Tag Archives: John 17:12

The Day of the Lord, Part 8

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This is the conclusion of my consideration whether my assumption that Jesus called Judas Iscariot ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας (NET: the one destined for destruction) is like Jesus’ disciples’ discussion about having no bread1 after He said: “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”2 I’ll begin with a request John recorded that Jesus’ made of his Father (John 17:15 NET):

I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one.

John 17:15 Detail
Greek English
οὐκ ἐρωτῶ I am not asking
ἵνα “that”
ἄρῃς αὐτοὺς you…take them
ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου out of the world
ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα but that
τηρήσῃς αὐτοὺς you keep them…
ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ from the evil…

John also recorded God’s answer to Jesus’ request (1 John 5:18 LSV):

We have known that everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin, but He who was begotten of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him;

1 John 5:18 Detail [Table]
Greek English
Οἴδαμεν ὅτι We have known (“and continue to know” Perfect Tense) that
πᾶς everyone
ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ who has been begotten (“and continues to be” Perfect Tense) of God
οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει does not sin,
ἀλλ᾿ but
ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ He who was begotten of God
τηρεῖ αὐτόν3 keeps him

I’ll pause here a moment to address the NET translators’ objection (NET note 50) to ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ as a reference to Jesus.

The One fathered by God [Jesus] protects him [the Christian].” This is a popular interpretation, and is certainly possible grammatically. Yet the introduction of a reference to Jesus in this context is sudden; to be unambiguous the author could have mentioned the “Son of God” here, or used the pronoun ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos) as a reference to Jesus as he consistently does elsewhere in 1 John. This interpretation, while possible, seems in context highly unlikely.

As I mentioned in another essay, the NET translators’ confused everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin with “the Christian.” Listen to how differently John addressed “the Christian” (1 John 1:8-2:2 ESV):

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

John had very high expectations for My little children (Τεκνία μου): ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε (that you may not sin) is a purpose clause in the subjunctive mood. But this expectation is different from the positive affirmation: We have known that everyone who has been begotten of God does not sin.4 For this reason I would amend the NET translators’ first statement: “The One fathered by God [Jesus] protects him [the new man].” So, their main objection that “the introduction of a reference to Jesus in this context is sudden” and therefore “highly unlikely” rests solely on a desire for John “to be unambiguous.”

Did John or the Holy Spirit intend “to be unambiguous” or, rather, did they intend to highlight the strong connection between πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ (everyone who has been begotten of God) and ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ (He who was begotten of God)? Listen to another related request that Jesus made of his Father in the very same prayer (John 17:20, 21 LSV):

And I do not ask in regard to these alone, but also in regard to those who will be believing in Me through their word, that they all may be one, as You Father [are] in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one5 in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

So, to conclude God’s answer to Jesus’ previous request that his Father keep them:

1 John 5:18 Detail Continued [Table]
Greek English
καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς and the evil one
οὐχ ἅπτεται does not touch
αὐτοῦ him

As I mentioned in another essay, the translators’ understood autou as a personal pronoun in the genitive case: “The genitive case has more uses than most other cases, but in general a noun in the genitive case helps to limit the scope of another noun by indicating its ‘kind’ or ‘class’.” None of the English translations I found understood autou as an adverb. There are probably more uses of the genitive case than I can glean from these short definitions, but this seems to ignore the genitive case and treat autou as if it were in the accusative case. I’ve begun a new thread surveying the New Testament usage of αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ so I won’t belabor that here.

My point here is the focus and concern of Jesus’ prayer as He is no longer in the world (John 17:6-12 LSV):

I revealed Your Name to the men whom You have given to Me out of the world; they were Yours, and6 You have given them to Me, and they have kept Your word [Table]; now they have known that all things, as many as You have given to Me, are from You, because the sayings that You have given to Me, I have given to them, and they themselves received, and have known truly, that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me [Table]. I ask in regard to them; I do not ask in regard to the world, but in regard to those whom You have given to Me, because they are Yours, and all Mine are Yours, and Yours [are] Mine, and I have been glorified in them; and I am no longer in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your Name, whom You have given to Me, that they may be one as We [are one]; when I was with them in the world, I was keeping them in Your Name; I guarded those whom You have given to Me, and none of them were destroyed, except the son of the destruction, that the Writing may be fulfilled [Table].

At the beginning of this passage I think it’s safe to say that Jesus prayed specifically for those to whom He had ministered personally: I revealed Your Name to the men whom You have given to Me out of the world; they were Yours, and You have given them to Me, and they have kept Your word.7 But then his gaze broadened: I ask in regard to them; I do not ask in regard to the world, but in regard to those whom You have given to Me, because they are Yours, and all Mine are Yours, and Yours [are] Mine, and I have been glorified in them.8

I say that Jesus’ gaze broadened here because John also recorded who Jesus would consider Mine, and therefore those whom You have given to Me, if he was crucified (John 12:27-33 LSV):

Now My soul has been troubled; and what will I say—Father, save Me from this hour? But because of this (John 12:20-26) I came to this hour; Father, glorify Your Name.” Therefore there came a voice out of Heaven, “I both glorified, and again I will glorify [it]”; the multitude, therefore, having stood and heard, were saying that there has been thunder; others said, “A messenger has spoken to Him.” Jesus9 answered and said, “This voice has not come because of Me, but because of you; now is a judgment of this world, now will the ruler of this world be cast forth; and I, if I may be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” And this He said signifying by what death He was about to die [Table];

John 17:12 Detail [Table]

Stephanus Textus Receptus

LSV

NET Parallel Greek

NET
οτε ημην μετ αυτων when I was with them ὅτε ἤμην μετ᾿ αὐτῶν When I was with them
εν τω κοσμω in the world
εγω ετηρουν αυτους I was keeping them ἐγὼ ἐτήρουν αὐτοὺς I kept them safe
εν τω ονοματι σου in Your Name ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι σου in your name
ους δεδωκας μοι those whom You have given to Me ᾧ δέδωκας μοι that you have given me
εφυλαξα I guarded καὶ ἐφύλαξα and watched over them
και ουδεις εξ αυτων and none of them καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ αὐτῶν Not one of them
απωλετο were destroyed ἀπώλετο was lost
ει μη except εἰ μὴ except
ο υιος the son ὁ υἱὸς the one destined
της απωλειας of the destruction τῆς ἀπωλείας for destruction
ινα that ἵνα so that
η γραφη πληρωθη the Writing may be fulfilled ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ the scripture could be fulfilled

The Greek phrase ουδεις εξ αυτων seems like a strange construction for none of them (LSV) and Not one of them (NET). Why not simply ουδεις αυτων? And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, yet none of them (οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν) was cleansed except (εἰ μὴ) Naaman10 the Syrian.11 But John used ουδεις εξ three times.

Was he less proficient in Greek than Luke? I wondered. If John’s Gospel were written by a twenty-something John, I might accept that, but every indication is that it was written by the elder John who not only spent his youth with Jesus but enjoyed a lifetime with the indwelling Holy Spirit, making sense of those years. And what of the Holy Spirit? I decided to look deeper than mere occurrence.

Hasn’t Moses12 given you the law? Yet not one of you (οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν) keeps the law! Why do you want to kill me?13 The Greek word translated keeps was actually ποιεῖ (a form of ποιέω) rather than τήρει (a form of τηρέω) or φύλασσε (a form of φυλάσσω). So Jesus said to Jewish leaders14 (οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι), “not one of you does the law”? That sounds ridiculous on the face of it.

Jewish leaders were all about doing the law. Of course, one of the more salient features of the Gospels is that Jewish leaders were “all about doing the law” in much the same way I was all about doing compliance, to minimize my experience of being screamed at, to maximize my experience of being thought of and spoken of well, all for my praise and my glory. And Jesus was never all about looking at things “on the face of it” but on the heart.

It was past time to take ἐξ more seriously: Jesus said to Jewish leaders, “nothing out of you” or “from within you does the law.” In other words, nothing out of them or from within them loved God or their neighbor with the love God supplies through his own indwelling Holy Spirit (Mark 12:28-31 NET).

Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one [Table]. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength’ [Table]. The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” [Table].

The Jewish leaders (and I) were like actors pretending to love like God by our own skill and in our own strength (weakened through the flesh). Only John recorded the disturbing words Jesus spoke to those Judeans who had believed (“and continued to believe”; Perfect Tense) him15 (πρὸς τοὺς πεπιστευκότας αὐτῷ Ἰουδαίους): You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires.16 It may not have been the best way to win friends and influence people, but it was perhaps the only way to tell his followers the truth about the evil within them, that evil Paul would later describe as the old man (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον) who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires.17

John also recorded Jesus saying (John 16:4b-6 NET):

I did not tell you these things (John 15:1-16:4a) from the beginning because I was with you [Table]. But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you (οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν) is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ Instead your hearts are filled with sadness because I have said these things to you.

Though Jesus’ word and his presence had already created in his disciples what Paul would later describe as the new man (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον) who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth,18 it was weak compared to the old man apart from Jesus’ own indwelling Spirit. “Nothing out of you” or “from within you is asking me” the most obvious question, Jesus marveled. They were focused instead on their own feelings.

So now, when I come to—Not one of them (οὐδεὶς ἐξ αὐτῶν) was lost except the one destined for destruction19—it is much easier to hear: “Nothing out of” or “from within them was lost (LSV: destroyed) except the one destined for destruction” (KJV: the son of perdition), e.g., the old man (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον) who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires.20

I wondered for a moment or two at ἀπώλετο, translated was lost (NET), is lost (KJV) and were destroyed (LSV), a form of ἀπόλλυμι, ἀπόλλω, ἀπολλύω in the 2nd aorist tense and indicative mood. But Bill Mounce answered my concern in his article, “The Aorist is so much more than a past tense”:

I like Con Campbell’s word picture of the aorist. You are in a helicopter over the parade, looking at the parade as a whole. Buist Fanning talks about seeing the action from the outside as a whole rather than from inside the action (i.e., being part of the parade).

Because this is the basic genius of the aorist, it can have a phenomenally wide range of usage. You can be looking at the action as a whole but paying special attention to the beginning (“ingressive”) or to the end (“consummative”). It can describes [sic] something that simply is regardless of any time reference (“gnomic”).

But my favorite is to [sic] proleptic (futuristic) use of the aorist. Because time is secondary, the aorist can describe a future event and emphasize the certainty of the action. It is not a common usage, but it does show how we need to keep the idea of “time” in its proper place.

So, Jesus did not refer to Judas Iscariot any more or any less than He referred to me or anyone or everyone else. What Scripture, what Writing did this fulfill once and for all? Nothing less than the Name of God:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Exodus 34:6, 7a (Tanakh)

Exodus 34:6, 7a (NET)

Exodus 34:6, 7a (NETS)

Exodus 34:6, 7a (English Elpenor)
And HaShem passed by before [Moses], and proclaimed: ‘The HaShem, HaShem, G-d, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth [Table]; The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, And the Lord passed by before his face, and he called, “The Lord, the Lord God is compassionate and merciful, patient and very merciful and truthful [Table] And the Lord passed by before his face, and proclaimed, The Lord God, pitiful and merciful, longsuffering and very compassionate, and true,
keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty [Table]; keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished,” and preserving righteousness and doing mercy for thousands, taking away acts of lawlessness and of injustice and sins, and he will not acquit the guilty person [Table], and keeping justice and mercy for thousands, taking away iniquity, and unrighteousness, and sins; and he will not clear the guilty;

According to a note (62) in the NET Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:4, 5 and Joshua 22:5. A table comparing the Greek of his quotation in Mark 12:29b, 30 to that of the Septuagint follows.

Mark 12:29b, 30 (NET Parallel Greek)

Deuteronomy 6:4b, 5; Joshua 22:5b (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 6:4b, 5; Joshua 22:5b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἄκουε, Ἰσραήλ, κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν κύριος εἷς ἐστιν, καὶ ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης |τῆς| καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος σου ἄκουε Ισραηλ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν κύριος εἷς ἐστιν καὶ ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεώς σου [Table]
ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας		 Ακουε, ᾿Ισραήλ· Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν Κύριος εἷς ἐστι καὶ ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεώς σου
ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας

Mark 12:29b, 30 (NET)

Deuteronomy 6:4b, 5; Joshua 22:5b (NETS)

Deuteronomy 6:4b, 5; Joshua 22:5b (English Elpenor)
Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. And you shall love the Lord your God with the whole of your mind and with the whole of your soul and with the whole of your power.
…with all your mind…		 Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and all thy strength.
…with all your mind…

According to a note (63) in the NET Jesus quoted from Leviticus 19:18. A table comparing the Greek of his quotation in Mark 12:31a to that of the Septuagint follows.

Mark 12:31a (NET Parallel Greek)

Leviticus 19:18b (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 19:18b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν [Table] ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν

Mark 12:31a (NET)

Leviticus 19:18b (NETS)

Leviticus 19:18b (English Elpenor)
Love your neighbor as yourself you shall love your neighbor as yourself thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

Tables comparing Deuteronomy 6:4 and Joshua 22:5 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Deuteronomy 6:4 and Joshua 22:5 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing John 17:21; 12:30; Luke 4:27 and John 7:19 in the KJV and NET follow.

Deuteronomy 6:4 (Tanakh)

Deuteronomy 6:4 (KJV)

Deuteronomy 6:4 (NET)
HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE HaShem OUR GOD, THE HaShem IS ONE. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

Deuteronomy 6:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Deuteronomy 6:3b, 4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ταῦτα τὰ δικαιώματα καὶ τὰ κρίματα ὅσα ἐνετείλατο κύριος τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐξελθόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἄκουε Ισραηλ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν κύριος εἷς ἐστιν Tκαὶ ταῦτα τὰ δικαιώματα καὶ τὰ κρίματα, ὅσα ἐνετείλατο Κύριος τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἐξελθόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. (4) ῎Ακουε, ᾿Ισραήλ· Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν Κύριος εἷς ἐστι

Deuteronomy 6:4 (NETS)

Deuteronomy 6:3b, 4 (English Elpenor)
And these are the statutes and the judgments, which the Lord commanded to the sons of Israel in the wilderness as they were coming out from the land of Egypt. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. and these [are] the ordinances, and the judgments, which the Lord commanded the children of Israel in the wilderness, when they had gone forth from the land of Egypt. (4) Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord.

Joshua 22:5 (Tanakh)

Joshua 22:5 (KJV)

Joshua 22:5 (NET)
But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. But carefully obey the commands and instructions Moses the Lord’s servant gave you. Love the Lord your God, follow all his instructions, obey his commands, be loyal to him, and serve him with all your heart and being!”

Joshua 22:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Joshua 22:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀλλὰ φυλάξασθε ποιεῖν σφόδρα τὰς ἐντολὰς καὶ τὸν νόμον ὃν ἐνετείλατο ἡμῖν ποιεῖν Μωυσῆς ὁ παῖς κυρίου ἀγαπᾶν κύριον τὸν θεὸν ὑμῶν πορεύεσθαι πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ προσκεῖσθαι αὐτῷ καὶ λατρεύειν αὐτῷ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς ὑμῶν ἀλλὰ φυλάξασθε σφόδρα ποιεῖν τὰς ἐντολὰς καὶ τὸν νόμον, ὃν ἐνετείλατο ἡμῖν ποιεῖν Μωυσῆς ὁ παῖς Κυρίου, ἀγαπᾶν Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν, πορεύεσθαι πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ, φυλάξασθαι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ προσκεῖσθαι αὐτῷ καὶ λατρεύειν αὐτῷ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς ὑμῶν

Joshua 22:5 (NETS)

Joshua 22:5 (English Elpenor)
But take great care to do the ordinances and the law that Moyses the servant of the Lord commanded you to do: to love the Lord your God, to walk by all his ways, to keep his ordinances and to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your mind and with all your soul.” But take great heed to do the commands and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you to do; to love the Lord our God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commands, and to cleave to him, and serve him with all your mind, and with all your soul.

John 17:21 (NET)

John 17:21 (KJV)
that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

John 17:21 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 17:21 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

John 17:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἵνα πάντες ἓν ὦσιν, καθὼς σύ, |πάτερ|, ἐν ἐμοὶ καγὼ ἐν σοί, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ὦσιν, ἵνα ὁ κόσμος πιστεύῃ ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας ινα παντες εν ωσιν καθως συ πατερ εν εμοι καγω εν σοι ινα και αυτοι εν ημιν εν ωσιν ινα ο κοσμος πιστευση οτι συ με απεστειλας ινα παντες εν ωσιν καθως συ πατερ εν εμοι καγω εν σοι ινα και αυτοι εν ημιν εν ωσιν ινα ο κοσμος πιστευση οτι συ με απεστειλας

John 12:30 (NET)

John 12:30 (KJV)
Jesus said, “This voice has not come for my benefit but for yours. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

John 12:30 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 12:30 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

John 12:30 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπεκρίθη |Ἰησοῦς| καὶ εἶπεν · οὐ δι᾿ ἐμὲ ἡ φωνὴ αὕτη γέγονεν ἀλλὰ δι᾿ ὑμᾶς απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν ου δι εμε αυτη η φωνη γεγονεν αλλα δι υμας απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν ου δι εμε αυτη η φωνη γεγονεν αλλα δι υμας

Luke 4:27 (NET)

Luke 4:27 (KJV)
And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, yet none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

Luke 4:27 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 4:27 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 4:27 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ πολλοὶ λεπροὶ ἦσαν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπὶ Ἐλισαίου τοῦ προφήτου, καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτῶν ἐκαθαρίσθη εἰ μὴ Ναιμὰν ὁ Σύρος και πολλοι λεπροι ησαν επι ελισσαιου του προφητου εν τω ισραηλ και ουδεις αυτων εκαθαρισθη ει μη νεεμαν ο συρος και πολλοι λεπροι ησαν επι ελισσαιου του προφητου εν τω ισραηλ και ουδεις αυτων εκαθαρισθη ει μη νεεμαν ο συρος

John 7:19 (NET)

John 7:19 (KJV)
Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law! Why do you want to kill me?” Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

John 7:19 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 7:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

John 7:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Οὐ Μωϋσῆς |δέδωκεν| ὑμῖν τὸν νόμον; καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ποιεῖ τὸν νόμον. τί με ζητεῖτε ἀποκτεῖναι ου μωσης δεδωκεν υμιν τον νομον και ουδεις εξ υμων ποιει τον νομον τι με ζητειτε αποκτειναι ου μωσης δεδωκεν υμιν τον νομον και ουδεις εξ υμων ποιει τον νομον τι με ζητειτε αποκτειναι

1 Mark 8:16b (NET) Table

2 Mark 8:15b (NET)

3 The Stehanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had ἑαυτὸν (KJV: himself) here. In other words, Jesus protects Himself (including those who are his).

4 1 John 5:18a (LSV)

5 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν (KJV: one) here. The Net parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

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

7 John 17:6 (LSV) Table

8 John 17:9, 10 (LSV)

9 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ο preceding Jesus. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

11 Luke 4:27 (NET)

13 John 7:19 (NET)

14 John 7:15 (NET); see NET note 32

15 John 8:31a (NET)

16 John 8:44a (NET) Table

17 Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

18 Ephesians 4:24b (NET)

19 John 17:12b (NET) Table

20 Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 11

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And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself,1 Jesus said. The Greek word translated when was ἐὰν. Another possible translation was if: And I, [if] I am lifted up from the earth…

I understand why the translators chose when; if might imply to some that Jesus questioned whether his crucifixion might happen: My Father, if (εἰ) possible, let this cup pass from me!2 But to the philosophical bent of my mind, if sounds like the introduction to an if-then statement.

If Jesus is crucified,
then He will draw all people to Himself.
Jesus was crucified.
Therefore, He will draw all people to Himself.

This is a valid form of deductive reasoning called modus ponens or affirming the antecedent. It is logically equivalent to:

If Jesus is crucified,
then He will draw all people to Himself.
Jesus will not draw all people to Himself.
Therefore, He was not crucified.

This is another valid form of deductive reasoning called modus tollens or denying the consequent. Though the form is valid, everything depends on the truth of the original conditional statement. Interestingly, the example of a conditional statement given in the Oxford Reference online is false.

If the burglars entered by the front door,
then they forced the lock.
The burglars entered by the front door.
Therefore, they forced the lock.

Affirming the antecedent seems at least plausible. What about denying the consequent?

If the burglars entered by the front door,
then they forced the lock.
The lock was not forced.
Therefore, the burglars did not enter by the front door.

Perhaps the burglars had a key. Perhaps they found the front door unlocked and were savvy enough to lock it as they exited, making the crime scene appear more like insurance fraud than burglary.

Those who believe Jesus assume that his conditional statements are true. That probably explains why I’m not finding a lot of rational arguments describing: “1) how Jesus was wrong and 2) when He changed his mind.” I’m finding emotional arguments instead disputing that He said, I…will draw all people to Myself.

Those with no philosophical bent to their minds feel no compulsion in the argument that Jesus will not draw all to Himself is the logical equivalent of Jesus was not crucified. So, I’ll continue to take the long way, which I’m finding quite edifying anyway. Jesus prayed (John 17:12 NET [Table]):

When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me. Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled.

The phrase except the one destined for destruction (KJV: but the son of perdition) was εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας in Greek. As I worked on this essay it was brought to my attention that Paul used this same phrase (2 Thessalonians 2:3 NET):

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας).

It has forced me to acknowledge my assumption that Jesus prayed about Judas Iscariot above. It seems like a good assumption when I focus on, When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name.3 But if I consider the preceding verse and verse 20 I must admit that Jesus may have been looking much further afield than I have previously imagined. I will proceed, however, as if my original assumption was correct.

Here is what happened when Peter questioned Jesus about the destiny of another (John 21:20-22 ESV):

Peter4 turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When5 Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”

I doubt that Jesus would ever question me about Judas Iscariot. But if He asked why I believed that Judas would be redeemed, my account would be: You said you would draw all to yourself. If He asked why I believed that Judas was eternally doomed, I could answer: You prayed, Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled.6 In other words, I would be arguing that lost (ἀπώλετο, a form of ἀπόλλυμι, ἀπόλλω, ἀπολλύω) and ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας (NET: the one destined for destruction) were of eternal, rather than temporal, consequence, so that the scripture could be fulfilled. Wow!

Now, I don’t intend to argue that the sin condemned in Judas Iscariot’s flesh, standing on Jesus’ left (if I have understood this moment correctly) will not be condemned into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels.7 It is difficult for me to argue, however, that there would be no corresponding new human born of God and the one we know as Judas Iscariot standing on Jesus’ right so that the scripture could be fulfilled. I, and anyone who loves the truth of the scripture, would owe Judas Iscariot an eternal debt of gratitude. But is it necessary for Judas Iscariot to be utterly destroyed eternally so that the scripture could be fulfilled?

I’ll continue to look at examples of ἀπώλετο and ἀπωλείας in the Septuagint and try to remember that the words ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας were applied to another as well.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Psalm 9:5 (Tanakh/KJV)

Psalm 9:5 (NET)

Psalm 9:6 (NETS)

Psalm 9:6 (English Elpenor)
Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed (אִבַּ֣דְתָּ) the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. You terrified the nations with your battle cry. You destroyed (‘āḇaḏ, אבדת) the wicked; you permanently wiped out all memory of them. You rebuked nations, and the impious perished (ἀπώλετο); their name you blotted out forever and forever and ever. Thou hast rebuked the nations, and the ungodly one has perished (ἀπώλετο); thou hast blotted out their name for ever, even for ever and ever.

Phrases like for ever and ever (Tanakh/KJV), forever and forever and ever (NETS) and for ever, even for ever and ever (English Elpenor) make this occurrence of ἀπώλετο (a form of ἀπόλλυμι, ἀπόλλω, ἀπολλύω) seem about as eternal in duration as I can imagine. Only the English Elpenor translation of ὁ ἀσεβής (the ungodly one) makes it entirely clear that that which was destroyed or perished is singular. The Tanakh on chabad.org also translated רָשָׁ֑ע (‘āḇaḏ), a wicked man. I admit I have tended to hear the wicked, the impious and the ungodly as concrete plurals signifying wicked, impious or ungodly people.

A concrete example of God’s destruction of wicked men follows:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Numbers 16:26 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:26 (NET)

Numbers 16:26 (NETS)

Numbers 16:26 (English Elpenor)
And [Moses] spoke unto the congregation, saying: ‘Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked (הָֽרְשָׁעִים֙) men (הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֤ים), and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be swept away (תִּסָּפ֖וּ) in all their sins.’ And he said to the community, “Move away from the tents of these wicked (rāšāʿ, הרשעים) men (‘îš, האנשים), and do not touch anything they have, lest you be destroyed (sāp̄â, תספו) because of all their sins.” And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Be separated from the tents of these stubborn (τῶν σκληρῶν) men (τῶν ἀνθρώπων), and do not touch anything of all that is theirs, lest you too perish (συναπόλησθε) in all their sin.” And he spoke to the congregation, saying, Separate yourselves from the tents of these stubborn (τῶν σκληρῶν) men (τῶν ἀνθρώπων), and touch nothing that belongs to them, lest ye be consumed (συναπόλησθε) with them in all their sin.

When wicked and righteous are used almost euphemistically for those outside and those inside the congregation respectively, it doesn’t really surprise me that the rabbis rendered הָֽרְשָׁעִים֙ (rāšāʿ) τῶν σκληρῶν, stubborn in the Septuagint.

The story continued:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Numbers 16:27-33 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:27-33 (NET)

Numbers 16:27-33 (NETS)

Numbers 16:27-33 (English Elpenor)
So they got them up from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, and their sons, and their little ones. So they got away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stationed themselves in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers. And they departed from around the tent of Kore, and Dathan and Abiron came out, and they stood by the doors of their tents, and their wives and their children and their chattel. And they stood aloof from the tent of Core round about; and Dathan and Abiron went forth and stood by the doors of their tents, and their wives and their children and their store.
And Moses said: ‘Hereby ye shall know that HaShem hath sent me to do all these works, and that I have not done them of mine own mind. Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. And Moyses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, because it is not of my own accord. And Moses said, Hereby shall ye know that the Lord has sent me to perform all these works, that [I have] not [done them] of myself.
If these men die the common death of all men, and be visited after the visitation of all men, then HaShem hath not sent Me. If these men die a natural death, or if they share the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. If these are to die according to death of all people, if their visitation is to be according to the visitation of all people, the Lord has not sent me. If these men shall die according to the death of all men, if also their visitation shall be according to the visitation of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.
But if HaShem make a new thing (בְּרִיאָ֞ה), and the ground open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into the pit (שְׁאֹ֑לָה), then ye shall understand that these men have despised HaShem.’ But if the Lord does something entirely new (bᵊrî’â, בריאה), and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up along with all that they have, and they go down alive to the grave (šᵊ’ôl, שאלה), then you will know that these men have despised the Lord!” But if the Lord will show forth by an omen (φάσματι) and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them down and their households and their tents and all that belongs to them and they go down alive into Hades (ᾅδου), then you shall know that these men provoked the Lord.” But if the Lord shall shew by a wonder (φάσματι), and the earth shall open her mouth and swallow them up, and their houses, and their tents, and all that belongs to them, and they shall go down alive into Hades (ᾅδου), then ye shall know that these men have provoked the Lord.
And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground did cleave asunder that was under them. When he had finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open, Now as he stopped speaking all these words, the earth underneath them was split apart. And when he ceased speaking all these words, the ground clave asunder beneath them.
And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, and all Korah’s men, and all their goods. And the earth was opened and swallowed them down, and their households and all the men who were with Kore and their cattle. And the ground opened, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that were with Core, and their cattle.
So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive (חַיִּ֖ים) into the pit (שְׁאֹ֑לָה); and the earth closed upon them, and they perished (וַיֹּֽאבְד֖וּ) from among the assembly. They and all that they had went down alive (ḥay, חיים) into the pit (šᵊ’ôl, שאלה), and the earth closed over them. So they perished (‘āḇaḏ, ויאבדו) from among the community. And they went down, they and as much as was theirs, alive (ζῶντα) into Hades (ᾅδου), and the earth covered them, and they perished (ἀπώλοντο) from the midst of the congregation. And they went down and all that they had, alive (ζῶντα) into Hades (ᾅδου); and the ground covered them, and they perished (ἀπώλοντο) from the midst of the congregation.

In this description of actual named men, their families and all they possessed, all that is required for the Scripture to be fulfilled is that they perished (וַיֹּֽאבְד֖וּ) from among the assembly (NET: community), they perished (ἀπώλοντο) from the midst of the congregation. I won’t argue whether they remained alive or how long they remained alive in Hades. From the perspective of the witnesses, they were alive when the earth closed upon them.

I have an extremely limited perspective on life. I consider Hades the place of the dead, but Jesus said: Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living (ζώντων, a form of ζάω), for all live (ζῶσιν, another form of ζάω) before him.8 In another essay I wrote: “I’m embarrassed how often I’ve missed what is now so clear in this context: Abraham learned everything he knew of Moses and the prophets who followed him from his own place in Hades after his death.”

I am perhaps equally embarrassed that I wondered how Abraham learned of Moses and the prophets. I couldn’t imagine that anyone had smuggled scrolls or parchments into Hades. But in Hades as Jesus described it (Luke 16:19-31), dead men do tell tales. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, their wives and children, for instance, had a dramatic tale to tell Father Abraham. I’ll turn my attention now to a more abstract rendering of רָשָׁע (rāšāʿ), wicked.

When the Lord revealed his plans for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:16-22), Abraham was troubled.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 18:23 (Tanakh)

Genesis 18:23 (NET)

Genesis 18:23 (NETS)

Genesis 18:23 (English Elpenor)
And Abraham drew near, and said: ‘Wilt Thou indeed sweep away (תִּסְפֶּ֔ה) the righteous (צַדִּ֖יק) with the wicked (רָשָֽׁע)? Abraham approached and said, “Will you really sweep away (sāp̄â, תספה) the godly (ṣadîq, צדיק) along with the wicked (rāšāʿ, רשע)? Then when Abraam had come near, he said, “Surely you will not destroy (συναπολέσῃς) the righteous (δίκαιον) with the ungodly (ἀσεβοῦς), and the righteous (ὁ δίκαιος) will be as the ungodly (ὁ ἀσεβής)? And Abraam drew nigh and said, Wouldest thou destroy (συναπολέσῃς) the righteous (δίκαιον) with the wicked (ἀσεβοῦς), and shall the righteous (ὁ δίκαιος) be as the wicked (ὁ ἀσεβής)?

I’m willing to accept that the rabbis added a clause here to clarify Abraham’s argument: and the righteous will be as the ungodly? (NETS), and shall the righteous be as the wicked? (English Elpenor). Here δίκαιον, ἀσεβοῦς, ὁ δίκαιος and ὁ ἀσεβής are all singular. Abraham engaged the Lord in philosophical discussion about the Lord’s justice:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 18:24 (Tanakh)

Genesis 18:24 (NET)

Genesis 18:24 (NETS)

Genesis 18:24 (English Elpenor)
Peradventure there are fifty righteous (צַדִּיקִ֖ם) within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep away (תִּסְפֶּה֙) and not forgive the place for the fifty righteous (הַצַּדִּיקִ֖ם) that are therein? What if there are fifty godly people (ṣadîq, צדיקם) in the city? Will you really wipe it out (sāp̄â, תספה) and not spare the place for the sake of the 50 godly people (ṣadîq, הצדיקם) who are in it? If there should be fifty righteous (δίκαιοι) in the city, will you destroy (ἀπολεῖς) them? Will you not let the whole place go free on account of the fifty righteous (δικαίων), if they should be in it? Should there be fifty righteous (δίκαιοι) in the city, wilt thou destroy (ἀπολεῖς) them? wilt thou not spare the whole place for the sake of the fifty righteous (δικαίων), if they be in it?

Here both δίκαιοι and δικαίων were plural but refer to fifty hypothetical people in Abraham’s mind.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 18:25 (Tanakh)

Genesis 18:25 (NET)

Genesis 18:25 (NETS)

Genesis 18:25 (English Elpenor)
That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay (לְהָמִ֤ית) the righteous (צַדִּיק֙) with the wicked (רָשָׁ֔ע), that so the righteous (כַצַּדִּ֖יק) should be as the wicked (כָּֽרָשָׁ֑ע); that be far from Thee; shall not the judge of all the earth do justly?’ Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill (mûṯ, להמית) the godly (ṣadîq, צדיק) with the wicked (rāšāʿ, רשע), treating the godly (ṣadîq, כצדיק) and the wicked (rāšāʿ, כרשע) alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right?” By no means will you do anything like this thing, to slay (ἀποκτεῖναι) the righteous (δίκαιον) with the ungodly (ἀσεβοῦς), and the righteous (ὁ δίκαιος) will be like the ungodly (ὁ ἀσεβής)! By no means! Shall not you, the one who judges all the earth, do what is just?” By no means shalt thou do as this thing [is] so as to destroy (ἀποκτεῖναι) the righteous (δίκαιον) with the wicked (ἀσεβοῦς), so the righteous (ὁ δίκαιος) shall be as the wicked (ὁ ἀσεβής): by no means. Thou that judgest the whole earth, shalt thou not do right?

The righteous proved to be more hypothetical than the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah. But in the Septuagint the Greek word translated destroy in Abraham’s question—will you destroy them?9—was ἀπολεῖς (a form of ἀπόλλυμι, ἀπόλλω, ἀπολλύω). And his own answer to that question was: By no means will you…slay (ἀποκτεῖναι, a form of ἀποκτείνω) the righteous with the ungodly.10 As far as eternal consequence is concerned, Jesus promised that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for11 Capernaum. I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Psalm 9:5; Numbers 16:26; 16:27; 16:28; 16:29; 16:30; 16:31; 16:32; 16:33; Genesis 18:23; 18:24 and 18:25 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Psalm 9:5 (9:6); Numbers 16:26; 16:27; 16:28; 16:29; 16:30; 16:31; 16:32; 16:33; Genesis 18:23; 18:24 and 18:25 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing John 21:20, 21 in the NET and KJV follow.

Psalm 9:5 (Tanakh)

Psalm 9:5 (KJV)

Psalm 9:5 (NET)
Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. You terrified the nations with your battle cry. You destroyed the wicked; you permanently wiped out all memory of them.

Psalm 9:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 9:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπετίμησας ἔθνεσιν καὶ ἀπώλετο ὁ ἀσεβής τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν ἐξήλειψας εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐπετίμησας ἔθνεσι, καὶ ἀπώλετο ὁ ἀσεβής· τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐξήλειψας εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος

Psalm 9:6 (NETS)

Psalm 9:6 (English Elpenor)
You rebuked nations, and the impious perished; their name you blotted out forever and forever and ever. Thou hast rebuked the nations, and the ungodly one has perished; thou hast blotted out their name for ever, even for ever and ever.

Numbers 16:26 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:26 (KJV)

Numbers 16:26 (NET)
And he spoke unto the congregation, saying: ‘Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be swept away in all their sins.’ And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins. And he said to the community, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything they have, lest you be destroyed because of all their sins.”

Numbers 16:26 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 16:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν πρὸς τὴν συναγωγὴν λέγων ἀποσχίσθητε ἀπὸ τῶν σκηνῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν σκληρῶν τούτων καὶ μὴ ἅπτεσθε ἀπὸ πάντων ὧν ἐστιν αὐτοῖς μὴ συναπόλησθε ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐλάλησε πρὸς τὴν συναγωγὴν λέγων· ἀποσχίσθητε ἀπὸ τῶν σκηνῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν σκληρῶν τούτων, καὶ μὴ ἅπτεσθε ἀπὸ πάντων, ὧν ἐστιν αὐτοῖς, μὴ συναπόλησθε ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ αὐτῶν

Numbers 16:26 (NETS)

Numbers 16:26 (English Elpenor)
And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Be separated from the tents of these stubborn men, and do not touch anything of all that is theirs, lest you too perish in all their sin.” And he spoke to the congregation, saying, Separate yourselves from the tents of these stubborn men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, lest ye be consumed with them in all their sin.

Numbers 16:27 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:27 (KJV)

Numbers 16:27 (NET)
So they got them up from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, and their sons, and their little ones. So they gat up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, on every side: and Dathan and Abiram came out, and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives, and their sons, and their little children. So they got away from the homes of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side, and Dathan and Abiram came out and stationed themselves in the entrances of their tents with their wives, their children, and their toddlers.

Numbers 16:27 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 16:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ τῆς σκηνῆς Κορε κύκλῳ καὶ Δαθαν καὶ Αβιρων ἐξῆλθον καὶ εἱστήκεισαν παρὰ τὰς θύρας τῶν σκηνῶν αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ ἀποσκευὴ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπέστησαν ἀπὸ τῆς σκηνῆς Κορὲ κύκλῳ· καὶ Δαθὰν καὶ ᾿Αβειρὼν ἐξῆλθον καὶ εἱστήκεισαν παρὰ τὰς θύρας τῶν σκηνῶν αὐτῶν καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ ἀποσκευὴ αὐτῶν

Numbers 16:27 (NETS)

Numbers 16:27 (English Elpenor)
And they departed from around the tent of Kore, and Dathan and Abiron came out, and they stood by the doors of their tents, and their wives and their children and their chattel. And they stood aloof from the tent of Core round about; and Dathan and Abiron went forth and stood by the doors of their tents, and their wives and their children and their store.

Numbers 16:28 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:28 (KJV)

Numbers 16:28 (NET)
And Moses said: ‘Hereby ye shall know that HaShem hath sent me to do all these works, and that I have not done them of mine own mind. And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of mine own mind. Then Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will.

Numbers 16:28 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 16:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Μωυσῆς ἐν τούτῳ γνώσεσθε ὅτι κύριος ἀπέστειλέν με ποιῆσαι πάντα τὰ ἔργα ταῦτα ὅτι οὐκ ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ εἶπε Μωυσῆς· ἐν τούτῳ γνώσεσθε ὅτι Κύριος ἀπέστειλέ με ποιῆσαι πάντα τὰ ἔργα ταῦτα, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ

Numbers 16:28 (NETS)

Numbers 16:28 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses said, “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, because it is not of my own accord. And Moses said, Hereby shall ye know that the Lord has sent me to perform all these works, that [I have] not [done them] of myself.

Numbers 16:29 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:29 (KJV)

Numbers 16:29 (NET)
If these men die the common death of all men, and be visited after the visitation of all men, then HaShem hath not sent Me. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the LORD hath not sent me. If these men die a natural death, or if they share the fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.

Numbers 16:29 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 16:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰ κατὰ θάνατον πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀποθανοῦνται οὗτοι εἰ καὶ κατ᾽ ἐπίσκεψιν πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐπισκοπὴ ἔσται αὐτῶν οὐχὶ κύριος ἀπέσταλκέν με εἰ κατὰ θάνατον πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀποθανοῦνται οὗτοι, εἰ καὶ κατ’ ἐπίσκεψιν πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐπισκοπὴ ἔσται αὐτῶν, οὐχὶ Κύριος ἀπέσταλκέ με

Numbers 16:29 (NETS)

Numbers 16:29 (English Elpenor)
If these are to die according to death of all people, if their visitation is to be according to the visitation of all people, the Lord has not sent me. If these men shall die according to the death of all men, if also their visitation shall be according to the visitation of all men, then the Lord has not sent me.

Numbers 16:30 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:30 (KJV)

Numbers 16:30 (NET)
But if HaShem make a new thing, and the ground open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have despised HaShem.’ But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD. But if the Lord does something entirely new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up along with all that they have, and they go down alive to the grave, then you will know that these men have despised the Lord!”

Numbers 16:30 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 16:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ἐν φάσματι δείξει κύριος καὶ ἀνοίξασα ἡ γῆ τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς καταπίεται αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς σκηνὰς αὐτῶν καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς καὶ καταβήσονται ζῶντες εἰς ᾅδου καὶ γνώσεσθε ὅτι παρώξυναν οἱ ἄνθρωποι οὗτοι τὸν κύριον ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐν φάσματι δείξει Κύριος, καὶ ἀνοίξασα ἡ γῆ τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς καταπίεται αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς σκηνὰς αὐτῶν καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἐστὶν αὐτοῖς, καὶ καταβήσονται ζῶντες εἰς ᾅδου, καὶ γνώσεσθε, ὅτι παρώξυναν οἱ ἄνθρωποι οὗτοι τὸν Κύριον

Numbers 16:30 (NETS)

Numbers 16:30 (English Elpenor)
But if the Lord will show forth by an omen and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them down and their households and their tents and all that belongs to them and they go down alive into Hades, then you shall know that these men provoked the Lord.” But if the Lord shall shew by a wonder, and the earth shall open her mouth and swallow them up, and their houses, and their tents, and all that belongs to them, and they shall go down alive into Hades, then ye shall know that these men have provoked the Lord.

Numbers 16:31 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:31 (KJV)

Numbers 16:31 (NET)
And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground did cleave asunder that was under them. And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: When he had finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open,

Numbers 16:31 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 16:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς δὲ ἐπαύσατο λαλῶν πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἐρράγη ἡ γῆ ὑποκάτω αὐτῶν ὡς δὲ ἐπαύσατο λαλῶν πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους, ἐρράγη ἡ γῆ ὑποκάτω αὐτῶν

Numbers 16:31 (NETS)

Numbers 16:31 (English Elpenor)
Now as he stopped speaking all these words, the earth underneath them was split apart. And when he ceased speaking all these words, the ground clave asunder beneath them.

Numbers 16:32 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:32 (KJV)

Numbers 16:32 (NET)
And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, along with their households, and all Korah’s men, and all their goods.

Numbers 16:32 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 16:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἠνοίχθη ἡ γῆ καὶ κατέπιεν αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς ὄντας μετὰ Κορε καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν καὶ ἠνοίχθη ἡ γῆ καὶ κατέπιεν αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς ὄντας μετὰ Κορὲ καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν

Numbers 16:32 (NETS)

Numbers 16:32 (English Elpenor)
And the earth was opened and swallowed them down, and their households and all the men who were with Kore and their cattle. And when he ceased speaking all these words, the ground And the ground opened, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that were with Core, and their cattle.

Numbers 16:33 (Tanakh)

Numbers 16:33 (KJV)

Numbers 16:33 (NET)
So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit; and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. They and all that they had went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed over them. So they perished from among the community.

Numbers 16:33 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 16:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ κατέβησαν αὐτοὶ καὶ ὅσα ἐστὶν αὐτῶν ζῶντα εἰς ᾅδου καὶ ἐκάλυψεν αὐτοὺς ἡ γῆ καὶ ἀπώλοντο ἐκ μέσου τῆς συναγωγῆς καὶ κατέβησαν αὐτοὶ καὶ ὅσα ἐστὶν αὐτῶν ζῶντα εἰς ᾅδου, καὶ ἐκάλυψεν αὐτοὺς ἡ γῆ, καὶ ἀπώλοντο ἐκ μέσου τῆς συναγωγῆς

Numbers 16:33 (NETS)

Numbers 16:33 (English Elpenor)
And they went down, they and as much as was theirs, alive into Hades, and the earth covered them, and they perished from the midst of the congregation. And they went down and all that they had, alive into Hades; and the ground covered them, and they perished from the midst of the congregation.

Genesis 18:23 (Tanakh)

Genesis 18:23 (KJV)

Genesis 18:23 (NET)
And Abraham drew near, and said: ‘Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Abraham approached and said, “Will you really sweep away the godly along with the wicked?

Genesis 18:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 18:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγγίσας Αβρααμ εἶπεν μὴ συναπολέσῃς δίκαιον μετὰ ἀσεβοῦς καὶ ἔσται ὁ δίκαιος ὡς ὁ ἀσεβής καὶ ἐγγίσας ῾Αβραὰμ εἶπε· μὴ συναπολέσῃς δίκαιον μετὰ ἀσεβοῦς καὶ ἔσται ὁ δίκαιος ὡς ὁ ἀσεβής

Genesis 18:23 (NETS)

Genesis 18:23 (English Elpenor)
Then when Abraam had come near, he said, “Surely you will not destroy the righteous with the ungodly, and the righteous will be as the ungodly? And Abraam drew nigh and said, Wouldest thou destroy the righteous with the wicked, and shall the righteous be as the wicked?

Genesis 18:24 (Tanakh)

Genesis 18:24 (KJV)

Genesis 18:24 (NET)
Peradventure there are fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep away and not forgive the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? What if there are fifty godly people in the city? Will you really wipe it out and not spare the place for the sake of the 50 godly people who are in it?

Genesis 18:24 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 18:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν ὦσιν πεντήκοντα δίκαιοι ἐν τῇ πόλει ἀπολεῖς αὐτούς οὐκ ἀνήσεις πάντα τὸν τόπον ἕνεκεν τῶν πεντήκοντα δικαίων ἐὰν ὦσιν ἐν αὐτῇ ἐὰν ὦσι πεντήκοντα δίκαιοι ἐν τῇ πόλει, ἀπολεῖς αὐτούς; οὐκ ἀνήσεις πάντα τὸν τόπον ἕνεκεν τῶν πεντήκοντα δικαίων, ἐὰν ὦσιν ἐν αὐτῇ

Genesis 18:24 (NETS)

Genesis 18:24 (English Elpenor)
If there should be fifty righteous in the city, will you destroy them? Will you not let the whole place go free on account of the fifty righteous, if they should be in it? Should there be fifty righteous in the city, wilt thou destroy them? wilt thou not spare the whole place for the sake of the fifty righteous, if they be in it?

Genesis 18:25 (Tanakh)

Genesis 18:25 (KJV)

Genesis 18:25 (NET)
That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from Thee; shall not the judge of all the earth do justly?’ That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the godly with the wicked, treating the godly and the wicked alike! Far be it from you! Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right?”

Genesis 18:25 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 18:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μηδαμῶς σὺ ποιήσεις ὡς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι δίκαιον μετὰ ἀσεβοῦς καὶ ἔσται ὁ δίκαιος ὡς ὁ ἀσεβής μηδαμῶς ὁ κρίνων πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν οὐ ποιήσεις κρίσιν μηδαμῶς σὺ ποιήσεις ὡς τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο, τοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι δίκαιον μετὰ ἀσεβοῦς, καὶ ἔσται ὁ δίκαιος ὡς ὁ ἀσεβής. μηδαμῶς· ὁ κρίνων πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, οὐ ποιήσεις κρίσιν

Genesis 18:25 (NETS)

Genesis 18:25 (English Elpenor)
By no means will you do anything like this thing, to slay the righteous with the ungodly, and the righteous will be like the ungodly! By no means! Shall not you, the one who judges all the earth, do what is just?” By no means shalt thou do as this thing [is] so as to destroy the righteous with the wicked, so the righteous shall be as the wicked: by no means. Thou that judgest the whole earth, shalt thou not do right?

John 21:20, 21 (NET)

John 21:20, 21 (KJV)
Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. (This was the disciple who had leaned back against Jesus’ chest at the meal and asked, “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”) Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

John 21:20 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 21:20 (Stepanus Textus Receptus)

John 21:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἐπιστραφεὶς ὁ Πέτρος βλέπει τὸν μαθητὴν ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀκολουθοῦντα (ὃς καὶ ἀνέπεσεν ἐν τῷ δείπνῳ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· κύριε, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παραδιδούς σε;) επιστραφεις δε ο πετρος βλεπει τον μαθητην ον ηγαπα ο ιησους ακολουθουντα ος και ανεπεσεν εν τω δειπνω επι το στηθος αυτου και ειπεν κυριε τις εστιν ο παραδιδους σε επιστραφεις δε ο πετρος βλεπει τον μαθητην ον ηγαπα ο ιησους ακολουθουντα ος και ανεπεσεν εν τω δειπνω επι το στηθος αυτου και ειπεν κυριε τις εστιν ο παραδιδους σε
So when Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

John 21:21 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 21:21 (Stepanus Textus Receptus)

John 21:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τοῦτον οὖν ἰδὼν ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῷ Ἰησοῦ· κύριε, οὗτος δὲ τί τουτον ιδων ο πετρος λεγει τω ιησου κυριε ουτος δε τι τουτον ιδων ο πετρος λεγει τω ιησου κυριε ουτος δε τι

1 John 12:32 (NET)

2 Matthew 26:39b (NET) Table

3 John 17:12a (NET) Table

4 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: Then) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

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

6 John 17:12b (NET) Table

7 Matthew 25:41b (NET)

8 Luke 20:38 (NET)

9 Genesis 18:24b (NETS)

10 Genesis 18:25a (NETS)

11 Matthew 11:24 (NET)

The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 3

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Then [Jesus] dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son [Table].  And after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.  Jesus said to him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”[1]

Jesus’ instruction sounds so strange.  Alexander MacLaren wrote of his words, “I hear in them, first, the voice of despairing love abandoning the conflict.”[2]

If I have rightly construed the meaning of the incident, this is the plain meaning of it. And you will observe that the Revised Version, more accurately and closely rendering the words of our text, begins with a ‘Therefore.’ ‘Therefore said Jesus unto him,’ because the die was cast; because the will of Judas had conclusively welcomed Satan, and conclusively rejected Christ; therefore, knowing that remonstrance was vain, knowing that the deed was, in effect, done, Jesus Christ, that Incarnate Charity which ‘believeth all things, and hopeth all things,’ abandoned the man to himself, and said, ‘There, then, if thou wilt thou must. I have done all I can; my last arrow is shot, and it has missed the target. That then doest, do quickly.’

I, too, want more emotional conflict in this scene.  But John’s Gospel narrative continued (John 13:28, 29 NET):

Now none of those present at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas.  Some thought that because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor.

Nothing of the high drama Mr. MacLaren and I crave was evident to others present at the time.  In fact, John, who was privy (John 13:23-26) to this exchange, didn’t write any drama into the scene, certainly not that Jesus had lost a contest of wills to Judas Iscariot or Satan and was abandoning the field.  On the contrary, the Greek word translated do in the phrase do quickly was ποίησον, an imperative form of ποιέω.  In John’s Gospel narrative Jesus commanded Judas Iscariot, What you are about to do, do quickly, and Judas (and Satan apparently) obeyed Him (John 13:30a NET):

Judas took the piece of bread and went out immediately.[3]

Did Jesus just absolve Judas Iscariot of his betrayal?  Mr. MacLaren’s description of Jesus as the “Incarnate Charity” caught my ear.  Should he have paid more heed to the fact that Charity never faileth (NET: ends)?[4]

David’s son Absalom hated his half brother Amnon ever since Amnon had raped Absalom’s sister (2 Samuel 13:1-22).  Two years later…Absalom instructed his servants, “Look!  When Amnon is drunk and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ kill him then and there.  Don’t fear!  Is it not I who have given you these instructions?  Be strong and courageous!”  So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed.[5]  It is taken for granted here that Absalom killed Amnon rather than the unnamed servants who carried out his command.

When David got the clever idea to kill Uriah the Hittite by commanding Joab to station him at the front in the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed,[6] יהוה (Yehovah) sent Nathan the Prophet to David (2 Samuel 12:1a), not to Joab who had carried out the command.  Nathan said to David (2 Samuel 12:9 NET [Table]):

Why have you shown contempt for the Lord’s (Yehovah, יהוה) decrees by doing evil in my sight?  You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife to be your own wife!  You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

Jesus was intent on fulfilling the Scriptures.  It shouldn’t surprise me that He would take ultimate responsibility for Judas’ betrayal.  I think the tendency to judge Judas before the time, to condemn him prematurely to an eternity in the lake of fire, makes it more difficult to see or believe Jesus’ intervention here.

So I’ll begin the longer task of studying the Greek words, starting with ἀπώλετο (a form of ἀπόλλυμι, ἀπόλλω, ἀπολλύω), translated lost in Jesus’ prayer:  Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled.[7]

The first two occurrences of ἀπώλετο in the Septuagint are found in the book of Job.  I had planned to skip them because this book is tricky.  For the most part the advice Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar gave Job seemed alright to my religious mind.  Yehovah disagreed.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Job 42:7b (Tanakh) Job 42:7b (NET) Job 42:7b (NETS)

Job 42:7b (Elpenor English)
the LORD (יְהֹוָה֜) said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. he (Yehovah, יהוה) said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger is stirred up against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has. the Lord said to Eliphaz the Thaimanite, “You have sinned, and your two friends, for you have spoken nothing true in my presence, as has my attendant Iob. the Lord said to Eliphaz the Thaemanite, Thou hast sinned, and thy two friends: for ye have not said anything true before me, as my servant Job [has].

In one day Job heard that his five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred female donkeys had been stolen.  The servants who attended them were killed (Job 1:13-15).  His seven thousand sheep and their attendants were burned up in a lightning strike (Job 1:16).  His three thousand camels were stolen and their attendants were also killed (Job 1:17).  His seven sons and three daughters, eating and drinking together in one house, died when a windstorm brought the house down on them (Job 1:18, 19).  Later Job was afflicted with oozing sores (Job 2:7, 8).

Eliphaz, one of the three who came to comfort Job (Job 2:11-13), after seven days and seven nights of sitting silently with him, spoke in answer to Job’s longing for death (Job 3).

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Job 4:7 (Tanakh) Job 4:7 (NET) Job 4:7 (NETS)

Job 4:7 (Elpenor English)
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished (אָבָ֑ד), being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off (נִכְחָֽדוּ)? Call to mind now: Who, being innocent, ever perished (ʼâbad, אבד)?  And where were upright people ever destroyed (kâchad, נכחדו)? “Think now, who, being pure, perished (ἀπώλετο), or when did the true perish (ἀπώλοντο) root and all? Remember then who has perished (ἀπώλετο), being pure? or when were the true-hearted utterly destroyed (ἀπώλοντο)?

His words seem fairly typical of the way the religious mind rationalizes the misfortune of others.  To say them out loud to Job’s face is less typical but not unheard of.  Though the first half of Job 4:12 is missing from the Masoretic text, the Septuagint puts a fine point on the thrust of Eliphaz’s discourse: But if there had been any truth in thy words, none of these evils would have befallen thee.[8]  The reader of the book of Job knows, however, that all of these evils fell upon Job precisely because he was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.[9]

Job was not dead.  He was not burning in a lake of fire for all eternity.  He had lost his family, his servants, his possessions, his health and his desire to live.  The Hebrew word translated perished was אָבָ֑ד (ʼâbad).

The definition from Strong’s Concordance reads: “to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy).”  The Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon reads: “to be lost, to lose oneself, to wander…especially used of a lost and wandering sheep…”  This helps considerably.

This word describes the one who wanders away from God, not away from the flock necessarily.  A herd mentality is portrayed as a negative example in Scripture.  The Bible is a collection of stories about clans and entire nations that wandered away from God interspersed with stories of individuals who pursued Him and followed where He led.  The first occurrence of אָבַד (ʼâbad) follows here.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Exodus 10:7 (Tanakh) Exodus 10:7 (NET) Exodus 10:7 (NETS)

Exodus 10:7 (Elpenor English)
And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him: ‘How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve HaShem their G-d, knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed (אָֽבְדָ֖ה)?’ Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a menace to us?  Release the people so that they may serve the Lord their God.  Do you not know that Egypt is destroyed (ʼâbad, אבדה)?” Then the attendants of Pharao say to him, “For how long will this be a stumbling-block for us?  Send away the people so that they may serve the Lord their God.  Or do you wish to know that Egypt lies in ruins (ἀπόλωλεν)?” And the servants of Pharao say to him, How long shall this be a snare to us? send away the men, that they may serve their God; wilt thou know that Egypt is destroyed (ἀπόλωλεν)?

Again, though אָֽבְדָ֖ה (ʼâbad) was translated is destroyed the narrative clearly explained what the Egyptians had lost.  They lost readily accessible fresh water and fish for seven days when the waters were turned to blood (Exodus 7:14-25).  They lost their comfort and peace to an invasion of frogs for a time (Exodus 8:1-15), then to gnats (Exodus 8:16-19) and finally to swarms of flies (Exodus 8:20-32).  They lost livestock, horses, donkeys, camels, herds and flocks to disease (Exodus 9:1-7), people’s health and comfort to boils (Exodus 9:8-12) and then some lost people, livestock, barley and flax to hail damage (Exodus 9:18-32).  Others saved their people and livestock.

This distinction among the Egyptians was stated explicitly (Exodus 9:20, 21 NET):

Those of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the Lord’s message hurried to bring their servants and livestock into the houses, but those who did not take the Lord’s message seriously left their servants and their cattle in the field.

Though it seems a bit odd to think of Egyptians as having wandered away from יהוה (Yehovah), He has an entirely different perspective than my history teachers had.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Exodus 9:14-16 (Tanakh) [Tableb] Exodus 9:14-16 (NET) Exodus 9:14-16 (NETS)

Exodus 9:14-16 (Elpenor English)
For I will this time send all My plagues upon thy person, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth. For this time I will send all my plagues on your very self and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For at the present time I am sending out all my encounters into the heart of you and your attendants and your people so that you may know that there is no other like me in all the land. For this time I will send all my plagues on your very self and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.
Surely now I had put forth My hand, and smitten thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou hadst been cut off (וַתִּכָּחֵ֖ד) from the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyed (kachad, ותכחד) from the earth. For if now I sent my hand, I would strike you and your people with death, and you would be destroyed (ἐκτριβήσῃ) from the land. For now I will stretch forth my hand and smite thee and kill thy people, and thou shalt be consumed (ἐκτριβήσῃ) from off the earth.
But in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand, to show thee My power, and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth. But for this purpose I have caused you to stand: to show you my strength, and so that my name may be declared in all the earth. And for this reason you have been spared in order that I might display in you my power and in order that my name might be proclaimed in all the land. And for this purpose hast thou been preserved, that I might display in thee my strength, and that my name might be published in all the earth.

Here the possibility of a more complete destruction was וַתִּכָּחֵ֖ד (kachad) in Hebrew and the rabbis chose ἐκτριβήσῃ (a form of ἐκτρίβω) in the Septuagint.  In the table above נִכְחָֽדוּ (kachad) occurred in Eliphaz’s second rhetorical question: or where were the righteous cut off?  Here the rabbis chose ὁλόρριζοι ἀπώλοντο.  Though ἀπώλοντο is another form of ἀπόλλυμι, ἀπόλλω, ἀπολλύω, it is telling to me that they felt the need to add ὁλόρριζοι (a form ὁλόρριζος; NETS: “root and all”) to match the intensity of נִכְחָֽדוּ (kachad).

The second occurrence of ἀπώλετο in the Septuagint is found in Job’s lament.  Actually, I can’t tell if Job was lamenting his loss of social status, confessing (if not repenting of) his treatment of those he considered of lower social or moral status, or justifying himself.  A skillful actor would have a field day with the emotional depth of this monologue.  It bears mentioning that this is a glimpse into the mores of wealthy men, not the families of Job’s dead servants, for instance, lamenting their loss.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Job 30:1-3 (Tanakh) Job 30:1-3 (NET) Job 30:1-3 (NETS)

Job 30:1-3 (Elpenor English)
But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock. “But now they mock me, those who are younger than I, whose fathers I disdained too much to put with my sheep dogs. “But now they have laughed me to scorn; now the least of them reprove me in turn—[whose fathers I used to disdain] whom I did not deem worthy of my shepherd dogs! But now the youngest have laughed me to scorn, now they reprove me in [their] turn, whose fathers I set at nought; whom I did not deem worthy [to be with] my shepherd dogs.
Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished (אָ֣בַד)? Moreover, the strength of their hands—what use was it to me?  Those whose strength had perished (ʼâbad, אבד), indeed, the strength of their hands—what is it to me?  Completion perished (ἀπώλετο) upon them. Yea, why had I the strength of their hands? for them the full term [of life] was lost (ἀπώλετο).
For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste. gaunt with want and hunger, they would roam the parched land, by night a desolate waste. In want and hunger, he was childless, those who yesterday were fleeing in an arid place, dismay and misery, [One is] childless in want and famine, [such as] they that fled but lately the distress and misery of drought.

Here, the fathers Job disdained are said to have lost old age, the strength to complete the full term of life from want and hunger.

Tables comparing 2 Samuel 13:28; 13:29; 11:15; Job 42:7; 4:7; 4:12; 1:1; Exodus 10:7; 9:20; 9:21; 9:14; 9:15; 9:16; Job 30:1; 30:2 and 30:3 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and 2 Samuel (Reigns, Kings) 13:28; 13:29; 11:15; Job 42:7; 4:7; 4:12; 1:1; Exodus 10:7; 9:20; 9:21; 9:14; 9:15; 9:16; Job 30:1; 30:2 and 30:3 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  A table comparing John 13:30 in the NET and KJV follows those.

2 Samuel 13:28 (Tanakh)

 2 Samuel 13:28 (KJV)

2 Samuel 13:28 (NET)
And Absalom commanded his servants, saying: ‘Mark ye now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; and when I say unto you: Smite Amnon, then kill him, fear not; have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.’ Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant. Absalom instructed his servants, “Look! When Amnon is drunk and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ kill him then and there.  Don’t fear!  Is it not I who have given you these instructions?  Be strong and courageous!”

2 Samuel 13:28 (Septuagint BLB)

2 Kings 13:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνετείλατο Αβεσσαλωμ τοῗς παιδαρίοις αὐτοῦ λέγων ἴδετε ὡς ἂν ἀγαθυνθῇ ἡ καρδία Αμνων ἐν τῷ οἴνῳ καὶ εἴπω πρὸς ὑμᾶς πατάξατε τὸν Αμνων καὶ θανατώσατε αὐτόν μὴ φοβηθῆτε ὅτι οὐχὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῗν ἀνδρίζεσθε καὶ γίνεσθε εἰς υἱοὺς δυνάμεως καὶ ἐνετείλατο ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τοῖς παιδαρίοις αὐτοῦ λέγων· ἴδετε ὡς ἂν ἀγαθυνθῇ ἡ καρδία ᾿Αμνὼν ἐν τῷ οἴνῳ καὶ εἴπω πρὸς ὑμᾶς· πατάξατε τὸν ᾿Αμνών, καὶ θανατώσατε αὐτόν· μὴ φοβηθῆτε, ὅτι οὐχὶ ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐντελλόμενος ὑμῖν; ἀνδρίζεσθε καὶ γίνεσθε εἰς υἱοὺς δυνάμεως

2 Reigns 13:28 (NETS)

2 Kings 13:28 (English Elpenor)
And Abessalom commanded his lads, saying, “Watch, when the heart of Amnon is made good with wine, and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon, and put him to death.’  Don’t be afraid, for I am—I am commanding you, am I not?  Act like men and be sons of power.” And Abessalom charged his servants, saying, Mark when the heart of Amnon shall be merry with wine, and I shall say to you, Smite Amnon, and slay him: fear not; for is it not I that command you?  Be courageous, and be valiant.

2 Samuel 13:29 (Tanakh)

 2 Samuel 13:29 (KJV)

2 Samuel 13:29 (NET)
And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded.  Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man got him up upon his mule, and fled. And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded.  Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled. So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed.  Then all the king’s sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled.

2 Samuel 13:29 (Septuagint BLB)

2 Kings 13:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐποίησαν τὰ παιδάρια Αβεσσαλωμ τῷ Αμνων καθὰ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῗς Αβεσσαλωμ καὶ ἀνέστησαν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐπεκάθισαν ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ τὴν ἡμίονον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφυγαν καί ἐποίησαν τὰ παιδάρια ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τῷ ᾿Αμνὼν καθὰ ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ. καὶ ἀνέστησαν πάντες οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐπεκάθισαν ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ τὴν ἡμίονον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφυγαν

2 Reigns 13:29 (NETS)

2 Kings 13:29 (English Elpenor)
And the lads of Abessalom did to Amnon just as Abessalom had commanded them.   And all the sons of the king rose, and they sat, a man upon his mule, and fled. And the servants of Abessalom did to Amnon as Abessalom commanded them: and all the sons of the king rose up, and they mounted every man his mule, and fled.

2 Samuel 11:15 (Tanakh)

 2 Samuel 11:15 (KJV)

2 Samuel 11:15 (NET)
And he wrote in the letter, saying: ‘Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.’ And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. In the letter he wrote: “Station Uriah at the front in the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed.”

2 Samuel 11:15 (Septuagint BLB)

2 Kings 11:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔγραψεν ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ λέγων εἰσάγαγε τὸν Ουριαν ἐξ ἐναντίας τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ κραταιοῦ καὶ ἀποστραφήσεσθε ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ καὶ πληγήσεται καὶ ἀποθανεῗται καὶ ἔγραψεν ἐν βιβλίῳ λέγων· εἰσάγαγε τὸν Οὐρίαν ἐξ ἐναντίας τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ κραταιοῦ, καὶ ἀποστραφήσεσθε ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πληγήσεται ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πληγήσεται καὶ ἀποθανεῖται

2 Reigns 11:15 (NETS)

2 Kings 11:15 (English Elpenor)
And he wrote in the document, saying, “Lead Ourias opposite the hardest fighting, and you shall draw back from behind him, and he will be struck and will die.” And he wrote in the letter, saying, Station Urias in front of the severe [part] of the fight, and retreat from behind him, so shall he be wounded and die.

Job 42:7 (Tanakh)

 Job 42:7 (KJV)

Job 42:7 (NET)
And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. After the Lord had spoken these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger is stirred up against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has.

Job 42:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 42:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι τὸν κύριον πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα τῷ Ιωβ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος Ελιφας τῷ Θαιμανίτῃ ἥμαρτες σὺ καὶ οἱ δύο φίλοι σου οὐ γὰρ ἐλαλήσατε ἐνώπιόν μου ἀληθὲς οὐδὲν ὥσπερ ὁ θεράπων μου Ιωβ ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τὸ λαλῆσαι τὸν Κύριον πάντα τὰ ρήματα ταῦτα τῷ ᾿Ιώβ, εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος ᾿Ελιφὰζ τῷ Θαιμανίτῃ· ἥμαρτες σὺ καὶ οἱ δύο φίλοι σου· οὐ γὰρ ἐλαλήσατε ἐνώπιόν μου ἀληθὲς οὐδὲν ὥσπερ ὁ θεράπων μου ᾿Ιώβ

Job 42:7 (NETS)

Job 42:7 (English Elpenor)
Now it happened after the Lord spoke all these words to Iob, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Thaimanite, “You have sinned, and your two friends, for you have spoken nothing true in my presence, as has my attendant Iob. And it came to pass after the Lord had spoken all these words to Job, [that] the Lord said to Eliphaz the Thaemanite, Thou hast sinned, and thy two friends: for ye have not said anything true before me, as my servant Job [has].

Job 4:7 (Tanakh)

 Job 4:7 (KJV)

Job 4:7 (NET)
Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off? Call to mind now: Who, being innocent, ever perished?  And where were upright people ever destroyed?

Job 4:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 4:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μνήσθητι οὖν τίς καθαρὸς ὢν ἀπώλετο ἢ πότε ἀληθινοὶ ὁλόρριζοι ἀπώλοντο μνήσθητι οὖν, τίς καθαρὸς ὢν ἀπώλετο ἢ πότε ἀληθινοὶ ὁλόρριζοι ἀπώλοντο

Job 4:7 (NETS)

Job 4:7 (English Elpenor)
“Think now, who, being pure, perished, or when did the true perish root and all? Remember then who has perished, being pure? or when were the true-hearted utterly destroyed?

Job 4:12 (Tanakh)

 Job 4:12 (KJV)

Job 4:12 (NET)
Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof. “Now a word was stealthily brought to me, and my ear caught a whisper of it.

Job 4:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 4:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰ δέ τι ῥῆμα ἀληθινὸν ἐγεγόνει ἐν λόγοις σου οὐθὲν ἄν σοι τούτων κακὸν ἀπήντησεν πότερον οὐ δέξεταί μου τὸ οὖς ἐξαίσια παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ εἰ δέ τι ρῆμα ἀληθινὸν ἐγεγόνει ἐν λόγοις σου, οὐθὲν ἄν σοι τούτων κακὸν ἀπήντησε. πότερον οὐ δέξεταί μου τὸ οὖς ἐξαίσια παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ

Job 4:12 (NETS)

Job 4:12 (English Elpenor)
But if there had been anything truthful in your words, nothing bad in them would have met you.  “Will my ear not receive remarkable things from him? But if there had been any truth in thy words, none of these evils would have befallen thee.  Shall not mine ear receive excellent [revelations] from him?

Job 1:1 (Tanakh)

 Job 1:1 (KJV)

Job 1:1 (NET)
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job.  And that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil

Job 1:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 1:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αυσίτιδι ᾧ ὄνομα Ιωβ καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῗνος ἀληθινός ἄμεμπτος δίκαιος θεοσεβής ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΣ τις ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι, ᾧ ὄνομα ᾿Ιώβ, καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ἀληθινός, ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, θεοσεβής, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος

Job 1:1 (NETS)

Job 1:1 (English Elpenor)
There was a certain man in the land of Ausitis, whose name was Iob, and that man was genuine, blameless, righteous, religious, staying away from every evil thing. There was a certain man in the land of Ausis, whose name [was] Job; and that man was true, blameless, righteous, [and] godly, abstaining from everything evil.

Exodus 10:7 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 10:7 (KJV)

Exodus 10:7 (NET)
And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him: ‘How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve HaShem their G-d, knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?’ And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed? Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a menace to us?  Release the people so that they may serve the Lord their God.  Do you not know that Egypt is destroyed?”

Exodus 10:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 10:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λέγουσιν οἱ θεράποντες Φαραω πρὸς αὐτόν ἕως τίνος ἔσται τοῦτο ἡμῗν σκῶλον ἐξαπόστειλον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὅπως λατρεύσωσιν τῷ θεῷ αὐτῶν ἢ εἰδέναι βούλει ὅτι ἀπόλωλεν Αἴγυπτος καὶ λέγουσιν οἱ θεράποντες Φαραὼ πρὸς αὐτόν· ἕως τίνος ἔσται τοῦτο ἡμῖν σκῶλον; ἐξαπόστειλον τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅπως λατρεύσωσι τῷ Θεῷ αὐτῶν· ἢ εἰδέναι βούλῃ ὅτι ἀπόλωλεν Αἴγυπτος

Exodus 10:7 (NETS)

Exodus 10:7 (English Elpenor)
Then the attendants of Pharao say to him, “For how long will this be a stumbling-block for us?  Send away the people so that they may serve the Lord their God.  Or do you wish to know that Egypt lies in ruins?” And the servants of Pharao say to him, How long shall this be a snare to us? send away the men, that they may serve their God; wilt thou know that Egypt is destroyed?

Exodus 9:20 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 9:20 (KJV)

Exodus 9:20 (NET)
He that feared the word of HaShem among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses; He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: Those of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the Lord’s message hurried to bring their servants and livestock into the houses,

Exodus 9:20 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ φοβούμενος τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου τῶν θεραπόντων Φαραω συνήγαγεν τὰ κτήνη αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς οἴκους ὁ φοβούμενος τὸ ρῆμα Κυρίου τῶν θεραπόντων Φαραὼ συνήγαγε τὰ κτήνη αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς οἴκους

Exodus 9:20 (NETS)

Exodus 9:20 (English Elpenor)
The one among Pharao’s attendants who feared the word of the Lord gathered his animals into dwellings. He of the servants of Pharao that feared the word of the Lord, gathered his cattle into the houses.

Exodus 9:21 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 9:21 (KJV)

Exodus 9:21 (NET)
and he that regarded not the word of HaShem left his servants and his cattle in the field. And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field. but those who did not take the Lord’s message seriously left their servants and their cattle in the field.

Exodus 9:21 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὃς δὲ μὴ προσέσχεν τῇ διανοίᾳ εἰς τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου ἀφῆκεν τὰ κτήνη ἐν τοῗς πεδίοις ὃς δὲ μὴ προσέσχε τῇ διανοίᾳ εἰς τὸ ρῆμα Κυρίου, ἀφῆκε τὰ κτήνη ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις

Exodus 9:21 (NETS)

Exodus 9:21 (English Elpenor)
But whoever did not pay attention with his mind to the word of the Lord left the animals on the plain. And he that did not attend in his mind to the word of the Lord, left the cattle in the fields.

Exodus 9:14 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 9:14 (KJV)

Exodus 9:14 (NET)
For I will this time send all My plagues upon thy person, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth. For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For this time I will send all my plagues on your very self and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

Exodus 9:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῷ γὰρ νῦν καιρῷ ἐγὼ ἐξαποστέλλω πάντα τὰ συναντήματά μου εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων σου καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ σου ἵν᾽ εἰδῇς ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς ἐγὼ ἄλλος ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ ἐν τῷ γὰρ νῦν καιρῷ ἐγὼ ἐξαποστέλλω πάντα τὰ συναντήματά μου εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου καὶ τῶν θεραπόντων σου καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ σου, ἵνα εἰδῇς ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ὡς ἐγὼ ἄλλος ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ

Exodus 9:14 (NETS)

Exodus 9:14 (English Elpenor)
For at the present time I am sending out all my encounters into the heart of you and your attendants and your people so that you may know that there is no other like me in all the land. For at this present time do I send forth all my plagues into thine heart, and the heart of thy servants and of thy people; that thou mayest know that there is not another such as I in all the earth.

Exodus 9:15 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 9:15 (KJV)

Exodus 9:15 (NET)
Surely now I had put forth My hand, and smitten thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou hadst been cut off from the earth. For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyed from the earth.

Exodus 9:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
νῦν γὰρ ἀποστείλας τὴν χεῗρα πατάξω σε καὶ τὸν λαόν σου θανάτῳ καὶ ἐκτριβήσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς νῦν γὰρ ἀποστείλας τὴν χεῖρα πατάξω σε, καὶ τὸν λαόν σου θανατώσω, καὶ ἐκτριβήσῃ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς

Exodus 9:15 (NETS)

Exodus 9:15 (English Elpenor)
For if now I sent my hand, I would strike you and your people with death, and you would be destroyed from the land. For now I will stretch forth my hand and smite thee and kill thy people, and thou shalt be consumed from off the earth.

Exodus 9:16 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 9:16 (KJV)

Exodus 9:16 (NET)
But in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand, to show thee My power, and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. But for this purpose I have caused you to stand: to show you my strength, and so that my name may be declared in all the earth.

Exodus 9:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 9:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἕνεκεν τούτου διετηρήθης ἵνα ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν ἰσχύν μου καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ καὶ ἕνεκεν τούτου διετηρήθης, ἵνα ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν ἰσχύν μου, καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ

Exodus 9:16 (NETS)

Exodus 9:16 (English Elpenor)
And for this reason you have been spared in order that I might display in you my power and in order that my name might be proclaimed in all the land. And for this purpose hast thou been preserved, that I might display in thee my strength, and that my name might be published in all the earth.

Job 30:1 (Tanakh)

 Job 30:1 (KJV)

Job 30:1 (NET)
But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock. But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock. “But now they mock me, those who are younger than I, whose fathers I disdained too much to put with my sheep dogs.

Job 30:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 30:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
νυνὶ δὲ κατεγέλασάν μου ἐλάχιστοι νῦν νουθετοῦσίν με ἐν μέρει ὧν ἐξουδένουν πατέρας αὐτῶν οὓς οὐχ ἡγησάμην εἶναι ἀξίους κυνῶν τῶν ἐμῶν νομάδων ΝΥΝΙ δὲ κατεγέλασάν μου ἐλάχιστοι, νῦν νουθετοῦσί με ἐν μέρει ὧν ἐξουδένουν τοὺς πατέρας αὐτῶν, οὓς οὐχ ἡγησάμην ἀξίους κυνῶν τῶν ἐμῶν νομάδων

Job 30:1 (NETS)

Job 30:1 (English Elpenor)
“But now they have laughed me to scorn; now the least of them reprove me in turn—[whose fathers I used to disdain] whom I did not deem worthy of my shepherd dogs! But now the youngest have laughed me to scorn, now they reprove me in [their] turn, whose fathers I set at nought; whom I did not deem worthy [to be with] my shepherd dogs.

Job 30:2 (Tanakh)

 Job 30:2 (KJV)

Job 30:2 (NET)
Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished? Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished? Moreover, the strength of their hands—what use was it to me? Those whose strength had perished,

Job 30:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 30:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καί γε ἰσχὺς χειρῶν αὐτῶν ἵνα τί μοι ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ἀπώλετο συντέλεια καί γε ἰσχὺς χειρῶν αὐτῶν ἱνατί μοι; ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἀπώλετο συντέλεια

Job 30:2 (NETS)

Job 30:2 (English Elpenor)
indeed, the strength of their hands—what is it to me?  Completion perished upon them. Yea, why had I the strength of their hands? for them the full term [of life] was lost.

Job 30:3 (Tanakh)

 Job 30:3 (KJV)

Job 30:3 (NET)
For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste. For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste. gaunt with want and hunger, they would roam the parched land, by night a desolate waste.

Job 30:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 30:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν ἐνδείᾳ καὶ λιμῷ ἄγονος οἱ φεύγοντες ἄνυδρον ἐχθὲς συνοχὴν καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν ἐν ἐνδείᾳ καὶ λιμῷ ἄγονος· οἱ φεύγοντες ἄνυδρον ἐχθὲς συνοχὴν καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν,

Job 30:3 (NETS)

Job 30:3 (English Elpenor)
In want and hunger, he was childless, those who yesterday were fleeing in an arid place, dismay and misery, [One is] childless in want and famine, [such as] they that fled but lately the distress and misery of drought.

John 13:30 (NET)

John 13:30 (KJV)
Judas took the piece of bread and went out immediately. (Now it was night.) He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
λαβὼν οὖν τὸ ψωμίον ἐκεῖνος ἐξῆλθεν εὐθύς. (ἦν δὲ νύξ.) λαβων ουν το ψωμιον εκεινος ευθεως εξηλθεν ην δε νυξ λαβων ουν το ψωμιον εκεινος ευθεως εξηλθεν ην δε νυξ

The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 2

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Lazarus had been buried four days.  Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11:38-44).  John recalled the aftermath (John 11:45-53 NET):

Then many of the people, who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him.  But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done [Table].  So the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing?  For this man is performing many miraculous signs.  If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.”

Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You know nothing at all!  You do not realize that it is more to your[1] advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.”  (Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied[2] that Jesus[3] was going to die for the Jewish nation, and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.)  So from that day they planned together[4] to kill him.

The Greek word translated perish was ἀπόληται (a form of ἀπόλλυμι).  I don’t think for a moment that Caiaphas meant: it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to burn in hell for all eternity.  Caiaphas feared something more like what happened in 70 AD.  But Caiaphas was high priest that year, John recalled, he did not say this on his own but prophesied.  So what did the Holy Spirit mean?  The events of 70 AD were not averted by Jesus’ death.

I tell you, my friends, Jesus said, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do [Table].  But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell (γέενναν, a form of γέεννα).  Yes, I tell you, fear him![5]

The Greek word ἀπόληται was also translated perish in, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.[6]  If I’m not careful I read this as God…gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not burn in hell for all eternity but go to heaven.  This reading is so ingrained I find it difficult to accept Jesus’ judgment if He proposes different criteria for departing into the eternal fire (Matthew 25:31-46).

Condemning those, however, who have demonstrated no care or concern for Jesus’ brothers and sisters into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels[7] is consistent with Jesus’ teaching on the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28-34a NET):

Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating.  When he saw[8] that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”[9]  Jesus[10] answered,[11] “The most important[12] is:[13] ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one [Table].  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength’[14] [Table].  The[15] second is:[16] ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no other commandment greater than these.”  The expert in the law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say[17] that he[18] is one, and there is no one else besides him.  And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind,[19] and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important[20] than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” [Table].  When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

For there is no partiality with God [Table], Paul wrote believers in Rome (Romans 2:11-16 NET).

For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish (ἀπολοῦνται, a form of ἀπόλλυμι) apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged (κριθήσονται, a form of κρίνω) by the law.  For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous [Table].  For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves [Table].  They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend them, on the day when God will judge (κρίνει, a form of κρίνω) the secrets of human hearts, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

We who have believed in Jesus, been born from above, received his Holy Spirit and rested in God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control have a clear advantage.  But do we have the monopoly on being among those who do not hear, Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels?  I could argue that we do.

Frankly, I expected so much more of the righteous before God…those who do the law, than merely something other than the absolute negation[21] of those who saw a brother or sister of Jesus hungry and…gave them nothing (οὐκ) to eat…thirsty and…gave [them] nothing (οὐκ) to drink…a stranger and…did not (οὐ) receive them as a guest, naked and…did not (οὐ) clothe them, sick and in prison and…did not (οὐκ) visit them.[22]  Perhaps Jesus didn’t mean what it sounds like He said.

How can one go from nothing one does pleases God (Romans 3:10-18) to almost anything one does that demonstrates some care or concern for Jesus’ brothers or sisters is sufficient to be called righteous by the Judge and to hear: Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world?[23]  Surely, this implies that one has been delivered…from the power of darkness and transferred…to the kingdom of the Son he loves[24] already!  But my argument falls apart faster than I can make it.

The great commission is to make disciples of all nations, not to save people from burning in hell for all eternity (Matthew 28:18-20 NET):

Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth[25] has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey (τηρεῖν, a form of τηρέω) everything I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”[26]

Should I be surprised if the righteousness of disciples exceeds that of those who escape the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels by demonstrating some care or concern for Jesus’ disciples?  (Yes, I’m equating Jesus’ disciples with his brothers or sisters.)  I’m tired of arguing with the Judge who has received all authority in heaven and on earth.  I lack standing to dispute with Him who gives life to whomever he wishes.[27]  As a matter of fear toward the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw me into hell I concede the point.

But who can live in a manner worthy of such a calling?

I begin to understand why the monastic system may have formed.  Don’t worry, I also see how it went awry.  Even if the master was led by the Holy Spirit, the initiates perceived that their master lived by following certain rules, and then eventually believed they could become like their master by obeying the rules they had mistakenly perceived as the source of the master’s way of life.  Still, I agree that the most important thing I do any and every day is to pray God’s grace and mercy for all in Jesus’ name.

He has tried to get me to reconsider my understanding of—God…gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not burn in hell for all eternity but go to heaven—before.  I can grasp the absolute negation in Greek.  Those who hear, Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels,[28] don’t hear it because of some minor lapses in their care or concern for Jesus’ brothers and sisters.  But the qualified negation—so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life[29]—is more difficult for me to grasp.

My first stab at it was that the qualified negation allowed for the possibility that one could both perish and have eternal life.  A tear streaked my cheek as I recognized that ἀπόληται could hardly mean “burn in hell for all eternity” if that were true.  Though I value such emotional experiences I don’t take them as proof of truth necessarily.  I get all teary-eyed when Reggie (Freddy Rodriguez) steps up as the Guardian to defend the Narf (Bryce Dallas Howard) from a Scrunt in the movie Lady in the Water.

I consider that emotional experience a testament to M. Night Shyamalan’s skill as a  story-teller, which is not to disparage Bryce Dallas Howard’s skill portraying a vulnerable and precious child or Paul Giametti’s skill portraying a bereaved father desperate to nurture and protect her.  Jesus is a better story-teller than Mr. Shyamalan and I have all kinds of emotional reactions to being folded into his story.  Besides I’ve already imagined a possible scenario where I the old human burn for all eternity in a lake of fire even as I the new human am face to face with God.  How’s that for a salvation by faith predicated on a human choice?

I looked online for some help understanding the qualified negation in Greek.  I found some shock therapy on Gary Gagliardi’s site “Christ’s Words — What Is Lost in Translation from Greek.”  His translation of John 3:16 and his explanation of the qualified negation in that verse follow:

Therefore, since God was fond of the world order, he appointed the son unique in order that all believing in him might not want to cease to exist but might possess life eternal.

The negative “not” used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. The sense is that “you don’t want” to do something, not that it isn’t done or don’t think something that might be true. If it wasn’t done or wasn’t true, the objective negative of fact would be used. The sense here is that the person doesn’t “want” to cease to exist.

The word translated as “shall…perish” means “to cease to exist.” The form is one of possibility not the future tense. With the negative used, the sense is “might not want to cease to exist”. This seems…[to] indicate that those who do not trust in him do not want to continue to exist. The sense is that not trusting in his promise equates to no trusting in a continued life and having access to it.

I’m not implying that this is the one and only true translation and interpretation of John 3:16.  All things considered Mr. Gagliardi’s translation qualifies as an outlier among English translations of John 3:16.  It is interesting as a potential translation as I try to overcome my misunderstanding.

At his arrest Jesus said, “I told you that I am he.  If you are looking for me, let these men go.”  And John added, He said this to fulfill the word he had spoken, “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.”[30]  The word translated lost was ἀπώλεσα, an active form of ἀπόλλυμι:  “to ruin, destroy; to demolish, dismantle, trash, wreck; to lose; to take away; to conceal and make inaccessible; to be unavailable, be taken away; not to be found, have vanished, have gone missing.”  The negation is ουκ (a form of οὐ) the absolute negation, so nothing tricky about it.

Before I continue I want to back up and consider Mr. Gagliardi’s translation and explanation of ἀπώλετο in John 17:12.

At that time I was with them, I watched over them in your name, whoever you appointed to me, and I have defended them [formed them into a tribe] and none from them has been lost except the child of the lost so that what is written might be completed.

Also, from the translation, you wouldn’t know that the word translated as “lost” from “none of them have been lost” is the verb form of the same word translated as “perdition.” The verse actually says that none have been lost except for the son of the lost. The word’s primary meaning is “to destroy” so the translation would then come out as “none have been destroyed except the son of destruction.”

So this leads me to a Gospel harmony of how Judas was lost or “destroyed.”

Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16 (NET)

 Mark 14:1,2, 10, 11 (NET)

Luke 22:1-6 (NET)
When Jesus had finished saying all these things (Matthew 24-25), he told his disciples,
“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.
and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
Then the chief priests[31] and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas.
They planned to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. the chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. The chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find some way to execute Jesus,
But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there won’t be a riot among the people.” For[32] they said, “Not during the feast, so there won’t be a riot among the people.”
for they were afraid of the people.
Then Satan[33] entered Judas, the one called[34] Iscariot, who was one of the twelve.
Then one of the twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests Then Judas[35] Iscariot,[36] one of the twelve, went to the chief priests He went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard
to betray[37] Jesus into their hands. how he might betray Jesus, handing him over to them.
and said, “What will you give me to betray him into your hands?”
When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him money. They were delighted and arranged to give him money.
So they set out thirty silver coins for him.
So Judas agreed
From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him. So Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray[38] him. and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus
when no crowd was present.

John let this stand without comment in his Gospel narrative, except to reinforce at the last supper that the devil had already put into the heart of Judas[39] Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray[40] Jesus.[41]  Jesus specified which prophecy Judas would fulfill: I know the ones[42] I have chosen.  But this is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who eats my[43] bread has turned against me.’[44]

A table comparing this to Psalm 41:9b (the presumed source text) in the Septuagint follows.  It is more thought for thought than a word for word quotation.

John 13:18a (NET Parallel Greek)

 Psalm 41:9b (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 40:10b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ τρώγων μου τὸν ἄρτον ἐπῆρεν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ τὴν πτέρναν αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου, ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν

John 13:18b (NET)

 Psalm 40:10b (NETS)

Psalm 40:10b (English Elpenor)
The one who eats my bread has turned against me. he who would eat of my bread, magnified trickery against me. who ate my bread, lifted up [his] heel against me.

If I accept the NET translation piece of bread for ψωμίον, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy deliberately (John 13:21-27 NET):

When he had said these things (John 13:18-20), Jesus was greatly distressed in spirit, and testified, “I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray me.”  The[45] disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about.  One[46] of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor.[47]  So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to.  Then the disciple whom Jesus loved[48] leaned back[49] against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”  Jesus replied, “It is the one to whom I will give[50] this piece of bread after I have dipped[51] it in the dish.”  Then[52] he dipped[53] the piece of bread in the dish and[54] gave it to Judas Iscariot,[55] Simon’s son.  And after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.  Jesus said to him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

Before I did this study I assumed that Jesus’ concern in the garden was that his remaining disciples were not arrested and killed.  Now I’m reasonably convinced that He was concerned that they not be arrested, threatened with death perhaps, and apart from Him and before receiving the Holy Spirit, be turned away from Him as Judas was.  In other words, He did not want them to be lost or “destroyed.”

Tables comparing Psalm 41:9 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Psalm 41:9 (40:10) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  Following those are tables comparing John 11:50, 51; 11:53; Matthew 28:18; 28:20; John 18:8; Matthew 26:3; Mark 14:2; 14:10, 11; Luke 22:3; John 13:2; 13:18; 13:22, 23 and 13:25, 26 in the NET and KJV.

Psalm 41:9 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 41:9 (KJV)

Psalm 41:9 (NET)
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. Even my close friend whom I trusted, he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.

Psalm 41:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 40:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς εἰρήνης μου ἐφ᾽ ὃν ἤλπισα ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς εἰρήνης μου, ἐφ᾿ ὃν ἤλπισα, ὁ ἐσθίων ἄρτους μου, ἐμεγάλυνεν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ πτερνισμόν

Psalm 40:10 (NETS)

Psalm 40:10 (English Elpenor)
Indeed, the person at peace with me, in whom I hoped, he who would eat of my bread, magnified trickery against me. For even the man of my peace, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, lifted up [his] heel against me.

John 11:50, 51 (NET)

John 11:50, 51 (KJV)
You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οὐδὲ λογίζεσθε ὅτι συμφέρει ὑμῖν ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ ἔθνος ἀπόληται ουδε διαλογιζεσθε οτι συμφερει ημιν ινα εις ανθρωπος αποθανη υπερ του λαου και μη ολον το εθνος αποληται ουδε διαλογιζεσθε οτι συμφερει ημιν ινα εις ανθρωπος αποθανη υπερ του λαου και μη ολον το εθνος αποληται
(Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
(τοῦτο δὲ ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου ἐπροφήτευσεν ὅτι ἔμελλεν Ἰησοῦς ἀποθνῄσκειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους τουτο δε αφ εαυτου ουκ ειπεν αλλα αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου προεφητευσεν οτι εμελλεν ο ιησους αποθνησκειν υπερ του εθνους τουτο δε αφ εαυτου ουκ ειπεν αλλα αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου προεφητευσεν οτι εμελλεν ιησους αποθνησκειν υπερ του εθνους

John 11:53 (NET)

John 11:53 (KJV)
So from that day they planned together to kill him. Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπ᾿ ἐκείνης οὖν τῆς ἡμέρας ἐβουλεύσαντο ἵνα ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτόν απ εκεινης ουν της ημερας συνεβουλευσαντο ινα αποκτεινωσιν αυτον απ εκεινης ουν της ημερας συνεβουλευσαντο ινα αποκτεινωσιν αυτον

Matthew 28:18 (NET)

Matthew 28:18 (KJV)
Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ προσελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ [τῆς] γῆς και προσελθων ο ιησους ελαλησεν αυτοις λεγων εδοθη μοι πασα εξουσια εν ουρανω και επι γης και προσελθων ο ιησους ελαλησεν αυτοις λεγων εδοθη μοι πασα εξουσια εν ουρανω και επι γης

Matthew 28:20 (NET)

Matthew 28:20 (KJV)
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.  Amen.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος διδασκοντες αυτους τηρειν παντα οσα ενετειλαμην υμιν και ιδου εγω μεθ υμων ειμι πασας τας ημερας εως της συντελειας του αιωνος αμην διδασκοντες αυτους τηρειν παντα οσα ενετειλαμην υμιν και ιδου εγω μεθ υμων ειμι πασας τας ημερας εως της συντελειας του αιωνος αμην

John 18:8 (NET)

John 18:8 (KJV)
Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he.  If you are looking for me, let these men go.” Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· εἶπον ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. εἰ οὖν ἐμὲ ζητεῖτε, ἄφετε τούτους ὑπάγειν απεκριθη ο ιησους ειπον υμιν οτι εγω ειμι ει ουν εμε ζητειτε αφετε τουτους υπαγειν απεκριθη ιησους ειπον υμιν οτι εγω ειμι ει ουν εμε ζητειτε αφετε τουτους υπαγειν

Matthew 26:3 (NET)

Matthew 26:3 (KJV)
Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Τότε συνήχθησαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ λαοῦ εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως τοῦ λεγομένου Καϊάφα τοτε συνηχθησαν οι αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις και οι πρεσβυτεροι του λαου εις την αυλην του αρχιερεως του λεγομενου καιαφα τοτε συνηχθησαν οι αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις και οι πρεσβυτεροι του λαου εις την αυλην του αρχιερεως του λεγομενου καιαφα

Mark 14:2 (NET)

Mark 14:2 (KJV)
For they said, “Not during the feast, so there won’t be a riot among the people.” But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἔλεγον γάρ μὴ ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, μήποτε ἔσται θόρυβος τοῦ λαοῦ ελεγον δε μη εν τη εορτη μηποτε θορυβος εσται του λαου ελεγον δε μη εν τη εορτη μηποτε θορυβος εσται του λαου

Mark 14:10, 11 (NET)

Mark 14:10, 11 (KJV)
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus into their hands. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριὼθ ὁ εἷς τῶν δώδεκα ἀπῆλθεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς ἵνα αὐτὸν παραδοῖ αὐτοῖς και ο ιουδας ο ισκαριωτης εις των δωδεκα απηλθεν προς τους αρχιερεις ινα παραδω αυτον αυτοις και ο ιουδας ο ισκαριωτης εις των δωδεκα απηλθεν προς τους αρχιερεις ινα παραδω αυτον αυτοις
When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him money.  So Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money.  And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ἐχάρησαν καὶ ἐπηγγείλαντο αὐτῷ ἀργύριον δοῦναι. καὶ ἐζήτει πῶς αὐτὸν εὐκαίρως παραδοῖ οι δε ακουσαντες εχαρησαν και επηγγειλαντο αυτω αργυριον δουναι και εζητει πως ευκαιρως αυτον παραδω οι δε ακουσαντες εχαρησαν και επηγγειλαντο αυτω αργυριον δουναι και εζητει πως ευκαιρως αυτον παραδω

Luke 22:3 (NET)

Luke 22:3 (KJV)
Then Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve. Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Εἰσῆλθεν δὲ σατανᾶς εἰς Ἰούδαν τὸν καλούμενον Ἰσκαριώτην, ὄντα ἐκ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν δώδεκα εισηλθεν δε ο σατανας εις ιουδαν τον επικαλουμενον ισκαριωτην οντα εκ του αριθμου των δωδεκα εισηλθεν δε σατανας εις ιουδαν τον επικαλουμενον ισκαριωτην οντα εκ του αριθμου των δωδεκα

John 13:2 (NET)

John 13:2 (KJV)
The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ δείπνου γινομένου, τοῦ διαβόλου ἤδη βεβληκότος εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἵνα παραδοῖ αὐτὸν Ἰούδας Σίμωνος |Ἰσκαριώτου| και δειπνου γενομενου του διαβολου ηδη βεβληκοτος εις την καρδιαν ιουδα σιμωνος ισκαριωτου ινα αυτον παραδω και δειπνου γενομενου του διαβολου ηδη βεβληκοτος εις την καρδιαν ιουδα σιμωνος ισκαριωτου ινα αυτον παραδω

John 13:18 (NET)

John 13:18 (KJV)
“What I am saying does not refer to all of you.  I know the ones I have chosen.  But this is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who eats my bread has turned against me.’ I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Οὐ περὶ πάντων ὑμῶν λέγω· ἐγὼ οἶδα τίνας ἐξελεξάμην· ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ· ὁ τρώγων μου τὸν ἄρτον ἐπῆρεν ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ τὴν πτέρναν αὐτοῦ ου περι παντων υμων λεγω εγω οιδα ους εξελεξαμην αλλ ινα η γραφη πληρωθη ο τρωγων μετ εμου τον αρτον επηρεν επ εμε την πτερναν αυτου ου περι παντων υμων λεγω εγω οιδα ους εξελεξαμην αλλ ινα η γραφη πληρωθη ο τρωγων μετ εμου τον αρτον επηρεν επ εμε την πτερναν αυτου

John 13:22, 23 (NET)

John 13:22, 23 (KJV)
The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἔβλεπον εἰς ἀλλήλους οἱ μαθηταὶ ἀπορούμενοι περὶ τίνος λέγει εβλεπον ουν εις αλληλους οι μαθηται απορουμενοι περι τινος λεγει εβλεπον ουν εις αλληλους οι μαθηται απορουμενοι περι τινος λεγει
One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἦν ἀνακείμενος εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὃν ἠγάπα |ὁ| Ἰησοῦς ην δε ανακειμενος εις των μαθητων αυτου εν τω κολπω του ιησου ον ηγαπα ο ιησους ην δε ανακειμενος εις των μαθητων αυτου εν τω κολπω του ιησου ον ηγαπα ο ιησους

John 13:25, 26 (NET)

John 13:25, 26 (KJV)
Then the disciple whom Jesus loved leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀναπεσὼν |οὖν| ἐκεῖνος οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λέγει αὐτῷ· κύριε, τίς ἐστιν επιπεσων δε εκεινος επι το στηθος του ιησου λεγει αυτω κυριε τις εστιν επιπεσων δε εκεινος ουτως επι το στηθος του ιησου λεγει αυτω κυριε τις εστιν
Jesus replied, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I have dipped it in the dish.”  Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it.  And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀποκρίνεται  [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς· ἐκεῖνος ἐστιν ᾧ ἐγὼ βάψω τὸ ψωμίον καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ. βάψας οὖν |τὸ| ψωμίον [λαμβάνει καὶ] δίδωσιν Ἰούδᾳ Σίμωνος Ἰσκαριώτου αποκρινεται ο ιησους εκεινος εστιν ω εγω βαψας το ψωμιον επιδωσω και εμβαψας το ψωμιον διδωσιν ιουδα σιμωνος ισκαριωτη αποκρινεται ο ιησους εκεινος εστιν ω εγω βαψας το ψωμιον επιδωσω και εμβαψας το ψωμιον διδωσιν ιουδα σιμωνος ισκαριωτη

[1] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὑμῖν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ημιν (KJV: for us).

[2] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐπροφήτευσεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had προεφητευσε.

[3] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding Jesus.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[4] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐβουλεύσαντ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had συνεβουλευσαντο (KJV: took counsel together).

[5] Luke 12:4, 5 (NET)

[6] John 3:16b (NET)

[7] Matthew 25:41b (NET)

[8] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἰδὼν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειδως (KJV: perceiving).

[9] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had πάντων here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πασων.

[10] The Stephanus Textus Receptu and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: And) preceding Jesus.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[11] The Stephanus Textus Receptu and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτω (KJV: him) following answered.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[12] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πασων των εντολων (KJV: of all the commandments) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[13] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐστίν here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[14] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτη πρωτη εντολη (KJV: this is the first commandment) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[15] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: And) at the beginning of this clause.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[16] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ομοια (KJV: like) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[17] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἶπες here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπας (KJV: thou hast said).

[18] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had θεος (KJV: God) here.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[19] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και εξ ολης της ψυχης (KJV: and with all the soul) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[20] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had περισσότερον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πλειον (KJV: more).

[21] Here are a few essays where I began to grapple with the absolute and qualified or relative negation in New Testament Greek: Son of God – John, Part 2; Fear – Genesis, Part 7; Son of God – John, Part 3

[22] Matthew 25:42, 43 (NET)

[23] Matthew 25:34 (NET)

[24] Colossians 1:13 (NET)

[25] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τῆς preceding earth.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[26] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αμην (KJV: Amen) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not

[27] John 5:21b (NET)

[28] Matthew 25:41 (NET)

[29] John 3:16b (NET)

[30] John 18:8, 9 (NET)

[31] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και οι γραμματεις (KJV: and the scribes) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[32] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had γάρ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: But).

[33] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding Satan.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[34] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καλούμενον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επικαλουμενον (KJV: surnamed).

[35] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ο preceding Judas.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[36] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Iscariot was spelled Ἰσκαριὼθ, and ισκαριωτης in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[37] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παραδοῖ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παραδω.

[38] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παραδοῖ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παραδω.

[39] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Judas was spelled Ἰούδας, and ιουδα in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[40] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παραδοῖ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παραδω.

[41] John 13:2b (NET)

[42] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τίνας here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the pronoun ους (KJV: whom).

[43] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μου here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μετ εμου (KJV: with me).

[44] John 13:18b (NET)

[45] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: Then) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[46] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: Now) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[47] NET note 57 explains the idiom.

[48] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐκεῖνος οὕτως here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had simply εκεινος (KJV: He).

[49] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀναπεσὼν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επιπεσων (KJV: lying on).

[50] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επιδωσω (KJV: shall give).

[51] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had βάψω here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had βαψας.

[52] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had οὖν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: And).

[53] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had βαψας here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εμβαψας (KJV: had dipped).

[54] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had λαμβάνει καὶ (λαμβάνει was not translated in the NET) here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[55] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had Ἰσκαριώτου here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ισκαριωτη.

The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 1

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Jesus prayed (John 17:12b NET Table):

Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled.

The Greek word translated lost was ἀπώλετο (a form of ἀπόλλυμι).  The middle voice can mean, “to be destroyed, ruined; to perish, die; to be lost” according to the Koine Greek Lexicon online.  The Greek word translated destruction (KJV: perdition) was ἀπωλείας (a form of ἀπώλεια).  It can mean “destruction, ruin” up to and including “damnation, perdition” or it can mean “loss (of property)” or “(something) lost” according to the Koine Greek Lexicon online.

I plan to track these words through the New Testament and the Septuagint but I’ll expose my bias here before proceeding.  I will be viewing forms of ἀπόλλυμι and ἀπώλεια through a powerful lens.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Isaiah 46:8-13 (Tanakh) Isaiah 46:8-13 (NET) Isaiah 46:8-13 (NETS)

Isaiah 46:8-13 (Elpenor)
Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember this, so you can be brave.  Think about it, you rebels! Remember these things and groan; repent, you who have gone astray; turn in your heart, Remember ye these things, and groan: repent, ye that have gone astray, return in your heart;
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Remember what I accomplished in antiquity.  Truly I am God, I have no peer; I am God, and there is none like me, and remember the former things of old, because I am God, and there is no other besides me, and remember the former things [that were] of old: for I am God, and there is none other beside me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: who announces the end from the beginning and reveals beforehand what has not yet occurred; who says, ‘My plan will be realized, I will accomplish what I desire;’ declaring the last things first, before they happen, and at once they came to pass, and I said, “My whole plan shall stand, and I will do all the things I have planned,” telling beforehand the latter events before they come to pass, and they are accomplished together: and I said, all my counsel shall stand, and I will do all things that I have planned:
Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. who summons an eagle from the east, from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.  Yes, I have decreed, yes, I will bring it to pass; I have formulated a plan, yes, I will carry it out. calling a bird from the east and from a far country those concerning whom I have planned.  I have spoken and brought it; I have created and made it. calling a bird from the east, and from a land afar off, for the things which I have planned: I have spoken, and brought [him]; I have created and made [him]; I have brought him, and prospered his way.
Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: Listen to me, you stubborn people, you who distance yourselves from doing what is right. Hear me, you who have ruined your heart, you who are far from righteousness: Hearken to me, ye senseless ones, that are far from righteousness:
I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory (תִּפְאַרְתִּֽי). I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away; I am bringing my salvation near, it does not wait.  I will save Zion; I will adorn Israel with my splendor (tiphʼârâh, תפארתי). I brought near my righteousness, and I will not delay the salvation that comes from me; I have provided salvation in Sion to Israel for glorying (δόξασμα). I have brought near my righteousness, and I will not be slow with the salvation that is from me: I have given salvation in Sion to Israel for glory (δόξασμα).

Verse 8 above may refer to previous verses.  I included it here because it addressed what follows to transgressors, rebels, those that have gone astray—people like I was.  According to commentators a ravenous bird from the east referred to Cyrus.  I’m more focused on the resolve with which it is stated: My counsel (עֲצָתִ֣י) shall stand (Tanakh); all my counsel (βουλὴ) shall stand (Septuagint Elpenor).

Paul picked up this theme—according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel (βουλὴν, another form of βουλὴ) of his will[1]—and expounded on it for believers in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:3-12 NET):

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in[2] Christ.  For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love.  He did this by predestining us to adoption as his legal heirs through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will—to the praise of the glory of his grace that[3] he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace [Table] that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.  He did this when he revealed to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ (ἐν αὐτῷ; literally: “in him”; KJV: in himself), toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ—the things in[4] heaven and the things on earth.[5]  In Christ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of his glory (δόξης, another form of δόξα).[6]

Three interlocking phrases stand out to me as a causal refrain:

Reference

Greek

NET
Ephesians 1:11 κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ according to the counsel of his will
Ephesians 1:9 τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν αὐτοῦ the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
Ephesians 1:5 κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ according to the pleasure of his will

Jesus described what is not according to the counsel, mystery and good pleasure of his will (θελήματος, a form of θέλημα).  Speaking about τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμέ (NET: these little ones who believe in me),[7] He said (Matthew 18:10-14 NET):

See that you do not disdain one of these little ones.  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see[8] the face of my Father in heaven.[9]  What do you think?  If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave[10] the ninety-nine[11] on the mountains and[12] go look for the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine[13] that did not go astray.  In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing (θέλημα) that one[14] of these little ones be lost (ἀπόληται, another form of ἀπόλλυμι).

It may not have been what He wanted, wished or hoped for, but I believed that a stubborn child could thwart Jesus’ Father in heaven.  Of course, my whole life has been designed to prove me wrong.  As I made the tables to compare the Greek of the NET with that of the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text I noticed a word in all three I couldn’t account for in the English translations of the NET or KJV: ἔμπροσθεν.  I attempted a translation including ἔμπροσθεν.

He is not willing before your Father in heaven that one of these little ones be lost; or, it is not the will in the sight of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones be lost.

As the sense of it sunk in tears and sobs erupted from me: not on his watch, Jesus had said of his Father.  I needed some time to recover.  When I returned to the study, recognizing that my knowledge of Greek is rudimentary at best, I looked online for some help.  I found Adam Clarke’s commentary on Matthew 18:14 instead.

“It is not the will of your Father – If any soul be finally lost, it is not because God’s will or counsel was against its salvation, or that a proper provision had not been made for it; but that, though light came into the world, it preferred darkness to light, because of its attachment to its evil deeds.”

From an image of God the Father, standing at his full stature, declaring, “not on my watch,” to all rebellious children everywhere who had believed in Jesus, then a few hours later to witness this other image of God, seated, washing his hands, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of all people,” (which I believe, by the way: He is innocent of the blood of all people) was more than I could take.  The emotional whiplash did me in.  I was done studying for the day.

After a night’s sleep and a day’s drive it occurred to me to check if anyone had translated ἔμπροσθεν into English.  I found one example on BibleHub: so it is not will in presence of your Father who is in the heavens, that one of these little ones may perish. [15]  Another was apparently translated from Aramaic rather than Greek: Just so, it is not the will before your Father who is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.[16]

So I can trust the leading of the Holy Spirit as I study the Bible or I can trust Adam Clarke.  And there is no need to reject Adam Clarke completely, just one sentence he wrote.  In fact, I need only reject that one sentence as the true meaning of Matthew 18:14.  The Wikipedia entry for Adam Clarke didn’t mention Greek among his many languages.  He may have written this sentence without knowing that ἔμπροσθεν was actually in the Greek text.

Have I gone too far interpreting the effect of ἔμπροσθεν in this word string as “not on his watch”?  I don’t know.  I know the force of conviction with which it came.  If I’m wrong I trust that the Holy Spirit will guide [me] into[17] all truth.[18]  He will glorify me, Jesus promised, because he will receive[19] from me what is mine and will tell it to you.  Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive[20] from me what is mine and will tell it to you.[21]

Jesus told the following story about a father’s love and mercy (Luke 15:11-24 NET):

Then Jesus said, “A man had two sons.  The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.’  So[22] he divided his assets between them.  After a few days, the younger son gathered together all[23] he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle.  Then after he had spent everything, a severe[24] famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  He was longing to eat[25] the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.  But when he came to his senses he said,[26] ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare,[27] but here[28] I am dying (ἀπόλλυμαι, another form of ἀπόλλυμι) from hunger!  I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I[29] am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’  So he got up and went to his[30] father.  But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him.  Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I[31] am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his slaves, ‘Hurry![32]  Bring the best robe, and put it on him!  Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet!  Bring[33] the fattened calf and kill it!  Let us eat and celebrate, because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again—he was lost (ἀπολωλὼς, another form of ἀπόλλυμι) and is found!’  So they began to celebrate.

Jesus described what our Father’s will is as follows (John 6:38-40 NET Table):

For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will (θέλημα) but the will (θέλημα) of the one who sent me.  Now this is the will (θέλημα) of the one who sent me—that I should not lose (ἀπολέσω, another form of ἀπόλλυμι) one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day.  For this is the will (θέλημα) of my Father—for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.

The Greek word translated looks on was θεωρῶν (a form of θεωρέω).  The one who believes in me does not believe in me, Jesus said, but[34] in the one who sent me, and the one who sees (θεωρῶν, a form of θεωρέω) me sees (θεωρεῖ, another form of θεωρέω) the one who sent me.  I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness.[35]

Given my bias I’m prompted to ask: did Jesus, knowing our Father’s will as he prayed to Him, angrily—or calmly and dispassionately—condemn Judas Iscariot to an eternity in the lake of fire, declaring him the son of perdition?  Or did the One who used ὀλιγόπιστοι like a pet name for his followers call Judas “the son of loss”[36] (Table14 below)?

Jesus’ story of the loving and merciful father continued (Luke 15:25-30 NET):

“Now his older son was in the field.  As he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.  So he called one of the slaves[37] and asked what[38] was happening.  The slave replied, ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he got his son back safe and sound.’  But the older son became angry and refused to go in.  His[39] father came out and appealed to him, but he answered his[40] father, ‘Look!  These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands.  Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends!  But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf[41] for him!’

Is it possible that those who translated ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας the son of perdition were as disgruntled about our Father’s mercy as the older son in Jesus’ parable, or as enamored with their own desires and exertions?[42]

Tables comparing Isaiah 46:8; 46:9; 46:10; 46:11; 46:12; 46:13 and Exodus (22:8) 22:9 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Isaiah 46:8; 46:9; 46:10; 46:11; 46:12; 46:13 and Exodus 22:9 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables of Ephesians 1:3; 1:6; 1:10-12; Matthew 18:10-14; John 16:13-15; Luke 15:12-14; 15:16, 17; 15:19-23; John 12:44; Luke 15:26 and 15:28-30 comparing the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 46:8 (Tanakh) Isaiah 46:8 (KJV) Isaiah 46:8 (NET)
Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember this, and shew yourselves men: bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. Remember this, so you can be brave.  Think about it, you rebels!
Isaiah 46:8 (Septuagint BLB) Isaiah 46:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μνήσθητε ταῦτα καὶ στενάξατε μετανοήσατε οἱ πεπλανημένοι ἐπιστρέψατε τῇ καρδίᾳ μνήσθητε ταῦτα καὶ στενάξατε, μετανοήσατε οἱ πεπλανημένοι, ἐπιστρέψατε τῇ καρδίᾳ
Isaiah 46:8 (NETS) Isaiah 46:8 (English Elpenor)
Remember these things and groan; repent, you who have gone astray; turn in you heart, Remember ye these things, and groan: repent, ye that have gone astray, return in your heart;
Isaiah 46:9 (Tanakh) Isaiah 46:9 (KJV) Isaiah 46:9 (NET)
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Remember what I accomplished in antiquity.  Truly I am God, I have no peer; I am God, and there is none like me,
Isaiah 46:9 (Septuagint BLB) Isaiah 46:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ μνήσθητε τὰ πρότερα ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ θεός καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι πλὴν ἐμοῦ καὶ μνήσθητε τὰ πρότερα ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεός, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι πλὴν ἐμοῦ
Isaiah 46:9 (NETS) Isaiah 46:9 (English Elpenor)
and remember the former things of old, because I am God, and there is no other besides me, and remember the former things [that were] of old: for I am God, and there is none other beside me,
Isaiah 46:10 (Tanakh) Isaiah 46:10 (KJV) Isaiah 46:10 (NET)
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: who announces the end from the beginning and reveals beforehand what has not yet occurred; who says, ‘My plan will be realized, I will accomplish what I desire;’
Isaiah 46:10 (Septuagint BLB) Isaiah 46:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀναγγέλλων πρότερον τὰ ἔσχατα πρὶν αὐτὰ γενέσθαι καὶ ἅμα συνετελέσθη καὶ εἶπα πᾶσά μου ἡ βουλὴ στήσεται καὶ πάντα ὅσα βεβούλευμαι ποιήσω ἀναγγέλλων πρότερον τὰ ἔσχατα πρὶν αὐτὰ γενέσθαι, καὶ ἅμα συνετελέσθη. καὶ εἶπα· πᾶσα ἡ βουλή μου στήσεται, καὶ πάντα, ὅσα βεβούλευμαι, ποιήσω
Isaiah 46:10 (NETS) Isaiah 46:10 (English Elpenor)
declaring the last things first, before they happen, and at once they came to pass, and I said, “My whole plan shall stand, and I will do all the things I have planned,” telling beforehand the latter events before they come to pass, and they are accomplished together: and I said, all my counsel shall stand, and I will do all things that I have planned:
Isaiah 46:11 (Tanakh) Isaiah 46:11 (KJV) Isaiah 46:11 (NET)
Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. who summons an eagle from the east, from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.  Yes, I have decreed, yes, I will bring it to pass; I have formulated a plan, yes, I will carry it out.
Isaiah 46:11 (Septuagint BLB) Isaiah 46:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καλῶν ἀπ᾽ ἀνατολῶν πετεινὸν καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν περὶ ὧν βεβούλευμαι ἐλάλησα καὶ ἤγαγον ἔκτισα καὶ ἐποίησα ἤγαγον αὐτὸν καὶ εὐόδωσα τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ καλῶν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν πετεινὸν καὶ ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν περὶ ὧν βεβούλευμαι, ἐλάλησα καὶ ἤγαγον, ἔκτισα καὶ ἐποίησα, ἤγαγον αὐτὸν καὶ εὐώδωσα τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ
Isaiah 46:11 (NETS) Isaiah 46:11 (English Elpenor)
calling a bird from the east and from a far country those concerning whom I have planned.  I have spoken and brought it; I have created and made it. calling a bird from the east, and from a land afar off, for the things which I have planned: I have spoken, and brought [him]; I have created and made [him]; I have brought him, and prospered his way.

Isaiah 46:12 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 46:12 (KJV)

Isaiah 46:12 (NET)
Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: Listen to me, you stubborn people, you who distance yourselves from doing what is right.

Isaiah 46:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 46:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀκούσατέ μου οἱ ἀπολωλεκότες τὴν καρδίαν οἱ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀκούσατέ μου, οἱ ἀπολωλεκότες τὴν καρδίαν, οἱ μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης

Isaiah 46:12 (NETS)

Isaiah 46:12 (English Elpenor)
Hear me, you who have ruined your heart, you who are far from righteousness: Hearken to me, ye senseless ones, that are far from righteousness:

Isaiah 46:13 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 46:13 (KJV)

Isaiah 46:13 (NET)
I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away; I am bringing my salvation near, it does not wait. I will save Zion; I will adorn Israel with my splendor.

Isaiah 46:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 46:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἤγγισα τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ οὐ βραδυνῶ δέδωκα ἐν Σιων σωτηρίαν τῷ Ισραηλ εἰς δόξασμα ἤγγισα τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου καὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ οὐ βραδυνῶ· δέδωκα ἐν Σιὼν σωτηρίαν τῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ εἰς δόξασμα

Isaiah 46:13 (NETS)

Isaiah 46:13 (English Elpenor)
I brought near my righteousness, and I will not delay the salvation that comes from me; I have provided salvation in Sion to Israel for glorying. I have brought near my righteousness, and I will not be slow with the salvation that is from me: I have given salvation in Sion to Israel for glory.
Exodus 22:8 (Tanakh) Exodus 22:9 (KJV) Exodus 22:9 (NET)
For every matter of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, whereof one saith: ‘This is it,’ the cause of both parties shall come before G-d; he whom G-d shall condemn shall pay double unto his neighbour. For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. In all cases of illegal possessions, whether for an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any kind of lost item, about which someone says ‘This belongs to me,’ the matter of the two of them will come before the judges, and the one whom the judges declare guilty must repay double to his neighbor.
Exodus 22:9 (Septuagint BLB) Exodus 22:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κατὰ πᾶν ῥητὸν ἀδίκημα περί τε μόσχου καὶ ὑποζυγίου καὶ προβάτου καὶ ἱματίου καὶ πάσης ἀπωλείας τῆς ἐγκαλουμένης ὅ τι οὖν ἂν ᾖ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐλεύσεται ἡ κρίσις ἀμφοτέρων καὶ ὁ ἁλοὺς διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀποτείσει διπλοῦν τῷ πλησίον κατὰ πᾶν ῥητὸν ἀδίκημα, περί τε μόσχου καὶ ὑποζυγίου καὶ προβάτου καὶ ἱματίου καὶ πάσης ἀπωλείας τῆς ἐγκαλουμένης, ὅ,τι οὖν ἂν ᾖ, ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐλεύσεται ἡ κρίσις ἀμφοτέρων, καὶ ὁ ἁλοὺς διὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποτίσει διπλοῦν τῷ πλησίον
Exodus 22:9 (NETS) Exodus 22:9 (English Elpenor)
With regard to any specific injustice concerning calf and draft animal and sheep and garment and any loss which is alleged, whatever in fact it might be, the trial of both parties shall come before God, and the one convicted by God shall pay double in compensation to his neighbor. according to every injury alleged, both concerning a calf, and an ass, and a sheep, and a garment, and every alleged loss, whatsoever in fact it may be,– the judgment of both shall proceed before God, and he that is convicted by God shall repay to his neighbour double.
Ephesians 1:3 (NET) Ephesians 1:3 (KJV)
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις ἐν Χριστῷ ευλογητος ο θεος και πατηρ του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου ο ευλογησας ημας εν παση ευλογια πνευματικη εν τοις επουρανιοις χριστω ευλογητος ο θεος και πατηρ του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου ο ευλογησας ημας εν παση ευλογια πνευματικη εν τοις επουρανιοις εν χριστω
Ephesians 1:6 (NET) Ephesians 1:6 (KJV)
to the praise of the glory of his grace that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἧς ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ εις επαινον δοξης της χαριτος αυτου εν η εχαριτωσεν ημας εν τω ηγαπημενω εις επαινον δοξης της χαριτος αυτου εν η εχαριτωσεν ημας εν τω ηγαπημενω
Ephesians 1:10-12 (NET) Ephesians 1:10-12 (KJV)
toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ—the things in heaven and the things on earth. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς  ἐν αὐτῷ. εις οικονομιαν του πληρωματος των καιρων ανακεφαλαιωσασθαι τα παντα εν τω χριστω τα τε εν τοις ουρανοις και τα επι της γης εις οικονομιαν του πληρωματος των καιρων ανακεφαλαιωσασθαι τα παντα εν τω χριστω τα επι τοις ουρανοις και τα επι της γης
In Christ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν προορισθέντες κατὰ πρόθεσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα ἐνεργοῦντος κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ εν αυτω εν ω και εκληρωθημεν προορισθεντες κατα προθεσιν του τα παντα ενεργουντος κατα την βουλην του θεληματος αυτου εν αυτω εν ω και εκληρωθημεν προορισθεντες κατα προθεσιν του τα παντα ενεργουντος κατα την βουλην του θεληματος αυτου
so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of his glory. That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης αὐτοῦ τοὺς προηλπικότας ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ εις το ειναι ημας εις επαινον της δοξης αυτου τους προηλπικοτας εν τω χριστω εις το ειναι ημας εις επαινον δοξης αυτου τους προηλπικοτας εν τω χριστω
Matthew 18:10-14 (NET) Matthew 18:10-14 (KJV)
See that you do not disdain one of these little ones.  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς διὰ παντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ορατε μη καταφρονησητε ενος των μικρων τουτων λεγω γαρ υμιν οτι οι αγγελοι αυτων εν ουρανοις δια παντος βλεπουσιν το προσωπον του πατρος μου του εν ουρανοις ορατε μη καταφρονησητε ενος των μικρων τουτων λεγω γαρ υμιν οτι οι αγγελοι αυτων εν ουρανοις δια παντος βλεπουσιν το προσωπον του πατρος μου του εν ουρανοις
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ηλθεν γαρ ο υιος του ανθρωπου σωσαι το απολωλος ηλθεν γαρ ο υιος του ανθρωπου σωσαι το απολωλος
What do you think?  If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray? How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; ἐὰν γένηται τινι ἀνθρώπῳ ἑκατὸν πρόβατα καὶ πλανηθῇ ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν, οὐχὶ ἀφήσει τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη καὶ πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον τι υμιν δοκει εαν γενηται τινι ανθρωπω εκατον προβατα και πλανηθη εν εξ αυτων ουχι αφεις τα εννενηκονταεννεα επι τα ορη πορευθεις ζητει το πλανωμενον τι υμιν δοκει εαν γενηται τινι ανθρωπω εκατον προβατα και πλανηθη εν εξ αυτων ουχι αφεις τα ενενηκοντα εννεα επι τα ορη πορευθεις ζητει το πλανωμενον
And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἐὰν γένηται εὑρεῖν αὐτό, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι χαίρει ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα τοῖς μὴ πεπλανημένοις και εαν γενηται ευρειν αυτο αμην λεγω υμιν οτι χαιρει επ αυτω μαλλον η επι τοις εννενηκονταεννεα τοις μη πεπλανημενοις και εαν γενηται ευρειν αυτο αμην λεγω υμιν οτι χαιρει επ αυτω μαλλον η επι τοις ενενηκοντα εννεα τοις μη πεπλανημενοις
In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that one of these little ones be lost. Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν θέλημα ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρὸς |ὑμῶν| τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μικρῶν τούτων ουτως ουκ εστιν θελημα εμπροσθεν του πατρος υμων του εν ουρανοις ινα αποληται εις των μικρων τουτων ουτως ουκ εστιν θελημα εμπροσθεν του πατρος υμων του εν ουρανοις ινα αποληται εις των μικρων τουτων
John 16:13-15 (NET) John 16:13-15 (KJV)
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.  For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ἐκεῖνος, τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὁδηγήσει ὑμᾶς |ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ πάσῃ|· οὐ γὰρ λαλήσει ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλ᾿ ὅσα |ἀκούσει| λαλήσει καὶ τὰ ἐρχόμενα ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν οταν δε ελθη εκεινος το πνευμα της αληθειας οδηγησει υμας εις πασαν την αληθειαν ου γαρ λαλησει αφ εαυτου αλλ οσα αν ακουση λαλησει και τα ερχομενα αναγγελει υμιν οταν δε ελθη εκεινος το πνευμα της αληθειας οδηγησει υμας εις πασαν την αληθειαν ου γαρ λαλησει αφ εαυτου αλλ οσα αν ακουση λαλησει και τα ερχομενα αναγγελει υμιν
He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ἐκεῖνος ἐμὲ δοξάσει, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λήμψεται καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν εκεινος εμε δοξασει οτι εκ του εμου ληψεται και αναγγελει υμιν εκεινος εμε δοξασει οτι εκ του εμου ληψεται και αναγγελει υμιν
Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
πάντα ὅσα ἔχει ὁ πατὴρ ἐμά ἐστιν· διὰ τοῦτο εἶπον ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἐμοῦ λαμβάνει καὶ ἀναγγελεῖ ὑμῖν παντα οσα εχει ο πατηρ εμα εστιν δια τουτο ειπον οτι εκ του εμου ληψεται και αναγγελει υμιν παντα οσα εχει ο πατηρ εμα εστιν δια τουτο ειπον οτι εκ του εμου λαμβανει και αναγγελει υμιν
Luke 15:12-14 (NET) Luke 15:12-14 (KJV)
The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.’  So he divided his assets between them. And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.  And he divided unto them his living.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ νεώτερος αὐτῶν τῷ πατρί· πάτερ, δός μοι τὸ ἐπιβάλλον μέρος τῆς οὐσίας. ὁ δὲ διεῖλεν αὐτοῖς τὸν βίον και ειπεν ο νεωτερος αυτων τω πατρι πατερ δος μοι το επιβαλλον μερος της ουσιας και διειλεν αυτοις τον βιον και ειπεν ο νεωτερος αυτων τω πατρι πατερ δος μοι το επιβαλλον μερος της ουσιας και διειλεν αυτοις τον βιον
After a few days, the younger son gathered together all he had and left on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth with a wild lifestyle. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ μετ᾿ οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας συναγαγὼν πάντα ὁ νεώτερος υἱὸς ἀπεδήμησεν εἰς χώραν μακρὰν καὶ ἐκεῖ διεσκόρπισεν τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ ζῶν ἀσώτως και μετ ου πολλας ημερας συναγαγων απαντα ο νεωτερος υιος απεδημησεν εις χωραν μακραν και εκει διεσκορπισεν την ουσιαν αυτου ζων ασωτως και μετ ου πολλας ημερας συναγαγων απαντα ο νεωτερος υιος απεδημησεν εις χωραν μακραν και εκει διεσκορπισεν την ουσιαν αυτου ζων ασωτως
Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
δαπανήσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ πάντα ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἰσχυρὰ κατὰ τὴν χώραν ἐκείνην, καὶ αὐτὸς ἤρξατο ὑστερεῖσθαι δαπανησαντος δε αυτου παντα εγενετο λιμος ισχυρος κατα την χωραν εκεινην και αυτος ηρξατο υστερεισθαι δαπανησαντος δε αυτου παντα εγενετο λιμος ισχυρος κατα την χωραν εκεινην και αυτος ηρξατο υστερεισθαι
Luke 15:16, 17 (NET) Luke 15:16, 17 (KJV)
He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἐπεθύμει χορτασθῆναι ἐκ τῶν κερατίων ὧν ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδίδου αὐτῷ και επεθυμει γεμισαι την κοιλιαν αυτου απο των κερατιων ων ησθιον οι χοιροι και ουδεις εδιδου αυτω και επεθυμει γεμισαι την κοιλιαν αυτου απο των κερατιων ων ησθιον οι χοιροι και ουδεις εδιδου αυτω
But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
εἰς ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐλθὼν ἔφη· πόσοι μίσθιοι τοῦ πατρός μου περισσεύονται ἄρτων, ἐγὼ δὲ λιμῷ ὧδε ἀπόλλυμαι εις εαυτον δε ελθων ειπεν ποσοι μισθιοι του πατρος μου περισσευουσιν αρτων εγω δε λιμω απολλυμαι εις εαυτον δε ελθων ειπεν ποσοι μισθιοι του πατρος μου περισσευουσιν αρτων εγω δε λιμω απολλυμαι
Luke 15:19-23 (NET) Luke 15:19-23 (KJV)
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’ And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου· ποίησον με ὡς ἕνα τῶν μισθίων σου και ουκετι ειμι αξιος κληθηναι υιος σου ποιησον με ως ενα των μισθιων σου και ουκετι ειμι αξιος κληθηναι υιος σου ποιησον με ως ενα των μισθιων σου
So he got up and went to his father.  But while he was still a long way from home his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; he ran and hugged his son and kissed him. And he arose, and came to his father.  But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἀναστὰς ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ Ἔτι δὲ αὐτοῦ μακρὰν ἀπέχοντος εἶδεν αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐσπλαγχνίσθη καὶ δραμὼν ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν και αναστας ηλθεν προς τον πατερα εαυτου ετι δε αυτου μακραν απεχοντος ειδεν αυτον ο πατηρ αυτου και εσπλαγχνισθη και δραμων επεπεσεν επι τον τραχηλον αυτου και κατεφιλησεν αυτον και αναστας ηλθεν προς τον πατερα αυτου ετι δε αυτου μακραν απεχοντος ειδεν αυτον ο πατηρ αυτου και εσπλαγχνισθη και δραμων επεπεσεν επι τον τραχηλον αυτου και κατεφιλησεν αυτον
Then his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτῷ· πάτερ, ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιον σου, οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κληθῆναι υἱός σου ειπεν δε αυτω ο υιος πατερ ημαρτον εις τον ουρανον και ενωπιον σου και ουκετι ειμι αξιος κληθηναι υιος σου ειπεν δε αυτω ο υιος πατερ ημαρτον εις τον ουρανον και ενωπιον σου και ουκετι ειμι αξιος κληθηναι υιος σου
But the father said to his slaves, ‘Hurry!  Bring the best robe, and put it on him!  Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ· ταχὺ ἐξενέγκατε στολὴν τὴν πρώτην καὶ ἐνδύσατε αὐτόν, καὶ δότε δακτύλιον εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑποδήματα εἰς τοὺς πόδας ειπεν δε ο πατηρ προς τους δουλους αυτου εξενεγκατε την στολην την πρωτην και ενδυσατε αυτον και δοτε δακτυλιον εις την χειρα αυτου και υποδηματα εις τους ποδας ειπεν δε ο πατηρ προς τους δουλους αυτου εξενεγκατε την στολην την πρωτην και ενδυσατε αυτον και δοτε δακτυλιον εις την χειρα αυτου και υποδηματα εις τους ποδας
Bring the fattened calf and kill it!  Let us eat and celebrate, And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ φέρετε τὸν μόσχον τὸν σιτευτόν, θύσατε, καὶ φαγόντες εὐφρανθῶμεν και ενεγκαντες τον μοσχον τον σιτευτον θυσατε και φαγοντες ευφρανθωμεν και ενεγκαντες τον μοσχον τον σιτευτον θυσατε και φαγοντες ευφρανθωμεν
John 12:44 (NET) John 12:44 (KJV)
But Jesus shouted out, “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
Ἰησοῦς δὲ ἔκραξεν καὶ εἶπεν· ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ οὐ πιστεύει εἰς ἐμὲ ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸν πέμψαντα με ιησους δε εκραξεν και ειπεν ο πιστευων εις εμε ου πιστευει εις εμε αλλ εις τον πεμψαντα με ιησους δε εκραξεν και ειπεν ο πιστευων εις εμε ου πιστευει εις εμε αλλ εις τον πεμψαντα με
Luke 15:26 (NET) Luke 15:26 (KJV)
So he called one of the slaves and asked what was happening. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ἕνα τῶν παίδων ἐπυνθάνετο τί ἂν εἴη ταῦτα και προσκαλεσαμενος ενα των παιδων αυτου επυνθανετο τι ειη ταυτα και προσκαλεσαμενος ενα των παιδων επυνθανετο τι ειη ταυτα
Luke 15:28-30 (NET) Luke 15:28-30 (KJV)
But the older son became angry and refused to go in.  His father came out and appealed to him, And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ὠργίσθη δὲ καὶ οὐκ ἤθελεν εἰσελθεῖν, ὁ δὲ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ἐξελθὼν παρεκάλει αὐτόν ωργισθη δε και ουκ ηθελεν εισελθειν ο ουν πατηρ αυτου εξελθων παρεκαλει αυτον ωργισθη δε και ουκ ηθελεν εισελθειν ο ουν πατηρ αυτου εξελθων παρεκαλει αυτον
but he answered his father, ‘Look!  These many years I have worked like a slave for you, and I never disobeyed your commands.  Yet you never gave me even a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends! And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ· ἰδοὺ τοσαῦτα ἔτη δουλεύω σοι καὶ οὐδέποτε ἐντολήν σου παρῆλθον, καὶ ἐμοὶ οὐδέποτε ἔδωκας ἔριφον ἵνα μετὰ τῶν φίλων μου εὐφρανθῶ ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν τω πατρι ιδου τοσαυτα ετη δουλευω σοι και ουδεποτε εντολην σου παρηλθον και εμοι ουδεποτε εδωκας εριφον ινα μετα των φιλων μου ευφρανθω ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν τω πατρι ιδου τοσαυτα ετη δουλευω σοι και ουδεποτε εντολην σου παρηλθον και εμοι ουδεποτε εδωκας εριφον ινα μετα των φιλων μου ευφρανθω
But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ὅτε δὲ ὁ υἱός σου οὗτος ὁ καταφαγών σου τὸν βίον μετὰ πορνῶν ἦλθεν, ἔθυσας αὐτῷ τὸν σιτευτὸν μόσχον οτε δε ο υιος σου ουτος ο καταφαγων σου τον βιον μετα πορνων ηλθεν εθυσας αυτω τον μοσχον τον σιτευτον οτε δε ο υιος σου ουτος ο καταφαγων σου τον βιον μετα πορνων ηλθεν εθυσας αυτω τον μοσχον τον σιτευτον

[1] Ephesians 1:11b (NET)

[2] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐν here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

[3] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἧς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν η (KJV: wherein).

[4] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐπὶ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had τε εν (KJV: both which are in).

[5] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐν αὐτῷ (translated In Christ in the NET at the beginning of verse 11) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had it at the beginning of verse 11 (translated even in him in the KJV here).

[6] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article της preceding glory.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[7] Matthew 18:6 (NET) Table

[8] The NET parallel Greek text had βλέπουσι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had βλεπουσιν (KJV: behold).

[9] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ηλθεν γαρ ο υιος του ανθρωπου σωσαι το απολωλος (KJV: For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[10] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀφήσει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αφεις.

[11] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had εννενηκονταεννεα.

[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καὶ here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[13] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had εννενηκονταεννεα.

[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἓν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εις.

[15] Matthew 18:14 (YLT)

[16] Matthew 18:14 (APE)

[17] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εις.

[18] John 16:13a (NET) The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀληθείᾳ in the dative case along with the appropriate article τῇ and adjective πάσῃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αληθειαν in the accusative case along with the appropriate article την and adjective πασαν.

[19] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had λήμψεται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ληψεται (KJV: shall receive).

[20] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had λαμβάνει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had ληψεται (KJV: shall take).

[21] John 16:14, 15 (NET)

[22] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὁ δὲ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: And).

[23] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had πάντα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απαντα.

[24] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἰσχυρὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ισχυρος (KJV: mighty).

[25] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had χορτασθῆναι followed by ἐκ (not translated in the NET) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γεμισαι την κοιλιαν αυτου (KJV: have filled his belly) followed by απο (KJV: with).

[26] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἔφη here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπεν.

[27] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had περισσεύονται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had περισσευουσιν (KJV: enough and to spare).

[28] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὧδε here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[29] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: And) at the beginning of this clause.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[30] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus had ἑαυτοῦ here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had αυτου.

[31] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: And) at the beginning of this clause.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[32] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ταχὺ here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[33] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had φέρετε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ενεγκαντες.

[34] The NET parallel Greek text had ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had ἀλλ’.

[35] John 12:44-46 (NET)

[36] Exodus 22:9 (English Elpenor) The same Greek word ἀπωλείας was translated loss.

[37] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had αυτου following slave.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[38] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἂν following what.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[39] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had δὲ (not translated in the NET) near the beginning of this clause, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: therefore).

[40] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐτοῦ here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[41] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τον preceding calf as well as fattened.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τον preceding fattened only.

[42] I assume that the translators of the KJV were not so allegorical in their thinking as to cast Jesus as the older son, or to consider the older son’s attitude as Jesus’ “true feelings” toward the prodigal in contradistinction to our Father.

To Make Holy, Part 7

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The next form of ἁγιάζω I want to consider is found in Jesus’ prayer to his Father: Set them apart (ἁγίασον, a form of ἁγιάζω) in the truth; your word is truth.[1]  But I’m making a slow pilgrimage through his prayer because I believe I can know his holiness here.  Jesus prayed (John 17:9 NET):

I am praying on behalf of them.  I am not praying on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you.

Translating ἐρωτῶ pray (KJV) at a time when I pray thee was a more natural way to make a request sounds different to my ear than I am praying today.  But now I ask (ἐρωτῶ, a form of ἐρωτάω) you, lady (not as if I were writing[2] a new commandment to you, but the one we have had from the beginning), that we love one another.[3]  Yes,[4] I say (ἐρωτῶ, a form of ἐρωτάω) also to you, true companion, help them.  They have struggled together in the gospel ministry along with me and Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.[5]  So the rich man said, ‘Then I beg (ἐρωτῶ, a form of ἐρωτάω) you, father—send Lazarus to my father’s house.[6]

Jesus’ request was made on behalf of those you have given me, those who understood and had actively received the words He gave them.  They were further designated here as belonging to the Father.  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, Jesus had said, and I will raise him up at the last day.[7]

Growing up it seemed natural for me to assume that these people (τοῖς ἀνθρώποις) were given to Jesus because God knew they would believe that He had sent Him, they would accept the words He gave to them and really understand that Jesus came from the Father.  And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.[8]

Now it seems just as natural to assume that they believed that God had sent Jesus, accepted the words He gave to them and really understood that He came from the Father because God predestined them to be conformed to the image of his Son.  And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.[9]  This new assumption became natural as I heard Paul’s answer to his own rhetorical question: You will say to me then, “Why[10] does he still find fault?  For who has ever resisted his will (βουλήματι, a form of βούλημα)?”[11]

At first, I was so certain that Paul would (or should) mount a spirited defense of human desire and exertion, human faith and human obedience predicated on human willpower (θέλοντος, a form of θέλω), that I misunderstood his answer (Romans 9:20, 21 NET):

But who indeed are you—a mere human being—to talk back to God?  Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?”  Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use?

Pastor J.D. Farag told a story about a woman who approached him at a conference:

She thanked me for the ABC’s of salvation.  She said, “I led my friend to Christ using the ABC’s of salvation.” 

And by the way, it’s not the only way.  It’s just a simple way.  If I can do it, you can do it.  It’s a simple way to share how to be saved. 

So she shares with me how that she was able to lead this friend to Christ.  And then after she got saved she went to church with her on a Sunday.  The very next day her husband murdered her and then killed himself. 

She’s with the Lord.  Maybe I’m just saying I’m never going to stop sharing the gospel and the ABC’s of salvation, because you just don’t know.

Though we called the “ABC’s of salvation” the “four spiritual laws,”[12] this story reminded me of my understanding growing up in church.  The woman’s faith in Christ made her a vessel for special use (KJV: vessel unto honour).  Her husband sealed his own fate as a vessel for ordinary use (KJV: unto dishonour) by murdering his wife and then killing himself.  (Had he lived he, too, may have repented and believed the four spiritual laws or the ABC’s of salvation.)  But behind these human desires and exertions[13] was another: the first woman’s decision to share the ABC’s of salvation with her friend and the nagging regret that she didn’t do so with her friend’s husband.  Though Pastor Farag didn’t go there, I remember fearing that one would answer for this failure and this lost soul at the judgment seat of Christ: Woe[14] to me if I do not preach the gospel![15]

With these beliefs Paul’s description of God as a potter with the right (ἐξουσίαν, a form of ἐξουσία) to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use seemed mostly irrelevant, if not altogether cruel or evil.  Paul continued (Romans 9:22-24 NET):

But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction?[16]  And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us, whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Before I could appreciate the consistency of Paul’s answer I needed to be persuaded that salvation was wholly a work of God—Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever[17]—not of human effort so that no one can boast.[18]  To perceive the wisdom of the Holy Spirit’s answer to Paul’s rhetorical question I needed much more persuasion that the righteousness revealed in the gospel, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ,[19] was a gift to be received, not a curse to endure as I mourned the lost “joys” and past “glories” of sin, or chafed at those around me who still “enjoyed” their sins.

Let’s face it, I needed a radical renewing of my mind before I could appreciate how God’s right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel (σκεῦος) for special use and another for ordinary use (ἀτιμίαν, a form of ἀτιμία) is the rationale for a salvation that begins with the temporary housing of an entirely new creation within sinful condemned flesh (2 Corinthians 5:17; 4:7; 1 Corinthians 15:42b-44a).

So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come![20]

But we have this treasure in clay jars (σκεύεσιν, another form of σκεῦος), so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor (ἀτιμίᾳ), it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

It bears mentioning that though the NET translators seemed to distinguish between a vessel for special use, objects of wrath or mercy and clay jars, all are forms of σκεῦος.

Reference NET KJV Greek
Romans 9:21 one vessel for special use one vessel unto honour σκεῦος
Romans 9:22 objects of wrath vessels of wrath σκεύη, a form of σκεῦος
Romans 9:23 objects of mercy vessels of mercy σκεύη, a form of σκεῦος
2 Corinthians 4:7 clay jars earthen vessels σκεύεσιν, another form of σκεῦος

Everything I have belongs to you, and everything you have belongs to me, Jesus’ prayer continued, and I have been glorified by them.[21]  The KJV reads: And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified (δεδόξασμαι, a form of δοξάζω) in them.[22]  I’m reasonably convinced that the translators of the KJV assumed that Jesus referred still to the men you gave[23] me out of the world.[24]  Before I studied σκεῦος I was less sure that was the NET translators’ assumption.  The addition of the word thing (Everything) reminded me of a song we sang when I was young:

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,

The wealth in every mine;

He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills,

The sun and stars that shine.

Wonderful riches, more than tongue can tell –

He is my Father so they’re mine as well;

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills –

I know that He will care for me.

Now I can see that this listing of wealth was intended as a demonstration of God’s ability to care for me.  I didn’t understand it that way then.  As a child of the King I thought I was supposed to believe that He would express his care for me as a share of that wealth.  I can’t say how often I actually believed that versus how often I thought it was just wishful thinking.  It did set the tone, what I thought I should believe, if and when I tried to be a “true” believer.  He worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator[25] may be a fair characterization of my religious youth.

Paul amplified how Jesus could be glorified by or in those who “really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me”[26] (2 Corinthians 3:1b-3 NET):

We[27] don’t need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we?[28]  You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone, revealing that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on stone tablets but on tablets of human hearts.

Paul contrasted the glory of the ministry of the law to that of the ministry of the Spirit (διακονία τοῦ πνεύματος), describing the former as the ministry that produced death (διακονία τοῦ θανάτου; KJV: ministration of death) or the ministry that produced condemnation (διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως; KJV: ministration of condemnation), and the latter as the ministry that produces righteousness (διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης; KJV: ministration of righteousness):

But if the ministry that produced death—carved in letters on stone tablets—came with glory (δόξῃ, a form of δόξα), so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses[29] because of the glory (δόξαν, another form of δόξα) of his face (a glory which was made ineffective), how much more glorious (δόξῃ, a form of δόξα) will the ministry of the Spirit be?  For if there was glory (δόξα) in the[30] ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in[31] glory (δόξῃ, a form of δόξα)!  For indeed, what had been glorious (δεδοξασμένον, another form of δοξάζω) now has no[32] glory (δεδόξασται, another form of δοξάζω) because of[33] the tremendously greater glory (δόξης, another form of δόξα) of what replaced it.  For if what was made ineffective came with glory (δόξης, another form of δόξα), how much more has what remains come in glory (δόξῃ, a form of δόξα)![34]

I am no longer in the world, Jesus continued, but they[35] are in the world, and I am coming to you.  Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that[36] you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.[37]  The KJV reads: keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me.  These appear to be the extremes of translating the same Greek text in the former verse to keep consistent with the differences in the next verse:

John 17:12 (NET)

John 17:12 (KJV)
When I was with them I kept them safe and[38] watched over them in your name that[39] you have given me.  Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled. While I was with them in the world,[40] I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

The singular pronoun ᾧ (NET: that) was rendered that you have given me and was assumed to refer to your name, where the plural pronoun ους (KJV: those) was translated those that thou gavest me and was assumed to refer to the people God gave to Jesus.  I’ll begin to consider the lost son of perdition in another essay.  The point here as far as I’m concerned was that Jesus asked his Father to give the Holy Spirit to those who accepted Jesus’ words (John 17:13 NET):

But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience my joy completed in themselves.

Jesus’ joy was χαρὰν (a form of χαρά) in Greek.  But the fruit of the Spirit is…joy (χαρὰ).[41]  The oneness He asked for those who believed that God had sent Jesus, accepted the words He gave to them and really understood that He came from the Father because God predestined them to be conformed to the image of his Son, comes through this same indwelling Holy Spirit, as each is led to acknowledge (Galatians 2:20, 21 NET):

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

A note (39) in the NET indicated that Romans 9:20b was a quote from Isaiah 29:16 and 45:9.  Tables comparing the English translations from the Masoretic text and Septuagint follow:

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Isaiah 29:16 (Tanakh) Isaiah 29:16 (NET) Isaiah 29:16 (NETS)

Isaiah 29:16 (Elpenor English)
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Your thinking is perverse!  Should the potter be regarded as clay?  Should the thing made say about its maker, “He didn’t make me”?  Or should the pottery say about the potter, “He doesn’t understand”? Shall you not be regarded as the potter’s clay?  Shall the thing formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not form me,” or the thing made to the one who made it, “You made me with no understanding”? Shall ye not be counted as clay of the potter? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Thou didst not form me? or the work to the maker, Thou hast not made me wisely?

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Isaiah 45:9 (Tanakh) Isaiah 45:9 (NET) Isaiah 45:9 (NETS)

Isaiah 45:9 (Elpenor English)
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!  Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth.  Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? One who argues with his Creator is in grave danger, one who is like a mere shard among the other shards on the ground!  The clay should not say to the potter, “What in the world are you doing?  Your work lacks skill!” What better thing have I formed like potter’s clay?  Shall the plowman plow the earth?  Shall the clay say to the potter, “What are you doing, since you are not working, nor do you have hands”? What excellent thing have I prepared as clay of the potter? Will the ploughman plough the earth all say? shall the clay say to the potter, What art thou doing that thou dost not work, nor hast hands? shall the thing formed answer him that formed it?

I compared the Greek of Romans 9:20b to Isaiah 29:16b below:

Romans 9:20b (NET Parallel Greek)

 Isaiah 29:16b (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 29:16b (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι· τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως μὴ ἐρεῗ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι οὐ σύ με ἔπλασας ἢ τὸ ποίημα τῷ ποιήσαντι οὐ συνετῶς με ἐποίησας μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι αὐτό· οὐ σύ με ἔπλασας; ἢ τὸ ποίημα τῷ ποιήσαντι· οὐ συνετῶς με ἐποίησας

Romans 9:20b (NET)

 Isaiah 29:16b (NETS)

Isaiah 29:16b (English Elpenor)
Does what is molded say to the molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Shall the thing formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not form me,” or the thing made to the one who made it, “You made me with no understanding”? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Thou didst not form me? or the work to the maker, Thou hast not made me wisely?

Tables comparing Isaiah 29:16 and 45:9 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Isaiah 29:16 and 45:9 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables of 2 John 1:5; Philippians 4:3; Romans 9:19; 1 Corinthians 9:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 3:1; 3:7; 3:9, 10 and John 17:11, 12 comparing the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 29:16 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 29:16 (KJV)

Isaiah 29:16 (NET)
Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? Your thinking is perverse!  Should the potter be regarded as clay?  Should the thing made say about its maker, “He didn’t make me”?  Or should the pottery say about the potter, “He doesn’t understand”?

Isaiah 29:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 29:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐχ ὡς ὁ πηλὸς τοῦ κεραμέως λογισθήσεσθε μὴ ἐρεῗ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι οὐ σύ με ἔπλασας ἢ τὸ ποίημα τῷ ποιήσαντι οὐ συνετῶς με ἐποίησας οὐχ ὡς ὁ πηλὸς τοῦ κεραμέως λογισθήσεσθε; μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι αὐτό· οὐ σύ με ἔπλασας; ἢ τὸ ποίημα τῷ ποιήσαντι· οὐ συνετῶς με ἐποίησας

Isaiah 29:16 (NETS)

Isaiah 29:16 (English Elpenor)
Shall you not be regarded as the potter’s clay?  Shall the thing formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not form me,” or the thing made to the one who made it, “You made me with no understanding”? Shall ye not be counted as clay of the potter? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Thou didst not form me? or the work to the maker, Thou hast not made me wisely?

Isaiah 45:9 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 45:9 (KJV)

Isaiah 45:9 (NET)
Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!  Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth.  Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!  Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth.  Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? One who argues with his Creator is in grave danger, one who is like a mere shard among the other shards on the ground!  The clay should not say to the potter, “What in the world are you doing?  Your work lacks skill!”

Isaiah 45:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 45:9, 10a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ποῗον βέλτιον κατεσκεύασα ὡς πηλὸν κεραμέως μὴ ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριάσει τὴν γῆν ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μὴ ἐρεῗ ὁ πηλὸς τῷ κεραμεῗ τί ποιεῗς ὅτι οὐκ ἐργάζῃ οὐδὲ ἔχεις χεῗρας Ποῖον βέλτιον κατεσκεύασα ὡς πηλὸν κεραμέως; μὴ ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριάσει τὴν γῆν ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν; μὴ ἐρεῖ ὁ πηλὸς τῷ κεραμεῖ· τί ποιεῖς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐργάζῃ οὐδὲ ἔχεις χεῖρας μὴ ἀποκριθήσεται τὸ πλάσμα πρὸς τὸν πλάσαντα αὐτό

Isaiah 45:9 (NETS)

Isaiah 45:9 (English Elpenor)
What better thing have I formed like potter’s clay?  Shall the plowman plow the earth?  Shall the clay say to the potter, “What are you doing, since you are not working, nor do you have hands”? What excellent thing have I prepared as clay of the potter? Will the ploughman plough the earth all say? shall the clay say to the potter, What art thou doing that thou dost not work, nor hast hands? shall the thing formed answer him that formed it?

2 John 1:5 (NET)

2 John 1:5 (KJV)
But now I ask you, lady (not as if I were writing a new commandment to you, but the one we have had from the beginning), that we love one another. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ νῦν ἐρωτῶ σε, κυρία (οὐχ ὡς ἐντολὴν |καινὴν| γράφων σοι  ἀλλὰ ἣν εἴχομεν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς), ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους και νυν ερωτω σε κυρια ουχ ως εντολην γραφω σοι καινην αλλα ην ειχομεν απ αρχης ινα αγαπωμεν αλληλους και νυν ερωτω σε κυρια ουχ ως εντολην γραφων σοι καινην αλλα ην ειχομεν απ αρχης ινα αγαπωμεν αλληλους

Philippians 4:3 (NET)

Philippians 4:3 (KJV)
Yes, I say also to you, true companion, help them.  They have struggled together in the gospel ministry along with me and Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life. And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ναὶ ἐρωτῶ καὶ σέ, γνήσιε σύζυγε, συλλαμβάνου αὐταῖς, αἵτινες ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ συνήθλησαν μοι μετὰ καὶ Κλήμεντος καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν συνεργῶν μου, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐν βίβλῳ ζωῆς. και ερωτω και σε συζυγε γνησιε συλλαμβανου αυταις αιτινες εν τω ευαγγελιω συνηθλησαν μοι μετα και κλημεντος και των λοιπων συνεργων μου ων τα ονοματα εν βιβλω ζωης ναι ερωτω και σε συζυγε γνησιε συλλαμβανου αυταις αιτινες εν τω ευαγγελιω συνηθλησαν μοι μετα και κλημεντος και των λοιπων συνεργων μου ων τα ονοματα εν βιβλω ζωης

Romans 9:19 (NET)

Romans 9:19 (KJV)
You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault?  For who has ever resisted his will?” Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault?  For who hath resisted his will?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐρεῖς μοι οὖν τί [οὖν] ἔτι μέμφεται; τῷ γὰρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν ερεις ουν μοι τι ετι μεμφεται τω γαρ βουληματι αυτου τις ανθεστηκεν ερεις ουν μοι τι ετι μεμφεται τω γαρ βουληματι αυτου τις ανθεστηκεν

1 Corinthians 9:16 (NET)

1 Corinthians 9:16 (KJV)
For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this.  Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἐὰν γὰρ εὐαγγελίζωμαι, οὐκ ἔστιν μοι καύχημα· ἀνάγκη γάρ μοι ἐπίκειται· οὐαὶ γάρ μοί ἐστιν ἐὰν μὴ εὐαγγελίσωμαι εαν γαρ ευαγγελιζωμαι ουκ εστιν μοι καυχημα αναγκη γαρ μοι επικειται ουαι δε μοι εστιν εαν μη ευαγγελιζωμαι εαν γαρ ευαγγελιζωμαι ουκ εστιν μοι καυχημα αναγκη γαρ μοι επικειται ουαι δε μοι εστιν εαν μη ευαγγελιζωμαι

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NET)

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come! Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονεν καινά ωστε ει τις εν χριστω καινη κτισις τα αρχαια παρηλθεν ιδου γεγονεν καινα τα παντα ωστε ει τις εν χριστω καινη κτισις τα αρχαια παρηλθεν ιδου γεγονεν καινα τα παντα

2 Corinthians 3:1 (NET)

2 Corinthians 3:1 (KJV)
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again?  We don’t need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we? Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ἀρχόμεθα πάλιν ἑαυτοὺς συνιστάνειν; ἢ μὴ χρῄζομεν ὥς τινες συστατικῶν ἐπιστολῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐξ ὑμῶν αρχομεθα παλιν εαυτους συνιστανειν ει μη χρηζομεν ως τινες συστατικων επιστολων προς υμας η εξ υμων συστατικων αρχομεθα παλιν εαυτους συνιστανειν ει μη χρηζομεν ως τινες συστατικων επιστολων προς υμας η εξ υμων συστατικων

2 Corinthians 3:7 (NET)

2 Corinthians 3:7 (KJV)
But if the ministry that produced death—carved in letters on stone tablets—came with glory, so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory which was made ineffective), But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Εἰ δὲ ἡ διακονία τοῦ θανάτου ἐν γράμμασιν ἐντετυπωμένη λίθοις ἐγενήθη ἐν δόξῃ, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον Μωϋσέως διὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ τὴν καταργουμένην ει δε η διακονια του θανατου εν γραμμασιν εντετυπωμενη εν λιθοις εγενηθη εν δοξη ωστε μη δυνασθαι ατενισαι τους υιους ισραηλ εις το προσωπον μωσεως δια την δοξαν του προσωπου αυτου την καταργουμενην ει δε η διακονια του θανατου εν γραμμασιν εντετυπωμενη εν λιθοις εγενηθη εν δοξη ωστε μη δυνασθαι ατενισαι τους υιους ισραηλ εις το προσωπον μωυσεως δια την δοξαν του προσωπου αυτου την καταργουμενην

2 Corinthians 3:9, 10 (NET)

2 Corinthians 3:9, 10 (KJV)
For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in glory! For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ γὰρ |τῇ| διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως δόξα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον περισσεύει ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης δόξῃ ει γαρ η διακονια της κατακρισεως δοξα πολλω μαλλον περισσευει η διακονια της δικαιοσυνης εν δοξη ει γαρ η διακονια της κατακρισεως δοξα πολλω μαλλον περισσευει η διακονια της δικαιοσυνης εν δοξη
For indeed, what had been glorious now has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ γὰρ οὐ δεδόξασται τὸ δεδοξασμένον ἐν τούτῳ τῷ μέρει εἵνεκεν τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης δόξης και γαρ ουδε δεδοξασται το δεδοξασμενον εν τουτω τω μερει ενεκεν της υπερβαλλουσης δοξης και γαρ ου δεδοξασται το δεδοξασμενον εν τουτω τω μερει ενεκεν της υπερβαλλουσης δοξης

John 17:11, 12 (NET)

John 17:11, 12 (KJV)
I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you.  Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.  Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ εἰσίν, καγὼ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι. πάτερ ἅγιε, τήρησον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι σου ᾧ δέδωκας μοι, ἵνα ὦσιν ἓν καθὼς ἡμεῖς και ουκ ετι ειμι εν τω κοσμω και ουτοι εν τω κοσμω εισιν και εγω προς σε ερχομαι πατερ αγιε τηρησον αυτους εν τω ονοματι σου ους δεδωκας μοι ινα ωσιν εν καθως ημεις και ουκετι ειμι εν τω κοσμω και ουτοι εν τω κοσμω εισιν και εγω προς σε ερχομαι πατερ αγιε τηρησον αυτους εν τω ονοματι σου ω δεδωκας μοι ινα ωσιν εν καθως ημεις
When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me.  Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὅτε ἤμην μετ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐγὼ ἐτήρουν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι σου ᾧ δέδωκας μοι, καὶ ἐφύλαξα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπώλετο εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας, ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ οτε ημην μετ αυτων εν τω κοσμω εγω ετηρουν αυτους εν τω ονοματι σου ους δεδωκας μοι εφυλαξα και ουδεις εξ αυτων απωλετο ει μη ο υιος της απωλειας ινα η γραφη πληρωθη οτε ημην μετ αυτων εν τω κοσμω εγω ετηρουν αυτους εν τω ονοματι σου ους δεδωκας μοι εφυλαξα και ουδεις εξ αυτων απωλετο ει μη ο υιος της απωλειας ινα η γραφη πληρωθη

[1] John 17:17 (NET)

[2] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had γράφων here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had γραφω (KJV: wrote).

[3] 2 John 1:5 (NET)

[4] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ναὶ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had και (KJV: And).

[5] Philippians 4:3 (NET)

[6] Luke 16:27 (NET)

[7] John 6:44 (NET)

[8] Romans 8:28, 29 (NET)

[9] Romans 8:30 (NET)

[10] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had οὖν (not translated in the NET) following Why.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[11] Romans 9:19 (NET)

[12] “In 1952, [Bill Bright] wrote The Four Spiritual Laws, an evangelistic Christian tract.  In the booklet he outlines his view of the essentials of the Christian faith concerning salvation. It is summarized as four spiritual laws or principles that govern what he sees as human beings’ relationship with God.  The booklet ends with a prayer of repentance.”

[13] I think the fact that this woman attended church once before she died gave Pastor Farag the confidence to assume that she had truly Admitted she was a sinner, really Believed that Jesus is Lord and fully intended to Call (ἐπικαλέσηται, a form of ἐπικαλέω) upon Him; and so he said, “She’s with the Lord.”

So then, it does not depend on human desire (θέλοντος, a form of θέλω) or exertion (τρέχοντος, a form of τρέχω), but on God who shows mercy (Romans 9:16 NET).  [W]e must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run (τρέχωμεν, another form of τρέχω) with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1b, 2a NET).  [F]or the one bringing forth in you both the desire (θέλειν, another form of θέλω) and the effort (ἐνεργεῖν, a form of ἐνεργέω)—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God (Philippians 2:13 NET).

[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had γάρ (not translated in the NET) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: yea)

[15] 1 Corinthins 9:16b (NET)

[16] NET note 44: Or possibly “objects of wrath that have fit themselves for destruction.” The form of the participle could be taken either as a passive or middle (reflexive). ExSyn 417-18 argues strongly for the passive sense (which is followed in the translation), stating that “the middle view has little to commend it.” First, καταρτίζω (katartizō) is nowhere else used in the NT as a direct or reflexive middle (a usage which, in any event, is quite rare in the NT). Second, the lexical force of this verb, coupled with the perfect tense, suggests something of a “done deal” (against some commentaries that see these vessels as ready for destruction yet still able to avert disaster). Third, the potter-clay motif seems to have one point: The potter prepares the clay.

[17] Matthew 6:13b (NASB) Table

[18] Ephesians 2:9b (NET)

[19] Romans 3:22a (NET) Table

[20] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τα παντα (KJV: all things) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[21] John 17:10 (NET)

[22] John 17:10 (KJV)

[23] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἔδωκας here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δεδωκας (KJV: gavest).

[24] John 17:6a (NET) Table

[25] Romans 1:25 (NET)

[26] John 17:8b (NET)

[27] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἢ (not translated in the NET) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ει (KJV: or).

[28] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had συστατικων (KJV: commendation) repeated here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[29] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Moses was spelled Μωϋσέως, and μωσεως in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[30] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῇ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had η.

[31] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[32] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had οὐ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had ουδε.

[33] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἵνεκεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ενεκεν (KJV: by reason of).

[34] 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 (NET)

[35] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐτοὶ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουτοι (KJV: these).

[36] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular pronoun ᾧ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had the plural ους (KJV: those).

[37] John 17:11 (NET)

[38] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καὶ here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[39] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the singular pronoun ᾧ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural ους (KJV: those).

[40] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν τω κοσμω (KJV: in the world) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[41] Galatians 5:22a (NET) Table

Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 5

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In the year of King Uzziah’s death,[1] yehôvâh (יהוה) sent the prophet Isaiah to harden the descendants of Israel living in the southern kingdom of Judah (Isaiah 6:9-12 NET):

“Go and tell these people: ‘Listen continually, but don’t understand!  Look continually, but don’t perceive!’  Make the hearts of these people calloused; make their ears deaf and their eyes blind!  Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their hearts might understand and they might repent and be healed.”

I replied, “How long, sovereign master?”

He said, “Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated, and houses are uninhabited, and the land is ruined and devastated, and the Lord has sent the people off to a distant place, and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned.”

The NET translation of the final verse of this chapter extending the period of this hardening through the destruction of the Old Testament religion in 70 A.D. is almost unique: Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed, like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down.  That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.[2]  Those who returned from Babylon still didn’t understand the message of the Old Testament Scriptures that they must all be born from above.[3]  They continued in their own works believing, it works if you work it.

You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, Jesus told his disciples, but they have not.  For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance.  But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand.[4]  Jesus called the religious institutions created by people hardened by yehôvâh the power of darkness.[5]  Paul’s old human Saul knew this power of darkness firsthand (Acts 26:4, 5, 9-11 NET).

Now all the Jews (Ἰουδαῖοι, a form of Ἰουδαῖος) know the way I lived from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.  They know, because they have known me from time past, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee…Of course, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.  And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were sentenced to death.  I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme.  Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities.

I’ll consider the story of Jesus’ arrest as a measure of how calloused their hearts, how deaf their ears and how blind their eyes had become: Judas obtained a squad of soldiers and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees,[6] a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law and elders.[7]  Then Jesus, because he knew everything that was going to happen to him, came and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”[8]

Jesus hearkened attentively to the Holy Spirit in ways that I can scarcely imagine, but He knew everything that was going to happen to him because of the scriptures that say it must happen this way.[9]  Jesus’ Father in heaven revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ (e.g., Messiah), the Son of the living God.[10]  But Peter was so calloused, deaf and blind he did not believe the scriptures that say it must happen this way even when Jesus told him (Matthew 16:21, 22 NET):

From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.  So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord!  This must not happen to you!”

Who are you looking for? Jesus asked the crowd armed with swords and clubs (John 18:5, 6 NET):

They replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”  He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.)  So when Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they retreated and fell to the ground.

I don’t know if this was a miraculous manifestation of Jesus’ presence or simply that He threw the arresting officers off-balance by standing there rather than running.  He had run before.  Or perhaps they expected Him or his disciples to resist (John 18:7-9 NET).

Then Jesus asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”  And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”  Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he.  If you are looking for me, let these men go.”  He said this to fulfill the word he had spoken, “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.”

Now this is the will of the one who sent me, Jesus said to those who had pursued Him across the lake after eating of the loaves and fishes He had blessed and multiplied, that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day.[11]  When I was with them, He had prayed to his Father, I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me.  Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction (Matthew 27:3-10), so that the scripture could be fulfilled.[12]

When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, the accounts of Jesus’ arrest continued, they said, “Lord, should we use our swords?”[13]  They had two (Luke 22:35-38).  The crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law and elders took hold of Jesus and arrested him.[14]  Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear.  (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.)[15]  But Jesus said, “Enough of this!”  And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.[16]

Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath!  Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?[17]  For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now?  How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?”[18]

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders who had come out to get him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs like you would against an outlaw?  Day after day when I was with you in the temple courts, you did not arrest me.  But this is your hour, and that of the power of darkness![19]  But this has happened so that the scriptures would be fulfilled.”[20]

Then all the disciples left him and fled.  A young man was following him, wearing only a linen cloth.  They tried to arrest him, but he ran off naked, leaving his linen cloth behind.[21]  Then the squad of soldiers with their commanding officer and the officers of the Jewish leaders arrested Jesus and tied him up.  They brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.  (Now it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jewish leaders that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.)  Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas.[22]

Now the ones who had arrested Jesus led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, in whose house the experts in the law and the elders had gathered.  But Peter was following him from a distance, all the way to the high priest’s courtyard.[23]  (Now the other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.)  But Simon Peter was left standing outside by the door.  So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, and brought Peter inside.[24]  When they had made a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.[25]

I’ve listened to sermons where Peter’s denial of Jesus was portrayed as cowardice.  A Gospel harmony such as this highlights how Peter and all the disciples would have fought to the death at Jesus’ command.  Both Matthew and Mark record that they fled only when Jesus made it clear that He intended to be arrested, tried and executed (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:49b, 50) so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.  Jesus’ disciples weren’t cowards; they had calloused hearts, deaf ears and blind eyes for the Scriptures.  But even as the rest fled, Peter followed Jesus at a distance (along with another, possibly John) when he was the one most guilty of a violent criminal act against the high priest.

The unbeliever assumes that the words recorded in the Gospel narratives do not recount what actually happened during Jesus’ arrest but are the post hoc literary inventions of religious minds.  If Jesus had actually said and done these things during his arrest, they reason, the response and outcome would have been different.  At very least the arresting officers would have returned empty-handed saying, “No one ever spoke like this man!”[26]

The believer can use that hypothetical person who would have, or should have, responded differently to Jesus’ teaching and actions as a baseline to derive a relative measurement of the power of darkness, the effects of yehôvâh’s hardening (John 7:47-52 NET):

Then the Pharisees answered, “You haven’t been deceived too, have you?  None of the rulers or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they?  But this rabble who do not know the law are accursed!”

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before and who was one of the rulers, said, “Our law doesn’t condemn a man unless it first hears from him and learns what he is doing (ποιεῖ, a form of ποιέω), does it?”  They replied, “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you?  Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee (Matthew 4:12-16; Isaiah 9)!”

This is the religious milieu where Saul thrived and out of which the apostle Paul was called.  This nearly eight hundred years of calloused hearts, deaf ears and blind eyes, hardening in a word, provides the historical and cultural contexts for his religious mind.

The table I constructed to harmonize the Gospel narratives follows.  Some of the temporal arrangements are admittedly arguable.

Jesus’ Arrest

Matthew 26:50b-58 (NET)

 Mark 14:46-54 (NET) Luke 22:47a, 49-55 (NET)

John 18:3-16, 18 (NET)
So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees.
Then [a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people] came… Then [a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law and elders]… While [Jesus] was still speaking, suddenly a crowd appeared… They came to the orchard with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Then Jesus, because he knew everything that was going to happen to him, came and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”  They replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.”  He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.)  So when Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they retreated and fell to the ground.  Then Jesus asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”  And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.”  Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he.  If you are looking for me, let these men go.”  He said this to fulfill the word he had spoken, “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.”
When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should we use our swords?”
…and took hold of Jesus and arrested him. …took hold of [Jesus] and arrested him.
But one of those with Jesus grabbed his sword, drew it out, and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear. One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear. Then one of them struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear.  (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.)
But Jesus said, “Enough of this!”  And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath!  Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword.  Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now?  How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?”
At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw?  Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not arrest me. Jesus said to them, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw?  Day after day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not arrest me. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders who had come out to get him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs like you would against an outlaw?  Day after day when I was with you in the temple courts, you did not arrest me.
But this is your hour, and that of the power of darkness!”
But this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled. But this has happened so that the scriptures would be fulfilled.”  Then all the disciples left him and fled.
A young man was following him, wearing only a linen cloth.  They tried to arrest him, but he ran off naked, leaving his linen cloth behind.
Then they arrested Jesus… Then the squad of soldiers with their commanding officer and the officers of the Jewish leaders arrested Jesus and tied him up.
They brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.  (Now it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jewish leaders that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.)  Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas.
Now the ones who had arrested Jesus led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, in whose house the experts in the law and the elders had gathered.  But Peter was following him from a distance, all the way to the high priest’s courtyard. Then they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and experts in the law came together.  And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest’s courtyard. …led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house.  But Peter was following at a distance.
(Now the other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.)  But Simon Peter was left standing outside by the door.  So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, and brought Peter inside.
After going in, he sat with the guards to see the outcome. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself by the fire. When they had made a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. (Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold.  Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.)

[1] Isaiah 6:1a (NET) Note 1: “approximately 740 B.C.”

[2] Isaiah 6:13 (NET)

[3] John 3:7b (NET)

[4] Matthew 13:11-13 (NET)

[5] Luke 22:53b (NET)

[6] John 18:3a (NET)

[7] Mark 14:43b (NET)

[8] John 18:4 (NET)

[9] Matthew 26:54 (NET)

[10] Matthew 16:16b (NET)

[11] John 6:39 (NET)

[12] John 17:12 (NET)

[13] Luke 22:49 (NET)

[14] Matthew 26:50b (NET)

[15] John 18:10 (NET) Table

[16] Luke 22:51 (NET)

[17] John 18:11 (NET) Table

[18] Matthew 26:52b-54 (NET) Table

[19] Luke 22:52, 53 (NET)

[20] Mark 14:49b (NET)

[21] Mark 14:50-52 (NET)

[22] John 18:12-15a (NET)

[23] Matthew 26:57, 58a (NET)

[24] John 18:15b, 16 (NET)

[25] Luke 22:55 (NET)

[26] John 7:46 (NET)