αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ, Part 1

Posted on January 26, 2024 by admin

In another essay I understood τὴν παρθένον αὐτοῦ (ESV: his betrothed)¹ differently from τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον (ESV: her as his betrothed and his betrothed).² My decision was based primarily on Paul’s argument, but it isn’t the customary way these phrases have been translated into English. I want to do a survey of the occurrences of αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ in the New Testament, particularly when associated with an article and noun in the accusative case.

According to the Englishman’s Concordance on Bible Hub there are 1,428 occurrences of αὐτοῦ and 47 occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ [see Table below]. If I’ve counted and recognized the accusative case correctly, there are only 21 occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ flanked by an article and a noun in the accusative case [see Table below].

Matthew

With the caveats above regarding counting and my ability to recognize the accusative case in Greek, I found 267 occurrences of αὐτοῦ in the Gospel of Matthew. Only 90 of them were associated with an accusative phrase. There were 2 occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ, but neither were associated with an accusative phrase. In most occurrences αὐτοῦ followed the accusative phrase. There were 4 exceptions:

In Matthew 2:2 his star (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα. In Matthew 7:24 and 7:26 his house (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν. And in Matthew 26:51 his ear (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτίον.

In 7 occurrences αὐτοῦ wasn’t translated (i.e., his usually) in the ESV: Matthew 3:4 εἶχεν τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ was wore a garment. In Matthew 9:7 ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ was and went home. In Matthew 9:16 τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτοῦ was the patch. In Matthew 22:24 τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ was the widow. In Matthew 24:51 καὶ τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ὑποκριτῶν θήσει was …and put him with the hypocrites. In that place… In Matthew 27:30 τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ was the head. And in Matthew 27:37 ἐπέθηκαν ἐπάνω τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ τὴν αἰτίαν αὐτοῦ was translated over his head they put the charge against him.

There were no occurrences of παρθένον in Matthew, so I latched onto τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ as a proxy. The phrase was translated his wife (ESV) in Matthew 1:24, 5:31, 5:32 [Table], 19:9 [Table] and 22:25. It was translated one’s wife (ESV) in Matthew 19:3 [Table] and (as mentioned above) the widow (ESV) in Matthew 22:24.

Both occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ are found in Jesus’ description of a wandering unclean spirit (Matthew 12:43-45 ESV):

When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it (ἑαυτοῦ) seven other spirits more evil than itself (ἑαυτοῦ), and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.

Here ἑαυτοῦ was translated it (KJV: himself) and itself (KJV: himself), rather than his own like most occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ associated with an accusative phrase [see Table below]. As a matter of interest, τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ in Matthew 27:31 was translated his own clothes (ESV).

Mark

I found 163 occurrences of αὐτοῦ in the Gospel of Mark. Only 46 of them were associated with an accusative phrase. There were no occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ. In most occurrences αὐτοῦ followed the accusative phrase. There were 4 exceptions:

In Mark 7:19 his heart (ESV) was αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν. In Mark 14:47 his ear (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτάριον. In Mark 14:65 his face (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον. And in Mark 15:19 his head (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν.

Only 1 occurrence of αὐτοῦ wasn’t translated (i.e., his usually) in the ESV: Mark 13:34 ἀφεὶς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ was when he leaves home. There were no occurrences of παρθένον in Mark, so again I used τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ as a proxy. The phrase was translated his wife (ESV) in Mark 10:11.

Luke

I found 249 occurrences of αὐτοῦ in the Gospel of Luke. Only 72 of them were associated with an accusative phrase. In all of those occurrences αὐτοῦ followed the accusative phrase. There were 5 occurrences where αὐτοῦ was not translated (i.e., his usually) in the ESV:

In Luke 1:58 ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνεν κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτῆς was that the Lord had shown great mercy to her. In Luke 2:21 καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς was he was called Jesus. In Luke 5:25 ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ δοξάζων τὸν θεόν was and went home, glorifying God. In Luke 12:46 καὶ τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀπίστων θήσει was and put him with the unfaithful. And in Luke 15:20 καὶ δραμὼν ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ was translated and ran and embraced him.

There were 12 occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ, 7 of which were associated with an accusative phrase [see Table below]. The first occurrence follows (Luke 2:1, 3-5 ESV).

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered…And all went to be registered, each to his own³ (ἑαυτοῦ) town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth,⁴ to Judea, to the city of David,⁵ which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,⁶ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed⁷ (τῇ ἐμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ), who was with child.

Here, the Greek word translated his own was ἑαυτοῦ (NET Parallel Greek and NA²⁸) or ιδιαν (Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text). It is fairly clear why Luke chose τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν (or, την ιδιαν πολιν) rather than τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ. The latter implies current residence, i.e., the town of Nazareth. The words ἑαυτοῦ or ιδιαν alert the reader that Joseph had a different relationship to this particular town: because [Joseph] was of the house and lineage of David he went to be registered to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.

The next occurrence is similar, though more subtle (Luke 11:21, 22 ESV).

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own (ἑαυτοῦ) palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil [Table].

Here again, the Greek word translated his own was ἑαυτοῦ: his goods (τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ) are safe When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace (τὴν ἑαυτοῦ αὐλήν). Why did Luke choose τὴν ἑαυτοῦ αὐλήν rather than τὴν αὐλήν αὐτοῦ? Matthew and Mark chose τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ (a strong man’s house)⁸ until someone bound the strongman. Then it became τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ (his house).⁹

I think Luke’s choice highlights that his palace, before it was taken from him, was not merely the current residence of the strong man, but in some sense it shared his identity, like Joseph’s relationship to Bethlehem. It was “the of himself palace” or “the palace of himself” in ways that his goods (τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ), his armor (τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ) and his spoil (τὰ σκῦλα αὐτοῦ) were not.

This is borne out in the next occurrence, where ἑαυτοῦ, when not part of an accusative phrase, is simply “oneself” in the genitive case (Luke 11:26 ESV):

Then [the unclean spirit]¹⁰ goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself (ἑαυτοῦ), and they enter¹¹ and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.

The next occurrence of ἑαυτοῦ was a little more difficult to grasp (Luke 13:18, 19 ESV):

He said therefore,¹² “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his (ἑαυτοῦ) garden, and it grew and became a tree,¹³ and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

The Greek words translated his garden were κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ: literally, “garden of himself.” Neither Matthew’s nor Mark’s Gospel account seemed particularly helpful at first (Matthew 13:31, 32 ESV):

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants (τῶν λαχάνων) and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

In Matthew’s account Jesus’ parable described ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (The kingdom of heaven; literally, heavens) rather than ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ (the kingdom of God). He wrote of a man who ἔσπειρεν ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὐτοῦ (sowed in his field) rather than ἔβαλεν εἰς κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ (sowed in his garden). Am I straining gnats, I wondered, trying to distinguish between two interchangeable words: αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ?

Mark wrote (Mark 4:30-32 ESV):

And he said, “With what¹⁴ can we compare the kingdom of God, or what¹⁵ parable shall we use¹⁶ for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest¹⁷ of all the seeds¹⁸ on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants (τῶν λαχάνων) and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

In Mark’s account there was no mention of a man or a garden beyond τῶν λαχάνων (ESV: the garden plants), just a general description of an event: ὃς ὅταν σπαρῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς (ESV: which, when sown on the ground). He (and Matthew, for that matter) seemed more focused on the contrast of a tiny seed to a tree with large branches. Of course, I began to take that contrast more personally than I recall before, puzzling over Luke’s man who sowed that tiny seed in the “garden of himself.”

“If you’re really out there, I really want to know you,”¹⁹ was a tiny seed. I voiced the words in prayer, but they didn’t originate with me. I had no clue I was asking for eternal life as Jesus understood it. Even as that tiny seed began to grow into an insatiable appetite for the Bible, even as I labored to set the Gospels to music, I was too dull-witted to make the connection. Only when I sang the words for a more literate friend, and he commented on them,²⁰ did I begin to understand—this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent²¹—as Jesus’ definition of eternal life.

Over the past forty-five years that knowledge of the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom [He has] sent has grown considerably. From time to time I get a flash of the whole, but that vision is too immense for me to hold on to for very long. Most of the time I wander around in Him as He leads me through the Bible, focusing on details like why Luke used ἑαυτοῦ rather than αὐτοῦ, marveling at the connections that are made, like so many branches of a tree: for “‘In him we live and move and have our being.’”²²

Jesus seemed distressed when Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (John 14:8-11 ESV).

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long,²³ and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How²⁴ can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works [Table]. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe²⁵ on account of the works themselves.

So, Luke’s choice of the word ἑαυτοῦ refocused my attention. Jesus wasn’t talking about mustard seeds, or fields, or trees, or even nesting birds specifically, but the kingdom of God (or the kingdom of heaven). Even more to the point, He described that kingdom’s formation and growth from a tiny seed within an individual: εἰς κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ: literally, “into [the] garden of himself.”

Though, I’m skipping ahead a bit, Paul chose ἑαυτοῦ to describe God’s kingdom (1 Thessalonians 2:11, 12 ESV):

For you know how, like a father with his (ἑαυτοῦ) children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own (ἑαυτοῦ) kingdom and glory [Table].

The Greek words translated into his own kingdom were εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείαν, literally, “into the of himself kingdom” or “into the kingdom of himself.” Abide in me, and I in you, Jesus said. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.²⁶ And He promised (John 15:7, 8 ESV):

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples [Table].

And Paul wrote (2 Corinthians 5:16-21 ESV):

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though²⁷ we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come [Table]. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [Table]; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God [Table].

The Greek verb translated we might become was γενώμεθα, a form of γίνομαι in the subjunctive mood:

The subjunctive mood indicates probability or objective possibility. The action of the verb will possibly happen, depending on certain objective factors or circumstances. It is oftentimes used in conditional statements (i.e. ‘If…then…’ clauses) or in purpose clauses. However if the subjunctive mood is used in a purpose or result clause, then the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.

The Greek conjunction translated so that was ἵνα. This is a purpose clause and “should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen.” The most important words effecting that outcome are ἐν αὐτῷ, in him: not on our own or by our own efforts, not apart from Him, but in Him. Abiding, remaining, staying in Him causes the seed of his word to grow into the kingdom of God in the garden of ourselves.

I’ll continue with this in another essay. The tables mentioned above follow.

	αὐτοῦ Occurrences		ἑαυτοῦ Occurrences
	Total	Accusative Phrase	Total	Accusative Phrase
New Testament	1428	136	47	21
Matthew	267	90	2	0
Mark	163	46	0	0
Luke	249	72	12	6

Occurrences of αὐτοῦ preceding or following a phrase in the accusative case in Matthew
Reference	NET Parallel Greek	ESV
Matthew 1:2	τὸν Ἰούδαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ	Judah and his brothers
Matthew 1:11	τὸν Ἰεχονίαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ	Jechoniah and his brothers
Matthew 1:21	καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν	you shall call his name Jesus
Matthew 1:21	αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν	for he will save his people from their sins
Matthew 1:23	καλέσουσιν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ	they shall call his name Immanuel
Matthew 1:24	παρέλαβεν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ	he took his wife
Matthew 1:25	ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν	he called his name Jesus
Matthew 2:2	εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα	For we saw his star
Matthew 2:13	παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ	take the child and his mother
Matthew 2:14	παρέλαβεν τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ	took the child and his mother
Matthew 2:20	παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ	take the child and his mother
Matthew 2:21	παρέλαβεν τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ	took the child and his mother
Matthew 3:3	εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ	make his paths straight
Matthew 3:4	ὁ Ἰωάννης εἶχεν τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τριχῶν καμήλου	John wore a garment of camel’s hair
Matthew 3:4	καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ	and a leather belt around his waist
Matthew 3:7	ἰδὼν δὲ πολλοὺς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα \|αὐτοῦ\|	But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism
Matthew 3:12	καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ	and he will clear his threshing floor
Matthew 3:12	καὶ συνάξει τὸν σῖτον αὐτοῦ	and gather his wheat
Matthew 4:18	καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ	and Andrew his brother
Matthew 4:21	καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ	and John his brother
Matthew 5:2	καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ	And he opened his mouth
Matthew 5:31	ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ	Whoever divorces his wife
Matthew 5:32	πᾶς ὁ ἀπολύων τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ	everyone who divorces his wife
Matthew 5:45	ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς	For he makes his sun rise on the evil
Matthew 6:27	προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα	add a single hour to his span of life
Matthew 6:33	καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ	and his righteousness
Matthew 7:24	ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν	who built his house on the rock
Matthew 7:26	ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμμον	who built his house on the sand
Matthew 8:14	εἶδεν τὴν πενθερὰν αὐτοῦ βεβλημένην καὶ πυρέσσουσαν	he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.
Matthew 9:7	ἐγερθεὶς ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ	he rose and went home.
Matthew 9:16	αἴρει γὰρ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱματίου	for the patch tears away from the garment
Matthew 9:38	ἐκβάλῃ ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ	to send out laborers into his harvest
Matthew 10:24	οὐδὲ δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ	nor a servant above his master
Matthew 10:38	ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ	whoever does not take his cross
Matthew 10:39	ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτήν	Whoever finds his life will lose it
Matthew 10:39	ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν	whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10:42	οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ	he will by no means lose his reward.
Matthew 12:19	οὐδὲ ἀκούσει τις ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ	nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets
Matthew 12:29	καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἁρπάσαι	and plunder his goods
Matthew 12:29	καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει	Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Matthew 12:33	Ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον καλὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ καλόν	Either make the tree good and its fruit good
Matthew 12:33	ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον σαπρὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν	or make the tree bad and its fruit bad
Matthew 12:49	καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα \|αὐτοῦ\|	And stretching out his hand
Matthew 12:49	ἐπὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ εἶπεν	toward his disciples, he said
Matthew 13:41	ἀποστελεῖ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ	The Son of Man will send his angels
Matthew 13:54	καὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ	and coming to his hometown
Matthew 15:6	οὐ μὴ τιμήσει τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ	he need not honor his father
Matthew 15:32	Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς (NA²⁸: Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ)	Then Jesus called his disciples to him
Matthew 16:13	ἠρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	he asked his disciples
Matthew 16:24	ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ	take up his cross
Matthew 16:25	ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν	For whoever would save his life will lose it
Matthew 16:25	ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν	but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it
Matthew 16:27	καὶ τότε ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ	and then he will repay each person according to what he has done
Matthew 17:1	καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ	and John his brother
Matthew 17:27	καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ	and when you open its mouth
Matthew 18:6	συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ	it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck
Matthew 19:3	εἰ ἔξεστιν ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ	Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife
Matthew 19:9	ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ	whoever divorces his wife
Matthew 20:1	μισθώσασθαι ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦ	to hire laborers for his vineyard
Matthew 20:2	ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦ	he sent them into his vineyard.
Matthew 20:28	καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ	and to give his life
Matthew 21:34	ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ	he sent his servants
Matthew 21:34	λαβεῖν τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτοῦ	to get his fruit
Matthew 21:35	καὶ λαβόντες οἱ γεωργοὶ τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ	And the tenants took his servants
Matthew 21:37	ὕστερον δὲ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ	Finally he sent his son to them
Matthew 21:38	καὶ σχῶμεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ	and have his inheritance
Matthew 21:45	Καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τὰς παραβολὰς αὐτοῦ	When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables
Matthew 22:3	καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ	and sent his servants
Matthew 22:5	ὃς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῦ	another to his business
Matthew 22:6	οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ κρατήσαντες τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ	while the rest seized his servants
Matthew 22:7	καὶ πέμψας τὰ στρατεύματα αὐτοῦ	and he sent his troops
Matthew 22:24	ἐπιγαμβρεύσει ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ	his brother must marry the widow
Matthew 22:25	ἀφῆκεν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ	left his wife to his brother
Matthew 24:18	ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ	to take his cloak
Matthew 24:31	καὶ ἀποστελεῖ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ	And he will send out his angels
Matthew 24:31	καὶ ἐπισυνάξουσιν τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοῦ	and they will gather his elect
Matthew 24:43	καὶ οὐκ ἂν εἴασεν διορυχθῆναι τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ	and would not have let his house be broken into
Matthew 24:49	καὶ ἄρξηται τύπτειν τοὺς συνδούλους αὐτοῦ	and begins to beat his fellow servants
Matthew 24:51	καὶ τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ὑποκριτ	…and put him with the hypocrites. In that place…
Matthew 25:14	καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ	and entrusted to them his property
Matthew 26:51	ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἀπέσπασεν τὴν μάχαιραν αὐτοῦ	stretched out his hand and drew his sword
Matthew 26:51	ἀφεῖλεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτίον	and cut off his ear
Matthew 26:65	τότε ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ	Then the high priest tore his robes
Matthew 26:67	Τότε ἐνέπτυσαν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ	Then they spit in his face
Matthew 27:30	καὶ ἔτυπτον εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ	and struck him on the head
Matthew 27:31	καὶ ἐνέδυσαν αὐτὸν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ	and put his own clothes on him
Matthew 27:32	ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ	to carry his cross
Matthew 27:35	διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ	they divided his garments
Matthew 27:37	ἐπέθηκαν ἐπάνω τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ τὴν αἰτίαν αὐτοῦ	over his head they put the charge against him
Matthew 27:53	καὶ ἐξελθόντες ἐκ τῶν μνημείων μετὰ τὴν ἔγερσιν αὐτοῦ	and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection

Occurrences of αὐτοῦ preceding or following a phrase in the accusative case in Mark
Reference	NET Parallel Greek	ESV
Mark 1:3	εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ	make his paths straight
Mark 1:6	ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ	a leather belt around his waist
Mark 1:19	Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ	John his brother
Mark 1:41	ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ	he stretched out his hand
Mark 3:27	τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι	and plunder his goods
Mark 3:27	καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει	Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Mark 4:32	ὥστε δύνασθαι ὑπὸ τὴν σκιὰν αὐτοῦ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνοῦν	so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade
Mark 5:22	πίπτει πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	he fell at his feet
Mark 6:1	καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ	and came to his hometown
Mark 6:14	φανερὸν γὰρ ἐγένετο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ	for Jesus’ name had become known
Mark 6:27	ἐνέγκαι τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ	to bring John’s head
Mark 6:28	καὶ ἤνεγκεν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πίνακι	and brought his head on a platter
Mark 6:29	ἦλθον καὶ ἦραν τὸ πτῶμα αὐτοῦ	they came and took his body
Mark 6:41	καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς (NA²⁸: καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς [αὐτοῦ])	and gave them to the disciples
Mark 6:45	εὐθὺς ἠνάγκασεν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον	Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat
Mark 7:19	ὅτι οὐκ εἰσπορεύεται αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν	since it enters not his heart
Mark 7:25	ἐλθοῦσα προσέπεσεν πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	and came and fell down at his feet
Mark 7:33	ἔβαλεν τοὺς δακτύλους αὐτοῦ	he put his fingers
Mark 7:33	εἰς τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ	into his ears
Mark 8:23	καὶ πτύσας εἰς τὰ ὄμματα αὐτοῦ	and when he had spit on his eyes
Mark 8:25	εἶτα πάλιν \|ἐπέθηκεν\| τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ	Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again
Mark 8:26	καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον αὐτοῦ	And he sent him to his home
Mark 8:27	καὶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐπηρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	And on the way he asked his disciples
Mark 8:33	ὁ δὲ ἐπιστραφεὶς καὶ ἰδὼν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	But turning and seeing his disciples
Mark 8:34	καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι	and take up his cross and follow me
Mark 8:35	ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν \|αὐτοῦ\| σῶσαι	For whoever would save his life
Mark 8:35	ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ἀπολέσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ	but whoever loses his life
Mark 8:36	καὶ ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ	and forfeit his soul
Mark 9:21	καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ	And Jesus asked his father
Mark 9:31	ἐδίδασκεν γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	for he was teaching his disciples
Mark 9:41	οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ	will by no means lose his reward
Mark 9:42	περίκειται μύλος ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ	a great millstone were hung around his neck
Mark 10:7	ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ	Therefore a man shall leave his father
Mark 10:11	ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ	Whoever divorces his wife
Mark 10:45	καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν	and to give his life as a ransom for many
Mark 10:50	ὁ δὲ ἀποβαλὼν τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ	And throwing off his cloak
Mark 12:43	καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	And he called his disciples
Mark 13:16	ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ	to take his cloak
Mark 13:27	καὶ ἐπισυνάξει τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς [αὐτοῦ]	and gather his elect
Mark 13:34	ἀφεὶς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ	when he leaves home
Mark 13:34	ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ	each with his work
Mark 14:47	καὶ ἀφεῖλεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτάριον	and cut off his ear
Mark 14:65	καὶ περικαλύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον	and to cover his face
Mark 15:19	καὶ ἔτυπτον αὐτοῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν	And they were striking his head
Mark 15:21	ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ	to carry his cross
Mark 15:24	καὶ διαμερίζονται τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ	and divided his garments

Occurrences of αὐτοῦ preceding or following a phrase in the accusative case in Luke
Reference	NET Parallel Greek	ESV
Luke 1:13	καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννην	and you shall call his name John.
Luke 1:23	ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ	he went to his home.
Luke 1:31	καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν	and you shall call his name Jesus.
Luke 1:49	καὶ ἅγιον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ	and holy is his name.
Luke 1:58	ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνεν κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτῆς	that the Lord had shown great mercy to her
Luke 1:64	ἀνεῴχθη δὲ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ παραχρῆμα	And immediately his mouth was opened
Luke 2:21	καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς	he was called Jesus
Luke 2:34	καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Μαριὰμ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ	and said to Mary his mother
Luke 3:4	εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ	make his paths straight.
Luke 3:17	διακαθᾶραι τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ	to clear his threshing floor
Luke 3:17	καὶ συναγαγεῖν τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ	and to gather the wheat into his barn
Luke 5:25	ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ δοξάζων τὸν θεόν	and went home, glorifying God
Luke 5:30	πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	at his disciples
Luke 6:13	προσεφώνησεν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	he called his disciples
Luke 6:14	καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ	and Andrew his brother
Luke 6:20	Καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ	And he lifted up his eyes
Luke 6:20	εἰς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἔλεγεν	on his disciples, and said:
Luke 6:45	ἐκ γὰρ περισσεύματος καρδίας λαλεῖ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ	for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks
Luke 7:1	Ἐπειδὴ ἐπλήρωσεν πάντα τὰ ρήματα αὐτοῦ	After he had finished all his sayings
Luke 7:3	ἐλθὼν διασώσῃ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ	to come and heal his servant
Luke 7:16	καὶ ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο ὁ θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ	and “God has visited his people!”
Luke 7:38	καὶ στᾶσα ὀπίσω παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	and standing behind him at his feet
	βρέχειν τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	to wet his feet
	καὶ κατεφίλει τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	and kissed his feet
Luke 8:5	ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπεῖραι τὸν σπόρον αὐτοῦ	A sower went out to sow his seed.
Luke 8:41	παρεκάλει αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ	he implored him to come to his house
Luke 9:14	εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	And he said to his disciples
Luke 9:23	καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ	and take up his cross
Luke 9:24	ὃς γὰρ ἂν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι	For whoever would save his life
Luke 9:24	ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ	but whoever loses his life
Luke 9:31	ἔλεγον τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ	and spoke of his departure
Luke 9:32	εἶδον τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ	they saw his glory
Luke 9:43	εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	Jesus said to his disciples
Luke 10:2	ἐργάτας ἐκβάλῃ εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ	to send out laborers into his harvest
Luke 10:34	καὶ προσελθὼν κατέδησεν τὰ τραύματα αὐτοῦ	He went to him and bound up his wounds
Luke 10:39	ἤκουεν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ	and listened to his teaching
Luke 11:1	καθὼς καὶ Ἰωάννης ἐδίδαξεν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ	as John taught his disciples
Luke 11:8	διὰ τὸ εἶναι φίλον αὐτοῦ	because he is his friend
Luke 11:8	διά γε τὴν ἀναίδειαν αὐτοῦ	yet because of his impudence
Luke 11:22	τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ αἴρει	he takes away his armor
Luke 11:22	καὶ τὰ σκῦλα αὐτοῦ διαδίδωσιν	and divides his spoil
Luke 12:1	ἤρξατο λέγειν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ πρῶτον	he began to say to his disciples first
Luke 12:22	Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς [αὐτοῦ]	And he said to his disciples
Luke 12:25	δύναται ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ προσθεῖναι πῆχυν	can add a single hour to his span of life
Luke 12:31	πλὴν ζητεῖτε τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ	Instead, seek his kingdom
Luke 12:39	οὐκ \|ἂν\| ἀφῆκεν διορυχθῆναι τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ	he would not have left his house to be broken into
Luke 12:47	ἢ ποιήσας πρὸς τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ	or act according to his will
Luke 13:15	ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῷ σαββάτῳ οὐ λύει τὸν βοῦν αὐτοῦ	Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox
Luke 14:17	ἀπέστειλεν τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ	he sent his servant
Luke 15:5	ἐπιτίθησιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους αὐτοῦ χαίρων	he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luke 15:13	καὶ ἐκεῖ διεσκόρπισεν τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ	and there he squandered his property
Luke 15:15	καὶ ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς ἀγροὺς αὐτοῦ	who sent him into his fields
Luke 15:20	καὶ δραμὼν ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ	and ran and embraced him
Luke 15:22	εἶπεν δὲ ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ	But the father said to his servants
Luke 15:22	καὶ δότε δακτύλιον εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ	and put a ring on his hand
Luke 16:1	διασκορπίζων τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ	was wasting his possessions
Luke 16:18	Πᾶς ὁ ἀπολύων τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ	Everyone who divorces his wife
Luke 16:20	πρὸς τὸν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ	at his gate
Luke 16:21	ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύνες ἐρχόμενοι ἐπέλειχον τὰ ἕλκη αὐτοῦ	Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luke 16:23	καὶ ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ	and in Hades…he lifted up his eyes
Luke 17:2	εἰ λίθος μυλικὸς περίκειται περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ	if a millstone were hung around his neck
Luke 17:16	καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet
Luke 17:33	ὃς ἐὰν ζητήσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ περιποιήσασθαι	Whoever seeks to preserve his life
Luke 18:13	ἀλλ᾿ ἔτυπτεν τὸ στῆθος \|αὐτοῦ\|	but beat his breast
Luke 18:14	κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ	this man went down to his house
Luke 22:36	καὶ ὁ μὴ ἔχων πωλησάτω τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀγορασάτω μάχαιραν	And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.
Luke 22:50	καὶ ἀφεῖλεν τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τὸ δεξιόν	and cut off his right ear
Luke 23:34	διαμεριζόμενοι δὲ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἔβαλον \|κλήρους\|	And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Luke 23:55	καὶ ὡς ἐτέθη τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ	and how his body was laid
Luke 24:23	καὶ μὴ εὑροῦσαι τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ	and when they did not find his body
Luke 24:26	καὶ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ	and enter into his glory
Luke 24:50	καὶ ἐπάρας τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ	and lifting up his hands

Occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ in a phrase in the accusative case
Reference	NET Parallel Greek	ESV
Luke 2:3	εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν	to his own town
Luke 11:21	φυλάσσῃ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ αὐλήν	guards his own palace
Luke 14:26	μισεῖ τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ	hate his own father
Luke 14:26	καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ	And…his own life
Luke 14:27	βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ	bear his own cross
Luke 15:20	ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ	came to his father
Luke 24:27	τὰ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ	the things concerning himself
Romans 4:19	κατενόησεν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα	he considered his own body
Romans 5:8	συνίστησιν δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην	But…shows his love
Romans 8:3	τὸν ἑαυτοῦ υἱὸν πέμψας	sending his own Son
1 Corinthians 7:2	ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἐχέτω	each man should have his own wife
1 Corinthians 7:37	τηρεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον	to keep her as his betrothed
1 Corinthians 7:38	ὁ γαμίζων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον	he who marries his betrothed
1 Corinthians 10:24	μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω	Let no one seek his own good
1 Corinthians 10:29	συνείδησιν δὲ λέγω οὐχὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ	I do not mean your conscience
Ephesians 5:28	ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἑαυτὸν ἀγαπᾷ	He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:29	Οὐδεὶς γάρ ποτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σάρκα ἐμίσησεν	For no one ever hated his own flesh
Ephesians 5:33	ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα οὕτως ἀγαπάτω ὡς ἑαυτόν	let each one of you love his wife as himself
1 Thessalonians 2:12	τοῦ καλοῦντος ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείαν	who calls you into his own kingdom
1 Thessalonians 4:4	εἰδέναι ἕκαστον ὑμῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος κτᾶσθαι ἐν ἁγιασμῷ	that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness
Revelation 10:7	ὡς εὐηγγέλισεν τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ δούλους τοὺς προφήτας	just as he announced to his servants the prophets

Tables comparing Matthew 7:24; 22:24; 1:24; 22:25; Mark 14:65; 10:11; Luke 2:3-5; Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:26; 13:18, 19; Mark 4:30, 31; John 14:9; 14:11 and 2 Corinthians 5:16 in the NET and KJV follow.

Matthew 7:24 (NET)	Matthew 7:24 (KJV)
“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock.	Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Matthew 7:24 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 7:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 7:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ἀκούει μου τοὺς λόγους \|τούτους\| καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτούς, ὁμοιωθήσεται ἀνδρὶ φρονίμῳ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν	πας ουν οστις ακουει μου τους λογους τουτους και ποιει αυτους ομοιωσω αυτον ανδρι φρονιμω οστις ωκοδομησεν την οικιαν αυτου επι την πετραν	πας ουν οστις ακουει μου τους λογους τουτους και ποιει αυτους ομοιωσω αυτον ανδρι φρονιμω οστις ωκοδομησεν την οικιαν αυτου επι την πετραν

Matthew 22:24 (NET)	Matthew 22:24 (KJV)
“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children for his brother.’	Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Matthew 22:24 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 22:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 22:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγοντες· διδάσκαλε, Μωϋσῆς εἶπεν· ἐάν τις ἀποθάνῃ μὴ ἔχων τέκνα, ἐπιγαμβρεύσει ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναστήσει σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ	λεγοντες διδασκαλε μωσης ειπεν εαν τις αποθανη μη εχων τεκνα επιγαμβρευσει ο αδελφος αυτου την γυναικα αυτου και αναστησει σπερμα τω αδελφω αυτου	λεγοντες διδασκαλε μωσης ειπεν εαν τις αποθανη μη εχων τεκνα επιγαμβρευσει ο αδελφος αυτου την γυναικα αυτου και αναστησει σπερμα τω αδελφω αυτου

Matthew 1:24 (NET)	Matthew 1:24 (KJV)
When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife,	Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

Matthew 1:24 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 1:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 1:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐγερθεὶς δὲ \|ὁ\| Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕπνου ἐποίησεν ὡς προσέταξεν αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ παρέλαβεν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ	διεγερθεις δε ο ιωσηφ απο του υπνου εποιησεν ως προσεταξεν αυτω ο αγγελος κυριου και παρελαβεν την γυναικα αυτου	διεγερθεις δε ο ιωσηφ απο του υπνου εποιησεν ως προσεταξεν αυτω ο αγγελος κυριου και παρελαβεν την γυναικα αυτου

Matthew 22:25 (NET)	Matthew 22:25 (KJV)
Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother.	Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:

Matthew 22:25 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 22:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 22:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἦσαν δὲ παρ᾿ ἡμῖν ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοί· καὶ ὁ πρῶτος γήμας ἐτελεύτησεν, καὶ μὴ ἔχων σπέρμα ἀφῆκεν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ	ησαν δε παρ ημιν επτα αδελφοι και ο πρωτος γαμησας ετελευτησεν και μη εχων σπερμα αφηκεν την γυναικα αυτου τω αδελφω αυτου	ησαν δε παρ ημιν επτα αδελφοι και ο πρωτος γαμησας ετελευτησεν και μη εχων σπερμα αφηκεν την γυναικα αυτου τω αδελφω αυτου

Mark 14:65 (NET)	Mark 14:65 (KJV)
Then some began to spit on him, and to blindfold him, and to strike him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat him.	And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

Mark 14:65 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 14:65 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 14:65 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἤρξαντο τινες ἐμπτύειν αὐτῷ καὶ περικαλύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ κολαφίζειν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγειν αὐτῷ· προφήτευσον, καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται ραπίσμασιν αὐτὸν ἔλαβον	και ηρξαντο τινες εμπτυειν αυτω και περικαλυπτειν το προσωπον αυτου και κολαφιζειν αυτον και λεγειν αυτω προφητευσον και οι υπηρεται ραπισμασιν αυτον εβαλλον	και ηρξαντο τινες εμπτυειν αυτω και περικαλυπτειν το προσωπον αυτου και κολαφιζειν αυτον και λεγειν αυτω προφητευσον και οι υπηρεται ραπισμασιν αυτον εβαλλον

Mark 10:11 (NET)	Mark 10:11 (KJV)
So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.	And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

Mark 10:11 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 10:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 10:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ γαμήσῃ ἄλλην μοιχᾶται ἐπ᾿ αὐτήν	και λεγει αυτοις ος εαν απολυση την γυναικα αυτου και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται επ αυτην	και λεγει αυτοις ος εαν απολυση την γυναικα αυτου και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται επ αυτην

Luke 2:3-5 (NET)	Luke 2:3-5 (KJV)
Everyone went to his own town to be registered.	And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

Luke 2:3 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 2:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 2:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἐπορεύοντο πάντες ἀπογράφεσθαι, ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν	και επορευοντο παντες απογραφεσθαι εκαστος εις την ιδιαν πολιν	και επορευοντο παντες απογραφεσθαι εκαστος εις την ιδιαν πολιν

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

Luke 2:4 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 2:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 2:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἀνέβη δὲ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐκ πόλεως Ναζαρὲθ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν εἰς πόλιν Δαυὶδ ἥτις καλεῖται Βηθλέεμ, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς Δαυίδ	ανεβη δε και ιωσηφ απο της γαλιλαιας εκ πολεως ναζαρετ εις την ιουδαιαν εις πολιν δαβιδ ητις καλειται βηθλεεμ δια το ειναι αυτον εξ οικου και πατριας δαβιδ	ανεβη δε και ιωσηφ απο της γαλιλαιας εκ πολεως ναζαρετ εις την ιουδαιαν εις πολιν δαυιδ ητις καλειται βηθλεεμ δια το ειναι αυτον εξ οικου και πατριας δαυιδ

He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child.

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Luke 2:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 2:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 2:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπογράψασθαι σὺν Μαριὰμ τῇ ἐμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ, οὔσῃ ἐγκύῳ	απογραψασθαι συν μαριαμ τη μεμνηστευμενη αυτω γυναικι ουση εγκυω	απογραψασθαι συν μαριαμ τη μεμνηστευμενη αυτω γυναικι ουση εγκυω

Matthew 12:29 (NET)	Matthew 12:29 (KJV)
How else can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house.	Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Matthew 12:29 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 12:29 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 12:29 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἢ πῶς δύναται τις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἁρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον δήσῃ τὸν ἰσχυρόν; καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει	η πως δυναται τις εισελθειν εις την οικιαν του ισχυρου και τα σκευη αυτου διαρπασαι εαν μη πρωτον δηση τον ισχυρον και τοτε την οικιαν αυτου διαρπασει	η πως δυναται τις εισελθειν εις την οικιαν του ισχυρου και τα σκευη αυτου διαρπασαι εαν μη πρωτον δηση τον ισχυρον και τοτε την οικιαν αυτου διαρπασει

Luke 11:26 (NET)	Luke 11:26 (KJV)
Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first.”	Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Luke 11:26 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 11:26 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 11:26 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τότε πορεύεται καὶ παραλαμβάνει ἕτερα πνεύματα πονηρότερα ἑαυτοῦ ἑπτὰ καὶ εἰσελθόντα κατοικεῖ ἐκεῖ· καὶ γίνεται τὰ ἔσχατα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκείνου χείρονα τῶν πρώτων	τοτε πορευεται και παραλαμβανει επτα ετερα πνευματα πονηροτερα εαυτου και εισελθοντα κατοικει εκει και γινεται τα εσχατα του ανθρωπου εκεινου χειρονα των πρωτων	τοτε πορευεται και παραλαμβανει επτα ετερα πνευματα πονηροτερα εαυτου και ελθοντα κατοικει εκει και γινεται τα εσχατα του ανθρωπου εκεινου χειρονα των πρωτων

Luke 13:18, 19 (NET)	Luke 13:18, 19 (KJV)
Thus Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what should I compare it?	Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?

Luke 13:18 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 13:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 13:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἔλεγεν οὖν· τίνι ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τίνι ὁμοιώσω αὐτήν	ελεγεν δε τινι ομοια εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου και τινι ομοιωσω αυτην	ελεγεν δε τινι ομοια εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου και τινι ομοιωσω αυτην

It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches.”

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

Luke 13:19 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 13:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 13:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁμοία ἐστὶν κόκκῳ σινάπεως, ὃν λαβὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔβαλεν εἰς κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ἠύξησεν καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς δένδρον, καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατεσκήνωσεν ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ	ομοια εστιν κοκκω σιναπεως ον λαβων ανθρωπος εβαλεν εις κηπον εαυτου και ηυξησεν και εγενετο εις δενδρον μεγα και τα πετεινα του ουρανου κατεσκηνωσεν εν τοις κλαδοις αυτου	ομοια εστιν κοκκω σιναπεως ον λαβων ανθρωπος εβαλεν εις κηπον εαυτου και ηυξησεν και εγενετο εις δενδρον μεγα και τα πετεινα του ουρανου κατεσκηνωσεν εν τοις κλαδοις αυτου

Mark 4:30, 31 (NET)	Mark 4:30, 31 (KJV)
He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it?	And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

Mark 4:30 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 4:30 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 4:30 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἔλεγεν· πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν	και ελεγεν τινι ομοιωσωμεν την βασιλειαν του θεου η εν ποια παραβολη παραβαλωμεν αυτην	και ελεγεν τινι ομοιωσωμεν την βασιλειαν του θεου η εν ποια παραβολη παραβαλωμεν αυτην

It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground—

It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

Mark 4:31 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 4:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 4:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὡς κόκκῳ σινάπεως, ὃς ὅταν σπαρῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μικρότερον ὂν πάντων τῶν σπερμάτων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς	ως κοκκω σιναπεως ος οταν σπαρη επι της γης μικροτερος παντων των σπερματων εστιν των επι της γης	ως κοκκον σιναπεως ος οταν σπαρη επι της γης μικροτερος παντων των σπερματων εστιν των επι της γης

John 14:9 (NET)	John 14:9 (KJV)
Jesus replied, “Have I been with you for so long and yet you have not known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?	Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

John 14:9 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 14:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 14:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγει αὐτῷ \|ὁ\| Ἰησοῦς· \|τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ\| μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν εἰμι καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωκας με, Φίλιππε; ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακεν τὸν πατέρα· πῶς σὺ λέγεις· δεῖξον ἡμῖν τὸν πατέρα	λεγει αυτω ο ιησους τοσουτον χρονον μεθ υμων ειμι και ουκ εγνωκας με φιλιππε ο εωρακως εμε εωρακεν τον πατερα και πως συ λεγεις δειξον ημιν τον πατερα	λεγει αυτω ο ιησους τοσουτον χρονον μεθ υμων ειμι και ουκ εγνωκας με φιλιππε ο εωρακως εμε εωρακεν τον πατερα και πως συ λεγεις δειξον ημιν τον πατερα

John 14:11 (NET)	John 14:11 (KJV)
Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves.	Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

John 14:11 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 14:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 14:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)
πιστεύετε μοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· εἰ δὲ μή, διὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτὰ πιστεύετε	πιστευετε μοι οτι εγω εν τω πατρι και ο πατηρ εν εμοι ει δε μη δια τα εργα αυτα πιστευετε μοι	πιστευετε μοι οτι εγω εν τω πατρι και ο πατηρ εν εμοι ει δε μη δια τα εργα αυτα πιστευετε μοι

2 Corinthians 5:16 (NET)	2 Corinthians 5:16 (KJV)
So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer.	Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

2 Corinthians 5:16 (NET Parallel Greek)	2 Corinthians 5:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	2 Corinthians 5:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)
῞Ωστε ἡμεῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν οὐδένα οἴδαμεν κατὰ σάρκα· εἰ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χριστόν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν	ωστε ημεις απο του νυν ουδενα οιδαμεν κατα σαρκα ει δε και εγνωκαμεν κατα σαρκα χριστον αλλα νυν ουκετι γινωσκομεν	ωστε ημεις απο του νυν ουδενα οιδαμεν κατα σαρκα ει δε και εγνωκαμεν κατα σαρκα χριστον αλλα νυν ουκετι γινωσκομεν

αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ, Part 2

Back to Wonders and False Wonders, Part 3

Back to The Day of the Lord, Part 8

Back to Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 2

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 3

Back to Luke 8:22-56

¹ 1 Corinthians 7:36 (ESV)

² 1 Corinthians 7:37, 38 (ESV) Table

³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἑαυτοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιδιαν.

⁴ In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ Nazareth was spelled Ναζαρὲθ, and ναζαρετ in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

⁵ In the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text David was spelled Δαυὶδ, and δαβιδ in the Stephanus Textus Receptus.

⁶ In the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text David was spelled Δαυὶδ, and δαβιδ in the Stephanus Textus Receptus.

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐμνηστευμένῃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεμνηστευμενη and γυναικι (KJV: espoused wife).

⁸ Matthew 12:29a (ESV) and Mark 3:27a (ESV) Table

⁹ Matthew 12:29b (ESV) and Mark 3:27b (ESV) Table

¹⁰ Luke 11:24a (ESV)

¹¹ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had εἰσελθόντα here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had ελθοντα.

¹² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had οὖν (NET: Then) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: Then).

¹³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεγα (KJV: great) following tree. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had πῶς (NET: To what) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τινι (KJV: Whereunto).

¹⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τίνι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ποια.

¹⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had θῶμεν (NET: to present) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παραβαλωμεν (KJV: shall we compare).

¹⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had μικρότερον ὂν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had simply μικροτερος (KJV: is less).

¹⁸ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εστιν (KJV: that be) following seeds. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁹ Who Am I? Part 3

²⁰ Sexual Immorality Revisited, Part 3

²¹ John 17:3 (ESV)

²² Acts 17:28a (ESV)

²³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ in the dative case here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τοσουτον χρονον (KJV: so long time) in the accusative case.

²⁴ 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.

²⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μοι (KJV: me) following believe. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁶ John 15:4 (ESV) Table

²⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἰ καὶ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ει δε και (KJV: yea, though).

Sexual Immorality Revisited, Part 2

Posted on November 18, 2016 by admin

The exercise of revisiting Paul’s Religious Mind and the meaning of Sexual Immorality has clarified a few things that were right in front of me all along. I considered again the list of sins that described the former lives of some who were called to faith in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 6:9b, 10 (NET) Table	Parallel Greek
The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God.	οὔτε πόρνοι (another form of πόρνος) οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι οὔτε μοιχοὶ οὔτε μαλακοὶ οὔτε ἀρσενοκοῖται οὔτε κλέπται οὔτε πλεονέκται, οὐ μέθυσοι, οὐ λοίδοροι, οὐχ ἅρπαγες βασιλείαν θεοῦ κληρονομήσουσιν

Each word preceded by οὔτε, οὐ or οὐχ (a form of οὐ) gives a strong indication that Paul did not consider πόρνοι the one word that included all of the others. In other words the list is not to be understood as, The πόρνοι: idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers. I’ve considered this option, by the way, given the shorter list in Ephesians.

Ephesians 5:5 (NET)	Parallel Greek
For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.	τοῦτο γὰρ ἴστε γινώσκοντες, ὅτι πᾶς πόρνος ἢ ἀκάθαρτος ἢ πλεονέκτης οὐκ ἔχει κληρονομίαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ θεοῦ

So I began a subtractive process, trying to determine what πόρνοι did not mean. As I studied ἀρσενοκοῖται (a form of ἀρσενοκοίτης; translated, practicing homosexuals) the obvious became more clear. The Greek word ἀρσενοκοίτης is a compound of two words: 1) αρσην, male, and 2) κοίτη, couch, bed.

Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male (ἄρσεν, a form of αρσην) and female,^[1] Jesus answered the Pharisees who asked Him about divorce. The men (ἄρσενες, another form of αρσην) also abandoned natural relations with women, Paul wrote the Roman believers, and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Men (ἄρσενες, another form of αρσην) committed shameless acts with men (ἄρσεσιν, another form of αρσην) and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.^[2] The Greek is a bit more graphic: ἄρσενες ἐν ἄρσεσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην κατεργαζόμενοι (literally, “male in male this unseemliness performing”). The writer of Hebrews penned: Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed (κοίτη) kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people (πόρνους, another form of πόρνος) and adulterers (μοιχοὺς, a form of μοιχός).^[3] I can’t imagine one word better than ἀρσενοκοίτης (male marriage bed) to describe You must not have sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman.^[4]

I combined this with the fact that Paul’s particular usage of πορνεία in 1 Corinthians 5:1 is a fairly clear reference to You must not have sexual intercourse with your father’s wife; she is your father’s nakedness.^[5] And I came to one inescapable conclusion irrespective of whether Paul used πορνεία because he thought it meant anything and everything that was not sex between one man and one woman or because it was the only word he had had to use when he arrived in Corinth, constrained by his reliance on James’ abbreviated version of the law:

James’ abbreviated version of the law

…to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood…

Acts 15:20 (NET) Table

ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἀλισγημάτων τῶν εἰδώλων καὶ τῆς πορνείας (a form of πορνεία) καὶ |τοῦ| πνικτοῦ καὶ τοῦ αἵματος

…that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality…

Acts 15:29a (NET) Table

ἀπέχεσθαι εἰδωλοθύτων καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνικτῶν καὶ πορνείας (a form of πορνεία)

The inescapable conclusion is: in the letter called 1 Corinthians Paul taught Levitical law (as knowledge of sin not as a path of salvation) to Gentiles (1 Timothy 1:8-10 NET).

But we know that the law is good if someone uses it legitimately, realizing that law is not intended for a righteous person, but for lawless and rebellious people, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, sexually immoral people (πόρνοις, another form of πόρνος), practicing homosexuals (ἀρσενοκοίταις, another form of ἀρσενοκοίτης), kidnappers, liars, perjurers – in fact, for any who live contrary to sound teaching.

Gone was any pretense to be concerned about nothing among [them] except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.^[6] More importantly, perhaps, the pretense of not placing on the neck of the [Gentile] disciples a yoke that neither [Peter’s] ancestors nor [his contemporaries had] been able to bear^[7] was utterly gone from Paul’s thinking. That yoke would not be borne by the works of the flesh. That is true. But it would not be shirked either. The yoke would be borne by the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe,^[8] the fruit of the Spirit, the love [that] is the fulfillment of the law.^[9] Jesus said (Matthew 11:28-30; 5:17-20 NET):

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place. So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever obeys them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Do we then nullify the law through faith? Paul asked rhetorically. Absolutely not! Instead we uphold the law.^[10] Have I just made the case for πορνεία as a violation of Leviticus 18 or 20? But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful [πορνείας, a form of πορνεία]) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.^[11] I don’t think so.

I might have made that case. I have a philosophical bent to my mind; I am a legalist in theory and in practice. Why not see Matthew 5:32 as Jesus’ instruction to governor-priests and as vindication or exoneration of Ezra the priest? Ancient Roman legislators had articulated concepts of lawful connubium. The priests and bishops Constantine left to govern Rome when he abandoned it for Byzantium heard Jesus’ words as Roman law. Wouldn’t Jesus follow Roman law? It’s certainly more in line with the way my mind works. Until, that is, I heard y^ehôvâh in the prophet Malachi (2:14b, 15a, 16 NET):

The Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young, to whom you have become unfaithful even though she is your companion and wife by law [Table]. No one who has even a small portion of the Spirit in him does this [Table]…

“I hate divorce,” says the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of Israel, “and the one who is guilty of violence,” says the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) who rules over all. “Pay attention to your conscience, and do not be unfaithful” [Table].

This is the intellectual and spiritual equivalent of a ratchet, and I cannot go back. Now I hear, For God has consigned (συνέκλεισεν, a form of συγκλείω) all people to disobedience (ἀπείθειαν, a form of ἀπείθεια; literally, disbelief) so that he may show mercy to them all.^[12] We are all like fish caught in a net of disobedience. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under (ἐν; literally, in) the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable (ὑπόδικος; literally, under sentence, under judgment) to God.^[13]

Ezra was exactly where y^ehôvâh wanted him to be when he said: O Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) God of Israel, you are righteous, for we are left as a remnant this day. Indeed, we stand before you in our guilt. However, because of this guilt no one can really stand before you.^[14] Who knows what would have happened if Ezra had stayed there, waiting on y^ehôvâh, instead of chasing after Shecaniah’s get-righteous-quick scheme (Ezra 10:2-4 NET).

Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the local peoples. Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this regard [Table]. Therefore let us enact a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, and that of those who respect the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law [Table]. Get up, for this matter concerns you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively [Table]!”

I want to make this as clear as I possibly can. If a man has married the wrong sort of woman he cannot redeem himself in God’s eyes, he cannot make himself righteous again, by divorcing her and sending their children away. The religious mind encourages us to change our own behavior, to conform us to some image of righteousness derived from the law (or some lesser doctrine) by that religious mind. The mind of Christ speaks to the wriggling soul caught in a net of disbelief, saying, Stop your striving (râphâh, הרפו) and recognize (yâdaʽ, ודעו) that I am God! I will be exalted over the nations! I will be exalted over the earth!^[15] Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’^[16]

I don’t live in Rome in the first half of the fourth century. I don’t hear Jesus speaking to Roman legislators about external controls. I hear Him speaking to the ἐκκλησία, those called by God the Father through Jesus Christ to be led by his Holy Spirit. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.^[17] For this and other reasons I still hear Jesus’ use of πορνείας (a form of πορνεία) in Matthew 5:32 and πορνείᾳ in Matthew 19:9 as a reference to the same πορνεῦσαι (a form of πορνεύω, e.g., sexualized worship) He condemned in Revelation 2:20 (NET):

But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality (πορνεῦσαι) and to eat food sacrificed to idols (εἰδωλόθυτα, a form of εἰδωλόθυτον).

Such sexualized worship was the bane of Israel’s descendents from the beginning of their existence as a nation: So do not be idolaters (εἰδωλολάτραι, a form of εἰδωλολάτρης), as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” And let us not be immoral (πορνεύωμεν, another form of πορνεύω), as some of them were (ἐπόρνευσαν, another form of πορνεύω), and twenty-three thousand died in a single day.^[18] Rather than thinking of it as an abbreviated version of the law it would be far more charitable to assume that sexualized worship was what James had in mind at the Jerusalem Council:

Jesus (NET)

Parallel Greek

James (NET)

Parallel Greek

…to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols…

Revelation 2:20b

πορνεῦσαι καὶ φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα

…to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood…

Acts 15:20 Table

ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἀλισγημάτων τῶν εἰδώλων καὶ τῆς πορνείας (a form of πορνεία) καὶ |τοῦ| πνικτοῦ καὶ τοῦ αἵματος

…that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality…

Acts 15:29a

ἀπέχεσθαι εἰδωλοθύτων (another form of εἰδωλόθυτον) καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνικτῶν καὶ πορνείας (a form of πορνεία)

I want to substitute a more literal understanding of ὁμολογεῖ (a form of ὁμολογέω) translated confesses and confess respectively in 1 John 4:1-3 (NET):

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that [speaks the same as] Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not [speak the same as] Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

To that extent that the religious mind encourages us to reform our own behavior rather than to rely on the fruit of the Holy Spirit, it is the spirit of antichrist no matter how well-intentioned the mouthpiece. Suspicious of the Gospel I tried to be good first to prove that I was, failing that, I tried because “God will get you if you don’t watch out.” My fear was flight from rather than toward God. And yet, in that dark foreboding I became most aware of His forgiveness and patience. Paul put it this way for Timothy (1 Timothy 1:15, 16 NET):

This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them! But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that in me as the worst, Christ Jesus could demonstrate his utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life [Table].

Amanda Bynes delivers one of the funniest and most poignant lines in the movie Easy A: “Jesus tells us to love everyone. I mean, even the whores and the homosexuals, but it’s just so hard. It’s so hard because they keep doing it over and over again.” An attitude of forgiveness toward others flows from the love that comes from the Holy Spirit. Still, Jesus said, the one who is forgiven little loves little.^[19] One who is forgiven much is forgiven often for the same offense, sometimes many more than seven times a day. And that experience is far more persuasive than any threat (Matthew 18:34, 35 NET):

And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture [the unforgiving slave] until he repaid all he owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from your heart.

In that sacred space of loving forgiveness the truth began to dawn on me that not only the desire and effort were God’s but the fulfillment of his desire and his effort was his as well, the kingdom, the power and the glory. I’ll substitute the same literal understanding I used above for ὁμολογήσῃς (another form of ὁμολογέω) translated confess, and ὁμολογεῖται (another form of ὁμολογέω) translated confesses in Romans 10:9, 10 (NET):

…if you [speak the same as Jesus] with your mouth that Jesus is Lord^[20] [e.g., y^ehôvâh as opposed to a Lord or Sir] and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness [πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην; literally, “believes unto righteousness”] and with the mouth one [speaks the same as Jesus] and thus has salvation [ὁμολογεῖται εἰς σωτηρίαν; literally, “speaks the same as Jesus unto salvation”].

Sexual Immorality Revisited, Part 3

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 6

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Back to Who Am I? Part 8

Back to Romans, Part 90

Back to A Door of Hope, Part 1

Back to Christianity, Part 13

Back to Christianity, Part 15

^[1] Matthew 19:4 (NET) Table

^[2] Romans 1:27 (NET) Table

^[3] Hebrews 13:4 (NET)

^[4] Leviticus 18:22a (NET) Table

^[5] Leviticus 18:8 (NET) Table

^[6] 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NET) Table

^[7] Acts 15:10 (NET)

^[8] Romans 3:22 (NET)

^[9] Romans 13:10b (NET)

^[10] Romans 3:31 (NET)

^[11] Matthew 5:32b (NAB) Table

^[12] Romans 11:32 (NET)

^[13] Romans 3:19 (NET)

^[14] Ezra 9:15 (NET)

^[15] Psalm 46:10 (NET)

^[16] John 3:7 (NET)

^[17] Romans 8:14 (NET)

^[18] 1 Corinthians 10:7, 8 (NET)

^[19] Luke 7:47b (NET)

^[20] NET note 10: Or “the Lord.” The Greek construction, along with the quotation from Joel 2:32 in v. 13 (in which the same “Lord” seems to be in view) suggests that κύριον (kurion) is to be taken as “the Lord,” that is, Yahweh. Cf. D. B. Wallace, “The Semantics and Exegetical Significance of the Object-Complement Construction in the New Testament,” GTJ 6 (1985): 91-112.

My Reasons and My Reason, Part 4

Posted on June 17, 2014 by admin

My first dates were all about driving—driving and not killing us, and talking to a girl when I wasn’t driving (and while I was for that matter). Then I met A. I’ll call her A. Girlfriend has a meaning I don’t want to imply, more like wife, or concubine I suppose. (In most States a girlfriend can’t take half of everything a man owns when she leaves him or is sent packing.) My mother had warned me about A, how she would seek male affection. A had grown up without a father.

Her mother was divorced, and could never remarry. Today, Jesus’ saying—everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality (πορνείας, a form of πορνεία), makes her commit adultery^‎[1]—sounds to me as if He assumed she would remarry. But then, I understood it as a prohibition. Besides, whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery,^[2] Jesus continued. That pretty much assured her that no one at my church would marry her. Marrying someone “outside of the faith” (someone who believed that a divorced person could remarry) was frowned upon there.

When I began to squeeze A’s breasts and fondle her nipples, I didn’t realize that God might have something against it. At sixteen I don’t recall knowing the word of the Lord that came to Ezekiel [Table] (Ezekiel 23:1-3 NET):

“Son of man, there were two women who were daughters of the same mother [Table]. They engaged in prostitution (zānâ, ותזנינה) in Egypt; in their youth they engaged in prostitution (zānâ, זנו). Their breasts were squeezed there; lovers fondled their virgin nipples there” [Table see Addendum].

I’m not sure what difference it would have made. I knew that breast squeezing and nipple fondling was frowned upon. I thought that was because it would lead to the sin of premarital sex. As it turned out, A’s nipples weren’t so virgin. She and her former boyfriend, a friend of mine from church, had committed the sin of premarital sex. They only did it once. Then they stopped seeing each other and never did it again.

I enjoyed squeezing A’s breasts and fondling her nipples. I think she enjoyed it, too. I found it very hard to believe that I was just a surrogate for the father she didn’t have. It seemed like she really loved me, as me, not as a symbol of something else. It all felt very real. And I was happy and satisfied squeezing her breasts and fondling her nipples. I had no intention of committing the sin of premarital sex. She didn’t want to do that again either.

At sixteen I didn’t study the Bible. I was flying blind. I read only the minimum that was presented in church services and Sunday school. There were moments when I was in a particularly religious mood that I tried to read more, but then I was in the wrong frame of mind, expecting, hoping that the Bible would confirm and applaud my religiousness. So I didn’t recognize the Lord’s ἐγκράτεια standing between A and me and the sin of premarital sex.

I hadn’t heard the fruit of the Spirit. I’m not saying no one ever talked about it. I’m saying I hadn’t heard it yet. I certainly wasn’t taught that I was strong, and the word of God resides in [me], and [I] have conquered the evil one.^[3] That would have stood out amidst all the teaching that any contact with a young female would lead inexorably to the sin of premarital sex.

I didn’t know a thing about ἐγκράτεια. It was literally “all Greek to me.”^[4] I didn’t have a Bible that translated ἐγκράτεια self-control, which I might have related to sexual matters. My Bible read temperance. I was sixteen; I didn’t drink. But even if I had considered the fruit of the Spirit I would have considered the works I was required to do to please the Spirit of God.

Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:^[5] It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality [KJV, to avoid fornication], let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.^[6]

I am fairly sure now that squeezing A’s breasts and fondling her nipples qualifies as sexual immorality (NKJV). I wasn’t so sure then (nor am I now) that it qualified as fornication (KJV). And I sincerely doubt that it qualifies as πορνείας (a form of πορνεία; translated sexual immorality [NKJV] or fornication [KJV]). I don’t say this to justify myself but to know God. There is no way that my understanding of πορνείας at age sixty can justify my behavior at age sixteen.

Children,obey your parents in the Lord for this is right, was Paul’s understanding of the law: “Honor your father and mother,”which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, “that it may go well with you and that you will live a long time on the earth.”^[7] I was clearly disobeying my parents, squeezing A’s breasts and fondling her nipples. For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.^[8]

God, for better or worse, has entrusted (or abandoned) children to the mercy of parents. And I don’t say abandoned for my sake, but for the many women I know molested as children by their fathers. My childhood was idyllic by comparison. My travails were my struggles to understand biblical words and concepts, my troubles were not understanding them.

At the same time, however, knowing God is not simply a matter of semantics but a uniquely profound intimacy. Did He intend for me to understand that the two women in the allegory He gave Ezekiel engaged in prostitution in Egypt because their breasts were squeezed there; lovers fondled their virgin nipples there? Or was the breast squeezing and nipple fondling incidental to engaging in prostitution (zânâh)? I have a fairly good idea how pre-modern Jews answered that question:

Jews in the pre-modern world lived, with few exceptions, in Jewish communities and under the yoke of Jewish tradition and halakhah. This affected every aspect of their lives, including sexual relations. As stated above, every sexual act between a man and woman outside marital relations was considered as coming within the definition of prostitution (be’ilat zenut), and the rabbis strongly condemned manifestations of sexual license in the Jewish community. Many regulations were issued by the various communities to fight prostitution in all its forms.^[9]

If they were correct, then I was guilty of πορνεία when I squeezed A’s breasts and fondled her nipples. I was one of the πόρνοι by definition: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral (πόρνοι, a form of πόρνος), idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God.^[10] Today, forgiven by the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ, that verdict against me is bearable. What is too hard to bear, then as now, is that this particular understanding of πορνεία makes a πόρνῃ (prostitute) of A by definition. My emotional aversion to that gains some spiritual credence if I plug this behavior into Jesus’ statements regarding divorce and πορνεία:

Matthew 5:32 (NET)	Matthew 19:9 (NET)
I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for “her virgin breasts were squeezed and her nipples fondled,” makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.	Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for “her virgin breasts were squeezed and her nipples fondled,” and marries another commits adultery.

I don’t think any of the women at my church who considered themselves holier than God would have called A a prostitute because I squeezed her breasts and fondled her nipples, though I am fairly sure they considered it sexual immorality forbidden by Paul in the Bible. Committing the sin of premarital sex was the primary meaning of fornication there.

Matthew 5:32 (NET)	Matthew 19:9 (NET)
I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for “the sin of premarital sex,” makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.	Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for “the sin of premarital sex,” and marries another commits adultery.

This interpretation of πορνεία has some precedent in the practice of the righteous in first century Israel (Matthew 1:18, 19 NET).

Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately [Table].

It seemed plausible that Jesus meant the sin of premarital sex for πορνείας (a form of πορνεία) as recorded by Matthew, until I considered his law.

Exodus 22:16, 17 (NKJV)	Deuteronomy 22:28, 29 (NKJV)
If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the bride-price of virgins.	If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are found out [Table], then the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife because he has humbled her; he shall not be permitted to divorce her all his days [Table].

At sixteen when I believed in the sin of premarital sex I thought that A and my friend did the right thing by breaking off their relationship. In the light of God’s law however I hear Jesus say, Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition…You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up your tradition.^[11] In others words, to accept the sin of premarital sex as Jesus’ meaning for πορνείας in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 is to liberate young men from any sense of obligation to the young women they seduce or date-rape. (In fact, they were encouraged to send those young women away, to divorce them, that is.) At the same time it offers men a ready excuse to divorce their wives who have been seduced or date-raped, at any time men choose to play that card. Viewed in the context of God’s law the sin of premarital sex sounds like a man-made religious belief with no relationship to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

I don’t think the people who enacted this legislation intended any of that any more than Caiaphas intended to condemn Yahweh come in human flesh to death. I assume that my religious forbears were shotgun-wedding-type of folk. Without wasting a lot of time tracking down documentary evidence it’s not too difficult to imagine that their children thought that was too harsh or even hypocritical. After all, people should confess their sins and turn from them. (I’ll ignore the timing with a political need to delay baby boomers’ entrance into the labor force as coincidence only.)

At sixteen I didn’t mistake the Lord’s ἐγκράτεια, keeping A and me from the sin of premarital sex, for my own righteousness. I didn’t feel very righteous. Though it’s probably an exaggeration I felt like I was always at odds with my parents over A. So I simply discounted the credibility of my counselors, those who assured me that “familiarity breeds contempt,”^[12] that was “that familiarity leads to the sin of premarital sex.”

I did have a vague sense of an overarching dishonesty to my life. I may have called it hypocrisy at times, but I was destined to go much deeper into that hypocrisy before I recognized what it was. In the spring of my junior year of high school after I had turned seventeen, I made a conscious decision to reinvent myself. I moved away from the “straight” world of my parents, my church, even my friends at school, to turn toward the “hip” world. It seemed more honest somehow. And A was caught up, and discarded, in that self-reinvention. The tension at home was eased.

Over the summer I took up with B. She was not “hip” precisely, but she was an accomplished musician. We enjoyed hours of arty conversations, went to ballets, operas and musicals together. And, fully clothed, we aped all the motions of the missionary position until we both achieved orgasms. We could do it openly in a public park on a Sunday afternoon, surrounded by “hip” people who knew exactly what we were doing and blessed and approved it.

A and I had taken it for granted that we would grow up and get married. We talked about it all the time. I didn’t share that with B. I’m not sure what she thought about it. She knew that she would go away to school to pursue a music degree. I knew that I already had my sights set on C, the young woman who became my high school girlfriend/wife/concubine that fall.

At a party in C’s basement the spring before my junior year ended, I had sat at the bar watching her. She was the queen bee of “hip” at school. I found out later she had dropped acid for the first time that night. She had broken up with her boyfriend, a senior. But a couple of other seniors buzzed around her all night. I was nobody, a “straight,” a “hip” wannabe—and a junior.

“You must be a real head,” the long-haired guy next to me said as he looked up from his cheap wine.

Head had no negative connotations in my mind at the time. It was the exalted appellation reserved for the long-haired Jesus-like bodhisattvas who ran the head shop. I had short hair! I didn’t know what he was talking about, and said so. As it turned out, he was impressed that I wasn’t drinking (part of “straight” culture) but was holding out, apparently, for dope (part of “hip” culture).

Looking back now I wonder what more I needed to perceive that “hip” culture could be as superficial and status conscious, as “dishonest,” as “straight” culture. At the time what I heard was a long-haired disciple of the long-haired Jesus-like bodhisattvas saying, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile^[13]—to me! I was grateful that (so long as I kept my mouth shut) I could be accepted into the kingdom of “headom” even before I had my bona fides in order. And later that night, after the cops broke up the party, I shared my first joint. It did absolutely nothing for me, except to make what hair I had and my clothes smell funny.

My Reasons and My Reason, Part 5

Back to Sexual Immorality Revisited, Part 3

Back to Who Am I? Part 11

Back to Christianity, Part 11

^[1] Matthew 5:32a (NET) Table

^[2] Matthew 5:32b (NET) Table

^[3] 1 John 2:14b (NET)

^[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_to_me

^[5] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μοι (KJV: unto me) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[6] 1 Corinthians 7:1, 2 (NKJV) Table

^[7] Ephesians 6:1-3 (NET)

^[8] James 2:10 (NET) Table

^[9] http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/prostitution.html

^[10] 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10 (NET) Table

^[11] Mark 7:8, 9 (NET)

^[12] http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_said_Familiarity_breeds_contempt; “Familiarity breeds contempt–and children.” http://www.twainquotes.com/Familiarity.html

^[13] John 1:47 (KJV)

Adultery in the Prophets, Part 3

Posted on June 4, 2012 by admin

Ezekiel, a priest, prophesied from Babylonia after the southern kingdom of Judah was taken captive.¹ Ezekiel 23 is a history lesson from the Lord’s point of view told as an allegory (23:1-4 NET).

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, there were two women who were daughters of the same mother. They engaged in prostitution (zānâ, ותזנינה) in Egypt; in their youth they engaged in prostitution (zānâ, זנו). Their breasts were squeezed there; lovers fondled their virgin nipples there [see Addendum below]. Oholah was the name of the older and Oholibah the name of her younger sister. They became mine, and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.”

The key to the allegory is at the end of this passage above: Oholah stands for Samaria the former capital of the long-exiled northern kingdom of Israel. Oholibah stands for Jerusalem the capital of the more recently exiled southern kingdom of Judah (though Jerusalem was still inhabited at this particular time).² Oholah and Oholibah became the Lord’s at Sinai after the exodus from Egypt. Though I had missed it many times before, studying in this context helped me recognize that the people standing there that day were quite different than I had imagined previously.

According to Ezekiel’s prophetic allegory, in Egypt they had become accustomed to worship and sacrifice that included the drunken sexual practices of the nations around them. And it was to this that they returned when Moses tarried on the mountain. So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.³

The Hebrew word translated to play (ṣāḥaq, לצחק) does not necessarily mean what I have suggested. But in light of the Lord’s testimony through Ezekiel I’m quite comfortable assuming that it is within the bounds of a euphemistic usage of the word. It was used to describe Isaac caressing (ṣāḥaq, מצחק) his wife Rebekah⁴ or sporting (ṣāḥaq) with Rebekah his wife⁵ in a manner that alerted Abimelech that she was in fact his wife and not his sister, as Isaac had said. And I sincerely doubt that Moses and the Levites strapped on swords, marched through the camp and killed three thousand men to break up the ancient equivalent of sack races, horseshoe matches and softball games.⁶

The Lord continued his allegorical history lesson through Ezekiel with a brief reprise of Oholah’s exploits (Ezekiel 23:5-10 NET):

Oholah engaged in prostitution (zānâ, ותזן) while she was mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians – warriors clothed in blue, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. She bestowed her sexual favors (taznûṯ, תזנותיה) on them; all of them were the choicest young men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all whom she desired – with all their idols [see Addendum below]. She did not abandon the prostitution (taznûṯ, תזנותיה) she had practiced in Egypt; for in her youth men had sex with her, fondled her virgin breasts, and ravished (taznûṯ, תזנותם) her [see Addendum below]. Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted. They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. She became notorious among women, and they executed judgments against her.

This is a familiar tale from Hosea’s prophecies about the northern kingdom of Israel⁷ with an additional insight that the desire for a military alliance with the Assyrians may have been the justification for joining in cultic worship practices. And once again, just in case I missed it the first time (which I did many times), what Israel (Oholah) practiced and was judged for by war and captivity is the same practice that she did not abandon from her youth in Egypt.

Then Oholibah took center stage in the allegory (Ezekiel 23:11-21 NET):

Her sister Oholibah watched this, but she became more corrupt in her lust than her sister had been, and her acts of prostitution (taznûṯ, תזנותיה) were more numerous than those of her sister [see Addendum below]. She lusted after the Assyrians – governors and officials, warriors in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. I saw that she was defiled; both of them followed the same path. But she increased her prostitution (taznûṯ, תזנותיה). She saw men carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans carved in bright red [see Addendum below], wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, the image of Babylonians whose native land is Chaldea. When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. The Babylonians crawled into bed with her. They defiled her with their lust (taznûṯ, בתזנותם); after she was defiled by them, she became disgusted with them [see Addendum below]. When she lustfully (taznûṯ, תזנותיה) exposed her nakedness, I was disgusted with her, just as I had been disgusted with her sister [see Addendum below]. Yet she increased her prostitution (taznûṯ, תזנותיה), remembering the days of her youth when she engaged in prostitution (zānâ, זנתה) in the land of Egypt [see Addendum below]. She lusted after their genitals – as large as those of donkeys, and their seminal emission was as strong as that of stallions. This is how you assessed the obscene (zimmâ, זמת) conduct of your youth, when the Egyptians fondled your nipples and squeezed your young breasts.

Once again the idolatrous worship practices for which Judah was judged were equated to the obscene conduct of her youth in Egypt, just in case I missed it the first two times. If I plug this understanding into Matthew 5:32 (NET) and 19:9 (NET) as the meaning of πορνεία, I get the following:

Matthew 5:32 (NET)	Matthew 19:9 (NET)
I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for “idolatrous worship (including its drunken sexual practices),” makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.	Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for “idolatrous worship (including its drunken sexual practices),” and marries another commits adultery.

1) The meaning is limited and specific.

2) One party may be guilty while the other is innocent (unlike unlawful marriage which makes both parties guilty by definition).

3) It is in keeping with a major prophetic theme of God’s complaint against his chosen people.

4) It accounts for even the apparent permissiveness of Matthew 19:9 in that God himself divorced Israel over this kind of πορνεία,⁸ not immediately, but after centuries of practice with little, or no, or feigned confession and repentance.

On a personal note this study and its consequent understanding of porneia (πορνεία) lifts my thoughts out of the gutter of self-obsession, that God hates divorce to make my life perpetually miserable with a despised wife, or perpetually guilt-ridden because I have failed to keep a wife, twice (once when I was young and again many years later when I could not blame it on my youth). Rather, his hatred of divorce is yet another way to know⁹ Him. Paul took up this prophetic theme of marriage and divorce/adultery in Romans 7:1-6 (NET).

Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law is lord over a person as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of the marriage. So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she is joined to another man, she is not an adulteress. So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.

How secure am I joined to the Lord Jesus in this way? “I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel…¹⁰ And Jesus said, Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.¹¹ Only continual flagrant idolatrous worship (including its drunken sexual practices) compelled God to divorce his beloved. If this is what Jesus, Paul and the New Testament writers meant by πορνεία, it fits amazingly well into the fabric of the Bible’s prophetic writings. But could Jesus have still been concerned about this particular kind of πορνεία? in the first century? in Judea?

Addendum: January 25, 2022
While the English translations of the Masoretic text of Ezekiel 23:3 made the sisters’ prostitution sound like heavy petting, the English translations of the Septuagint were more direct.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 23:3 (Tanakh/KJV)	Ezekiel 23:3 (NET)	Ezekiel 23:3 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:3 (Elpenor English)
And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed (מֹֽעֲכ֣וּ), and there they bruised (עִשּׂ֔וּ) the teats (דַּדֵּ֖י) of their virginity.	They engaged in prostitution in Egypt; in their youth they engaged in prostitution. Their breasts were squeezed (māʿaḵ, מעכו) there; lovers fondled (ʿāśâ, עשׁו) their virgin nipples (daḏ, דדי) there.	And they played the whore in Egypt in their youth; there their breasts fell (ἔπεσον); there they lost their virginity (διεπαρθενεύθησαν).	and they went a-whoring in Egypt in their youth: there their breasts fell (ἔπεσον), there they lost their virginity (διεπαρθενεύθησαν).

I won’t spend the time here to explore whether the rabbis understood they bruised (עִשּׂ֔וּ) the teats (דַּדֵּ֖י) of their virginity (Tanakh) as an idiom or euphemism for they lost their virginity (διεπαρθενεύθησαν, a form of διαπαρθενεύω) or if the Masoretes altered the Hebrew text.

In Ezekiel 23:7 below the Hebrew word תַּזְנוּתֶ֙יהָ֙ (taznûṯ), whoredoms (Tanakh, KJV), sexual favors (NET), was translated πορνείαν (a form of πορνεία), whoring (NETS), fornication (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 23:7 (Tanakh/KJV)	Ezekiel 23:7 (NET)	Ezekiel 23:7 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:7 (Elpenor English)
Thus she committed her whoredoms (תַּזְנוּתֶ֙יהָ֙) with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.	She bestowed her sexual favors (taznûṯ, תזנותיה) on them; all of them were the choicest young men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all whom she desired—with all their idols.	And she granted her whoring (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς) to them; they were all the chosen sons of Assyrians, and she was defiling herself upon all, upon whom she laid herslef, with all her notions.	And she bestowed her fornication (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς) upon them; all were choice sons of the Assyrians: and on whomsoever she doted herself, with them she defiled herself in all [their] devices.

In Ezekiel 23:8 below it seems more likely that they bruised (עִשּׂ֖וּ) the breasts (דַּדֵּ֣י) of her virginity (Tanakh, KJV) was understood as an idiom or euphemism for they took her virginity (διεπαρθένευσαν, a form of διαπαρθενεύω) by the rabbis who translated the Septuagint. And both תַּזְנוּתֶ֚יהָ, whoredoms (Tanakh, KJV), and תַזְנוּתָ֖ם, whoredom (Tanakh, KJV), were translated πορνείαν (a form of πορνεία).

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 23:8 (Tanakh/KJV)	Ezekiel 23:8 (NET)	Ezekiel 23:8 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:8 (Elpenor English)
Neither left she her whoredoms (תַּזְנוּתֶ֚יהָ) brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised (עִשּׂ֖וּ) the breasts (דַּדֵּ֣י) of her virginity, and poured their whoredom (תַזְנוּתָ֖ם) upon her.	She did not abandon the prostitution (taznûṯ, תזנותיה) she had practiced in Egypt, for in her youth men went to bed with her, fondled (ʿāśâ, עשׁו) her virgin breasts (daḏ, דדי), and ravished (taznûṯ, תזנותם) her.	And she did not give up her whoring (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς) from Egypt, for they were lying with her in her youth, and they took her virginity (διεπαρθένευσαν) and poured out their whoring (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῶν) upon her.	And she forsook not her fornication (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς) with the Egyptians: for in her youth they committed fornication with her, and they deflowered (διεπαρθένευσαν) her, and poured out their fornication (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῶν) upon her.

In Ezekiel 23:11 both תַּזְנוּתֶ֔יהָ (taznûṯ) and מִזְּנוּנֵ֖ (zᵊnûnîm) were translated πορνείαν (a form of πορνεία) in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 23:11 (Tanakh/KJV)	Ezekiel 23:11 (NET)	Ezekiel 23:11 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:11 (Elpenor English)
And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms (תַּזְנוּתֶ֔יהָ) more than her sister in her whoredoms (מִזְּנוּנֵ֖י).	“Her sister Oholibah watched this, but she became more corrupt in her lust than her sister had been, and her acts of prostitution (taznûṯ, תזנותיה) were more numerous than those (zᵊnûnîm, מזנוני) of her sister.	And her sister, Ooliba, saw and was corrupting her aggression beyond her and her whoring (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς) beyond the whoring (τὴν πορνείαν) of her sister.	And her sister Ooliba saw [it], and she indulged in her fondness more corruptly than she, and in her fornication (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς) more than the fornication (τὴν πορνείαν) of her sister.

In Ezekiel 23:14 תַּזְנוּתֶ֑יהָ (taznûṯ) was translated πορνείαν (a form of πορνεία) in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 23:14 (Tanakh/KJV)	Ezekiel 23:14 (NET)	Ezekiel 23:14 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:14 (Elpenor English)
And that she increased her whoredoms (תַּזְנוּתֶ֑יהָ): for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,	But she increased her prostitution (taznûṯ, תזנותיה). She saw men carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans carved in bright red,	And she added to her whoring (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς), and she saw men painted upon the wall, images of the Chaldeans, painted by brush,	And she increased her fornication (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς), and she saw men painted on the wall, likenesses of the Chaldeans painted with a pencil,

In Ezekiel 23:17 בְּתַזְנוּתָ֑ם (taznûṯ) was translated πορνείᾳ in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 23:17 (Tanakh/KJV)	Ezekiel 23:17 (NET)	Ezekiel 23:17 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:17 (Elpenor English)
And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom (בְּתַזְנוּתָ֑ם), and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.	The Babylonians crawled into bed with her. They defiled her with their lust (taznûṯ, בתזנותם); after she was defiled by them, she became disgusted with them.	And the sons of Babylon came to her for a bed of lodgers, and they were defiling her in her whoring (τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς), and she was defiled with them, and her soul recoiled from them.	And the sons of Babylon came to her, into the bed of rest, and they defiled her in her fornication (τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς), and she was defiled by them, and her soul was alienated from them.

In Ezekiel 23:18 תַּזְנוּתֶ֔יהָ (taznûṯ) was translated πορνείαν (a form of πορνεία) in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 23:18 (Tanakh/KJV)	Ezekiel 23:18 (NET)	Ezekiel 23:18 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:18 (Elpenor English)
So she discovered her whoredoms (תַּזְנוּתֶ֔יהָ), and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.	When she lustfully (taznûṯ, תזנותיה) exposed her nakedness, I was disgusted with her, just as I had been disgusted with her sister.	And she uncovered her whoring (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς) and uncovered her shame, and my soul recoiled from her, as my soul recoiled from her sister.	And she exposed her fornication (τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς), and exposed her shame: and my soul was alienated from her, even as my soul was alienated from her sister.

In Ezekiel 23:19 תַּזְנוּתֶ֑יהָ (taznûṯ) was translated πορνείαν (a form of πορνεία) and זָֽנְתָ֖ה (zānâ) with the verb ἐπόρνευσας a form of πορνεύω) in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 23:19 (Tanakh/KJV)	Ezekiel 23:19 (NET)	Ezekiel 23:19 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:19 (Elpenor English)
Yet she multiplied her whoredoms (תַּזְנוּתֶ֑יהָ), in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot (זָֽנְתָ֖ה) in the land of Egypt.	Yet she increased her prostitution (taznûṯ, תזנותיה), remembering the days of her youth when she engaged in prostitution (zānâ, זנתה) in the land of Egypt.	And you multiplied your whoring (τὴν πορνείαν σου) to remind them of the days of your youth when you whored (ἐπόρνευσας) in Egypt,	And thou didst multiply thy fornication (τὴν πορνείαν σου), so as to call to remembrance the days of thy youth, wherein thou didst commit whoredom (ἐπόρνευσας) in Egypt,

Tables comparing Ezekiel 23:1; 23:2; 23:3; 23:4; Genesis 26:8; Ezekiel 23:5; 23:6; 23:7; 23:8; 23:9; 23:10; 23:11; 23:12; 23:13; 23:14; 23:15; 23:16; 23:17; 23:18; 23:19; 23:20 and 23:21 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Ezekiel 23:1; 23:2; 23:3; 23:4; Genesis 26:8; Ezekiel 23:5; 23:6; 23:7; 23:8; 23:9; 23:10; 23:11; 23:12; 23:13; 23:14; 23:15; 23:16; 23:17; 23:18; 23:19; 23:20 and 23:21 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Ezekiel 23:1 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:1 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:1 (NET)
The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,	The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,	The Lord’s message came to me:

Ezekiel 23:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρός με λέγων	ΚΑΙ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με λέγων
Ezekiel 23:1 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:1 (English Elpenor)
And a word of the Lord came to me, saying:	And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 23:2 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:2 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:2 (NET)
Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:	Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother:	“Son of man, there were two women who were daughters of the same mother.

Ezekiel 23:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου δύο γυναῗκες ἦσαν θυγατέρες μητρὸς μιᾶς	υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, δύο γυναῖκες ἦσαν θυγατέρες μητρὸς μιᾶς
Ezekiel 23:2 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:2 (English Elpenor)
Son of man, two women were daughters of one mother,	Son of man, there were two women, daughters of one mother:

Ezekiel 23:3 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:3 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:3 (NET)
And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.	And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.	They engaged in prostitution in Egypt; in their youth they engaged in prostitution. Their breasts were squeezed there; lovers fondled their virgin nipples there.

Ezekiel 23:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσαν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἐν τῇ νεότητι αὐτῶν ἐκεῗ ἔπεσον οἱ μαστοὶ αὐτῶν ἐκεῗ διεπαρθενεύθησαν	καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσαν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἐν τῇ νεότητι αὐτῶν· ἐκεῖ ἔπεσον οἱ μαστοὶ αὐτῶν, ἐκεῖ διεπαρθενεύθησαν
Ezekiel 23:3 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:3 (English Elpenor)
And they played the whore in Egypt in their youth; there their breasts fell; there they lost their virginity.	and they went a-whoring in Egypt in their youth: there their breasts fell, there they lost their virginity.

Ezekiel 23:4 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:4 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:4 (NET)
And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.	And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah.	Oholah was the name of the older and Oholibah the name of her younger sister. They became mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 23:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἦν Οολα ἡ πρεσβυτέρα καὶ Οολιβα ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐγένοντό μοι καὶ ἔτεκον υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν Σαμάρεια ἡ Οολα καὶ Ιερουσαλημ ἡ Οολιβα	καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἦν ᾿Οολὰ ἡ πρεσβυτέρα καὶ ᾿Οολιβὰ ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτῆς. καὶ ἐγένοντό μοι καὶ ἔτεκον υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν· Σαμάρεια ἦν ᾿Οολὰ καὶ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἦν ᾿Οολιβά
Ezekiel 23:4 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:4 (English Elpenor)
And their names were Oola the elder and Ooliba her sister. And they became mine and bore sons and daughters. As for their names: Oola was Samaria, and Ooliba was Ierousalem.	And their names were Oola the elder, and Ooliba her sister: and they were mine, and bore sons and daughters: and [as for] their names, Samaria was Oola, and Jerusalem was Ooliba.

Genesis 26:8 (Tanakh)	Genesis 26:8 (KJV)	Genesis 26:8 (NET)
And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.	And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.	After Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines happened to look out a window and observed Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.

Genesis 26:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 26:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ πολυχρόνιος ἐκεῗ παρακύψας δὲ Αβιμελεχ ὁ βασιλεὺς Γεραρων διὰ τῆς θυρίδος εἶδεν τὸν Ισαακ παίζοντα μετὰ Ρεβεκκας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ	ἐγένετο δὲ πολυχρόνιος ἐκεῖ· καὶ παρακύψας ᾿Αβιμέλεχ ὁ βασιλεὺς Γεράρων διὰ τῆς θυρίδος, εἶδε τὸν ᾿Ισαὰκ παίζοντα μετὰ Ρεβέκκας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ
Genesis 26:8 (NETS)	Genesis 26:8 (English Elpenor)
And he stayed on there quite some time. Now Abimelech the king of Gerara, when he peered through the window, saw Isaak playing around with his wife Rebekka.	And he remained there a long time, and Abimelech the king of Gerara leaned to look through the window, and saw Isaac sporting with Rebecca his wife.

Ezekiel 23:5 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:5 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:5 (NET)
And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,	And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbours,	“Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was mine. She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians—warriors

Ezekiel 23:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσεν ἡ Οολα ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ καὶ ἐπέθετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐραστὰς αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἀσσυρίους τοὺς ἐγγίζοντας αὐτῇ	καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσεν ἡ ᾿Οολὰ ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ ἐπέθετο ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐραστὰς αὐτῆς, ἐπὶ τοὺς ᾿Ασσυρίους τοὺς ἐγγίζοντας αὐτῇ
Ezekiel 23:5 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:5 (English Elpenor)
And Oola played the whore away from me and laid herself upon her lovers, upon the Assyrians who were coming near to her	And Oola went a-whoring from me, and doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians that were her neighbors

Ezekiel 23:6 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:6 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:6 (NET)
Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.	Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.	clothed in blue, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses.

Ezekiel 23:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐνδεδυκότας ὑακίνθινα ἡγουμένους καὶ στρατηγούς νεανίσκοι ἐπίλεκτοι πάντες ἱππεῗς ἱππαζόμενοι ἐφ᾽ ἵππων	ἐνδεδυκότας ὑακίνθινα, ἡγουμένους καὶ στρατηγούς· νεανίσκοι καὶ ἐπίλεκτοι πάντες, ἱππεῖς ἱππαζόμενοι ἐφ’ ἵππων
Ezekiel 23:6 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:6 (English Elpenor)
clothed in blue, governors and commanders. They were all elite young men, horsemen riding upon horses.	clothed with purple, princes and captains; [they were] young men and choice, all horseman riding on horses.

Ezekiel 23:7 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:7 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:7 (NET)
Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.	Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.	She bestowed her sexual favors on them; all of them were the choicest young men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all whom she desired—with all their idols.

Ezekiel 23:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔδωκεν τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς ἐπίλεκτοι υἱοὶ Ἀσσυρίων πάντες καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας οὓς ἐπέθετο ἐν πᾶσι τοῗς ἐνθυμήμασιν αὐτῆς ἐμιαίνετο	καὶ ἔδωκε τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς ἐπ’ αὐτούς· ἐπίλεκτοι υἱοὶ ᾿Ασσυρίων πάντες, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας, οὓς ἐπέθετο, ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐνθυμήμασιν αὐτοῖς ἐμιαίνετο
Ezekiel 23:7 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:7 (English Elpenor)
And she granted her whoring to them; they were all the chosen sons of Assyrians, and she was defiling herself upon all, upon whom she laid herslef, with all her notions.	And she bestowed her fornication upon them; all were choice sons of the Assyrians: and on whomsoever she doted herself, with them she defiled herself in all [their] devices.

Ezekiel 23:8 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:8 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:8 (NET)
Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.	Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her.	She did not abandon the prostitution she had practiced in Egypt, for in her youth men went to bed with her, fondled her virgin breasts, and ravished her.

Ezekiel 23:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπεν ὅτι μετ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐκοιμῶντο ἐν νεότητι αὐτῆς καὶ αὐτοὶ διεπαρθένευσαν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐξέχεαν τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῶν ἐπ᾽ αὐτήν	καὶ τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου οὐκ ἐγκατέλιπεν, ὅτι μετ’ αὐτῆς ἐκοιμῶντο ἐν νεότητι αὐτῆς, καὶ αὐτοὶ διεπαρθένευσαν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐξέχεαν τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῶν ἐπ’ αὐτήν
Ezekiel 23:8 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:8 (English Elpenor)
And she did not give up her whoring from Egypt, for they were lying with her in her youth, and they took her virginity and poured out their whoring upon her.	And she forsook not her fornication with the Egyptians: for in her youth they committed fornication with her, and they deflowered her, and poured out their fornication upon her.

Ezekiel 23:9 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:9 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:9 (NET)
Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.	Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.	Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians for whom she lusted.

Ezekiel 23:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκα αὐτὴν εἰς χεῗρας τῶν ἐραστῶν αὐτῆς εἰς χεῗρας υἱῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἐφ᾽ οὓς ἐπετίθετο	διὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκα αὐτὴν εἰς χεῖρας τῶν ἐραστῶν αὐτῆς, εἰς χεῖρας υἱῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων, ἐφ’ οὓς ἐπετίθετο
Ezekiel 23:9 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:9 (English Elpenor)
Therefore, I gave her over into the hands of her lovers, into hands of the sons of Assyrians upon whom she was laying herself.	Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the children of the Assyrians, on whom she doted.

Ezekiel 23:10 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:10 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:10 (NET)
These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.	These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.	They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. She became notorious among women, and they executed judgments against her.

Ezekiel 23:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αὐτοὶ ἀπεκάλυψαν τὴν αἰσχύνην αὐτῆς υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας αὐτῆς ἔλαβον καὶ αὐτὴν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἀπέκτειναν καὶ ἐγένετο λάλημα εἰς γυναῗκας καὶ ἐποίησαν ἐκδικήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ εἰς τὰς θυγατέρας	αὐτοὶ ἀπεκάλυψαν τὴν αἰσχύνην αὐτῆς, υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας αὐτῆς ἔλαβον καὶ αὐτὴν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἀπέκτειναν. καὶ ἐγένετο λάλημα εἰς γυναῖκας, καὶ ἐποίησαν ἐκδικήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ εἰς τὰς θυγατέρας
Ezekiel 23:10 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:10 (English Elpenor)
They uncovered her shame; they took her sons and daughters and killed her by sword, and she became prattle for women, and they executed judgment against her upon her daughters.	They uncovered her shame: they took her sons and daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became a byword among women: and they wrought vengeance in her for the sake of the daughters.

Ezekiel 23:11 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:11 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:11 (NET)
And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.	And when her sister Aholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.	“Her sister Oholibah watched this, but she became more corrupt in her lust than her sister had been, and her acts of prostitution were more numerous than those of her sister.

Ezekiel 23:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδεν ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτῆς Οολιβα καὶ διέφθειρε τὴν ἐπίθεσιν αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ αὐτὴν καὶ τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ τὴν πορνείαν τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτῆς	Καὶ εἶδεν ἡ ἀδελφὴ αὐτῆς ᾿Οολιβὰ καὶ διέφθειρε τὴν ἐπίθεσιν αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ αὐτὴν καὶ τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς ὑπὲρ τὴν πορνείαν τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτῆς
Ezekiel 23:11 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:11 (English Elpenor)
And her sister, Ooliba, saw and was corrupting her aggression beyond her and her whoring beyond the whoring of her sister.	And her sister Ooliba saw [it], and she indulged in her fondness more corruptly than she, and in her fornication more than the fornication of her sister.

Ezekiel 23:12 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:12 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:12 (NET)
She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.	She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.	She lusted after the Assyrians—governors and officials, warriors in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men.

Ezekiel 23:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἐπέθετο ἡγουμένους καὶ στρατηγοὺς τοὺς ἐγγὺς αὐτῆς ἐνδεδυκότας εὐπάρυφα ἱππεῗς ἱππαζομένους ἐφ᾽ ἵππων νεανίσκοι ἐπίλεκτοι πάντες	ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων ἐπέθετο, ἡγουμένους καὶ στρατηγοὺς τοὺς ἐγγὺς αὐτῆς ἐνδεδυκότας εὐπάρυφα, ἱππεῖς ἱππαζομένους ἐφ’ ἵππων· νεανίσκοι ἐπίλεκτοι πάντες
Ezekiel 23:12 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:12 (English Elpenor)
She applied herself to the sons of Assyrians, governors and commanders near her, wearing fine purple, horsemen riding upon horses. They were all elite young men.	She doted upon the sons of the Assyrian, princes and captains, her neighbours, clothed with fine linen, horsemen riding on horses; [they were] all choice young men.

Ezekiel 23:13 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:13 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:13 (NET)
Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way,	Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way,	I saw that she was defiled; both of them followed the same path.

Ezekiel 23:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδον ὅτι μεμίανται ὁδὸς μία τῶν δύο	καὶ εἶδον ὅτι μεμίανται· ὁδὸς μία τῶν δύο
Ezekiel 23:13 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:13 (English Elpenor)
And I saw that she had been defiled, one way for the two.	And I saw that they were defiled, [that] the two [had] one way.

Ezekiel 23:14 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:14 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:14 (NET)
And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,	And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermilion,	But she increased her prostitution. She saw men carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans carved in bright red,

Ezekiel 23:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ προσέθετο πρὸς τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς καὶ εἶδεν ἄνδρας ἐζωγραφημένους ἐπὶ τοῦ τοίχου εἰκόνας Χαλδαίων ἐζωγραφημένους ἐν γραφίδι	καὶ προσέθετο πρὸς τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς καὶ εἶδεν ἄνδρας ἐζωγραφημένους ἐπὶ τοῦ τοίχου, εἰκόνας Χαλδαίων, ἐζωγραφημένους ἐν γραφίδι
Ezekiel 23:14 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:14 (English Elpenor)
And she added to her whoring, and she saw men painted upon the wall, images of the Chaldeans, painted by brush,	And she increased her fornication, and she saw men painted on the wall, likenesses of the Chaldeans painted with a pencil,

Ezekiel 23:15 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:15 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:15 (NET)
Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:	Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity:	wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, the image of Babylonians whose native land is Chaldea.

Ezekiel 23:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐζωσμένους ποικίλματα ἐπὶ τὰς ὀσφύας αὐτῶν καὶ τιάραι βαπταὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτῶν ὄψις τρισσὴ πάντων ὁμοίωμα υἱῶν Χαλδαίων γῆς πατρίδος αὐτῶν	ἐζωσμένους ποικίλματα ἐπὶ τὰς ὀσφύας αὐτῶν, καὶ τιάραι βαπταὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κεφαλῶν αὐτῶν, ὄψις τρισσὴ πάντων, ὁμοίωμα υἱῶν Χαλδαίων, γῆς πατρίδος αὐτῶν
Ezekiel 23:15 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:15 (English Elpenor)
girded with brocades upon their loins and dyed tiaras on their heads; all had a triple aspect, a likeness of sons of Chaldeans of their native land.	having variegated girdles on their loins, having also richly dyed [attire] upon their heads; all had a princely appearance, the likeness of the children of the Chaldeans, of their native land.

Ezekiel 23:16 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:16 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:16 (NET)
And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.	And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.	When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea.

Ezekiel 23:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπέθετο ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς τῇ ὁράσει ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰς γῆν Χαλδαίων	καὶ ἐπέθετο ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς τῇ ὁράσει ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῆς καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰς γῆν Χαλδαίων
Ezekiel 23:16 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:16 (English Elpenor)
And she applied herself to them in the vision of her eyes and sent out messengers to them into the land of the Chaldeans.	And she doted upon them as soon as she saw them, and sent forth messengers to them into the land of the Chaldeans.

Ezekiel 23:17 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:17 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:17 (NET)
And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.	And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.	The Babylonians crawled into bed with her. They defiled her with their lust; after she was defiled by them, she became disgusted with them.

Ezekiel 23:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἤλθοσαν πρὸς αὐτὴν υἱοὶ Βαβυλῶνος εἰς κοίτην καταλυόντων καὶ ἐμίαινον αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς καὶ ἐμιάνθη ἐν αὐτοῗς καὶ ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῆς ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν	καὶ ἤλθοσαν πρὸς αὐτὴν υἱοὶ Βαβυλῶνος εἰς κοίτην καταλυόντων καὶ ἐμίαινον αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐμιάνθη ἐν αὐτοῖς· καὶ ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῆς ἀπ’ αὐτῶν
Ezekiel 23:17 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:17 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of Babylon came to her for a bed of lodgers, and they were defiling her in her whoring, and she was defiled with them, and her soul recoiled from them.	And the sons of Babylon came to her, into the bed of rest, and they defiled her in her fornication, and she was defiled by them, and her soul was alienated from them.

Ezekiel 23:18 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:18 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:18 (NET)
So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.	So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.	When she lustfully exposed her nakedness, I was disgusted with her, just as I had been disgusted with her sister.

Ezekiel 23:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπεκάλυψεν τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς καὶ ἀπεκάλυψεν τὴν αἰσχύνην αὐτῆς καὶ ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς ὃν τρόπον ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπὸ τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτῆς	καί ἀπεκάλυψε τὴν πορνείαν αὐτῆς καὶ ἀπεκάλυψεν αἰσχύνην αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπ’ αὐτῆς, ὃν τρόπον ἀπέστη ἡ ψυχή μου ἀπὸ τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτῆς
Ezekiel 23:18 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:18 (English Elpenor)
And she uncovered her whoring and uncovered her shame, and my soul recoiled from her, as my soul recoiled from her sister.	And she exposed her fornication, and exposed her shame: and my soul was alienated from her, even as my soul was alienated from her sister.

Ezekiel 23:19 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:19 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:19 (NET)
Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.	Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.	Yet she increased her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth when she engaged in prostitution in the land of Egypt.

Ezekiel 23:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπλήθυνας τὴν πορνείαν σου τοῦ ἀναμνῆσαι ἡμέρας νεότητός σου ἐν αἷς ἐπόρνευσας ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ	καὶ ἐπλήθυνας τὴν πορνείαν σου τοῦ ἀναμνῆσαι ἡμέραν νεότητός σου, ἐν αἷς ἐπόρνευσας ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ
Ezekiel 23:19 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:19 (English Elpenor)
And you multiplied your whoring to remind them of the days of your youth when you whored in Egypt,	And thou didst multiply thy fornication, so as to call to remembrance the days of thy youth, wherein thou didst commit whoredom in Egypt,

Ezekiel 23:20 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:20 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:20 (NET)
For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.	For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.	She lusted after her lovers there, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of stallions.

Ezekiel 23:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπέθου ἐπὶ τοὺς Χαλδαίους ὧν ἦσαν ὡς ὄνων αἱ σάρκες αὐτῶν καὶ αἰδοῗα ἵππων τὰ αἰδοῗα αὐτῶν	καὶ ἐπέθου ἐπὶ τοὺς Χαλδαίους, ὧν ὡς ὄνων αἱ σάρκες αὐτῶν καὶ αἰδοῖα ἵππων τὰ αἰδοῖα αὐτῶν
Ezekiel 23:20 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:20 (English Elpenor)
and you applied yourself to the Chaldeans, whose flesh was like that of donkeys and their privates were privates of horses.	and thou didst dote upon the Chaldeans, whose flesh is as the flesh of the asses, and their members [as] the members of horses.

Ezekiel 23:21 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 23:21 (KJV)	Ezekiel 23:21 (NET)
Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.	Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.	This is how you assessed the obscene conduct of your youth, when the Egyptians fondled your nipples and squeezed your young breasts.

Ezekiel 23:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 23:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπεσκέψω τὴν ἀνομίαν νεότητός σου ἃ ἐποίεις ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἐν τῷ καταλύματί σου οὗ οἱ μαστοὶ νεότητός σου	καὶ ἐπεσκέψω τὴν ἀνομίαν νεότητός σου, ἃ ἐποίεις ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἐν τῷ καταλύματί σου, οὗ οἱ μαστοὶ νεότητός σου
Ezekiel 23:21 (NETS)	Ezekiel 23:21 (English Elpenor)
And you reflected upon the lawlessness of your youth, what you used to do in Egypt in your lodging, where the breasts of your youth were.	And thou didst look upon the iniquity of thy youth, [the things] which thou wroughtest in Egypt in thy lodgings, where were the breasts of thy youth.

Section One – Conclusion

Back to Romans, Part 2

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 5

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 7

Back to Who Am I? Part 5

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

Back to My Reasons and My Reason, Part 4

¹ Ezekiel 1:1-3

² 2 Kings 24:10-17 (NET)

³ Exodus 32:6 (NET) Table

⁴ Genesis 26:8 (NET)

⁵ Genesis 26:8 (KJV)

⁶ Exodus 32:25-29 (NET)

⁷ Hosea 4:11-14 (NET)

⁸ Jeremiah 3:8 (NET)

⁹ John 17:3 (NET)

¹⁰ Malachi 2:16a (NET) Table

¹¹ Matthew 19:6b (NET)

Adultery in the Law, Part 3

Posted on May 27, 2012 by admin

The translators of the New American Bible¹ chose the marriage is unlawful for πορνεία in Matthew 5:32 [Table]. So I will substitute that translation in the NET:

But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the marriage is unlawful, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

The footnote in the New American Bible references Leviticus 18:6-18 rather than Leviticus 20:11-21. A comparison of the two passages follows.

Leviticus 18:6-18 (NET)

Leviticus 20:11-21 (NET)

No man is to approach any close relative to have sexual intercourse with her. I am the Lord. You must not expose your father’s nakedness by having sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have intercourse with her. You must not have sexual intercourse with your father’s wife; she is your father’s nakedness [Table].

Leviticus 18:6-8 (NET)

If a man has sexual intercourse with his father’s wife, he has exposed his father’s nakedness. Both of them must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves.

Leviticus 20:11 (NET) Table

You must not have sexual intercourse with your sister, whether she is your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she is born in the same household or born outside it; you must not have sexual intercourse with either of them.

Leviticus 18:9 (NET) Table

If a man has sexual intercourse with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or his mother, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has exposed his sister’s nakedness; he will bear his punishment for iniquity.

Leviticus 20:17 (NET) Table

You must not expose the nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter by having sexual intercourse with them, because they are your own nakedness.

Leviticus 18:10 (NET)

You must not have sexual intercourse with the daughter of your father’s wife born of your father; she is your sister. You must not have intercourse with her.

Leviticus 18:11 (NET)

You must not have sexual intercourse with your father’s sister; she is your father’s flesh. You must not have sexual intercourse with your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s flesh. You must not expose the nakedness of your father’s brother; you must not approach his wife to have sexual intercourse with her. She is your aunt.

Leviticus 18:12-14 (NET)

You must not expose the nakedness of your mother’s sister and your father’s sister, for such a person has laid bare his own close relative. They must bear their punishment for iniquity [Table]. If a man has sexual intercourse with his aunt, he has exposed his uncle’s nakedness; they must bear responsibility for their sin, they will die childless [Table].

Leviticus 20:19, 20 (NET)

You must not have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife. You must not have intercourse with her.

Leviticus 18:15 (NET)

If a man has sexual intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have committed perversion; their blood guilt is on themselves.

Leviticus 20:12 (NET) Table

You must not have sexual intercourse with your brother’s wife; she is your brother’s nakedness.

Leviticus 18:16 (NET)

If a man has sexual intercourse with his brother’s wife, it is indecency. He has exposed his brother’s nakedness; they will be childless.

Leviticus 20:21 (NET) Table

You must not have sexual intercourse with both a woman and her daughter; you must not take as wife either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to have intercourse with them. They are closely related to her – it is lewdness.

Leviticus 18:17 (NET)

If a man has sexual intercourse with both a woman and her mother, it is lewdness. Both he and they must be burned to death, so there is no lewdness in your midst.

Leviticus 20:14 (NET) Table

You must not take a woman in marriage and then marry her sister as a rival wife while she is still alive, to have sexual intercourse with her.

Leviticus 18:18 (NET)

There are offenses listed in Leviticus 18:6-18 that don’t have a corresponding punishment in Leviticus 20:11-21. Also there are punishments for offenses in Leviticus 20:11-21 that are not mentioned in Leviticus 18:6-18. They do appear just outside that arbitrary limit:

You must not have sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman; it is a detestable act.

Leviticus 18:22 (NET)

If a man has sexual intercourse with a male as one has sexual intercourse with a woman, the two of them have committed an abomination. They must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves.

Leviticus 20:13 (NET) Table

You must not have sexual intercourse with any animal to become defiled with it, and a woman must not stand before an animal to have sexual intercourse with it; it is a perversion.

Leviticus 18:23 (NET)

If a man has sexual intercourse with any animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal [Table]. If a woman approaches any animal to have sexual intercourse with it, you must kill the woman, and the animal must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves [Table].

Leviticus 20:15, 16 (NET)

You must not approach a woman in her menstrual impurity to have sexual intercourse with her.

Leviticus 18:19 (NET)

If a man has sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman and uncovers her nakedness, he has laid bare her fountain of blood and she has exposed the fountain of her blood, so both of them must be cut off from the midst of their people.

Leviticus 20:18 (NET) Table

Both lists combined still comprise a finite set of twelve dimensions. That addresses my primary discomfort relative to the open-ended translation of πορνεία as immorality in the NET. One would think I would be happier than I feel about it. I want to revisit Matthew 5:32 (NET) and 19:9 (NET) with X = porneia (πορνεία).

Matthew 5:32 (NET)	Matthew 19:9 (NET)
I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for X, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.	Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for X, and marries another commits adultery.

The structure seems to imply that 1) divorce is forbidden, 2) remarriage is adultery, 3) except for πορνεία. I took Matthew 5:32 to be saying that if the husband who divorced his wife was guilty of πορνεία, Jesus would not consider the divorced wife an adulteress when she remarried, nor hold her new husband guilty of committing adultery. In Matthew 19:9 I assumed that the divorced wife was guilty of πορνεία and that Jesus would not hold the divorced husband liable for adultery if he remarried.

Is there an implicit permission to divorce a wife guilty of πορνεία in Matthew 19:9? It may appear so out of context. But if I bear in mind that Jesus’ original answer to the Pharisees’ question—Is it lawful (ἔξεστιν, a form of ἔξεστι) to divorce a wife for any cause?—was an emphatic no, that apparent permissiveness recedes into the background. But here’s what happens if I substitute the marriage is unlawful (where the marriage is unlawful = the sets Leviticus 20:11-21 and Leviticus 18:6-18, 19, 22, 23) for X = porneia (πορνεία).

Matthew 5:32 (NET)	Matthew 19:9 (NET)
I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the marriage is unlawful, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.	Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for the marriage is unlawful, and marries another commits adultery.

Now both the divorced husband and his wife are guilty of πορνεία [e.g., their marriage was unlawful], and both are free of the charge of adultery if remarried. And divorce in these cases, rather than being forbidden, is obligatory? And I was entertaining the idea that this was a better translation of πορνεία than immorality?

Though the New American Bible translators were consistent in their translation of Matthew 5:32, 19:9; Acts 15:20, 29, and 21:25, they reverted to immorality in 1 Corinthians 5:1 as opposed to unlawful marriage for πορνεία. This is the one place where Paul may actually have referred to the law in Leviticus 18:8 and 20:11, and called it πορνεία.

It is widely reported that there is immorality (πορνεία) among you, and immorality (πορνεία) of a kind not found² even among pagans – a man living with his father’s wife.

Still, there is an incident in the Old Testament (Ezra 9, 10) where divorce was utilized as the remedy for another kind of unlawful marriage (Ezra 9:1, 2 NET):

The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the local residents who practice detestable things similar to those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has become intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront of all of this!

Addendum: January 16, 2019
A table comparing 1 Corinthians 5:1 in the NET and KJV follows.

1 Corinthians 5:1 (NET)	1 Corinthians 5:1 (KJV)
It is actually reported that sexual immorality exists among you, the kind of immorality that is not permitted even among the Gentiles, so that someone is cohabiting with his father’s wife.	It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ὅλως ἀκούεται ἐν ὑμῖν πορνεία, καὶ τοιαύτη πορνεία ἥτις οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὥστε γυναῖκα τινα τοῦ πατρὸς ἔχειν	ολως ακουεται εν υμιν πορνεια και τοιαυτη πορνεια ητις ουδε εν τοις εθνεσιν ονομαζεται ωστε γυναικα τινα του πατρος εχειν	ολως ακουεται εν υμιν πορνεια και τοιαυτη πορνεια ητις ουδε εν τοις εθνεσιν ονομαζεται ωστε γυναικα τινα του πατρος εχειν

Addendum: October 5, 2021
Tables comparing Leviticus 18:6; 18:7; 18:10; 18:11; 18:12, 18:13; 18:14; 18:15; 18:16; 18:17; 18:18; 18:22; 18:23; 18:19; Ezra 9:1 and 9:2 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Leviticus 18:6; 18:7; 18:10; 18:11; 18:12; 18:13; 18:14; 18:15; 18:16; 18:17; 18:18; 18:22; 18:23; 18:19; Ezra (2 Esdras) 9:1 and 9:2 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Leviticus 18:6 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:6 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:6 (NET)
None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness. I am HaShem.	None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.	“‘No man is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations with her. I am the Lord.

Leviticus 18:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἄνθρωπος ἄνθρωπος πρὸς πάντα οἰκεῗα σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ οὐ προσελεύσεται ἀποκαλύψαι ἀσχημοσύνην ἐγὼ κύριος	Ανθρωπος ἄνθρωπος πρὸς πάντα οἰκεῖα σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ οὐ προσελεύσεται ἀποκαλύψαι ἀσχημοσύνην· ἐγὼ Κύριος
Leviticus 18:6 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:6 (English Elpenor)
Person by person shall not approach any of the household of his flesh to uncover shame; I am the Lord.	No man shall draw nigh to any of his near kindred to uncover their nakedness; I [am] the Lord.

Leviticus 18:7 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:7 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:7 (NET)
The nakedness of thy father, and the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.	The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.	You must not expose your father’s nakedness by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.

Leviticus 18:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀσχημοσύνην πατρός σου καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην μητρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις μήτηρ γάρ σού ἐστιν καὶ οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς	ἀσχημοσύνην πατρός σου καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην μητρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις, μήτηρ γάρ σού ἐστιν, οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς
Leviticus 18:7 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:7 (English Elpenor)
You shall not uncover the shame of your father and the shame of your mother, for she is your mother; you shall not uncover her shame.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, for she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

Leviticus 18:10 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:10 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:10 (NET)
The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover; for theirs is thine own nakedness.	The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.	You must not expose the nakedness of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter by having sexual relations with them, because they are your own nakedness.

Leviticus 18:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀσχημοσύνην θυγατρὸς υἱοῦ σου ἢ θυγατρὸς θυγατρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῶν ὅτι σὴ ἀσχημοσύνη ἐστίν	ἀσχημοσύνην θυγατρὸς υἱοῦ σου ἢ θυγατρὸς θυγατρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῶν, ὅτι σὴ ἀσχημοσύνη ἐστίν
Leviticus 18:10 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:10 (English Elpenor)
You shall not uncover their shame—the shame of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, for it is your own shame.	The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or thy daughter’s daughter, their nakedness thou shalt not uncover; because it is thy nakedness.

Leviticus 18:11 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:11 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:11 (NET)
The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.	The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.	You must not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father’s wife born of your father; she is your sister. You must not have sexual relations with her.

Leviticus 18:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀσχημοσύνην θυγατρὸς γυναικὸς πατρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις ὁμοπατρία ἀδελφή σού ἐστιν οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς	ἀσχημοσύνην θυγατρὸς γυναικὸς πατρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις, ὁμοπατρία ἀδελφή σού ἐστιν, οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς
Leviticus 18:11 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:11 (English Elpenor)
You shall not uncover the shame of your father’s wife’s daughter; she is your sister by the same father. You shall not uncover her shame.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of the daughter of thy father’s wife; she is thy sister by the same father: thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

Leviticus 18:12 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:12 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:12 (NET)
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman.	You must not have sexual relations with your father’s sister; she is your father’s flesh.

Leviticus 18:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς πατρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις οἰκεία γὰρ πατρός σού ἐστιν	ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς πατρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις, οἰκεία γὰρ πατρός σού ἐστιν
Leviticus 18:12 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:12 (English Elpenor)
You shall not uncover the shame of your father’s sister, for she is your father’s own household.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister, for she is near akin to thy father.

Leviticus 18:13 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:13 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:13 (NET)
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister; for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister: for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman.	You must not have sexual relations with your mother’s sister, because she is your mother’s flesh.

Leviticus 18:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς μητρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις οἰκεία γὰρ μητρός σού ἐστιν	ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς μητρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις, οἰκεία γὰρ μητρός σού ἐστιν
Leviticus 18:13 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:13 (English Elpenor)
You shall not uncover the shame of your mother’s sister, for she is of your mother’s own household.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, for she is near akin to thy mother.

Leviticus 18:14 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:14 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:14 (NET)
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy fathers brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.	You must not expose the nakedness of your father’s brother; you must not approach his wife to have marital relations with her. She is your aunt.

Leviticus 18:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ πατρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις καὶ πρὸς τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰσελεύσῃ συγγενὴς γάρ σού ἐστιν	ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ πατρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις καὶ πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰσελεύσῃ, συγγενής γάρ σού ἐστιν
Leviticus 18:14 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:14 (English Elpenor)
You shall not uncover the shame of your father’s brother, and you shall not approach his wife, for she is your relative.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, and thou shalt not go in to his wife; for she is thy relation.

Leviticus 18:15 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:15 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:15 (NET)
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law: she is thy son'[s] wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.	You must not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law; she is your son’s wife. You must not have sexual relations with her.

Leviticus 18:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀσχημοσύνην νύμφης σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις γυνὴ γὰρ υἱοῦ σού ἐστιν οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς	ἀσχημοσύνην νύμφης σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις, γυνὴ γὰρ υἱοῦ σού ἐστιν, οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς
Leviticus 18:15 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:15 (English Elpenor)
You shall not uncover the shame of your daughter-in-law, for she is your son’s wife; you shall not uncover her shame.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law, for she is thy son’s wife, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

Leviticus 18:16 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:16 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:16 (NET)
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.	You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; she is your brother’s nakedness.

Leviticus 18:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀσχημοσύνην γυναικὸς ἀδελφοῦ σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις ἀσχημοσύνη ἀδελφοῦ σού ἐστιν	ἀσχημοσύνην γυναικὸς ἀδελφοῦ σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις, ἀσχημοσύνη ἀδελφοῦ σού ἐστιν.
Leviticus 18:16 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:16 (English Elpenor)
You shall not uncover the shame of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s shame.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.

Leviticus 18:17 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:17 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:17 (NET)
Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter; thou shalt not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness: they are near kinswomen; it is lewdness.	Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.	You must not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter; you must not take as wife either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to have sexual relations with them. They are closely related to her—it is lewdness.

Leviticus 18:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀσχημοσύνην γυναικὸς καὶ θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτῆς καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς οὐ λήμψῃ ἀποκαλύψαι τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῶν οἰκεῗαι γάρ σού εἰσιν ἀσέβημά ἐστιν	ἀσχημοσύνην γυναικὸς καὶ θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις· τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτῆς καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς οὐ λήψῃ ἀποκαλύψαι τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῶν, οἰκεῖαι γὰρ σού εἰσιν· ἀσέβημά ἐστι
Leviticus 18:17 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:17 (English Elpenor)
You shall not uncover the shame of a woman and her daughter. You shall not take her son’s daughter and her daughter’s daughter to uncover their shame, for they are your own household; it is a profane act.	The nakedness of a woman and her daughter shalt thou not uncover; her son’s daughter, and her daughter’s daughter, shalt thou not take, to uncover their nakedness, for they are thy kinswomen: it is impiety.

Leviticus 18:18 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:18 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:18 (NET)
And thou shalt not take a woman to her sister, to be a rival to her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her lifetime.	Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.	You must not take a woman in marriage and then marry her sister as a rival wife while she is still alive, to have sexual relations with her.

Leviticus 18:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
γυναῗκα ἐπὶ ἀδελφῇ αὐτῆς οὐ λήμψῃ ἀντίζηλον ἀποκαλύψαι τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς ἐπ᾽ αὐτῇ ἔτι ζώσης αὐτῆς	γυναῖκα ἐπ᾿ ἀδελφῇ αὐτῆς οὐ λήψῃ ἀντίζηλον ἀποκαλύψαι τήν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς ἐπ᾿ αὐτῇ, ἔτι ζώσης αὐτῆς
Leviticus 18:18 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:18 (English Elpenor)
You shall not take a woman as a rival in addition to her sister, to uncover her shame in addition to her while she is still alive.	Thou shalt not take a wife in addition to her sister, as a rival, to uncover her nakedness in opposition to her, while she is yet living.

Leviticus 18:22 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:22 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:22 (NET)
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination.	Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.	You must not have sexual relations with a male as one has sexual relations with a woman; it is a detestable act.

Leviticus 18:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ μετὰ ἄρσενος οὐ κοιμηθήσῃ κοίτην γυναικός βδέλυγμα γάρ ἐστιν	καὶ μετὰ ἄρσενος οὐ κοιμηθήσῃ κοίτην γυναικείαν, βδέλυγμα γάρ ἐστι
Leviticus 18:22 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:22 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not sleep with a male as in a bed of a woman, for it is an abomination.	And thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman, for it is an abomination.

Leviticus 18:23 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:23 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:23 (NET)
And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto; it is perversion.	Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.	You must not have sexual relations with any animal to become defiled with it, and a woman must not stand before an animal to have sexual relations with it; it is a perversion.

Leviticus 18:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ πρὸς πᾶν τετράπουν οὐ δώσεις τὴν κοίτην σου εἰς σπερματισμὸν ἐκμιανθῆναι πρὸς αὐτό καὶ γυνὴ οὐ στήσεται πρὸς πᾶν τετράπουν βιβασθῆναι μυσερὸν γάρ ἐστιν	καὶ πρὸς πᾶν τετράπουν οὐ δώσεις τὴν κοίτην σου εἰς σπερματισμόν, ἐκμιανθῆναι πρὸς αὐτό. καὶ γυνὴ οὐ στήσεται πρὸς πᾶν τετράπουν βιβασθῆναι, μυσαρὸν γάρ ἐστι
Leviticus 18:23 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:23 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not give your bed to any quadruped for sowing to bring defilement on it, nor shall any woman stand before any quadruped so as to be mounted, for it is loathsome.	Neither shalt thou lie with any quadruped for copulation, to be polluted with it: neither shall a woman present herself before any quadruped to have connexion with it; for it is an abomination.

Leviticus 18:19 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 18:19 (KJV)	Leviticus 18:19 (NET)
And thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is impure by her uncleanness.	Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.	“‘You must not approach a woman in her menstrual impurity to have sexual relations with her.

Leviticus 18:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 18:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ πρὸς γυναῗκα ἐν χωρισμῷ ἀκαθαρσίας αὐτῆς οὐ προσελεύσῃ ἀποκαλύψαι τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς	Καὶ πρὸς γυναῖκα ἐν χωρισμῷ ἀκαθαρσίας αὐτῆς οὐκ εἰσελεύσῃ ἀποκαλύψαι τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς
Leviticus 18:19 (NETS)	Leviticus 18:19 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not approach a woman to uncover her shame in the separation of her uncleanness.	And thou shalt not go in to a woman under separation for her uncleanness, to uncover her nakedness.

Ezra 9:1 (Tanakh)	Ezra 9:1 (KJV)	Ezra 9:1 (NET)
Now when these things were done, the princes drew near unto me, saying: ‘The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.	Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.	Now when these things had been completed, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the local residents who practice detestable things similar to those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

Ezra 9:1 (Septuagint BLB)	2 Esdras 9:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὡς ἐτελέσθη ταῦτα ἤγγισαν πρός με οἱ ἄρχοντες λέγοντες οὐκ ἐχωρίσθη ὁ λαὸς Ισραηλ καὶ οἱ ἱερεῗς καὶ οἱ Λευῗται ἀπὸ λαῶν τῶν γαιῶν ἐν μακρύμμασιν αὐτῶν τῷ Χανανι ὁ Εθι ὁ Φερεζι ὁ Ιεβουσι ὁ Αμμωνι ὁ Μωαβι ὁ Μοσερι καὶ ὁ Αμορι	ΚΑΙ ὡς ἐτελέσθη ταῦτα, ἤγγισαν πρός με οἱ ἄρχοντες λέγοντες· οὐκ ἐχωρίσθη ὁ λαὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἀπὸ λαῶν τῶν γαιῶν ἐν μακρύμμασιν αὐτῶν, τῷ Χανανί, ὁ ᾿Εθί, ὁ Φερεζί, ὁ ᾿Ιεβουσί, ὁ ᾿Αμμωνί, ὁ Μωαβὶ καὶ ὁ Μοσερὶ καὶ ὁ ᾿Αμορί,
2 Esdras 9:1 (NETS)	2 Esdras 9:1 (English Elpenor)
And after these things had been done, the rulers approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and Leuites were not separated from the peoples of the lands with their things put far away, in reference to the Chanani—the Heththi, the Pherezi, the Iebousi, the Ammoni, the Moab, the Mosri and the Amori—	And when these things were finished, the princes drew near to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands in their abominations, [even] the Chananite, the Ethite, the Pherezite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, and the Moserite and the Amorite.

Ezra 9:2 (Tanakh)	Ezra 9:2 (KJV)	Ezra 9:2 (NET)
For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons; so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands; yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been first in this faithlessness.’	For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.	Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has become intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront of all this unfaithfulness!”

Ezra 9:2 (Septuagint BLB)	2 Esdras 9:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι ἐλάβοσαν ἀπὸ θυγατέρων αὐτῶν ἑαυτοῗς καὶ τοῗς υἱοῗς αὐτῶν καὶ παρήχθη σπέρμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν λαοῗς τῶν γαιῶν καὶ χεὶρ τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐν τῇ ἀσυνθεσίᾳ ταύτῃ ἐν ἀρχῇ	ὅτι ἐλάβοσαν ἀπὸ θυγατέρων αὐτῶν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ παρήχθη σπέρμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν λαοῖς τῶν γαιῶν, καὶ χεὶρ τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐν τῇ ἀσυνθεσίᾳ ταύτῃ ἐν ἀρχῇ
2 Esdras 9:2 (NETS)	2 Esdras 9:2 (English Elpenor)
because they have taken from their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and the holy seed was influenced by the peoples of the lands, and the hand of the rulers was in this faithlessness in the beginning.”	For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and their sons; and the holy seed has passed among the nations of the lands, and the hand of the rulers [has been] first in this transgression.

Ezra and Divorce

Back to Sexual Immorality Revisited, Part 2

Back to Who Am I? Part 5

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind

Back to What is Sexual Immorality?

Back to Is Sin Less Than Sin? Part 3

Back to Is Sin Less Than Sin? Part 4

Back to My Reasons and My Reason, Part 7

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 1

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 3

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 7

Back to Is Sin Less Than Sin? Part 1

Back to My Reasons and My Reason, Part 2

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Back to Sexual Immorality Revisited, Part 2

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 6

² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ονομαζεται (KJV: so much as named) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not (NET: permitted).

Adultery and X

Posted on May 19, 2012 by admin

Since I am uncomfortable with immorality as potentially too broad a translation of πορνεία I’ll treat it like an unknown X. So if I remove X from the equations so to speak I get a clearer view of Jesus’ meaning without X. I might even gain some insight into ways to solve for X where X = πορνεία.

Matthew 5:32 (NET) Table	Matthew 19:9 (NET) Table
I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife…makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.	Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife…and marries another commits adultery.

So there are two statements in Matthew 5:32 (NET): 1) everyone who divorces his wife makes her commit adultery (μοιχευθῆναι, a form of μοιχεύω), and 2) whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery (μοιχᾶται, a form of μοιχάω). There is one statement in Matthew 19:9 (NET): 3) whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery (μοιχᾶται, a form of μοιχάω). So I have three statements made by Jesus about divorce and adultery. The missing statement from Matthew 19:9 in the NET is not particularly relevant to this consideration because it was identical to statement 2) in Matthew 5:32 (NET).

With this as a baseline I’ll put X back in to see what is changed by X.

Matthew 5:32 (NET)	Matthew 19:9 (NET)
I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for X, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.	Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for X, and marries another commits adultery.

What is fairly clear now is that the introduction of X did not alter the fact that the man divorced his wife in Matthew 5:32 (NET). It did not change the facts that Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, nor that from the beginning it was not this way.¹ The introduction of X has absolutely no bearing on the facts that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female [see Addendum below], and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ [see Addendum below]? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.²

The only facts available for alteration by X or the facts pertaining to adultery if/when a woman so divorced remarries. I’m going to assume that X in this case was the husband’s doing. When a wife is divorced because of the husband’s X, Jesus does not consider her remarriage adultery, not for her, not for the man who marries her. Likewise in Matthew 19:9 (NET) Jesus does not consider the husband’s remarriage adultery if the wife does X. And by no means, in either case, is it a command to divorce over X. Forgiveness, mercy, love and grace remain the standing order of the day.

My advice to anyone who, like me, is caught up in a divorce is to stop looking to rules like this to justify yourself. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.³ Jesus told of a man who 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!’ I tell you that this man went down to his home justified…⁴

The one who confesses divorce as sin and receives mercy, forgiveness and justification from God through Jesus Christ is free to marry again as the Lord leads. The one who justifies divorce by laws, rules or principles disagrees with God through Jesus Christ, does not receive God’s mercy, forgiveness or justification, but relies on his own righteousness derived from the law. If this one remarries after divorce it is adultery in Jesus’ eyes. But all is not lost. …if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. Jesus told of a man who 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!’ I tell you that this man went down to his home justified…

Addendum: September 8, 2021
According to a note (6) in the NET Matthew 19:4b is a quotation of Genesis 1:27b and 5:2a. Tables comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation with that of the Septuagint follow.

Matthew 19:4 (NET Parallel Greek) Table	Genesis 1:27b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Genesis 1:27b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς	ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς	ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς
Matthew 19:4 (NET)	Genesis 1:27b (NETS)	Genesis 1:27b (English Elpenor)
made them male and female	male and female he made them	male and female he made them

Matthew 19:4 (NET Parallel Greek) Table	Genesis 5:2a (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 5:2a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς	ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς	ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς
Matthew 19:4 (NET)	Genesis 5:2a (NETS)	Genesis 5:2a (English Elpenor)
made them male and female	male and female he made them	male and female he made them

According to a note (7) in the NET Matthew 19:5 is a quotation of Genesis 2:24. A table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation with that of the Septuagint follows.

Matthew 19:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	Genesis 2:24 (Septuagint BLB) Table	Genesis 2:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἕνεκα τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ κολληθήσεται τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν	ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν	ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν
Matthew 19:5 (NET)	Genesis 2:24 (NETS)	Genesis 2:24 (English Elpenor)
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh	Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.	Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

A table comparing Genesis 5:2 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and a table comparing the Greek of Genesis 5:2 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Genesis 5:2 (Tanakh)	Genesis 5:2 (KJV)	Genesis 5:2 (NET)
male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.	Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.	He created them male and female; when they were created, he blessed them and named them “humankind.”

Genesis 5:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 5:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτούς καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῶν Αδαμ ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς	ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτούς· καὶ ἐπωνόμασε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ᾿Αδάμ, ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς
Genesis 5:2 (NETS)	Genesis 5:2 (English Elpenor)
male and female he made them, and he blessed them. And he named their name “Adam” on the day that he made them.	male and female he made them, and blessed them; and he called his name Adam, in the day in which he made them.

Adultery in the Law, Part 1

Back to Who Am I? Part 5

Back to Father, Forgive Them – Part 3

¹ Matthew 19:8 (NET) Table

² Matthew 19:4-6 (NET) Table

³ 1 John 1:9, 10 (NET)

⁴ Luke 18:13, 14 (NET) Table

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

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

Tag Archives: Matthew 5:32

αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ, Part 1

Sexual Immorality Revisited, Part 2

My Reasons and My Reason, Part 4

Adultery in the Prophets, Part 3

Adultery in the Law, Part 3

Adultery and X