Hannah’s Prayer, Part 6

Posted on March 7, 2020 by admin

The texts diverge subtly after the conclusion of Hannah’s prayer:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
1 Samuel 2:11 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 2:11 (NET)	1 Reigns 2:11 (NETS)	1 Kings 2:10e, 11 (Elpenor English)
And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto HaShem before Eli the priest.	Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. The boy Samuel was serving the Lord with the favor of Eli the priest.	And they left him there before the Lord and departed to Harmathaim, and the lad was ministering to the face of the Lord, before Eli the priest.	And she left him there before the Lord, (11) and departed to Armathaim: and the child ministered in the presence of the Lord before Heli the priest.

The Greek word (Table2 below) translated they left in the NETS was κατέλιπον in the BLB version of the Septuagint, a form of καταλείπω. Likewise the word translated departed was ἀπῆλθον, a form of ἀπέρχομαι. Both are third person plural forms, but both are also first person singular forms. In other words the BLB version of the Septuagint might have been translated: “And I left him there before the Lord and departed to Harmathaim.”

Was this Hannah’s first person narrative originally, dutifully copied by a loving son?

The thought causes the male religious mind to fizz and sputter. But even a man considering the Koine Greek Lexicon’s definition of καταλείπω—“to leave (in a certain state after something has happened); to leave (neglected and uncared for); to leave (unharmed); to leave (something/someone) behind; to cause to remain behind; to forsake, abandon; to bequeath to (someone); to sever ties with (someone)”—can feel the pathos of “I left him there.” When I mentioned this possibility to my own mother, she told her first born son that a mother would want her son to know why she abandoned him.

The Elpenor version of the Septuagint had κατέλιπεν, the third person singular form of καταλείπω, translated she left. The word translated departed was ἀπῆλθεν, the third person singular form of ἀπέρχομαι. These do the least damage to a first person narrative while allowing the male religious mind to purr contentedly again. What becomes conspicuous by its absence from both versions of the Septuagint is any mention of Ελκανὰ.

From this perspective the insertion of Elkanah back into the Masoretic text is so patriarchal it feels like stormtroopers trampling on the narrative. I think I can hear John William’s theme playing in the background. But the point is well taken. Hannah didn’t leave Samuel in Shiloh apart from Elkanah.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
1 Samuel 1:1-5 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:1-5 (NET)	1 Reigns 1:1-5 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:1-5 (Elpenor English)
NOW THERE was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.	There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.	There was a man of Harmathaim Sipha from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkana son of Ieremeel son of Eliou son of Thoke, in Nasib Ephraim.	There was a man of Armathaim Sipha, of mount Ephraim, and his name [was] Helkana, a son of Jeremeel the son of Elias the son of Thoke, in Nasib Ephraim.
And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.	He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.	And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the second Phennana. And Phennana had children, and Hanna had no child.	And he [had] two wives; the name of the one [was] Anna, and the name of the second Phennana. And Phennana had children, but Anna had no child.
And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto HaShem of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there priests unto HaShem.	This man would go up from his city year after year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at Shiloh. (It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, served as the Lord’s priests.)	And the man used to go up from days to days from his town, from Harmathaim, to do obeisance and to sacrifice to the Lord God Sabaoth at Selo, and there Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinees, were priests of the Lord.	And the man went up from year to year from his city, from Armathaim, to worship and sacrifice to the Lord God of Sabaoth at Selom: and [there were] Heli and his two sons Ophni and Phinees, the priests of the Lord.
And it came to pass upon a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, that he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions;	The day came, and Elkanah sacrificed. (Now he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.	And it happened on a day and Elkana sacrificed and gave portions to his wife Phennana and to her sons,	And the day came, and Helkana sacrificed, and gave portions to his wife Phennana and her children.
but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but HaShem had shut up her womb.	But to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved Hannah, although the Lord had not enabled her to have children.	and to Hanna he gave one portion, because she did not have a child; however, Elkana loved Hanna more than this one, and the Lord had closed the area of her womb.	And to Anna he gave a prime portion, because she had no child, only Helkana loved Anna more than the other; but the Lord [had] closed her womb.

It intrigues me that this authoritative assessment—inspired by God—of Elkanah’s love for Hannah might also be her firsthand account. Be that as it may Samuel was Elkanah’s Joseph, the firstborn son (Genesis 30:22-24) of a beloved wife. And Hannah had vowed to give Samuel to the Lord.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
1 Samuel 1:11 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:11 (NET)	1 Reigns 1:11 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:11 (Elpenor English)
And she vowed a vow, and said: ‘O HaShem of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thy handmaid, but wilt give unto Thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto HaShem all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.’	She made a vow saying, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you would truly look on the suffering of your servant, and would keep me in mind and not neglect your servant, and give your servant a male child, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.”	and vowed a vow to the Lord, saying: “Adonai, Lord, Eloai, Sabaoth, if looking you will look on the humiliation of your slave and remember me and give to your slave an offspring of men, and I will give him as one devoted before you until the day of his death, and wine and strong drink he shall not drink, and no iron shall come upon his head.”	And she vowed a vow to the Lord, saying, O Lord God of Sabaoth, if thou wilt indeed look upon the humiliation of thine handmaid, and remember me, and give to thine handmaid a man-child, then will I indeed dedicate him to thee till the day of his death; and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and no razor shall come upon his head.

The law was entirely in Elkanah’s favor if he chose to keep his son:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 30:11-14 (Tanakh)	Numbers 30:10-13 (NET)	Numbers 30:11-14 (NETS)	Numbers 30:11-14 (Elpenor English)
And if a woman vowed in her husband’s house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath,	If she made the vow in her husband’s house or put herself under obligation with an oath,	And if her vow was in her husband’s house or her determination against her soul was with an oath	And if her vow [be made] in the house of her husband, or the obligation upon her soul with an oath,
and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.	and her husband heard about it, but remained silent about her, and did not overrule her, then all her vows will stand, and every obligation which she pledged for herself will stand.	and if her husband hears and says nothing to her and does not withhold consent to her, then all her vows shall stand, and all her determinations which she determined for herself against her soul—they shall stand regarding her.	and her husband should hear, and hold his peace at her, and not disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and all the obligations which she contracted against her soul, shall stand against her.
But if her husband make them null and void in the day that he heareth them, then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips, whether it were her vows, or the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and HaShem will forgive her.	But if her husband clearly nullifies them when he hears them, then whatever she says by way of vows or obligations will not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the Lord will release her from them.	But if her husband in canceling cancels them on the day when he hears, all the things that proceed out of her lips regarding her vows and regarding her determination that are against her soul shall not remain for her. Her husband canceled them, and the Lord will clear her.	But if her husband should utterly cancel the vow in the day in which he shall hear it, none of the things which shall proceed out of her lips in her vows, and in the obligations [contracted] upon her soul, shall stand to her; her husband has canceled them, and the Lord shall hold her guiltless.
Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may let it stand, or her husband may make it void.	“Any vow or sworn obligation that would bring affliction to her, her husband can confirm or nullify.	Every vow and every oath for binding, to afflict the soul, her husband shall establish for her, and her husband shall cancel.	Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict her soul, her husband shall confirm it to her, or her husband shall cancel it.

Apparently Elkanah had not made Hannah’s vow void. In fact, after Samuel’s birth he seemed concerned when she didn’t go with him to a sacrifice:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
1 Samuel 1:22 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:22 (NET)	1 Reigns 1:22 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:22 (Elpenor English)
But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband: ‘Until the child be weaned, when I will bring him, that he may appear before HaShem, and there abide for ever.’	But Hannah did not go up with them, because she had told her husband, “Not until the boy is weaned. Then I will bring him so that he may appear before the Lord. And he will remain there from then on.”	and Hanna did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, “Until the boy goes up if I shall wean it, and it will appear to the face of the Lord and stay there forever.”	But Anna did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, [I will not go up] until the child goes up, when I have weaned him, and he shall be presented before the Lord, and he shall abide there continually.

So did Ekanah threaten his wife with a stern warning from the law?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 23:22 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 23:21 (NET)	Deuteronomy 23:21 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 23:22 (Elpenor English)
When thou shalt vow a vow unto HaShem thy G-d, thou shalt not be slack to pay it; for HaShem thy G-d will surely require it of thee; and it will be sin in thee.	When you make a vow to the Lord your God you must not delay in fulfilling it, for otherwise he will surely hold you accountable as a sinner.	Now if you vow a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it. For the Lord your God, when he requires, will require it of you, and it will be a sin with you.	And if thou wilt vow a vow to the Lord thy God, thou shalt not delay to pay it; for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and [otherwise] it shall be sin in thee.

No, he did not. In fact, Elkanah’s words to Hannah were so full of grace they almost seem anachronistic.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
1 Samuel 1:23 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:23 (NET)	1 Reigns 1:23 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:23 (Elpenor English)
And Elkanah her husband said unto her: ‘Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only HaShem establish His word.’ So the woman tarried and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.	Then her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best. Stay until you have weaned him. Only may the Lord fulfill his promise.” So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.	And her husband Elkana said to her, “Do what is good in your sight; stay until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish that which goes out of your mouth.” And the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.	And Helkana her husband said to her, Do that which is good in thine eyes, abide still until thou shalt have weaned him; but may the Lord establish that which comes out of thy mouth: and the woman tarried, and suckled her son until she had weaned him.

In Elkanah’s mind Hannah’s vow had become God’s word (דְּבָר֑וֹ) or promise (dâbâr, דברו) in the English translations of the Masoretic text. I ran both דְּבָר֑וֹ and דברו through Morfix since the Hebrew word was translated τὸ ἐξελθὸν ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου (English Elpenor: that which comes out of thy mouth) in the Septuagint.

Morfix Translation
Hebrew	Tanakh	Homographs	English Definitions
דְּבָר֑וֹ	word	דָּבָר	object, thing, item; event, occurrence, happening; anything; דברים – belongings; דברים – what one has to say; writings; לדברי – in the words of…, in someone’s opinion, according to,
		דֶּבֶר	plague
		דַּבָּר	(flowery) leader
		דִּבֵּר	to speak, to talk; to discuss; מדבר – to be fluent in a language
		דִּבֵּר	commandment (ten commandments); faculty of speech, articulation
		דֻּבַּר	to be spoken of, to be referred to; to be agreed upon, to be decided, to come to a conclusion; to be spoken
Morfix Translation
Hebrew	NET	Homographs	English Definitions
דברו	promise	דָּבָר	object, thing, item; event, occurrence, happening; anything; דברים – belongings; דברים – what one has to say; writings; לדברי – in the words of…, in someone’s opinion, according to,
		דִּבֵּר	to speak, to talk; to discuss; מדבר – to be fluent in a language
		דֻּבַּר	to be spoken of, to be referred to; to be agreed upon, to be decided, to come to a conclusion; to be spoken
		דַּבָּר	(flowery) leader

Neither my Greek nor Hebrew is sufficient to guess whether the Septuagint was more original or a somewhat agnostic rendering of the original Hebrew. In either case, Elkanah prayed to, and trusted, the Lord to establish what came out of Hannah’s mouth, perhaps, as His own word—and it was so.

Who are these people? Most in Israel were caught up in a monotonous cycle.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Judges 21:25 (Tanakh)	Judges 21:25 (NET)	Judges 21:25 (NETS)	Judges 21:25 (Elpenor English)
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.	In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.	In those days there was no king in Israel; each man would do what was right in his own eyes.	And in those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own sight.

Elkanah and Hannah seem like they were from another planet—or they were born from above. It was clear that the king most in Israel had rejected was God.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
1 Samuel 8:7, 8 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 8:7, 8 (NET)	1 Reigns 8:7, 8 (NETS)	1 Kings 8:7, 8 (Elpenor English)
And HaShem said unto Samuel: ‘Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be king over them.	The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king.	And the Lord said to Samouel, “Listen to the voice of the people in whatever they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.	And the Lord said to Samuel, Hear the voice of the people, in whatever they shall say to thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me from reigning over them.
According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.	Just as they have done from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you.	According to all the deeds that they did to me from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, and they forsook me and were subject to other gods, so also they are doing to you.	According to all their doings which they have done to me, from the day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day, even [as] they have deserted me, and served other gods, so they do also to thee.

I wonder if Elkanah and Hannah were on Jesus’ mind when He said, Enter^[1] through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it!^[2] I’m thinking of this destruction (ἀπώλειαν, a form of ἀπώλεια) as a destruction of corruption—“completely severed – cut off (entirely) from what could or should have been”^[3]—rather than “an eternal sojourn in a lake of fire.”^[4] All in Israel could or should have been like Elkanah and Hannah but for their rejection of God as their king.

Perhaps Hannah’s prayer was an ecstatic expression of the Holy Spirit. But I would like to think that she along with the Holy Spirit uncovered and rehearsed these words as she nursed, bathed, dressed and dandled the infant Samuel. I would like to think that the words she prayed were the very words that empowered her to leave him there before the Lord, that she has revealed to us the strength by which He established His word—that is to say, fulfilled her vow. For I know whom I have believed, Paul wrote to Timothy, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that Day.^[5]

Tables comparing 1 Samuel 2:11; 1:1; 1:2; 1:3; 1:4; 1:5; 1:11; Numbers 30:10 (30:11); 30:11 (30:12); 30:12 (30:13); 30:13 (30:14); 1 Samuel 1:22; Deuteronomy 23:21 (23:22); 1 Samuel 1:23; Judges 21:25; 1 Samuel 8:7 and 8:8 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing 1 Samuel (Kings, Reigns) 2:11; 1:1; 1:2; 1:3; 1:4; 1:5; 1:11; Numbers 30:10 (30:11); 30:11 (30:12); 30:12 (30:13); 30:13 (30:14); 1 Samuel (Kings, Reigns) 1:22; Deuteronomy 23:21 (23:22); 1 Samuel (Kings, Reigns) 1:23; Judges 21:25; 1 Samuel (Kings, Reigns) 8:7 and 8:8 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow. Following these is a table comparing Matthew 7:13 in the NET and KJV.

1 Samuel 2:11 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 2:11 (KJV)	1 Samuel 2:11 (NET)
And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto HaShem before Eli the priest.	And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.	Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. The boy Samuel was serving the Lord with the favor of Eli the priest.

1 Samuel 2:11 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 2:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ κατέλιπον αὐτὸν ἐκεῗ ἐνώπιον κυρίου καὶ ἀπῆλθον εἰς Αρμαθαιμ καὶ τὸ παιδάριον ἦν λειτουργῶν τῷ προσώπῳ κυρίου ἐνώπιον Ηλι τοῦ ἱερέως	Καὶ κατέλιπεν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου καὶ ἀπῆλθεν εἰς ᾿Αρμαθαίμ, καὶ τὸ παιδάριον ἦν λειτουργῶν τῷ προσώπῳ Κυρίου ἐνώπιον ῾Ηλὶ τοῦ ἱερέως
1 Reigns 2:11 (NETS)	1 Kings 2:10e, 11 (English Elpenor)
And they left him there before the Lord and departed to Harmathaim, and the lad was ministering to the face of the Lord, before Eli the priest.	And she left him there before the Lord, (11) and departed to Armathaim: and the child ministered in the presence of the Lord before Heli the priest.

1 Samuel 1:1 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:1 (KJV)	1 Samuel 1:1 (NET)
NOW THERE was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.	Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:	There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

1 Samuel 1:1 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 1:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἄνθρωπος ἦν ἐξ Αρμαθαιμ Σιφα ἐξ ὄρους Εφραιμ καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Ελκανα υἱὸς Ιερεμεηλ υἱοῦ Ηλιου υἱοῦ Θοκε ἐν Νασιβ Εφραιμ	ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΣ ἦν ἐξ ᾿Αρμαθαὶμ Σιφά, ἐξ ὄρους ᾿Εφραίμ, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ῾Ελκανὰ υἱὸς ῾Ιερεμεὴλ υἱοῦ ᾿Ηλιοὺ υἱοῦ Θοκὲ ἐν Νασὶβ ᾿Εφραίμ
1 Reigns 1:1 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:1 (English Elpenor)
There was a man of Harmathaim Sipha from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkana son of Ieremeel son of Eliou son of Thoke, in Nasib Ephraim.	There was a man of Armathaim Sipha, of mount Ephraim, and his name [was] Helkana, a son of Jeremeel the son of Elias the son of Thoke, in Nasib Ephraim.

1 Samuel 1:2 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:2 (KJV)	1 Samuel 1:2 (NET)
And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.	And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.	He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

1 Samuel 1:2 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 1:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τούτῳ δύο γυναῗκες ὄνομα τῇ μιᾷ Αννα καὶ ὄνομα τῇ δευτέρᾳ Φεννανα καὶ ἦν τῇ Φεννανα παιδία καὶ τῇ Αννα οὐκ ἦν παιδίον	καὶ τούτῳ δύο γυναῖκες· ὄνομα τῇ μιᾷ ῎Αννα,καὶ ὄνομα τῇ δευτέρᾳ Φεννάνα· καὶ ἦν τῇ Φεννάνᾳ παιδία, καὶ τῇ ῎Αννᾳ οὐκ ἦν παιδίον
1 Reigns 1:2 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:2 (English Elpenor)
And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the second Phennana. And Phennana had children, and Hanna had no child.	And he [had] two wives; the name of the one [was] Anna, and the name of the second Phennana. And Phennana had children, but Anna had no child.

1 Samuel 1:3 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:3 (KJV)	1 Samuel 1:3 (NET)
And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto HaShem of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there priests unto HaShem.	And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.	This man would go up from his city year after year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at Shiloh. (It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, served as the Lord’s priests.)

1 Samuel 1:3 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 1:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀνέβαινεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας ἐκ πόλεως αὐτοῦ ἐξ Αρμαθαιμ προσκυνεῗν καὶ θύειν τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ σαβαωθ εἰς Σηλω καὶ ἐκεῗ Ηλι καὶ οἱ δύο υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ Οφνι καὶ Φινεες ἱερεῗς τοῦ κυρίου	καὶ ἀνέβαινεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας ἐκ πόλεως αὐτοῦ ἐξ ᾿Αρμαθαὶμ προσκυνεῖν καὶ θύειν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ Σαβαὼθ εἰς Σηλώ· καὶ ἐκεῖ ῾Ηλὶ καὶ οἱ δύο υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ᾿Οφνὶ καὶ Φινεὲς ἱερεῖς τοῦ Κυρίου
1 Reigns 1:3 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:3 (English Elpenor)
And the man used to go up from days to days from his town, from Harmathaim, to do obeisance and to sacrifice to the Lord God Sabaoth at Selo, and there Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinees, were priests of the Lord.	And the man went up from year to year from his city, from Armathaim, to worship and sacrifice to the Lord God of Sabaoth at Selom: and [there were] Heli and his two sons Ophni and Phinees, the priests of the Lord.

1 Samuel 1:4 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:4 (KJV)	1 Samuel 1:4 (NET)
And it came to pass upon a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, that he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions;	And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:	The day came, and Elkanah sacrificed. (Now he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.

1 Samuel 1:4 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 1:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἔθυσεν Ελκανα καὶ ἔδωκεν τῇ Φεννανα γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῗς υἱοῗς αὐτῆς καὶ ταῗς θυγατράσιν αὐτῆς [and to her daughters] μερίδας	καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡμέρα καὶ ἔθυσεν ῾Ελκανὰ καὶ ἔδωκε τῇ Φεννάνᾳ, γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτῆς μερίδας
1 Reigns 1:4 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:4 (English Elpenor)
And it happened on a day and Elkana sacrificed and gave portions to his wife Phennana and to her sons,	And the day came, and Helkana sacrificed, and gave portions to his wife Phennana and her children.

1 Samuel 1:5 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:5 (KJV)	1 Samuel 1:5 (NET)
but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but HaShem had shut up her womb.	But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.	But to Hannah he would give a double portion because he loved Hannah, although the Lord had not enabled her to have children.

1 Samuel 1:5 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 1:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τῇ Αννα ἔδωκεν μερίδα μίαν ὅτι οὐκ ἦν αὐτῇ παιδίον πλὴν ὅτι τὴν Ανναν ἠγάπα Ελκανα ὑπὲρ ταύτην καὶ κύριος ἀπέκλεισεν τὰ περὶ τὴν μήτραν αὐτῆς	καὶ τῇ ῎Αννᾳ ἔδωκε μερίδα μίαν, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν αὐτῇ παιδίον, πλὴν ὅτι τὴν ῎Ανναν ἠγάπα ῾Ελκανὰ ὑπὲρ ταύτην. καὶ Κύριος ἀπέκλεισε τὰ περὶ τὴν μήτραν αὐτῆς
1 Reigns 1:5 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:5 (English Elpenor)
and to Hanna he gave one portion, because she did not have a child; however, Elkana loved Hanna more than this one, and the Lord had closed the area of her womb.	And to Anna he gave a prime portion, because she had no child, only Helkana loved Anna more than the other; but the Lord [had] closed her womb.

1 Samuel 1:11 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:11 (KJV)	1 Samuel 1:11 (NET)
And she vowed a vow, and said: ‘O HaShem of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thy handmaid, but wilt give unto Thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto HaShem all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.’	And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.	She made a vow saying, “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you would truly look on the suffering of your servant, and would keep me in mind and not neglect your servant, and give your servant a male child, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.”

1 Samuel 1:11 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 1:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ηὔξατο εὐχὴν κυρίῳ λέγουσα Αδωναι κύριε ελωαι σαβαωθ ἐὰν ἐπιβλέπων ἐπιβλέψῃς ἐπὶ τὴν ταπείνωσιν τῆς δούλης σου καὶ μνησθῇς μου καὶ δῷς τῇ δούλῃ σου σπέρμα ἀνδρῶν καὶ δώσω αὐτὸν ἐνώπιόν σου δοτὸν ἕως ἡμέρας θανάτου αὐτοῦ καὶ οἶνον καὶ μέθυσμα οὐ πίεται καὶ σίδηρος οὐκ ἀναβήσεται ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ	καὶ ηὔξατο εὐχὴν Κυρίῳ λέγουσα· ᾿Αδωναΐ Κύριε ᾿Ελωὲ Σαβαώθ, ἐὰν ἐπιβλέπων ἐπιβλέψῃς ἐπὶ τὴν ταπείνωσιν τῆς δούλης σου καὶ μνησθῇς μου καὶ δῷς τῇ δούλῃ σου σπέρμα ἀνδρῶν, καὶ δώσω αὐτὸν ἐνώπιόν σου δοτὸν ἕως ἡμέρας θανάτου αὐτοῦ, καὶ οἶνον καὶ μέθυσμα οὐ πίεται, καὶ σίδηρος οὐκ ἀναβήσεται ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ
1 Reigns 1:11 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:11 (English Elpenor)
and vowed a vow to the Lord, saying: “Adonai, Lord, Eloai, Sabaoth, if looking you will look on the humiliation of your slave and remember me and give to your slave an offspring of men, and I will give him as one devoted before you until the day of his death, and wine and strong drink he shall not drink, and no iron shall come upon his head.”	And she vowed a vow to the Lord, saying, O Lord God of Sabaoth, if thou wilt indeed look upon the humiliation of thine handmaid, and remember me, and give to thine handmaid a man-child, then will I indeed dedicate him to thee till the day of his death; and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and no razor shall come upon his head.

Numbers 30:11 (Tanakh)	Numbers 30:10 (KJV)	Numbers 30:10 (NET)
And if a woman vowed in her husband’s house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath,	And if she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;	If she made the vow in her husband’s house or put herself under obligation with an oath,

Numbers 30:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 30:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἡ εὐχὴ αὐτῆς ἢ ὁ ὁρισμὸς κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς μεθ᾽ ὅρκου	ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἡ εὐχὴ αὐτῆς ἢ ὁ ὁρισμὸς κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς μεθ’ ὅρκου
Numbers 30:11 (NETS)	Numbers 30:11 (English Elpenor)
And if her vow was in her husband’s house or her determination against her soul was with an oath	And if her vow [be made] in the house of her husband, or the obligation upon her soul with an oath,

Numbers 30:12 (Tanakh)	Numbers 30:11 (KJV)	Numbers 30:11 (NET)
and her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.	And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.	and her husband heard about it, but remained silent about her, and did not overrule her, then all her vows will stand, and every obligation which she pledged for herself will stand.

Numbers 30:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 30:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀκούσῃ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς καὶ παρασιωπήσῃ αὐτῇ καὶ μὴ ἀνανεύσῃ αὐτῇ καὶ στήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ εὐχαὶ αὐτῆς καὶ πάντες οἱ ὁρισμοὶ αὐτῆς οὓς ὡρίσατο κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς στήσονται κατ᾽ αὐτῆς	καὶ ἀκούσῃ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς καὶ παρασιωπήσῃ αὐτῇ καὶ μὴ ἀνανεύσῃ αὐτῇ, καὶ στήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ εὐχαὶ αὐτῆς, καὶ πάντες οἱ ὁρισμοὶ αὐτῆς, οὓς ὡρίσατο κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς, στήσονται κατ’ αὐτῆς
Numbers 30:12 (NETS)	Numbers 30:12 (English Elpenor)
and if her husband hears and says nothing to her and does not withhold consent to her, then all her vows shall stand, and all her determinations which she determined for herself against her soul—they shall stand regarding her.	and her husband should hear, and hold his peace at her, and not disallow her, then all her vows shall stand, and all the obligations which she contracted against her soul, shall stand against her.

Numbers 30:13 (Tanakh)	Numbers 30:12 (KJV)	Numbers 30:12 (NET)
But if her husband make them null and void in the day that he heareth them, then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips, whether it were her vows, or the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and HaShem will forgive her.	But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her.	But if her husband clearly nullifies them when he hears them, then whatever she says by way of vows or obligations will not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the Lord will release her from them.

Numbers 30:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 30:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ περιελὼν περιέλῃ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἀκούσῃ πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῶν χειλέων αὐτῆς κατὰ τὰς εὐχὰς αὐτῆς καὶ κατὰ τοὺς ὁρισμοὺς τοὺς κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς οὐ μενεῗ αὐτῇ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς περιεῗλεν καὶ κύριος καθαρίσει αὐτήν	ἐὰν δὲ περιελὼν περιέλῃ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς, ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἀκούσῃ, πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῶν χειλέων αὐτῆς κατὰ τὰς εὐχὰς αὐτῆς καὶ κατὰ τοὺς ὁρισμοὺς τοὺς κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς, οὐ μενεῖ αὐτῇ· ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς περιεῖλε, καὶ Κύριος καθαριεῖ αὐτήν
Numbers 30:13 (NETS)	Numbers 30:13 (English Elpenor)
But if her husband in canceling cancels them on the day when he hears, all the things that proceed out of her lips regarding her vows and regarding her determination that are against her soul shall not remain for her. Her husband canceled them, and the Lord will clear her.	But if her husband should utterly cancel the vow in the day in which he shall hear it, none of the things which shall proceed out of her lips in her vows, and in the obligations [contracted] upon her soul, shall stand to her; her husband has canceled them, and the Lord shall hold her guiltless.

Numbers 30:14 (Tanakh)	Numbers 30:13 (KJV)	Numbers 30:13 (NET)
Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may let it stand, or her husband may make it void.	Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.	“Any vow or sworn obligation that would bring affliction to her, her husband can confirm or nullify.

Numbers 30:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 30:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πᾶσα εὐχὴ καὶ πᾶς ὅρκος δεσμοῦ κακῶσαι ψυχήν ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς στήσει αὐτῇ καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς περιελεῗ	πᾶσα εὐχὴ καὶ πᾶς ὅρκος δεσμοῦ κακῶσαι ψυχήν, ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς στήσει αὐτῇ καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς περιελεῖ
Numbers 30:14 (NETS)	Numbers 30:14 (English Elpenor)
Every vow and every oath for binding, to afflict the soul, her husband shall establish for her, and her husband shall cancel.	Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict her soul, her husband shall confirm it to her, or her husband shall cancel it.

1 Samuel 1:22 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:22 (KJV)	1 Samuel 1:22 (NET)
But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband: ‘Until the child be weaned, when I will bring him, that he may appear before HaShem, and there abide for ever.’	But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.	But Hannah did not go up with them, because she had told her husband, “Not until the boy is weaned. Then I will bring him so that he may appear before the Lord. And he will remain there from then on.”

1 Samuel 1:22 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 1:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ Αννα οὐκ ἀνέβη μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ ὅτι εἶπεν τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς ἕως τοῦ ἀναβῆναι τὸ παιδάριον ἐὰν ἀπογαλακτίσω αὐτό καὶ ὀφθήσεται τῷ προσώπῳ κυρίου καὶ καθήσεται ἐκεῗ ἕως αἰῶνος	καὶ ῎Αννα οὐκ ἀνέβη μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι εἶπε τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς· ἕως τοῦ ἀναβῆναι τὸ παιδάριον, ἐὰν ἀπογαλακτίσω αὐτό, καὶ ὀφθήσεται τῷ προσώπῳ Κυρίου καὶ καθήσεται ἕως αἰῶνος ἐκεῖ
1 Reigns 1:22 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:22 (English Elpenor)
and Hanna did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, “Until the boy goes up if I shall wean it, and it will appear to the face of the Lord and stay there forever.”	But Anna did not go up with him, for she said to her husband, [I will not go up] until the child goes up, when I have weaned him, and he shall be presented before the Lord, and he shall abide there continually.

Deuteronomy 23:22 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 23:21 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 23:21 (NET)
When thou shalt vow a vow unto HaShem thy G-d, thou shalt not be slack to pay it; for HaShem thy G-d will surely require it of thee; and it will be sin in thee.	When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.	When you make a vow to the Lord your God you must not delay in fulfilling it, for otherwise he will surely hold you accountable as a sinner.

Deuteronomy 23:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 23:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ εὔξῃ εὐχὴν κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ σου οὐ χρονιεῗς ἀποδοῦναι αὐτήν ὅτι ἐκζητῶν ἐκζητήσει κύριος ὁ θεός σου παρὰ σοῦ καὶ ἔσται ἐν σοὶ ἁμαρία	Εὰν δὲ εὔξῃ εὐχὴν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ σου, οὐ χρονιεῖς ἀποδοῦναι αὐτήν, ὅτι ἐκζητῶν ἐκζητήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου παρὰ σοῦ, καὶ ἔσται ἐν σοὶ ἁμαρτία
Deuteronomy 23:21 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 23:22 (English Elpenor)
Now if you vow a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it. For the Lord your God, when he requires, will require it of you, and it will be a sin with you.	And if thou wilt vow a vow to the Lord thy God, thou shalt not delay to pay it; for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and [otherwise] it shall be sin in thee.

1 Samuel 1:23 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 1:23 (KJV)	1 Samuel 1:23 (NET)
And Elkanah her husband said unto her: ‘Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only HaShem establish His word.’ So the woman tarried and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.	And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.	Then her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best. Stay until you have weaned him. Only may the Lord fulfill his promise.” So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

1 Samuel 1:23 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 1:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ Ελκανα ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ποίει τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῗς σου κάθου ἕως ἂν ἀπογαλακτίσῃς αὐτό ἀλλὰ στήσαι κύριος τὸ ἐξελθὸν ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἡ γυνὴ καὶ ἐθήλασεν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς ἕως ἂν ἀπογαλακτίσῃ αὐτόν	καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ῾Ελκανὰ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς· ποίει τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, κάθου ἕως ἂν ἀπογαλακτίσῃς αὐτό· ἀλλὰ στήσαι Κύριος τὸ ἐξελθὸν ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου. καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἡ γυνὴ καὶ ἐθήλασε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς, ἕως ἂν ἀπογαλακτίσῃ αὐτόν
1 Reigns 1:23 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:23 (English Elpenor)
And her husband Elkana said to her, “Do what is good in your sight; stay until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish that which goes out of your mouth.” And the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.	And Helkana her husband said to her, Do that which is good in thine eyes, abide still until thou shalt have weaned him; but may the Lord establish that which comes out of thy mouth: and the woman tarried, and suckled her son until she had weaned him.

Judges 21:25 (Tanakh)	Judges 21:25 (KJV)	Judges 21:25 (NET)
In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.	In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.	In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.

Judges 21:25 (Septuagint BLB)	Judges 21:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν ταῗς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις οὐκ ἦν βασιλεὺς ἐν Ισραηλ ἀνὴρ ἕκαστος τὸ εὐθὲς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῗς αὐτοῦ ἐποίει	ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις οὐκ ἦν βασιλεὺς ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ· ἀνὴρ τὸ εὐθὲς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐποίει
Judges 21:25 (NETS)	Judges 21:25 (English Elpenor)
In those days there was no king in Israel; each man would do what was right in his own eyes.	And in those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own sight.

1 Samuel 8:7 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 8:7 (KJV)	1 Samuel 8:7 (NET)
And HaShem said unto Samuel: ‘Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be king over them.	And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.	The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king.

1 Samuel 8:7 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 8:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Σαμουηλ ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ λαοῦ καθὰ ἂν λαλήσωσίν σοι ὅτι οὐ σὲ ἐξουθενήκασιν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ ἐμὲ ἐξουδενώκασιν τοῦ μὴ βασιλεύειν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν	καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Σαμουήλ· ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ λαοῦ, καθὰ ἂν λαλῶσί σοι· ὅτι οὐ σὲ ἐξουθενήκασιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἢ ἐμὲ ἐξουθενήκασι τοῦ μὴ βασιλεύειν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν
1 Reigns 8:7 (NETS)	1 Kings 8:7 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord said to Samouel, “Listen to the voice of the people in whatever they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.	And the Lord said to Samuel, Hear the voice of the people, in whatever they shall say to thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me from reigning over them.

1 Samuel 8:8 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 8:8 (KJV)	1 Samuel 8:8 (NET)
According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, in that they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.	According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.	Just as they have done from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you.

1 Samuel 8:8 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 8:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κατὰ πάντα τὰ ποιήματα ἃ ἐποίησάν μοι ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἡμέρας ἀνήγαγον αὐτοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης καὶ ἐγκατέλιπόν με καὶ ἐδούλευον θεοῗς ἑτέροις οὕτως αὐτοὶ ποιοῦσιν καὶ σοί	κατὰ πάντα τὰ ποιήματα, ἃ ἐποίησάν μοι ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἡμέρας ἀνήγαγον αὐτοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης καὶ ἐγκατέλιπόν με καὶ ἐδούλευον θεοῖς ἑτέροις, οὕτως αὐτοὶ ποιοῦσι καὶ σοί
1 Reigns 8:8 (NETS)	1 Kings 8:8 (English Elpenor)
According to all the deeds that they did to me from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, and they forsook me and were subject to other gods, so also they are doing to you.	According to all their doings which they have done to me, from the day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day, even [as] they have deserted me, and served other gods, so they do also to thee.

Matthew 7:13 (NET)	Matthew 7:13 (KJV)
“Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.	Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Εἰσέλθατε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης· ὅτι πλατεῖα \|ἡ πύλη\| καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι δι᾿ αὐτῆς	εισελθετε δια της στενης πυλης οτι πλατεια η πυλη και ευρυχωρος η οδος η απαγουσα εις την απωλειαν και πολλοι εισιν οι εισερχομενοι δι αυτης	εισελθετε δια της στενης πυλης οτι πλατεια η πυλη και ευρυχωρος η οδος η απαγουσα εις την απωλειαν και πολλοι εισιν οι εισερχομενοι δι αυτης

Back to Solomon’s Wealth, Part 5

Back to A Monotonous Cycle, Part 4

^[1] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had Εἰσέλθατε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εισελθετε (KJV: Enter ye).

^[2] Matthew 7:13, 14 (NET) Table

^[3] A quotation from the definition of ἀπώλεια on BibleHub.

^[4] For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish (ἀπόληται, a form of ἀπόλλυμι) but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn (κρίνῃ, a form of κρίνω) the world, but that the world should be saved through him (John 3:16, 17 NET Table). To interpret destruction (ἀπώλειαν, a form of ἀπώλεια) so as to force Jesus to condemn most people seems wrong to me now. Who is the one who will condemn (κατακρινῶν, a form of κατακρίνω)? Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us (Romans 8:34 NET Table).

^[5] 2 Timothy 1:12 (KJV)

Romans, Part 68

Posted on January 10, 2016 by admin

This will conclude my consideration of Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer^[1] as a description of love rather than as rules to obey. I’ll continue with the aftermath of the war between Israel and Benjamin.

So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, האלהים) until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably.^[2] They had a foretaste of eternal life, not pie in the sky by and by nor tears without end but an amazing opportunity to know y^ehôvâh intimately. The brotherhood had joined together to purge evil from Israel. The Benjaminites joined together to withstand them. The brotherhood prevailed, then they mourned the loss of so many of their brother Benjaminites.

They said, “Why, O Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of Israel, has this happened in Israel?”^[3] They regretted (nâcham, וינחמו) what had happened to their brother Benjamin. They acknowledged their part in it, saying, Today we cut off an entire tribe from Israel!^[4] The text acknowledged y^ehôvâh’s complicity: And the people grieved (nâcham, נחם) for Benjamin, because the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) had made a void in the tribes of Israel.^[5] But they missed their moment to know Him. I know this because Phinehas didn’t preach on the text: Then the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) relented (nâcham, וינחם) over the evil (raʽ, הרעה [H7451]) that he had said he would do to his people.^[6]

Israel missed this eternal moment (as I’ve missed my own so often) because they treated it, not as a glorious insight and revelation to be savored but, as a problem to be solved. How can we find wives for those who are left?^[7] Why was that a problem? The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.”^[8] “After all, we took an oath in the Lord’s name,” the victorious brotherhood admitted, “not to give them our daughters as wives.” So they asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?”^[9]

The victorious brotherhood’s focus was not on eternal life, knowing y^ehôvâh, but on justifying themselves before y^ehôvâh: This is what the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) has commanded [Table]: If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath of binding obligation on himself, he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised [Table].^[10] They had made two thoughtless oaths at Mizpah: They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah must certainly be executed.^[11] So from the beginning there was no real hope that the incident at Gibeah would be settled as a police matter: The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah,^[12] but apparently did not attend.

And I, before I realized that I had the timing of events reversed, would have laid all that happened next on Jephthah. I thought he was the brotherhood’s inspiration, a kind of butterfly effect, rather than someone overwhelmed by a massive wave of popular precedent. That popular precedent might have become, if not the image of knowing y^ehôvâh, the image and meaning of obeying Him, if not for the precious words appended to its retelling: Each man did what he considered to be right.^[13]

Now it just so happened no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the gathering. When they took roll call, they noticed none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there.^[14] Jabesh Gilead was east of the Jordan River in the land that Phineas had insinuated might be tainted. I’ve written elsewhere about the cost of acknowledging a thoughtless oath. But the victorious brotherhood had “good” reason not to confess the thoughtless oath that “justified” exterminating the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, namely, their other thoughtless oath not to give their daughters as wives to the surviving Benjaminites (Judges 21:10, 11a NET):

So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors against Jabesh Gilead. They commanded them, “Go and kill with your swords the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children (ṭaph, והטף; Septuagint: the translators seem to have edited out the part about killing children). Do this: exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has had sexual relations with a male. But spare the lives of any virgins.”

They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead four hundred young girls (naʽărâh, נערה; Septuagint: νεάνιδας) who were virgins (b^ethûlâh, בתולה; Septuagint: παρθένους)…^[15] The Benjaminites returned at that time, and the Israelites gave to them the women they had spared from Jabesh Gilead. But there were not enough to go around.^[16]

So, they commanded the Benjaminites, “Go hide in the vineyards, and keep your eyes open. When you see the daughters of Shiloh coming out to dance in the celebration, jump out from the vineyards. Each one of you, catch yourself a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh and then go home to the land of Benjamin.^[17] The Benjaminites did as instructed. They abducted two hundred of the dancing girls to be their wives.^[18] Then the brotherhood disbanded, after having become as great a menace (to more women) as the children of Belial they exterminated.

“There is no one righteous, not even one, Paul gathered the judgments of y^ehôvâh on the wicked and unbelieving scattered primarily throughout the Psalms of David (also Isaiah) and applied them to all, “there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.”

“Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues (See Septuagint comparison below), the poison of asps is under their lips.”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known (See Septuagint comparison below).”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”^[19]

How can I rejoice (χαίροντες, a form of χαίρω) in hope here? And I don’t mean simply in the face of ancient history. For all our laws, all our police and all our courts, our “justice” is ultimately as puerile as theirs was. It seems more like a time to endure (ὑπομένοντες, a form of ὑπομένω) in suffering than to rejoice in hope, but that is my point.

The same love which endures (ὑπομένει, another form of ὑπομένω) all things,^[20] does not rejoice (χαίρει, another form of χαίρω) in iniquity (ἀδικίᾳ, a form of ἀδικία), but rejoices (συγχαίρει, a form of συγχαίρω) in the truth (ἀληθείᾳ, a form of ἀλήθεια);^[21] love is the true justice which does no wrong to a neighbor in the first place; it is the fulfillment of the law,^[22] rather than some vain effort to stuff the toothpaste back in the tube after injustice (ἀδικίᾳ, a form of ἀδικία) has prevailed. And this love without hypocrisy, The love unfeigned, is what I think Paul continued to describe: Rejoice in hope (ἐλπίδι, a form of ἐλπίς), endure (ὑπομένοντες, a form of ὑπομένω) in suffering (θλίψει, a form of θλίψις), persist in prayer.^[23]

Now may the God of hope (ἐλπίδος, another form of ἐλπίς) fill (πληρώσαι, a form of πληρόω) you with all joy (χαρᾶς, a form of χαρά) and peace (εἰρήνης, a form of εἰρήνη) as you believe in him, Paul wrote his benediction to the Romans, so that you may abound in hope (ἐλπίδι, a form of ἐλπίς) by the power (δυνάμει, a form of δύναμις) of the Holy Spirit.^[24] And by his power and the continuous infusion of his joy (χαρὰ) and his peace (εἰρήνη) [not to mention the other aspects of the fruit of the Spirit^[25]], the apostles, after they had been beaten, left the council rejoicing (χαίροντες, a form of χαίρω) because they had been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name^[26] (e.g., Ἰησοῦ, a form of Ἰησοῦς, understood as y^ehôvâh).

So is this χαρὰ from the Holy Spirit like some kind of drug that overcomes reality? On the contrary, it is an aspect of the truth (ἀλήθεια) that overcomes the injustice (ἀδικίᾳ, a form of ἀδικία) that masquerades as reality. Set them apart in the truth (ἀληθείᾳ, a form of ἀλήθεια), Jesus prayed to his Father, your word is truth (ἀλήθεια).^[27] We understand in some sense that we are not to focus on the manmade muck we see around us. We are keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith instead. For the joy (χαρᾶς, a form of χαρά) set out for him he endured (ὑπέμεινεν, another form of ὑπομένω) the cross…^[28] And the one who endures (ὑπομείνας, another form of ὑπομένω) to the end (τέλος) will be saved.^[29]

As I considered all this I read an article in MSN News online:^[30]

An Islamic State Jihadist killed his mother in a public square in the Syrian city of Raqa who begged him to leave the organization, a monitor said Friday. Ali Saqr, 20, had reported his mother, Lina, to IS authorities in Raqa because “she tried to persuade him to leave IS and flee the city,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Authorities subsequently arrested the woman and accused her of apostasy, the monitoring group said. On Wednesday, she was shot to death by her son “in front of hundreds of people close to the mail service building in Raqa city,” the Observatory added.

Ali Saqr is a comtemporary example of Jephthah or any of the brotherhood who judged and condemned the Benjaminites in Gibeah. He cannot go home to consider what he has done. He has been judged and condemned by Superpowers who care nothing for him. If the entry to hell is marked by the words—Abandon all hope, ye who enter here—then the entry to our synagogues and churches should read—y^ehôvâh relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people—and the churches can add his most profound words—Follow Me!

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice (καυχώμεθα, a form of καυχάομαι) in the hope (ἐλπίδι, a form of ἐλπίς) of God’s glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice (καυχώμεθα, a form of καυχάομαι) in sufferings (θλίψεσιν, another form of θλίψις), knowing that suffering (θλῖψις, another form of θλίψις) produces endurance (ὑπομονὴν, a form of ὑπομονή), and endurance (ὑπομονὴ), character, and character, hope (ἐλπίδα, another form of ἐλπίς) . And hope (ἐλπὶς) does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.^[31]

“Repent,” Peter said, “and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” With many other words he testified and exhorted them saying, “Save yourselves from this perverse generation!” So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added. They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.^[32]

It seems fitting to end this essay with Paul’s instruction to Timothy on prayer (1 Timothy 2:1-6 NET):

First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercessions, and thanks be offered on behalf of all people, even for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. Such prayer for all is good and welcomed before God our Savior, since he wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one intermediary between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all, revealing God’s purpose at his appointed time.

Below are two tables comparing Old Testament quotations in Paul’s letter to the Romans to the Septuagint.

Romans 3:13 (NET)

Romans 3:13 (Greek Text)

Psalms 5:9b; 140:3b (Septuagint)

Their throats are open graves,

they deceive with their tongues,

τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν,

τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν

the poison of asps is under their lips.

ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν

ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν διάψαλμα

Romans 3:15-17 (NET)	Romans 3:15-17 (Greek Text)	Isaiah 59:7a, 7c, 8a (Septuagint)
*Their feet are swift to shed blood*,	ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα,	οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα
*ruin and misery are in their paths*,	σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν,	σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν
*and the way of peace they have not known*.	καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν (a form of γινώσκω).	καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασιν (a form of εἴδω).

Romans, Part 69

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 3

Back to To Make Holy, Part 1

^[1] Romans 12:12 (NET)

^[2] Judges 21:2 (NET)

^[3] Judges 21:3a (NET)

^[4] Judges 21:6 (NET)

^[5] Judges 21:15 (NKJV)

^[6] Exodus 32:14 (NET)

^[7] Judges 21:7a (NET)

^[8] Judges 21:1 (NET)

^[9] Judges 21:7b, 8a (NET)

^[10] Numbers 30:1b, 2 (NET)

^[11] Judges 21:5b (NET)

^[12] Judges 20:3a (NET)

^[13] Judges 21:25b (NET)

^[14] Judges 21:8b, 9 (NET)

^[15] Judges 21:12a (NET)

^[16] Judges 21:14 (NET)

^[17] Judges 21:20, 21 (NET)

^[18] Judges 21:23a (NET)

^[19] Romans 3:10b-18 (NET)

^[20] 1 Corinthians 13:7d (NET)

^[21] 1 Corinthians 13:6 (NKJV)

^[22] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[23] Romans 12:12 (NET)

^[24] Romans 15:13 (NET)

^[25] Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

^[26] Acts 5:41 (NET) Table

^[27] John 17:17 (NET)

^[28] Hebrews 12:2a (NET)

^[29] Mark 13:13b (NET) I assume that this endurance is achieved by the patience (μακροθυμία) that is another aspect of the fruit of the Spirit not some act of will or human effort.

^[30] “Syria jihadist ‘kills mother’ after she asked him to leave IS”

^[31] Romans 5:1-5 (NET)

^[32] Acts 2:38-42 (NET) Table1; Table2

Religious and Righteous Prayer

Posted on April 22, 2012 by admin

Jesus contrasted religious and righteous prayer in a parable in Luke 18:9-14. When his disciples were curious why He spoke to people in parables (Matthew 13:10), Jesus answered in two different ways, first (Matthew 13:11, 12 NET):

You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, 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.

Usually, Jesus’ disciples asked for, and received, further explanation what the parables meant. Jesus continued (Matthew 13:13-15 NET):

For this reason I speak to them in parables (παραβολαῖς, a form of παραβολή): Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. And concerning¹ them the prophecy of Isaiah² is fulfilled that says: ‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend. For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal³ them.’

So a parable, without an explanation, was deliberately designed to be cryptic, its actual meaning hidden beneath something obvious—Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear—but misleading—nor do they understand. Here is the parable (Luke 18:9-14 NET):

Jesus also⁴ told this parable to some who were confident (πεποιθότας, a form of πείθω) that they were righteous (δίκαιοι, a form of δίκαιος) and looked down on everyone else. “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous (ἄδικοι, a form of ἄδικος) people, adulterers (μοιχοί, a form of μοιχός) – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ The tax collector, however,⁵ stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat⁶ his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ I tell you that this man went down to his home justified (δεδικαιωμένος, a form of δικαιόω) rather than⁷ the Pharisee.⁸ For everyone who exalts (ὑψῶν, a form of ὑψόω) himself will be humbled (ταπεινωθήσεται, a form of ταπεινόω), but he who humbles (ταπεινῶν, another form of ταπεινόω) himself will be exalted (ὑψωθήσεται, another form of ὑψόω).”

As I understand it some Pharisees looked down on tax collectors because the latter supported (and profited from supporting) Gentile sinners, the Roman government, by collecting (and sometimes, extorting) money from the god-fearing of Israel. Many Pharisees viewed Roman rule as illegitimate and believed that Messiah was coming soon to set things right.

What I now call my religious mind helped me misunderstand this parable for years. Obviously, I hope what I think now shares in the mind of Christ,⁹ but had you asked me then I probably would have assured you that what I now call my religious mind was the mind of Christ. Bible study can be like that. At the end of the book of Judges—In those days Israel had no king; Each man did what he considered to be right¹⁰—I assumed that God wanted Israel to have a king and the events described in the book of Judges were the reasons why. When I read 1 Samuel 8 I had to rethink that assumption. I’ll try to explain the difference between my religious mind and what I now think.

Luke 18:9-14 (NET)	My Religious Mind	Now
Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else. Luke 18:9 (NET)	This has nothing to do with me. I’m not a hypocritical Pharisee but a follower of Jesus Christ.	Faith is the key here: when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith (πίστιν, a form of πίστις) on earth? (Luke 18:8b NET). Childlike faith pays little heed to words. It determines their meaning by actions.
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. Luke 18:10 (NET)	Yeah, I get it. Pharisees were so wicked in Jesus’ sight that He even preferred tax collectors and prostitutes to Pharisees.	In this parable Jesus contrasted two types of prayer.
The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ Luke 18:11, 12 (NET)	Wow, I wish I were that good!	The Pharisee’s confidence flowed from his adherence to God’s law and the precepts of his religion. This is perhaps the essence of religion, my attempt to please God through my obedience to external norms or standards. This is a religious prayer from a religious mind.
The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’ Luke 18:13 (NET)	Yeah, I remember what that felt like. I don’t ever want to feel like that again.	Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. Romans 3:19 (NET)
I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:14 (NET)	So, Jesus wants me to be obedient like the Pharisee, so I can pray like the Pharisee. He just wants me to be more humble about it, and not disparage those who are less righteous than I.	For no one is declared righteous (δικαιωθήσεται, a form of δικαιόω) before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20 NET). The tax collector prayed the righteous prayer because afterward Jesus justified (δεδικαιωμένος, another form of δικαιόω) him, or declared him righteous (δικαιωθήσεται, a form of δικαιόω).

What shall we say then? Is there injustice (ἀδικία)¹¹ with God? Absolutely not! For he says to Moses:¹² “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.¹³

Addendum: September 28, 2018
Tables comparing Mathew 13:14, 15; Luke 18:9; 18:13, 14 and Romans 9:15, 16 in the NET and KJV follow.

Matthew 13:14, 15 (NET)	Matthew 13:14, 15 (KJV)
And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend.	And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Net Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἀναπληροῦται αὐτοῖς ἡ προφητεία Ἠσαΐου ἡ λέγουσα ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε	και αναπληρουται επ αυτοις η προφητεια ησαιου η λεγουσα ακοη ακουσετε και ου μη συνητε και βλεποντες βλεψετε και ου μη ιδητε	και αναπληρουται αυτοις η προφητεια ησαιου η λεγουσα ακοη ακουσετε και ου μη συνητε και βλεποντες βλεψετε και ου μη ιδητε

For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Net Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν βαρέως ἤκουσαν καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν, μήποτε ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσιν καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς	επαχυνθη γαρ η καρδια του λαου τουτου και τοις ωσιν βαρεως ηκουσαν και τους οφθαλμους αυτων εκαμμυσαν μηποτε ιδωσιν τοις οφθαλμοις και τοις ωσιν ακουσωσιν και τη καρδια συνωσιν και επιστρεψωσιν και ιασωμαι αυτους	επαχυνθη γαρ η καρδια του λαου τουτου και τοις ωσιν βαρεως ηκουσαν και τους οφθαλμους αυτων εκαμμυσαν μηποτε ιδωσιν τοις οφθαλμοις και τοις ωσιν ακουσωσιν και τη καρδια συνωσιν και επιστρεψωσιν και ιασομαι αυτους

Luke 18:9 (NET)	Luke 18:9 (KJV)
Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.	And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

Net Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Εἶπεν δὲ καὶ πρός τινας τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτοῖς ὅτι εἰσὶν δίκαιοι καὶ ἐξουθενοῦντας τοὺς λοιποὺς τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην	ειπεν δε και προς τινας τους πεποιθοτας εφ εαυτοις οτι εισιν δικαιοι και εξουθενουντας τους λοιπους την παραβολην ταυτην	ειπεν δε προς τινας τους πεποιθοτας εφ εαυτοις οτι εισιν δικαιοι και εξουθενουντας τους λοιπους την παραβολην ταυτην

Luke 18:13, 14 (NET)	Luke 18:13, 14 (KJV)
The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’	And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Net Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ τελώνης μακρόθεν ἑστὼς οὐκ ἤθελεν οὐδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐπᾶραι εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, ἀλλ᾿ ἔτυπτεν τὸ στῆθος \|αὐτοῦ\| λέγων· ὁ θεός, ἱλάσθητι μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ	και ο τελωνης μακροθεν εστως ουκ ηθελεν ουδε τους οφθαλμους εις τον ουρανον επαραι αλλ ετυπτεν εις το στηθος αυτου λεγων ο θεος ιλασθητι μοι τω αμαρτωλω	και ο τελωνης μακροθεν εστως ουκ ηθελεν ουδε τους οφθαλμους εις τον ουρανον επαραι αλλ ετυπτεν εις το στηθος αυτου λεγων ο θεος ιλασθητι μοι τω αμαρτωλω

I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Net Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
λέγω ὑμῖν, κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ παρ᾿ ἐκεῖνον ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται	λεγω υμιν κατεβη ουτος δεδικαιωμενος εις τον οικον αυτου η εκεινος οτι πας ο υψων εαυτον ταπεινωθησεται ο δε ταπεινων εαυτον υψωθησεται	λεγω υμιν κατεβη ουτος δεδικαιωμενος εις τον οικον αυτου η γαρ εκεινος οτι πας ο υψων εαυτον ταπεινωθησεται ο δε ταπεινων εαυτον υψωθησεται

Romans 9:15, 16 (NET)	Romans 9:15, 16 (KJV)
For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”	For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Net Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
τῷ Μωϋσεῖ γὰρ λέγει ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ καὶ οἰκτιρήσω ὃν ἂν οἰκτίρω	τω γαρ μωση λεγει ελεησω ον αν ελεω και οικτειρησω ον αν οικτειρω	τω γαρ μωυση λεγει ελεησω ον αν ελεω και οικτειρησω ον αν οικτειρω

So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.

So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

Net Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἄρα οὖν οὐ τοῦ θέλοντος οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεῶντος θεοῦ	αρα ουν ου του θελοντος ουδε του τρεχοντος αλλα του ελεουντος θεου	αρα ουν ου του θελοντος ουδε του τρεχοντος αλλα του ελεουντος θεου