared to be a Jew, but his feelings of cowardice, for failing to challenge his aggressor, echo the uneasiness of Austrian Jews in the face of Gentile provocation.”^[20] Kubrick, who frequently removed references to Jewishness of characters in the novels he adapted,^[21][22] felt that the character of Bill should be a “Harrison Ford-ish goy” and created the surname of Harford as an allusion to the actor.^[23]

⁷ Philippians 3:9b (NET)

⁸ Philippians 3:9c (NET)

⁹ Philippians 3:9c (ESV)

¹⁰ See A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 4 for a table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to Genesis 2:7b in the Septuagint.

¹¹ In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ Moses was spelled Μωϋσῆς, and μωσης in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

¹² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐν αὐτῷ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ (KJV: in him should not perish, but). The implicit argument of the critical text, NA²⁸, is that ἐν αὐτῷ is the older and, therefore, more original text. Currently, I would understand ἐν αὐτῷ in the dative case as by means of Him rather than as an indirect object.

¹³ From “Who Was Rashi?” on chabad.org online.

¹⁴ Isaiah 26:19a (English Elpenor) Paul used another form of πίπτω in his rhetorical question regarding Israel’s stumble: So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall [πέσωσιν]? (Romans 11:11 ESV)

¹⁵ 1 Corinthians 15:45b (ESV)

¹⁶ Matthew 12:17b (ESV) Table

¹⁷ Matthew 12:18 (ESV)

¹⁸ Romans 9:31a (ESV) Table

¹⁹ Romans 9:32b (ESV) Table

²⁰ Romans 9:3b (ESV) Table

²¹ Isaiah 26:18a (ESV)

²² Romans 9:32a (ESV) Table

²³ Isaiah 42:1a (ESV) Table

²⁴ Matthew 12:18a (ESV) Table

Exploration, Part 17

Posted on January 29, 2026 by admin

I want to continue hearing with faith¹ the truth of the Gospel in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 2:17-22 ESV).

And he² came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near [Table]. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God [Table], built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord [Table]. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

The Greek is: καὶ ἐλθὼν, And he came, εὐηγγελίσατο εἰρήνην, and preached peace, ὑμῖν τοῖς μακρὰν, to you who were far off, καὶ εἰρήνην τοῖς ἐγγύς, and peace to those who were near. The second instance of εἰρήνην is absent from the Byzantine Majority Text. If I adopt Maurice Robinson’s “view,” that the “Byzantine Priority…was the one that was considered the text from which the other text types or clusters derived over time,” I get: “And He came and preached peace to you, those far off (τοῖς μακρὰν) and those near (καὶ τοῖς ἐγγύς).”

And one of the scribes came up and heard Jesus and the Sadducees disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him (Mark 12:28-34 ESV):

“Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one [Table]. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’³ [Table]. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’⁴ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher (καλῶς, διδάσκαλε). You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices” [Table]. And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far (οὐ μακρὰν) from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Earlier in the 2^nd chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul applied the concept far off to the Gentiles by means of the flesh, those called foreskin, and the concept near to those called the circumcision (by means of flesh made by hand).

Therefore remember that at one time you, the Gentiles by means of the flesh, those called foreskin by those called the circumcision (by means of flesh made by hand) since you were by means of that time apart from Christ, had become an outsider of citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and godless by means of the world [Table]. But now by means of Christ Jesus you, who at any time are far off (μακρὰν), have come into existence near at hand (ἐγγὺς) by means of Christ’s bloodshed.⁵

He recognized, however, that the more significant measure of far off and near was one’s affinity for the Word (Romans 10:5-13 ESV).

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them⁶ [Table]. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart,⁷ ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”⁸ (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’”⁹ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near (ἐγγύς) you, in your mouth and in your heart”¹⁰ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone (πᾶς) who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”¹¹

One’s starting position as Gentile or Jew has little direct impact upon one’s affinity for the Word: So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him,¹² John wrote. These were those called the circumcision (by means of flesh made by hand). Not only that, they were those who had believed Jesus. The Greek words translated who had believed are τοὺς πεπιστευκότας, a participle of πιστεύω in the perfect tense.

The basic thought of the perfect tense is that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect…Unlike the English perfect, which indicates a completed past action, the Greek perfect tense indicates the continuation and present state of a completed past action.¹³

In other words, their faith was in full operation as Jesus’ spoke with them. Their status seems as near as anyone could imagine. Now consider their affinity for the Word as Jesus questions the value of their own estimations of their status (John 8:31-33 ESV):

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” [Table]

Jesus described how one is born from above: abide in my word. He looked forward to the cross, and beyond the cross to Pentecost when the Holy Spirit would reside in them, after He had created the one new man. No, I don’t imagine that the Jews who had believed him (and continued in that faith) understood all of this at that particular moment. But the duplicity of their answer demonstrates that they realized He wasn’t talking about political freedom: We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. The Roman occupation of Israel was not quite the same expression of the Lord’s anger as the Babylonian conquest and captivity of Judah (2 Kings 24:20-25:26), but were they not Jews? Did they not chafe under Roman rule? Did they not hope for a Messiah to liberate them from it?

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”¹⁴ He was blunt and direct, and translating ὁ ποιῶν, the nominative present participle of ποιέω in the active voice, who practices corrupts and dilutes his meaning: “that everyone (πᾶς) who does (ὁ ποιῶν) sin the sin slave (τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλος) is.” What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit, Jesus said to Nicodemus. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’¹⁵ The “sin slave” is synonymous with your old self (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, e.g., the old human), which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.¹⁶ And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away (περιελεῖν, a form of περιαιρέω) sins.¹⁷

The slave does not remain in the house forever,¹⁸ Jesus continued. In other words, “the sin slave,” your old self, the old human does not have eternal life, not now, not ever, never. But, the son remains forever.¹⁹ The Son has eternal life: So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.²⁰ How? “If you abide in my word…you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”²¹

Then the Truth began to address the difference between being offspring of Abraham (σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ) in the flesh and having Abraham as a father by means of the Spirit (John 8:37, 38 ESV).

I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father” [Table].

The Jews who had believed him²² caught the drift of Jesus’ words, even as they rejected their truth: They answered him, “Abraham is our father.”²³ So Jesus put a very fine point on the meaning of having Abraham as a father (John 8:39b-41a ESV).

Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did [Table], but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did” [Table].

This is an opportune moment to reconsider the words Jesus spoke that the Jews who had believed him heard with faith (John 8:21b-30 ESV).

“I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “Will he kill himself, since he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” He said²⁴ to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him” [Table]. They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me [Table]. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him” [Table]. As he was saying these things (Ταῦτα), many believed in him.

You are from below; I am from above; You are of this world; I am not of this world, were some of the words the Jews who had believed him heard when they believed. Their defensive response to Jesus indicates that they grasped his meaning, at least in part (John 8:41b ESV).

They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God” [Table].

So Jesus explained what it means to be born of God (John 8:42 ESV).

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me [Table].

Then He explained what it means to be from below, of this world (John 8:43-47 ESV).

Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do (θέλετε ποιεῖν; literally “you want to do”) your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies [Table]. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? [Table] Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

In other words, though they might be considered near as Jews, their lack of affinity for the Word of God demonstrates how far off they actually were. This is the unbridgeable distance that makes the nearness of the circumcised relative to Gentiles relatively insignificant: For He, He is our peace: who has made the both one²⁵ (Romans 3:9-12 ESV):

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one”²⁶ [Table].

The “sin slave,” your old self (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, e.g., the old human), which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires²⁷ is persistent in its defense of itself, hell-bent to kick against the goads.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.²⁸

“Who then can be saved?” Jesus’ astonished disciples exclaimed after He described the difficulty of entering the kingdom of heaven. But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”²⁹ “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”³⁰ And they have conquered [the great dragon…that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world³¹] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν) even unto death.³²

Translating τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν their lives focuses too much attention on the flesh. Let’s not use the devil’s abuse of God’s children as the key to interpreting Jesus’ words. Only αὐτῶν is plural: they loved not their soul—“the sin slave,” your old self (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, e.g., the old human), which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires³³—even unto death. As Jesus said (John 12:25 ESV):

Whoever loves his life (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ; literally “his soul from below, of this world”) loses it, and whoever hates his life (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ; literally “his soul from below”) in this world will keep it for eternal life [Table].

Ephesians 2:18 and 2:19 continued: ὅτι δι᾿ αὐτοῦ, For through him, ἔχομεν τὴν προσαγωγὴν οἱ ἀμφότεροι, we both have access (or “we have access, the both,”), ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι, in one Spirit (or “by means of one Spirit”), πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, to the Father. Αρα οὖν, So then, οὐκέτι, no longer, ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι, you are strangers and aliens (or “are you strangers and aliens”), ἀλλὰ ἐστὲ, but you are, συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων, fellow citizens with the saints (or “fellow-citizens of the holy”), καὶ οἰκεῖοι, and members of the household, τοῦ θεοῦ, of God. In other words you are: the new self (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον; “the new human”), created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.³⁴

Thus far the truth to be hearing with faith³⁵ is: And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we have access, the both, by means of one Spirit to the Father. So then no longer are you strangers and aliens but you are fellow-citizens of the holy and members of the household of God, Ἐποικοδομηθέντες, built (or “having been built”), ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ, on the foundation (or “by means of the foundation”), τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, of the apostles and prophets, ὄντος, being, ἀκρογωνιαίου, the cornerstone, αὐτοῦ, himself, Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, Christ Jesus, ἐν ᾧ, in whom (or “by means of whom”), πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ, the whole structure, συναρμολογουμένη, being joined together, αὔξει εἰς ναὸν ἅγιον, grows into a holy temple, ἐν κυρίῳ, in the Lord (or “by means of the Lord”); ἐν ᾧ καὶ, In him also (or “By means of whom also”), ὑμεῖς συνοικοδομεῖσθε, you are being built together, εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ θεοῦ, into a dwelling place for God (or “into a dwelling-place of God,” or “into God’s dwelling-place”), ἐν πνεύματι, by the Spirit (or “by means of the Spirit”).

To review Ephesians 2, consider first the multiplexed truths of the dative case (Ephesians 2:1-3 EXP14):

By means of (in)…

To…

And you (as bodies hosting both an old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,³⁶ and a new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness³⁷) are dead (ὄντας νεκροὺς; or “being dead”) by means of your trespasses and sins [Table] by means of which once you walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit now at work by means of the sons of disbelief—among whom also we all lived once by means of the passions of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and the understanding, and were children by means of nature of wrath like also the rest [Table].

And you (a new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness³⁸) are dead (ὄντας νεκροὺς; or “being dead”) to your trespasses and sins [Table] by means of which once you walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit now at work by means of the sons of disbelief—among whom also we all lived once by means of the passions of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and the understanding, and were children by means of nature of wrath like also the rest [Table].

But God being rich by means of mercy because of his great love who loved us in spite of being us, dead in our trespasses (by means of grace you are, were and continue to be saved and raised up and seated by means of the heavenly by means of Christ Jesus), so that he might show by means of the ages to come the immeasurable riches of his grace by means of kindness toward us by means of Christ Jesus [Table]. For by means of grace you are, were and continue to be saved through faith, and this not from within you, God’s gift [Table], not out from works, so that no one may boast [about oneself]. For we are his workmanship, created by means of Christ Jesus to good works which God prepared beforehand, so that by means of them we may walk.³⁹

Therefore remember that at one time you, the Gentiles by means of the flesh, those called foreskin by those called the circumcision (by means of flesh made by hand) since you were by means of that time apart from Christ, had become an outsider of citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and godless by means of the world [Table]. But now by means of Christ Jesus you, who at any time [by means of the flesh, by means of that time] are far off, have come into existence near at hand by means of Christ’s bloodshed.⁴⁰

For He, He is our peace: who has made the both one, and who has made the broken down middle wall of partition, who has made the hostility by means of his flesh, who has made the law of commandments nullified by means of dogmas in order that He might create by means of himself the two into one new human, making peace [Table], and might reconcile the both by means of one body to God (by means of God) through the cross, having killed the hostility by means of Him.⁴¹

The truth to be hearing with faith⁴² is (Ephesians 2:17-22 EXP17):

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near [Table]. For through him we have access, the both, by means of one Spirit to the Father. So then no longer are you strangers and aliens but you are fellow-citizens of the holy and members of the household of God [Table], having been built by means of the foundation of the apostles and prophets, being the cornerstone himself, Christ Jesus, by means of whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple by means of the Lord [Table]. By means of whom also you are being built together into God’s dwelling-place by means of the Spirit.

Tables comparing John 8:21 and 8:23 in the KJV and NET follow.

John 8:21 (NET)	John 8:21 (KJV)
Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will look for me but will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.”	Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

John 8:21 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 8:21 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 8:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Εἶπεν οὖν πάλιν αὐτοῖς· ἐγὼ ὑπάγω καὶ ζητήσετε με, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖσθε· ὅπου ἐγὼ ὑπάγω ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν	ειπεν ουν παλιν αυτοις ο ιησους εγω υπαγω και ζητησετε με και εν τη αμαρτια υμων αποθανεισθε οπου εγω υπαγω υμεις ου δυνασθε ελθειν	ειπεν ουν παλιν αυτοις ο ιησους εγω υπαγω και ζητησετε με και εν τη αμαρτια υμων αποθανεισθε οπου εγω υπαγω υμεις ου δυνασθε ελθειν

John 8:23 (NET)	John 8:23 (KJV)
Jesus replied, “You people are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world.	And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

John 8:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 8:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 8:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· ὑμεῖς ἐκ τῶν κάτω ἐστέ, ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἰμί· ὑμεῖς ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κόσμου ἐστέ, ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου	και ειπεν αυτοις υμεις εκ των κατω εστε εγω εκ των ανω ειμι υμεις εκ του κοσμου τουτου εστε εγω ουκ ειμι εκ του κοσμου τουτου	και ειπεν αυτοις υμεις εκ των κατω εστε εγω εκ των ανω ειμι υμεις εκ του κοσμου τουτου εστε εγω ουκ ειμι εκ του κοσμου τουτου

Exploration, Part 18

Back to Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 3

¹ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

² But now by means of Christ Jesus you, who at any time are far off, have come into existence near at hand by means of Christ’s bloodshed (Ephesians 2:13 EXP15).

³ See Atonement, Part 5 and The Day of the Lord, Part 8 for tables comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation to that of the Septuagint.

⁴ See The Day of the Lord, Part 8 for a table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation to that of the Septuagint.

⁵ Ephesians 2:11-13 EXP15

⁶ See Romans, Part 13 for a table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

⁷ See Romans, Part 13 for a table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

⁸ See Romans, Part 13 for a table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

⁹ See Romans, Part 13 for a table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

¹⁰ See Romans, Part 13 for a table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

¹¹ See Romans, Part 38 for a table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

¹² John 8:31a (ESV)

¹³ From Verb Tenses: Perfect Tense, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

¹⁴ John 8:34 (ESV)

¹⁵ John 3:6, 7 (NET)

¹⁶ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

¹⁷ Hebrews 10:11 (ESV)

¹⁸ John 8:35a (ESV)

¹⁹ John 8:35b (ESV)

²⁰ John 8:36 (ESV)

²¹ John 8:31b, 32 (ESV)

²² John 8:31a (ESV)

²³ John 8:39a (ESV) Table

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔλεγεν here, a form of λέγω in the imperfect tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπεν in the 2^nd aorist tense.

²⁵ Ephesians 2:14a (EXP16) Detail 1, Detail 2

²⁶ See Hannah’s Prayer, Part 1 for a detailed consideration of Paul’s quotation/allusion.

²⁷ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

²⁸ Invictus, by William Ernest Henley

²⁹ Matthew 19:25b, 26 (ESV) Table

³⁰ John 12:32 (ESV)

³¹ Revelation 12:9 (ESV) Table

³² Revelation 12:11 (ESV)

³³ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

³⁴ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

³⁵ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

³⁶ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

³⁷ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

³⁸ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

³⁹ Ephesians 2:4-10 (EXP14)

⁴⁰ Ephesians 2:11-13 (EXP15)

⁴¹ Ephesians 2:14-16 (EXP16)

⁴² Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

Exploration, Part 16

Posted on December 11, 2025 by admin

I want to continue hearing with faith¹ the truth of the Gospel in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Another essay concluded with (Ephesians 2:11-13 EXP15):

Therefore remember that at one time you, the Gentiles by means of the flesh, those called foreskin by those called the circumcision (by means of flesh made by hand) since you were by means of that time apart from Christ, had become an outsider of citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and godless by means of the world [Table]. But now by means of Christ Jesus you, who at any time are far off, have come into existence near at hand by means of Christ’s bloodshed.

Paul continued (Ephesians 2:14-16 ESV):

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself² one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

The Greek is: Αὐτὸς γάρ, For himself (literally, “For He”), ἐστιν, he is, ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, our peace. The 3^rd person singular verb ἐστιν translates he is as the personal pronoun αὐτός (ESV: himself) adds emphasis. I chose He to remind me that αὐτός is in the nominative case: “For He, He is our peace.”

In one sense, this is a simple practical statement, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (εἰρήνη). It is also profound. Jesus said, (Matthew 10:34-36 ESV):

Do not think that I have come to bring peace (εἰρήνην, a form of εἰρήνη) to the earth. I have not come to bring peace (εἰρήνην, a form of εἰρήνη), but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies (ἐχθροὶ, a form of ἐχθρός) will be those of his own household [Table].³

This seems like an odd thing for the Prince of Peace to say.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 9:6, 7 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 9:6, 7 (NET)	Isaiah 9:6, 7 (NETS)	Isaiah 9:6, 7 (English Elpenor)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (שָׁלֽוֹם).	For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called Wonderful Adviser, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (šālôm, שלום).	because a child was born for us, a son also given to us, whose sovereignty was upon his shoulder, and he is named Messenger of Great Counsel, for I will bring peace upon the rulers, peace and health to him.	For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder, and his name is called the Messenger of great counsel, < Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Potentate, Prince of Peace (εἰρήνης), Father of the Age to come >: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him.
Of the increase of his government and peace (וּלְשָׁל֣וֹם) there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.	His dominion will be vast, and he will bring immeasurable prosperity (šālôm, ולשלום). He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will accomplish this.	His sovereignty is great, and his peace (τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτοῦ) has no boundary upon the throne of Dauid and his kingdom, to make it prosper and to uphold it with righteousness and with judgment from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord Sabbaoth will do these things.	His government shall be great, and of his peace (τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτοῦ) there is no end: [it shall be] upon the throne of David, and [upon] his kingdom, to establish it, and to support [it] with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.

A comparison of the English translations of identical Hebrew word strings found in Isaiah 9:6, 7 (9:5, 6) from the ESV and The Complete Jewish Bible follows:

Isaiah 9:6, 7 (ESV)

Isaiah 9:5, 6 (The Complete Jewish Bible)

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

For a child has been born to us, a son given to us, and the authority is upon his shoulder, and the wondrous adviser, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, called his name, “the prince of peace.” To him who increases the authority, and for peace without end, on David’s throne and on his kingdom, to establish it and to support it with justice and with righteousness; from now and to eternity, the zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this.

The Prince of Peace comes to bring peace without end. The difficulty seems to arise from translating two occurrences of βαλεῖν in Matthew 10:34 to bring. It is a form of βάλλω: “to throw, cast, thrust; to put, place, lay, set up (a mound); to pour; to rush (intrans.); to send forth (roots).” The same word was translated throw it in Jesus’ second response to a Canaanite woman’s request for healing of her demon-possessed daughter (Matthew 15:21-28 ESV).

And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us” [Table]. He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me” [Table]. And he answered, “It is not right (καλὸν, a form of καλός; e.g., beautiful) to take the children’s bread and throw it (βαλεῖν, a form of βάλλω) to the dogs.”⁴ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire (θέλεις, a form of θέλω).” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Behold, the hour is coming, Jesus clarified the relationship of his peace and faith for his disciples, indeed it⁵ has come, when you will be scattered (σκορπισθῆτε, a form of σκορπίζω), each to his own home, and will leave me⁶ alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me (ἐν ἐμοὶ; or, “by means of me”) you may have peace (εἰρήνην ἔχητε).⁷ In the world (ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, or “by means of the world”)⁸ you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.⁹ In other words, believing Jesus’ words about them—you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone—rather than arguing that they were better—more faithful—than that, Jesus’ disciples could have shared his peace as they scattered, rather than being confronted with the proof of their lying hearts.

But perhaps they learned something from that experience, as Paul did from his (Romans 7:15, 18b, 19 ESV):

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want (θέλω), but I do the very thing I hate…I have the desire (θέλειν, another form of θέλω) to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want (θέλω), but the evil I do not want (θέλω) is what I keep on doing [Table].

In all fairness, Jesus’ peace was directly related to fervently expressing his desire, not to be tortured to death, to his Father in prayer. Yet still He prayed, not my will (τὸ θέλημα μου), but yours, be done.¹⁰ His disciples had the same opportunity to express their desires, to be bold faithful followers of the Lord Jesus, and their own willingness to submit their wills to God’s will, but they slept instead. My purpose here is to understand how He is our peace in a world of tribulation, not to criticize Jesus’ disciples. I’m nearly seventy-two-years-old and am only occasionally as present in the moment as I am suggesting they might have been, despite having the indwelling Holy Spirit of God and the whole Bible at my disposal.

And his disciples did fulfill the prophetic word of Jesus (and the prophet) after Jesus said (Matthew 26:53-56a ESV):

“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? [Table] But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me [Table]. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”

Then all the disciples left him and fled.¹¹ As much as I might wish that Jesus’ words brought them to their senses, that they hurried away to fulfill the prophets’ words, I’m skeptical and suspect that their divided hearts feared those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, more than him (e.g., Jesus) who can destroy both soul and body in hell (γεέννῃ, or “by means of hell”).¹²

Again, my point is not to criticize Jesus’ disciples but to use the Gospel narratives to contrast who they were before his crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and their receiving of the promised indwelling Holy Spirit, and the book of Acts to recognize who they became after. (Frankly, I prefer not to be compared to them at all, though I recognize the same indwelling Holy Spirit in me, causing me to see the transformation He worked in them and leading me on to be more like them.)

Ephesians 2:14 continued: ὁ ποιήσας, who has made, τὰ ἀμφότερα ἓν, us both one (literally, “the both one”; e.g., Gentiles…those called foreskin, and those called the circumcision), καὶ, and, τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ, the dividing wall, λύσας, has broken down, τὴν ἔχθραν, of hostility (literally, “the hostility”), ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ, in his flesh (or “by means of his flesh”). Three different English translations of καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας follow:

Ephesians 2:14c (ESV)	Ephesians 2:14c (NET)	Ephesians 2:14c (KJV)
and has broken down…the dividing wall	and who destroyed the middle wall of partition	and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

These English translations change some with the addition of the words which follow those above: τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ.

Ephesians 2:14cd (ESV)	Ephesians 2:14cd, 15b (NET)	Ephesians 2:14c, 15b (KJV)
and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility	and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, …in his flesh	and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; …in his flesh the enmity

It slows me down and prompts me to wonder what καὶ, and (ESV, NET, KJV), means here. All three translations render τὸ μεσότοιχον, the dividing wall (ESV, though this is more likely the translation of τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ), the middle wall (NET, KJV), in the accusative case as the direct object of the nominative participle λύσας. Both τὸ and μεσότοιχον might be understood in the nominative case as well. I want to consider that possibility if for no other reason than to reject it.

So, if τὸ μεσότοιχον was intended as the subject of its own clause, it needs to do something.

…who has made the both one and the middle wall of partition has broken down the hostility.

Here, and coordinates two relatively independent clauses. The direct object of the second clause, τὴν ἔχθραν, the hostility, is in the accusative case. It fits grammatically, but whose hostility? What hostility is broken down by a middle wall of partition? “For He, He is our peace, who has made the both one and good fences make good neighbors”? If I add ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ, in his flesh, to this word string, things get very strange.

…who has made the both one and the middle wall of partition has broken down the hostility in his flesh.

The second independent clause sounds like the opposite of the truth. Frankly, I would feel better understanding the middle wall as the subject of its own independent clause if it were followed by a verb like λύσῃ or ἔλυσε rather than a nominative participle λύσας, like ποιήσας, has made (ESV), in the previous clause. And that’s a good clue to accepting that τὸ μεσότοιχον, the dividing wall (ESV), the middle wall (NET, KJV), should probably be understood in the accusative case.

The translators of the NET did something interesting: and who destroyed the middle wall of partition. With the addition of the pronoun who, they brought the article ὁ across the conjunction and (καὶ), yielding ὁ λύσας to mirror ὁ ποιήσας, who has made, in the clause preceding the conjunction. They may have been on to something. But why stop at ὁ?

For He, He is our peace, who has made the both one and who has made the middle wall of partition.

Here, and indicates a second dependent clause. But now what do I do with the nominative participle λύσας? I could treat it like the verbal adjective that it is.

For He, He is our peace, who has made the both one and who has made the broken down (ESV, KJV), (or) the destroyed (NET), middle wall of partition.

That the Lord made this middle wall of partition is a given.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 20:26 (Tanakh) Table	Leviticus 20:26 (NET)	Leviticus 20:26 (NETS) Table	Leviticus 20:26 (English Elpenor)
And ye shall be holy unto Me; for I HaShem am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples (הָֽעַמִּ֖ים), that ye should be Mine.	You must be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the other peoples (ʿam, העמים) to be mine.	And you shall be holy to me, for I the Lord your God am holy, who has separated you from all the nations (πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν) to be mine.	And ye shall be holy to me; because I the Lord your God [am] holy, who separated you from all nations (πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν), to be mine.

And Israel, notorious for desiring to be like all the nations, has attempted to break down this dividing wall or destroy this middle wall of partition (1 Samuel 8:4-8 ESV).

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations (gôy, הַגּוֹיִם; Septuagint: ἔθνη).” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them [Table]. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you [Table].

And the Lord spoke through the prophet Ezekiel:

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.

“What is in your mind shall never happen—the thought, ‘Let us be like the nations (gôy, כַגּוֹיִם; Septuagint: τὰ ἔθνη), like the tribes of the countries, and worship wood and stone.’¹³

A broken down (ESV, KJV) middle wall of partition corresponds to the nuanced relationship Paul described, though destroyed (NET) is a bit overstated (Romans 11:28-32 ESV).

As regards the gospel, they¹⁴ are enemies (ἐχθροὶ, a form of ἐχθρός) for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy [Table]. For God has consigned all (τοὺς πάντας, “the all,” “them all,” rather than τὰ ἀμφότερα, “the both”) to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all (τοὺς πάντας, “the all,” “them all,” rather than τὰ ἀμφότερα, “the both”).

I liked the ESV rendering of Ephesians 2:14bc: who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. Then I looked at it in Greek and noticed that the translators had rendered τὴν ἔχθραν, the hostility, in the accusative case as if it were in the genitive case, of hostility. I asked, Is that what You meant? The path He led me on (as recorded above) alerted me to some aspects of the importance of “beloved enemies.”

The “beloved enemies” who translated the Hebrew—and the wondrous adviser, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, called his name, “the prince of peace”¹⁵—rather than—and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace¹⁶—could become overly persuasive apart from their status as “beloved enemies.” Even the “beloved enemies” who translated the Septuagint struggled with this Hebrew text (see table above). A son called Mighty God, Everlasting Father sounds wrong to monotheists until one meets the Lord Jesus Christ and knows Him personally.

Though they didn’t use the word who, the ESV and KJV translators have effectively brought the article ὁ across the and (καὶ) to the next clause: and [who] has broken down (ESV), and [who] hath broken down (KJV). But only the ESV translators brought τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ back across the nominative participle λύσας into the preceding clause.

Ephesians 2:14cd (NA²⁸)	Ephesians 2:14cd (NET Parallel Greek)	Ephesians 2:14c, 15a (Stephanus Textus Receptus)
καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ	καὶ τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ αὐτοῦ	και το μεσοτοιχον του φραγμου λυσας την εχθραν εν τη σαρκι αυτου
Ephesians 2:14cd (ESV)	Ephesians 2:14cd, 15b (NET)	Ephesians 2:14c, 15b (KJV)
and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility	and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, …in his flesh	and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; …in his flesh the enmity

I favor treating the next phrase in the accusative case, τὴν ἔχθραν, as the beginning of a third dependent clause, second in the list following καὶ, another direct object of ὁ ποιήσας, who has made.

…who has made the hostility by means of his flesh…

This rendering clarifies the hostility (Matthew 26:57, 59-68).

Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered…Now the chief priests¹⁷ and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward.¹⁸ At last two¹⁹ came forward and said,²⁰ “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it²¹ in three days.’” And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God” [Table]. Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death” [Table] Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped²² him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”

John didn’t soft pedal the hostility engendered by Jesus’ flesh (1 John 4:1-6 ESV).

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already [Table]. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God (ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν, or “We from God exist”). Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Ephesians 2:15 continued: τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν, the law of commandments, ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας, expressed in ordinances by abolishing. Clearly, the ESV word order seemed to make more sense: by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances. Translating καταργήσας by abolishing sounds wrong to me, however.

The plural noun δόγμασιν which precedes καταργήσας is in the dative case and might be understood as the means by which something was accomplished, but καταργήσας is a singular participle in the nominative case. So, I’m inclined to drop by, leaving: abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances. But καταργήσας is in the aorist rather than the present tense. So, I’m inclined to treat this clause as a fourth dependent clause, third in the list following καὶ, another direct object of ὁ ποιήσας, and to treat καταργήσας as a verbal adjective describing the state of the law of commandments by means of δόγμασιν.

…who has made the law of commandments abolished by means of ordinances…

A translators’ note (29) in the NET makes a fairly strong case for the word nullify as a translation of καταργήσας:

Or “rendered inoperative.” This is a difficult text to translate because it is not easy to find an English term which communicates well the essence of the author’s meaning, especially since legal terminology is involved. Many other translations use the term “abolish” (so NRSV, NASB, NIV84), but this term implies complete destruction which is not the author’s meaning here. The verb καταργέω (katargeō) can readily have the meaning “to cause someth. to lose its power or effectiveness” (BDAG 525 s.v. 2, where this passage is listed), and this meaning fits quite naturally here within the author’s legal mindset. A proper English term which communicates this well is “nullify” since this word carries the denotation of “making something legally null and void.” This is not, however, a common English word. An alternate term like “rendered inoperative [or ineffective]” is also accurate but fairly inelegant. For this reason, the translation retains the term “nullify”; it is the best choice of the available options, despite its problems.

That gives me: “who has made the law of commandments nullified by means of ordinances,” or “by means of ordinances nullified” for a word order identical to the Greek: ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας. The plural noun δόγμασιν is a neuter form of δόγμα, dogma, in the dative case, “nullified by means of dogmas”: “a doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a church.”²³ In other words: “who has made the law of commandments (e.g., promises to be pursued by faith) nullified by means of dogmas” (which incite people to pursue a law that would lead to righteousness…as if it were based on works).

As Paul wrote (Romans 9:31, 32 ESV):

Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law [Table]. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone [Table].

That the Lord made the law of commandments is a given (Exodus 20). And pursuing righteousness as if it were based on works was the upshot of the partial hardening [that] has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.²⁴

For by people of strange lips and with a foreign tongue the Lord will speak to this people, to whom he has said, “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose”; yet they would not hear. And the word of the Lord will be to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they may go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.²⁵

What I have, then, in relatively few words is another²⁶ of Paul’s panoramic history lessons: “For He, He is our peace: who has made the both one, and who has made the broken down middle wall of partition, who has made the hostility by means of his flesh, who has made the law of commandments nullified by means of dogmas” ἵνα, that (or “in order that”), τοὺς δύο, the two, κτίσῃ ἐν αὐτῷ, he might create in himself (or “He might create by means of himself”), εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, “into” one new man (or “into one new human”), ποιῶν εἰρήνην, making peace (Ephesians 2:14, 15 EXP16):

For He, He is our peace: who has made the both one, and who has made the broken down middle wall of partition, who has made the hostility by means of his flesh, who has made the law of commandments nullified by means of dogmas in order that He might create by means of himself the two into one new human, making peace.

Laid out like this I’m more inclined to understand the both who [He] has made one (ὁ ποιήσας) differently from the two He might create (κτίσῃ, a form of κτίζω) into one new human (εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον). The former one is probably more akin to Paul’s insight that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,²⁷ while the latter one is the sum total of all who did receive him (e.g., Jesus: The true light, which gives light to everyone²⁸), who believed in his name, [who were given] the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God²⁹: the new self (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον), created (κτισθέντα, a participle of κτίζω) after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.³⁰ And remember, the verb κτίσῃ, He might create, a form of κτίζω in the subjunctive mood is both the result and the purpose of the list of things the Lord has made:

…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.³¹

This one new human (ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον) is happening, no matter what I see with my eyes or imagine in my mind: For God has consigned all to disobedience, that (ἵνα) he may have mercy (ἐλεήσῃ, a form of ἐλεέω in the subjunctive mood) on all (τοὺς πάντας, “the all,” “them all”).³²

Ephesians 2:16 continued: καὶ ἀποκαταλλάξῃ, and might reconcile, τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους, us both (literally “the both”), ἐν ἑνὶ σώματι, in one body (or “by means of one body”), τῷ θεῷ, to God (or “by means of God”), διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ, through the cross, ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ, thereby killing the hostility (or “having killed the hostility by means of Him”). The ESV translators seem to have understood ἀποκτείνας in the present tense rather than the aorist tense.

For He, He is our peace: who has made the both one, and who has made the broken down middle wall of partition, who has made the hostility by means of his flesh, who has made the law of commandments nullified by means of dogmas in order that He might create by means of himself the two into one new human, making peace, and might reconcile the both by means of one body to God (by means of God) through the cross, having killed the hostility by means of Him (ἐν αὐτῷ).³³

The ESV translators chose thereby for ἐν αὐτῷ. While it encourages me that their customary translation in him means “by means of Him,” it gives me pause to wonder why they chose thereby here. Did they understand αὐτῷ as a neuter, it, referencing the cross? Though the article τοῦ, the, can be neuter, σταυροῦ, cross, is masculine. Were they concerned that in him raised too many questions to whom him might refer? Truly, ἐν αὐτῷ here refers to God the Father, God the Son, through God the indwelling Holy Spirit, and all that He, the One God, has done.

For by means of grace you are, were and continue to be saved through faith, and this not from within you, God’s gift, not out from works, so that no one may boast [about oneself]. For we are his workmanship, created by means of Christ Jesus to good works which God prepared beforehand, so that by means of them we (e.g., the one new human) may walk.³⁴

According to a note (80) in the NET Jesus alluded to Psalm 110:1 in Matthew 26:64. The following table compares the Greek of that allusion with the Septuagint.

Matthew 26:64c (NET Parallel Greek)	Psalm 110:1b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Psalm 110:1b (Septuagint Elpenor)
καθήμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν	κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου	κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου
Matthew 26:64c (NET)	Psalm 110:1b (NETS)	Psalm 110:1b (English Elpenor)
sitting at the right hand	Sit on my right hand	Sit thou on my right hand

According to a note (82) in the NET Jesus alluded to Daniel 7:13 in Matthew 26:64. The following table compares the Greek of that allusion with the Septuagint.

Matthew 26:64d (NET Parallel Greek)	Daniel 7:13b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Daniel 7:13b (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου…ἐρχόμενον ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ	μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος ἦν	μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος ἦν
Matthew 26:64d (NET)	Daniel 7:13b (NETS)	Daniel 7:13b (English Elpenor)
the Son of Man…coming on the clouds of heaven.	as it were a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven	coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man

Tables comparing Isaiah 9:6; 9:7; 1 Samuel 8:4; 8:5; 8:6; Ezekiel 20:30; 20:31; 20:32; Isaiah 28:11; 28:12 and 28:13 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Isaiah 9:6; 9:7; 1 Samuel (Reigns, Kings) 8:4; 8:5; 8:6; Ezekiel 20:30; 20:31; 20:32; Isaiah 28:11; 28:12 and 28:13 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and comparing Ephesians 2:15; John 16:32; Matthew 26:59-61 and 26:67 in the KJV and NET follow.

Isaiah 9:6 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)	Isaiah 9:6 (NET)
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.	For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.	For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called Wonderful Adviser, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 9:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν υἱὸς καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐγενήθη ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου αὐτοῦ καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄξω εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας εἰρήνην καὶ ὑγίειαν αὐτῷ	ὅτι παιδίον ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν, υἱὸς καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν, οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐγεννήθη ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου αὐτοῦ, καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελoς, < θαυμαστὸς σύμβουλος, Θεὸς ἰσχυρός, ἐξουσιαστής, ἄρχων εἰρήνης, πατὴρ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος· >: ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄξω εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, εἰρήνην καὶ ὑγίειαν αὐτῷ
Isaiah 9:6 (NETS)	Isaiah 9:6 (English Elpenor)
because a child was born for us, a son also given to us, whose sovereignty was upon his shoulder, and he is named Messenger of Great Counsel, for I will bring peace upon the rulers, peace and health to him.	For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder, and his name is called the Messenger of great counsel, < Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Potentate, Prince of Peace, Father of the Age to come >: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him.

Isaiah 9:7 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 9:7 (KJV)	Isaiah 9:7 (NET)
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.	Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.	His dominion will be vast, and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will accomplish this.

Isaiah 9:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 9:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μεγάλη ἡ ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅριον ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον Δαυιδ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ κατορθῶσαι αὐτὴν καὶ ἀντιλαβέσθαι αὐτῆς ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἐν κρίματι ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον ὁ ζῆλος κυρίου σαβαωθ ποιήσει ταῦτα	μεγάλη ἡ ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ὅριον ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον Δαυὶδ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ κατορθῶσαι αὐτὴν καὶ ἀντιλαβέσθαι αὐτῆς ἐν κρίματι καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ὁ ζῆλος Κυρίου σαβαὼθ ποιήσει ταῦτα
Isaiah 9:7 (NETS)	Isaiah 9:7 (English Elpenor)
His sovereignty is great, and his peace has no boundary upon the throne of Dauid and his kingdom, to make it prosper and to uphold it with righteousness and with judgment from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord Sabbaoth will do these things.	His government shall be great, and of his peace there is no end: [it shall be] upon the throne of David, and [upon] his kingdom, to establish it, and to support [it] with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.

1 Samuel 8:4 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 8:4 (KJV)	1 Samuel 8:4 (NET)
Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah.	Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,	So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah.

1 Samuel 8:4 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 8:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ συναθροίζονται ἄνδρες Ισραηλ καὶ παραγίνονται εἰς Αρμαθαιμ πρὸς Σαμουηλ	καὶ συναθροίζονται ἄνδρες ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ παραγίνονται εἰς ᾿Αρμαθαὶμ πρὸς Σαμουὴλ
1 Reigns 8:4 (NETS)	1 Kings 8:4 (English Elpenor)
And the men of Israel gathered together and came to Harmathaim to Samouel	And the men of Israel gather themselves together, and come to Armathaim to Samuel,

1 Samuel 8:5 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 8:5 (KJV)	1 Samuel 8:5 (NET)
And they said unto him: ‘Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways; now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.’	And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.	They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead us, just like all the other nations have.”

1 Samuel 8:5 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 8:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ ἰδοὺ σὺ γεγήρακας καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου οὐ πορεύονται ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ σου καὶ νῦν κατάστησον ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς βασιλέα δικάζειν ἡμᾶς καθὰ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη	καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· ἰδοὺ σὺ γεγήρακας, καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου οὐ πορεύονται ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ σου· καὶ νῦν κατάστησον ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς βασιλέα δικάζειν ἡμᾶς, καθὰ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη
1 Reigns 8:5 (NETS)	1 Kings 8:5 (English Elpenor)
and said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not go in your way, and now appoint over us a king to judge us just like all the nations.”	and they said to him, Behold, thou art grown old, and thy sons walk not in thy way; and now set over us a king to judge us as also the other nations [have].

1 Samuel 8:6 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 8:6 (KJV)	1 Samuel 8:6 (NET)
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said: ‘Give us a king to judge us.’ And Samuel prayed unto HaShem.	But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.	But this request displeased Samuel, for they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord.

1 Samuel 8:6 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 8:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἦν πονηρὸν τὸ ῥῆμα ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Σαμουηλ ὡς εἶπαν δὸς ἡμῖν βασιλέα δικάζειν ἡμᾶς καὶ προσηύξατο Σαμουηλ πρὸς κύριον	καὶ πονηρὸν τὸ ῥῆμα ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Σαμουήλ, ὡς εἶπαν, δὸς ἡμῖν βασιλέα δικάζειν ἡμᾶς· καὶ προσηύξατο Σαμουὴλ πρὸς Κύριον
1 Reigns 8:6 (NETS)	1 Kings 8:6 (English Elpenor)
And the message was evil in the eyes of Samouel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” and Samouel prayed to the Lord.	And the thing [was] evil in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us: and Samuel prayed to the Lord.

Ezekiel 20:30 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 20:30 (KJV)	Ezekiel 20:30 (NET)
Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?	Wherefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?	“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers and engage in prostitution with detestable idols?

Ezekiel 20:30 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 20:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ τοῦτο εἰπὸν πρὸς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ισραηλ τάδε λέγει κύριος εἰ ἐν ταῖς ἀνομίαις τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν ὑμεῖς μιαίνεσθε καὶ ὀπίσω τῶν βδελυγμάτων αὐτῶν ὑμεῖς ἐκπορνεύετε	διὰ τοῦτο εἰπὸν πρὸς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ· τάδε λέγει Κύριος· εἰ ἐν ταῖς ἀνομίαις τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν ὑμεῖς μιαίνεσθε καὶ ὀπίσω τῶν βδελυγμάτων αὐτῶν ὑμεῖς ἐκπορνεύετε
Ezekiel 20:30 (NETS)	Ezekiel 20:30 (English Elpenor)
Therefore, speak to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord says: Are you defiling yourselves in the lawless acts of your fathers, and are you playing the whore after their abominations?	Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord, Do ye pollute yourselves with the iniquities of your fathers, and do ye go a-whoring after their abominations,

Ezekiel 20:31 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 20:31 (KJV)	Ezekiel 20:31 (NET)
For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.	For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.	When you present your sacrifices—when you make your sons pass through the fire—you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not allow you to seek me!

Ezekiel 20:31 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 20:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀπαρχαῖς τῶν δομάτων ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀφορισμοῖς ὑμεῖς μιαίνεσθε ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐνθυμήμασιν ὑμῶν ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας καὶ ἐγὼ ἀποκριθῶ ὑμῖν οἶκος τοῦ Ισραηλ ζῶ ἐγώ λέγει κύριος εἰ ἀποκριθήσομαι ὑμῖν καὶ εἰ ἀναβήσεται ἐπὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ὑμῶν τοῦτο	καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀπαρχαῖς τῶν δομάτων ὑμῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἀφορισμοῖς, οἷς ὑμεῖς μιαίνεσθε ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐνθυμήμασιν ὑμῶν ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας, καὶ ἐγὼ ἀποκριθῶ ὑμῖν, οἶκος τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ; ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει Κύριος, εἰ ἀποκριθήσομαι ὑμῖν, καὶ εἰ ἀναβήσεται ἐπὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ὑμῶν τοῦτο
Ezekiel 20:31 (NETS)	Ezekiel 20:31 (English Elpenor)
And by the first fruits of your gifts, with what has been set apart, you defile yourselves in all your notions to this day. And am I to answer you, O house of Israel? I live, says the Lord, if I will answer you and if it will come upinto this spirit of yours.	and [do ye pollute yourselves] with the first-fruits of your gifts, in the offerings wherewith ye pollute yourselves in all your imaginations, until this day; and shall I answer you, O house of Israel? [As] I live, saith the Lord, I will not answer you, neither shall this thing come upon your spirit.

Ezekiel 20:32 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 20:32 (KJV)	Ezekiel 20:32 (NET)
And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.	And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.	“‘What you plan will never happen. You say, “We will be like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone.”

Ezekiel 20:32 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 20:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὃν τρόπον ὑμεῖς λέγετε ἐσόμεθα ὡς τὰ ἔθνη καὶ ὡς αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦ λατρεύειν ξύλοις καὶ λίθοις	καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὃν τρόπον ὑμεῖς λέγετε· ἐσόμεθα ὡς τὰ ἔθνη καὶ ὡς αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦ λατρεύειν ξύλοις καὶ λίθοις
Ezekiel 20:32 (NETS)	Ezekiel 20:32 (English Elpenor)
And it shall not be as you say: We will be like the nations and like the tribes of the earth by serving wood and stones.	And it shall not be as ye say, We will be as the nations, and as the tribes of the earth, to worship stocks and stones.

Isaiah 28:11 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 28:11 (KJV)	Isaiah 28:11 (NET)
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.	For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.	For with mocking lips and a foreign tongue he will speak to these people.

Isaiah 28:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 28:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας ὅτι λαλήσουσιν τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ	διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας, ὅτι λαλήσουσι τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ
Isaiah 28:11 (NETS)	Isaiah 28:11a (English Elpenor)
because of contempt from lips, through a different tongue, because they will speak to this people,	by reason of the contemptuous [words] of the lips, by means of another language: for they shall speak to this people,

Isaiah 28:12 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 28:12 (KJV)	Isaiah 28:12 (NET)
To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.	To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.	In the past he said to them, “This is where security can be found. Provide security for the one who is exhausted. This is where rest can be found.” But they refused to listen.

Isaiah 28:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 28:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λέγοντες αὐτῷ τοῦτο τὸ ἀνάπαυμα τῷ πεινῶντι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σύντριμμα καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἀκούειν	λέγοντες αὐτῷ· τοῦτο τὸ ἀνάπαυμα τῷ πεινῶντι καὶ τοῦτο τὸ σύντριμμα, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἀκούειν
Isaiah 28:12 (NETS)	Isaiah 28:11b, 12 (English Elpenor)
saying to them, “This is the rest for the hungry, and this is the destruction”; yet they would not hear.	saying to them, (12) This is the rest to him that is hungry, and this is the calamity: but they would not hear.

Isaiah 28:13 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 28:13 (KJV)	Isaiah 28:13 (NET)
But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.	But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.	So the Lord’s message to them will sound like meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, and be injured, ensnared, and captured.

Isaiah 28:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 28:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσται αὐτοῖς τὸ λόγιον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ θλῖψις ἐπὶ θλῖψιν ἐλπὶς ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρόν ἵνα πορευθῶσιν καὶ πέσωσιν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ κινδυνεύσουσιν καὶ συντριβήσονται καὶ ἁλώσονται	καὶ ἔσται αὐτοῖς τὸ λόγιον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ θλῖψις ἐπὶ θλῖψιν, ἐλπὶς ἐπ᾿ ἐλπίδι, ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρόν, ἵνα πορευθῶσι καὶ πέσωσιν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ κινδυνεύσουσι καὶ συντριβήσονται καὶ ἁλώσονται
Isaiah 28:13 (NETS)	Isaiah 28:13 (English Elpenor)
And the oracle of the Lord God will be to them affliction upon affliction, hope upon hope, yet a little, yet a little, in order that they may go and fall backward, and they will be in danger and crushed and taken.	Therefore the oracle of God shall be to them affliction on affliction, hope on hope, yet a little, [and] yet a little, that they may go and fall backward; and they shall be crushed and shall be in danger, and shall be taken.

Ephesians 2:15 (NET)	Ephesians 2:15 (KJV)
when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace,	Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

Ephesians 2:15 (NET Parallel Greek)	Ephesians 2:15b (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Ephesians 2:15b (Byzantine Majority Text)
τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας, ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν αὐτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον ποιῶν εἰρήνην	τον νομον των εντολων εν δογμασιν καταργησας ινα τους δυο κτιση εν εαυτω εις ενα καινον ανθρωπον ποιων ειρηνην	τον νομον των εντολων εν δογμασιν καταργησας ινα τους δυο κτιση εν εαυτω εις ενα καινον ανθρωπον ποιων ειρηνην

John 16:32 (NET)	John 16:32 (KJV)
Look, a time is coming—and has come—when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, and I will be left alone. Yet I am not alone because my Father is with me.	Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

John 16:32 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 16:32 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 16:32 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἰδοὺ ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ ἐλήλυθεν ἵνα σκορπισθῆτε ἕκαστος εἰς τὰ ἴδια καμὲ μόνον ἀφῆτε· καὶ οὐκ εἰμὶ μόνος, ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν	ιδου ερχεται ωρα και νυν εληλυθεν ινα σκορπισθητε εκαστος εις τα ιδια και εμε μονον αφητε και ουκ ειμι μονος οτι ο πατηρ μετ εμου εστιν	ιδου ερχεται ωρα και νυν εληλυθεν ινα σκορπισθητε εκαστος εις τα ιδια και εμε μονον αφητε και ουκ ειμι μονος οτι ο πατηρ μετ εμου εστιν

Matthew 26:59-61 (NET)	Matthew 26:59-61 (KJV)
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.	Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;

Matthew 26:59 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 26:59 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 26:59 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ τὸ συνέδριον ὅλον ἐζήτουν ψευδομαρτυρίαν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὅπως αὐτὸν θανατώσωσιν	οι δε αρχιερεις και οι πρεσβυτεροι και το συνεδριον ολον εζητουν ψευδομαρτυριαν κατα του ιησου οπως αυτον θανατωσωσιν	οι δε αρχιερεις και οι πρεσβυτεροι και το συνεδριον ολον εζητουν ψευδομαρτυριαν κατα του ιησου οπως θανατωσωσιν αυτον

But they did not find anything, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward

But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

Matthew 26:60 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 26:60, 61a (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 26:60, 61a (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ οὐχ εὗρον πολλῶν προσελθόντων ψευδομαρτύρων. ὕστερον δὲ προσελθόντες δύο	και ουχ ευρον και πολλων ψευδομαρτυρων προσελθοντων ουχ ευρον (61) υστερον δε προσελθοντες δυο ψευδομαρτυρες	και ουχ ευρον και πολλων ψευδομαρτυρων προσελθοντων ουχ ευρον (61) υστερον δε προσελθοντες δυο ψευδομαρτυρες

and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

Matthew 26:61 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 26:61b (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 26:61b (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἶπαν· οὗτος ἔφη· δύναμαι καταλῦσαι τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν οἰκοδομῆσαι	ειπον ουτος εφη δυναμαι καταλυσαι τον ναον του θεου και δια τριων ημερων οικοδομησαι αυτον	ειπον ουτος εφη δυναμαι καταλυσαι τον ναον του θεου και δια τριων ημερων οικοδομησαι αυτον

Matthew 26:67 (NET)	Matthew 26:67 (KJV)
Then they spat in his face and struck him with their fists. And some slapped him,	Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

Matthew 26:67 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 26:67 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 26:67 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Τότε ἐνέπτυσαν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκολάφισαν αὐτόν, οἱ δὲ ἐράπισαν	τοτε ενεπτυσαν εις το προσωπον αυτου και εκολαφισαν αυτον οι δε ερραπισαν	τοτε ενεπτυσαν εις το προσωπον αυτου και εκολαφισαν αυτον οι δε ερραπισαν

Exploration, Part 17

Back to Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 1

Back to Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 3

Back to Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 3

Back to Exploration, Part 18

Back to Exploration, Part 20

¹ Galatians 3:2b (ESV)

² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αὐτῷ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εαυτω (KJV: himself).

³ Romans, Part 22 for a table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ allusion to Micah 7:6 to that of the Septuagint.

⁴ NET note 36 reads:

sn The term dogs does not refer to wild dogs (scavenging animals roaming around the countryside) in this context, but to small dogs taken in as house pets. It is thus not a derogatory term per se, but is instead intended by Jesus to indicate the privileged position of the Jews (especially his disciples) as the initial recipients of Jesus’ ministry. The woman’s response of faith and her willingness to accept whatever Jesus would offer pleased him to such an extent that he granted her request.
tn Or “lap dogs, house dogs,” as opposed to dogs on the street. The diminutive form originally referred to puppies or little dogs, then to house pets. In some Hellenistic uses κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”

⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had νυν (KJV: is now come) preceding has come. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had καμὲ (NET: and I) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και εμε (KJV: and…me).

⁷ The verb ἔχητε, you may have, is a form of ἔχω in the present tense and subjunctive mood. The clause begins with ἵνα, that, and is a result clause: “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.” From Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁸ The words ἐμοὶ and τῷ κόσμῳ are in the dative case: “The dative is the case of the indirect object, or may also indicate the means by which something is done.” From Noun Cases: Dative Case, GREEK NOUNS (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁹ John 16:32, 33 (ESV)

¹⁰ Luke 22:42b (ESV) Table

¹¹ Matthew 26:56b (ESV)

¹² Matthew 10:28 (ESV) Table

¹³ Ezekiel 20:30-32 (ESV)

¹⁴ …a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25b ESV [Table]).

¹⁵ Isaiah 9:5b (The Complete Jewish Bible)

¹⁶ Isaiah 9:6b (ESV)

¹⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και οι πρεσβυτεροι (KJV: and elders) following the chief priests. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁸ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουχ ευρον (KJV: yet found they none) repeated here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ψευδομαρτυρες (KJV: false witnesses) following two. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἶπαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπον.

²¹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτον here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐράπισαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ερραπισαν. These appear to be alternate spellings of the same part of speech.

²³ From definition 2 of dogma on Merriam-Webster Dictionary online.

²⁴ Romans 11:25b (ESV) Table

²⁵ Isaiah 28:11-13 (ESV)

²⁷ Romans 3:9b (ESV)

²⁸ John 1:9a (ESV)

²⁹ John 1:12, 13 (ESV)

³⁰ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

³¹ From Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

³² Romans 11:32 (ESV)

³³ Ephesians 2:14-16 (EXP16)

³⁴ Ephesians 2:8-10 (EXP14)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

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

Tag Archives: Ephesians 4:24

Antichrist, Part 6

Exploration, Part 20

Exploration, Part 19

Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 4

Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 4

Exploration, Part 18

Hebrews 10:1-4

Justice and Mercy Revisited, Part 3

Exploration, Part 17

Exploration, Part 16