Christianity, Part 12

Posted on October 6, 2023 by admin

There are 3 occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians [see Table below] the Greek word translated all people in: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people (πάντας, a form of πᾶς) to myself.¹ This is a continuation of my consideration of the first (1 Corinthians 7:7 ESV):

I wish that all (πάντας ἀνθρώπους) were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another [Table].

I think everyone (NET) is a good translation of πάντας ἀνθρώπους above, despite “Paul’s assumptions [in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34] about the beautiful preoccupations of an unmarried man and an unmarried or betrothed woman”² limited to “those who were born…of the flesh of Adam” and born “from above…by the Spirit.”³ Here I want to explore the beauty of the story of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech more thoroughly. It began when Abram and Sarai journeyed to Egypt.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 12:10-13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:10-13 (NET)	Genesis 12:10-13 (NETS)	Genesis 12:10-13 (English Elpenor)
And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land.	There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay for a while because the famine was severe.	And a famine occurred upon the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine prevailed upon the land.	And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, because the famine prevailed in the land.
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife (אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ): ‘Behold now, I know that thou art a fair (יְפַת) woman (אִשָּׁ֥ה) to look upon (מַרְאֶ֖ה).	As he approached Egypt, he said to his wife (‘iššâ, אשתו) Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman [NET note 34: Heb “a woman (‘iššâ, אשה) beautiful (yāp̄ê, יפת) of appearance (mar’ê, מראה) are you”].	And it came about when Abram drew near to enter into Egypt that Abram said to his wife (τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ) Sara, “I do know that your are a woman (γυνὴ) beautiful in countenance (εὐπρόσωπος),	And it came to pass when Abram drew nigh to enter into Egypt, Abram said to Sara his wife (τῇ γυναικί), I know that thou art a fair (εὐπρόσωπος) woman (γυνὴ).
And it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say: This is his wife (אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ); and they will kill me, but thee they will keep alive.	When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife (‘iššâ, אשתו).’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive.	it will be, therefore, that should the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’ (γυνὴ αὐτοῦ), and they will kill me, but you they will keep for themselves.	It shall come to pass then that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife (γυνὴ αὐτοῦ), and they shall slay me, but they shall save thee alive.
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.’	So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you and my life will be spared on account of you.”	Say, therefore, ‘I am his sister’, so that it may go well with me because of you, and my soul will live on your account.”	Say, therefore, I am his sister, that it may be well with me on account of thee, and my soul shall live because of thee.

I am harder on Abram/Abraham about this fear than I should be. I’ve never lived in a world where anyone thought to kill me before having sex with my girlfriends or wives. Only God’s care makes Abram’s fear seem foolish. I’ve certainly feared matters of much less import when I should have trusted Him. And Abram’s fear—should the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’, and they will kill me, but you they will keep for themselves⁴—sounds very much like a rationalization of the religious mind among those who have some compunction about sex with another man’s wife.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 12:14-16 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:14-16 (NET)	Genesis 12:14-16 (NETS)	Genesis 12:14-16 (English Elpenor)
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman (הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה) that she was very (מְאֹֽד) fair (יָפָ֥ה).	When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman (‘iššâ, האשה) was very (mᵊ’ōḏ, מאד) beautiful (yāp̄ê, יפה).	And it came about when Abram entered into Egypt—as the Egyptians saw the woman (τὴν γυναῖκα), that she was very (σφόδρα) beautiful (καλὴ)—	And it came to pass when Abram entered into Egypt– the Egyptians having seen his wife (τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ) that she was very (σφόδρα) beautiful (καλὴ)–
And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken (וַתֻּקַּ֥ח) into Pharaoh’s house [Table].	When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife was taken (lāqaḥ, ותקח) into the household of Pharaoh,	that then the rulers of Pharao saw her and praised her to Pharao and brought (εἰσήγαγον) her into Pharao’s house [Table].	that the princes of Pharao saw her, and praised her to Pharao and brought (εἰσήγαγον) her into the house of Pharao.
And he dealt well with Abram for her sake; and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels [Table].	and he did treat Abram well on account of her. Abram received sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.	And for her sake they dealt well with Abram, and he had sheep and calves and donkeys, male and female slaves, mules and camels [Table].	And they treated Abram well on her account, and he had sheep, and calves, and asses, and men-servants, and women-servants, and mules, and camels.

The Hebrew word יָפָ֥ה (yāp̄ê), fair (Tanakh, KJV), beautiful (NET), was translated καλὴ, a form of καλός, in the Septuagint. I want to review what happened after Abimelech took Sarah to contrast that beauty to the story of Pharaoh and Sarai.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:3 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:3 (NET)	Genesis 20:3 (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:3 (English Elpenor)
But G-d came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: ‘Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman (הָֽאִשָּׁ֣ה) whom thou hast taken (לָקַ֔חְתָּ); for she is a man’s wife’.	But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman (‘iššâ, האשה) you have taken (lāqaḥ, לקחת), for she is someone else’s wife.”	And God came in to Abimelech in his sleep during the night and said, “Look, you are about to die by reason of the woman (τῆς γυναικός) whom you have taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she is married to a man.”	And God came to Abimelech by night in sleep, and said, Behold, thou diest for the woman (τῆς γυναικός), whom thou hast taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she has lived with a husband.

God did not warn Pharaoh in a dream:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 12:17 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 12:17 (NET)	Genesis 12:17 (NETS) Table	Genesis 12:17 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife (אֵ֥שֶׁת).	But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases because of Sarai, Abram’s wife (‘iššâ, אשת).	And God tried Pharao and his house with great and grievous trials because of Sara, Abram’s wife (τῆς γυναικὸς).	And God afflicted Pharao with great and severe afflictions, and his house, because of Sara, Abram’s wife (τῆς γυναικὸς).

Was Abimelech somehow different from Pharoah?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:4a (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:4a (NET)	Genesis 20:4a (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:4a (English Elpenor)
Now Abimelech had not come near (קָרַ֖ב) her;	Now Abimelech had not gone near (qāraḇ, קרב) her.	Now Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her,	But Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her,

The implication is strong that Pharoah had…come near (qāraḇ, קָרַ֖ב) her (Tanakh), he had…touched (ἥψατο) her (NETS, English Elpenor). Is that why God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night,⁵ but struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases?⁶ Well, maybe, since the law, which came [more than] 430 years afterward⁷ said, “You shall not commit adultery”⁸?

But that answer only prompts another question, for God said to Abimelech:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:6b (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:6b (NET)	Genesis 20:6b (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:6b (English Elpenor)
I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch (לִנְגֹּ֥עַ) her.	I have kept you from sinning against me and..I did not allow you to touch (nāḡaʿ, לנגע) her.	I was the one who spared you so that you did not sin in regard to me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.	I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.

Here the implication that Pharoah sinned against God by touching Sarai borders on certainty.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 12:18, 19 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:18, 19 (NET)	Genesis 12:18, 19 (NETS)	Genesis 12:18, 19 (English Elpenor)
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said: ‘What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife (אִשְׁתְּךָ֖)?	So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife (‘iššâ,אשתך)?	Now when Pharao had called Abram he said, “What is this you have done to me, that you did not tell me that she is your wife (γυνή σού)?	And Pharao having called Abram, said, What is this thou hast done to me, that thou didst not tell me that she was thy wife (γυνή σου)?
Why saidst thou: She is my sister? so that I took (וָֽאֶקַּ֥ח) her to be my wife (לְאִשָּׁ֑ה); now therefore behold thy wife (אִשְׁתְּךָ֖), take her (קַ֥ח), and go thy way.’	Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took (lāqaḥ, ואקח) her to be my wife (‘iššâ, לאשה)? Now, here is your wife (‘iššâ, אשתך). Take her (lāqaḥ, קח) and go!”	Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? And I took (ἔλαβον) her to myself for a wife (γυναῖκα). And now here is your wife (ἡ γυνή σου) before you; take her (λαβὼν); hurry off.”	Wherefore didst thou say, She is my sister? and I took (ἔλαβον) her for a wife (γυναῖκα) to myself; and now, behold, thy wife (ἡ γυνή σου) is before thee, take her (λαβὼν) and go quickly away.

So, if God did not allow [Abimelech] to touch Sarah, why didn’t He do the same for Pharaoh and Sarai? Before I go on, I should acknowledge that Rashi potentially disputed my “certainty” that Pharaoh “touched” Sarai:⁹

And the Lord plagued Pharaoh…[with] great plagues: He was stricken with the plague of “ra’athan,” making intercourse harmful to him. Gen. Rabbah (41:2)

as well as his household: lit. and his house. As the Targum states: and upon the people of his house, (and its midrashic interpretation (Tan. Lech Lecha 8) is that this includes its walls, pillars, and utensils. In an old Rashi).

on account of Sarai: [The words עַל דְבַר שָׂרַי mean literally] according to her words: she would say to the angel, “Strike,” and he would strike. [from Tan. Lech Lecha 5]

From the word דְּבַ֥ר (dāḇār), a word not translated independently into English, Rashi constructed a scene where Sarai called on an angel to strike Pharaoh and his household. The word “strike” was וַיְנַגַּ֨ע (nāḡaʿ), translated plagued (Tanakh, KJV) and struck (NET), from the same root as לִנְגֹּ֥ע (nāḡaʿ), translated to touch (Tanakh, KJV, NET) when God told Abimelech: I did not allow you to touch her.¹⁰ Rashi didn’t say explicitly whether Sarai told the angel to strike before or after Pharaoh “touched” her. But consider God’s command to Abimelech:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:7 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:7 (NET)	Genesis 20:7 (NETS)	Genesis 20:7 (English Elpenor)
Now therefore restore the man’s wife (אֵֽשֶׁת); for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.’	But now give back the man’s wife (‘iššâ, אשת). Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don’t give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you.”	And now return the woman (τὴν γυναῖκα) to the man, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If, however, you do not restore her, know that you shall die, you and all that are yours.”	But now return the man his wife (τὴν γυναῖκα); for he is a prophet, and shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; but if thou restore her not, know that thou shalt die and all thine.

Then consider Rashi’s commentary:¹¹

return the man’s wife: And do not think that perhaps she will be repugnant to him, and he will not accept her, or that he will hate you and not pray for you. (Abimelech said to Him, “Who will let him know that I did not touch her?” He replied,)

because he is a prophet: And he knows that you did not touch her; therefore, “he will pray for you.” – [from Tan. Buber, Vayera 25]

The suggestion here, that Sarai would or should “be repugnant” to Abram if she told the angel to strike after Pharaoh “touched” her, implies that Rashi intended before Pharaoh “touched” her. I was a little surprised that many if not most commentators seemed to hold that the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases¹² before Pharaoh “touched” Sarai. It was also the hope or expectation of most people I found online.¹³ It would’ve been my own preference. That’s why I’m pursuing the question.

It just seems to me now that the contrast between the two stories implies that Pharaoh “touched” Sarai. I’ll back off from my “certainty.” The text doesn’t explicitly say that Pharaoh “touched” Sarai any more than it says that Sarai “would say to the angel, ‘Strike,’ and he would strike.” The same phrase עַל־דְּבַ֥ר, made up of two words עַל (ʿal) and דְּבַ֥ר (dāḇār), is found in Genesis 20:11.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:11 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:11 (NET)	Genesis 20:11 (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:11 (English Elpenor)
And Abraham said: ‘Because I thought: Surely the fear of G-d is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.	Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.	And Abraam said, “Because I said, It appears there is no piety in this place, and so they will kill me because of my wife.	And Abraam said, Why I said, Surely there is not the worship of God in this place, and they will slay me because of my wife.

Here that two word phrase was translated for…sake (Tanakh) and because of (NET). A note (28) in the NET reads: “Heb ‘over the matter of.’” That seems to be the most reasonable understanding of the phrase in Genesis 12:17. The story of Sarai calling on an angel to defend her virtue would have been a good one to tell, if it actually happened. It sounds a little too much like the chivalric code:

The code of chivalry that developed in medieval Europe had its roots in earlier centuries. It arose in the Carolingian Empire from the idealisation of the cavalryman—involving military bravery, individual training, and service to others—especially in Francia, among horse soldiers in Charlemagne’s cavalry.^{[4]: 2 [5]}

It’s not too hard to imagine that a medieval French rabbi, learning and teaching at a time when these ideals of justice and virtue were percolating, thought that God would put his knight at the fair lady Sarai’s disposal. I’m a little distressed how unchivalrous Abram seems 918 years after Rashi died. This is how Abraham explained it to Abimelech:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:13 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:13 (NET)	Genesis 20:13 (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:13 (English Elpenor)
And it came to pass, when G-d caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her: This is thy kindness (חַסְדֵּ֔ךְ) which thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me: He is my brother.’	When God made me wander from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty (ḥeseḏ, חסדך) to me: Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”	Now it came about when God brought me forth from my father’s house, that then I said to her, ‘This righteousness (δικαιοσύνην) you shall do for me: in every place, there where we enter, say about me, He is my brother.’”	And it came to pass when God brought me forth out of the house of my father, that I said to her, This righteousness (δικαιοσύνην) thou shalt perform to me, in every place into which we may enter, say of me, He is my brother.

The Hebrew word חַסְדֵּ֔ךְ (ḥeseḏ), translated kindness (Tanakh, KJV) and loyalty (NET), was rendered δικαιοσύνην (righteousness) by the rabbis who translated the Septuagint. So, rather than cavil at Abraham’s apparent lack of medieval European moral sensibilities, I should marvel at how far Sarai/Sarah was willing to go to obey her husband, her owner, her lord.

Without speaking a word against Abraham, Peter drew a sharp contrast quietly commending Sarah as one who did good and [did] not fear anything that is frightening.¹⁴ And the Lord didn’t need to constantly critique and criticize Abraham as I am prone to do, since He had already given him a wife who demonstrated such faithful, patient obedience without fear, that he may be won¹⁵ without a word by the conduct of¹⁶ his wife.

I’ll pick this up in another essay. The table mentioned above follows.

Occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians
Reference	NET Parallel Greek	ESV
1 Corinthians 7:7	θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν	I wish that all were as I myself am.
1 Corinthians 14:5	θέλω δὲ πάντας ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν γλώσσαις	Now I want you all to speak in tongues,
1 Corinthians 15:25	ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Tables comparing Genesis 12:10; 12:11; 12:12; 12:13; 12:14; 12:18; 12:19 and 20:7 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 12:10; 12:11; 12:12; 12:13; 12:14; 12:18; 12:19 and 20:7 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing 1 Peter 3:1 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 12:10 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:10 (KJV)	Genesis 12:10 (NET)
And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land.	And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.	There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay for a while because the famine was severe.

Genesis 12:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ κατέβη Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον παροικῆσαι ἐκεῖ ὅτι ἐνίσχυσεν ὁ λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς	Καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ κατέβη ῞Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον παροικῆσαι ἐκεῖ, ὅτι ἐνίσχυσεν ὁ λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
Genesis 12:10 (NETS)	Genesis 12:10 (English Elpenor)
And a famine occurred upon the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine prevailed upon the land.	And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, because the famine prevailed in the land.

Genesis 12:11 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:11 (KJV)	Genesis 12:11 (NET)
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife: ‘Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon.	And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:	As he approached Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman.

Genesis 12:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἤγγισεν Αβραμ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον εἶπεν Αβραμ Σαρα τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ γινώσκω ἐγὼ ὅτι γυνὴ εὐπρόσωπος εἶ	ἐγένετο δέ, ἡνίκα ἤγγισεν ῞Αβραμ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, εἶπεν ῞Αβραμ Σάρᾳ τῇ γυναικί· γινώσκω ἐγώ, ὅτι γυνὴ εὐπρόσωπος εἶ
Genesis 12:11 (NETS)	Genesis 12:11 (English Elpenor)
And it came about when Abram drew near to enter into Egypt that Abram said to his wife Sara, “I do know that your are a woman beautiful in countenance,	And it came to pass when Abram drew nigh to enter into Egypt, Abram said to Sara his wife, I know that thou art a fair woman.

Genesis 12:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:12 (KJV)	Genesis 12:12 (NET)
And it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say: This is his wife; and they will kill me, but thee they will keep alive.	Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.	When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive.

Genesis 12:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἔσται οὖν ὡς ἂν ἴδωσίν σε οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἐροῦσιν ὅτι γυνὴ αὐτοῦ αὕτη καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσίν με σὲ δὲ περιποιήσονται	ἔσται οὖν, ὡς ἂν ἴδωσί σε οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, ἐροῦσιν ὅτι γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν αὐτή, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσί με, σὲ δὲ περιποιήσονται
Genesis 12:12 (NETS)	Genesis 12:12 (English Elpenor)
it will be, therefore, that should the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’, and they will kill me, but you they will keep for themselves.	It shall come to pass then that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife, and they shall slay me, but they shall save thee alive.

Genesis 12:13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:13 (KJV)	Genesis 12:13 (NET)
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.’	Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.	So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you and my life will be spared on account of you.”

Genesis 12:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰπὸν οὖν ὅτι ἀδελφὴ αὐτοῦ εἰμι ὅπως ἂν εὖ μοι γένηται διὰ σέ καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἕνεκεν σοῦ	εἰπὸν οὖν, ὅτι ἀδελφὴ αὐτοῦ εἰμι, ὅπως ἂν εὖ μοι γένηται διὰ σέ, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἕνεκέν σου
Genesis 12:13 (NETS)	Genesis 12:13 (English Elpenor)
Say, therefore, ‘I am his sister’, so that it may go well with me because of you, and my soul will live on your account.”	Say, therefore, I am his sister, that it may be well with me on account of thee, and my soul shall live because of thee.

Genesis 12:14 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:14 (KJV)	Genesis 12:14 (NET)
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.	And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.	When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

Genesis 12:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἰδόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν γυναῖκα ὅτι καλὴ ἦν σφόδρα	ἐγένετο δέ, ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν ῞Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἰδόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, ὅτι καλὴ ἦν σφόδρα
Genesis 12:14 (NETS)	Genesis 12:14 (English Elpenor)
And it came about when Abram entered into Egypt—as the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful—	And it came to pass when Abram entered into Egypt– the Egyptians having seen his wife that she was very beautiful–

Genesis 12:18 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:18 (KJV)	Genesis 12:18 (NET)
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said: ‘What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?	And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?	So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?

Genesis 12:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καλέσας δὲ Φαραω τὸν Αβραμ εἶπεν τί τοῦτο ἐποίησάς μοι ὅτι οὐκ ἀπήγγειλάς μοι ὅτι γυνή σού ἐστιν	καλέσας δὲ Φαραὼ τὸν ῞Αβραμ εἶπε· τί τοῦτο ἐποίησάς μοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπήγγειλάς μοι, ὅτι γυνή σου ἐστίν;
Genesis 12:18 (NETS)	Genesis 12:18 (English Elpenor)
Now when Pharao had called Abram he said, “What is this you have done to me, that you did not tell me that she is your wife?	And Pharao having called Abram, said, What is this thou hast done to me, that thou didst not tell me that she was thy wife?

Genesis 12:19 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:19 (KJV)	Genesis 12:19 (NET)
Why saidst thou: She is my sister? so that I took her to be my wife; now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.’	Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.	Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!”

Genesis 12:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἵνα τί εἶπας ὅτι ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου ἐναντίον σου λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε	ἱνατί εἶπας ὅτι ἀδελφή μου ἐστί; καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ γυναῖκα, καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου ἔναντί σου· λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε
Genesis 12:19 (NETS)	Genesis 12:19 (English Elpenor)
Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? And I took her to myself for a wife. And now here is your wife before you; take her; hurry off.”	Wherefore didst thou say, She is my sister? and I took her for a wife to myself; and now, behold, thy wife is before thee, take her and go quickly away.

Genesis 20:7 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:7 (KJV)	Genesis 20:7 (NET)
Now therefore restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.’	Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.	But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don’t give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you.”

Genesis 20:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
νῦν δὲ ἀπόδος τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὅτι προφήτης ἐστὶν καὶ προσεύξεται περὶ σοῦ καὶ ζήσῃ εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀποδίδως γνῶθι ὅτι ἀποθανῇ σὺ καὶ πάντα τὰ σά	νῦν δὲ ἀπόδος τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὅτι προφήτης ἐστὶ καὶ προσεύξεται περὶ σοῦ καὶ ζήσῃ· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀποδίδως, γνώσῃ ὅτι ἀποθανῇ σὺ καὶ πάντα τὰ σά
Genesis 20:7 (NETS)	Genesis 20:7 (English Elpenor)
And now return the woman to the man, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If, however, you do not restore her, know that you shall die, you and all that are yours.”	But now return the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; but if thou restore her not, know that thou shalt die and all thine.

1 Peter 3:1 (NET)	1 Peter 3:1 (KJV)
In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live,	Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

1 Peter 3:1 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Peter 3:1 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Peter 3:1 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ὁμοίως [αἱ] γυναῖκες, ὑποτασσόμεναι τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν, ἵνα \|καὶ\| εἴ τινες ἀπειθοῦσιν τῷ λόγῳ, διὰ τῆς τῶν γυναικῶν ἀναστροφῆς ἄνευ λόγου κερδηθήσονται	ομοιως αι γυναικες υποτασσομεναι τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν ινα και ει τινες απειθουσιν τω λογω δια της των γυναικων αναστροφης ανευ λογου κερδηθησωνται	ομοιως αι γυναικες υποτασσομεναι τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν ινα και ει τινες απειθουσιν τω λογω δια της των γυναικων αναστροφης ανευ λογου κερδηθησονται

Christianity, Part 13

The Children of Promise, Part 1

Back to The Children of Promise, Part 2

¹ John 12:32 (ESV)

² Christianity, Part 11

³ Christianity, Part 11

⁴ Genesis 12:13 (NETS)

⁵ Genesis 20:3a (NET) Table

⁶ Genesis 12:17a (NET) Table

⁷ Galatians 3:17a (ESV) Table

⁸ Exodus 20:14 (ESV) Table

⁹ From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 12:17 (Tanakh), chabad.org

¹⁰ Genesis 20:6b (NET) Table

¹¹ From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 20:7 (Tanakh), chabad.org

¹² Genesis 12:17a (NET) Table

¹³ “Did Sarah sleep with Pharaoh when she was taken to his palace?;” “Did Pharaoh sleep with Sarah?,” on Ask the Pastors: Questions from real people answered by experienced pastors

¹⁴ 1 Peter 3:6b (ESV)

¹⁵ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had κερδηθήσονται (NET: they will be won over) here in the future tense and indicative mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had κερδηθησωνται (KJV: they…may…be won) in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood.

¹⁶ 1 Peter 3:1b (ESV)

Christianity, Part 11

Posted on September 30, 2023 by admin

There are 3 occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians [see Table below], the Greek word translated all people in: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people (πάντας, a form of πᾶς) to myself.¹ The first occurrence will take some time (1 Corinthians 7:7 ESV):

I wish² that all (πάντας ἀνθρώπους) were as I myself am. But³ each has his own gift from God, one⁴ of one kind and one⁵ of another.

Here πάντας was clearly limited by ἀνθρώπους (KJV: all men). Paul did not wish that all porcupines were as I myself am. I admit when I first read it I considered even all men limited to “very few men” because I heard the second clause as “But most of you aren’t as spiritual as I am.” Yet here πάντας ἀνθρώπους was translated all, everyone in the NET, which has the advantage of eliminating porcupines and other non-humans. And now I no longer think that everyone is wrong, misleading or a poor translation.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote,⁶ Paul began this particular explanation, but what was written wasn’t recorded. Perhaps that’s because it seems fairly obvious that the question involved whether certain people at a certain place and time should or could marry, depending on whether the writers were doing the forbidding, being forbidden or both. Or perhaps it was because the Holy Spirit regarded Paul’s answer as more universally applicable than the questions as written. Paul continued (1 Corinthians 7:1b ESV)

“It is good for a man not to have sexual relations (ἅπτεσθαι) with a woman” [Table].

The Greek word translated good here was καλὸν (a form of καλός), the “beautiful good,” rather than ἀγαθόν (a form of ἀγαθός). I wrote about the “beautiful good” in another essay. So, why did Paul write, It is good (a beautiful good) for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman?

According to Britannica online, “The philosophical and religious ideals of celibacy in the Classical world strongly influenced subsequent practices of celibacy and monasticism in Christianity.”⁷ Was Paul persuaded that pagan celibacy was the highest form of self-righteousness? Probably not.

As I studied, I wondered why Paul chose ἅπτεσθαι, “to touch,” rather than λαμβάνεσθαι, a present middle/passive infinitive form of λαμβάνω, “to take.” And I also wondered why γυναικὸς (ESV: woman), a form of γυνή in the genitive case, was chosen rather than γυνήν in the accusative case or even γυνῇ in the dative. I typed the latter question into a search engine and Barnes’ Notes on the Bible directed me to the story of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:2-6 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:2-6 (NET)	Genesis 20:2-6 (NETS)	Genesis 20:2-6 (English Elpenor)
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife (אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ): ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took (וַיִּקַּ֖ח) Sarah.	Abraham said about his wife (‘iššâ, אשתו) Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took (lāqaḥ, ויקח) her.	And Abraam said of his wife (τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ) Sarra, “She is my sister,” lest perhaps the men of the city kill him on her account. Then Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took (ἔλαβεν) Sarra.	And Abraam said concerning Sarrha his wife (τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ), She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the city should kill him for her sake. So Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took (ἔλαβε) Sarrha.
But G-d came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: ‘Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman (הָֽאִשָּׁ֣ה) whom thou hast taken (לָקַ֔חְתָּ); for she is a man’s (בָּֽעַל) wife (בְּעֻ֥לַת)’ [Table].	But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman (‘iššâ, האשה) you have taken (lāqaḥ, לקחת), for she is someone else’s (baʿal, בעל) wife (bāʿal, בעלת).”	And God came in to Abimelech in his sleep during the night and said, “Look, you are about to die by reason of the woman (τῆς γυναικός) whom you have taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she is married (συνῳκηκυῗα) to a man (ἀνδρί)” [Table].	And God came to Abimelech by night in sleep, and said, Behold, thou diest for the woman (τῆς γυναικός), whom thou hast taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she has lived (συνῳκηυῖα) with a husband (ἀνδρί).
Now Abimelech had not come near (קָרַ֖ב) her; and he said: ‘L-rd, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation?	Now Abimelech had not gone near (qāraḇ, קרב) her. He said, “Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation?	Now Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her, and he said, “Lord, will you destroy an unwitting and righteous nation?	But Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her, and he said, Lord, wilt thou destroy an ignorantly [sinning] and just nation?
Said he not himself unto me: She is my sister? and she, even she herself said: He is my brother. In the simplicity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.’	Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!”	Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said to me, ‘He is my brother’. I did this with a pure heart and righteousness of hands.”	Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said to me, ‘He is my brother’. I did this with a pure heart and righteousness of hands.”
And G-d said unto him in the dream: ‘Yea, I know that in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch (לִנְגֹּ֥עַ) her.	Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch (nāḡaʿ, לנגע) her.	Then God said to him during his sleep, “I too knew that you did this with a pure heart, and I was the one who spared you so that you did not sin in regard to me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.	And God said to him in sleep, Yea, I knew that thou didst this with a pure heart, and I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.

Abimelech took (וַיִּקַּ֖ח) Sarah. In the Septuagint the Greek word translated took was ἔλαβε(ν) (a form of λαμβάνω). Abimelech had every intention of making Sarah one of his wives but he had not come near (קָרַ֖ב) her,⁸ he had not touched (ἥψατο, a form of ἅπτω in the middle voice) her.⁹ The Greek word translated sexual relations (ἅπτεσθαι) in 1 Corinthians 7:1b (ESV) was an infinitive form of ἅπτω also in the middle voice. I did not allow you to touch her,¹⁰ God told Abimelech in a dream. The Greek word translated to touch here was ἅψασθαι, another infinitive form of ἅπτω in the middle voice.

The Greek word γυναικὸς (a form of γυνή) was in the genitive case because whether translated wife¹¹ or woman,¹² she is married (συνῳκηκυῗα) to a man (ἀνδρί),¹³ or she has lived (συνῳκηυῖα) with a husband (ἀνδρί).¹⁴ A note (5) in the NET explained that the Hebrew was literally: “and she is owned by an owner.” Though this concept has been misunderstood as abusive authority, I think the Holy Spirit understands it as a man’s responsibility for his wife.

Consider an owner’s responsibility, written in the law, for an ox or bull:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Exodus 21:28, 29 (Tanakh)	Exodus 21:28, 29 (NET)	Exodus 21:28, 29 (NETS)	Exodus 21:28, 29 (English Elpenor)
And if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner (וּבַ֥עַל) of the ox shall be quit.	“If an ox gores a man or a woman so that either dies, then the ox must surely be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner (baʿal, ובעל) of the ox will be acquitted.	Now if a bull gores a man or a woman and he dies, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and its meat shall not be eaten, but the owner (κύριος) of the bull shall not be liable.	And if a bull gore a man or woman and they die, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner (κύριος) of the bull shall be clear.
But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and warning hath been given to its owner (בִּבְעָלָיו֙), and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner (בְּעָלָ֖יו) also shall be put to death.	But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner (baʿal, בבעליו) was warned but he did not take the necessary precautions, and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man (baʿal, בעליו) must be put to death.	But if the bull was prone to gore before yesterday and before the third day and they warn its owner (κυρίῳ) and he does not restrain it and it kills a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner (κύριος) shall die as well.	But if the bull should have been given to goring in former time, and men should have told his owner (κυρίῳ), and he have not removed him, but he should have slain a man or woman, the bull shall be stoned, and his owner (κύριος) shall die also.

Husbands, love your¹⁵ wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, Paul wrote, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself [Table].¹⁶ The Greek words translated should here are ὀφείλουσιν [καὶ], and love is ἀγαπᾶν, an infinitive form of ἀγαπάω in the present tense: In the same way husbands owe also to love their wives as their own bodies.

Yes, I am asking myself at this very moment if I took ownership of, if I accepted the responsibility for, my wife’s spiritual well-being while we were married. No, I’m not at all happy with the answer. “Find’em, feel’em, fuck’em and forget’em,” was the guiding maxim of the 4F club. It was something I learned in elementary school, not part of the official curriculum but handed down from a classmate’s older brother. And though I scoffed at it in my youth as morally beneath me, in my old age I reckon I’ve lived more nearly in compliance to that odious maxim than to any semblance of Christ-likeness. A feminist is not a godly husband: See to that¹⁷ yourself,¹⁸ was too often my attitude as I was preoccupied with more worldly concerns.

It seems like I understand Paul’s insight in 1 Corinthians 7:1b better, at least grasp its generality better, if I don’t even try to translate his word string into a fluent English sentence: καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ γυναικὸς μὴ ἅπτεσθαι, “beautiful man wife not to touch.” That beauty is obvious in the story of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech, when a man does not touch another man’s wife. The beauty of God’s intervention to spare both Sarah and Abimelech is beyond compare. I’ll return to that later. Paul described the beauty of a man not touching his own wife for an agreed upon period of time a few verses after this, and the beauty of not taking a wife at all in some verses after that (1 Corinthians 7:28-35 ESV):

But if you do marry,¹⁹ you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world²⁰ as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please²¹ the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please²² his wife, and his interests are divided.²³ And the unmarried or betrothed woman²⁴ is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body²⁵ and spirit.²⁶ But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please²⁷ her husband. I say this for your own benefit,²⁸ not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion²⁹ to the Lord.

I’ve discounted this entire chapter way too much: the appointed time has grown very short spoke to me of the return of Christ. I couldn’t calculate how Paul might have amended his words if he had known that I would still be waiting in the fall of 2023, and so I failed to pay enough attention to what is actually written here. Now, as I approach my seventieth birthday my appointed time has grown very short and my attention is more focused, perhaps, than in the past. There are things to consider about συνεσταλμένος, the Greek word translated very short, a participle of the verb συστέλλω in the perfect tense. But for the moment I’d rather consider and address something else.

Paul’s assumptions about the beautiful preoccupations of an unmarried man and an unmarried or betrothed woman were not made regarding those who are born of the flesh of Adam only. His words are folly to those who are perishing.³⁰ That which is born of the flesh is flesh,³¹ Jesus explained to Nicodemus. “None is righteous,” Paul wrote of those born only of the flesh of Adam, “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 [Table]. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”³²

In this letter Paul addressed those who were born, not only of the flesh of Adam but, from above as well, by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:4-9 ESV):

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

I say: “I’ve lived more nearly in compliance to that odious [4F club] maxim than to any semblance of Christ-likeness.” But Paul wrote that, our Lord Jesus Christ…will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.³³ The Greek word translated will sustain was βεβαιώσει, a 3^rd person singular form of βεβαιόω in the future tense, active voice and indicative mood: “to establish, strengthen, stabilize, make firm, confirm, secure, warrant, make good.” The word translated you was the plural ὑμᾶς, so I assume Paul meant individuals rather than the Corinthian church as a singular collective.

Everything I’m complaining about in my self-assessment happened after I said a sinner’s prayer to Jesus. Some of it after I returned from atheism. What hurts the most is the more recent events in my forties and fifties when I thought I was doing better. At the very time when 1 Corinthians 7 and Ephesians 5 should have been my daily meditation, I ignored them and became anxious about worldly things, how to please [my] wife,³⁴ and I should’ve known better—but, clearly, I didn’t. During this study, as my failure to understand the love owed to my wife was brought to my attention (how many years after the fact?), I moaned, “Why don’t You just kill me, and be done with it?”

That wouldn’t really accomplish anything from God’s perspective: for all live to him.³⁵ So I suck it up and appropriate Paul’s words as my own, finding hope and comfort (even fellowship) in them (1 Timothy 1:15, 16 ESV):

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life [Table].

I left a sermon on the first chapter of 1 Peter recently, disgruntled. Peter is not my favorite writer, though my Pastor is beginning to help overcome that antipathy in me. The text was: Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.³⁶ I left the worship service that afternoon mumbling something about, “pie in the sky bye and bye.” It took me a day or so to put my disgruntled feelings into words.

But when I finally expressed myself honestly…

No, thank you. I’ll put my hope fully on the grace that is brought to me new every morning, the fruit of Your Spirit: Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

…the Lord’s answer was immediate:

Why do you hope for what you already see?

There wasn’t much left for me to say:

Duh, because I’m an idiot?

And so He corrected my misunderstanding.

Any time I compare myself to Jesus, I come up short. And the appointed time has grown very short³⁷ for that gap to be closed before I see Him face to face. Here is real hope: to set [my] hope fully on the grace that will be brought to [me] at the revelation of Jesus Christ. For now, I keep following Him through the Scripture, all too aware that those who have suffered the most from this gap are those whom I have loved and continue to love (e.g., because I do it so poorly).

I’ll pick this up in another essay. The table mentioned above follows.

Occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians
Reference	NET Parallel Greek	ESV
1 Corinthians 7:7	θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν	I wish that all were as I myself am.
1 Corinthians 14:5	θέλω δὲ πάντας ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν γλώσσαις	Now I want you all to speak in tongues,
1 Corinthians 15:25	ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Tables comparing Genesis 20:2; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; Exodus 21:28 and 21:29 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 20:2; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; Exodus 21:28 and 21:29 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing 1 Corinthians 7:7; Ephesians 5:25; Matthew 27:4; 1 Corinthians 7:28 and 7:31-35 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 20:2 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:2 (KJV)	Genesis 20:2 (NET)
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife: ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.	And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.	Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

Genesis 20:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Αβρααμ περὶ Σαρρας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν ἐφοβήθη γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὅτι γυνή μού ἐστιν μήποτε ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως δι᾽ αὐτήν ἀπέστειλεν δὲ Αβιμελεχ βασιλεὺς Γεραρων καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν Σαρραν	εἶπε δὲ ῾Αβραὰμ περὶ Σάρρας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀδελφή μου ἐστίν· ἐφοβήθη γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὅτι γυνή μου ἐστί, μή ποτε ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως δι᾿ αὐτήν. ἀπέστειλε δὲ ᾿Αβιμέλεχ, βασιλεὺς Γεράρων, καὶ ἔλαβε τὴν Σάρραν
Genesis 20:2 (NETS)	Genesis 20:2 (English Elpenor)
And Abraam said of his wife Sarra, “She is my sister,” lest perhaps the men of the city kill him on her account. Then Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took Sarra.	And Abraam said concerning Sarrha his wife, She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the city should kill him for her sake. So Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took Sarrha.

Genesis 20:4 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:4 (KJV)	Genesis 20:4 (NET)
Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said: ‘L-rd, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation?	But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?	Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation?

Genesis 20:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
Αβιμελεχ δὲ οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν κύριε ἔθνος ἀγνοοῦν καὶ δίκαιον ἀπολεῖς	᾿Αβιμέλεχ δὲ οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε, ἔθνος ἀγνοοῦν καὶ δίκαιον ἀπολεῖς
Genesis 20:4 (NETS)	Genesis 20:4 (English Elpenor)
Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said, “Lord, will you destroy an unwitting and righteous nation?	But Abimelech had not touched her, and he said, Lord, wilt thou destroy an ignorantly [sinning] and just nation?

Genesis 20:5 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:5 (KJV)	Genesis 20:5 (NET)
Said he not himself unto me: She is my sister? and she, even she herself said: He is my brother. In the simplicity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.’	Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.	Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!”

Genesis 20:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ αὐτός μοι εἶπεν ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν καὶ αὐτή μοι εἶπεν ἀδελφός μού ἐστιν ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ χειρῶν ἐποίησα τοῦτο	οὐκ αὐτός μοι εἶπεν, ἀδελφή μου ἐστί; καὶ αὕτη μοι εἶπεν, ἀδελφός μου ἐστίν; ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ χειρῶν ἐποίησα τοῦτο
Genesis 20:5 (NETS)	Genesis 20:5 (English Elpenor)
Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said to me, ‘He is my brother’. I did this with a pure heart and righteousness of hands.”	Said he not to me, She is my sister, and said she not to me, He is my brother? with a pure heart and in the righteousness of my hands have I done this.

Genesis 20:6 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:6 (KJV)	Genesis 20:6 (NET)
And G-d said unto him in the dream: ‘Yea, I know that in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.	And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.	Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her.

Genesis 20:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς καθ᾽ ὕπνον κἀγὼ ἔγνων ὅτι ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ ἐποίησας τοῦτο καὶ ἐφεισάμην ἐγώ σου τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτεῖν σε εἰς ἐμέ ἕνεκεν τούτου οὐκ ἀφῆκά σε ἅψασθαι αὐτῆς	λίγο εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς καθ᾿ ὕπνον· κἀγὼ ἔγνων ὅτι ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ ἐποίησας τοῦτο, καὶ ἐφεισάμην σου τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτεῖν σε εἰς ἐμέ· ἕνεκα τούτου οὐκ ἀφῆκά σε ἅψασθαι αὐτῆς
Genesis 20:6 (NETS)	Genesis 20:6 (English Elpenor)
Then God said to him during his sleep, “I too knew that you did this with a pure heart, and I was the one who spared you so that you did not sin in regard to me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch her.	And God said to him in sleep, Yea, I knew that thou didst this with a pure heart, and I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch her.

Exodus 21:28 (Tanakh)	Exodus 21:28 (KJV)	Exodus 21:28 (NET)
And if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.	If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.	“If an ox gores a man or a woman so that either dies, then the ox must surely be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted.

Exodus 21:28 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 21:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ κερατίσῃ ταῦρος ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα καὶ ἀποθάνῃ λίθοις λιθοβοληθήσεται ὁ ταῦρος καὶ οὐ βρωθήσεται τὰ κρέα αὐτοῦ ὁ δὲ κύριος τοῦ ταύρου ἀθῷος ἔσται	᾿Εὰν δὲ κερατίσῃ ταῦρος ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, λίθοις λιθοβοληθήσεται ὁ ταῦρος, καὶ οὐ βρωθήσεται τὰ κρέα αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ κύριος τοῦ ταύρου ἀθῷος ἔσται
Exodus 21:28 (NETS)	Exodus 21:28 (English Elpenor)
Now if a bull gores a man or a woman and he dies, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and its meat shall not be eaten, but the owner of the bull shall not be liable.	And if a bull gore a man or woman and they die, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall be clear.

Exodus 21:29 (Tanakh)	Exodus 21:29 (KJV)	Exodus 21:29 (NET)
But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and warning hath been given to its owner, and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.	But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.	But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner was warned but he did not take the necessary precautions, and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man must be put to death.

Exodus 21:29 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 21:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ταῦρος κερατιστὴς ᾖ πρὸ τῆς ἐχθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης καὶ διαμαρτύρωνται τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃ αὐτόν ἀνέλῃ δὲ ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα ὁ ταῦρος λιθοβοληθήσεται καὶ ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ προσαποθανεῖται	ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ταῦρος κερατιστὴς ᾖ πρὸ τῆς χθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης, καὶ διαμαρτύρωνται τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃ αὐτόν, ἀνέλῃ δὲ ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα, ὁ ταῦρος λιθοβοληθήσεται καὶ ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ προσαποθανεῖται
Exodus 21:29 (NETS)	Exodus 21:29 (English Elpenor)
But if the bull was prone to gore before yesterday and before the third day and they warn its owner and he does not restrain it and it kills a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall die as well.	But if the bull should have been given to goring in former time, and men should have told his owner, and he have not removed him, but he should have slain a man or woman, the bull shall be stoned, and his owner shall die also.

1 Corinthians 7:7 (NET)	1 Corinthians 7:7 (KJV)
I wish that everyone was as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that.	For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

1 Corinthians 7:7 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν· ἀλλὰ ἕκαστος ἴδιον ἔχει χάρισμα ἐκ θεοῦ, ὁ μὲν οὕτως, ὁ δὲ οὕτως	θελω γαρ παντας ανθρωπους ειναι ως και εμαυτον αλλ εκαστος ιδιον χαρισμα εχει εκ θεου ος μεν ουτως ος δε ουτως	θελω γαρ παντας ανθρωπους ειναι ως και εμαυτον αλλ εκαστος ιδιον χαρισμα εχει εκ θεου ος μεν ουτως ος δε ουτως

Ephesians 5:25 (NET)	Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her	Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Ephesians 5:25 (NET Parallel Greek)	Ephesians 5:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Ephesians 5:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς	οι ανδρες αγαπατε τας γυναικας εαυτων καθως και ο χριστος ηγαπησεν την εκκλησιαν και εαυτον παρεδωκεν υπερ αυτης	οι ανδρες αγαπατε τας γυναικας εαυτων καθως και ο χριστος ηγαπησεν την εκκλησιαν και εαυτον παρεδωκεν υπερ αυτης

Matthew 27:4 (NET)	Matthew 27:4 (KJV)
saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!”	Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

Matthew 27:4 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 27:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 27:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγων· ἥμαρτον παραδοὺς αἷμα \|ἀθῷον\|. οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· τί πρὸς ἡμᾶς; σὺ ὄψῃ	λεγων ημαρτον παραδους αιμα αθωον οι δε ειπον τι προς ημας συ οψει	λεγων ημαρτον παραδους αιμα αθωον οι δε ειπον τι προς ημας συ οψει

1 Corinthians 7:28 (NET)	1 Corinthians 7:28 (KJV)
But if you marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face difficult circumstances, and I am trying to spare you such problems.	But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

1 Corinthians 7:28 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:28 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:28 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐὰν δὲ καὶ γαμήσῃς, οὐχ ἥμαρτες, καὶ ἐὰν γήμῃ \|ἡ\| παρθένος, οὐχ ἥμαρτεν· θλῖψιν δὲ τῇ σαρκὶ ἕξουσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι, ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομαι	εαν δε και γημης ουχ ημαρτες και εαν γημη η παρθενος ουχ ημαρτεν θλιψιν δε τη σαρκι εξουσιν οι τοιουτοι εγω δε υμων φειδομαι	εαν δε και γημης ουχ ημαρτες και εαν γημη η παρθενος ουχ ημαρτεν θλιψιν δε τη σαρκι εξουσιν οι τοιουτοι εγω δε υμων φειδομαι

1 Corinthians 7:31-35 (NET)	1 Corinthians 7:31-35 (KJV)
those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape of this world is passing away.	And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

1 Corinthians 7:31 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ οἱ χρώμενοι τὸν κόσμον ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι· παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου	και οι χρωμενοι τω κοσμω τουτω ως μη καταχρωμενοι παραγει γαρ το σχημα του κοσμου τουτου	και οι χρωμενοι τω κοσμω τουτω ως μη καταχρωμενοι παραγει γαρ το σχημα του κοσμου τουτου

And I want you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

1 Corinthians 7:32 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:32 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:32 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους εἶναι. ὁ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κυρίου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῷ κυρίῳ·	θελω δε υμας αμεριμνους ειναι ο αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου πως αρεσει τω κυριω	θελω δε υμας αμεριμνους ειναι ο αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου πως αρεσει τω κυριω

But a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife,

But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:33 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:33 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:33 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ δὲ γαμήσας μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῇ γυναικί	ο δε γαμησας μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τη γυναικι	ο δε γαμησας μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τη γυναικι

and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband.

There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

1 Corinthians 7:34 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:34 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:34 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ μεμέρισται. καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄγαμος καὶ ἡ παρθένος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κυρίου, ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία \|καὶ\| τῷ σώματι καὶ τῷ πνεύματι· ἡ δὲ γαμήσασα μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῷ ἀνδρί	μεμερισται η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου ινα η αγια και σωματι και πνευματι η δε γαμησασα μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τω ανδρι	μεμερισται και η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου ινα η αγια και σωματι και πνευματι η δε γαμησασα μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τω ανδρι

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord.

And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

1 Corinthians 7:35 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:35 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:35 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς τὸ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν σύμφορον λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα βρόχον ὑμῖν ἐπιβάλω ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ εὔσχημον καὶ εὐπάρεδρον τῷ κυρίῳ ἀπερισπάστως	τουτο δε προς το υμων αυτων συμφερον λεγω ουχ ινα βροχον υμιν επιβαλω αλλα προς το ευσχημον και ευπροσεδρον τω κυριω απερισπαστως	τουτο δε προς το υμων αυτων συμφερον λεγω ουχ ινα βροχον υμιν επιβαλω αλλα προς το ευσχημον και ευπροσεδρον τω κυριω απερισπαστως

Christianity, Part 12

Back to Christianity, Part 13

¹ John 12:32 (ESV)

² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δὲ (not translated in the NET) near the beginning of this clause, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γαρ (KJV: For).

³ The NET parallel Greek text had the conjunction ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had ἀλλ᾽.

⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article ὁ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the relative pronoun ος.

⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article ὁ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the relative pronoun ος.

⁶ 1 Corinthians 7:1a (ESV) Table

⁷ “Pagan religions of the ancient Mediterranean,” celibacy, Britannica

⁸ Genesis 20:4 (Tanakh)

⁹ Genesis 20:4 (NETS, English Elpenor)

¹⁰ Genesis 20:6 (NETS)

¹¹ Genesis 20:2 (NETS, English Elpenor)

¹² Genesis 20:3 (NETS, English Elpenor) Table

¹³ Genesis 20:3b (NETS) Table

¹⁴ Genesis 20:3b (English Elpenor) Table

¹⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εαυτων here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁶ Ephesians 5:25-28 (ESV)

¹⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὄψῃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οψει (KJV: see…to that).

¹⁸ Matthew 27:4b (NASB)

¹⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had γαμήσῃς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γημης (KJV: thou marry).

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τὸν κόσμον here in the accusative case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τω κοσμω τουτω (KJV: this world) in the dative case.

²¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀρέσῃ here in the subjunctive mood and aorist tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αρεσει (KJV: he may please) in the indicative mood and future tense.

²² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀρέσῃ here in the subjunctive mood and aorist tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αρεσει (KJV: he may please) in the indicative mood and future tense.

²³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had καὶ μεμέρισται (NET: and he is divided) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had simply μεμερισται (KJV: There is difference also between).

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄγαμος καὶ ἡ παρθένος (NET: An unmarried woman or a virgin) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος (KJV: a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman).

²⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article τῷ preceding body. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article τῷ preceding spirit. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀρέσῃ here in the subjunctive mood and aorist tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αρεσει (KJV: she may please) in the indicative mood and future tense.

²⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the noun σύμφορον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had συμφερον (KJV: profit), a participle of the verb συμφέρω.

²⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εὐπάρεδρον here, a form of εὐπάρεδρος, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ευπροσεδρον (KJV: that ye may attend upon), a form of εὐπρόσεδρος.

³⁰ 1 Corinthians 1:18b (ESV)

³¹ John 3:6a (ESV)

³² Romans 3:10b-18 (ESV)

³³ 1 Corinthians 1:7b, 8 (ESV)

³⁴ 1 Corinthians 7:33b (ESV)

³⁵ Luke 20:38b (ESV)

³⁶ 1 Peter 1:13 (ESV)

³⁷ 1 Corinthians 7:29a (ESV)

Romans, Part 20

Posted on September 28, 2012 by admin

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants [See Addendum below] that he would inherit the world¹ was not fulfilled through the law,² Paul continued. In one sense this was absurdly obvious. God’s law didn’t even exist yet. The law that came four hundred thirty years later, Paul wrote the Galatians about the promise to Abraham, does not cancel a covenant previously ratified by God,³ so as to invalidate the promise.⁴ But there is another sense to consider (Genesis 16:1, 2 NET).

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, have sexual relations with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” Abram did what Sarai told him.

I don’t intend to guess at Sarai’s motives, but she was acting according to law. It may have been a legal requirement according to the Nuzi tablets.⁵ In the law of Hammurabi 144: “If a man take a wife and this woman give her husband a maid-servant, and she bear him children, but this man wishes to take another wife, this shall not be permitted to him; he shall not take a second wife.”⁶ There is some question of the dating of Hammurabi relative to Abram, but if Sarai predated Hammurabi’s law it seems evident that she was aware of that which became his law.

Sarai complained to Abram when Hagar became pregnant and despised her, You have brought this wrong on me! I allowed my servant to have sexual relations with you, but when she realized that she was pregnant, she despised me. May the Lord judge between you and me!⁷ This complaint makes a bit more sense in light of Hammurabi’s law 146: “If a man take a wife and she give this man a maid-servant as wife and she bear him children, and then this maid assume equality with the wife: because she has borne him children her master shall not sell her for money, but he may keep her as a slave, reckoning her among the maid-servants.”⁸ It also illuminates the sagacity of Abram’s decision not to exert authority over Sarai’s slave, Since your servant is under your authority, do to her whatever you think best.⁹

Sarai treated Hagar harshly. Hagar ran away. Then the Lord’s angel counseled her (Genesis 16:9-12 NET):

Return to your mistress and submit to her authority. I will greatly multiply your descendants…so that they will be too numerous to count…You are now pregnant and are about to give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael,¹⁰ for the Lord has heard your painful groans. He will be a wild donkey of a man. He will be hostile to everyone, and everyone will be hostile to him. He will live away from his brothers.

Abram seemed perfectly content to accept Ishmael as the heir God promised, the son born to him by the law of Hammurabi (or the law that preceded the law of Hammurabi). When Abram was ninety-nine-years-old God changed his name to Abraham, meaning “father of a multitude.” As for your wife, He said, you must no longer call her Sarai; Sarah will be her name. I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. Kings of countries will come from her!¹¹

Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground,¹² but he laughed at God. Sarah was ninety-years-old. O that Ishmael might live before you!¹³ he said. God said (Genesis 17:19-21 NET):

No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac [he laughs]. I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual covenant for his descendants after him. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes; I will make him into a great nation. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.

This was the context Paul considered as he wrote, For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος), not the Nuzi tablets nor the law code of Hammurabi, but through the righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, a form of δικαιοσύνη) that comes by faith (πίστεως, a form of πίστις),¹⁴ God’s credited righteousness. I have missed this many times before but πίστεως (faith) at the end of Romans 4:13 (NET) is the same as πίστεως (faithfulness) in Romans 3:26 (NET). It was God’s faithfulness that made the difference, not Abraham’s faith.

Romans 3:26 (NET) Table	Romans 4:13 (NET)
This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness (πίστεως).	For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith (πίστεως).

The Lord had full confidence in his own credited righteousness to change Abraham, I have chosen him so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just.¹⁵ While Abraham’s own faith at the time still relied on his initial strategy to preserve his life by claiming his beautiful wife was his sister, Because I thought, “Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.”¹⁶ When God made me wander from my father’s house, I told her, “This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: Every place we go, say about me, ‘He is my brother.’”¹⁷

For if they become heirs by the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος), Paul continued, by their own efforts to keep laws, faith (πίστις) is empty (κεκένωται, a form of κενόω) and the promise (ἐπαγγελία) is nullified (κατήργηται, a form of καταργέω).¹⁸ It was the boy David who defeated Goliath¹⁹ by the power of God. God would not allow Gideon to go to battle with 32,000 soldiers: You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag, “Our own strength has delivered us.”²⁰ God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside (καταργήσῃ, another form of καταργέω) what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence,²¹ Paul wrote the Corinthians.

For the law brings wrath, Paul continued in Romans, because where there is no law there is no transgression either.²² God didn’t punish Abraham for pretending that Sarah was his sister. There was no law against that. On the contrary, the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.²³ God threatened Abimelech in a dream before he had the opportunity to take her, You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.²⁴ Abraham made out like a pimp: and [Pharaoh] did treat Abram well on account of her. Abram received sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.²⁵ And, Abimelech gave sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him. Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.” To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your ‘brother.’ This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.”²⁶

Obviously in these instances with Pharaoh and Abimelech none of this was due to Abraham’s righteousness or his faith, but rather God’s faithfulness to Abraham (Romans 4:16, 17 NET).

For this reason it is by faith (πίστεως, a form of πίστις) so that it may be by grace (χάριν, a form of χάρις), with the result that the promise (ἐπαγγελίαν, a form of ἐπαγγελία) may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law (νόμου, a form of νόμος), but also to those who have the faith (πίστεως, a form of πίστις) of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations” [See Addendum below]). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed (ἐπίστευσεν, a form of πιστεύω)– the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.

Perhaps Paul said all of this more succinctly in his letter to the young preacher Timothy, I know whom I have believed (πεπίστευκα, another form of πιστεύω) and am persuaded (πέπεισμαι, a form of πείθω) that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.²⁷ The emphasis is on Him who is believed rather than the faith of the believer.

Addendum: July 11, 2021
The Greek word translated descendants in Romans 4:13 (NET) was σπέρματι.

According to a note (27) in the NET Paul quoted from Genesis 17:5 in Romans 4:17. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation with that of the Septuagint follows:

Romans 4:17a (NET Parallel Greek)	Genesis 17:5c (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:5c (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικα σε	ὅτι πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε	ὅτι πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε
Romans 4:17a (NET)	Genesis 17:5c (NETS)	Genesis 17:5c (English Elpenor)
I have made you the father of many nations	for I have made you an ancestor of many nations	for I have made thee a father of many nations

Tables comparing Genesis 16:1; 16:2; 16:5; 16:6; 16:9; 16:10; 16:11; 16:12; 17:15; 17:16; 17:17; 17:18; 17:19; 17:20; 17:21; 18:19; 20:11; 20:13; Judges 7:2; Genesis 12:17; 20:3; 12:16; 20:14; 20:15; 20:16 and 17:5 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 16:1; 16:2; 16:5; 16:6; 16:9; 16:10; 16:11; 16:12; 17:15; 17:16; 17:17; 17:18; 17:19; 17:20; 17:21; 18:19; 20:11; 20:13; Judges 7:2; Genesis 12:17; 20:3; 12:16; 20:14; 20:15; 20:16 and 17:5 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing Romans 4:13 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 16:1 (Tanakh)	Genesis 16:1 (KJV)	Genesis 16:1 (NET)
Now Sarai Abram’s wife bore him no children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.	Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.	Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, but she had an Egyptian servant named Hagar.

Genesis 16:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 16:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
Σαρα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ Αβραμ οὐκ ἔτικτεν αὐτῷ ἦν δὲ αὐτῇ παιδίσκη Αἰγυπτία ᾗ ὄνομα Αγαρ	ΣΑΡΑ δὲ γυνὴ ῞Αβραμ οὐκ ἔτικτεν αὐτῷ. ἦν δὲ αὐτῇ παιδίσκη Αἰγυπτία, ᾗ ὄνομα ῎Αγαρ
Genesis 16:1 (NETS)	Genesis 16:1 (English Elpenor)
Now Sara, Abram’s wife, was not giving birth for him. She, however, had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar.	AND Sara the wife of Abram bore him no children; and she had an Egyptian maid, whose name was Agar.

Genesis 16:2 (Tanakh)	Genesis 16:2 (KJV)	Genesis 16:2 (NET)
And Sarai said unto Abram: ‘Behold now, HaShem hath restrained me from bearing; go in, I pray thee, unto my handmaid; it may be that I shall be builded up through her.’ And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.	And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.	So Sarai said to Abram, “Since the Lord has prevented me from having children, please sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have a family by her.” Abram did what Sarai told him.

Genesis 16:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 16:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Σαρα πρὸς Αβραμ ἰδοὺ συνέκλεισέν με κύριος τοῦ μὴ τίκτειν εἴσελθε οὖν πρὸς τὴν παιδίσκην μου ἵνα τεκνοποιήσῃς ἐξ αὐτῆς ὑπήκουσεν δὲ Αβραμ τῆς φωνῆς Σαρας	εἶπε δὲ Σάρα πρὸς ῞Αβραμ· ἰδοὺ συνέκλεισέ με Κύριος τοῦ μὴ τίκτειν· εἴσελθε οὖν πρὸς τὴν παιδίσκην μου, ἵνα τεκνοποιήσωμαι ἐξ αὐτῆς. ὑπήκουσε δὲ ῞Αβραμ τῆς φωνῆς Σάρας
Genesis 16:2 (NETS)	Genesis 16:2 (English Elpenor)
And Sara said to Abram, “See, the Lord has shut me off from giving birth; so go in to my slave-girl in order that you may beget children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sara.	And Sara said to Abram, Behold, the Lord has restrained me from bearing, go therefore in to my maid, that I may get children for myself through her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sara.

Genesis 16:5 (Tanakh)	Genesis 16:5 (KJV)	Genesis 16:5 (NET)
And Sarai said unto Abram: ‘My wrong be upon thee: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: HaShem judge between me and thee.’	And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.	Then Sarai said to Abram, “You have brought this wrong on me! I gave my servant into your embrace, but when she realized that she was pregnant, she despised me. May the Lord judge between you and me!”

Genesis 16:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 16:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Σαρα πρὸς Αβραμ ἀδικοῦμαι ἐκ σοῦ ἐγὼ δέδωκα τὴν παιδίσκην μου εἰς τὸν κόλπον σου ἰδοῦσα δὲ ὅτι ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχει ἠτιμάσθην ἐναντίον αὐτῆς κρίναι ὁ θεὸς ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ	εἶπε δὲ Σάρα πρὸς ῞Αβραμ· ἀδικοῦμαι ἐκ σοῦ· ἐγὼ δέδωκα τὴν παιδίσκην μου εἰς τὸν κόλπον σου, ἰδοῦσα δὲ ὅτι ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχει, ἠτιμάσθην ἐναντίον αὐτῆς· κρίναι ὁ Θεὸς ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ.
Genesis 16:5 (NETS)	Genesis 16:5 (English Elpenor)
Then Sara said to Abram, “I am being wronged due to you! I have given my slave-girl into your bosom, but when she saw that she was pregnant, I was dishonored before her. May God judge between you and me!”	And Sara said to Abram, I am injured by thee; I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, and when I saw that she was with child, I was dishonoured before her. The Lord judge between me and thee.

Genesis 16:6 (Tanakh)	Genesis 16:6 (KJV)	Genesis 16:6 (NET)
But Abram said unto Sarai: ‘Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her that which is good in thine eyes.’ And Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.	But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.	Abram said to Sarai, “Since your servant is under your authority, do to her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai treated Hagar harshly, so she ran away from Sarai.

Genesis 16:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 16:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Αβραμ πρὸς Σαραν ἰδοὺ ἡ παιδίσκη σου ἐν ταῗς χερσίν σου χρῶ αὐτῇ ὡς ἄν σοι ἀρεστὸν ᾖ καὶ ἐκάκωσεν αὐτὴν Σαρα καὶ ἀπέδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῆς	εἶπε δὲ ῞Αβραμ πρὸς Σάραν· ἰδοὺ ἡ παιδίσκη σου ἐν ταῖς χερσί σου· χρῶ αὐτῇ ὡς ἄν σοι ἀρεστὸν ᾖ. καὶ ἐκάκωσεν αὐτὴν Σάρα, καὶ ἀπέδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῆς
Genesis 16:6 (NETS)	Genesis 16:6 (English Elpenor)
But Abram said to Sara, “See, see your slave-girl is in your hands; treat her as it may please you.” And Sara maltreated her, and she ran away from her presence.	And Abram said to Sara, Behold thy handmaid is in thy hands, use her as it may seem good to thee. And Sara afflicted her, and she fled from her face.

Genesis 16:9 (Tanakh)	Genesis 16:9 (KJV)	Genesis 16:9 (NET)
And the angel of HaShem said unto her: ‘Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.’	And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.	Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress and submit to her authority.

Genesis 16:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 16:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῇ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἀποστράφητι πρὸς τὴν κυρίαν σου καὶ ταπεινώθητι ὑπὸ τὰς χεῗρας αὐτῆς	εἶπε δὲ αὐτῇ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου· ἀποστράφηθι πρὸς τὴν κυρίαν σου καὶ ταπεινώθητι ὑπὸ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς
Genesis 16:9 (NETS)	Genesis 16:9 (English Elpenor)
But the angel of the Lord said to her, “Return to your mistress, and humble yourself under her hands.”	And the angel of the Lord said to her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

Genesis 16:10 (Tanakh)	Genesis 16:10 (KJV)	Genesis 16:10 (NET)
And the angel of HaShem said unto her: ‘I will greatly multiply thy seed, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.	And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.	I will greatly multiply your descendants,” the angel of the Lord added, “so that they will be too numerous to count.”

Genesis 16:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 16:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου καὶ οὐκ ἀριθμηθήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους	καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου· πληθύνων πληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ οὐκ ἀριθμηθήσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους
Genesis 16:10 (NETS)	Genesis 16:10 (English Elpenor)
The angel of the Lord also said to her, “I will multitudinously multiply your offspring, and it will not be counted for multitude.”	And the angel of the Lord said to her, I will surely multiply thy seed, and it shall not be numbered for multitude.

Genesis 16:11 (Tanakh)	Genesis 16:11 (KJV)	Genesis 16:11 (NET)
And the angel of HaShem said unto her: ‘Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son; and thou shalt call his name Ishmael, because HaShem hath heard thy affliction.	And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.	Then the angel of the Lord said to her, “You are now pregnant and are about to give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your painful groans.

Genesis 16:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 16:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἰδοὺ σὺ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχεις καὶ τέξῃ υἱὸν καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ισμαηλ ὅτι ἐπήκουσεν κύριος τῇ ταπεινώσει σου	καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου· ἰδού, σὺ ἐν γαστρί ἔχεις καὶ τέξῃ υἱὸν καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ᾿Ισμαήλ, ὅτι ἐπήκουσε Κύριος τῇ ταπεινώσει σου.
Genesis 16:11 (NETS)	Genesis 16:11 (English Elpenor)
And the angel of the Lord said to her, “See, you are pregnant and shall bear a son and shall call his name Ismael. For the Lord has given heed to your humiliation.	And the angel of the Lord said to her, Behold thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ismael, for the Lord hath hearkened to thy humiliation.

Genesis 16:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 16:12 (KJV)	Genesis 16:12 (NET)
And he shall be a wild ass of a man: his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the face of all his brethren.’	And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.	He will be a wild donkey of a man. He will be hostile to everyone, and everyone will be hostile to him. He will live away from his brothers.”

Genesis 16:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 16:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὗτος ἔσται ἄγροικος ἄνθρωπος αἱ χεῗρες αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πάντας καὶ αἱ χεῗρες πάντων ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κατοικήσει	οὗτος ἔσται ἄγροικος ἄνθρωπος αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πάντας, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες πάντων ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν, καὶ κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ κατοικήσει
Genesis 16:12 (NETS)	Genesis 16:12 (English Elpenor)
He shall be a rustic man; his hands shall be against all, and the hands of all against him, and he shall live facing all his kinfolk.”	He shall be a wild man, his hands against all, and the hands of all against him, and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

Genesis 17:15 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:15 (KJV)	Genesis 17:15 (NET)
And G-d said unto Abraham: ‘As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.	And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.	Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; Sarah will be her name.

Genesis 17:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ θεὸς τῷ Αβρααμ Σαρα ἡ γυνή σου οὐ κληθήσεται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Σαρα ἀλλὰ Σαρρα ἔσται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς	Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ῾Αβραάμ· Σάρα ἡ γυνή σου οὐ κληθήσεται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Σάρα, ἀλλὰ Σάρρα ἔσται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς
Genesis 17:15 (NETS)	Genesis 17:15 (English Elpenor)
And God said to Abraham, “As for Sara your wife, her name shall not be called Sara, but Sarra shall be her name.	And God said to Abraam, Sara thy wife– her name shall not be called Sara, Sarrha shall be her name.

Genesis 17:16 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:16 (KJV)	Genesis 17:16 (NET)
And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.’	And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.	I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. Kings of countries will come from her!”

Genesis 17:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εὐλογήσω δὲ αὐτὴν καὶ δώσω σοι ἐξ αὐτῆς τέκνον καὶ εὐλογήσω αὐτόν καὶ ἔσται εἰς ἔθνη καὶ βασιλεῗς ἐθνῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔσονται	εὐλογήσω δὲ αὐτήν, καὶ δώσω σοι ἐξ αὐτῆς τέκνον· καὶ εὐλογήσω αὐτό, καὶ ἔσται εἰς ἔθνη, καὶ βασιλεῖς ἐθνῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔσονται
Genesis 17:16 (NETS)	Genesis 17:16 (English Elpenor)
And I will bless her, and I will give you a child by her. And I will bless her, and she shall become nations, and kings of nations shall be from her.”	And I will bless her, and give thee a son of her, and I will bless him, and he shall become nations, and kings of nations shall be of him.

Genesis 17:17 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:17 (KJV)	Genesis 17:17 (NET)
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart: ‘Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?’	Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?	Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”

Genesis 17:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔπεσεν Αβρααμ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον καὶ ἐγέλασεν καὶ εἶπεν ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτοῦ λέγων εἰ τῷ ἑκατονταετεῗ γενήσεται καὶ εἰ Σαρρα ἐνενήκοντα ἐτῶν οὖσα τέξεται	καὶ ἔπεσεν ῾Αβραὰμ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγέλασε καὶ εἶπεν ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτοῦ λέγων· εἰ τῷ ἑκατονταετεῖ γενήσεται υἱός; καὶ εἰ ἡ Σάρρα ἐνενήκοντα ἐτῶν τέξεται
Genesis 17:17 (NETS)	Genesis 17:17 (English Elpenor)
And Abraam fell face down and laughed and spoke in his mind, saying, “Shall a son be born to a hundred-year-old, and shall Sarra who is ninety years of age give birth?”	And Abraam fell upon his face, and laughed; and spoke in his heart, saying, Shall there be a child to one who is a hundred years old, and shall Sarrha who is ninety years old, bear?

Genesis 17:18 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:18 (KJV)	Genesis 17:18 (NET)
And Abraham said unto G-d: ‘Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!’	And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!	Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live before you!”

Genesis 17:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Αβρααμ πρὸς τὸν θεόν Ισμαηλ οὗτος ζήτω ἐναντίον σου	εἶπε δὲ ῾Αβραὰμ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· ᾿Ισμαὴλ οὗτος ζήτω ἐναντίον σου
Genesis 17:18 (NETS)	Genesis 17:18 (English Elpenor)
And Abraam said to God, “As for Ismael, let him live before you!”	And Abraam said to God, Let this Ismael live before thee.

Genesis 17:19 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:19 (KJV)	Genesis 17:19 (NET)
And G-d said: ”Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.	And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.	God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual covenant for his descendants after him.

Genesis 17:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ θεὸς τῷ Αβρααμ ναί ἰδοὺ Σαρρα ἡ γυνή σου τέξεταί σοι υἱόν καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ισαακ καὶ στήσω τὴν διαθήκην μου πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰς διαθήκην αἰώνιον καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτόν	εἶπε δὲ ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς ῾Αβραὰμ· ναί· ἰδοὺ Σάρρα ἡ γυνή σου τέξεταί σοι υἱόν, καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ᾿Ισαάκ, καὶ στήσω τὴν διαθήκην μου πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰς διαθήκην αἰώνιον, εἶναι αὐτῷ Θεὸς καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτόν
Genesis 17:19 (NETS)	Genesis 17:19 (English Elpenor)
But God said to Abraam, “Indeed; see, your wife Sarra shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaak, and I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant and for his offspring after him.	And God said to Abraam, Yea, behold, Sarrha thy wife shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to him and to his seed after him.

Genesis 17:20 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:20 (KJV)	Genesis 17:20 (NET)
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.	And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.	As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes; I will make him into a great nation.

Genesis 17:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
περὶ δὲ Ισμαηλ ἰδοὺ ἐπήκουσά σου ἰδοὺ εὐλόγησα αὐτὸν καὶ αὐξανῶ αὐτὸν καὶ πληθυνῶ αὐτὸν σφόδρα δώδεκα ἔθνη γεννήσει καὶ δώσω αὐτὸν εἰς ἔθνος μέγα	περὶ δὲ ᾿Ισμαὴλ ἰδοὺ ἐπήκουσά σου· καὶ ἰδοὺ εὐλόγηκα αὐτὸν καὶ αὐξανῶ αὐτὸν καὶ πληθυνῶ αὐτὸν σφόδρα· δώδεκα ἔθνη γεννήσει καὶ δώσω αὐτὸν εἰς ἔθνος μέγα
Genesis 17:20 (NETS)	Genesis 17:20 (English Elpenor)
Now concerning Ismael, see, I heard you; see, I have blessed him and will make him increase and will make him very numerous; he shall be the father of twelve nations, and I will appoint him as a great nation.	And concerning Ismael, behold, I have heard thee, and, behold, I have blessed him, and will increase him and multiply him exceedingly; twelve nations shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

Genesis 17:21 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:21 (KJV)	Genesis 17:21 (NET)
But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.’	But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.	But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”

Genesis 17:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὴν δὲ διαθήκην μου στήσω πρὸς Ισαακ ὃν τέξεταί σοι Σαρρα εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ ἑτέρῳ	τὴν δὲ διαθήκην μου στήσω πρὸς ᾿Ισαάκ, ὃν τέξεταί σοι Σάρρα εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον, ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ ἑτέρῳ
Genesis 17:21 (NETS)	Genesis 17:21 (English Elpenor)
But my covenant I will establish with Isaak, whom Sarra shall bear to you at this season in another year.”	But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarrha shall bear to thee at this time, in the next year.

Genesis 18:19 (Tanakh)	Genesis 18:19 (KJV)	Genesis 18:19 (NET)
For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of HaShem, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that HaShem may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him.’	For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.	I have chosen him so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then the Lord will give to Abraham what he promised him.”

Genesis 18:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 18:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ᾔδειν γὰρ ὅτι συντάξει τοῗς υἱοῗς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτόν καὶ φυλάξουσιν τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου ποιεῗν δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίσιν ὅπως ἂν ἐπαγάγῃ κύριος ἐπὶ Αβρααμ πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησεν πρὸς αὐτόν	ᾔδειν γὰρ ὅτι συντάξει τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτόν, καὶ φυλάξουσι τὰς ὁδοὺς Κυρίου ποιεῖν δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίσιν, ὅπως ἂν ἐπαγάγῃ Κύριος ἐπὶ ῾Αβραὰμ πάντα, ὅσα ἐλάλησε πρὸς αὐτόν
Genesis 18:19 (NETS)	Genesis 18:19 (English Elpenor)
For I knew that he will instruct his sons and his household after him, and they will keep the ways of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice so that the Lord may bring upon Abraam all the things that he has talked about to him.”	For I know that he will order his sons, and his house after him, and they will keep the ways of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraam all things whatsoever he has spoken to him.

Genesis 20:11 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:11 (KJV)	Genesis 20:11 (NET)
And Abraham said: ‘Because I thought: Surely the fear of G-d is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.	And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.	Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.’

Genesis 20:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Αβρααμ εἶπα γάρ ἄρα οὐκ ἔστιν θεοσέβεια ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ ἐμέ τε ἀποκτενοῦσιν ἕνεκεν τῆς γυναικός μου	εἶπε δὲ ῾Αβραάμ· εἶπα γάρ, ἄρα οὐκ ἔστι θεοσέβεια ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ, ἐμέ τε ἀποκτενοῦσιν ἕνεκεν τῆς γυναικός μου
Genesis 20:11 (NETS)	Genesis 20:11 (English Elpenor)
And Abraam said, “Because I said, It appears there is no piety in this place, and so they will kill me because of my wife.	And Abraam said, Why I said, Surely there is not the worship of God in this place, and they will slay me because of my wife.

Genesis 20:13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:13 (KJV)	Genesis 20:13 (NET)
And it came to pass, when G-d caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her: This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me: He is my brother.’	And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her, This is thy kindness which thou shalt shew unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me, He is my brother.	When God made me wander from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”

Genesis 20:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἐξήγαγέν με ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ εἶπα αὐτῇ ταύτην τὴν δικαιοσύνην ποιήσεις ἐπ᾽ ἐμέ εἰς πάντα τόπον οὗ ἐὰν εἰσέλθωμεν ἐκεῗ εἰπὸν ἐμὲ ὅτι ἀδελφός μού ἐστιν	ἐγένετο δέ, ἡνίκα ἐξήγαγέ με ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ εἶπα αὐτῇ· ταύτην τὴν δικαιοσύνην ποιήσεις εἰς ἐμέ, εἰς πάντα τόπον οὗ ἐὰν εἰσέλθωμεν ἐκεῖ, εἰπὸν ἐμέ, ὅτι ἀδελφός μου ἐστίν
Genesis 20:13 (NETS)	Genesis 20:13 (English Elpenor)
Now it came about when God brought me forth from my father’s house, that then I said to her, ‘This righteousness you shall do for me: in every place, there where we enter, say about me, He is my brother.’”	And it came to pass when God brought me forth out of the house of my father, that I said to her, This righteousness thou shalt perform to me, in every place into which we may enter, say of me, He is my brother.

Judges 7:2 (Tanakh)	Judges 7:2 (KJV)	Judges 7:2 (NET)
And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.	And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.	The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag, ‘Our own strength has delivered us.’

Judges 7:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 7:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Γεδεων πολὺς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετὰ σοῦ ὥστε μὴ παραδοῦναί με τὴν Μαδιαμ ἐν χειρὶ αὐτῶν μήποτε καυχήσηται Ισραηλ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ λέγων ἡ χείρ μου ἔσωσέν με	καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Γεδεών· πολὺς ὁ λαὸς ὁ μετὰ σοῦ, ὥστε μὴ παραδοῦναί με τὴν Μαδιὰμ ἐν χειρὶ αὐτῶν, μή ποτε καυχήσηται ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ λέγων· ἡ χείρ μου ἔσωσέ με
Judges 7:2 (NETS)	Judges 7:2 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord said to Gedeon, “The people with you are numerous; so I will not give up Madiam in their hand. Israel would only boast against me, saying, ‘My own hand has delivered me.’”	And the Lord said to Gedeon, The people with thee [are] many, so that I may not deliver Madiam into their hand, lest at any time Israel boast against me, saying, My hand has saved me.

Genesis 12:17 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:17 (KJV)	Genesis 12:17 (NET)
And HaShem plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.	And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife.	But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

Genesis 12:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἤτασεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν Φαραω ἐτασμοῗς μεγάλοις καὶ πονηροῗς καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ περὶ Σαρας τῆς γυναικὸς Αβραμ	καὶ ἤτασεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Φαραὼ ἐτασμοῖς μεγάλοις καὶ πονηροῖς καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ περὶ Σάρας τῆς γυναικὸς ῞Αβραμ
Genesis 12:17 (NETS)	Genesis 12:17 (English Elpenor)
And God tried Pharao and his house with great and grievous trials because of Sara, Abram’s wife.	And God afflicted Pharao with great and severe afflictions, and his house, because of Sara, Abram’s wife.

Genesis 20:3 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:3 (KJV)	Genesis 20:3 (NET)
But G-d came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: ‘Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.’	But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.	But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.”

Genesis 20:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Αβιμελεχ ἐν ὕπνῳ τὴν νύκτα καὶ εἶπεν ἰδοὺ σὺ ἀποθνῄσκεις περὶ τῆς γυναικός ἧς ἔλαβες αὕτη δέ ἐστιν συνῳκηκυῗα ἀνδρί	καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς ᾿Αβιμέλεχ ἐν ὕπνῳ τὴν νύκτα καὶ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ σὺ ἀποθνήσκεις περὶ τῆς γυναικός, ἧς ἔλαβες, αὕτη δέ ἐστι συνῳκηυῖα ἀνδρί
Genesis 20:3 (NETS)	Genesis 20:3 (English Elpenor)
And God came in to Abimelech in his sleep during the night and said, “Look, you are about to die by reason of the woman whom you have taken, whereas she is married to a man.”	And God came to Abimelech by night in sleep, and said, Behold, thou diest for the woman, whom thou hast taken, whereas she has lived with a husband.

Genesis 12:16 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:16 (KJV)	Genesis 12:16 (NET)
And he dealt well with Abram for her sake; and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels.	And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.	and he did treat Abram well on account of her. Abram received sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

Genesis 12:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τῷ Αβραμ εὖ ἐχρήσαντο δι᾽ αὐτήν καὶ ἐγένοντο αὐτῷ πρόβατα καὶ μόσχοι καὶ ὄνοι παῗδες καὶ παιδίσκαι ἡμίονοι καὶ κάμηλοι	καὶ τῷ ῞Αβραμ εὖ ἐχρήσαντο δι᾿ αὐτήν, καὶ ἐγένοντο αὐτῷ πρόβατα καὶ μόσχοι καὶ ὄνοι καὶ παῖδες καὶ παιδίσκαι καὶ ἡμίονοι καὶ κάμηλοι
Genesis 12:16 (NETS)	Genesis 12:16 (English Elpenor)
And for her sake they dealt well with Abram, and he had sheep and calves and donkeys, male and female slaves, mules and camels.	And they treated Abram well on her account, and he had sheep, and calves, and asses, and men-servants, and women-servants, and mules, and camels.

Genesis 20:14 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:14 (KJV)	Genesis 20:14 (NET)
And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.	And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.	So Abimelech gave sheep, cattle, and male and female servants to Abraham. He also gave his wife Sarah back to him.

Genesis 20:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἔλαβεν δὲ Αβιμελεχ χίλια δίδραχμα πρόβατα καὶ μόσχους καὶ παῗδας καὶ παιδίσκας καὶ ἔδωκεν τῷ Αβρααμ καὶ ἀπέδωκεν αὐτῷ Σαρραν τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ	ἔλαβε δὲ ᾿Αβιμέλεχ χίλια δίδραχμα καὶ πρόβατα καὶ μόσχους καὶ παῖδας καὶ παιδίσκας καὶ ἔδωκε τῷ ῾Αβραὰμ καὶ ἀπέδωκεν αὐτῷ Σάρραν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ
Genesis 20:14 (NETS)	Genesis 20:14 (English Elpenor)
Then Abimelech took a thousand didrachmas, sheep and calves and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraam and restored his wife Sarra to him.	And Abimelech took a thousand pieces of silver, and sheep, and calves, and servants, and maid-servants, and gave them to Abraam, and he returned him Sarrha his wife.

Genesis 20:15 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:15 (KJV)	Genesis 20:15 (NET)
And Abimelech said: ‘Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.’	And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee.	Then Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you; live wherever you please.”

Genesis 20:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Αβιμελεχ τῷ Αβρααμ ἰδοὺ ἡ γῆ μου ἐναντίον σου οὗ ἐάν σοι ἀρέσκῃ κατοίκει	καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβιμέλεχ τῷ ῾Αβραάμ· ἰδοὺ ἡ γῆ μου ἐναντίον σου· οὗ ἐάν σοι ἀρέσκῃ, κατοίκει
Genesis 20:15 (NETS)	Genesis 20:15 (English Elpenor)
And Abimelech said to Abraam, “Look, my land is before you; settle where it may please you.”	And Abimelech said to Abraam, Behold, my land is before thee, dwell wheresoever it may please thee.

Genesis 20:16 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:16 (KJV)	Genesis 20:16 (NET)
And unto Sarah he said: ‘Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is for thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee; and before all men thou art righted.’	And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver: behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes, unto all that are with thee, and with all other: thus she was reproved.	To Sarah he said, “Look, I have given 1,000 pieces of silver to your ‘brother.’ This is compensation for you so that you will stand vindicated before all who are with you.”

Genesis 20:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τῇ δὲ Σαρρα εἶπεν ἰδοὺ δέδωκα χίλια δίδραχμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου ταῦτα ἔσται σοι εἰς τιμὴν τοῦ προσώπου σου καὶ πάσαις ταῗς μετὰ σοῦ καὶ πάντα ἀλήθευσον	τῇ δὲ Σάρρᾳ εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ δέδωκα χίλια δίδραχμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου· ταῦτα ἔσται σοι εἰς τὴν τιμὴ τοῦ προσώπου σου καὶ πάσαις ταῖς μετὰ σοῦ· καὶ πάντα ἀλήθευσον
Genesis 20:16 (NETS)	Genesis 20:16 (English Elpenor)
And to Sarra he said, “Look, I have given your brother a thousand drachmas; these shall be to you for the honor of your person and to all those with you, and tell the whole truth.”	And to Sarrha he said, Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver, those shall be to thee for the price of thy countenance, and to all the women with thee, and speak the truth in all things.

Genesis 17:5 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:5 (KJV)	Genesis 17:5 (NET)
Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.	Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.	No longer will your name be Abram. Instead, your name will be Abraham because I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.

Genesis 17:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ κληθήσεται ἔτι τὸ ὄνομά σου Αβραμ ἀλλ᾽ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου Αβρααμ ὅτι πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε	καὶ οὐ κληθήσεται ἔτι τὸ ὄνομά σου ῞Αβραμ, ἀλλ᾿ ἔσται τὸ ὄνομά σου ῾Αβραάμ, ὅτι πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε
Genesis 17:5 (NETS)	Genesis 17:5 (English Elpenor)
And no longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraam, for I have made you an ancestor of many nations.	And thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraam, for I have made thee a father of many nations.

Romans 4:13 (NET)	Romans 4:13 (KJV)
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.	For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Οὐ γὰρ διὰ νόμου ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἢ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ, τὸ κληρονόμον αὐτὸν εἶναι κόσμου, ἀλλὰ διὰ δικαιοσύνης πίστεως	ου γαρ δια νομου η επαγγελια τω αβρααμ η τω σπερματι αυτου το κληρονομον αυτον ειναι του κοσμου αλλα δια δικαιοσυνης πιστεως	ου γαρ δια νομου η επαγγελια τω αβρααμ η τω σπερματι αυτου το κληρονομον αυτον ειναι του κοσμου αλλα δια δικαιοσυνης πιστεως

Romans, Part 21

Back to Romans, Part 35

Back to Romans, Part 40

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 6

Back to Son of God – 1 John, Part 3

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 8

Back to Fear – Genesis, Part 2

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 5

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 3

Back to Jephthah

Back to Christianity, Part 11

Back to Christianity, Part 12

Back to The Children of Promise, Part 2

Back to Exploration, Part 1

¹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article του preceding world. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

² Romans 4:13 (NET)

³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εις χριστον (KJV: in Christ) following God. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴ Galatians 3:17 (NET) Table

⁵ “Sarah’s prolonged barrenness prompted her to give her handmaid Hagar to Abraham in order that she might bear him a child in her mistress’ place (16:12). This unusual device, found only once again in the Bible (cf. Gen. 30:1–8), is also attested to in the Nuzi documents and elsewhere, where it is stipulated that if a wife is childless, she must provide her husband with a female slave as a concubine.”
From the article “Sarah” on the Jewish Virtual Library online.

⁶ “The Code of Hammurabi,” The Avalon Project, Yale Law School

⁷ Genesis 16:5 (NET)

⁸ “The Code of Hammurabi,” The Avalon Project, Yale Law School

⁹ Genesis 16:6 (NET)

¹⁰ NET note 34: The name Ishmael consists of the imperfect or jussive form of the Hebrew verb with the theophoric element added as the subject. It means “God hears” or “may God hear.”

¹¹ Genesis 17:15, 16 (NET)

¹² Genesis 17:17a (NET)

¹³ Genesis 17:18 (NET)

¹⁴ Romans 4:13 (NET)

¹⁵ Genesis 18:19a (NET)

¹⁶ Genesis 20:11 (NET)

¹⁷ Genesis 20:13 (NET)

¹⁸ Romans 4:14 (NET)

¹⁹ 1 Samuel 17 (NET)

²⁰ Judges 7:2 (NET)

²¹ 1 Corinthians 1:28, 29 (NET) Table

²² Romans 4:15 (NET)

²³ Genesis 12:17 (NET)

²⁴ Genesis 20:3 (NET)

²⁵ Genesis 12:16 (NET)

²⁶ Genesis 20:14-16 (NET)

²⁷ 2 Timothy 1:12b (NKJV)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

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

Tag Archives: Genesis 20:3

Christianity, Part 12

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