3 John, Part 6

Posted on October 19, 2025 by admin

This is a continuation of my notes on 3 John for the preaching class I’m taking. John wrote (3 John 1:11 ESV):

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good (τὸ ἀγαθόν). Whoever does good¹ is from God (ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν); whoever does evil has not seen God.

I wondered, “How does Jesus relate to ἀγαθόν (good)?”² Someone asked Him about a good deed (ἀγαθόν) one might do to have eternal life (Matthew 19:16-21 ESV):

And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed (ἀγαθὸν) must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments” [Table]. He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your³ father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept.⁴ What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” [Table].

I considered the first two verses above in some detail in another essay. I won’t repeat it here except to say that, “What good might I do in order that I might have life eternal,” treats both ποιήσω, “might I do,” and σχῶ, “I might have,” as verbs in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood. I admit, however, that translating ποιήσω as an imperative, must I do, highlights the insight that this man was probably like one of those in Israel described by Paul (Romans 9:30-33 ESV):

What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law [Table]. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith (ἐκ πίστεως), but as if it were based on works (ἐξ ἔργων). They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” [Table].⁵

I already began a consideration of Jesus’ question about the good; more to come on that in another essay.

He continued: εἰ δὲ θέλεις, If you would (or “But if you desire”), εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν, enter life (or “into the life to enter”), |τήρησον| τὰς ἐντολάς, keep the commandments. The Greek word translated keep, τήρησον, is a 2^nd person singular form of τηρέω in the imperative mood: “to guard, keep watch over (someone/something); to watch (in preparation for either offense or defense); to remain alert in anticipation; to watch out for danger; to watch out for the loss of (something); to inspect closely; to act and live in conformity to; to keep and not let go; to keep, hold, reserve, preserve (someone/something); to keep (from harm); to keep (from loss); to keep and protect; to keep, observe, fulfill, pay attention to.”

The man said, ποίας, Which ones? Knowing that he had great possessions,⁶ I have wondered if he was negotiating for the best possible price on eternal life. But Jesus didn’t treat him that way. Jesus answered him like an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit,⁷ a branch of the cultivated olive tree⁸ of which Paul wrote. Jesus clarified and focused his meaning for the man, not with ceremonial laws or cleanliness laws or dietary laws which separated Israel from other peoples, not with the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees but, with five of the ten commandments (Exodus 20) and the second of the two commandments [on which] depend all the Law and the Prophets.⁹

There were some notable exceptions (Exodus 20:1-7 ESV):

And God spoke all these words, saying [Table], “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery [Table]. “You shall have no other gods before me [Table]. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth [Table]. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me [Table], but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments [Table]. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain [Table].

These resolve to, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…the great and first commandment.¹⁰ Another exception was (Exodus 20:17 ESV):

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” [Table].

This is probably the commandment in the forefront of Paul’s mind when he wrote: Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being (σὰρξ; literally, flesh) will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.¹¹ For he acknowledged later (Romans 7:7-13 ESV):

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure [Table].

The man responded to the six commandments Jesus recited: |πάντα ταῦτα| ἐφύλαξα, All these I have kept. The verb ἐφύλαξα is an indicative form of φυλάσσω: “to watch, guard, defend; to guard (someone), prevent (from escaping); to guard, protect, watch over (someone); to stand guard; to keep (something from being broken); to observe (i.e., to acknowledge that something is significant and important to affect one’s behaviour); to follow; to keep, maintain.” Then the man, sensing apparently that something must be missing, asked: τί ἔτι ὑστερῶ, What do I still lack?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the translation What for the interrogative pronoun τί (a form of τίς). It is probably precisely what the man meant, especially if he was stumbling over the stumbling stone,¹² pursuing righteousness as if it were based on works.¹³ Still, it intrigues me that τί might have been translated Who, “Who do I still lack,” for that is the question Jesus answered: “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”¹⁴

Jesus answered the man’s question about eternal life by inviting him to die the death of the upright and [have an] end…like his.¹⁵ I left the story of Balaam and Balak, asking, “Did Balak realize that he was hearing from God as Balaam prophesied to him?” Balak neither bowed down nor fell on his face.¹⁶ He did not confess, I have sinned.¹⁷ But before moving on to consider how Balak responded, there was another commandment missing from Jesus’ response to a man’s desire to enter into eternal life (Exodus 20:8-11 ESV):

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy [Table]. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work [Table], but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates [Table]. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy [Table].

I can’t simply relegate this to a ceremonial law “which separated Israel from other peoples” without comment. Jesus’ attitude was clear: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath [Table]. So the Son of Man (or “son of man”) is lord even of the Sabbath.”¹⁸ And, “it is lawful (ἔξεστιν, a form of ἔξεστι; e.g., permitted) to do good (καλῶς; e.g., beautifully) on the Sabbath.”¹⁹ (As the writer of Hebrews noted: For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.²⁰)

Paul wrote (Romans 14:4-6a; 7-12 ESV):

Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand [Table].

One²¹ person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord…²² For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ²³ died and lived again,²⁴ that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;²⁵ for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”²⁶ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God [Table].

The writer of Hebrews likened the Sabbath in the new covenant to the promised land in the old, a daily way of life rather than a singular day of the week (Hebrews 3:12-4:10 ESV).

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said,

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”²⁷

For who were those who heard (Exodus 19:1-20:21) and yet rebelled (Exodus 32:1-10)? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? [Table] And with whom was he provoked for forty²⁸ years (Numbers 13:1-14:12)? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest (Numbers 14:13-23), but to those who were disobedient (τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν)? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief (ἀπιστίαν).

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened (KJV: not being mixed with faith in them that heard it) [Table]. For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,

“As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’”²⁹

although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.”³⁰ And again in this passage he said,

“They shall not enter my rest.”

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience (ἀπείθειαν, a form of ἀπείθεια), again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” [Table].

For if Joshua (Ἰησοῦς) had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.

As Paul wrote, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure [Table].³¹ And I wrote in another essay:

My entering into God’s rest differs from his rest in a significant way. He rested from works that were very good: God saw all that he had made—and it was very good!^[14] I am eager to rest from works of evil at one extreme, hypocrisy at the other (the works of an actor playing at righteousness) or some jumbled combination of the two everywhere in between.

As John wrote: Whoever does good is from God (or “from God exists”).³² Balak did not believe that God spoke personally to him through Balaam (Numbers 23:11, 12 ESV).

And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” And he answered and said, “Must I not take care to speak³³ what the Lord (yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה; Septuagint: ὁ Θεὸς) puts in my mouth?”

To one who believes that the Lord (NETS: God) put a word in Balaam’s mouth, this sounds as if He is still speaking, asking an adroit question, inviting Balak to reconsider his ways. To one who does not believe, this sounds like Balaam trying rather ineffectively to deflect the king’s anger. Balak remained resolute (Numbers 23:13, 14 ESV):

And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.” And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Children are encouraged to emulate a faith and determination like Balak’s to realize their goals and achieve their full potential. Adults are praised for this kind of faith and determination as they pursue their goals and purposes. And the successful credit their success to this kind of faith and determination. Balaam continued as he had done before (Numbers 23:15-18a ESV):

Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord (not in the Masoretic text;³⁴ Septuagint: τὸν Θεόν) over there.” And the Lord (yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה; Septuagint: ὁ Θεὸς) met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord (yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה, corroborated by Κύριος in the Septuagint) spoken?”

Is Balak ready now to hear from the Lord (yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה, corroborated by Κύριος in the Septuagint)?

And Balaam took up his discourse and said, “Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor: God (‘ēl, אֵל; Septuagint: ὁ Θεὸς) is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? [Table] Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord (yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה, corroborated by Κύριος in the Septuagint) their God (‘ĕlōhîm, אֱלֹהָיו, corroborated by ὁ Θεὸς in the Septuagint) is with them, and the shout of a king is among them.³⁵

The Septuagint and the Masoretic text diverge here.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 23:21 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:21 (NET)	Numbers 23:21 (NETS)	Numbers 23:21 (English Elpenor)
None hath beheld (הִבִּ֥יט) iniquity (אָ֨וֶן֙) in Jacob, neither hath one seen (רָאָ֥ה) perverseness (עָמָ֖ל) in Israel; HaShem his G-d is with him, and the shouting for the King (מֶ֖לֶךְ) is among them.	He has not looked on (nāḇaṭ, הביט) iniquity (‘āven, און) in Jacob, nor has he seen (rā’â, ראה) trouble (ʿāmāl, עמל) in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; his acclamation as king (meleḵ, מלך) is among them.	There shall be (ἔσται) no trouble (μόχθος) in Iakob, nor shall hardship (πόνος) be seen (ὀφθήσεται) in Israel. The Lord his God is with him; the glories of rulers (ἀρχόντων) are in him.	There shall not be (ἔσται) trouble (μόχθος) in Jacob, neither shall sorrow be (πόνος) seen (ὀφθήσεται) in Israel: the Lord his God [is] with him, the glories of rulers (ἀρχόντων) [are] in him.

In the Masoretic text הִבִּ֥יט, a form of נָבַט (nāḇaṭ) followed by אָ֨וֶן֙ (āven) was translated hath beheld iniquity (Tanakh), He hath…beheld iniquity (KJV) and He has…looked on iniquity (NET). This was understood as ἔσται μόχθος in the Septuagint, There shall be…trouble (NETS, English Elpenor). These statements were negated by לֹֽא (lō’) in the Masoretic text and οὐκ in the Septuagint. In the Masoretic text רָאָ֥ה (rā’â) followed by עָמָ֖ל (ʿāmāl) was translated hath one seen perverseness (Tanakh), hath he seen perverseness (KJV) and has he seen trouble (NET). This was understood as ὀφθήσεται πόνος in the Septuagint, shall hardship be seen (NETS) and shall sorrow be seen (English Elpenor). Again, these statements were negated by וְלֹֽא, a form of לֹא (lō’), in the Masoretic text and οὐδὲ in the Septuagint. Finally, מֶ֖לֶךְ (meleḵ), for the King (Tanakh), of a king (KJV) and as king (NET), was singular in the Masoretic text; ἀρχόντων, of rulers (NETS, English Elpenor), was plural in the Septuagint.

Balaam’s prophecy continued (Numbers 23:22, 23 ESV):

God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox [Table]. For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!’

Here, too, the Septuagint and Masoretic text diverge.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 23:23b (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:23b (NET)	Numbers 23:23b (NETS)	Numbers 23:23b (English Elpenor)
‘What hath G-d wrought (פָּעַ֖ל)!’	Look at what God has done (p̄āʿal, פעל)!’	what God shall accomplish (ἐπιτελέσει)	what God shall perform (ἐπιτελέσει)

The Masoretic text looks backward to the formation of Israel, while the Septuagint looks forward in the future tense: ἐπιτελέσει, a form of ἐπιτελέω. Would those “scholars and scribes” tasked “to decipher the authentic word of God” from “many disparities of the Torah [which had] emerged as countless scribes wrote numerous scrolls,” with an “ultimate goal…to uphold the traditions of the Jewish people,”³⁶ be more likely to look back to the Passover and the Exodus from Egypt or forward to Christ?

Balaam continued (Numbers 23:24 ESV):

Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.”

Here, too, the tense in the English translation is at issue.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 23:24 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:24 (NET)	Numbers 23:24 (NETS)	Numbers 23:24 (English Elpenor)
Behold a people that riseth up (יָק֔וּם) as a lioness, and as a lion doth he lift himself up (יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א); he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.	Indeed, the people will rise up (qûm, יקום) like a lioness, and like a lion raises himself up (nāśā’, יתנשׁא); they will not lie down until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of the slain.”	Behold, a people shall rise up (ἀναστήσεται) like a whelp and shall bear itself proudly (γαυριωθήσεται) like a lion! It will not lie down until it eats prey and will drink blood of mortally wounded.”	Behold, the people shall rise up (ἀναστήσεται) as a lion’s whelp, and shall exalt himself (γαυρωθήσεται) as a lion; he shall not lie down till he have eaten the prey, and he shall drink the blood of the slain.

The Hebrew word קוּם, a form of יָק֔וּם (qûm) in the Masoretic text, was translated in the present tense in the Tanakh, that riseth up, but in the future tense in the KJV, shall rise up, and NET, will rise up. It was translated ἀναστήσεται in the future tense in the Septuagint: shall rise up (NETS, English Elpenor). The Hebrew word יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א, a form of נָשָׂא (nāśā’) in the Masoretic text, was translated in the present tense in the Tanakh, doth he lift himself up, and NET, raises himself up, but in the future tense in the KJV if I assume that shall carries through the conjunction and, [shall] lift up himself. It was translated γαυριωθήσεται in the future tense in the BLB Septuagint, shall bear itself proudly (NETS), and γαυρωθήσεται also in the future tense in the Elpenor Septuagint, shall exalt himself (English Elpenor).

With the words—it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain—the Lord confirmed Balak’s fear (Numbers 23:25, 26 ESV).

And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord (yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה; Septuagint: ὁ Θεός) says, that I must do’?”³⁷

For the briefest moment it sounds as if Balak is catching on. Perhaps it is too much to hope that he would take advantage of his audience with God, and ask Balaam to intercede on behalf of his people (Exodus 32:9-14). But Balak continued in his faith with determination (Numbers 23:27 ESV):

And Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God (‘ĕlōhîm, הָאֱלֹהִים, corroborated by τῷ Θεῷ in the Septuagint) that you may curse them for me from there.”

Here, Balak’s faith and determination became a stubborn rebellion; he completely ignored the Lord’s word: God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? [Table] Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.³⁸ John wrote, whoever does evil has not seen (ἑώρακεν, a form of ὁράω) God.³⁹

This sounds strange on its surface: No one has ever seen (ἑώρακεν, a form of ὁράω) God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.⁴⁰ The key here is ἐξηγήσατο (a form of ἐξηγέομαι), translated has made him known. Forms of ὁράω mean more than “to see (with the eyes)” in the literal sense: “to consider (i.e., look at mentally); to arrive at a conclusion by observation; to experience, witness; to notice, recognize, understand; to realize, comprehend.” It is in this sense that Balak, though confronted by the word of God through a prophet, did not consider God, arrive at a conclusion in favor of God by observation, experience, witness, notice, recognize, understand, realize or comprehend God, though he had called Him by name, without understanding.

I’ll pick this up in another essay. According to a note (22) in the NET Matthew 19:18b, 19a is a quotation from Exodus 20:12-16 and Deuteronomy 5:16-20. The following tables compare the Greek of that quotation with the Septuagint.

Matthew 19:18b (NET Parallel Greek)	Exodus 20:13 (Septuagint BLB) Table	Exodus 20:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ φονεύσεις	οὐ φονεύσεις	οὐ φονεύσεις
Matthew 19:18b (NET)	Exodus 20:15 (NETS)	Exodus 20:15 (English Elpenor)
Do not murder	You shall not murder.	Thou shalt not kill.

Matthew 19:18b (NET Parallel Greek)	Exodus 20:14 (Septuagint BLB) Table	Exodus 20:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ μοιχεύσεις	οὐ μοιχεύσεις	οὐ μοιχεύσεις
Matthew 19:18b (NET)	Exodus 20:13 (NETS)	Exodus 20:13 (English Elpenor)
do not commit adultery	You shall not commit adultery.	Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Matthew 19:18b (NET Parallel Greek)	Exodus 20:15 (Septuagint BLB) Table	Exodus 20:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ κλέψεις	οὐ κλέψεις	οὐ κλέψεις
Matthew 19:18b (NET)	Exodus 20:14 (NETS)	Exodus 20:14 (English Elpenor)
do not steal	You shall not steal.	Thou shalt not steal.

Matthew 19:18b (NET Parallel Greek)	Exodus 20:16a (Septuagint BLB) Table	Exodus 20:16a (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις	οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις	οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις
Matthew 19:18b (NET)	Exodus 20:16a (NETS)	Exodus 20:16a (English Elpenor)
do not give false testimony	You shall not testify falsely	Thou shalt not bear false witness

Matthew 19:19a (NET Parallel Greek)	Exodus 20:12a (Septuagint BLB) Table	Exodus 20:12a (Septuagint Elpenor)
τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα	τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα	τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου
Matthew 19:19a (NET)	Exodus 20:12a (NETS)	Exodus 20:12a (English Elpenor)
honor your father and mother	Honor your father and your mother	Honour thy father and thy mother

Matthew 19:18b (NET Parallel Greek)	Deuteronomy 5:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ φονεύσεις	οὐ φονεύσεις	οὐ φονεύσεις
Matthew 19:18b (NET)	Deuteronomy 5:18 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:17 (English Elpenor)
Do not murder	You shall not murder.	Thou shalt not commit murder.

Matthew 19:18b (NET Parallel Greek)	Deuteronomy 5:18 (Septuagint BLB) Table	Deuteronomy 5:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ μοιχεύσεις	οὐ μοιχεύσεις	οὐ μοιχεύσεις
Matthew 19:18b (NET)	Deuteronomy 5:17 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:18 (English Elpenor)
do not commit adultery	You shall not commit adultery.	Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Matthew 19:18b (NET Parallel Greek)	Deuteronomy 5:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ κλέψεις	οὐ κλέψεις	οὐ κλέψεις
Matthew 19:18b (NET)	Deuteronomy 5:19 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:19 (English Elpenor)
do not steal	You shall not steal.	Thou shalt not steal.

Matthew 19:18b (NET Parallel Greek)	Deuteronomy 5:20a (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:20a (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις	οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις	οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις
Matthew 19:18b (NET)	Deuteronomy 5:20a (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:20a (English Elpenor)
do not give false testimony	You shall not testify falsely	Thou shalt not bear false witness

Matthew 19:19a (NET Parallel Greek)	Deuteronomy 5:16a (Septuagint BLB) Table	Deuteronomy 5:16a (Septuagint Elpenor)
τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα	τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου	τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου
Matthew 19:19a (NET)	Deuteronomy 5:16a (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:16a (English Elpenor)
honor your father and mother	Honor your father and your mother	Honour thy father and thy mother

According to a note (23) in the NET Matthew 19:19b is a quotation from Leviticus 19:18. The following table compares the Greek of that quotation with the Septuagint.

Matthew 19:19b (NET Parallel Greek)	Leviticus 19:18c (Septuagint BLB) Table	Leviticus 19:18c (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν	ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν	ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν
Matthew 19:19b (NET)	Leviticus 19:18c (NETS)	Leviticus 19:18c (English Elpenor)
love your neighbor as yourself	you shall love your neighbor as yourself	thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

Tables comparing Deuteronomy 5:17; 5:19 (5:17); 5:20 (5:17); Numbers 23:11; 23:12; 23:13; 23:14; 23:15; 23:16; 23:17; 23:18; 23:20; 23:21; 23:23; 23:24; 23:25; 23:26 and 23:27 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Deuteronomy 5:17 (5:18); 5:19; 5:20; Numbers 23:11; 23:12; 23:13; 23:14; 23:15; 23:16; 23:17; 23:18; 23:20; 23:21; 23:23; 23:24; 23:25; 23:26 and 23:27 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Matthew 9:19, 20; Romans 14:5, 6; 14:9, 10 and Hebrews 3:17 in the KJV and NET follow.

Deuteronomy 5:17 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 5:17 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 5:17 (NET)
Thou shalt not murder.	Thou shalt not kill.	“You must not murder.

Deuteronomy 5:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ φονεύσεις	οὐ φονεύσεις
Deuteronomy 5:18 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:17 (English Elpenor)
You shall not murder.	Thou shalt not commit murder.

Deuteronomy 5:17 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 5:19 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 5:19 (NET)
Thou shalt not murder. Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Neither shalt thou steal. Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.	Neither shalt thou steal.	“You must not steal.

Deuteronomy 5:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ κλέψεις	οὐ κλέψεις
Deuteronomy 5:19 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:19 (English Elpenor)
You shall not steal.	Thou shalt not steal.

Deuteronomy 5:17 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 5:20 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 5:20 (NET)
Thou shalt not murder. Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Neither shalt thou steal. Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.	Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.	“You must not offer false testimony against another.

Deuteronomy 5:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον σου μαρτυρίαν ψευδῆ	οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον σου μαρτυρίαν ψευδῆ
Deuteronomy 5:20 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:20 (English Elpenor)
You shall not testify falsely against your neighbor with a false testimony.	Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Numbers 23:11 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:11 (KJV)	Numbers 23:11 (NET)
And Balak said unto Balaam: ‘What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.’	And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.	Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but on the contrary you have only blessed them!”

Numbers 23:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Βαλακ πρὸς Βαλααμ τί πεποίηκάς μοι εἰς κατάρασιν ἐχθρῶν μου κέκληκά σε καὶ ἰδοὺ εὐλόγηκας εὐλογίαν	καὶ εἶπε Βαλὰκ πρὸς Βαλαάμ· τί πεποίηκάς μοι; εἰς κατάρασιν ἐχθρῶν μου κέκληκά σε, καὶ ἰδοὺ εὐλόγηκας εὐλογίαν
Numbers 23:11 (NETS)	Numbers 23:11 (English Elpenor)
And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? For cursing my enemies have I called you—and, behold, you have blessed them with a blessing.”	And Balac said to Balaam, What hast thou done to me? I called thee to curse my enemies, and behold thou hast greatly blessed [them].

Numbers 23:12 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:12 (KJV)	Numbers 23:12 (NET)
And he answered and said: ‘Must I not take heed to speak that which HaShem putteth in my mouth?’	And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?	Balaam replied, “Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”

Numbers 23:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ πρὸς Βαλακ οὐχὶ ὅσα ἐὰν ἐμβάλῃ ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸ στόμα μου τοῦτο φυλάξω λαλῆσαι	καὶ εἶπε Βαλαὰμ πρὸς Βαλάκ· οὐχὶ ὅσα ἂν ἐμβάλῃ ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὸ στόμα μου, τοῦτο φυλάξω λαλῆσαι
Numbers 23:12 (NETS)	Numbers 23:12 (English Elpenor)
And Balaam said to Balak, “No, as much as God puts into my mouth, shall I beware of speaking it?”	And Balaam said to Balac, Whatsoever the Lord shall put into my mouth, shall I not take heed to speak this?

Numbers 23:13 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:13 (KJV)	Numbers 23:13 (NET)
And Balak said unto him: ‘Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.’	And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.	Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you can observe them. You will see only a part of them, but you will not see all of them. Curse them for me from there.”

Numbers 23:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Βαλακ δεῦρο ἔτι μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ εἰς τόπον ἄλλον ἐξ ὧν οὐκ ὄψῃ αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ μέρος τι αὐτοῦ ὄψῃ πάντας δὲ οὐ μὴ ἴδῃς καὶ κατάρασαί μοι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν	Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Βαλάκ· δεῦρο ἔτι μετ’ ἐμοῦ εἰς τόπον ἄλλον, ἐξ οὗ οὐκ ὄψει αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν, ἀλλ’ ἢ μέρος τι αὐτοῦ ὄψει, πάντας δὲ οὐ μὴ ἴδῃς, καὶ κατάρασαί μοι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν
Numbers 23:13 (NETS)	Numbers 23:13 (English Elpenor)
And Balak said to him, “Come yet with me to another place, from there where you shall not see it; rather some part of it you shall see, but all you shall not see. And curse if for me from there.”	And Balac said to him, Come yet with me to another place where thou shalt not see the people, but only thou shalt see a part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.

Numbers 23:14 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:14 (KJV)	Numbers 23:14 (NET)
And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.	And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.	So Balak brought Balaam to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Numbers 23:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ παρέλαβεν αὐτὸν εἰς ἀγροῦ σκοπιὰν ἐπὶ κορυφὴν λελαξευμένου καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς καὶ ἀνεβίβασεν μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν	καὶ παρέλαβεν αὐτὸν εἰς ἀγροῦ σκοπιὰν ἐπὶ κορυφὴν λελαξευμένου καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐκεῖ ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς καὶ ἀνεβίβασε μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν
Numbers 23:14 (NETS)	Numbers 23:14 (English Elpenor)
And he took him to a lookout place of a field, on the top of Hewn. And he built there seven altars and brought a calf and a ram on the altar.	And he took him to a high place of the field to the top of the quarried [rock], and he built there seven altars, and offered a calf and a ram on [every] altar.

Numbers 23:15 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:15 (KJV)	Numbers 23:15 (NET)
And he said unto Balak: ‘Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I go toward a meeting yonder.’	And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder.	And Balaam said to Balak, “Station yourself here by your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord there.”

Numbers 23:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ πρὸς Βαλακ παράστηθι ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας σου ἐγὼ δὲ πορεύσομαι ἐπερωτῆσαι τὸν θεόν	καὶ εἶπε Βαλαὰμ πρός Βαλάκ· παράστηθι ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας σου, ἐγὼ δὲ πορεύσομαι ἐπερωτῆσαι τὸν Θεόν
Numbers 23:15 (NETS)	Numbers 23:15 (English Elpenor)
And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your sacrifice, but I will go to inquire of God.”	And Balaam said to Balac, Stand by thy sacrifice, and I will go to enquire of God.

Numbers 23:16 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:16 (KJV)	Numbers 23:16 (NET)
And HaShem met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said: ‘Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.’	And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.	Then the Lord met Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.”

Numbers 23:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ συνήντησεν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Βαλααμ καὶ ἐνέβαλεν ῥῆμα εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἀποστράφητι πρὸς Βαλακ καὶ τάδε λαλήσεις	καὶ συνήντησεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Βαλαὰμ καὶ ἐνέβαλε ρῆμα εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· ἀποστράφηθι πρὸς Βαλὰκ καὶ τάδε λαλήσεις
Numbers 23:16 (NETS)	Numbers 23:16 (English Elpenor)
And God met with Balaam, and he put a word into his mouth and said, “Turn back to Balak, and this is what you shall speak.”	And God met Balaam, and put a word into his mouth, and said, return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.

Numbers 23:17 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:17 (KJV)	Numbers 23:17 (NET)
And he came to him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him: ‘What hath HaShem spoken?’	And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken?	When Balaam came to him, he was still standing by his burnt offering, along with the princes of Moab. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”

Numbers 23:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπεστράφη πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ ὅδε ἐφειστήκει ἐπὶ τῆς ὁλοκαυτώσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες Μωαβ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Βαλακ τί ἐλάλησεν κύριος	καὶ ἀπεστράφη πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ὅδε ἐφειστήκει ἐπὶ τῆς ὁλοκαυτώσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες Μωὰβ μετ’ αὐτοῦ. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Βαλάκ· τί ἐλάλησε Κύριος
Numbers 23:17 (NETS)	Numbers 23:17 (English Elpenor)
And he turned back to hum, and the latter stood beside his whole burnt offering, and all the rulers of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What did the Lord speak?”	And he returned to him: and he also as standing by his whole-burnt-sacrifice, and all the princes of Moab with him; and Balac said to him, What has the Lord spoken?

Numbers 23:18 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:18 (KJV)	Numbers 23:18 (NET)
And he took up his parable, and said: Arise, Balak, and hear; give ear unto me, thou son of Zippor:	And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:	Balaam uttered his oracle, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear; Listen to me, son of Zippor:

Numbers 23:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ εἶπεν ἀνάστηθι Βαλακ καὶ ἄκουε ἐνώτισαι μάρτυς υἱὸς Σεπφωρ	καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ εἶπεν· ἀνάστηθι Βαλάκ, καὶ ἄκουε· ἐνώτισαι μάρτυς, υἱὸς Σεπφώρ
Numbers 23:18 (NETS)	Numbers 23:18 (English Elpenor)
And he took up this parable and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear; give ear as a witness, O son of Sepphor:	And he took up his parable, and said, rise up, Balac, and hear; hearken as a witness, thou son of Sepphor.

Numbers 23:20 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:20 (KJV)	Numbers 23:20 (NET)
Behold, I am bidden to bless; and when He hath blessed, I cannot call it back.	Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.	Indeed, I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

Numbers 23:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδοὺ εὐλογεῖν παρείλημμαι εὐλογήσω καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστρέψω	ἰδοὺ εὐλογεῖν παρείλημμαι· εὐλογήσω καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστρέψω
Numbers 23:20 (NETS)	Numbers 23:20 (English Elpenor)
Behold, I have been taken hold of to bless; I will bless, and I will not turn away.	Behold, I have received [commandment] to bless: I will bless, and not turn back.

Numbers 23:21 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:21 (KJV)	Numbers 23:21 (NET)
None hath beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath one seen perverseness in Israel; HaShem his G-d is with him, and the shouting for the King is among them.	He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.	He has not looked on iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; his acclamation as king is among them.

Numbers 23:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἔσται μόχθος ἐν Ιακωβ οὐδὲ ὀφθήσεται πόνος ἐν Ισραηλ κύριος ὁ θεὸς αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔνδοξα ἀρχόντων ἐν αὐτῷ	οὐκ ἔσται μόχθος ἐν ᾿Ιακώβ, οὐδὲ ὀφθήσεται πόνος ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ· Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῦ μετ’ αὐτοῦ, τὰ ἔνδοξα ἀρχόντων ἐν αὐτῷ
Numbers 23:21 (NETS)	Numbers 23:21 (English Elpenor)
There shall be no trouble in Iakob, nor shall hardship be seen in Israel. The Lord his God is with him; the glories of rulers are in him.	There shall not be trouble in Jacob, neither shall sorrow be seen in Israel: the Lord his God [is] with him, the glories of rulers [are] in him.

Numbers 23:23 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:23 (KJV)	Numbers 23:23 (NET)
For there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel; now is it said of Jacob and of Israel: ‘What hath G-d wrought!’	Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!	For there is no spell against Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel. At this time it must be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘Look at what God has done!’

Numbers 23:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ γάρ ἐστιν οἰωνισμὸς ἐν Ιακωβ οὐδὲ μαντεία ἐν Ισραηλ κατὰ καιρὸν ῥηθήσεται Ιακωβ καὶ τῷ Ισραηλ τί ἐπιτελέσει ὁ θεός	οὐ γάρ ἐστιν οἰωνισμὸς ἐν ᾿Ιακώβ, οὐδὲ μαντεία ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ· κατὰ καιρὸν ρηθήσεται ᾿Ιακὼβ καὶ τῷ ᾿Ισραήλ, τί ἐπιτελέσει ὁ Θεός
Numbers 23:23 (NETS)	Numbers 23:23 (English Elpenor)
For there is no omen in Iakob nor divination in Israel; opportunely it shall be told to Iakob and to Israel what God shall accomplish.	For there is no divination in Jacob, nor enchantment in Israel; in season it shall be told to Jacob and Israel what God shall perform.

Numbers 23:24 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:24 (KJV)	Numbers 23:24 (NET)
Behold a people that riseth up as a lioness, and as a lion doth he lift himself up; he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.	Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.	Indeed, the people will rise up like a lioness, and like a lion raises himself up; they will not lie down until they eat their prey, and drink the blood of the slain.”

Numbers 23:24 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδοὺ λαὸς ὡς σκύμνος ἀναστήσεται καὶ ὡς λέων γαυριωθήσεται οὐ κοιμηθήσεται ἕως φάγῃ θήραν καὶ αἷμα τραυματιῶν πίεται	ἰδοὺ λαὸς ὡς σκύμνος ἀναστήσεται καὶ ὡς λέων γαυρωθήσεται· οὐ κοιμηθήσεται, ἕως φάγῃ θήραν, καὶ αἷμα τραυματιῶν πίεται
Numbers 23:24 (NETS)	Numbers 23:24 (English Elpenor)
Behold, a people shall rise up like a whelp and shall bear itself proudly like a lion! It will not lie down until it eats prey and will drink blood of mortally wounded.”	Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion’s whelp, and shall exalt himself as a lion; he shall not lie down till he have eaten the prey, and he shall drink the blood of the slain.

Numbers 23:25 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:25 (KJV)	Numbers 23:25 (NET)
And Balak said unto Balaam: ‘Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.’	And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.	Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”

Numbers 23:25 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Βαλακ πρὸς Βαλααμ οὔτε κατάραις καταράσῃ μοι αὐτὸν οὔτε εὐλογῶν μὴ εὐλογήσῃς αὐτόν	καὶ εἶπε Βαλὰκ πρὸς Βαλαάμ· οὔτε κατάραις καταράσῃ μοι αὐτὸν οὔτε εὐλογῶν μὴ εὐλογήσῃς αὐτόν
Numbers 23:25 (NETS)	Numbers 23:25 (English Elpenor)
And Balak said to Balaam, “You shall neither curse them with curses for me, nor, when blessing, shall you bless them.”	Behold, the people shall rise up as a lion’s whelp, and shall exalt himself as a lion; he shall not lie down till he have eaten the prey, and he shall drink the blood of the slain.

Numbers 23:26 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:26 (KJV)	Numbers 23:26 (NET)
But Balaam answered and said unto Balak: ‘Told not I thee, saying: All that HaShem speaketh, that I must do?’	But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?	But Balaam replied to Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord speaks, I must do’?”

Numbers 23:26 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς Βαλααμ εἶπεν τῷ Βαλακ οὐκ ἐλάλησά σοι λέγων τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐὰν λαλήσῃ ὁ θεός τοῦτο ποιήσω	καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς Βαλαὰμ εἶπε τῷ Βαλάκ· οὐκ ἐλάλησά σοι λέγων, τὸ ρῆμα, ὃ ἐὰν λαλήσῃ ὁ Θεός, τοῦτο ποιήσω
Numbers 23:26 (NETS)	Numbers 23:26 (English Elpenor)
And Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not speak to you, saying, ‘The word that God speaks, this I shall do’?”	And Balaam answered and said to Balac, Spoke I not to thee, saying, Whatsoever thing God shall speak to me, that will I do?

Numbers 23:27 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:27 (KJV)	Numbers 23:27 (NET)
And Balak said unto Balaam: ‘Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please G-d that thou mayest curse me them from thence.’	And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.	Balak said to Balaam, “Come, please; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.”

Numbers 23:27 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Βαλακ πρὸς Βαλααμ δεῦρο παραλάβω σε εἰς τόπον ἄλλον εἰ ἀρέσει τῷ θεῷ καὶ καταρᾶσαί μοι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν	Καὶ εἶπε Βαλὰκ πρὸς Βαλαάμ· δεῦρο παραλάβω σε εἰς τόπον ἄλλον, εἰ ἀρέσει τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ κατάρασαί μοι αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν
Numbers 23:27 (NETS)	Numbers 23:27 (English Elpenor)
And Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place, if it shall please God, and curse it for me from there.”	And Balac said to Balaam, Come [and] I will remove thee to another place, if it shall please God, and curse me them from thence.

Matthew 19:19, 20 (NET)	Matthew 19:19, 20 (KJV)
honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.”	Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Matthew 19:19 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 19:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 19:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τίμα τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα, καί ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν	τιμα τον πατερα σου και την μητερα και αγαπησεις τον πλησιον σου ως σεαυτον	τιμα τον πατερα και την μητερα και αγαπησεις τον πλησιον σου ως σεαυτον

The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?”

The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

Matthew 19:20 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 19:20 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 19:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ νεανίσκος· \|πάντα ταῦτα\| ἐφύλαξα· τί ἔτι ὑστερῶ	λεγει αυτω ο νεανισκος παντα ταυτα εφυλαξαμην εκ νεοτητος μου τι ετι υστερω	λεγει αυτω ο νεανισκος παντα ταυτα εφυλαξαμην εκ νεοτητος μου τι ετι υστερω

Romans 14:5, 6 (NET)	Romans 14:5, 6 (KJV)
One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike. Each must be fully convinced in his own mind.	One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Romans 14:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	Romans 14:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Romans 14:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ὂς μὲν [γὰρ] κρίνει ἡμέραν παρ᾿ ἡμέραν, ὃς δὲ κρίνει πᾶσαν ἡμέραν· ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ νοὶ_ πληροφορείσθω	ος μεν κρινει ημεραν παρ ημεραν ος δε κρινει πασαν ημεραν εκαστος εν τω ιδιω νοι πληροφορεισθω	ος μεν κρινει ημεραν παρ ημεραν ος δε κρινει πασαν ημεραν εκαστος εν τω ιδιω νοι πληροφορεισθω

The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God.

He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

Romans 14:6 (NET Parallel Greek)	Romans 14:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Romans 14:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ φρονῶν τὴν ἡμέραν κυρίῳ φρονεῖ· καὶ ὁ ἐσθίων κυρίῳ ἐσθίει, εὐχαριστεῖ γὰρ τῷ θεῷ· καὶ ὁ μὴ ἐσθίων κυρίῳ οὐκ ἐσθίει καὶ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ θεῷ	ο φρονων την ημεραν κυριω φρονει και ο μη φρονων την ημεραν κυριω ου φρονει ο εσθιων κυριω εσθιει ευχαριστει γαρ τω θεω και ο μη εσθιων κυριω ουκ εσθιει και ευχαριστει τω θεω	ο φρονων την ημεραν κυριω φρονει και ο μη φρονων την ημεραν κυριω ου φρονει και ο εσθιων κυριω εσθιει ευχαριστει γαρ τω θεω και ο μη εσθιων κυριω ουκ εσθιει και ευχαριστει τω θεω

Romans 14:9, 10 (NET)	Romans 14:9, 10 (KJV)
For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.	For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

Romans 14:9 (NET Parallel Greek)	Romans 14:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Romans 14:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν καὶ ἔζησεν, ἵνα καὶ νεκρῶν καὶ ζώντων κυριεύσῃ	εις τουτο γαρ χριστος και απεθανεν και ανεστη και ανεζησεν ινα και νεκρων και ζωντων κυριευση	εις τουτο γαρ χριστος και απεθανεν και ανεστη και εζησεν ινα και νεκρων και ζωντων κυριευση

But you who eat vegetables only—why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything—why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

Romans 14:10 (NET Parallel Greek)	Romans 14:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Romans 14:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Σὺ δὲ τί κρίνεις τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; ἢ καὶ σὺ τί ἐξουθενεῖς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου; πάντες γὰρ παραστησόμεθα τῷ βήματι τοῦ θεοῦ	συ δε τι κρινεις τον αδελφον σου η και συ τι εξουθενεις τον αδελφον σου παντες γαρ παραστησομεθα τω βηματι του χριστου	συ δε τι κρινεις τον αδελφον σου η και συ τι εξουθενεις τον αδελφον σου παντες γαρ παραστησομεθα τω βηματι του χριστου

Hebrews 3:17 (NET)	Hebrews 3:17 (KJV)
And against whom was God provoked for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness?	But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

Hebrews 3:17 (NET Parallel Greek)	Hebrews 3:17 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Hebrews 3:17 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τίσιν δὲ προσώχθισεν τεσσεράκοντα ἔτη; οὐχὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήσασιν, ὧν τὰ κῶλα ἔπεσεν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ	τισιν δε προσωχθισεν τεσσαρακοντα ετη ουχι τοις αμαρτησασιν ων τα κωλα επεσεν εν τη ερημω	τισιν δε προσωχθισεν τεσσαρακοντα ετη ουχι τοις αμαρτησασιν ων τα κωλα επεσεν εν τη ερημω

3 John, Part 7

Back to Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 1

¹ 3 John, Part 3

² 3 John, Part 3

³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus had σου here. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐφύλαξα here, a form of φυλάσσω in the active voice, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εφυλαξαμην (KJV: have I kept) in the middle voice. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εκ νεοτητος μου (KJV: from my youth up) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁵ See Exploration, Part 3 for tables comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

⁶ Matthew 19:22b (ESV)

⁷ John 1:47b (ESV)

⁸ Romans 11:24 (ESV)

⁹ Matthew 22:40 (ESV) Table

¹⁰ Matthew 22:37b, 38 (ESV) Table

¹¹ Romans 3:19, 20 (ESV)

¹² Romans 9:32b (ESV) Table

¹³ Ibid.

¹⁴ Matthew 19:21 (ESV) Table For those with ears to hear, this is where the commandments concerning coveting and loving the Lord your God come to bear in this discourse.

¹⁵ Numbers 23:10b (The Complete Jewish Bible)

¹⁶ Numbers 22:31b (ESV) Table

¹⁷ Numbers 22:34b (ESV) Table

¹⁸ Mark 2:27, 28 (ESV)

¹⁹ Matthew 12:12b (ESV)

²⁰ Hebrews 7:12 (ESV)

²¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the conjunction γὰρ (“for”) here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο μη φρονων την ημεραν κυριω ου φρονει (KJV: he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: both) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔζησεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had ανεστη και ανεζησεν (KJV: rose, and revived) and Byzantine Majority Text had ανεστη και ἔζησεν.

²⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had θεοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had χριστου (KJV: Christ).

²⁶ See Wonders and False Wonders, Part 2 for tables comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

²⁷ See A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 4 for tables comparing the Greek of this quotation to that of the Septuagint.

²⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τεσσεράκοντα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τεσσαρακοντα. These seem to be alternate spellings of the same word.

²⁹ See A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 4 for tables comparing the Greek of this quotation to that of the Septuagint.

³⁰ See A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 4 for tables comparing the Greek of this quotation to that of the Septuagint.

³¹ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (ESV)

³² 3 John 1:11b (ESV) Table

³³ The Septuagint had τοῦτο φυλάξω λαλῆσαι, shall I beware of speaking it (NETS) and shall I not take heed to speak this (English Elpenor), in the indicative mood rather than the imperative.

³⁴ He said to Balak, “Stand here next to your burnt offering and I will be chanced on here (The Complete Jewish Bible).

³⁵ Numbers 23:18-21 (ESV)

³⁶ From “Jewish Concepts: Masoretic Text” on Jewish Virtual Library online. 3 John, Part 5

³⁷ The Septuagint has τοῦτο ποιήσω: this I shall do (NETS) and that will I do (English Elpenor), translated as a verb in the future tense and indicative mood, rather than the aorist tense and subjunctive mood.

³⁸ Numbers 23:19, 20 (ESV)

³⁹ 3 John 1:11b (ESV) Table

⁴⁰ John 1:18 (ESV) Table

3 John, Part 5

Posted on September 29, 2025 by admin

This is a continuation of my notes on 3 John for the preaching class I’m taking. John wrote (3 John 1:11a ESV):

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good (τὸ ἀγαθόν). Whoever does good¹ is from God (ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν)…

I wondered, “How does Jesus relate to ἀγαθόν (good)?”² He pointed to fruit trees as an analogy for recognizing false prophets, and I began to look at the prophet Balaam to understand “how it is that a prophet who from God exists cannot (οὐ δύναται, a form of δύναμαι) bear bad fruit.”³

Balak, king of Moab, hoping to have a chance to defeat and expel Israel, thought he could hire Balaam to curse them (Numbers 22:1-6). God said to Balaam, “…You shall not curse the people because they are blessed.”⁴ And Balaam promised and prophesied to Balak, “The word God puts into my mouth-that I will speak.”⁵

And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.

And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה; Septuagint: ὁ Θεὸς) will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.”⁶

The text doesn’t really say how the King of Moab responded to being told what to do by the prophet Balaam beyond his basic compliance. But God (‘ĕlōhîm, אֱלֹהִים, corroborated by ὁ Θεὸς in the Septuagint) met Balaam (Numbers 23:4, 5 ESV).

And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” And the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יְהוָה; Septuagint: ὁ Θεὸς) put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

A table contrasting the NET translation of Numbers 23:5 with that of the Tanakh and Septuagint follows.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 23:5 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:5 (NET)	Numbers 23:5 (NETS)	Numbers 23:5 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem put (וַיָּ֧שֶׂם) a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said: ‘Return unto Balak, and thus (וְכֹ֥ה) thou shalt speak (תְדַבֵּֽר).’	Then the Lord put (śûm, וישׁם) a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak (dāḇar, תדבר) what I tell (kô, וכה) you.”	And God put (ἐνέβαλεν) a word into Balaam’s mouth and said, “When you return to Balak, thus (οὕτως) you shall speak (λαλήσεις).”	And God put (ἐνέβαλεν) a word into the mouth of Balaam, and said, thou shalt return to Balac, and thus (οὕτω) shalt thou speak (λαλήσεις).

The Lord (Septuagint: God) put (śûm, וַיָּ֧שֶׂם; Septuagint: ἐνέβαλεν) a word in Balaam’s mouth (Tanakh) and promised, thus (kô, וְכֹ֥ה) thou shalt speak (dāḇar, תְדַבֵּֽר; Septuagint: λαλήσεις). A healthy (ἀγαθὸν, a form of ἀγαθός) tree cannot bear bad fruit.⁷ Though תְדַבֵּֽר (dāḇar) was translated more like an imperative ⁸ in the NET—speak (dāḇar, תדבר) what I tell (kô, וכה) you—a note (9) acknowledged: Heb “and thus you shall speak.” The word put in Balaam’s mouth ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν (“from God exists”).⁹

The narrative continued (Numbers 23:6, 7a ESV).

And [Balaam] returned to [Balak], and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. And Balaam took up his discourse and said…

Here the Masoretic text and Septuagint diverge:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 23:6 (Tanakh/KJV)	Numbers 23:6 (NET)	Numbers 23:6 7a (NETS)	Numbers 23:6 (English Elpenor)
And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.	So he returned to him, and he was still standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.	And he returned to him, and the latter stood over his whole burnt offering, and all the rulers of Moab with him. (7) And a divine spirit was upon him.	And he returned to him, and moreover he stood over his whole-burnt-offerings, and all the princes of Moab with him; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

The words καὶ ἐγενήθη πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ (NETS: And a divine spirit was upon him; English Elpenor: and the Spirit of God came upon him) are such a perfect answer to, “how it is that a prophet who from God exists cannot (οὐ δύναται, a form of δύναμαι) bear bad fruit,”¹⁰ it almost overwhelms me with conflicting emotions. Is it gilding the lily? Is it just too good to be true? It sounds like Paul (Galatians 5:16 ESV).

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

I used the search feature on the BLB Septuagint online to reverse engineer a possible Hebrew source for καὶ ἐγενήθη πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ. A search of the word ἐγενήθη yielded 11 occurrences of forms of הָיָה (hāyâ) in the Masoretic text of the Torah translated καὶ ἐγενήθη in the Septuagint (see table below). A search of πνεῦμα yielded 2 occurrences of a form of רוּחַ (rûaḥ) followed by a form of אֱלֹהִים (‘ĕlōhîm) in the Masoretic text of the Torah translated πνεῦμα θεοῦ in the Septuagint (see table below). And a search of αὐτῷ yielded 14 occurrences of forms of עַל (ʿal) in the Masoretic text of the Torah translated ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ in the Septuagint plus 1 occurrence translated ἐστιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ (see table below).

This exercise was little more than a demonstration of the possibility of translating the Greek word string καὶ ἐγενήθη πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ back into Hebrew in a manner consistent with other Greek translations from Hebrew in the Septuagint. The time it took, however, allowed my emotions the opportunity to cool and subside. Then I was able to hear this word string as a Greek translation of a Hebrew text predating the Masoretic text of Numbers 23:6 (English Elpenor).

And he returned to him, and moreover he stood over his whole-burnt-offerings, and all the princes of Moab with him; and the Spirit of God came upon him. And he took up his parable, and said…

So, God promised Balaam: “If these people are here to call you, rise up, and follow them, but the word that I speak to you—this you shall do.”¹¹ The angel of the Lord reiterated that promise: Go with the men: nevertheless the word which I shall speak to thee, that thou shalt take heed to speak.¹² Then God began to fulfill his promise: And God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, and said (e.g., promised), thou shalt return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.¹³ Then God empowered Balaam to obey his word—and the Spirit of God came upon him—and the promise was fulfilled (Numbers 23:7b-10 ESV).

“From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’ How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations! Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!”

Before considering the content of God’s word to Balak, I want to ask some questions: How would this play out among the Masoretes (“whose name derives from the Hebrew word mesorah, meaning tradition”¹⁴)? Would those “scholars and scribes” tasked “to decipher the authentic word of God” from “many disparities of the Torah [which had] emerged as countless scribes wrote numerous scrolls,” with an “ultimate goal…to uphold the traditions of the Jewish people,” fail to recognize how similar and the Spirit of God came upon the Gentile prophet Balaam was to the teachings of that traitor to “the traditions of the Jewish people” (Acts 9:1-31)¹⁵ Saul (aka Paul, an Apostle¹⁶ of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles¹⁷)? Was there any way possible (apart from the direct intervention of the Spirit of God) that these men could recognize and the Spirit of God came upon a Gentile prophet as “the authentic word of God”?

Though these specific questions weren’t addressed, an article, titled “What Are the Different Manuscripts of the Old Testament, and How Do They Compare?” on the Updated American Standard Version (USAV) Bible website, made some compelling observations about the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered near the Dead Sea in the 1940s. The Dead Sea Scrolls are considered one of the most important discoveries in biblical archaeology and have significantly contributed to the study of the Hebrew Scriptures…

One of the most significant aspects of the Dead Sea Scrolls is the preservation of the Hebrew text in its earliest form, which predates the Masoretic text [“the standard text of the Hebrew Scriptures that was codified by the Masoretes in the early Middle Ages”], the standard version of the Hebrew Bible used today, by hundreds of years. This has provided scholars with a unique opportunity to compare and analyze the differences between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Masoretic text.

The Dead Sea Scrolls also demonstrate the fluidity of the text of the Hebrew Bible in the Second Temple period [516 BC – 70 AD], showing that textual variations were not considered significant and that multiple versions of the same texts were accepted and used…

For example, the Dead Sea Scrolls often contain longer and more varied forms of biblical passages than the Masoretic Text. They also sometimes have alternative readings for certain passages, which can shed light on the development of the text over time. In some cases, the Dead Sea Scrolls have been found to have readings that are closer to the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, than to the Masoretic Text.

Despite these differences, the overall agreement between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Masoretic Text is remarkable, especially considering the significant time gap between the two. This agreement supports the general accuracy and reliability of the transmission of the biblical text over the centuries.

The “overall agreement between” the Masoretic text and the Septuagint in the Old Testament, and the critical text and received texts in the New, also “supports the general accuracy and reliability of the transmission of the biblical text over the centuries.” For those of us who have no access to manuscripts (and would go blind trying to read them online) the Septuagint and the received texts offer the opportunity to consider (along with God the Father, God the Son through God the indwelling Holy Spirit) some of those differences. We don’t know which of the “multiple versions” of the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings Jesus preferred, but He does.

The goal of Bible study is eternal life, that [we] know (γινώσκωσιν) [Him], the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom [He has] sent.¹⁸ All righteousness flows from that relationship through his indwelling Spirit; γινώσκωσιν is a form of γινώσκω: “to know; to come to know, find out by observation, find out by inquiry; to arrive at a solution of (a puzzle, riddle, etc.); to have in the mind, have learned; to become closely acquainted with, have personal knowledge of; to recognize, admit to acquaintance with; to experience (e.g., to know disappointment); to be aware, become aware; to recognize as one’s own; to understand, comprehend; to perceive, notice, realize; to acknowledge, recognize (someone’s authority or relationship); to identify; to acknowledge as true, admit as important; to take note of, not neglect someone needy; to take an interest in, concern oneself with; to admit to the veracity of (a proposition); to have sexual intercourse.”

God, demonstrating his knowledge, addressed Balak with a verbal reprise of events (Numbers 23:7 ESV).

From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’

Balak believed that Balaam’s word was powerful; he had said, “for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed,”¹⁹ and demonstrated his faith by reaching out to Balaam for assistance. But did he believe Balaam spoke the word of God? That depends on whether he believed Balaam when he said: “Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.”²⁰

God’s word to Balak continued (Numbers 23:8 ESV):

How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

Granted, this sounds as if Balaam is speaking for himself on his own behalf. Only the reader of the Masoretic text knows that the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”²¹ And only the reader of the Septuagint knows that the Spirit of God came upon him,²² ensuring that Balaam spoke the word the Lord put in his mouth. To one who knows the Lord, however, this line of questioning, inviting one to reconsider one’s own way, is very familiar.²³

Balaam continued (Numbers 23:9, 10a ESV).

For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations! Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel?

This definitely sounds like Balaam speaking, even describing what he and Balak can see with their own eyes, except for the saying: not counting itself among the nations! How did this Gentile prophet know that the Lord had promised Israel, You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine,²⁴ if not from the word the Lord put in his mouth? Likewise, one wonders how this Gentile prophet referenced the then current progress of fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to Abraham: And he brought [Abraham] outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”²⁵

But the conclusion of Balaam’s prophecy confounds the imagination (Numbers 23:10b ESV):

Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!”

The Masoretic text and Septuagint diverge here as well:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 23:10b (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:10b (NET)	Numbers 23:10b (NETS)	Numbers 23:10b (English Elpenor)
Let me (נַפְשִׁי֙) die (תָּמֹ֤ת) the death (מ֣וֹת) of the righteous (יְשָׁרִ֔ים), and let mine end (אַֽחֲרִיתִ֖י) be (וּתְהִ֥י) like his (כָּמֹֽהוּ)!	Let me (nep̄eš, נפשי) die (mûṯ, תמת) the death (māveṯ, מות) of the upright (yāšār, ישרים), and let the end of my life (‘aḥărîṯ, אחריתי) be (hāyâ, ותהי) like theirs (kᵊmô, כמהו).”	May my soul (ἡ ψυχή μου) die (ἀποθάνοι) among souls (ἐν ψυχαῖς) of righteous ones (δικαίων), and (καὶ) may my offspring (τὸ σπέρμα μου) be (γένοιτο) as their offspring (ὡς τὸ σπέρμα τούτων)!”	let my soul (ἡ ψυχή μου) die (ἀποθάνοι) with the souls (ἐν ψυχαῖς) of the righteous (δικαίων), and let (καὶ) my seed (τὸ σπέρμα μου) be (γένοιτο) as their seed (ὡς τὸ σπέρμα τούτων).

The Hebrew verb תָּמֹ֤ת (mûṯ) in the Masoretic text was translated Let…die in the Tanakh, KJV and NET. It was translated ἀποθάνοι in the Septuagint: May…die (NETS), let…die (English Elpenor). Though ἀποθάνοι might be understood as an infinitive form of ἀποθνήσκω (“to die”), the optative mood seems more likely here.

The optative is the mood of possibility, removed even further than the subjunctive mood from something conceived of as actual. Often it is used to convey a wish or hope for a certain action to occur.²⁶

The next Hebrew noun in the Masoretic text—נַפְשִׁי֙ (nep̄eš), translated me (Tanakh, KJV, NET)—was arguably translated better in the Septuagint—ἡ ψυχή μου, my soul (NETS, English Elpenor). Consider Genesis 12:13:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 12:13 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 12:13 (NET)	Genesis 12:13 (NETS) Table	Genesis 12:13 (English Elpenor)
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me (לִ֣י) for thy sake, and that my soul (נַפְשִׁ֖י) may live (וְחָֽיְתָ֥ה) because of thee.’	So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me (‘ănî, לי) because of you and my life (nep̄eš, נפשי) will be spared [note 39: Heb “and my life will live (ḥāyâ, וחיתה).”] on account of you.”	Say, therefore, ‘I am his sister’, so that it may go well with me (μοι) because of you, and my soul (ἡ ψυχή μου) will live (καὶ ζήσεται) on your account.”	Say, therefore, I am his sister, that it may be well with me (μοι) on account of thee, and my soul (ἡ ψυχή μου) shall live (καὶ ζήσεται) because of thee.

Here with me (Tanakh, KJV) or for me (NET) was an entirely different word in the Masoretic text, לִ֣י (‘ănî), and in the Septuagint with me (NETS, English Elpenor) was μοι. But the major difference in the first clause in Numbers 23:10b was translating the death (Tanakh, KJV, NET)—מ֣וֹת (māveṯ)—ἐν ψυχαῖς, among souls (NETS), with the souls (English Elpenor). I’ll return to this difference after considering the major differences in the next clause.

The next clause begins with וּתְהִ֥י (hāyâ), and let…be (Tanakh, KJV, NET) in the Masoretic text, which was translated καὶ γένοιτο, and may…be (NETS), and let…be (English Elpenor) in the Septuagint. But אַֽחֲרִיתִ֖י (‘aḥărîṯ), mine end (Tanakh), my last end (KJV), the end of my life (NET), was translated τὸ σπέρμα μου, my offspring (NETS), my seed (English Elpenor) in the Septuagint. This is not as strange as it may seem at first after considering 8 other occurrences ²⁷ of forms of אַחֲרִית (‘aḥărîṯ) in the Masoretic text of the Torah.

One:

Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.²⁸

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 49:1 (Tanakh)	Genesis 49:1 (NET)	Genesis 49:1 (NETS)	Genesis 49:1, 2a (English Elpenor)
And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: ‘Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end (בְּאַֽחֲרִ֥ית) of days (הַיָּמִֽים).	Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you what will happen to you in future (aḥărîṯ, באחרית) days (yôm, הימים).	Then Iakob summoned his sons and said: “Gather together in order that I may tell you what will happen to you at the last (ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων) of the days (τῶν ἡμερῶν).	AND Jacob called his sons, and said to them, (2) Assemble yourselves, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the last (ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων) days (τῶν ἡμερῶν).

Here, בְּאַֽחֲרִ֥ית, another form of אַחֲרִית (aḥărîṯ), followed by הַיָּמִֽים, a form of יוֹם (yôm), was translated in the end of days (Tanakh), in the last days (KJV) and in future days (NET) from the Masoretic text. This phrase was translated ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν, at the last of the days (NETS) and in the last days (English Elpenor) in the Septuagint.

Two:

Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction.”²⁹

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Numbers 24:20 (Tanakh)	Numbers 24:20 (NET)	Numbers 24:20 (NETS)	Numbers 24:20 (English Elpenor)
And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end (וְאַֽחֲרִית֖וֹ) shall come (עֲדֵ֥י) to destruction (אֹבֵֽד).	Then Balaam looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his end (aḥărîṯ, ואחריתו) will be that (ʿaḏ, עדי) he will perish (‘ōḇēḏ, אבד).”	And when he saw Amalek and took up his parable, he said: “Rule of nations is Amalek, but their offspring (καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν) will perish (ἀπολεῖται).”	And having seen Amalec, he took up his parable and said, Amalec [is] the first of the nations; yet his seed (καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν) shall perish (ἀπολεῖται).

Here, וְאַֽחֲרִית֖וֹ, another form of אַחֲרִית (aḥărîṯ), followed by עֲדֵ֥י, a form of עַד (ʿaḏ), and אֹבֵֽד (‘ōḇēḏ) was translated but his end shall come to destruction (Tanakh), but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever (KJV) and but his end will be that he will perish (NET) from the Masoretic text. This phrase was translated καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται, but their offspring will perish (NETS) and yet his seed shall perish (English Elpenor) in the Septuagint. In other words, to perish for ever was understood by the translators of the Septuagint as the death of the last of one’s family line. So, וְאַֽחֲרִית֖וֹ, another form of אַחֲרִית (aḥărîṯ) in the Masoretic text, was translated καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν in the Septuagint: but his end (NET) understood as but their offspring (NETS).

Three:

When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.³⁰

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 4:30, 31 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 4:30, 31 (NET)	Deuteronomy 4:29b-31 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 4:29b-31 (English Elpenor)
In thy distress, when all these things are come upon thee, in the end (בְּאַֽחֲרִית֙) of days (הַיָּמִ֔ים), thou wilt return to HaShem thy G-d, and hearken unto His voice;	In your distress when all these things happen to you in future (aḥărîṯ, באחרית) days (yôm, הימים), if you return to the Lord your God and obey him	in your distress. And all these words shall find you in the end (ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτῳ) of days (τῶν ἡμερῶν), and you will return to the Lord your God and listen to his voice.	in your affliction. (30) And all these things shall come upon thee in the last (ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτῳ) days (τῶν ἡμερῶν), and thou shalt turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt hearken to his voice.
for HaShem thy G-d is a merciful G-d; He will not fail thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He swore unto them.	(for he is a merciful God), he will not let you down or destroy you, for he cannot forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.	Because the Lord your God is a compassionate god, he will neither abandon you nor wipe you out; he will not forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.	Because the Lord thy God [is] a God of pity: he will not forsake thee, nor destroy thee; he will not forget the covenant of thy fathers, which the Lord sware to them.

Here, בְּאַֽחֲרִית֙, another form of אַחֲרִית (aḥărîṯ), followed by הַיָּמִ֔ים, a form of יוֹם (yôm), was translated in the end of days (Tanakh), even in the latter days (KJV) and in future days (NET) from the Masoretic text. And this phrase was translated ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτῳ τῶν ἡμερῶν, in the end of days (NETS) and in the last days (English Elpenor) in the Septuagint.

Four:

who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.³¹

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 8:16 (Tanakh/KJV)	Deuteronomy 8:16 (NET)	Deuteronomy 8:16 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 8:16 (English Elpenor)
who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might afflict thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end (בְּאַֽחֲרִיתֶֽךָ);	fed you in the wilderness with manna (which your ancestors had never before known) so that he might by humbling you test you and eventually (aḥărîṯ, באחריתך) bring good to you.	who fed you with manna in the wilderness that your fathers did not know so that he might distress you and test you, that you might do well at your end (ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν σου).	who fed thee with manna in the wilderness, which thou knewest not, and thy fathers knew not; that he might afflict thee, and thoroughly try thee, and do thee good in thy latter days (ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν σου).

Here, בְּאַֽחֲרִיתֶֽךָ, another form of אַחֲרִית (aḥărîṯ), was not followed by any form of יוֹם (yôm). It was translated at thy latter end (Tanakh, KJV) and eventually (NET) from the Masoretic text. But in the Septuagint this one word was still translated ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν σου, at your end (NETS) and in thy latter days (English Elpenor).

Five:

a land that the Lord your God cares for. The eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.³²

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 11:12 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 11:12 (NET)	Deuteronomy 11:12 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 11:12 (English Elpenor)
a land which HaShem thy G-d careth for; the eyes of HaShem thy G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end (אַֽחֲרִ֥ית) of the year.	a land the Lord your God looks after. He is constantly attentive to it from the beginning to the end (aḥărîṯ, אחרית) of the year.	a land that the Lord your God regards it. The eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year even until the end (συντελείας) of the year.	A land which the Lord thy God surveys continually, the eyes of the Lord thy God are upon it from the beginning of the year to the end (συντελείας) of the year.

Here, אַחֲרִית (aḥărîṯ), was translated the end (Tanakh, KJV, NET) from the Masoretic text, and συντελείας, the end (NETS, English Elpenor) in the Septuagint.

Six:

For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”³³

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 31:29 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 31:29 (NET)	Deuteronomy 31:29 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 31:29 (English Elpenor)
For I know that after (אַֽחֲרֵ֤י) my death (מוֹתִי֙) ye will in any wise deal corruptly, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the end (בְּאַֽחֲרִ֣ית) of days (הַיָּמִ֔ים); because ye will do that which is evil in the sight of HaShem, to provoke Him through the work of your hands.’	For I know that after (‘aḥar, אחרי) I die (māveṯ, מותי) you will totally corrupt yourselves and turn away from the path I have commanded you to walk. Disaster will confront you in future (aḥărîṯ, באחרית) days (yôm, הימים) because you will act wickedly before the Lord, inciting him to anger because of your actions.”	For I know that, after (ἔσχατον) my demise (τῆς τελευτῆς μου), with lawlessness you will act lawlessly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And the evils will come upon you at the end (ἔσχατον) of days (τῶν ἡμερῶν), because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him through the works of your hands.”	For I know that after (ἔσχατον) my death (τῆς τελευτῆς μου) ye will utterly transgress, and turn aside out of the way which I have commanded you; and evils shall come upon you in the latter (ἔσχατον) days (τῶν ἡμερῶν), because ye will do evil before the Lord, to provoke him to anger by the works of your hands.

Here, בְּאַֽחֲרִ֣ית, another form of אַחֲרִית (aḥărîṯ), followed by הַיָּמִ֔ים, a form of יוֹם (yôm), was translated in the end of days (Tanakh), in the latter days (KJV) and in future days (NET) from the Masoretic text. The phrase was translated ἔσχατον τῶν ἡμερῶν, at the end of days (NETS) and in the latter days (English Elpenor) in the Septuagint. The adjective אַֽחֲרֵ֤י, a form of אַחַר (‘aḥar), after (Tanakh, KJV, NET) from the Masoretic text was also translated ἔσχατον, after (NETS, English Elpenor) in the Septuagint. This was followed by מוֹתִי֙, a form of מָוֶת (māveṯ), my death (Tanakh, KJV) and I die (NET) in the Masoretic text, which was translated τῆς τελευτῆς μου, my demise (NETS) and my death (English Elpenor) in the Septuagint (see table below for a listing of all the occurrences of forms of מָוֶת [māveṯ] in the Masoretic text of the Torah and their translations in the Elpenor version of the Septuagint).

Seven:

And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.³⁴

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 32:20 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 32:20 (NET)	Deuteronomy 32:20 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 32:20 (English Elpenor)
And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be (אַֽחֲרִיתָ֑ם); for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.	He said, “I will reject them. I will see what will happen to them (aḥărîṯ, אחריתם); for they are a perverse generation, children who show no loyalty.	And he said: I will turn away my face from them, and I will show what will happen to them (ἔσται αὐτοῖς) at the end (ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων), for it is a perverse generation, sons who have no faithfulness in them.	and said, I will turn away my face from them, and will show what shall happen to them (ἔσται αὐτοῖς) in the last days (ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων ἡμερῶν); for it is a perverse generation, sons in whom is no faith.

Here, אַֽחֲרִיתָ֑ם, another form of אַחֲרִית (aḥărîṯ), was translated their end shall be (Tanakh, KJV) and will happen to them (NET) from the Masoretic text. In the Septuagint this noun was translated ἔσται αὐτοῖς ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων (BLB Septuagint), will happen to them at the end (NETS) and ἔσται αὐτοῖς ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων ἡμερῶν (Elpenor Septuagint), shall happen to them in the last days (English Elpenor).

Eight:

If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!³⁵

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 32:29 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 32:29 (NET)	Deuteronomy 32:29 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 32:29 (English Elpenor)
If they were wise, they would understand this, they would discern their latter end (לְאַֽחֲרִיתָֽם).	I wish that they were wise and could understand this, and that they could comprehend what will happen to them (aḥărîṯ, לאחריתם).”	They had no sense to understand these things. Let them accept them for the time to come (τὸν ἐπιόντα χρόνον).	They had not sense to understand: let them reserve these things against the time to come (τὸν ἐπιόντα χρόνον).

Here, לְאַֽחֲרִיתָֽם, another form of אַחֲרִית (aḥărîṯ), was translated their latter end (Tanakh, KJV) and what will happen to them (NET) from the Masoretic text. It was translated τὸν ἐπιόντα χρόνον, the time to come (NETS, English Elpenor) in the Septuagint.

Conclusion:

Though this brief survey is insufficient to give me a comprehensive understanding of the theological presuppositions and biases that prompted and governed the translators’ word choices, it does offer me a fairly high degree of confidence that they were translating the same Hebrew words found today in the Masoretic text of Numbers 23:10b. Even ἐν ψυχαῖς, among souls (NETS), with the souls (English Elpenor), as a translation of a form of מָוֶת (māveṯ) seems unremarkable and in general accordance with what can be gleaned of these theological presuppositions when coupled with אַֽחֲרִיתִ֖י (‘aḥărîṯ), mine end (Tanakh), my last end (KJV), the end of my life (NET).

Given that, however, I am much more inclined to understand the word the Lord put in Balaam’s mouth in the light of my own theological presuppositions and biases:

Let me die the death of the upright…³⁶

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For³⁷ whoever would save his life (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ; e.g., “his soul”) will lose it, but whoever loses his life (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ; e.g., “his soul”) for my sake will find it. For what will it profit³⁸ a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul (την δε ψυχην αυτου)? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul (της ψυχης αυτου)?³⁹

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? [Table] By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that (ἵνα; e.g., “indicating purpose”), just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk (περιπατήσωμεν a form of the verb περιπατέω in the subjunctive mood; e.g. a definite outcome when in a purpose clause) in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self (ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος; “our old human”) was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.⁴⁰

…and let my end be like his!⁴¹

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider (λογίζεσθε, a form of λογίζομαι; another “multiplexed” verb) yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus [Table].

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions [Table]. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness [Table]. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace [Table].⁴²

Now I wonder how Let me die the death of the upright survived the Masoretes’ editorial process: May my soul die the death of the upright and let my end be like his.⁴³ But an answer is as near as the understanding revealed in the Septuagint: May my soul die among souls of righteous ones.⁴⁴ A Gentile prophet’s desire to die among the upright (e.g., those who held to Jewish tradition as the Masoretes understood it) only served to confirm the Masoretes’ faith. Even Rashi’s (1040-1105) commentary from the Middle Ages falls in line with the interpretation of those who translated the Septuagint:

May my soul die the death of the upright. Among them.⁴⁵

Did Balak realize that he was hearing from God as Balaam prophesied to him? I’ll continue with that in another essay. The tables mentioned above follow.

Forms of הָיָה (hāyâ) in the Masoretic Text of the Torah translated καὶ ἐγενήθη in the Septuagint
Reference	Hebrew – Masoretic Text	Greek – Septuagint
Genesis 39:5	וַיְהִ֞י	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Genesis 49:15	וַיְהִ֖י	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Exodus 2:10	וַֽיְהִי	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Exodus 38:27 (39:4)	וַיְהִ֗י	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Leviticus 9:1	וַֽיְהִי֙	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Numbers 4:44	וַיִּהְי֥וּ	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Numbers 22:41	וַיְהִ֣י	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Numbers 31:32	וַֽיְהִי֙	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Numbers 31:36	וַתְּהִי֙	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Deuteronomy 1:3	וַֽיְהִי֙	καὶ ἐγενήθη
Deuteronomy 2:16	וַיְהִ֨י	καὶ ἐγενήθη

Forms of רוּחַ (rûaḥ) and אֱלֹהִים (‘ĕlōhîm) in the Masoretic Text of the Torah translated πνεῦμα θεοῦ in the Septuagint
Reference	Hebrew – Masoretic Text	Greek – Septuagint
Genesis 1:2	וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים	καὶ πνεῦμα θεοῦ
Genesis 41:38	ר֥וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֖ים	πνεῦμα θεοῦ

Forms of עַל (ʿal) in the Masoretic Text of the Torah translated ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ in the Septuagint
Reference	Hebrew – Masoretic Text	Greek – Septuagint
Exodus 22:3 (22:2)	עָלָ֖יו	ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ
Exodus 28:8	עָלָ֔יו	ἐστιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ
Exodus 29:36	עָלָ֑יו	ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ
Leviticus 15:24	עָלָ֔יו	ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ
Leviticus 21:12	עָלָ֖יו	ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ
Leviticus 22:3	עָלָ֑יו	ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ
Numbers 6:7	עַל	ἐπ’ αὐτῷ
Numbers 6:9	עָלָיו֙	ἐπ’ αὐτῷ
Numbers 11:25	עָלָ֔יו	ἐπ’ αὐτῷ
Numbers 19:15	עליו	ἐπ’ αὐτῷ
Deuteronomy 13:8	עָלָ֔יו	ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ
Deuteronomy 13:8	עָלָֽיו	ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ
Deuteronomy 19:13	עָלָ֑יו	ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ
Deuteronomy 24:15	עָלָ֣יו	ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ
Deuteronomy 33:12	עָלָ֑יו	ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ

Forms of מָוֶת (māveṯ) in the Masoretic Text of the Torah and their translations in the Elpenor Septuagint
Reference	Hebrew / KJV	Elpenor Greek / English
Genesis 21:16	בְּמוֹת / the death	τὸν θάνατον / the death
Genesis 25:11	מוֹת / the death	τὸ ἀποθανεῖν / was dead
Genesis 26:18	מוֹת / the death	τὸ ἀποθανεῖν / the death
Genesis 27:2	מוֹתִי / of my death	τῆς τελευτῆς μου / of my death
Genesis 27:7	מוֹתִי / my death	τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν με / I die
Genesis 27:10	מוֹתוֹ / his death	τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτόν / he dies
Genesis 50:16	מוֹתוֹ / he died	τοῦ τελευτῆσαι αὐτὸν / his death
Exodus 10:17	הַמָּוֶת / death	τὸν θάνατον / death
Leviticus 11:31	בְּמֹתָם / when they be dead	τεθνηκότων / carcases
Leviticus 11:32	בְּמֹתָם / when they are dead	τεθνηκότων / dead bodies
Leviticus 16:1	מוֹת / the death	τὸ τελευτῆσαι / died
Numbers 6:7	בְּמֹתָם / when they die	ἀποθανόντων αὐτῶν / when they have died
Numbers 16:29	כְּמוֹת / common death	θάνατον / the death
Numbers 23:10	מוֹת / the death	ἐν ψυχαῖς / with the souls
Numbers 26:10	בְּמוֹת / when…died	τῷ θανάτῳ / perished
Numbers 33:39	בְּמֹתוֹ / when he died	ὅτε ἀπέθνησκεν / when he died
Numbers 35:25	מוֹת / the death	ἀποθάνῃ / the death
Numbers 35:28	מוֹת /the death	ἀποθάνῃ / died
Numbers 35:28	מוֹת / the death	τὸ ἀποθανεῖν / the death
Numbers 35:32	מוֹת / the death	ἀποθάνῃ / the death
Deuteronomy 19:6	מָוֶת / of death	θανάτου / of death
Deuteronomy 21:22	מָוֶת / of death	θανάτου / of death
Deuteronomy 22:26	מָוֶת / of death	θανάτου / of death
Deuteronomy 30:15	הַמָּוֶת / death	τὸν θάνατον / death
Deuteronomy 30:19	וְהַמָּוֶת / and death	καὶ τὸν θάνατον / and death
Deuteronomy 31:27	מוֹתִי / my death	τοῦ θανάτου μου / my death
Deuteronomy 31:29	מוֹתִי / my death	τῆς τελευτῆς μου / my death
Deuteronomy 33:1	מוֹתוֹ / his death	τῆς τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ / his death
Deuteronomy 34:7	בְּמֹתוֹ / when he died	ἐν τῷ τελευτᾶν αὐτόν / at his death

Tables comparing Numbers 22:41; 23:1; 23:2; 23:3; 23:4; 23:5; 23:6; 23:7; 23:8; 23:9; 23:10; Leviticus 20:26; Genesis 49:1; Numbers 24:20; Deuteronomy 4:30; 4:31; 8:16; 11:12; 31:29; 32:20 and 32:29 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Numbers 22:41; 23:1; 23:2; 23:3; 23:4; 23:5; 23:6; 23:7; 23:8; 23:9; 23:10; Leviticus 20:26; Genesis 49:1; Numbers 24:20; Deuteronomy 4:30; 4:31; 8:16; 11:12; 31:29; 32:20 and 32:29 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Matthew 16:25, 26 in the KJV and NET follow.

Numbers 22:41 (Tanakh)	Numbers 22:41 (KJV)	Numbers 22:41 (NET)
And it came to pass in the morning that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into Bamoth-baal, and he saw from thence the utmost part of the people.	And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.	Then on the next morning Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to Bamoth Baal. From there he saw the extent of the nation.

Numbers 22:41 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 22:41 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγενήθη πρωὶ καὶ παραλαβὼν Βαλακ τὸν Βαλααμ ἀνεβίβασεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν στήλην τοῦ Βααλ καὶ ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ ἐκεῖθεν μέρος τι τοῦ λαοῦ	καὶ ἐγενήθη πρωΐ καὶ παραλαβὼν Βαλὰκ τὸν Βαλαὰμ ἀνεβίβασεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν στήλην τοῦ Βαὰλ καὶ ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ ἐκεῖθεν μέρος τι τοῦ λαοῦ
Numbers 22:41 (NETS)	Numbers 22:41 (English Elpenor)
And it became morning, and Balak took along Balaam and brought him up to the stele of Baal, and he showed him from there a part of the people.	And it was morning; and Balac took Balaam, and brought him up to the pillar of Baal, and shewed him thence a part of the people.

Numbers 23:1 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:1 (KJV)	Numbers 23:1 (NET)
And Balaam said unto Balak: ‘Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.’	And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.	Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

Numbers 23:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ τῷ Βαλακ οἰκοδόμησόν μοι ἐνταῦθα ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς καὶ ἑτοίμασόν μοι ἐνταῦθα ἑπτὰ μόσχους καὶ ἑπτὰ κριούς	ΚΑΙ εἶπε Βαλαὰμ τῷ Βαλάκ· οἰκοδόμησόν μοι ἐνταῦθα ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς καὶ ἑτοίμασόν μοι ἐνταῦθα ἑπτὰ μόσχους καὶ ἑπτὰ κριούς
Numbers 23:1 (NETS)	Numbers 23:1 (English Elpenor)
And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven calves and seven rams.”	And Balaam said to Balac, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven calves, and seven rams.

Numbers 23:2 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:2 (KJV)	Numbers 23:2 (NET)
And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.	And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.	So Balak did just as Balaam had said. Balak and Balaam then offered on each altar a bull and a ram.

Numbers 23:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐποίησεν Βαλακ ὃν τρόπον εἶπεν αὐτῷ Βαλααμ καὶ ἀνήνεγκεν μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν	καὶ ἐποίησε Βαλὰκ ὃν τρόπον εἶπεν αὐτῷ Βαλαάμ, καὶ ἀνήνεγκε μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν
Numbers 23:2 (NETS)	Numbers 23:2 (English Elpenor)
And Balak did in the manner Balaam told him, and Balak and Balaam offered up a calf and a ram on the altar.	And Balac did as Balaam told him; and he offered up a calf and a ram on [every] altar.

Numbers 23:3 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:3 (KJV)	Numbers 23:3 (NET)
And Balaam said unto Balak: ‘Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go; peradventure HaShem will come to meet me; and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee.’ And he went to a bare height.	And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place.	Balaam said to Balak, “Station yourself by your burnt offering, and I will go off; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went to a deserted height.

Numbers 23:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν Βαλααμ πρὸς Βαλακ παράστηθι ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας σου καὶ πορεύσομαι εἴ μοι φανεῖται ὁ θεὸς ἐν συναντήσει καὶ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐάν μοι δείξῃ ἀναγγελῶ σοι καὶ παρέστη Βαλακ ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ καὶ Βαλααμ ἐπορεύθη ἐπερωτῆσαι τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἐπορεύθη εὐθεῖαν	καὶ εἶπε Βαλαὰμ πρὸς Βαλάκ· παράστηθι ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας σου, καὶ πορεύσομαι εἴ μοι φανεῖται ὁ Θεὸς ἐν συναντήσει, καὶ ῥῆμα, ὃ ἐάν μοι δείξῃ, ἀναγγελῶ σοι. καὶ παρέστη Βαλὰκ ἐπὶ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ Βαλαὰμ ἐπορεύθη ἐπερωτῆσαι τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἐπορεύθη εὐθεῖαν
Numbers 23:3 (NETS)	Numbers 23:3, 4a (English Elpenor)
And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your sacrifice, but as for me I will go, If God will appear to me in a meeting. And whatever word he shows me I will report to you.” And Balak stood beside his sacrifice, and Balaam went to inquire of God, and he went straight ahead.	And Balaam said to Balac, Stand by thy sacrifice, and I will go and see if God will appear to me and meet me, and the word which he shall shew me, I will report to thee. And Balac stood by his sacrifice. (4) And Balaam went to enquire of God; and he went straight forward,

Numbers 23:4 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:4 (KJV)	Numbers 23:4 (NET)
And G-d met Balaam; and he said unto Him: ‘I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.’	And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.	Then God met Balaam, who said to him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

Numbers 23:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐφάνη ὁ θεὸς τῷ Βαλααμ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Βαλααμ τοὺς ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς ἡτοίμασα καὶ ἀνεβίβασα μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν	καὶ ἐφάνη ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Βαλαάμ, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν Βαλαάμ· τοὺς ἑπτὰ βωμοὺς ἡτοίμασα καὶ ἀνεβίβασα μόσχον καὶ κριὸν ἐπὶ τὸν βωμόν
Numbers 23:4 (NETS)	Numbers 23:4b (English Elpenor)
And God appeared to Balaam, and Balaam said to him, “I prepared the seven altars, and I brought up a calf and a ram on the altar.”	and God appeared to Balaam; and Balaam said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and have offered a calf and a ram on [every] altar.

Numbers 23:5 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:5 (KJV)	Numbers 23:5 (NET)
And HaShem put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said: ‘Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.’	And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.	Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.”

Numbers 23:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνέβαλεν ὁ θεὸς ῥῆμα εἰς τὸ στόμα Βαλααμ καὶ εἶπεν ἐπιστραφεὶς πρὸς Βαλακ οὕτως λαλήσεις	καὶ ἐνέβαλεν ὁ Θεὸς ρῆμα εἰς τὸ στόμα Βαλαὰμ καὶ εἶπεν· ἐπιστραφεὶς πρὸς Βαλὰκ οὕτω λαλήσεις
Numbers 23:5 (NETS)	Numbers 23:5 (English Elpenor)
And God put a word into Balaam’s mouth and said, “When you return to Balak, thus you shall speak.”	And God put a word into the mouth of Balaam, and said, thou shalt return to Balac, and thus shalt thou speak.

Numbers 23:6 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:6 (KJV)	Numbers 23:6 (NET)
And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.	And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab.	So he returned to him, and he was still standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

Numbers 23:6, 7a (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπεστράφη πρὸς αὐτόν καὶ ὅδε ἐφειστήκει ἐπὶ τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες Μωαβ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ (7) καὶ ἐγενήθη πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ	καὶ ἀπεστράφη πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ ὅδε ἐφειστήκει ἐπὶ τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες Μωὰβ μετ’ αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐγενήθη πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ
Numbers 23:6 7a (NETS)	Numbers 23:6 (English Elpenor)
And he returned to him, and the latter stood over his whole burnt offering, and all the rulers of Moab with him. (7) And a divine spirit was upon him.	And he returned to him, and moreover he stood over his whole-burnt-offerings, and all the princes of Moab with him; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Numbers 23:7 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:7 (KJV)	Numbers 23:7 (NET)
And he took up his parable, and said: From Aram Balak bringeth me, the king of Moab from the mountains of the East: ‘Come, curse me Jacob, and come, execrate Israel.’	And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.	Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying, “Balak, the king of Moab, brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, ‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’

Numbers 23:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:6b, 7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγενήθη πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ εἶπεν ἐκ Μεσοποταμίας μετεπέμψατό με Βαλακ βασιλεὺς Μωαβ ἐξ ὀρέων ἀπ᾽ ἀνατολῶν λέγων δεῦρο ἄρασαί μοι τὸν Ιακωβ καὶ δεῦρο ἐπικατάρασαί μοι τὸν Ισραηλ	καὶ ἐγενήθη πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐπ’ αὐτῷ (7) καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ εἶπεν· ἐκ Μεσοποταμίας μετεπέμψατό με Βαλάκ, βασιλεὺς Μωάβ, ἐξ ὀρέων ἀπ’ ἀνατολῶν λέγων· δεῦρο ἄρασαί μοι τὸν ᾿Ιακὼβ καὶ δεῦρο ἐπικατάρασαί μοι τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ
Numbers 23:7 (NETS)	Numbers 23:6b, 7 (English Elpenor)
And a divine spirit was upon him. And he took up his parable and said: “Out of Mesopotamia Balak sent for me, Moab’s king from mountains on the east, saying: ‘Come, curse Iakob for me, and come, call down curses upon Israel for me!’	and the Spirit of God came upon him. (7) And he took up his parable, and said, Balac king of Moab sent for me out of Mesopotamia, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and Come, call for a curse for me upon Israel.

Numbers 23:8 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:8 (KJV)	Numbers 23:8 (NET)
How shall I curse, whom G-d hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom HaShem hath not execrated?	How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?	How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the Lord has not denounced?

Numbers 23:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τί ἀράσωμαι ὃν μὴ καταρᾶται κύριος ἢ τί καταράσωμαι ὃν μὴ καταρᾶται ὁ θεός	τί ἀράσωμαι ὃν μὴ ἀρᾶται Κύριος, ἢ τί καταράσωμαι ὃν μὴ καταρᾶται ὁ Θεός
Numbers 23:8 (NETS)	Numbers 23:8 (English Elpenor)
How shall I curse whom the Lord does not curse? Or how shall I call down curses on whom God does not call down curses?	How can I curse whom the Lord curses not? or how can I devote whom God devotes not?

Numbers 23:9 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:9 (KJV)	Numbers 23:9 (NET)
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.	For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.	For from the top of the rocks I see them; from the hills I watch them. Indeed, a nation that lives alone, and it will not be reckoned among the nations.

Numbers 23:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι ἀπὸ κορυφῆς ὀρέων ὄψομαι αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπὸ βουνῶν προσνοήσω αὐτόν ἰδοὺ λαὸς μόνος κατοικήσει καὶ ἐν ἔθνεσιν οὐ συλλογισθήσεται	ὅτι ἀπὸ κορυφῆς ὀρέων ὄψομαι αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπὸ βουνῶν προσνοήσω αὐτόν. ἰδοὺ λαὸς μόνος κατοικήσει καὶ ἐν ἔθνεσιν οὐ συλλογισθήσεται
Numbers 23:9 (NETS)	Numbers 23:9 (English Elpenor)
For from a top of mountains I shall see him, and from hills I shall observe him. Behold, a people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations!	For from the top of the mountains I shall see him, and from the hills I shall observe him: behold, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

Numbers 23:10 (Tanakh)	Numbers 23:10 (KJV)	Numbers 23:10 (NET)
Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered the stock of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let mine end be like his!	Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!	Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let the end of my life be like theirs.”

Numbers 23:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 23:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τίς ἐξηκριβάσατο τὸ σπέρμα Ιακωβ καὶ τίς ἐξαριθμήσεται δήμους Ισραηλ ἀποθάνοι ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ψυχαῖς δικαίων καὶ γένοιτο τὸ σπέρμα μου ὡς τὸ σπέρμα τούτων	τίς ἐξηκριβάσατο τὸ σπέρμα ᾿Ιακώβ, καὶ τίς ἐξαριθμήσεται δήμους ᾿Ισραήλ; ἀποθάνοι ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν ψυχαῖς δικαίων, καὶ γένοιτο τὸ σπέρμα μου ὡς τὸ σπέρμα τούτων
Numbers 23:10 (NETS)	Numbers 23:10 (English Elpenor)
Who has accurately counted the offspring of Iakob, and who shall number Israel’s divisions? May my soul die among souls of righteous ones, and may my offspring be as their offspring!”	Who has exactly calculated the seed of Jacob, and who shall number the families of Israel? let my soul die with the souls of the righteous, and let my seed be as their seed.

Leviticus 20:26 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:26 (KJV)	Leviticus 20:26 (NET)
And ye shall be holy unto Me; for I HaShem am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that ye should be Mine.	And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.	You must be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the other peoples to be mine.

Leviticus 20:26 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 20:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσεσθέ μοι ἅγιοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν ὁ ἀφορίσας ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν εἶναι ἐμοί	καὶ ἔσεσθέ μοι ἅγιοι, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιός εἰμι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, ὁ ἀφορίσας ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, εἶναι ἐμοί
Leviticus 20:26 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:26 (English Elpenor)
And you shall be holy to me, for I the Lord your God am holy, who has separated you from all the nations to be mine.	And ye shall be holy to me; because I the Lord your God [am] holy, who separated you from all nations, to be mine.

Genesis 49:1 (Tanakh)	Genesis 49:1 (KJV)	Genesis 49:1 (NET)
And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: ‘Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days.	And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.	Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather together so I can tell you what will happen to you in future days.

Genesis 49:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 49:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐκάλεσεν δὲ Ιακωβ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν συνάχθητε ἵνα ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν τί ἀπαντήσει ὑμῖν ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν	ΕΚΑΛΕΣΕ δὲ ᾿Ιακὼβ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· συνάχθητε, ἵνα ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν, τί ἀπαντήσει ὑμῖν ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν
Genesis 49:1 (NETS)	Genesis 49:1, 2a (English Elpenor)
Then Iakob summoned his sons and said: “Gather together in order that I may tell you what will happen to you at the last of the days.	AND Jacob called his sons, and said to them, (2) Assemble yourselves, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in the last days.

Numbers 24:20 (Tanakh)	Numbers 24:20 (KJV)	Numbers 24:20 (NET)
And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said: Amalek was the first of the nations; but his end shall come to destruction.	And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.	Then Balaam looked on Amalek and delivered this oracle: “Amalek was the first of the nations, but his end will be that he will perish.”

Numbers 24:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Numbers 24:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν Αμαληκ καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ εἶπεν ἀρχὴ ἐθνῶν Αμαληκ καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται	καὶ ἰδὼν τὸν ᾿Αμαλὴκ καὶ ἀναλαβὼν τὴν παραβολὴν αὐτοῦ εἶπεν· ἀρχὴ ἐθνῶν ᾿Αμαλήκ, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται
Numbers 24:20 (NETS)	Numbers 24:20 (English Elpenor)
And when he saw Amalek and took up his parable, he said: “Rule of nations is Amalek, but their offspring will perish.”	And having seen Amalec, he took up his parable and said, Amalec [is] the first of the nations; yet his seed shall perish.

Deuteronomy 4:30 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 4:30 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 4:30 (NET)
In thy distress, when all these things are come upon thee, in the end of days, thou wilt return to HaShem thy G-d, and hearken unto His voice;	When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;	In your distress when all these things happen to you in future days, if you return to the Lord your God and obey him

Deuteronomy 4:29b, 30 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 4:29b, 30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῇ θλίψει σου (30) καὶ εὑρήσουσίν σε πάντες οἱ λόγοι οὗτοι ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτῳ τῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ ἐπιστραφήσῃ πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεόν σου καὶ εἰσακούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ	ἐν τῇ θλίψει σου· (30) καὶ εὑρήσουσί σε πάντες οἱ λόγοι οὗτοι ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτῳ τῶν ἡμερῶν, καὶ ἐπιστραφήσῃ πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου καὶ εἰσακούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ
Deuteronomy 4:30 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 4:29b, 30 (English Elpenor)
in your distress. And all these words shall find you in the end of days, and you will return to the Lord your God and listen to his voice.	in your affliction. (30) And all these things shall come upon thee in the last days, and thou shalt turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt hearken to his voice.

Deuteronomy 4:31 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 4:31 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 4:31 (NET)
for HaShem thy G-d is a merciful G-d; He will not fail thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He swore unto them.	(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.	(for he is a merciful God), he will not let you down or destroy you, for he cannot forget the covenant with your ancestors that he confirmed by oath to them.

Deuteronomy 4:31 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 4:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι θεὸς οἰκτίρμων κύριος ὁ θεός σου οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψει σε οὐδὲ μὴ ἐκτρίψει σε οὐκ ἐπιλήσεται τὴν διαθήκην τῶν πατέρων σου ἣν ὤμοσεν αὐτοῖς	ὅτι Θεὸς οἰκτίρμων Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψει σε οὐδὲ μὴ ἐκτρίψῃ σε, οὐκ ἐπιλήσεται τὴν διαθήκην τῶν πατέρων σου, ἣν ὤμοσεν αὐτοῖς Κύριος
Deuteronomy 4:31 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 4:31 (English Elpenor)
Because the Lord your God is a compassionate god, he will neither abandon you nor wipe you out; he will not forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.	Because the Lord thy God [is] a God of pity: he will not forsake thee, nor destroy thee; he will not forget the covenant of thy fathers, which the Lord sware to them.

Deuteronomy 8:16 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 8:16 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 8:16 (NET)
who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might afflict thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;	who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might afflict thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;	fed you in the wilderness with manna (which your ancestors had never before known) so that he might by humbling you test you and eventually bring good to you.

Deuteronomy 8:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 8:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τοῦ ψωμίσαντός σε τὸ μαννα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὃ οὐκ εἴδησαν οἱ πατέρες σου ἵνα κακώσῃ σε καὶ ἐκπειράσῃ σε καὶ εὖ σε ποιήσῃ ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν σου	τοῦ ψωμίσαντός σε τὸ μάννα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ὃ οὐκ ᾔδεις σὺ καὶ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν οἱ πατέρες σου, ἵνα κακώσῃ σε καὶ ἐκπειράσῃ σε καὶ εὖ σε ποιήσῃ ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν σου
Deuteronomy 8:16 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 8:16 (English Elpenor)
who fed you with manna in the wilderness that your fathers did not know so that he might distress you and test you, that you might do well at your end.	who fed thee with manna in the wilderness, which thou knewest not, and thy fathers knew not; that he might afflict thee, and thoroughly try thee, and do thee good in thy latter days.

Deuteronomy 11:12 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 11:12 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 11:12 (NET)
a land which HaShem thy G-d careth for; the eyes of HaShem thy G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.	A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.	a land the Lord your God looks after. He is constantly attentive to it from the beginning to the end of the year.

Deuteronomy 11:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 11:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
γῆ ἣν κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἐπισκοπεῖται αὐτήν διὰ παντὸς οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ καὶ ἕως συντελείας τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ	γῆ, ἣν Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου ἐπισκοπεῖται αὐτὴν διαπαντός, οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ καὶ ἕως συντελείας τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ
Deuteronomy 11:12 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 11:12 (English Elpenor)
a land that the Lord your God regards it. The eyes of the Lord your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year even until the end of the year.	A land which the Lord thy God surveys continually, the eyes of the Lord thy God are upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.

Deuteronomy 31:29 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 31:29 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 31:29 (NET)
For I know that after my death ye will in any wise deal corruptly, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the end of days; because ye will do that which is evil in the sight of HaShem, to provoke Him through the work of your hands.’	For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.	For I know that after I die you will totally corrupt yourselves and turn away from the path I have commanded you to walk. Disaster will confront you in future days because you will act wickedly before the Lord, inciting him to anger because of your actions.”

Deuteronomy 31:29 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 31:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι ἔσχατον τῆς τελευτῆς μου ἀνομίᾳ ἀνομήσετε καὶ ἐκκλινεῖτε ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἧς ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν καὶ συναντήσεται ὑμῖν τὰ κακὰ ἔσχατον τῶν ἡμερῶν ὅτι ποιήσετε τὸ πονηρὸν ἐναντίον κυρίου παροργίσαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν	οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι ἔσχατον τῆς τελευτῆς μου ἀνομίᾳ ἀνομήσετε καὶ ἐκκλινεῖτε ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἧς ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν, καὶ συναντήσεται ὑμῖν τὰ κακὰ ἔσχατον τῶν ἡμερῶν, ὅτι ποιήσετε τὰ πονηρὰ ἐναντίον Κυρίου παροργίσαι αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν
Deuteronomy 31:29 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 31:29 (English Elpenor)
For I know that, after my demise, with lawlessness you will act lawlessly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And the evils will come upon you at the end of days, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him through the works of your hands.”	For I know that after my death ye will utterly transgress, and turn aside out of the way which I have commanded you; and evils shall come upon you in the latter days, because ye will do evil before the Lord, to provoke him to anger by the works of your hands.

Deuteronomy 32:20 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 32:20 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 32:20 (NET)
And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.	And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.	He said, “I will reject them. I will see what will happen to them; for they are a perverse generation, children who show no loyalty.

Deuteronomy 32:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 32:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ἀποστρέψω τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν καὶ δείξω τί ἔσται αὐτοῖς ἐπ᾽ ἐσχάτων ὅτι γενεὰ ἐξεστραμμένη ἐστίν υἱοί οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν πίστις ἐν αὐτοῖς	καὶ εἶπεν· ἀποστρέψω τὸ πρόσωπόν μου ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν καὶ δείξω τί ἔσται αὐτοῖς ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτων ἡμερῶν· ὅτι γενεὰ ἐξεστραμμένη ἐστίν, υἱοί, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι πίστις ἐν αὐτοῖς
Deuteronomy 32:20 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 32:20 (English Elpenor)
And he said: I will turn away my face from them, and I will show what will happen to them at the end, for it is a perverse generation, sons who have no faithfulness in them.	and said, I will turn away my face from them, and will show what shall happen to them in the last days; for it is a perverse generation, sons in whom is no faith.

Deuteronomy 32:29 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 32:29 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 32:29 (NET)
If they were wise, they would understand this, they would discern their latter end.	O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!	I wish that they were wise and could understand this, and that they could comprehend what will happen to them.”

Deuteronomy 32:29 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 32:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἐφρόνησαν συνιέναι ταῦτα καταδεξάσθωσαν εἰς τὸν ἐπιόντα χρόνον	οὐκ ἐφρόνησαν συνιέναι ταῦτα· καταδεξάσθωσαν εἰς τὸν ἐπιόντα χρόνον
Deuteronomy 32:29 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 32:29 (English Elpenor)
They had no sense to understand these things. Let them accept them for the time to come.	They had not sense to understand: let them reserve these things against the time to come.

Matthew 16:25, 26 (NET)	Matthew 16:25, 26 (KJV)
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it.	For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:25 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 16:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 16:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν	ος γαρ αν θελη την ψυχην αυτου σωσαι απολεσει αυτην ος δ αν απολεση την ψυχην αυτου ενεκεν εμου ευρησει αυτην	ος γαρ αν θελη την ψυχην αυτου σωσαι απολεσει αυτην ος δ αν απολεση την ψυχην αυτου ενεκεν εμου ευρησει αυτην

For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 16:26 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 16:26 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 16:26 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τί γὰρ ὠφεληθήσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐὰν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον κερδήσῃ τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ζημιωθῇ; ἢ τί δώσει ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ	τι γαρ ωφελειται ανθρωπος εαν τον κοσμον ολον κερδηση την δε ψυχην αυτου ζημιωθη η τι δωσει ανθρωπος ανταλλαγμα της ψυχης αυτου	τι γαρ ωφελειται ανθρωπος εαν τον κοσμον ολον κερδηση την δε ψυχην αυτου ζημιωθη η τι δωσει ανθρωπος ανταλλαγμα της ψυχης αυτου

3 John, Part 6

Back to 3 John, Part 7

Back to 3 John, Part 8

Back to Balaam, Balak and the 24,000, Part 1

¹ 3 John, Part 3

² 3 John, Part 3

³ Matthew 7:18 (ESV) 3 John, Part 4

⁴ Numbers 22:12 (The Complete Jewish Bible)

⁵ Numbers 22:38b (The Complete Jewish Bible)

⁶ Numbers 22:41-23:3a (ESV)

⁷ Matthew 7:18 (ESV)

⁸ 3 John, Part 4 In The Complete Jewish Bible online the translation say also indicates the imperative mood: The Lord placed something into Balaam’s mouth, and He said, “Return to Balak and say as follows.” Apparently only λαλήσεις in the Septuagint, a 2^nd person singular form of λαλέω, is clearly in the future tense and indicative mood.