A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 7

Posted on May 2, 2021 by admin

I intend to consider another description of cities of refuge to fortify the conviction that Genesis 9:5, 6 was God’s description of his own attitude and behavior toward murderers post-flood. But first I want to consider the reason given in Deuteronomy for cities of refuge.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 19:10 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:10 (NET)	Deuteronomy 19:10 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:10 (English Elpenor)
that innocent (נָקִ֔י) blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which HaShem thy G-d giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.	You must not shed innocent (nāqî, נקי) blood in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, for that would make you guilty.	and innocent (ἀναίτιον) blood shall not be shed in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an allotment, and there shall not be among you one guilty of blood.	So innocent (ἀναίτιον) blood shall not be spilt in the land, which the Lord thy God gives thee to inherit, and there shall not be in thee one guilty of blood.

The first occurrence of נָקִ֖י (nāqî) is instructive in this context. Abraham had put his servant under oath (Genesis 24:1-4) to find a wife for Isaac among his own people. Abraham’s servant explained his mission and the limits of the oath to Rebekah’s brother Laban (Genesis 24:28-33):

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 24:41 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 24:41 (NET)	Genesis 24:41 (NETS)	Genesis 24:41 (English Elpenor)
then shalt thou be clear (תִּנָּקֶה֙) from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear (נָקִ֖י) from my oath.	You will be free (nāqâ, תנקה) from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free (nāqî, נקי) from your oath.’	Then you will be free (ἀθῷος) from my curse; indeed, when perchance you come to my tribe and they do not give her to you, then you will be free (ἀθῷος) from my adjuration.’	Then shalt thou be clear (ἀθῷος) from my curse, for whensoever thou shalt have come to my tribe, and they shall not give her to thee, then shalt thou be clear (ἀθῷος) from my oath.

Abraham didn’t want his servant to abduct a young woman from his relatives to fulfill that oath. The innocent (nāqî, נקי) blood above refers primarily to those who have killed someone but were not deserving of death:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 19:6 (Tanakh) Table	Deuteronomy 19:6 (NET)	Deuteronomy 19:6 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:6 (English Elpenor)
lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not deserving (מִשְׁפַּט) of death (מָ֔וֶת), inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.	Otherwise the blood avenger will chase after the killer in the heat of his anger, eventually overtake him, and kill him, though this is not a capital case (Note 16: “no judgment [mišpāṭ, משפט] of death [māveṯ, מות]”) since he did not hate him at the time of the accident.	lest the avenger of blood pursue after the murderer, because his heart is hot, and overtake him—if the road was rather long—and he strike his soul, and he dies, and to this one there is not a death (θανάτου) sentence (κρίσις), since he did not hate him before yesterday and before the third day.	Lest the avenger of blood pursue after the slayer, because his heart is hot, and overtake him, if the way be too long, and slay him, though there is to this man no sentence (κρίσις) of death (θανάτου), because he hated him not in time past.

Everything about the cities of refuge sounds like an attempt to rein in an ongoing killing spree. I don’t really doubt or dispute that. The Lord’s instruction to Joshua bears it out:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Joshua 20:1-3 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:1-3 (NET)	Joshua 20:1-3 (NETS)	Joshua 20:1-3 (English Elpenor)
The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,	The Lord instructed Joshua:	And the Lord spoke to Iesous, saying,	And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:	“Have the Israelites select the cities of refuge that I told you about through Moses.	“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Give the cities of places of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moyses,	Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign the cities of refuge, [of] which I spoke to you by Moses.
That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.	Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there; these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood.	a place of refuge for the slayer who has smitten a soul involuntarily, and the cities shall be for you a place of refuge, and the slayer shall not die by the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment.	[Even] a refuge to the slayer who has smitten a man unintentionally; and the cities shall be to you a refuge, and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgment.

There is some additional instruction in the Masoretic text that is not found in the BLB Septuagint. The Elpenor Septuagint has verses 4-6 in Greek at the end of the chapter with the note Εκ τοῦ κώδ. Α, which I have understood as “from codex A.”

The Codex Alexandrinus…is a fifth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible…containing the majority of the Greek Old Testament and the Greek New Testament.^[1]

These verses were not translated into English in the Elpenor Septuagint, so I have placed the portion of verse 3 that was not in the Masoretic text in the table below.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Joshua 20:4-6 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:4-6 (NET)	Joshua 20:3b (NETS)	Joshua 20:3b (English Elpenor)
And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.	The one who committed manslaughter should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city. They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.	and the slayer shall not die by the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment.	and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgment.
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.	When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation.
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.	He must remain in that city until his case is decided by the assembly, and the high priest dies. Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.”

Here are the cities of refuge by name:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Joshua 20:7, 8 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:7, 8 (NET)	Joshua 20:7, 8 (NETS)	Joshua 20:7, 8 (English Elpenor)
And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.	So they selected Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.	And he set apart Kades in Galilee in the mountain of Naphtali. And Sychem in the mountain of Ephraim and the city of Arbok (this is Chebron) in the mountain of Ioudas.	And Joshua separated Cades in Galilee in the mount Nephthali, and Sychem in the mount Ephraim, and the city of Arboc; this is Chebron, in the mountain of Juda.
And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.	Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they selected Bezer in the wilderness on the plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh.	And beyond the Jordan he gave Bosor in the wilderness on the plain, out of the tribe of Rouben, and Aremoth in Galaad, out of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in Basantis, out of the tribe of Manasse.	And beyond Jordan he appointed Bosor in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Ruben, and Aremoth in Galaad out of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in the country of Basan out of the tribe of Manasse.

A final statement of purpose follows:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Joshua 20:9 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:9 (NET)	Joshua 20:9 (NETS)	Joshua 20:9 (English Elpenor)
These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.	These were the cities of refuge appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly.	These were the cities designated for the sons of Israel and for the guest abiding among them, that anyone who smites a soul involuntarily may flee there so that he will not die by the hand of the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment.	These [were] the cities selected for the sons of Israel, and for the stranger abiding among them, that every one who smites a soul unintentionally should flee thither, that he should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he should stand before the congregation for judgment.

The entry—AVENGER OF BLOOD—in the Jewish Encyclopedia online offers an evolutionary explanation of all this:

Among primitive peoples of low political development—such as the ancient Greeks, Germans, and Slavs, some North American tribes, the modern Sicilians, Corsicans, and Arabs—the clan or family had to assume the right to protect itself. One of the most important clan duties then was plainly for the nearest of kin to hunt down and carry out the death-penalty on a person that had slain a member of the sept or family. That this idea of family retribution—which even to-day is by no means extinct in some comparatively civilized communities—was also current among the ancient Hebrews may be seen from Gen. xxvii. 45, where the existence of the custom is clearly taken for granted….

Such a stern system, however, could not, of course, survive unmodified after the community had begun to advance from the purely savage state. Abuses of the privilege of blood-revenge must have soon become evident to the tribal chiefs, as one finds in Ex. xxi. 12 (compare Gen. ix. 6) that the commonly accepted formula that a life must be given for a life is modified by a careful legal distinction between wilful murder and accidental manslaughter….

The later codes develop at some length the very just distinction between wilful murder and accidental homicide (see Murder). Six Cities of Refuge were appointed for the purpose of affording an asylum to the homicide, where he might be secure from the hand of the avenger (Deut. xix. 12) until the elders of the community of which the accused was a member should decide whether the murder was intentional or accidental (Num. xxxv. 9-34; Deut. xix. 1-13; Josh. xx.).

God knew “the very just distinction between wilful murder and accidental homicide” when he warned every man on the planet of his own changed attitude and behavior toward murderers. By “changed” I mean different than both his mercy shown to Cain after Abel’s murder (Genesis 4:8-16) and his own decision to never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done^[2] in the flood. Abraham didn’t want to involve his servant in the abduction of a young woman. I’m sure God didn’t want to involve his servants in the shedding of innocent blood.

In other words, I’m fairly confident now that בָּֽאָדָ֖ם, translated by man (Tanakh, KJV) and by other humans (NET), was added to the Masoretic text sometime after the Septuagint was translated from Hebrew. God warned Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:5, 6 NETS):

For truly, your blood of your lives I will seek out: from the hand of all the animals I will seek it out, and from the hand of a fellow human I will seek out the life of the human [Table]. As for the one who sheds a human’s blood, in return for this blood shall it be shed. For by divine image I made humankind [Table].

There is a listing in Genesis 10 of several generations from Noah after the flood without any mention of a murder. While I realize that no mention of murder is not quite the same thing as no murder for all of those generations, it prompts me to recognize that I don’t need any evolutionary speculation here. All I need do is consult the human heart. Once murder began to occur again would people trust God to avenge it? How often do people trust God to do anything? much less revenge when it’s personal?

Paul wrote of the love that is the fulfillment of the law, an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, springing up to eternal life in all born from above through Jesus’ faithfulness (Romans 12:16-21 NET):

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends (ἀγαπητοί, a form of ἀγαπητός), but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head^[3] [Table]. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Tables comparing Deuteronomy 19:10; Genesis 24:41; Joshua 20:1; 20:2; 20:3; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; 20:7; 20:8 and 20:9 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Deuteronomy 19:10; Genesis 24:41; Joshua 20:1; 20:2; 20:3; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; 20:7; 20:8 and 20:9 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Deuteronomy 19:10 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:10 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:10 (NET)
that innocent blood be not shed in the midst of thy land, which HaShem thy G-d giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.	That innocent blood be not shed in thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.	You must not shed innocent blood in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, for that would make you guilty.

Deuteronomy 19:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐκ ἐκχυθήσεται αἷμα ἀναίτιον ἐν τῇ γῇ σου ᾗ κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι ἐν κλήρῳ καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ἐν σοὶ αἵματι ἔνοχος	καὶ οὐκ ἐκχυθήσεται αἷμα ἀναίτιον ἐν τῇ γῇ, ᾗ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου δίδωσί σοι ἐν κλήρῳ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ἐν σοὶ αἵματι ἔνοχος
Deuteronomy 19:10 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:10 (English Elpenor)
and innocent blood shall not be shed in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an allotment, and there shall not be among you one guilty of blood.	So innocent blood shall not be spilt in the land, which the Lord thy God gives thee to inherit, and there shall not be in thee one guilty of blood.

Genesis 24:41 (Tanakh)	Genesis 24:41 (KJV)	Genesis 24:41 (NET)
then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath.	Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.	You will be free from your oath if you go to my relatives and they will not give her to you. Then you will be free from your oath.’

Genesis 24:41 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 24:41 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τότε ἀθῷος ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρᾶς μου ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐὰν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν φυλὴν καὶ μή σοι δῶσιν καὶ ἔσῃ ἀθῷος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁρκισμοῦ μου	τότε ἀθῷος ἔσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρᾶς μου· ἡνίκα γὰρ ἐὰν ἔλθῃς εἰς τὴν φυλήν μου καὶ μή σοι δῶσι, καὶ ἔσῃ ἀθῷος ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁρκισμοῦ μου
Genesis 24:41 (NETS)	Genesis 24:41 (English Elpenor)
Then you will be free from my curse; indeed, when perchance you come to my tribe and they do not give her to you, then you will be free from my adjuration.’	Then shalt thou be clear from my curse, for whensoever thou shalt have come to my tribe, and they shall not give her to thee, then shalt thou be clear from my oath.

Joshua 20:1 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:1 (KJV)	Joshua 20:1 (NET)
The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,	The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,	The Lord instructed Joshua:

Joshua 20:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Joshua 20:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος τῷ Ἰησοῗ λέγων	ΚΑΙ ἐλάλησε Κύριος τῷ ᾿Ιησοῖ λέγων
Joshua 20:1 (NETS)	Joshua 20:1 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord spoke to Iesous, saying,	And the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying,

Joshua 20:2 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:2 (KJV)	Joshua 20:2 (NET)
Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:	Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:	“Have the Israelites select the cities of refuge that I told you about through Moses.

Joshua 20:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Joshua 20:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λάλησον τοῗς υἱοῗς Ισραηλ λέγων δότε τὰς πόλεις τῶν φυγαδευτηρίων ἃς εἶπα πρὸς ὑμᾶς διὰ Μωυσῆ	λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ λέγων· δότε τὰς πόλεις τῶν φυγαδευτηρίων, ἃς εἶπα πρὸς ὑμᾶς διὰ Μωυσῆ
Joshua 20:2 (NETS)	Joshua 20:2 (English Elpenor)
“Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Give the cities of places of refuge of which I spoke to you through Moyses,	Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Assign the cities of refuge, [of] which I spoke to you by Moses.

Joshua 20:3 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:3 (KJV)	Joshua 20:3 (NET)
That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.	That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.	Anyone who accidentally kills someone can escape there; these cities will be a place of asylum from the avenger of blood.

Joshua 20:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Joshua 20:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
φυγαδευτήριον τῷ φονευτῇ τῷ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως καὶ ἔσονται ὑμῗν αἱ πόλεις φυγαδευτήριον καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῗται ὁ φονευτὴς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα ἕως ἂν καταστῇ ἐναντίον τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν	φυγαδευτήριον τῷ φονευτῇ τῷ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως, καὶ ἔσονται ὑμῖν αἱ πόλεις φυγαδευτήριον, καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται ὁ φονευτὴς ὑπό τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα, ἕως ἂν καταστῇ ἐναντίον τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν
Joshua 20:3 (NETS)	Joshua 20:3 (English Elpenor)
a place of refuge for the slayer who has smitten a soul involuntarily, and the cities shall be for you a place of refuge, and the slayer shall not die by the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment.	[Even] a refuge to the slayer who has smitten a man unintentionally; and the cities shall be to you a refuge, and the slayer shall not be put to death by the avenger of blood, until he have stood before the congregation for judgment.

Joshua 20:4 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:4 (KJV)	Joshua 20:4 (NET)
And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.	And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.	The one who committed manslaughter should escape to one of these cities, stand at the entrance of the city gate, and present his case to the leaders of that city. They should then bring him into the city, give him a place to stay, and let him live there.

Joshua 20:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Joshua 20:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
n/a	Καὶ φεύξεται εἰς μίαν τῶν πόλεων τούτων καὶ στήσεται ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν τῆς πόλεως καὶ λαλήσει ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης τοὺς λόγους τούτους καὶ ἐπιστρέψουσιν αὐτὸν ἡ συναγωγὴ πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ δώσουσιν αὐτῷ τόπον καὶ κατοικήσει μετ’ αὐτῶν
Joshua 20:4 (NETS)	Joshua 20:4 (English Elpenor)
n/a	n/a

Joshua 20:5 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:5 (KJV)	Joshua 20:5 (NET)
And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.	And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand; because he smote his neighbour unwittingly, and hated him not beforetime.	When the avenger of blood comes after him, they must not hand over to him the one who committed manslaughter, for he accidentally killed his fellow man without premeditation.

Joshua 20:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Joshua 20:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
n/a	καὶ ὅτι διώξεται ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ συγκλείσουσι τὸν φονεύσαντα ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰδὼς ἐπάταξε τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μισῶν αὐτὸς αὐτὸν ἀπ’ ἐχθὲς καὶ τῆς τρίτης
Joshua 20:5 (NETS)	Joshua 20:5 (English Elpenor)
n/a	n/a

Joshua 20:6 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:6 (KJV)	Joshua 20:6 (NET)
And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.	And he shall dwell in that city, until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest that shall be in those days: then shall the slayer return, and come unto his own city, and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.	He must remain in that city until his case is decided by the assembly, and the high priest dies. Then the one who committed manslaughter may return home to the city from which he escaped.”

Joshua 20:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Joshua 20:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
n/a	καὶ κατοικήσει ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ ἕως στῇ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν ἕως ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, ὃς ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις· τότε ἐπιστρέψει ὁ φονεύσας καὶ ἐλεύσεται εἰς τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς πόλιν ὅθεν ἔφυγεν ἐκεῖθεν
Joshua 20:6 (NETS)	Joshua 20:6 (English Elpenor)
n/a	n/a

Joshua 20:7 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:7 (KJV)	Joshua 20:7 (NET)
And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.	And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which is Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.	So they selected Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah.

Joshua 20:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Joshua 20:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διέστειλεν τὴν Καδης ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Νεφθαλι καὶ Συχεμ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Εφραιμ καὶ τὴν πόλιν Αρβοκ αὕτη ἐστὶν Χεβρων ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Ιουδα	καὶ διέστειλε τὴν Κάδης ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ Νεφθαλὶ καὶ Συχὲμ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ᾿Εφραὶμ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ᾿Αρβὸκ (αὕτη ἐστὶ Χεβρών) ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ᾿Ιούδα.
Joshua 20:7 (NETS)	Joshua 20:7 (English Elpenor)
And he set apart Kades in Galilee in the mountain of Naphtali. And Sychem in the mountain of Ephraim and the city of Arbok (this is Chebron) in the mountain of Ioudas.	And Joshua separated Cades in Galilee in the mount Nephthali, and Sychem in the mount Ephraim, and the city of Arboc; this is Chebron, in the mountain of Juda.

Joshua 20:8 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:8 (KJV)	Joshua 20:8 (NET)
And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.	And on the other side Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain out of the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan out of the tribe of Manasseh.	Beyond the Jordan east of Jericho they selected Bezer in the wilderness on the plain belonging to the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan belonging to the tribe of Manasseh.

Joshua 20:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Joshua 20:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου ἔδωκεν Βοσορ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ἀπὸ τῆς φυλῆς Ρουβην καὶ Αρημωθ ἐν τῇ Γαλααδ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Γαδ καὶ τὴν Γαυλων ἐν τῇ Βασανίτιδι ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Μανασση	καὶ ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου ἔδωκε Βοσὸρ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ἀπὸ τῆς φυλῆς Ῥουβὴν καὶ ᾿Αρημὼθ ἐν τῇ Γαλαὰδ ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Γάδ, καὶ τὴν Γαυλὼν ἐν τῇ Βασανίτιδι ἐκ τῆς φυλῆς Μανασσῆ
Joshua 20:8 (NETS)	Joshua 20:8 (English Elpenor)
And beyond the Jordan he gave Bosor in the wilderness on the plain, out of the tribe of Rouben, and Aremoth in Galaad, out of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in Basantis, out of the tribe of Manasse.	And beyond Jordan he appointed Bosor in the wilderness in the plain out of the tribe of Ruben, and Aremoth in Galaad out of the tribe of Gad, and Gaulon in the country of Basan out of the tribe of Manasse.

Joshua 20:9 (Tanakh)	Joshua 20:9 (KJV)	Joshua 20:9 (NET)
These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.	These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.	These were the cities of refuge appointed for all the Israelites and for resident foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed someone could escape there and not be executed by the avenger of blood, at least until his case was reviewed by the assembly.

Joshua 20:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Joshua 20:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αὗται αἱ πόλεις αἱ ἐπίκλητοι τοῗς υἱοῗς Ισραηλ καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ τῷ προσκειμένῳ ἐν αὐτοῗς καταφυγεῗν ἐκεῗ παντὶ παίοντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα ἕως ἂν καταστῇ ἔναντι τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν	αὗται αἱ πόλεις αἱ ἐπίκλητοι τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ τῷ προσκειμένῳ ἐν αὐτοῖς καταφυγεῖν ἐκεῖ παντὶ παίοντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα, ἕως ἂν καταστῇ ἔναντι τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν.
Joshua 20:9 (NETS)	Joshua 20:9 (English Elpenor)
These were the cities designated for the sons of Israel and for the guest abiding among them, that anyone who smites a soul involuntarily may flee there so that he will not die by the hand of the next of kin in blood until he stands before the congregation for judgment.	These [were] the cities selected for the sons of Israel, and for the stranger abiding among them, that every one who smites a soul unintentionally should flee thither, that he should not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he should stand before the congregation for judgment.

^[1] Codex Alexandrinus

^[2] Genesis 8:21b (NET) Table

^[3] See a comparison of the Greek of this quotation with that of the the Septuagint.

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 5

Posted on March 29, 2021 by admin

After the flood God spoke to Noah and his sons.^[1]

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 9:5, 6 (Tanakh)	Genesis 9:5, 6 (NET)	Genesis 9:5, 6 (NETS)	Genesis 9:5, 6 (English Elpenor)
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it; and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, will I require the life of man.	For your lifeblood I will surely exact punishment, from every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person I will exact punishment for the life of the individual since the man was his relative.	For truly, your blood of your lives I will seek out: from the hand of all the animals I will seek it out, and from the hand of a fellow human I will seek out the life of the human.	For your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of all wild beasts, and I will require the life of man at the hand of [his] brother man.
Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man (בָּֽאָדָ֖ם) shall his blood be shed; for in the image of G-d made He man.	“Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans (‘āḏām, באדם) must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God has made humankind.	As for the one who sheds a human’s blood, in return for this blood shall it be shed. For by divine image I made humankind.	He that sheds man’s blood, instead of that blood shall his own be shed, for in the image of God I made man.

Rashi’s commentary reads:

through man shall his blood be shed: If there are witnesses, you kill him. Why? “For in the image of God, etc.”

In another essay, reading only from the Masoretic text, I called this “a righteous expectation of the law God gave Noah and his sons after the flood.” I wrote, “God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) spoke one law to address violence” in another. And in another, even after checking the Septuagint but not yet giving it the weight I do today, I used this “law” to justify killing the Canaanites: “In this sense then Israel’s army became a limited cleansing flood, as opposed to the flood yehôvâh promised not to unleash again to destroy the earth.”

The Septuagint doesn’t include the phrase by man (בָּֽאָדָ֖ם), or by other humans (NET). It is entirely possible that אֱלֹהִ֔ים (‘ĕlōhîm) described his own attitude and actions toward murderers henceforward rather than delegating that authority to human beings through a law, regardless if human beings understood his words as open season on those who killed their loved ones.

He said: your blood of your lives will I require (אֶדְר֔שׁ), I will surely exact punishment^[2] (NET), I will seek out (ἐκζητήσω), will I require it (אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ), I will exact punishment (NET), I will seek it out (ἐκζητήσω), will I require (English Elpenor), will I require (אֶדְר֖שׁ) the life of man (Tanakh), I will exact punishment (NET), I will seek out (ἐκζητήσω), and I will require (English Elpenor).

At any rate it finally got through to me how I may be blaspheming God and the law by calling this brief passage law. When this issue is finally addressed in the law it is described in detail and in the context of cities of refuge:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 35:9-11 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:9-11 (NET)	Numbers 35:9-11 (NETS)	Numbers 35:9-11 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:	Then the Lord spoke to Moses:	And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:	And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,	“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,	Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: As for you, you are crossing the Jordan into the land of Chanaan,	Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Ye are to cross over Jordan into the land of Chanaan.
then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person through error may flee thither.	you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee.	and you shall set aside for yourselves cities; they shall be places of refuge for you for the murderer to flee there, everyone who strikes a soul unintentionally.	And ye shall appoint to yourselves cities: they shall be to you cities of refuge for the slayer to flee to, every one who has killed another unintentionally.

As one might expect, the legal concept through error (בִּשְׁגָגָֽה) or unintentionally (ἀκουσίως) was spelled out in some detail in the law:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 35:22-25 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:22-25 (NET)	Numbers 35:22-25 (NETS)	Numbers 35:22-25 (English Elpenor)
But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him any thing without lying in wait, [Table]	“But if he strikes him suddenly, without enmity, or throws anything at him unintentionally	But if he pushes him suddenly, not out of enmity, or throws at him any object not from an ambush	But if he should thrust him suddenly, not through enmity, or cast any thing upon him, not from an ambuscade,
or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm; [Table]	or with any stone large enough that a man could die, without seeing him, and throws it at him, and he dies, even though he was not his enemy nor sought his harm,	or with any stone—by which he may die—unknowingly, and it falls upon him and he dies but he is not his enemy nor was he seeking to harm him,	or [smite him] with any stone, whereby a man may die, unawares, and it should fall upon him, and he should die, but he was not his enemy, nor sought to hurt him;
then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances; [Table]	then the community must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these decisions.	then the congregation shall judge between the striker and between the one doing the relative’s blood duty, according to these judgments,	then the assembly shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood, according to these judgments.
and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled; and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil [Table].	The community must deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the community must restore him to the town of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the consecrated oil.	and the congregation shall rescue the one that committed murder from the one doing the relative’s blood duty. And the congregation shall restore him to the city of his place of refuge, where he fled for refuge. And he shall live there until the great priest dies, him whom they anointed with the holy oil.	And the congregation shall rescue the slayer from the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he fled for refuge; and he shall dwell there till the death of the high-priest, whom they anointed with the holy oil.

This was contrasted to the conditions that called for a guilty verdict and the death penalty:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 35:16-21 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:16-21 (NET)	Numbers 35:16-21 (NETS)	Numbers 35:16-21 (English Elpenor)
But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.	“‘But if he hits someone with an iron tool so that he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death.	But if he strikes him with an iron instrument and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death.	And if he should smite him with an iron instrument, and the man should die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
And if he smote him with a stone in the hand (יָד֩), whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.	If he strikes him by throwing (yāḏ, יד) a stone large enough that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death.	Now if he strikes him with a stone out of hand (ἐκ χειρός)—by which he may die—and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death.	And if he should smite him with a stone [thrown] from his hand (ἐκ χειρός), whereby a man may die, and he [thus] die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand (יָד֩), whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.	Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand (yāḏ, יד) weapon so that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death.	Now if he strikes him with a wooden instrument out of hand (ἐκ χειρός)—from which he may die—and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death.	And if he should smite him with an instrument of wood from his hand (ἐκ χειρός), whereby he may die, and he [thus] die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death.	The avenger of blood himself must kill the murderer; when he meets him, he must kill him.	As for the one doing the relative’s blood duty, he shall kill the one that committed murder; when he meets up with him, he shall kill him.	The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: whensoever he shall meet him he shall slay him.
And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him any thing, lying in wait, so that he died; [Table]	“‘But if he strikes him out of hatred or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies,	Now if out of enmity he pushes him and hurls at him any object from an ambush and he dies	And if he should thrust him through enmity, or cast any thing upon him from an ambuscade, and the man should die,
or in enmity smote him with his hand, that he died; he that smote him shall surely be put to death: he is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meeteth him [Table].	or with enmity he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death, for he is a murderer. The avenger of blood must kill the murderer when he meets him.	or out of rage he struck him with the hand and he dies, let the one who struck be put to death by death—he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death; the one doing the relative’s blood duty shall strike the one that committed murder when he meets him.	or if he have smitten him with his hand through anger, and the man should die, let the man that smote him be put to death by all means, he is a murderer: let the murderer by all means be put to death: the avenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him.

The law continued to clarify the meaning of the cities of refuge:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 35:12-15 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:12-15 (NET)	Numbers 35:12-15 (NETS)	Numbers 35:12-15 (English Elpenor)
And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment.	And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community.	And the cities shall be for you places of refuge from one doing the relative’s blood duty, and the one that commits murder will not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.	And the cities shall be to you places of refuge from the avenger of blood, and the slayer shall not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
And as to the cities which ye shall give, there shall be for you six cities of refuge.	These towns that you must give shall be your six towns for refuge.	And the cities that you give as the six cities shall be places of refuge for you.	And the cities which ye shall assign, [even] the six cities, shall be places of refuge for you.
Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.	“‘You must give three towns on this side of the Jordan, and you must give three towns in the land of Canaan; they must be towns of refuge.	Three cities you shall give beyond the Jordan, and three cities you shall give in the land of Chanaan.	Ye shall assign three cities on the other side of Jordan, and ye shall assign three cities in the land of Chanaan.
For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that killeth any person through error may flee thither.	These six towns will be places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the resident foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills any person accidentally may flee there.	They shall be an asylum for the sons of Israel and for the guest and for the resident alien among you. These cities shall be a place of refuge for everyone to flee there when he strikes a soul unintentionally.	It shall be a place of refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that sojourns among you; these cities shall be for a place of refuge, for every one to flee thither who has killed a man unintentionally.

While the city of refuge was not exactly house arrest, it was an enforceable exile for an indeterminate period of time.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 35:26-28 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:26-28 (NET)	Numbers 35:26-28 (NETS)	Numbers 35:26-28 (English Elpenor)
But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth;	But if the slayer at any time goes outside the boundary of the town to which he had fled,	But if he that commits murder by an exit leaves the bounds of the city, there where he fled for refuge,	But if the slayer should in any wise go out beyond the bounds of the city whither he fled for refuge,
and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him;	and the avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the town of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the slayer, he will not be guilty of blood,	and the one doing the relative’s blood duty finds him outside the bounds of the city of his refuge, and the one doing the relative’s blood duty kills the one that committed murder, he is not liable.	and the avenger of blood should find him without the bounds of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood should kill the slayer, he is not guilty.
because he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return into the land of his possession.	because the slayer should have stayed in his town of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to the land of his possessions.	For let him live in the city of refuge until the great priest dies, and after the great priest dies, he that committed murder shall return to the land of his possession.	For he ought to have remained in the city of refuge till the high-priest died; and after the death of the high-priest the slayer shall return to the land of his possession.

Some sentencing guidelines followed:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 35:29-32 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:29-32 (NET)	Numbers 35:29-32 (NETS)	Numbers 35:29-32 (English Elpenor)
And these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.	So these things must be a statutory ordinance for you throughout your generations, in all the places where you live.	And these things shall be for you a requirement of judgment for your generations in all your settlements.	And these things shall be to you for an ordinance of judgment throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die.	“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer must be put to death by the testimony of witnesses, but one witness cannot testify against any person to cause him to be put to death.	Every one, when he strikes a soul, through witnesses you shall kill the murderer, and one witness shall not bear witness against a soul that he should die.	Whoever kills a man, thou shalt slay the murderer on the testimony of witnesses; and one witness shall not testify against a soul that he should die.
Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.	Moreover, you must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; he must surely be put to death.	And you shall not receive ransom for a soul from the one that committed murder, liable to be killed, for he shall be put to death by death.	And ye shall not accept ransoms for life from a murderer who is worthy of death, for he shall be surely put to death.
And ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.	And you must not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a town of refuge, to allow him to return home and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.	And you shall not receive ransom to flee to a city of places of refuge to live again on the land until the great priest dies.	Ye shall not accept a ransom [to excuse] his fleeing to the city of refuge, so that he should again dwell in the land, until the death of the high-priest.

The rationale for all of this legislation followed:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 35:33, 34 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:33, 34 (NET)	Numbers 35:33, 34 (NETS)	Numbers 35:33, 34 (English Elpenor)
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.	“‘You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it.	And you shall not kill by murder the land on which you live. For this blood kills the land by murder, and the land shall not be atoned for from the blood that was shed upon it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.	So shall ye not pollute with murder the land in which ye dwell; for this blood pollutes the land, and the land shall not be purged from the blood shed upon it, but by the blood of him that shed it.
And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I HaShem dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.’	Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the Israelites.’”	And you shall not defile the land that you live upon, on which I will encamp among you, for I am the Lord, encamping in the midst of the sons of Israel.	And ye shall not defile the land whereon ye dwell, on which I dwell in the midst of you; for I am the Lord dwelling in the midst of the children of Israel.

This rationale is very consistent with the Lord’s word to Cain after he had murdered Abel:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 4:10b-12a (Tanakh)	Genesis 4:10b-12a (NET)	Genesis 4:10b-12a (NETS)	Genesis 4:10b-12a (English Elpenor)
the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground [Table].	The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!	The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the earth!	the voice of thy brother’s blood cries to me out of the ground.
And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand [Table].	So now you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.	And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened wide its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.	And now thou [art] cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; [Table]	When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you.	For you will till the earth, and it will not continue to yield its strength to you;	When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee:

What is not consistent is the killing spree God inaugurated in Genesis 9:6 in the Masoretic text only. It is so inconsistent it can serve as evidence that the phrase by man (בָּֽאָדָ֖ם), or by other humans (NET), was added erroneously to the original text. I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Genesis 9:5; 9:6; Numbers 35:9; 35:10; 35:11; 35:16; 35:17; 35:18; 35:19; 35:12; 35:13; 35:14; 35:15; 35:26; 35:27; 35:28; 35:29; 35:30; 35:31; 35:32; 35:33 and 35:34 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 9:5; 9:6; Numbers 35:9; 35:10; 35:11; 35:16; 35:17; 35:18; 35:19; 35:12; 35:13; 35:14; 35:15; 35:26; 35:27; 35:28; 35:29; 35:30; 35:31; 35:32; 35:33 and 35:34 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Genesis 9:5 (Tanakh)	Genesis 9:5 (KJV)	Genesis 9:5 (NET)
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it; and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, will I require the life of man.	And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.	For your lifeblood I will surely exact punishment, from every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person I will exact punishment for the life of the individual since the man was his relative.

Genesis 9:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 9:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ γὰρ τὸ ὑμέτερον αἷμα τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἐκζητήσω ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν θηρίων ἐκζητήσω αὐτὸ καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀδελφοῦ ἐκζητήσω τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου	καὶ γὰρ τὸ ὑμέτερον αἷμα τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν θηρίων ἐκζητήσω αὐτὸ καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀδελφοῦ ἐκζητήσω τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Genesis 9:5 (NETS)	Genesis 9:5 (English Elpenor)
For truly, your blood of your lives I will seek out: from the hand of all the animals I will seek it out, and from the hand of a fellow human I will seek out the life of the human.	For your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of all wild beasts, and I will require the life of man at the hand of [his] brother man.

Genesis 9:6 (Tanakh)	Genesis 9:6 (KJV)	Genesis 9:6 (NET)
Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of G-d made He man.	Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.	“Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God has made humankind.

Genesis 9:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 9:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ἐκχέων αἷμα ἀνθρώπου ἀντὶ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ ἐκχυθήσεται ὅτι ἐν εἰκόνι θεοῦ ἐποίησα τὸν ἄνθρωπον	ὁ ἐκχέων αἷμα ἀνθρώπου, ἀντὶ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ ἐκχυθήσεται, ὅτι ἐν εἰκόνι Θεοῦ ἐποίησα τὸν ἄνθρωπον
Genesis 9:6 (NETS)	Genesis 9:6 (English Elpenor)
As for the one who sheds a human’s blood, in return for this blood shall it be shed. For by divine image I made humankind.	He that sheds man’s blood, instead of that blood shall his own be shed, for in the image of God I made man.

Numbers 35:9 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:9 (KJV)	Numbers 35:9 (NET)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying:	And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,	Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

Numbers 35:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων	Καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων
Numbers 35:9 (NETS)	Numbers 35:9 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying:	And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Numbers 35:10 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:10 (KJV)	Numbers 35:10 (NET)
‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,	Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan;	“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,

Numbers 35:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λάλησον τοῗς υἱοῗς Ισραηλ καὶ ἐρεῗς πρὸς αὐτούς ὑμεῗς διαβαίνετε τὸν Ιορδάνην εἰς γῆν Χανααν	λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτούς· ὑμεῖς διαβαίνετε τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην εἰς γῆν Χαναὰν
Numbers 35:10 (NETS)	Numbers 35:10 (English Elpenor)
Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: As for you, you are crossing the Jordan into the land of Chanaan,	Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Ye are to cross over Jordan into the land of Chanaan.

Numbers 35:11 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:11 (KJV)	Numbers 35:11 (NET)
then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person through error may flee thither.	Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares.	you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee.

Numbers 35:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διαστελεῗτε ὑμῗν αὐτοῗς πόλεις φυγαδευτήρια ἔσται ὑμῗν φυγεῗν ἐκεῗ τὸν φονευτήν πᾶς ὁ πατάξας ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως	καὶ διαστελεῖτε ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς πόλεις· φυγαδευτήρια ἔσται ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἐκεῖ τὸν φονευτήν, πᾶς ὁ πατάξας ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως
Numbers 35:11 (NETS)	Numbers 35:11 (English Elpenor)
and you shall set aside for yourselves cities; they shall be places of refuge for you for the murderer to flee there, everyone who strikes a soul unintentionally.	And ye shall appoint to yourselves cities: they shall be to you cities of refuge for the slayer to flee to, every one who has killed another unintentionally.

Numbers 35:16 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:16 (KJV)	Numbers 35:16 (NET)
But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.	And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.	“‘But if he hits someone with an iron tool so that he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death.

Numbers 35:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐν σκεύει σιδήρου πατάξῃ αὐτόν καὶ τελευτήσῃ φονευτής ἐστιν θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής	ἐὰν δὲ ἐν σκεύει σιδήρου πατάξῃ αὐτόν, καὶ τελευτήσῃ, φονευτής ἐστι· θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής
Numbers 35:16 (NETS)	Numbers 35:16 (English Elpenor)
But if he strikes him with an iron instrument and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death.	And if he should smite him with an iron instrument, and the man should die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.

Numbers 35:17 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:17 (KJV)	Numbers 35:17 (NET)
And if he smote him with a stone in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.	And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.	If he strikes him by throwing a stone large enough that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death.

Numbers 35:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐν λίθῳ ἐκ χειρός ἐν ᾧ ἀποθανεῗται ἐν αὐτῷ πατάξῃ αὐτόν καὶ ἀποθάνῃ φονευτής ἐστιν θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής	ἐὰν δὲ ἐν λίθῳ ἐκ χειρός, ἐν ᾧ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν αὐτῷ, πατάξῃ αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, φονευτής ἐστι· θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής
Numbers 35:17 (NETS)	Numbers 35:17 (English Elpenor)
Now if he strikes him with a stone out of hand—by which he may die—and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death.	And if he should smite him with a stone [thrown] from his hand, whereby a man may die, and he [thus] die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.

Numbers 35:18 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:18 (KJV)	Numbers 35:18 (NET)
Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.	Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.	Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon so that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer. The murderer must surely be put to death.

Numbers 35:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐν σκεύει ξυλίνῳ ἐκ χειρός ἐξ οὗ ἀποθανεῗται ἐν αὐτῷ πατάξῃ αὐτόν καὶ ἀποθάνῃ φονευτής ἐστιν θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής	ἐὰν δὲ ἐν σκεύει ξυλίνῳ ἐκ χειρός, ἐξ οὗ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν αὐτῷ, πατάξῃ αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, φονευτής ἐστι· θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής
Numbers 35:18 (NETS)	Numbers 35:18 (English Elpenor)
Now if he strikes him with a wooden instrument out of hand—from which he may die—and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death.	And if he should smite him with an instrument of wood from his hand, whereby he may die, and he [thus] die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.

Numbers 35:19 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:19 (KJV)	Numbers 35:19 (NET)
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death.	The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.	The avenger of blood himself must kill the murderer; when he meets him, he must kill him.

Numbers 35:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα οὗτος ἀποκτενεῗ τὸν φονεύσαντα ὅταν συναντήσῃ αὐτῷ οὗτος ἀποκτενεῗ αὐτόν	ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα, οὗτος ἀποκτενεῖ τὸν φονεύσαντα· ὅταν συναντήσῃ αὐτῷ, οὗτος ἀποκτενεῖ αὐτόν
Numbers 35:19 (NETS)	Numbers 35:19 (English Elpenor)
As for the one doing the relative’s blood duty, he shall kill the one that committed murder; when he meets up with him, he shall kill him.	The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: whensoever he shall meet him he shall slay him.

Numbers 35:12 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:12 (KJV)	Numbers 35:12 (NET)
And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment.	And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment.	And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community.

Numbers 35:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις ὑμῗν φυγαδευτήρια ἀπὸ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ φονεύων ἕως ἂν στῇ ἔναντι τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν	καὶ ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις ὑμῖν φυγαδευτήρια ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ φονεύων ἕως ἂν στῇ ἔναντι τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν
Numbers 35:12 (NETS)	Numbers 35:12 (English Elpenor)
And the cities shall be for you places of refuge from one doing the relative’s blood duty, and the one that commits murder will not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.	And the cities shall be to you places of refuge from the avenger of blood, and the slayer shall not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.

Numbers 35:13 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:13 (KJV)	Numbers 35:13 (NET)
And as to the cities which ye shall give, there shall be for you six cities of refuge.	And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge.	These towns that you must give shall be your six towns for refuge.

Numbers 35:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ αἱ πόλεις ἃς δώσετε τὰς ἓξ πόλεις φυγαδευτήρια ἔσονται ὑμῗν	καὶ αἱ πόλεις ἃς δώσετε, τὰς ἓξ πόλεις, φυγαδευτήρια ἔσονται ὑμῖν
Numbers 35:13 (NETS)	Numbers 35:13 (English Elpenor)
And the cities that you give as the six cities shall be places of refuge for you.	And the cities which ye shall assign, [even] the six cities, shall be places of refuge for you.

Numbers 35:14 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:14 (KJV)	Numbers 35:14 (NET)
Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge.	Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.	“‘You must give three towns on this side of the Jordan, and you must give three towns in the land of Canaan; they must be towns of refuge.

Numbers 35:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὰς τρεῗς πόλεις δώσετε ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου καὶ τὰς τρεῗς πόλεις δώσετε ἐν γῇ Χανααν	τὰς τρεῖς πόλεις δώσετε πέραν τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου καὶ τὰς τρεῖς πόλεις δώσετε ἐν γῇ Χαναάν
Numbers 35:14 (NETS)	Numbers 35:14 (English Elpenor)
Three cities you shall give beyond the Jordan, and three cities you shall give in the land of Chanaan.	Ye shall assign three cities on the other side of Jordan, and ye shall assign three cities in the land of Chanaan.

Numbers 35:15 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:15 (KJV)	Numbers 35:15 (NET)
For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that killeth any person through error may flee thither.	These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.	These six towns will be places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the resident foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills any person accidentally may flee there.

Numbers 35:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
φυγάδιον ἔσται τοῗς υἱοῗς Ισραηλ καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ καὶ τῷ παροίκῳ τῷ ἐν ὑμῗν ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις αὗται εἰς φυγαδευτήριον φυγεῗν ἐκεῗ παντὶ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως	φυγαδεῖον ἔσται τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ καὶ τῷ παροίκῳ τῷ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις αὗται εἰς φυγαδευτήριον, φυγεῖν ἐκεῖ παντὶ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως
Numbers 35:15 (NETS)	Numbers 35:15 (English Elpenor)
They shall be an asylum for the sons of Israel and for the guest and for the resident alien among you. These cities shall be a place of refuge for everyone to flee there when he strikes a soul unintentionally.	It shall be a place of refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that sojourns among you; these cities shall be for a place of refuge, for every one to flee thither who has killed a man unintentionally.

Numbers 35:26 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:26 (KJV)	Numbers 35:26 (NET)
But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth;	But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;	But if the slayer at any time goes outside the boundary of the town to which he had fled,

Numbers 35:26 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐξόδῳ ἐξέλθῃ ὁ φονεύσας τὰ ὅρια τῆς πόλεως εἰς ἣν κατέφυγεν ἐκεῗ	ἐὰν δὲ ἐξόδῳ ἐξέλθῃ ὁ φονεύσας τὰ ὅρια τῆς πόλεως εἰς ἣν κατέφυγεν ἐκεῖ
Numbers 35:26 (NETS)	Numbers 35:26 (English Elpenor)
But if he that commits murder by an exit leaves the bounds of the city, there where he fled for refuge,	But if the slayer should in any wise go out beyond the bounds of the city whither he fled for refuge,

Numbers 35:27 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:27 (KJV)	Numbers 35:27 (NET)
and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him;	And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:	and the avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the town of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the slayer, he will not be guilty of blood,

Numbers 35:27 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εὕρῃ αὐτὸν ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα ἔξω τῶν ὁρίων τῆς πόλεως καταφυγῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ φονεύσῃ ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα τὸν φονεύσαντα οὐκ ἔνοχός ἐστιν	καὶ εὕρῃ αὐτὸν ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα ἔξω τῶν ὁρίων τῆς πόλεως καταφυγῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ φονεύσῃ ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα τὸν φονεύσαντα, οὐκ ἔνοχός ἐστιν
Numbers 35:27 (NETS)	Numbers 35:27 (English Elpenor)
and the one doing the relative’s blood duty finds him outside the bounds of the city of his refuge, and the one doing the relative’s blood duty kills the one that committed murder, he is not liable.	and the avenger of blood should find him without the bounds of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood should kill the slayer, he is not guilty.

Numbers 35:28 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:28 (KJV)	Numbers 35:28 (NET)
because he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return into the land of his possession.	Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.	because the slayer should have stayed in his town of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to the land of his possessions.

Numbers 35:28 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν γὰρ τῇ πόλει τῆς καταφυγῆς κατοικείτω ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῗν τὸν ἱερέα τὸν μέγαν ἐπαναστραφήσεται ὁ φονεύσας εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς κατασχέσεως αὐτοῦ	ἐν γὰρ τῇ πόλει τῆς καταφυγῆς κατοικείτω, ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν ἱερέα τὸν μέγαν ἐπαναστραφήσεται ὁ φονεύσας εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς κατασχέσεως αὐτοῦ
Numbers 35:28 (NETS)	Numbers 35:28 (English Elpenor)
For let him live in the city of refuge until the great priest dies, and after the great priest dies, he that committed murder shall return to the land of his possession.	For he ought to have remained in the city of refuge till the high-priest died; and after the death of the high-priest the slayer shall return to the land of his possession.

Numbers 35:29 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:29 (KJV)	Numbers 35:29 (NET)
And these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.	So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.	So these things must be a statutory ordinance for you throughout your generations, in all the places where you live.

Numbers 35:29 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσται ταῦτα ὑμῗν εἰς δικαίωμα κρίματος εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν ἐν πάσαις ταῗς κατοικίαις ὑμῶν	καὶ ἔσται ταῦτα ὑμῖν εἰς δικαίωμα κρίματος εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν ἐν πάσαις ταῖς κατοικίαις ὑμῶν
Numbers 35:29 (NETS)	Numbers 35:29 (English Elpenor)
And these things shall be for you a requirement of judgment for your generations in all your settlements.	And these things shall be to you for an ordinance of judgment throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Numbers 35:30 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:30 (KJV)	Numbers 35:30 (NET)
Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die.	Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.	“‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer must be put to death by the testimony of witnesses, but one witness cannot testify against any person to cause him to be put to death.

Numbers 35:30 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πᾶς πατάξας ψυχήν διὰ μαρτύρων φονεύσεις τὸν φονεύσαντα καὶ μάρτυς εἷς οὐ μαρτυρήσει ἐπὶ ψυχὴν ἀποθανεῗν	πᾶς πατάξας ψυχήν, διὰ μαρτύρων φονεύσεις τὸν φονεύσαντα, καὶ μάρτυς εἷς οὐ μαρτυρήσει ἐπὶ ψυχὴν ἀποθανεῖν
Numbers 35:30 (NETS)	Numbers 35:30 (English Elpenor)
Every one, when he strikes a soul, through witnesses you shall kill the murderer, and one witness shall not bear witness against a soul that he should die.	Whoever kills a man, thou shalt slay the murderer on the testimony of witnesses; and one witness shall not testify against a soul that he should die.

Numbers 35:31 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:31 (KJV)	Numbers 35:31 (NET)
Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.	Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.	Moreover, you must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; he must surely be put to death.

Numbers 35:31 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ λήμψεσθε λύτρα περὶ ψυχῆς παρὰ τοῦ φονεύσαντος τοῦ ἐνόχου ὄντος ἀναιρεθῆναι θανάτῳ γὰρ θανατωθήσεται	καὶ οὐ λήψεσθε λύτρα περὶ ψυχῆς παρὰ τοῦ φονεύσαντος τοῦ ἐνόχου ὄντος ἀναιρεθῆναι· θανάτῳ γὰρ θανατωθήσεται
Numbers 35:31 (NETS)	Numbers 35:31 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not receive ransom for a soul from the one that committed murder, liable to be killed, for he shall be put to death by death.	And ye shall not accept ransoms for life from a murderer who is worthy of death, for he shall be surely put to death.

Numbers 35:32 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:32 (KJV)	Numbers 35:32 (NET)
And ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.	And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.	And you must not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a town of refuge, to allow him to return home and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.

Numbers 35:32 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ λήμψεσθε λύτρα τοῦ φυγεῗν εἰς πόλιν τῶν φυγαδευτηρίων τοῦ πάλιν κατοικεῗν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας	οὐ λήψεσθε λύτρα τοῦ φυγεῖν εἰς πόλιν τῶν φυγαδευτηρίων, τοῦ πάλιν κατοικεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας
Numbers 35:32 (NETS)	Numbers 35:32 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not receive ransom to flee to a city of places of refuge to live again on the land until the great priest dies.	Ye shall not accept a ransom [to excuse] his fleeing to the city of refuge, so that he should again dwell in the land, until the death of the high-priest.

Numbers 35:33 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:33 (KJV)	Numbers 35:33 (NET)
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.	So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.	“‘You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it.

Numbers 35:33 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ μὴ φονοκτονήσητε τὴν γῆν εἰς ἣν ὑμεῗς κατοικεῗτε τὸ γὰρ αἷμα τοῦτο φονοκτονεῗ τὴν γῆν καὶ οὐκ ἐξιλασθήσεται ἡ γῆ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἐκχυθέντος ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἐκχέοντος	καὶ οὐ μὴ φονοκτονήσητε τὴν γῆν, εἰς ἣν ὑμεῖς κατοικεῖτε· τὸ γὰρ αἷμα τοῦτο φονοκτονεῖ τὴν γῆν, καὶ οὐκ ἐξιλασθήσεται ἡ γῆ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἐκχυθέντος ἐπ’ αὐτῆς, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἐκχέοντος
Numbers 35:33 (NETS)	Numbers 35:33 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not kill by murder the land on which you live. For this blood kills the land by murder, and the land shall not be atoned for from the blood that was shed upon it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.	So shall ye not pollute with murder the land in which ye dwell; for this blood pollutes the land, and the land shall not be purged from the blood shed upon it, but by the blood of him that shed it.

Numbers 35:34 (Tanakh)	Numbers 35:34 (KJV)	Numbers 35:34 (NET)
And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I HaShem dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.’	Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.	Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the Israelites.’”

Numbers 35:34 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 35:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ μιανεῗτε τὴν γῆν ἐφ᾽ ἧς κατοικεῗτε ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐφ᾽ ἧς ἐγὼ κατασκηνώσω ἐν ὑμῗν ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι κύριος κατασκηνῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ	καὶ οὐ μιανεῖτε τὴν γῆν, ἐφ’ ἧς κατοικεῖτε ἐπ’ αὐτῆς, ἐφ’ ἧς ἐγὼ κατασκηνῶ ἐν ὑμῖν· ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι Κύριος κατασκηνῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ
Numbers 35:34 (NETS)	Numbers 35:34 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not defile the land that you live upon, on which I will encamp among you, for I am the Lord, encamping in the midst of the sons of Israel.	And ye shall not defile the land whereon ye dwell, on which I dwell in the midst of you; for I am the Lord dwelling in the midst of the children of Israel.

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 6

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 7

^[1] Genesis 9:1

^[2] NET note 11: The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The verb דָּרָשׁ (darash) means “to require, to seek, to ask for, to exact.” Here it means that God will exact punishment for the taking of a life. See R. Mawdsley, “Capital Punishment in Gen. 9:6,” CentBib 18 (1975): 20-25.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Posted on December 30, 2017 by admin

I’ve been considering yehôvâh’s fearful pronouncement: I punish (pâqad, פקד) the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me…^[1] The third of the three times forms of pâqad were translated punish or punishment in the NET prior to Deuteronomy 5:9 was Leviticus 18:25, and I have brought the punishment (pâqad, ואפקד). I want to consider it in context. A table follows with the English translations of Leviticus 18:24-30 from the Hebrew in the NET and Tanakh, and from the Greek Septuagint in the NETS.

Leviticus 18:24-30 (NET)	Leviticus 18:24-30 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:24-30 (NETS)
Do not defile (ṭâmêʼ, תטמאו) yourselves with any of these things, for the nations which I am about to drive out before you have been defiled (ṭâmêʼ, נטמאו) with all these things.	Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things; for in all these the nations are defiled, which I cast out from before you.	Do not defile (μιαίνεσθε, a form of μιαίνω) yourselves in any of these ways. For by all these things the nations I am sending out before your face were defiled (ἐμιάνθησαν, another form of μιαίνω).
Therefore the land has become unclean (ṭâmêʼ, ותטמא) and I have brought the punishment for its iniquity upon it, so that the land has vomited out its inhabitants.	And the land was defiled, therefore I did visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.	And the land became defiled (ἐμιάνθη, another form of μιαίνω), and I repaid their evil because of it, and the land was angry with its inhabitants.
You yourselves must obey my statutes (chûqqâh, חקתי) and my regulations and must not do any of these abominations, both the native citizen and the resident foreigner in your midst,	Ye therefore shall keep My statutes and Mine ordinances, and shall not do any of these abominations (tôʽêbah, התועבת); neither the home-born, nor the stranger that sojourneth among you–	And you shall keep all my precepts (νόμιμά, a form of νόμιμος^[2]) and all my ordinances and not commit any of all these abominations (βδελυγμάτων, a form of βδέλυγμα), the inhabitant and the guest among you who has come
for the people who were in the land before you have done all these abominations, and the land has become unclean (ṭâmêʼ, ותטמא).	for all these abominations (tôʽêbah, התועבת) have the men of the land done, that were before you, and the land is defiled–	(for the men of the land, who were before you, committed all of these abominations [βδελύγματα, another form of βδέλυγμα], and the land became defiled);
So do not make the land vomit you out because you defile (ṭâmêʼ, בטמאכם) it just as it has vomited out the nations that were before you.	that the land vomit not you out also, when ye defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you.	Otherwise the land will become angry with you when you defile (μιαίνειν, another form of μιαίνω) it, as it became angry with the nations that were before you.
For if anyone does any of these abominations, the persons who do them will be cut off from the midst of their people.	For whosoever shall do any of these abominations (tôʽêbah, התועבות), even the souls that do them shall be cut off from among their people.	For anyone who commits any of all these abominations (βδελυγμάτων, a form of βδέλυγμα)—the souls that do so shall be exterminated from their people.
You must obey my charge to not practice any of the abominable statutes (chûqqâh, מחקות) that have been done before you, so that you do not defile (ṭâmêʼ, תטמאו) yourselves by them. I am the Lord your God.	Therefore shall ye keep My charge, that ye do not any of these abominable (tôʽêbah, התועבת) customs, which were done before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am HaShem your G-d.	And keep my ordinances: not to commit any of all these abominable (ἐβδελυγμένων, a form of βδελύσσω) precepts (νομίμων, another form of νόμιμος) that were done before you, and you shall not be defiled (μιανθήσεσθε, another form of μιαίνω) by them, for I am the Lord your God.

Abominations (tôʽêbah, התועבת; Septuagint: βδελυγμάτων, a form of βδέλυγμα) clearly refers to all acts described in verses 6-22. Bestiality in verse 23 may be distinguished from abominations as perversion (tebel, תבל; Septuagint:μυσερὸν, a form of μυσερός^[3]) or perversion may be a special class of abominations. But quoting Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination (tôʽêbah)^[4] out of context doesn’t make male-on-male homosexual acts a peculiar class of abomination. It is not more abominable than adultery (verse 20) for instance, or approaching a woman in her menstrual impurity to have sexual intercourse with her^[5] for that matter. And these abominations (with the possible exception of bestiality) were legal/religious statutes in Egypt and Canaan at the time of the Exodus (Leviticus 18:1-5 NET):

The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) spoke to Moses: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘I am the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) your God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהיכם)! You must not do as they do in the land of Egypt where you have been living, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan into which I am about to bring you; you must not walk in their statutes (chûqqâh, ובחקתיהם) [Table]. You must observe my regulations and you must be sure to walk in my statutes (chûqqâh, חקתי). I am the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) your God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהיכם) [Table]. So you must keep my statutes (chûqqâh, חקתי) and my regulations; anyone who does so will live by keeping them. I am the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה)’” [Table].

The NET translators tended to translate two Hebrew words—gâlâh (לגלות; uncover) and ʽervâh (ערוה; nakedness)—with the words to have sexual intercourse. I’ll quote the Tanakh instead for two reasons: 1) My hard core of materialism sweetened with Jesus jelly is all too willing to hear that only sexual intercourse, specifically vaginal penetration with and only with a penis resulting in orgasm, is sin; and, 2) I don’t want to miss y^ehôvâh’s disruption of nude pagan worship within families, what contemporary witches call skyclad. Families, law and religion are the primary conduits of visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons whether I consider that visiting punishment are the means of transmitting iniquity to others.

The statutes yehôvâh called my statutes to countermand the legal/religious statutes of the Egyptians^[6] and Canaanites follow (Leviticus 18:6-19 Tanakh):

None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness. I am HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) [Table]. The nakedness of thy father,^[7] and the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness [Table]. The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness [Table]. The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or the daughter of thy mother, whether born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover [Table]. The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover; for theirs is thine own nakedness [Table]. The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness [Table]. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman [Table]. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister; for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman [Table]. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy fathers brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt [Table]. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness [Table]. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness [Table]. Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter; thou shalt not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness: they are near kinswomen; it is lewdness [Table]. And thou shalt not take a woman to her sister, to be a rival to her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her lifetime [Table]. And thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness [Table].

Practicing these would make it extremely difficult for a family to engage in pagan worship. It would greatly inhibit the family patriarch from seducing the younger women of his family or asserting his “sacred” rights over them. I won’t deny that it could also inhibit the transmission of recessive traits to offspring. But that seems almost incidental when the Hebrew is translated literally.

Other statutes of Egypt and Canaan were countermanded as well (Leviticus 18:20-23 Tanakh):

And thou shalt not lie carnally^[8] with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. And thou shalt not give any of thy seed to set them apart to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy G-d: I am HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה). Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination [Table]. And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto; it is perversion [Table].

Adultery and male homosexual acts were not prohibited as uncover nakedness but with the words nâthan (תתן; give) shekôbeth (שכבתך; copulation) in verse 20 and shâkab (תשכב; lie) and mishkâb (משכבי; bed) in verse 22.

All of these abominations defile those who commit them. But since the land was also defiled, it is perhaps fair to ask if these statutes offer knowledge of sin for the land of Canaan only. Consider the origin of the Samaritans (2 Kings 17:24-28 NET):

The king of Assyria brought foreigners from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the Israelites. They took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities. When they first moved in, they did not worship the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה). So the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) sent lions among them and the lions were killing them. The king of Assyria was told, “The nations whom you deported and settled in the cities of Samaria do not know the requirements of the God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of the land, so he has sent lions among them. They are killing the people because they do not know the requirements of the God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of the land.” So the king of Assyria ordered, “Take back one of the priests whom you deported from there. He must settle there and teach them the requirements of the God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of the land.” So one of the priests whom they had deported from Samaria went back and settled in Bethel. He taught them how to worship the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה).

The king of Assyria and his pagan servant considered yehôvâh a local Canaanite god. It comes down to one’s faith. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins, Jesus said, for unless you believe that I (ἐγώ) AM (εἰμι), you’ll die in your sins.^[9] I chose the ISV translation because it is the most accurate here in stating that John claimed that Jesus claimed to be the I AM (Exodus 3:14, 15) who spoke to Moses. Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD (yehôvâh, יהוה), and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD (yehôvâh, יהוה); and beside me there is no saviour.^[10] I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.^[11]

Do not defile yourselves with any of these things, He said, for the nations which I am about to drive out before you have been defiled with all these things. Therefore the land (ʼerets, הארץ) has become unclean and I have brought the punishment (pâqad, ואפקד) for its iniquity upon it (Tanakh: I did visit the iniquity thereof upon it), so that the land (ʼerets, הארץ) has vomited out its inhabitants.^[12]

The land has vomited out its inhabitants is an amazing word picture of the flood: all the fountains of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.^[13] But this was not the flood. No more than forty years earlier the promised land was a land (ʼerets, ארץ) flowing with milk and honey.^[14] When Israel’s spies came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a staff between two men…^[15] Was the knowledge that the land has vomited out its inhabitants something only y^ehôvâh could perceive since He promised, I will never again curse the ground (ʼădâmâh, האדמה) because of humankind?^[16] Or was it prophetic of the war of extermination Israel was about to unleash in Canaan?

And surely your blood of your lives will I require, y^ehôvâh said after the flood, at the hand of every beast will I require it; and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of G-d made He man.^[17] Then He promised (Genesis 9:9-11 Tanakh):

‘As for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the fowl, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the ark, even every beast of the earth. And I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.’

In this sense then Israel’s army became a limited cleansing flood, as opposed to the flood y^ehôvâh promised not to unleash again to destroy the earth. Now if someone deprived me and my family of life and claimed all that I owned for himself and his act was righteous, then I was clearly punished for a serious offense. This is the way the translators of the Septuagint understood the verse: “And the land became defiled, and I repaid their evil because of it…” Notice below that yehôvâh repaid the Canaanites’ for defiling the land in the NETS translation of the Septuagint rather than punishing the land for its iniquity in the NET translation of the Hebrew.

Leviticus 18:25 (NET)	Leviticus 18:25 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:25 (NETS)
Therefore the land has become unclean and I have brought the punishment for its iniquity upon it, so that the land has vomited out its inhabitants.	And the land was defiled, therefore I did visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land vomited out her inhabitants.	And the land became defiled, and I repaid (ἀνταπέδωκα, a form of ἀνταποδίδωμι) their evil because of it, and the land was angry with its inhabitants.

The translators of the Septuagint have tipped their hand here, translating pâqad (ואפקד) ἀνταπέδωκα (a form of ἀνταποδίδωμι). To them visiting the iniquity was how y^ehôvâh repaid sin: Vengeance is Mine, and recompense (shillêm, ושלם; Septuagint: ἀνταποδώσω, another form of ἀνταποδίδωμι), against the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that are to come upon them shall make haste.^[18] Here shillêm (ושלם, requital) was translated ἀνταποδώσω (another form of ἀνταποδίδωμ). Is corruption His? No; His children’s is the blemish; a generation crooked and perverse. Do ye thus requite (gâmal, תגמלו; Septuagint: ἀνταποδίδοτε, another form of ἀνταποδίδωμι) HaShem (y^ehôvâh, ליהוה), O foolish people and unwise?^[19]

Here even gâmal (תגמלו) was translated ἀνταποδίδοτε (another form of ἀνταποδίδωμι). When Isaac grew and was weaned (gâmal, ויגמל) Abraham prepared a great feast…^[20] The staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted, and brought forth buds, and produced blossoms, and yielded (gâmal, ויגמל) almonds!^[21] I can’t say it was wrong to translate gâmal with a form of ἀνταποδίδωμι: After their father’s death Joseph’s brothers feared, What if Joseph bears a grudge and wants to repay (shûb, וישב; Septuagint: requite [ἀνταποδῷ, another form of ἀνταποδίδωμι] us a requittal [ἀνταπόδομα] Genesis 50:15 NETS) us in full for all the harm we did (gâmal, גמלנו) to him?^[22] But it does reveal a particular fixation since the word signifies a ripening of fruit, whether good fruit or bad fruit. (Here, by the way, gâmal was translated ἐνεδειξάμεθα [a form of ἐνδεικνύω;^[23] NETS: show] in the Septuagint.)

If I consider who translated the Septuagint their fixation on retribution makes a lot of sense (Deuteronomy 31:24-29 Tanakh):

And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, that bore the ark of the covenant of HaShem (yehôvâh, יהוה), saying: ‘Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of HaShem (yehôvâh, יהוה) your G-d, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck; behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against HaShem (yehôvâh, יהוה); and how much more after my death? Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death ye will in any wise deal corruptly, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the end of days; because ye will do that which is evil in the sight of HaShem (yehôvâh, יהוה), to provoke Him through the work of your hands.’

How could they help but perceive their world in terms of retribution (Deuteronomy 32:19-27 Tanakh)?

And HaShem (yehôvâh, יהוה) saw, and spurned, because of the provoking of His sons and His daughters. And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faithfulness. They have roused Me to jealousy with a no-god; they have provoked Me with their vanities; and I will rouse them to jealousy with a no-people; I will provoke them with a vile nation [Table]. For a fire is kindled in My nostril, and burneth unto the depths of the nether-world, and devoureth the earth with her produce, and setteth ablaze the foundations of the mountains. I will heap evils upon them; I will spend Mine arrows upon them; The wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the fiery bolt, and bitter destruction; and the teeth of beasts will I send upon them, with the venom of crawling things of the dust. Without shall the sword bereave, and in the chambers terror; slaying both young man and virgin, the suckling with the man of gray hairs. I thought I would make an end of them, I would make their memory cease from among men; Were it not that I dreaded the enemy’s provocation, lest their adversaries should misdeem, lest they should say: Our hand is exalted, and not HaShem (yehôvâh, יהוה) hath wrought all this.’

As I began this study I noticed that the rabbis who translated the Septuagint had translated pâqad (פקד) ἀποδιδοὺς (a form of ἀποδίδωμι) but I really didn’t know what to make of it: Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I HaShem (yehôvâh, יהוה) thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity (pâqad, פקד; Septuagint: ἀποδιδοὺς, a form of ἀποδίδωμι) of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me…^[24] I was questioning, but still more or less persuaded, that visiting the iniquity was how God repaid sin. Only through this study itself did I begin to wonder if visiting the iniquity, through family (Mark 3:20, 21), through law, through religion, was how God has consigned all people to disobedience.^[25]

If I consider who I am, my developing fixation makes quite a lot of sense, too. I am the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous…^[26] I am one of the no-people of a vile nation. I am one of the Gentiles who has received salvation by Israel’s transgression, one of the Gentiles Paul addressed in his letter to believers in Rome (Romans 11:22-36 NET):

Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God – harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And even they – if they do not continue in their unbelief – will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?

For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”

In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you were formerly disobedient (ἠπειθήσατε, a form of ἀπειθέω) to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience (ἀπειθείᾳ), so they too have now been disobedient (ἠπείθησαν, another form of ἀπειθέω) in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all people to disobedience (ἀπείθειαν, a form of ἀπείθεια) so that he may show mercy to them all.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay (ἀνταποδοθήσεται, another form of ἀνταποδίδωμι) him?

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.

Coda: I attended a pagan feast Christmas evening. I didn’t know it was a pagan feast until it was over. It was an ecumenical pagan feast: I was asked to pray before the meal. Interestingly, I didn’t eat, not because I had some scruple about eating a pagan feast but because I wasn’t hungry. Caring for my mother has me eating way too much way too often. My intent was to arrive before Grandmother, Mother and Daughter dispersed so I could visit with them all together. I arrived earlier than anticipated.

I realized it was a pagan feast when Mother began to outline their preparations for Imbolc. (I had to look it up, too.) The women plan to write on paper scrolls what each is grateful for day by day, attach the scrolls to a stick or branch and burn the stick or branch with the scrolls on Imbolc (February 1). As religious works go, it’s not too bad.

The next morning I delivered coffee and cigarettes to Mother. She was too depressed to venture out into the cold. Her lover had left her a few days before. “I’m just so fucking sad all the time,” she said. I remembered how the Holy Spirit bolstered me when my wife divorced me, and was reminded of Paul’s letter to struggling believers in Galatia (Galatians 3:2b-5):

Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort? Have you suffered so many things for nothing? – if indeed it was for nothing. Does God then give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?

Of course, Paul meant the law God spoke at Sinai. But clearly pagan ritual in obedience to pagan law (or creative imagination) was no better at filling Mother with Jesus’ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.^[27]

Two days later Mother asked me to pray for her job interview. I don’t know whether she also sought Brigid’s aid (though I haven’t met any pagans who believe the gods are real, merely imaginary personifications of nature or ideas). I left it to God’s discretion when my mother and I prayed. Mother’s interview went well, and I’m happy that I’m not visiting her in rehab this year.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 12

Back to To Make Holy, Part 4

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 13

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 5

^[1] Deuteronomy 5:9b (NET)

^[2] https://greekdoc.github.io/lexicon/no.html#nomimos

^[3] https://greekdoc.github.io/lexicon/mu.html#museros

^[4] תועבה, Leviticus 18:22 (Tanakh) Table

^[5] Leviticus 18:19 (NET) Table

^[6] http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/people/couples.htm

^[7] This seems to have been established as a tradition by Noah’s time (Genesis 9:20-23).

^[8] http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/030751338407000113?journalCode=egaa

^[9] John 8:24 (ISV)

^[10] Isaiah 43:10, 11 (Tanakh)

^[11] Isaiah 45:12 (Tanakh)

^[12] Leviticus 18:24, 25 (NET)

^[13] Genesis 7:11b (NET)

^[14] Exodus 33:3a (NET)

^[15] Numbers 13:23a (NET)

^[16] Genesis 8:21b (NET)

^[17] Genesis 9:5, 6 (Tanakh)

^[18] Deuteronomy 32:35 (Tanakh) Table

^[19] Deuteronomy 32:5, 6a (Tanakh)

^[20] Genesis 21:8 (NET)

^[21] Numbers 17:8b (NET)

^[22] Genesis 50:15 (NET)

^[23] https://greekdoc.github.io/lexicon/end.html#endeiknuw

^[24] Deuteronomy 5:9 (Tanakh) “You shall not do obeisance to them, nor are you to serve them, because I am the Lord your God, a jealous God, repaying (ἀποδιδοὺς, a form of ἀποδίδωμι) the sins of fathers upon children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me…” (Deuteronomy 5:9 NETS)

^[25] Romans 11:32a (NET)

^[26] Romans 4:5 (NET)

^[27] Galatians 5:22, 23a (NET)

Fear – Genesis, Part 5

Posted on January 23, 2013 by admin

I think I am safe using the word fear to describe Jacob’s prognostication that Simeon and Levi…had brought ruin on him by making him a foul odor among the inhabitants of the land, that the Canaanites and the Perizzites…would join forces against him and attack him, and both he and his family would be destroyed!^[1] It was not a prophecy; it did not come to pass. It was a rational appraisal of the likely response of men born of Adam (then Noah). And it was a righteous expectation of the law God gave Noah and his sons after the flood (Genesis 9:5, 6 NET).

For your lifeblood I will surely exact punishment, from every living creature I will exact punishment. From each person I will exact punishment for the life of the individual since the man was his relative. Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God has made humankind.

Simeon and Levi had perpetrated the kind of violence that brought the flood in the first place (Genesis 6:11-13 NET).

The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence.^[2] God saw the earth, and indeed it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful. So God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. Now I am about to destroy them and the earth.”

It is a fearful thing to contemplate a God with the power and the will for such destruction (Genesis 6:5-7 NET).

But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended. So the Lord said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.”

But if I take the Lord’s reasons and offense seriously, his relative tolerance of human evil after the flood is just as fearful a thing if in a different way (Genesis 8:21, 22 NET).

I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, even though the inclination of their minds is evil from childhood on. I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done. While the earth continues to exist, planting time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.

And thus the law: Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans must his blood be shed.^[3]

Though Simeon’s and Levi’s die hard antics seem more like justice for Dinah to my religious mind (compared to David’s inaction regarding Tamar, or Jacob’s silence), the most likely outcome for Dinah did not look good. Both the evil of men and the righteousness of God’s law conspired to catch her up in the violent retribution due Simeon and Levi, or she might have become like one of the slave women her brothers took from Shechem. But Jacob, Dinah, Simeon, Levi and all of their family found favor (or, grace) in the sight of the Lord.^[4]

I have appropriated what the Bible said about Noah to Jacob, Dinah, Simeon, Levi and all of their family. This would have been unthinkable to my religious mind. It assumed that Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord because Noah was a godly man; he was blameless among his contemporaries. He walked with God.^[5] Now I am more and more convinced that my religious mind had the cart before the horse. Noah was a godly man, blameless among his contemporaries, and walked with God because Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord. In that light it is not much of a stretch to see the similarity here.

Then God said to Jacob, “Go up at once to Bethel and live there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”^[6] This was God’s solution despite the fact that Simeon and Levi at least (and perhaps at most) should have died according to his own law. I am not accusing God of wrongdoing. He never bound Himself to law when it came to showing favor or mercy. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy,^[7] He said to Moses. And when Paul analyzed the Gospel that my religious mind was so intent on converting to a new law, he reiterated that point and added, So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.^[8]

So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes. Let us go up at once to Bethel. Then I will make an altar there to God, who responded to me in my time of distress and has been with me wherever I went.”^[9]

When I see it in this context the Gospel of Jesus Christ mitigates my fear concerning God’s “tolerance” of human evil after the flood. The Gospel does not belong, and is perverted and misunderstood, in the world created by religious minds. Where it belongs, where it becomes the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe^[10] is in the real world of human sin. I was surprised, given my religious prejudices, that Abel Ferrara and Zoë Lund had walked this ground before me in the movie she wrote and he directed “Bad Lieutenant” (1992), starring Harvey Keitel in the title role.

Bad LT was not merely a bad cop, he was a hardcore sinner, without natural affection. Bad LT’s decadence was so demoralizing I cried out loud, “Why am I watching this?” About that time one of the ‘B’ stories came to the forefront when Bad LT overheard a nun’s confession.

The nun had been raped on the altar in her church. She seemed to react like any other woman might react while being raped. She was a bit less modest in the examination room than I might have expected, but nothing so extreme that I did anything but note the fact. Her confession, however, was totally unexpected. A curious thing happens when someone actually believes she has been forgiven by the Sovereign God and that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.^[11]

“Those boys,” she said, “those sad raging boys. They came to me as the needy do. And like many of the needy they were rude. Like all the needy they took. And like all the needy they needed. Father, I knew them. They learn in our school and they play in our school yard and they are good boys….Jesus turned water to wine. I ought to have turned bitter semen into fertile sperm, hatred to love, and maybe to have saved their souls. [Bad LT exited then and did not hear the rest of her confession.] They did not love me, but I ought to have loved them, for Jesus loved those who were vile to Him. And never again shall I encounter two boys whose prayer was more poignant, more legible, more anguished.”

Later Bad LT came to speak to the nun as she prayed, first prostrate then on her knees, in church. “Listen to me, Sister,” he said, “listen to me good. The other cops will just put these guys through the system. They’re juveniles. They’ll walk. But I’ll beat the system and do justice, real justice for you.”

“I have already forgiven them,” she replied.

“Come on, Lady. These guys put out cigarette butts on your – Get with the program. How could you—how could you forgive these motherfu—these, these guys? Excuse me. How could you? Deep down inside don’t you want them to pay for what they did to you? Don’t you want this crime avenged?”

“I’ve forgiven them.”

“But – do you have the right? You’re not the only woman in the world. You’re not even the only nun. You’re forgiveness will leave blood in its wake. What if these guys do this to other nuns? Other virgins? Old women who’ll die from the shock? Do you have the right to let these boys go free? Can you bear the burden, Sister?”

“Talk to Jesus,” she said. “Pray. You do believe in God, don’t you? that Jesus Christ died for your sins?”

The nun left Bad LT alone in the church. He moaned and cried out from the floor. Then he had a vision of Jesus. First, he blamed Jesus for His perceived absence in Bad LT’s wretched life. But eventually he begged for forgiveness and direction. Suddenly Bad LT became the repentant thief on the cross. Like the thief he had only hours to live. Unlike the thief he was free to do one more thing. His choice, to pass on some of the mercy the Lord and the nun had shown him, was at least as interesting as David’s choices concerning his sons Amnon and Absalom.

Jacob’s household and all who were with him gave Jacob all the foreign gods that were in their possession and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob buried them under the oak near Shechem and they started on their journey. The surrounding cities were afraid (chittâh;^[12] Septuagint: φόβος^[13]) of God, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.^[14] The note in the NET reads: “Heb ‘and the fear of God was upon the cities which were round about them.’ The expression ‘fear of God’ apparently refers (1) to a fear of God (objective genitive; God is the object of their fear). (2) But it could mean ‘fear from God,’ that is, fear which God placed in them (cf. NRSV “a terror from God”). Another option (3) is that the divine name is used as a superlative here, referring to ‘tremendous fear’ (cf. NEB ‘were panic-stricken’; NASB ‘a great terror’).”

Fear – Genesis, Part 6

Back to Atonement, Part 7

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 5

^[1] Genesis 34:30 (NET)

^[2] A note in the NET reads: “The Hebrew word translated “violence” refers elsewhere to a broad range of crimes, including unjust treatment (Gen 16:5; Amos 3:10), injurious legal testimony (Deut 19:16), deadly assault (Gen 49:5), murder (Judg 9:24), and rape (Jer 13:22).”

^[3] Genesis 9:6 (NET)

^[4] A paraphrase of Genesis 6:8 (NET)

^[5] Genesis 6:8, 9 (NET)

^[6] Genesis 35:1 (NET)

^[7] Exodus 33:19b (NET) Table

^[8] Romans 9:16 (NET)

^[9] Genesis 35:2, 3 (NET)

^[10] Romans 3:22 (NET)

^[11] Romans 8:28 (NET)

^[14] Genesis 35:4, 5 (NET)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

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

Tag Archives: Genesis 9:5-6

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 7

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 5

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Fear – Genesis, Part 5