Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 16

Posted on November 29, 2020 by admin

Moses recalled what the people of Israel had said to him as well as what יְהֹוָה֙ (Yehovah) said about what the people had said:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 5:24-27 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 5:27-29 (NET)	Deuteronomy 5:27-29 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:27-29 (Elpenor English)
Go thou near, and hear all that HaShem our G-d may say; and thou shalt speak unto us all that HaShem our G-d may speak unto thee; and we will hear it and do it.’	You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.”	You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.”	Do thou draw near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say, and thou shalt speak to us all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak to thee, and we will hear, and do.
And HaShem heard the voice of your words, when ye spoke unto me; and HaShem said unto me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken.	When the Lord heard you speaking to me, he said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you—they have spoken well.	And the Lord heard the sound of your words when you were speaking to me: “I have heard the sound of the words of this people, what they have spoken to you; all that they have spoken they have spoken correctly.	And the Lord heard the voice of your words as ye spoke to me; and the Lord said to me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, even all things that they have said to thee. [They have] well [said] all that they have spoken.
Oh that they had such a heart as this alway, to fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!	If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever.	Who shall grant that their heart be in them in such a way that they fear me and keep my commandments in all their days so that it might go well with them and their sons forever!	O that there were such a heart in them, that they should fear me and keep my commands always, that it might be well with them and with their sons for ever.

Here is a very accessible definition of the fear (yare’, לְיִרְאָ֥ה; Septugaint: φοβεῖσθαί, a form of φοβέω) of the Lord: a heart to hear and do whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 6:1-3 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 6:1-3 (NET)	Deuteronomy 6:1-3 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 6:1-3 (Elpenor English)
Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which HaShem your G-d commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it–	Now these are the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord your God instructed me to teach you so that you may carry them out in the land where you are headed	And these are the commandments and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord your God commanded to teach you to do so in the land which you are entering there to inherit	And these [are] the commands, and the ordinances, and the judgments, as many as the Lord our God gave commandment to teach you to do so in the land on which ye enter to inherit it.
that thou mightest fear HaShem thy G-d, to keep all His statutes and His commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.	and that you may so revere the Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments that I am giving you—you, your children, and your grandchildren—all your lives, to prolong your days.	so that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments that I command you today, you and your sons and your sons’ sons, all the days of your life so that you may be long-lived.	That ye may fear the Lord your God, keep ye all his ordinances, and his commandments, which I command thee to-day, thou, and thy sons, and thy sons’ sons, all the days of thy life, that ye may live many days.
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as HaShem, the G-d of thy fathers, hath promised unto thee–a land flowing with milk and honey.	Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to do this so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in number—as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to you, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey.	Now hear, O Israel, and be watchful to perform so that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has spoken, to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.	Hear, therefore, O Israel, and observe to do them, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may be greatly multiplied, as the Lord God of thy fathers said that he would give thee a land flowing with milk and honey: and these [are] the ordinances, and the judgments, which the Lord commanded the children of Israel in the wilderness, when they had gone forth from the land of Egypt.

Here, too, fear was תִּירָ֜א (yare’; Septuagint: φοβῆσθε, a form of φοβέω). It seems important to hold on to this definition of fear as it relates to the Lord: a heart to hear and do whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak. This is the first moment I think I have understood the psalmist: The fear^[1] of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever and ever.^[2]

Since I have read the Bible before and know that most in Israel did not have a heart to hear and do whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak, my religious mind can fall from this definition of fear of the Lord all too easily. It begins to substitute fear of the kind of things that happened to Israel in the power of darkness when they did not have the fear of the Lord: a heart to hear and do whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak. To make such a substitution is similar to the thinking of those who exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!^[3]

And as I consider Paul’s loving (Romans 9:1-5) diagnosis of Israel’s history, faith is clearly an aspect of the fear of the Lord (Romans 9:30-32a NET):

What shall we say then?—that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith, but Israel even though pursuing a law of righteousness did not attain it [Table]. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but (as if it were possible) by works [Table].

Paul didn’t eliminate the concept of service from the Gospel of Jesus Christ: God, whom I serve (λατρεύω) in my spirit in the gospel of his Son,^[4] he wrote.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 6:13-15 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 6:13-15 (NET)	Deuteronomy 6:13-15 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 6:13-15 (Elpenor English)
Thou shalt fear HaShem thy G-d; and Him shalt thou serve, and by His name shalt thou swear [Table].	You must revere the Lord your God, serve him, and take oaths using only his name.	The Lord your God you shall fear, and him you shall serve, and to him you shall cling, and by his name you shall swear.	Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve; and thou shalt cleave to him, and by his name thou shalt swear.
Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples that are round about you;	You must not go after other gods, those of the surrounding peoples,	Do not go after other gods from the gods of the nations around you,	Go ye not after other gods of the gods of the nations round about you;
for a jealous G-d, even HaShem thy G-d, is in the midst of thee; lest the anger of HaShem thy G-d be kindled against thee, and He destroy thee from off the face of the earth.	for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a jealous God—his anger will erupt against you and remove you from the land.	because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous god. Lest the Lord your God, being angered with wrath against you, destroy you utterly from the face of the earth.	for the Lord thy God in the midst of thee [is] a jealous God, lest the Lord thy God be very angry with thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

Here fear was תִּירָ֖א (yare’; Septuagint: φοβηθήσῃ, a form of φοβέω). The fear of יְהֹוָ֧ה (Yehovah)—a heart to hear and do whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak^[5]—is associated with and Him shalt thou serve (Tanakh), and him only shalt thou serve (English Elpenor).

The Hebrew word translated and Him shalt thou serve was תַֽעֲבֹ֑ד (`abad). It was translated καὶ αὐτῷ λατρεύσεις (NETS: and him you shall serve) or καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις (Elpenor; English: and him only shalt thou serve) in the Septuagint. Whether μόνῳ (only) was deleted from the Masoretic text or added to the Elpenor Septuagint, Jesus quoted μόνῳ to Satan. But now we have been released from the law, Paul described one result of the Gospel, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve (δουλεύειν, a form of δουλεύω) in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.^[6]

The fear of יְהֹוָ֧ה (Yehovah)—a heart to hear and do whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak—is also associated with καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν κολληθήσῃ (NETS: and to him you shall cling) in the Septuagint. This is missing from the Masoretic text.

The fear of יְהֹוָ֧ה (Yehovah)—a heart to hear and do whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak—is also associated with וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ (shem; Tanakh: and by His name) תִּשָּׁבֵֽעַ (shaba`, Tanakh: shalt thou swear). The Greek of the Septuagint was καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ὀμῇ (BLB) or καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ὀμῇ (Elpenor). The Greek word ὀμῇ is a form of ὄμνυμι. Other forms of ὄμνυμι occur in Jesus’ revision of oath taking (Matthew 5:33-37 NET):

“Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows (ὅρκους, a form of ὅρκος) to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not take oaths (ὀμόσαι, another form of ὄμνυμι) at all—not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, not by earth because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Do not take an oath (ὀμόσῃς, another form of ὄμνυμι) by your head because you are not able to make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one.

But even Jesus’ revision of oath taking and presumably its relationship to the fear of יְהֹוָ֧ה (Yehovah)—a heart to hear and do whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak—doesn’t justify incorporating God’s anger stirred up against going after other gods into the definition of the fear of the Lord, despite my religious mind’s struggle to revise the text: Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God…lest the Lord thy God be very angry with thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.^[7]

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 6:24 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 6:24 (NET)	Deuteronomy 6:24 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 6:24 (Elpenor English)
And HaShem commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear HaShem our G-d, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.	The Lord commanded us to obey all these statutes and to revere him so that it may always go well for us and he may preserve us, as he has to this day.	And the Lord commanded us to perform all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, so that it may be well for us all our days so that we may live, as it is today.	And the Lord charged us to observe all these ordinances; to fear the Lord our God, that it may be well with us for ever, that we may live, as even today.

Here, too, fear was לְיִרְאָ֖ה (yare’) in Hebrew, and φοβεῖσθαι (a form of φοβέω) in Greek in the Septuagint. It was associated again with לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙ (`asah), to do all these statutes (Tanakh), and ποιεῖν (a form of ποιέω) in Greek, to observe all these ordinances (English Elpenor). This fear of יְהֹוָ֗ה (Yehovah)—a heart to hear and do whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak—is for our good always (Tanakh).

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 7:17-19 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 7:17-19 (NET)	Deuteronomy 7:17-19 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 7:17-19 (Elpenor English)
If thou shalt say in thy heart: ‘These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?’	If you think, “These nations are more numerous than I—how can I dispossess them?”	But if you say in your mind, “This nation is more numerous than I; how will I be able to destroy them utterly?”	But if thou shouldest say in thine heart, This nation [is] greater than I, how shall I be able to destroy them utterly?
thou shalt not be afraid of them; thou shalt well remember what HaShem thy G-d did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt:	you must not fear them. You must carefully recall what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt,	you shall not be afraid of them. With remembrance you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharao and to all the Egyptians,	thou shalt not fear them; thou shalt surely remember all that the Lord thy God did to Pharao and to all the Egyptians:
the great trials which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, whereby HaShem thy G-d brought thee out; so shall HaShem thy G-d do unto all the peoples of whom thou art afraid.	the great judgments you saw, the signs and wonders, the strength and power by which he brought you out—thus the Lord your God will do to all the people you fear.	the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders, the strong hand and the high arm as the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord our God will do thus to all the nations of whose faces you are afraid.	the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, those signs and great wonders, the strong hand, and the high arm; how the Lord thy God brought thee forth: so the Lord your God will do to all the nations, whom thou fearest in their presence.

The Hebrew word translated art afraid (Tanakh) and fear (NET) in verse 19 was ירא (yare’). It was translated φοβῇ (a form of φοβέω), you are afraid (NETS) and thou fearest (English Elpenor), in the Septuagint. I’m reasonably convinced that this is a more natural use of the word fear (though even here it may be respect). I’m much less sure of the usage in verse 18.

Did Moses caution Israel, thou shalt not be afraid of them (Tanakh), because he assumed that they were afraid (yare’, תִירָ֖א) to engage an enemy that was more numerous (NET), רַבִּ֛ים (rab)? Or did he command Israel, thou shalt not fear them (English Elpenor), φοβηθήσῃ (a form of φοβέω)—that is, not have a heart to hear and do whatsoever the enemy shall speak—because the people of Israel might think this enemy nation [was] greater than Israel (English Elpenor), πολὺ (a form of πολύς)?

It’s important here to consider the command the people of Israel were to have a heart to hear and do:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 7:16 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 7:16 (NET)	Deuteronomy 7:16 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 7:16 (Elpenor English)
And thou shalt eat all the spoils of the nations which the Lord thy God gives thee; thine eye shall not spare them, and thou shalt not serve their gods; for this is an offence to thee.	You must destroy all the people whom the Lord your God is about to deliver over to you; you must not pity them or worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.	And you shall eat all the spoils of the nations that the Lord your God is giving to you; your eye shall not be sparing to them, and you shall not serve their gods, for this is a stumbling block to you.	And thou shalt eat all the spoils of the nations which the Lord thy God gives thee; thine eye shall not spare them, and thou shalt not serve their gods; for this is an offence to thee.

Holy genocide with extreme prejudice sounds strange to anyone being rooted and grounded in love (Ephesians 3:14-21), but Yehovah/Jesus had not yet made peace through the blood of his cross. He had not yet revised the law (Matthew 5:38-45 NET):

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well [Table]. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you [Table].

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you [Table], so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous [Table].

As Paul wrote to Timothy, we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.^[8] I‘ll continue this in another essay.

A note (44) in the NET claimed that Jesus quoted Leviticus 19:12. Frankly, I don’t see it. A table comparing Jesus’ supposed quotation with the Septuagint follows.

Matthew 5:33b (NET Parallel Greek)	Leviticus 19:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 19:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἐπιορκήσεις, ἀποδώσεις δὲ τῷ κυρίῳ τοὺς ὅρκους σου	καὶ οὐκ ὀμεῗσθε τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐπ᾽ ἀδίκῳ καὶ οὐ βεβηλώσετε τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν	καὶ οὐκ ὀμεῖσθε τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐπ᾿ ἀδίκῳ καὶ οὐ βεβηλώσετε τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν· ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν
Matthew 5:33b (NET)	Leviticus 19:12 (NETS)	Leviticus 19:12 (English Elpenor)
Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.	And you shall not swear by my name in an unjust matter, and you shall not profane the name of your God; it is J wha am the Lord your God.	And ye shall not swear unjustly by my name, and ye shall not profane the holy name of your God: I am the Lord your God.

A table comparing the occurrences of forms of שָׁמַע (shama`) above, translated with forms of ἀκούω in the Septuagint, follow.

Reference	Chabad.org	Tanakh	NET	BLB	Elpenor
Deuteronomy 5:27 (5:24)	וְשָׁמַ֥עְנוּ	and we will hear it	then we will pay attention	καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα	καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα
Deuteronomy 6:3	וְשָֽׁמַעְתָּ֤	Hear therefore	Pay attention	καὶ ἄκουσον	καὶ ἄκουσον

A table comparing the occurrences of forms of עָשָׂה (`asah) above, translated with forms of ποιέω in the Septuagint, follow.

Reference	Chabad.org	Tanakh	NET	BLB	Elpenor
Deuteronomy 5:27 (5:24)	וְעָשִֽׂינוּ	and do it	and do it	καὶ ποιήσομεν	καὶ ποιήσομεν
Deuteronomy 6:1	לַֽעֲשׂ֣וֹת	that ye might do them	so that you may carry them out	ποιεῗν οὕτως	ποιεῖν οὕτως
Deuteronomy 6:3	לַֽעֲשׂ֔וֹת	to do it	to do this	ποιεῗν	ποιεῖν
Deuteronomy 6:24	לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙	to do	to obey	ποιεῗν	ποιεῖν

Tables comparing Deuteronomy 5:27 (5:24); 5:28 (5:25); 5:29 (5:26); 6:1; 6:2; 6:3; Psalm 19:9; Deuteronomy 6:14; 6:15; 6:24; 7:17; 7:18; 7:19; 7:16 and Leviticus 19:12 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Deuteronomy 5:27; 5:28; 5:29; 6:1; 6:2; 6:3; Psalm 19:9 (18:10); Deuteronomy 6:14; 6:15; 6:24; 7:17; 7:18; 7:19; 7:16 and Leviticus 19:12 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow. Tables comparing Colossians 1:20 and 1 Timothy 4:10 in the NET and KJV follows those.

Deuteronomy 5:24 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 5:27 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 5:27 (NET)
Go thou near, and hear all that HaShem our G-d may say; and thou shalt speak unto us all that HaShem our G-d may speak unto thee; and we will hear it and do it.’	Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.	You go near so that you can hear everything the Lord our God is saying and then you can tell us whatever he says to you; then we will pay attention and do it.”

Deuteronomy 5:27 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πρόσελθε σὺ καὶ ἄκουσον ὅσα ἐὰν εἴπῃ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν καὶ σὺ λαλήσεις πρὸς ἡμᾶς πάντα ὅσα ἂν λαλήσῃ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν πρὸς σέ καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα καὶ ποιήσομεν	πρόσελθε σὺ καὶ ἄκουσον πάντα, ὅσα ἂν εἴπῃ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ σὺ λαλήσεις πρὸς ἡμᾶς πάντα, ὅσα ἂν λαλήσῃ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν πρὸς σέ, καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα καὶ ποιήσομεν
Deuteronomy 5:27 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:27 (English Elpenor)
Go you near, and hear whatever the Lord our God may say. And you shall speak to us all things, whatever the Lord our God may speak to you, and we will hear it and do it.”	Do thou draw near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say, and thou shalt speak to us all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak to thee, and we will hear, and do.

Deuteronomy 5:25 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 5:28 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 5:28 (NET)
And HaShem heard the voice of your words, when ye spoke unto me; and HaShem said unto me: ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken.	And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they have spoken.	When the Lord heard you speaking to me, he said to me, “I have heard what these people have said to you—they have spoken well.

Deuteronomy 5:28 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἤκουσεν κύριος τὴν φωνὴν τῶν λόγων ὑμῶν λαλούντων πρός με καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρός με ἤκουσα τὴν φωνὴν τῶν λόγων τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου ὅσα ἐλάλησαν πρὸς σέ ὀρθῶς πάντα ὅσα ἐλάλησαν	καὶ ἤκουσε Κύριος τὴν φωνὴν τῶν λόγων ὑμῶν λαλούντων πρός με, καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρός με· ἤκουσα τὴν φωνὴν τῶν λόγων τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, ὅσα ἐλάλησαν πρός σε· ὀρθῶς πάντα, ὅσα ἐλάλησαν
Deuteronomy 5:28 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:28 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord heard the sound of your words when you were speaking to me: “I have heard the sound of the words of this people, what they have spoken to you; all that they have spoken they have spoken correctly.	And the Lord heard the voice of your words as ye spoke to me; and the Lord said to me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, even all things that they have said to thee. [They have] well [said] all that they have spoken.

Deuteronomy 5:26 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 5:29 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 5:29 (NET)
Oh that they had such a heart as this alway, to fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!	O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!	If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever.

Deuteronomy 5:29 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τίς δώσει οὕτως εἶναι τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἐν αὐτοῗς ὥστε φοβεῗσθαί με καὶ φυλάσσεσθαι τὰς ἐντολάς μου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἵνα εὖ ᾖ αὐτοῗς καὶ τοῗς υἱοῗς αὐτῶν δι᾽ αἰῶνος	τίς δώσει εἶναι οὕτω τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὥστε φοβεῖσθαί με καὶ φυλάσσεσθαι τὰς ἐντολάς μου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἵνα εὖ ᾖ αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτῶν δι᾿ αἰῶνος
Deuteronomy 5:29 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:29 (English Elpenor)
Who shall grant that their heart be in them in such a way that they fear me and keep my commandments in all their days so that it might go well with them and their sons forever!	O that there were such a heart in them, that they should fear me and keep my commands always, that it might be well with them and with their sons for ever.

Deuteronomy 6:1 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 6:1 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 6:1 (NET)
Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which HaShem your G-d commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it–	Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:	Now these are the commandments, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord your God instructed me to teach you so that you may carry them out in the land where you are headed

Deuteronomy 6:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 6:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ αὗται αἱ ἐντολαὶ καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα καὶ τὰ κρίματα ὅσα ἐνετείλατο κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν διδάξαι ὑμᾶς ποιεῗν οὕτως ἐν τῇ γῇ εἰς ἣν ὑμεῗς εἰσπορεύεσθε ἐκεῗ κληρονομῆσαι αὐτήν	ΚΑΙ αὗται αἱ ἐντολαὶ καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα καὶ τὰ κρίματα, ὅσα ἐνετείλατο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν διδάξαι ὑμᾶς ποιεῖν οὕτως ἐν τῇ γῇ, εἰς ἣν ὑμεῖς εἰσπορεύεσθε ἐκεῖ κληρονομῆσαι αὐτήν
Deuteronomy 6:1 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 6:1 (English Elpenor)
And these are the commandments and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord your God commanded to teach you to do so in the land which you are entering there to inherit	And these [are] the commands, and the ordinances, and the judgments, as many as the Lord our God gave commandment to teach you to do so in the land on which ye enter to inherit it.

Deuteronomy 6:2 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 6:2 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 6:2 (NET)
that thou mightest fear HaShem thy G-d, to keep all His statutes and His commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.	That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.	and that you may so revere the Lord your God that you will keep all his statutes and commandments that I am giving you—you, your children, and your grandchildren—all your lives, to prolong your days.

Deuteronomy 6:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 6:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἵνα φοβῆσθε κύριον τὸν θεὸν ὑμῶν φυλάσσεσθαι πάντα τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ὅσας ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν υἱῶν σου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου ἵνα μακροημερεύσητε	ἵνα φοβῆσθε Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ὑμῶν, φυλάσσεσθαι πάντα τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, ὅσας ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον, σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν υἱῶν σου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου, ἵνα μακροημερεύσητε
Deuteronomy 6:2 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 6:2 (English Elpenor)
so that you may fear the Lord your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments that I command you today, you and your sons and your sons’ sons, all the days of your life so that you may be long-lived.	That ye may fear the Lord your God, keep ye all his ordinances, and his commandments, which I command thee to-day, thou, and thy sons, and thy sons’ sons, all the days of thy life, that ye may live many days.

Deuteronomy 6:3 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 6:3 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 6:3 (NET)
Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as HaShem, the G-d of thy fathers, hath promised unto thee–a land flowing with milk and honey.	Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.	Pay attention, Israel, and be careful to do this so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in number—as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to you, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 6:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 6:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἄκουσον Ισραηλ καὶ φύλαξαι ποιεῗν ὅπως εὖ σοι ᾖ καὶ ἵνα πληθυνθῆτε σφόδρα καθάπερ ἐλάλησεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων σου δοῦναί σοι γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι	καὶ ἄκουσον, ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ φύλαξον ποιεῖν, ὅπως εὖ σοι ᾖ καὶ ἵνα πληθυνθῆτε σφόδρα, καθάπερ ἐλάλησε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων σου δοῦναί σοι γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι. καὶ ταῦτα τὰ δικαιώματα καὶ τὰ κρίματα, ὅσα ἐνετείλατο Κύριος τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἐξελθόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου.
Deuteronomy 6:3 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 6:3 (English Elpenor)
Now hear, O Israel, and be watchful to perform so that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has spoken, to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.	Hear, therefore, O Israel, and observe to do them, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may be greatly multiplied, as the Lord God of thy fathers said that he would give thee a land flowing with milk and honey: and these [are] the ordinances, and the judgments, which the Lord commanded the children of Israel in the wilderness, when they had gone forth from the land of Egypt.

Psalm 19:9 (Tanakh)	Psalm 19:9 (KJV)	Psalm 19:9 (NET)
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.	The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.	The commands to fear the Lord are right and endure forever. The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy and absolutely just.

Psalm 19:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 18:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ φόβος κυρίου ἁγνός διαμένων εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος τὰ κρίματα κυρίου ἀληθινά δεδικαιωμένα ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό	ὁ φόβος Κυρίου ἁγνός, διαμένων εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος· τὰ κρίματα Κυρίου ἀληθινά, δεδικαιωμένα ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό
Psalm 18:10 (NETS)	Psalm 18:10 (English Elpenor)
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever and ever; the judgments of the Lord are valid, justified altogether,	The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring for ever and ever: the judgments of the Lord are true, [and] justified altogether.

Deuteronomy 6:14 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 6:14 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 6:14 (NET)
Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples that are round about you;	Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;	You must not go after other gods, those of the surrounding peoples,

Deuteronomy 6:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 6:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ πορεύσεσθε ὀπίσω θεῶν ἑτέρων ἀπὸ τῶν θεῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν περικύκλῳ ὑμῶν	οὐ πορεύεσθε ὀπίσω θεῶν ἑτέρων ἀπὸ τῶν θεῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν περικύκλῳ ὑμῶν,
Deuteronomy 6:14 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 6:14 (English Elpenor)
Do not go after other gods from the gods of the nations around you,	Go ye not after other gods of the gods of the nations round about you;

Deuteronomy 6:15 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 6:15 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 6:15 (NET)
for a jealous G-d, even HaShem thy G-d, is in the midst of thee; lest the anger of HaShem thy G-d be kindled against thee, and He destroy thee from off the face of the earth.	(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.	for the Lord your God, who is present among you, is a jealous God—his anger will erupt against you and remove you from the land.

Deuteronomy 6:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 6:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι θεὸς ζηλωτὴς κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἐν σοί μὴ ὀργισθεὶς θυμωθῇ κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἐν σοὶ καὶ ἐξολεθρεύσῃ σε ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς	ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ζηλωτὴς Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου ἐν σοί, μὴ ὀργισθεὶς θυμῷ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σού σοι ἐξολοθρεύσῃ σε ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς
Deuteronomy 6:15 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 6:15 (English Elpenor)
because the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a jealous god. Lest the Lord your God, being angered with wrath against you, destroy you utterly from the face of the earth.	for the Lord thy God in the midst of thee [is] a jealous God, lest the Lord thy God be very angry with thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 6:24 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 6:24 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 6:24 (NET)
And HaShem commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear HaShem our G-d, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.	And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.	The Lord commanded us to obey all these statutes and to revere him so that it may always go well for us and he may preserve us, as he has to this day.

Deuteronomy 6:24 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 6:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνετείλατο ἡμῗν κύριος ποιεῗν πάντα τὰ δικαιώματα ταῦτα φοβεῗσθαι κύριον τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν ἵνα εὖ ᾖ ἡμῗν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἵνα ζῶμεν ὥσπερ καὶ σήμερον	καὶ ἐνετείλατο ἡμῖν Κύριος ποιεῖν πάντα τὰ δικαιώματα ταῦτα φοβεῖσθαι Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν, ἵνα εὖ ᾖ ἡμῖν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἵνα ζῶμεν ὥσπερ καὶ σήμερον
Deuteronomy 6:24 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 6:24 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord commanded us to perform all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, so that it may be well for us all our days so that we may live, as it is today.	And the Lord charged us to observe all these ordinances; to fear the Lord our God, that it may be well with us for ever, that we may live, as even today.

Deuteronomy 7:17 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 7:17 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 7:17 (NET)
If thou shalt say in thy heart: ‘These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?’	If thou shalt say in thine heart, These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?	If you think, “These nations are more numerous than I—how can I dispossess them?”

Deuteronomy 7:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 7:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ λέγῃς ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ σου ὅτι πολὺ τὸ ἔθνος τοῦτο ἢ ἐγώ πῶς δυνήσομαι ἐξολεθρεῦσαι αὐτούς	ἐὰν δὲ λέγῃς ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ σου, ὅτι πολὺ τὸ ἔθνος τοῦτο ἢ ἐγώ, πῶς δυνήσομαι ἐξολοθρεῦσαι αὐτούς
Deuteronomy 7:17 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 7:17 (English Elpenor)
But if you say in your mind, “This nation is more numerous than I; how will I be able to destroy them utterly?”	But if thou shouldest say in thine heart, This nation [is] greater than I, how shall I be able to destroy them utterly?

Deuteronomy 7:18 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 7:18 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 7:18 (NET)
thou shalt not be afraid of them; thou shalt well remember what HaShem thy G-d did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt:	Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;	you must not fear them. You must carefully recall what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt,

Deuteronomy 7:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 7:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ φοβηθήσῃ αὐτούς μνείᾳ μνησθήσῃ ὅσα ἐποίησεν κύριος ὁ θεός σου τῷ Φαραω καὶ πᾶσι τοῗς Αἰγυπτίοις	οὐ φοβηθήσῃ αὐτούς· μνείᾳ μνησθήσῃ ὅσα ἐποίησε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου τῷ Φαραὼ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις
Deuteronomy 7:18 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 7:18 (English Elpenor)
you shall not be afraid of them. With remembrance you shall remember what the Lord your God did to Pharao and to all the Egyptians,	thou shalt not fear them; thou shalt surely remember all that the Lord thy God did to Pharao and to all the Egyptians:

Deuteronomy 7:19 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 7:19 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 7:19 (NET)
the great trials which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, whereby HaShem thy G-d brought thee out; so shall HaShem thy G-d do unto all the peoples of whom thou art afraid.	The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.	the great judgments you saw, the signs and wonders, the strength and power by which he brought you out—thus the Lord your God will do to all the people you fear.

Deuteronomy 7:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 7:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τοὺς πειρασμοὺς τοὺς μεγάλους οὓς εἴδοσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου τὰ σημεῗα καὶ τὰ τέρατα τὰ μεγάλα ἐκεῗνα τὴν χεῗρα τὴν κραταιὰν καὶ τὸν βραχίονα τὸν ὑψηλόν ὡς ἐξήγαγέν σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου οὕτως ποιήσει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν πᾶσιν τοῗς ἔθνεσιν οὓς σὺ φοβῇ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν	τοὺς πειρασμοὺς τοὺς μεγάλους, οὓς εἴδοσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, τὰ σημεῖα καὶ τὰ τέρατα τὰ μεγάλα ἐκεῖνα, τὴν χεῖρα τὴν κραταιὰν καὶ τὸν βραχίονα τὸν ὑψηλόν, ὡς ἐξήγαγέ σε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, οὕτω ποιήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, οὓς σὺ φοβῇ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν
Deuteronomy 7:19 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 7:19 (English Elpenor)
the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders, the strong hand and the high arm as the Lord your God brought you out. The Lord our God will do thus to all the nations of whose faces you are afraid.	the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, those signs and great wonders, the strong hand, and the high arm; how the Lord thy God brought thee forth: so the Lord your God will do to all the nations, whom thou fearest in their presence.

Deuteronomy 7:16 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 7:16 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 7:16 (NET)
And thou shalt eat all the spoils of the nations which the Lord thy God gives thee; thine eye shall not spare them, and thou shalt not serve their gods; for this is an offence to thee.	And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.	You must destroy all the people whom the Lord your God is about to deliver over to you; you must not pity them or worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

Deuteronomy 7:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 7:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ φάγῃ πάντα τὰ σκῦλα τῶν ἐθνῶν ἃ κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι οὐ φείσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῗς καὶ οὐ λατρεύσεις τοῗς θεοῗς αὐτῶν ὅτι σκῶλον τοῦτό ἐστίν σοι	καὶ φαγῇ πάντα τὰ σκῦλα τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἃ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου δίδωσί σοι· οὐ φείσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς, καὶ οὐ μὴ λατρεύσῃς^[9] τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν, ὅτι σκῶλον τοῦτό ἐστί σοι
Deuteronomy 7:16 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 7:16 (English Elpenor)
And you shall eat all the spoils of the nations that the Lord your God is giving to you; your eye shall not be sparing to them, and you shall not serve their gods, for this is a stumbling block to you.	And thou shalt eat all the spoils of the nations which the Lord thy God gives thee; thine eye shall not spare them, and thou shalt not serve their gods; for this is an offence to thee.

Leviticus 19:12 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 19:12 (KJV)	Leviticus 19:12 (NET)
And ye shall not swear by My name falsely, so that thou profane the name of thy G-d: I am HaShem.	And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.	You must not swear falsely in my name, so that you do not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 19:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐκ ὀμεῗσθε τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐπ᾽ ἀδίκῳ καὶ οὐ βεβηλώσετε τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν	καὶ οὐκ ὀμεῖσθε τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐπ᾿ ἀδίκῳ καὶ οὐ βεβηλώσετε τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν· ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν
Leviticus 19:12 (NETS)	Leviticus 19:12 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not swear by my name in an unjust matter, and you shall not profane the name of your God; it is J wha am the Lord your God.	And ye shall not swear unjustly by my name, and ye shall not profane the holy name of your God: I am the Lord your God.

Colossians 1:20 (NET)	Colossians 1:20 (KJV)
and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.	And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ δι᾿ αὐτοῦ ἀποκαταλλάξαι τὰ πάντα εἰς αὐτόν, εἰρηνοποιήσας διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ, [δι᾿ αὐτοῦ] εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς	και δι αυτου αποκαταλλαξαι τα παντα εις αυτον ειρηνοποιησας δια του αιματος του σταυρου αυτου δι αυτου ειτε τα επι της γης ειτε τα εν τοις ουρανοις	και δι αυτου αποκαταλλαξαι τα παντα εις αυτον ειρηνοποιησας δια του αιματος του σταυρου αυτου δι αυτου ειτε τα επι της γης ειτε τα επι τοις ουρανοις

1 Timothy 4:10 (NET)	1 Timothy 4:10 (KJV)
In fact this is why we work hard and struggle, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.	For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ κοπιῶμεν καὶ ἀγωνιζόμεθα, ὅτι ἠλπίκαμεν ἐπὶ θεῷ ζῶντι, ὅς ἐστιν σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων μάλιστα πιστῶν	εις τουτο γαρ και κοπιωμεν και ονειδιζομεθα οτι ηλπικαμεν επι θεω ζωντι ος εστιν σωτηρ παντων ανθρωπων μαλιστα πιστων	εις τουτο γαρ και κοπιωμεν και ονειδιζομεθα οτι ηλπικαμεν επι θεω ζωντι ος εστιν σωτηρ παντων ανθρωπων μαλιστα πιστων

Back to The Will of God – Jesus, Part 1

Back to Patterns of Evidence: Exodus

Back to Peter’s Second Gospel Proclamation, Part 3

^[1] The Hebrew word was יִרְאַ֚ת (yir’ah) rather than יָרֵא (yare’) but I think their relationship is that of a noun to its verb. It was translated with the Greek noun φόβος in the Septuagint.

^[2] Psalm 18:10a (19:9a) English Elpenor

^[3] Romans 1:25 (NET)

^[4] Romans 1:9a (NET)

^[5] Jesus was apparently willing to call fear (φοβηθήσῃ, a form of φοβέω) worship (προσκυνήσεις, a form of προσκυνέω) here.

^[6] Romans 7:6 (NET)

^[7] Deuteronomy 6:13a, 15b (English Elpenor)

^[8] 1 Timothy 4:10b (NET)

^[9] The double negative οὐ μὴ with a verb λατρεύσῃς in the subjunctive mood is a Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation. The people of Israel ultimately proved this statement—and thou shalt not serve their gods—false in the flesh. It reminds me however that it only becomes true of those led by Spirit.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 15

Posted on May 10, 2020 by admin

I am disgruntled every time I must go out to accomplish anything during this pandemic. Still, I sense the Holy Spirit pumping God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness into me like a racing heart. And my God will supply your every need, Paul wrote believers in Philippi, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.^[1] As I look around me, waiting in line, it’s hard to imagine that others aren’t feeling something of the same frustration inwardly, yet outwardly they are as placid and pleasant as I am.

I’ve been considering yehôvâh’s (יהוה) fearful pronouncement: I punish (pâqad, פקד) the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me…^[2] There is a fairly succinct review in another essay. I hope to wrap up this side excursion with what seems to me like the single most irrelevant law in Leviticus.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 20:19, 20 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:19, 20 (NET)	Leviticus 20:19, 20 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:19, 20 (Elpenor English)
And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness (וְעֶרְוַ֨ת) of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister; for he hath made naked his near kin; they shall bear (יִשָּֽׂאוּ) their iniquity (עֲו‍ֹנָ֥ם).	You must not expose the nakedness (ʽervâh, וערות) of your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for such a person has exposed his own close relative. They must bear (nâśâʼ, ישׁאו) their punishment for iniquity (ʽâvôn, עונם).	And you shall not uncover the shame (ἀσχημοσύνην) of your father’s sister or of your mother’s sister, for one has laid bare one’s own blood family; they shall carry (ἀποίσονται) guilt (ἁμαρτίαν).	And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness (ἀσχημοσύνην) of thy father’s sister, or of the sister of thy mother; for that man has uncovered the nakedness of one near akin: they shall bear (ἀποίσονται) their iniquity (ἁμαρτίαν).
And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife—he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness (עֶרְוַ֥ת)—they shall bear (יִשָּׂ֖אוּ) their sin;^[3] they shall die childless.	If a man goes to bed with his aunt, he has exposed his uncle’s nakedness (ʽervâh, ערות); they must bear (nâśâʼ, ישׁאו) responsibility for their sin, they will die childless.	He who lies with one who is his relative—he has uncovered the shame (ἀσχημοσύνην) of his kinship; they shall die childless.	Whosoever shall lie with his near kinswoman, has uncovered the nakedness (ἀσχημοσύνην) of one near akin to him: they shall die childless.

For all of my ἀσέβειαν (ἀσεβείας? NET: ungodliness) and all my many sins it never entered my mind to even want to see any of my aunts naked, much less to uncover their nakedness, have sex with them or children by them. Granted, none of my ten uncles or three great uncles had married women anywhere near my age. If they had, well, who knows?

The Hebrew words translated nakedness were וְעֶרְוַ֨ת (ʽervâh) and עֶרְוַ֥ת (ʽervâh). The rabbis chose ἀσχημοσύνην (a form of ἀσχημοσύνη). This is not the naked of Genesis.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 2:25 (Tanakh)	Genesis 2:25 (NET)	Genesis 2:25 (NETS)	Genesis 2:25 (Elpenor English)
And they were both naked (עֲרוּמִּ֔ים), the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.	The man and his wife were both naked (ʽârôm, ערומים), but they were not ashamed.	And the two were naked (γυμνοί), both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.	And the two were naked (γυμνοί), both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.

There is a table below listing all occurrences of forms of עָרוֹם (ʽârôm) in the Old Testament along with their translations in the Septuagint (all forms of γυμνὸς). Here is the first occurrence of עֶרְוַ֣ת (ʽervâh) in the Masoretic text.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 9:22, 23 (Tanakh)	Genesis 9:22, 23 (NET)	Genesis 9:22, 23 (NETS)	Genesis 9:22, 23 (Elpenor English)
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness (עֶרְוַ֣ת) of his father, and told his two brethren without.	Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness (ʽervâh, ערות) and told his two brothers who were outside.	And Cham, the father of Channan, saw the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of his father, and after he had gone out he told his two brothers outside.	And Cham the father of Chanaan saw the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of his father, and he went out and told his two brothers without.
And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness (עֶרְוַ֣ת) of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness (וְעֶרְוַ֥ת).	Shem and Japheth took the garment and placed it on their shoulders. Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father’s nakedness (ʽervâh, ערות). Their faces were turned the other way so they did not see their father’s nakedness (ʽervâh, וערות).	And Sem and Iapheth, when they had taken the garment, laid it on their two backs and walked backward and covered the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of their father, and their face was looking backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness (γύμνωσιν).	And Sem and Japheth having taken a garment, put it on both their backs and went backwards, and covered the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of their father; and their face [was] backward, and they saw not the nakedness (γύμνωσιν) of their father.

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose γύμνωσιν (a form of γύμνωσις). They didn’t begin to use forms of ἀσχημοσύνη until Exodus (Table below). Christopher Fisher in his essay “was Canaan the child of Ham and Noah’s wife” quoted Leviticus 20:11 to make his point.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 20:11 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:11 (NET) Table	Leviticus 20:11 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:11 (Elpenor English)
And the man that lieth with his father’s wife–he hath uncovered (גִּלָּ֑ה) his father’s nakedness–both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.	If a man goes to bed with his father’s wife, he has exposed (galah, גלה) his father’s nakedness. Both of them must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves.	And if anyone lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered (ἀπεκάλυψεν) his father’s shame; let both of them by death be put to death; they are liable.	And if any one should lie with his father’s wife, he has uncovered (ἀπεκάλυψε) his father’s nakedness: let them both die the death, they are guilty.

By equating Ham…saw (râʼâh, וַיַּ֗רְא; Septuagint: εἶδε(ν), a form of ὁράω) the nakedness of his father with he hath uncovered (galah, גִּלָּ֑ה; Septuagint: ἀπεκάλυψε(ν), a form of ἀποκαλύπτω) his father’s nakedness, Mr. Fisher argued that the former was a euphemism for Ham’s seduction/rape of his mother.

Gen 9:22 Ham (father of Canaan is highlighted) seeing that his father is incapacitated makes advances on his mother. After all, sex is pleasurable, men tend to desire multiple partners, not many women are available after a global flood, and his mother is probably still attractive due to pre-flood aging conditions. He gloats of his conquest to his brothers.
Gen 9:23 The brothers try damage control. They cover up their mother (is she drunk also?). The Bible tends to omit relevant facts about woman in Genesis (what was her name?).^[4]

If I wanted to convict Ham anachronistically of violating Leviticus 20:11, I would say that he uncovered or exposed his father’s nakedness when he told his brothers about it rather than simply covering his father and going on about his day.

Dr. Rabbi David Frankel in his essay “Noah, Ham and the Curse of Canaan: Who Did What to Whom in the Tent? A new solution to why Canaan (not Ham) was cursed” argued that “Leviticus 20:17 shows that ‘seeing nakedness’ is a euphemism for sex.”

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 20:17 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:17 (NET) Table	Leviticus 20:17 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:17 (Elpenor English)
And if a man shall take (יִקַּ֣ח) his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see (וְרָאָ֨ה) her nakedness, and she see (תִרְאֶ֤ה) his nakedness: it is a shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.	If a man has marital relations (lâqach, יקח) with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, so that he sees (râʼâh, וראה) her nakedness and she sees (râʼâh, תראה) his nakedness, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has exposed his sister’s nakedness; he will bear his punishment for iniquity.	He who takes (λάβῃ) his sister, from his father or from his mother, and sees (ἴδῃ) her shame, and she sees (ἴδῃ) his shame; it is a disgrace; they shall be exterminated before the sons of their race; he has uncovered his sister’s shame; he shall bear guilt.	Whosoever shall take (λάβῃ) his sister by his father or by his mother, and shall see (ἴδῃ) her nakedness, and she see (ἴδῃ) his nakedness, it is a reproach: they shall be destroyed before the children of their family; he has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, they shall bear their sin.

I agree with the NET translators here that יִקַּ֣ח (lâqach; Tanakh: shall take) is the “euphemism for sex.” More to the point marital relations is a possible meaning for both יִקַּ֣ח (lâqach) and λάβῃ (a form of λαμβάνω). The clauses—and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness—clarified which meaning of shall take God intended. Without any indication that Ham “took” Noah, Dr. Frankel imagined “an earlier version” of the story:

As already anticipated by the Rabbis,^[1] and suggested by some modern scholars, an earlier version of our story probably related a much more severe crime – the homosexual rape of his father when he was inebriated. This indeed is the kind of offense that would most naturally provoke the severe reaction depicted in the text.^[5]

Why is it so difficult for us (for I’ve done it, too) to acknowledge the obvious truth that seeing his father’s nakedness and telling his brothers about it does not merit Noah’s angry curse? Not for Ham, certainly not for Canaan. I want to approach an answer a little differently this time (Ezekiel 33:10-20 NET).

“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have said: “Our rebellious acts and our sins have caught up with us, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live? [Table]”’ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel? [Table]’
“And you, son of man, say to your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him if he rebels. As for the wicked, his wickedness will not make him stumble if he turns from it. The righteous will not be able to live by his righteousness if he sins [Table].’ Suppose I tell the righteous that he will certainly live, but he becomes confident in his righteousness and commits iniquity. None of his righteous deeds will be remembered; because of the iniquity he has committed he will die. Suppose I say to the wicked, ‘You must certainly die,’ but he turns from his sin and does what is just and right. He returns what was taken in pledge, pays back what he has stolen, and follows the statutes that give life, committing no iniquity. He will certainly live—he will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be counted against him. He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live.
“Yet your people say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their behavior that is not right. When a righteous man turns from his godliness and commits iniquity, he will die for it. When the wicked turns from his sin and does what is just and right, he will live because of it. Yet you say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’ House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.”

This is God’s own description of his criteria for judgment after the law was given, and before Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.^[6] The Hebrew word translated righteous in, Suppose I tell the righteous that he will certainly live, was לַצַּדִּיק֙ (tsaddı̂yq). The rabbis chose δικαίῳ, a form of δίκαιος in the Septuagint. Moses described Noah as follows:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 6:9 (Tanakh)	Genesis 6:9 (NET) Table	Genesis 6:9 (NETS)	Genesis 6:9 (Elpenor English)
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was in his generations a man righteous (צַדִּ֛יק) and wholehearted; Noah walked with G-d.	This is the account of Noah. Noah was a godly (tsaddı̂yq, צדיק) man; he was blameless among his contemporaries. He walked with God.	Now these are the generations of Noe. Noe was a righteous (δίκαιος) man, being perfect in his era; Noe was well-pleasing to God.	And these [are] the generations of Noe. Noe was a just (δίκαιος) man; being perfect in his generation, Noe was well-pleasing to God.

Before I fear too much for his soul I’m reminded of Paul’s description of Noah’s time: for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law.^[7] Noah had a bad morning after a drunken night. The effect over time of his angry outburst was so horrific we want to blame it on God rather than sin. We’re not told how Canaan reacted to Noah’s curse, only how the Canaanites turned out vis-à-vis Noah’s God (Leviticus 20:22, 23).

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 20:22, 23 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:22, 23 (NET)	Leviticus 20:22, 23 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:22, 23 (Elpenor English)
Ye shall therefore keep (וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם) all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do (וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם) them, that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out.	“‘You must be sure (shâmar, ושמרתם) to obey (ʽâśâh, ועשׁיתם) all my statutes and regulations, so that the land to which I am about to bring you to take up residence does not vomit you out.	And you shall keep (φυλάξασθε) all my ordinances and all my judgments and do (ποιήσετε) them, and the land to which I bring you there to settle in it will never be angry with you.	And keep (φυλάξασθε) ye all my ordinances, and my judgments; and ye shall do (ποιήσετε) them, and the land shall not be aggrieved with you, into which I bring you to dwell upon it.
And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you; for they did (עָשׂ֔וּ) all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.	You must not walk in the statutes of the nations which I am about to drive out before you, because they have done (ʽâśâh, עשׁו) all these things and I am filled with disgust against them.	And you shall not walk by the precepts of the nations that I am sending out away from you. Because they did (ἐποίησαν) all these things, I also abhorred them.	And walk ye not in the customs of the nations which I drive out from before you; for they have done (ἐποίησαν) all these things, and I have abhorred them:

Though Jesus said, I have not come to call the righteous (δικαίους, another form of δίκαιος), but sinners to repentance,^[8] Noah’s bad example highlights the same take home message for the righteous as it does for sinners: Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’^[9] So what does this have to do with I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me?

Meditating on a law I’ve never thought to break seems clearer somehow than those that tempt me. This is law; they shall die childless is a penalty for violating a law, a punishment. I thought that God’s raison d’etre was to punish me for sin.^[10] Mr. Fisher was offended by “literalists.” Dr. Frankel must understand the Old Testament without Jesus’ confidence or guidance. We’ve all come to the Bible and to God with personal issues to work through and erroneous beliefs in need of correction.

There was a time when I regarded children as God’s punishment^[11] for sex. What if I had meditated on Leviticus 20:19 and 20 fifty years ago? Would I have discovered the errors in my thinking? Or would I have found my aunts a whole lot sexier?

Banging my head against a wall hurts and causes bruises, bumps and bleeding. Given my history, thinking of pain, bruises, bumps and bleeding as God’s punishment for banging my head against a wall seems too much like serving under the old written code rather than in the new life of the Spirit.^[12] Of course, God could have made me in such a way that banging my head against a wall didn’t cause me any pain, bruises, bumps or bleeding. So I suppose some may think of pain, bruises, bumps or bleeding as punishment. The point—whether I think of it as punishment or not—is to stop banging my head against a wall.

A table of occurrences of all the forms of עָרוֹם (ʽârôm) and their translations in two versions of the Septuagint follows.

Reference	Tanakh (Chabad.org)	NET Parallel Greek	BLB Septuagint	Elpenor Septuagint
Genesis 2:25	עֲרוּמִּ֔ים	ʽârôm, ערומים	γυμνοί	γυμνοί
1 Samuel (1 Kings) 19:24	עָרֹ֔ם	ʽârôm, ערם	γυμνὸς	γυμνὸς
Job 1:21	עָרֹ֨ם	ʽârôm, ערם	γυμνὸς	γυμνὸς
Job 1:21	וְעָרֹם֙	ʽârôm, וערם	γυμνὸς	γυμνὸς
Job 22:6	עֲרוּמִּ֣ים	ʽârôm, ערומים	γυμνῶν	γυμνῶν
Job 24:7	עָר֣וֹם	ʽârôm, ערום	γυμνοὺς	γυμνοὺς
Job 24:10	עָר֣וֹם	ʽârôm, ערום	γυμνοὺς	γυμνοὺς
Job 26:6	עָר֣וֹם	ʽârôm, ערום	γυμνὸς	γυμνὸς
Ecclesiastes 5:15 (5:14)	עָר֛וֹם	ʽârôm, ערום	γυμνός	γυμνός
Isaiah 20:2	עָר֥וֹם	ʽârôm, ערום	γυμνὸς	γυμνὸς
Isaiah 20:3	עָר֣וֹם	ʽârôm, ערום	γυμνὸς	γυμνὸς
Isaiah 20:4	עָר֣וֹם	ʽârôm, ערום	γυμνοὺς	γυμνοὺς
Isaiah 58:7^[13]	עָרֹם֙	ʽârôm, ערם	γυμνόν	γυμνόν
Hosea 2:3 (2:5)	עֲרֻמָּ֔ה	ʽârôm, ערמה	γυμνὴν	γυμνὴν
Amos 2:16	עָר֛וֹם	ʽârôm, ערום	γυμνὸς	γυμνὸς
Micah 1:8	וְעָר֑וֹם	ʽârôm, וערום	γυμνή	γυμνή

A table of occurrences of forms of עֶרְוָה (ʽervâh) in Genesis through Leviticus and their translations in two versions of the Septuagint follows.

Reference	Tanakh (Chabad.org)	NET Parallel Greek	BLB Septuagint	Elpenor Septuagint
Genesis 9:22	עֶרְוַ֣ת	ʽervâh, ערות	γύμνωσιν	γύμνωσιν
Genesis 9:23	עֶרְוַ֣ת	ʽervâh, ערות	γύμνωσιν	γύμνωσιν
Genesis 9:23	וְעֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, וערות	γύμνωσιν	γύμνωσιν
Genesis 42:9	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἴχνη	ἴχνη
Genesis 42:12	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἴχνη	ἴχνη
Exodus 20:26 (20:23)	עֶרְוָֽתְךָ֖	ʽervâh, ערותך	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Exodus 28:42 (28:38)	עֶרְוָ֑ה	ʽervâh, ערוה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:6	עֶרְוָ֑ה	ʽervâh, ערוה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:7	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
	וְעֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, וערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
	עֶרְוָתָֽהּ	ʽervâh, ערותה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:8	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:8	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνη	ἀσχημοσύνη
Leviticus 18:9	עֶרְוַ֨ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:9	עֶרְוָתָֽן	ʽervâh, ערותן	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:10	עֶרְוַ֤ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
	עֶרְוָתָ֑ן	ʽervâh, ערותן	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
	עֶרְוָֽתְךָ֖	ʽervâh, ערותך	ἀσχημοσύνη	ἀσχημοσύνη
Leviticus 18:11	עֶרְוַ֨ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:11	עֶרְוָתָֽהּ	ʽervâh, ערותה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:12	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:13	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:14	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:15	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:15	עֶרְוָתָֽהּ	ʽervâh, ערותה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:16	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:16	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνη	ἀσχημοσύνη
Leviticus 18:17	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:17	עֶרְוָתָ֔הּ	ʽervâh, ערותה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:18	עֶרְוָתָ֛הּ	ʽervâh, ערותה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 18:19	עֶרְוָתָֽהּ	ʽervâh, ערותה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:11	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Levitiscus 20:17	עֶרְוָתָ֜הּ	ʽervâh, ערותה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
	עֶרְוָתוֹ֙	ʽervâh, ערותו	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
	עֶרְוַ֧ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:18	עֶרְוָתָהּ֙	ʽervâh, ערותה	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:19	וְעֶרְוַ֨ת	ʽervâh, וערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:20	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην
Leviticus 20:21	עֶרְוַ֥ת	ʽervâh, ערות	ἀσχημοσύνην	ἀσχημοσύνην

Tables comparing Leviticus 20:19; 20:20; Genesis 2:25; 9:22; 9:23; Leviticus 20:11; 20:17; Ezekiel 33:13; 33:14; 33:15; 33:16; 33:17; 33:18; 33:19; 33:20; Genesis 6:9; Leviticus 20:22 and 20:23 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Leviticus 20:19; 20:20; Genesis 2:25; 9:22; 9:23; Leviticus 20:11; 20:17; Ezekiel 33:13; 33:14; 33:15; 33:16; 33:17; 33:18; 33:19; 33:20; Genesis 6:9; Leviticus 20:22 and 20:23 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Leviticus 20:19 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:19 (KJV)	Leviticus 20:19 (NET)
And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister; for he hath made naked his near kin; they shall bear their iniquity.	And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.	You must not expose the nakedness of your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for such a person has exposed his own close relative. They must bear their punishment for iniquity.

Leviticus 20:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 20:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς πατρός σου καὶ ἀδελφῆς μητρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις τὴν γὰρ οἰκειότητα ἀπεκάλυψεν ἁμαρτίαν ἀποίσονται	καὶ ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς πατρός σου καὶ ἀδελφῆς μητρός σου οὐκ ἀποκαλύψεις· τὴν γὰρ οἰκειότητα ἀπεκάλυψεν, ἁμαρτίαν ἀποίσονται
Leviticus 20:19 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:19 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not uncover the shame of your father’s sister or of your mother’s sister, for one has laid bare one’s own blood family; they shall carry guilt.	And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister, or of the sister of thy mother; for that man has uncovered the nakedness of one near akin: they shall bear their iniquity.

Leviticus 20:20 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:20 (KJV)	Leviticus 20:20 (NET)
And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife–he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness–they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.	And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife, he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.	If a man goes to bed with his aunt, he has exposed his uncle’s nakedness; they must bear responsibility for their sin, they will die childless.

Leviticus 20:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 20:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὃς ἂν κοιμηθῇ μετὰ τῆς συγγενοῦς αὐτοῦ ἀσχημοσύνην τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν ἄτεκνοι ἀποθανοῦνται	ὃς ἂν κοιμηθῇ μετὰ τῆς συγγενοῦς αὐτοῦ, ἀσχημοσύνην τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν, ἄτεκνοι ἀποθανοῦνται
Leviticus 20:20 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:20 (English Elpenor)
He who lies with one who is his relative—he has uncovered the shame of his kinship; they shall die childless.	Whosoever shall lie with his near kinswoman, has uncovered the nakedness of one near akin to him: they shall die childless.

Genesis 2:25 (Tanakh)	Genesis 2:25 (KJV)	Genesis 2:25 (NET)
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.	And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.	The man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:25 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 2:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἦσαν οἱ δύο γυμνοί ὅ τε Αδαμ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο	καὶ ἦσαν οἱ δύο γυμνοί, ὅ τε ᾿Αδὰμ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο
Genesis 2:25 (NETS)	Genesis 2:25 (English Elpenor)
And the two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.	And the two were naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 9:22 (Tanakh)	Genesis 9:22 (KJV)	Genesis 9:22 (NET)
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.	And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.	Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers who were outside.

Genesis 9:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 9:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδεν Χαμ ὁ πατὴρ Χανααν τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἀνήγγειλεν τοῗς δυσὶν ἀδελφοῗς αὐτοῦ ἔξω	καὶ εἶδε Χὰμ ὁ πατὴρ Χαναὰν τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἀνήγγειλε τοῖς δυσὶν ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ ἔξω
Genesis 9:22 (NETS)	Genesis 9:22 (English Elpenor)
And Cham, the father of Channan, saw the nakedness of his father, and after he had gone out he told his two brothers outside.	And Cham the father of Chanaan saw the nakedness of his father, and he went out and told his two brothers without.

Genesis 9:23 (Tanakh)	Genesis 9:23 (KJV)	Genesis 9:23 (NET)
And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.	And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.	Shem and Japheth took the garment and placed it on their shoulders. Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father’s nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so they did not see their father’s nakedness.

Genesis 9:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 9:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λαβόντες Σημ καὶ Ιαφεθ τὸ ἱμάτιον ἐπέθεντο ἐπὶ τὰ δύο νῶτα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὀπισθοφανῶς καὶ συνεκάλυψαν τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν ὀπισθοφανές καὶ τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ εἶδον	καὶ λαβόντες Σὴμ καὶ ᾿Ιάφεθ τὸ ἱμάτιον ἐπέθεντο ἐπὶ τὰ δύο νῶτα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὀπισθοφανῶς καὶ συνεκάλυψαν τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν ὀπισθοφανῶς, καὶ τὴν γύμνωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ εἶδον
Genesis 9:23 (NETS)	Genesis 9:23 (English Elpenor)
And Sem and Iapheth, when they had taken the garment, laid it on their two backs and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father, and their face was looking backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.	And Sem and Japheth having taken a garment, put it on both their backs and went backwards, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their face [was] backward, and they saw not the nakedness of their father.

Leviticus 20:11 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:11 (KJV)	Leviticus 20:11 (NET)
And the man that lieth with his father’s wife–he hath uncovered his father’s nakedness–both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.	And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.	If a man goes to bed with his father’s wife, he has exposed his father’s nakedness. Both of them must be put to death; their blood guilt is on themselves.

Leviticus 20:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 20:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐάν τις κοιμηθῇ μετὰ γυναικὸς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀσχημοσύνην τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν θανάτῳ θανατούσθωσαν ἀμφότεροι ἔνοχοί εἰσιν	καὶ ἐάν τις κοιμηθῇ μετὰ γυναικὸς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, ἀσχημοσύνην τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψε, θανάτῳ θανατούσθωσαν, ἀμφότεροι ἔνοχοί εἰσι
Leviticus 20:11 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:11 (English Elpenor)
And if anyone lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s shame; let both of them by death be put to death; they are liable.	And if any one should lie with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness: let them both die the death, they are guilty.

Leviticus 20:17 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:17 (KJV)	Leviticus 20:17 (NET)
And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness: it is a shameful thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of the children of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.	And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.	If a man has marital relations with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, so that he sees her nakedness and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of the children of their people. He has exposed his sister’s nakedness; he will bear his punishment for iniquity.

Leviticus 20:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 20:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὃς ἐὰν λάβῃ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἢ ἐκ μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἴδῃ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς καὶ αὕτη ἴδῃ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ ὄνειδός ἐστιν ἐξολεθρευθήσονται ἐνώπιον υἱῶν γένους αὐτῶν ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν ἁμαρτίαν κομιοῦνται	ὃς ἂν λάβῃ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἢ ἐκ μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἴδῃ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς καὶ αὕτη ἴδῃ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ, ὄνειδός ἐστιν, ἐξολοθρευθήσονται ἐνώπιον υἱῶν γένους αὐτῶν· ἀσχημοσύνην ἀδελφῆς αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψεν, ἁμαρτίαν κομιοῦνται
Leviticus 20:17 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:17 (English Elpenor)
He who takes his sister, from his father or from his mother, and sees her shame, and she sees his shame; it is a disgrace; they shall be exterminated before the sons of their race; he has uncovered his sister’s shame; he shall bear guilt.	Whosoever shall take his sister by his father or by his mother, and shall see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness, it is a reproach: they shall be destroyed before the children of their family; he has uncovered his sister’s nakedness, they shall bear their sin.

Ezekiel 33:13 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:13 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:13 (NET)
When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.	When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.	Suppose I tell the righteous that he will certainly live, but he becomes confident in his righteousness and commits iniquity. None of his righteous deeds will be remembered; because of the iniquity he has committed he will die.

Ezekiel 33:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῷ εἶπαί με τῷ δικαίῳ οὗτος πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσῃ ἀνομίαν πᾶσαι αἱ δικαιοσύναι αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἀναμνησθῶσιν ἐν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ αὐτοῦ ᾗ ἐποίησεν ἐν αὐτῇ ἀποθανεῗται	ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν με τῷ δικαίῳ· οὗτος πέποιθεν ἐπὶ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ποιήσει ἀνομίαν, πᾶσαι αἱ δικαιοσύναι αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἀναμνησθῶσιν· ἐν τῇ ἀδικίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ᾗ ἐποίησεν, ἐν αὐτῇ ἀποθανεῖται
Ezekiel 33:13 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:13 (English Elpenor)
When I say to the righteous, “He trusts in his righteousness,” and should he commit lawlessness, none of his righteous acts shall be recalled in his injustice that he has committed; in it he shall die.	When I say to the righteous, [Thou shalt live; and] he trusts in his righteousness, and shall commit iniquity, none of his righteousnesses shall be remembered; in his unrighteousness which he has wrought, in it shall he die.

Ezekiel 33:14 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:14 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:14 (NET)
Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;	Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;	Suppose I say to the wicked, ‘You must certainly die,’ but he turns from his sin and does what is just and right.

Ezekiel 33:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐν τῷ εἶπαί με τῷ ἀσεβεῗ θανάτῳ θανατωθήσῃ καὶ ἀποστρέψῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσῃ κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην	καὶ ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν με τῷ ἀσεβεῖ· θανάτῳ θανατωθήσῃ, καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσει κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην
Ezekiel 33:14 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:14 (English Elpenor)
And when I say to the impious, “By death you shall be put to death, and you shall turn back from your sin,” and should he perform judgment and righteousness	And when I say to the ungodly, Thou shalt surely die; and he shall turn from his sin, and do judgment and justice,

Ezekiel 33:15 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:15 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:15 (NET)
If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.	If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.	He returns what was taken in pledge, pays back what he has stolen, and follows the statutes that give life, committing no iniquity. He will certainly live—he will not die.

Ezekiel 33:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνεχύρασμα ἀποδῷ καὶ ἅρπαγμα ἀποτείσῃ ἐν προστάγμασιν ζωῆς διαπορεύηται τοῦ μὴ ποιῆσαι ἄδικον ζωῇ ζήσεται καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ	καὶ ἐνεχύρασμα ἀποδῷ καὶ ἅρπαγμα ἀποτίσει, ἐν προστάγμασι ζωῆς διαπορεύηται τοῦ μὴ ποιῆσαι ἄδικον, ζωῇ ζήσεται καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ
Ezekiel 33:15 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:15 (English Elpenor)
and restore a pledge and give back robbery, walk in the ordinances of life so as not to do what is wrong, by life he shall live, and he shall not die;	and return the pledge, and repay that which he has robbed, [and] walk in the ordinances of life, so as to do no wrong; he shall surely live, and shall not die.

Ezekiel 33:16 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:16 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:16 (NET)
None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.	None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.	None of the sins he has committed will be counted against him. He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live.

Ezekiel 33:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πᾶσαι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτοῦ ἃς ἥμαρτεν οὐ μὴ ἀναμνησθῶσιν ὅτι κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐποίησεν ἐν αὐτοῗς ζήσεται	πᾶσαι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτοῦ, ἃς ἥμαρτεν, οὐ μὴ ἀναμνησθῶσιν, ὅτι κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐποίησεν, ἐν αὐτοῖς ζήσεται
Ezekiel 33:16 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:16 (English Elpenor)
none of his sins that he has committed shall be recalled, for he has performed judgment and righteousness; in them he shall live.	None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered: because he has wrought judgment and righteousness; by them shall he live.

Ezekiel 33:17 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:17 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:17 (NET)
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.	Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.	“Yet your people say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right,’ when it is their behavior that is not right.

Ezekiel 33:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐροῦσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ εὐθεῗα ἡ ὁδὸς τοῦ κυρίου καὶ αὕτη ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῗα	καὶ ἐροῦσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ λαοῦ σου· οὐκ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς τοῦ Κυρίου· καὶ αὕτη ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῖα
Ezekiel 33:17 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:17 (English Elpenor)
And the sons of your people shall say, “The way of the Lord is not right,” and this way of theirs is not right.	Yet the children of thy people will say, The way of the Lord is not straight: whereas this their way is not straight.

Ezekiel 33:18 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:18 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:18 (NET)
When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.	When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.	When a righteous man turns from his godliness and commits iniquity, he will die for it.

Ezekiel 33:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέψαι δίκαιον ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσῃ ἀνομίας καὶ ἀποθανεῗται ἐν αὐταῗς	ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέψαι δίκαιον ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσει ἀνομίας, καὶ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν αὐταῖς
Ezekiel 33:18 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:18 (English Elpenor)
When a righteous one has turned back from his righteousness and should he commit acts of lawlessness, he shall die in them.	When the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and shall commit iniquities, then shall he die in them.

Ezekiel 33:19 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:19 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:19 (NET)
But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.	But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.	When the wicked turns from his sin and does what is just and right, he will live because of it.

Ezekiel 33:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσῃ κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐν αὐτοῗς αὐτὸς ζήσεται	καὶ ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιήσει κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην, ἐν αὐτοῖς αὐτὸς ζήσεται
Ezekiel 33:19 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:19 (English Elpenor)
And when the sinner turns back from his lawlessness and performs judgment and righteousness, in them he shall live.	And when the sinner turns from his iniquity, and shall do judgment and righteousness, he shall live by them.

Ezekiel 33:20 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:20 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:20 (NET)
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.	Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.	Yet you say, ‘The behavior of the Lord is not right.’ House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior.”

Ezekiel 33:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ εἴπατε οὐκ εὐθεῗα ἡ ὁδὸς κυρίου ἕκαστον ἐν ταῗς ὁδοῗς αὐτοῦ κρινῶ ὑμᾶς οἶκος Ισραηλ	καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὃ εἴπατε· οὐκ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς Κυρίου· ἕκαστον ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ κρινῶ ὑμᾶς, οἶκος ᾿Ισραήλ
Ezekiel 33:20 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:20 (English Elpenor)
And this is what you said, “The way of the Lord is not right”; I will judge each of you by his ways, O house of Israel.	And this is that which ye said, The way of the Lord is [not] straight. I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one for his ways.

Genesis 6:9 (Tanakh)	Genesis 6:9 (KJV)	Genesis 6:9 (NET)
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was in his generations a man righteous and wholehearted; Noah walked with G-d.	These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.	This is the account of Noah. Noah was a godly man; he was blameless among his contemporaries. He walked with God.

Genesis 6:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 6:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Νωε Νωε ἄνθρωπος δίκαιος τέλειος ὢν ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ αὐτοῦ τῷ θεῷ εὐηρέστησεν Νωε	Αὗται δὲ αἱ γενέσεις Νῶε· Νῶε ἄνθρωπος δίκαιος, τέλειος ὢν ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ αὐτοῦ· τῷ Θεῷ εὐηρέστησε Νῶε
Genesis 6:9 (NETS)	Genesis 6:9 (English Elpenor)
Now these are the generations of Noe. Noe was a righteous man, being perfect in his era; Noe was well-pleasing to God.	And these [are] the generations of Noe. Noe was a just man; being perfect in his generation, Noe was well-pleasing to God.

Leviticus 20:22 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:22 (KJV)	Leviticus 20:22 (NET)
Ye shall therefore keep all My statutes, and all Mine ordinances, and do them, that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out.	Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.	“‘You must be sure to obey all my statutes and regulations, so that the land to which I am about to bring you to take up residence does not vomit you out.

Leviticus 20:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 20:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ φυλάξασθε πάντα τὰ προστάγματά μου καὶ τὰ κρίματά μου καὶ ποιήσετε αὐτά καὶ οὐ μὴ προσοχθίσῃ ὑμῗν ἡ γῆ εἰς ἣν ἐγὼ εἰσάγω ὑμᾶς ἐκεῗ κατοικεῗν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς	Καὶ φυλάξασθε πάντα τὰ προστάγματά μου, καὶ τὰ κρίματά μου καὶ ποιήσετε αὐτά, καὶ οὐ μὴ προσοχθίσῃ ὑμῖν ἡ γῆ, εἰς ἣν ἐγὼ εἰσάγω ὑμᾶς ἐκεῖ κατοικεῖν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς
Leviticus 20:22 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:22 (English Elpenor)
And you shall keep all my ordinances and all my judgments and do them, and the land to which I bring you there to settle in it will never be angry with you.	And keep ye all my ordinances, and my judgments; and ye shall do them, and the land shall not be aggrieved with you, into which I bring you to dwell upon it.

Leviticus 20:23 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 20:23 (KJV)	Leviticus 20:23 (NET)
And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.	And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.	You must not walk in the statutes of the nations which I am about to drive out before you, because they have done all these things and I am filled with disgust against them.

Leviticus 20:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 20:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐχὶ πορεύεσθε τοῗς νομίμοις τῶν ἐθνῶν οὓς ἐξαποστέλλω ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν ὅτι ταῦτα πάντα ἐποίησαν καὶ ἐβδελυξάμην αὐτούς	καὶ οὐχὶ πορεύεσθε τοῖς νομίμοις τῶν ἐθνῶν, οὓς ἐξαποστέλλω ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν· ὅτι ταῦτα πάντα ἐποίησαν, καὶ ἐβδελυξάμην αὐτούς.
Leviticus 20:23 (NETS)	Leviticus 20:23 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not walk by the precepts of the nations that I am sending out away from you. Because they did all these things, I also abhorred them.	And walk ye not in the customs of the nations which I drive out from before you; for they have done all these things, and I have abhorred them:

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 16

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 5

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 10

Back to Westworld, Part 1

Back to Adultery in the Law, Part 1

Back to Adultery in the Law, Part 2

Back to Adultery in the Law, Part 3

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 8

Back to Nothing True, Part 4

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

^[2] Deuteronomy 5:9b (NET) Table

^[3] This clause translated from the Masoretic text was ignored by the rabbis who translated the Septuagint or absent from the Hebrew source they translated.

^[4] Christopher Fisher, “was Canaan the child of Ham and Noah’s wife”

^[5] Dr. Rabbi David Frankel, “Noah, Ham and the Curse of Canaan: Who Did What to Whom in the Tent? A new solution to why Canaan (not Ham) was cursed”

^[6] 1 Corinthians 15:3b (NET)

^[7] Romans 5:13 (NET)

^[8] Luke 5:32 (NET)

^[9] John 3:7 (NET)

^[10] Who Am I? Part 2; Who Am I? Part 3; Torture, Part 4

^[11] David’s Forgiveness, Part 2; Torture, Part 4; Romans, Part 2

^[12] Romans 7:6b (NET)

^[13] It is extremely interesting to compare Isaiah 58:6-11 with Matthew 25:31-46.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

Posted on September 30, 2019 by admin

I’ve been considering yehôvâh’s fearful pronouncement: I punish (pâqad, פק) the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me…^[1] By way of review, I didn’t find anything about the Hebrew word itself that would compel anyone to translate פקד (pâqad) I punish. While I don’t have any particular quarrel with calling the plague of Exodus 32:35 a punishment, I’m not convinced it justifies translating pâqad I punish (פקדי) and I will indeed punish (ופקדתי) beyond this limited context.^[2]

After a kind of thought experiment I concluded that the translation of פקד (pâqad) as I punish in Deuteronomy 5:9 was a perpetuation of an erroneous popular notion of religious minds that was clearly corrected in Ezekiel 18.^[3] Though the fixation on punishment in Leviticus 18:25 was difficult for me to unravel, it hasn’t really dissuaded me from the idea that y^ehôvâh visits iniquity itself upon descendants to consign all to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.^[4]

In another essay I began to consider the story of Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 42-45) as a narrative example of bearing iniquity. Here I’ll continue in that light with the peace-offering (shelem, שלמיו) sacrifice.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 7:18 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 7:18 (NET)	Leviticus 7:8 (NETS)	Leviticus 7:18 (Elpenor English)
And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings (שְׁלָמָ֜יו) be at all eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it; it shall be an abhorred thing, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear (תִּשָּֽׂא) his iniquity (עֲו‍ֹנָ֥הּ).	If some of the meat of his peace-offering (שלמיו) sacrifice is ever eaten on the third day it will not be accepted; it will not be accounted to the one who presented it since it is spoiled, and the person who eats from it will bear (nâśâʼ, תשׁא) his punishment for iniquity (ʽâvôn, עונה).	But if when eating, he should eat some of the meat on the third day, it will not be accepted for him who offers it, nor shall it be credited to him. It is a defilement, and the soul who eats any of it shall assume (λήμψεται [Table4 below]) the guilt (ἁμαρτίαν).	And if he do at all eat of the flesh on the third day, it shall not be accepted for him that offers: it shall not be reckoned to him, it is pollution; and whatsoever soul shall eat of it, shall bear (λήψεται) his iniquity (ἁμαρτίαν).

The NET translators’ interpretation is most familiar and congenial to the social construction of my reality growing up. Without refrigeration meat would spoil. So the punishment for the iniquity of eating meat on the third day would be diarrhea, vomiting or worse. By this interpretation יהוה (y^ehôvâh) seems considerably more permissive than the USDA:

Last night I left cooked roast beef on the counter to cool before refrigerating, but fell asleep and discovered it this morning. I immediately put it in the refrigerator. Since the meat is cooked, shouldn’t it be safe to eat?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Hotline receives similar calls every day from consumers who are confused about how to keep their food safe. The answer to this caller’s question is that the roast beef should be thrown out. Why? Because leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Campylobacter) to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness.

I’ve learned, when confronted with contrasts such as this, to resist my native reasoning: “God believed thus and such but now we know better.” USDA guidelines are written with the contemporary physiology of citizens of the USA in mind. I think I have good reasons to suspect that the ancient descendants of Jacob were heartier souls than we. At least they hadn’t waged indiscriminate warfare against their own digestive and immune systems with antibiotics. It’s entirely possible the bacteria that harm us would have been handled by their immune systems. The people of ancient Israel may have suffered no digestive distress from eating unrefrigerated meat, even on the third day.

The iniquity of eating the meat of the peace-offering (shelem, שלמים) on the third day was explained later in Leviticus.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 19:8a (Tanakh)	Leviticus 19:8a (NET)	Leviticus 19:8a (NETS)	Leviticus 19:8a (Elpenor English)
But every one that eateth it shall bear (יִשָּׂ֔א) his iniquity (עֲו‍ֹנ֣וֹ), because he hath profaned the holy thing (קֹ֥דֶשׁ) of HaShem…	and the one who eats it will bear (nâśâʼ, ישׁא) his punishment for iniquity (ʽâvôn, עונו) because he has profaned what is holy (qôdesh, קדש) to the Lord.	And he who eats it shall assume (λήμψεται) guilt (ἁμαρτίαν) because he has profaned what is holy (ἅγια) to the Lord…	And he that eats it shall bear (λήψεται) his iniquity (ἁμαρτίαν), because he has profaned the holy things (ἅγια) of the Lord…

In other words, יהוה (y^ehôvâh) declared that the meat of the peace-offering was not to be eaten on the third day. Anyone, therefore, who ate the meat of the peace-offering on the third day had profaned what is holy to the Lord (e.g., his own word declaring that the meat should not be eaten on the third day) and shall bear his iniquity. The one who disobeys יהוה (y^ehôvâh) is subject to misunderstanding and confusion similar to that experienced by Joseph’s brothers. The sinner’s thoughts stray from faith—The LORD (יְהֹוָ֥ה) is my shepherd; I shall not want^[5]—into mistrust—“God will get me if I don’t watch out.”

I didn’t bear my iniquity with anything like the aplomb of Joseph’s brothers. I felt obligated to become an atheist when God didn’t “get me” even though I had failed to “watch out.” Those who profaned what is holy to the Lord were told precisely how to bear their iniquity with aplomb (Leviticus 5:14-16). And I don’t see any reason to burden factual information regarding what transpires within the soul that profanes God’s holy word with the concept punishment. What seemed like diarrhea or vomiting in the NET translation of Leviticus 7 becomes a very different “punishment” in Leviticus 19.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 19:8 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 19:8 (NET)	Leviticus 19:8 (NETS)	Leviticus 19:8 (Elpenor English)
But every one that eateth it shall bear (יִשָּׂ֔א) his iniquity (עֲו‍ֹנ֣וֹ), because he hath profaned the holy thing (קֹ֥דֶשׁ) of HaShem; and that soul shall be cut off from his people.	and the one who eats it will bear (nâśâʼ, ישׁא) his punishment for iniquity (ʽâvôn, עונו) because he has profaned what is holy (qôdesh, קדש) to the Lord. That person will be cut off from his people.	And he who eats it shall assume (λήμψεται) guilt (ἁμαρτίαν) because he has profaned what is holy (ἅγια) to the Lord, and the souls who eat it shall be exterminated from their people.	And he that eats it shall bear (λήψεται) his iniquity (ἁμαρτίαν), because he has profaned the holy things (ἅγια) of the Lord; and the souls that eat it shall be destroyed from among their people.

Rather than gastric distress the “punishment” for profaning what is holy to the Lord is, That person will be cut off (exterminated, destroyed) from (among) his people. In Leviticus 7 this was true of him who ate having his uncleanness upon him.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 7:20 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 7:20 (NET)	Leviticus 7:10 (NETS)	Leviticus 7:20 (Elpenor English)
But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings (הַשְּׁלָמִים֙), that pertain unto HaShem, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.	The person who eats meat from the peace-offering (shelem, השלמים) sacrifice which belongs to the Lord while that person’s uncleanness persists will be cut off from his people.	But the soul who should eat any of the sacrifice of deliverance, which belongs to the Lord, and his uncleanness is on him—that soul shall be utterly destroyed from his people.	And whatsoever soul shall eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace-offering which is the Lord’s, and his uncleanness be upon him, that soul shall perish from his people.

The Hebrew word translated cut off was ונכרתה (kârath). A note (29) in the NET explained:

The exact meaning of this penalty clause is not certain. It could mean that he will be executed, whether by God or by man, he will be excommunicated from sanctuary worship and/or community benefits (cf. TEV, CEV), or his line will be terminated by God (i.e., extirpation), etc. See J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 100; J. Milgrom, Leviticus (AB), 1:457-60; and B. A. Levine, Leviticus (JPSTC), 241-42 for further discussion.

In an article titled, “Karet or Being ‘Cut Off’ in Torah,” Derek Lemen^[6] (following Jacob Milgrom) added “a denial of afterlife” to this list:

As Milgrom points out, karet may very well be both denial of afterlife and a decree from God that a person’s family line will come to an end.

Frankly, I’m not buying it in this context. Mr. Leman noted the lack of proportionality:

Jacob Milgrom categorizes and lists all the crimes in Torah that result in being cut off. The list is surprising. Offenses range from those which seem relatively minor (eating leaven during Passover week) to major (sacrificing children to Molech).

It didn’t dissuade him from titling the foregoing paragraph “Causes of the Karet Penalty.” I noted the lack of specificity when considered as a penalty. In Leviticus 7:18-20 “being cut off” reads like the additional penalty of an aggravated offence, while in Leviticus 19:8 it was simply tacked on to eating meat the third day. The lack of specificity and proportionality doesn’t sound like law to me, nor does it sound like the God I am beginning to know.

I can’t wish away the varied meanings of כָּרַת (kârath). Perhaps I can add another one, more in keeping with the idea that the story of Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 42-45) is a narrative example of bearing iniquity. I’m proposing that—that soul shall be cut off from his people—means what it sounds like in this context: the sinner is estranged from the righteous in his own soul much like Joseph’s brothers were estranged from Joseph, so estranged in fact that they couldn’t even recognize him as their brother.

And G-d spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying:^[7] And I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off (kârath, יִכָּרֵ֧ת) any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.’^[8] This first occurrence, referencing the story of the flood (Genesis 7, 8), defines יִכָּרֵ֧ת (kârath) as death but also potentially extirpation, “the end of a family line,” for all family lines but Noah’s ended at the flood. The Greek word ἀποθανεῖται (a form of ἀποθνήσκω) in the Septuagint seems to favor death only.

And Jesus said, “Go!” So the demons came out and went into the pigs,^[9] and the herd^[10] rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned (ἀπέθανον, another form of ἀποθνήσκω) in the water.^[11] But even Moses^[12] revealed that the dead are raised in the passage about the bush, Jesus said, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the^[13] God of Isaac and the^[14] God of Jacob. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live before him.^[15] Assuming that those who are never born do not live before him (and that may or may not be a questionable assumption), it is difficult to discern whether death or extirpation would be the more tragic to the Holy Spirit.

The next occurrence of כָּרַ֧ת (kârath) seems completely different (Genesis 15:18 Tanakh).

In that day HaShem made (kârath, כָּרַ֧ת) a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates;

It was translated διέθετο (a form of διατίθεμαι) in the Septuagint and was used for the same purpose in Peter’s sermon at the temple after Pentecost (Acts 3:25 NET).

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made (διέθετο, a form of διατίθεμαι) with your^[16] ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in^[17] your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.’

Forms of כָּרַת (kârath) were used four other times in Genesis in a similar way and translated as follows in the Septuagint.

Reference	Tanakh	Hebrew	Greek	Elpenor English
Genesis 15:18	made	כָּרַ֧ת	διέθετο, a form of διατίθεμαι	made
Genesis 21:27	made	וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ	διέθεντο, a form of διατίθημι	made
Genesis 21:32	made	וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ	διέθεντο, a form of διατίθημι	made
Genesis 26:28	make	וְנִכְרְתָ֥ה	διαθησόμεθα, another form of διατίθημι	will make
Genesis 31:44	make	נִכְרְתָ֥ה	διαθώμεθα, another form of διατίθημι	make

Genesis 17:14 stands apart.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 17:14 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:14 (NET)	Genesis 17:14 (NETS)	Genesis 17:14 (Elpenor English)
And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.’	Any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off from his people—he has failed to carry out my requirement.”	And as for an uncircumcised male who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be destroyed from his kin, for he has scattered my covenant.”	And the uncircumcised male, who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be utterly destroyed from its family, for he has broken my covenant.

The phrase τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ (on the eighth day) is not found in the Masoretic text. Whether it was added by the rabbis or removed by the Masoretes is uncertain, but it changes the verse significantly from a threat of legal jeopardy against a recalcitrant adult (who for some unknown and unspecified reason was not circumcised as an infant) to a warning to the parents of a male infant. The rabbis chose ἐξολεθρευθήσεται or ἐξολοθρευθήσεται (Table20 below) for וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה (kârath) here. Both are passive forms of ἐξολεθρεύω, translated “shall be destroyed” (NETS) and shall be utterly destroyed (English Elpenor), though they might have been translated “will be ruined” or “will suffer serious damage” from his people, kin, family.

I’m thinking here of the trouble (Genesis 42:1-20) Joseph caused his brothers. Being thrown into a pit and sold as a slave (Genesis 37:23-28) strained, to say the least, Joseph’s sense of brotherhood. A man raised by parents who refused to have him circumcised, or a man who himself refused to be circumcised, profaning the word of God, would incite various forms of retaliation among his “brothers.” Joseph’s vengeance was strictly limited by something not entirely unlike the Holy Spirit’s ἐγκράτεια, (NET: self-control). But such a man as described above could “suffer serious damage” from his brothers. And this warning sounds more like the God Jesus revealed.

Paul recalled an interesting detail about Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Jesus said. You are hurting yourself by kicking against the goads.^[18] I admit, I misunderstood King James’ English: it is hard for thee (σκληρόν σοι) to kick against the pricks. I thought Jesus was concerned about what Saul was doing to Him rather than what Saul did to himself.

The final occurrence of תִכָּרֵ֥ת (kârath) in Genesis is found in Joseph’s solution to Pharaoh’s dreams. Joseph prophesied: seven years of famine…shall consume (kâlâh, וְכִלָּ֥ה; Septuagint: ἀναλώσει, a form of ἀναλίσκω) the land;^[19] the thing is established by G-d, and G-d will shortly bring it to pass.^[20] But if Pharaoh stored a fifth of the produce of seven years of abundance which would proceed the seven years of famine, the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish (תִכָּרֵ֥ת) not through the famine.^[21]

Here תִכָּרֵ֥ת (kârath) may have meant death or extirpation of family lines or simply that people would flee the land of Egypt for greener pastures. The rabbis chose ἐκτριβήσεται (Table26 below), which was translated “the land will (shall) not be annihilated (utterly destroyed) by the famine” in English. If one is not overcome by the fear of (or a reverence for) punishment forms of ἐκτρίβω might have been translated “to drive out, get rid of.” Whatever תִכָּרֵ֥ת (kârath) meant here, the point is that God sent Joseph with a plan to negate or mitigate it.

Thus ye speak, God told Ezekiel to tell Israel, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?^[22] In other words, if we are bearing our iniquity and cut off from the righteous (though transgressors probably constituted a significant majority of the population in Israel at that particular moment) how should we then live? Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?^[23]

In the NETS translation of the Septuagint (Table30 below) this “death” was clearly of the “life’s a bitch and then you die” variety. This is not to say that it wouldn’t end in literal death eventually, but that the point was to “Turn back from your way by turning back.” Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.^[24]

As one who is being rooted and grounded in love, and knowing the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, I can’t help but notice that as God determined a famine for the land of Egypt he sent Joseph with a remedy that would keep the land from being cut off. This was Egypt where the descendants of Israel learned the sexualized worship that plagued them at Sinai and beyond. Cleary, God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good (Matthew 5:43-45 NET):

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemy^[25] and pray for those^[26] who persecute you, so that you may be like (υἱοὶ; literally: a son of) your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

I’ll pick this up again in another essay. The entire table of occurrences of forms of כָּרַת (kârath) in Genesis follows.

Reference	Tanakh	Hebrew	Greek (BLB) / (Elpenor)	Elpenor English
Genesis 9:11	be cut off	יִכָּרֵ֧ת	ἀποθανεῗται / ἀποθανεῖται	any more die
Genesis 15:18	made	כָּרַ֧ת	διέθετο	made
Genesis 17:14	shall be cut off	וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה	ἐξολεθρευθήσεται / ἐξολοθρευθήσεται	shall be utterly destroyed
Genesis 21:27	made	וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ	διέθεντο	made
Genesis 21:32	made	וַיִּכְרְת֥וּ	διέθεντο	made
Genesis 26:28	make	וְנִכְרְתָ֥ה	διαθησόμεθα	will make
Genesis 31:44	make	נִכְרְתָ֥ה	διαθώμεθα	make
Genesis 41:36	perish	תִכָּרֵ֥ת	ἐκτριβήσεται	shall…be utterly destroyed

Tables comparing Deuteronomy 5:9; Leviticus 7:18; 19:8; Psalm 23:1; Leviticus 7:20; Genesis 9:8; 9:11; 15:18; 22:18; 17:14; 41:30; 41:32; 41:36; Ezekiel 33:10; 33:11 and 33:12 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Deuteronomy 5:9; Leviticus 7:18 (7:8); 19:8; Psalm 23:1 (22:1); Leviticus 7:20 (7:10); Genesis 9:8; 9:11; 15:18; 22:18; 17:14; 41:30; 41:32; 41:36; Ezekiel 33:10; 33:11 and 33:12 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow. Following those are tables comparing Matthew 8:32; Luke 20:37; Acts 3:25 and Matthew 5:44 in the NET and KJV.

Deuteronomy 5:9 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 5:9 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 5:9 (NET)
Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I HaShem thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that hate Me,	Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,	You must not worship or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me,

Deuteronomy 5:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 5:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ προσκυνήσεις αὐτοῗς οὐδὲ μὴ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῗς ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ὁ θεός σου θεὸς ζηλωτὴς ἀποδιδοὺς ἁμαρτίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα ἐπὶ τρίτην καὶ τετάρτην γενεὰν τοῗς μισοῦσίν με	οὐ προσκυνήσεις αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ μὴ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῖς, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, Θεὸς ζηλωτής, ἀποδιδοὺς ἁμαρτίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα ἐπὶ τρίτην καὶ τετάρτην γενεὰν τοῖς μισοῦσί με
Deuteronomy 5:9 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 5:9 (English Elpenor)
You shall not do obeisance to them, nor are you to serve them, because I am the Lord your God, a jealous god, repaying the sins of fathers upon children to the third and fourth generation to those who hate me,	Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor shalt thou serve them; for I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation to them that hate me,

Leviticus 7:18 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 7:18 (KJV)	Leviticus 7:18 (NET)
And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace-offerings be at all eaten on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it; it shall be an abhorred thing, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.	And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.	If some of the meat of his peace-offering sacrifice is ever eaten on the third day it will not be accepted; it will not be accounted to the one who presented it since it is spoiled, and the person who eats from it will bear his punishment for iniquity.

Leviticus 7:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 7:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ φαγὼν φάγῃ ἀπὸ τῶν κρεῶν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ οὐ δεχθήσεται αὐτῷ τῷ προσφέροντι αὐτό οὐ λογισθήσεται αὐτῷ μίασμά ἐστιν ἡ δὲ ψυχή ἥτις ἐὰν φάγῃ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν λήμψεται	ἐὰν δὲ φαγὼν φάγῃ ἀπὸ τῶν κρεῶν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ, οὐ δεχθήσεται αὐτῷ τῷ προσφέροντι αὐτό, οὐ λογισθήσεται αὐτῷ, μίασμά ἐστιν· ἡ δὲ ψυχή, ἥτις ἐὰν φάγῃ ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν λήψεται
Leviticus 7:8 (NETS)	Leviticus 7:18 (English Elpenor)
But if when eating, he should eat some of the meat on the third day, it will not be accepted for him who offers it, nor shall it be credited to him. It is a defilement, and the soul who eats any of it shall assume the guilt.	And if he do at all eat of the flesh on the third day, it shall not be accepted for him that offers: it shall not be reckoned to him, it is pollution; and whatsoever soul shall eat of it, shall bear his iniquity.

Leviticus 19:8 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 19:8 (KJV)	Leviticus 19:8 (NET)
But every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the holy thing of HaShem; and that soul shall be cut off from his people.	Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.	and the one who eats it will bear his punishment for iniquity because he has profaned what is holy to the Lord. That person will be cut off from his people.

Leviticus 19:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 19:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ δὲ ἔσθων αὐτὸ ἁμαρτίαν λήμψεται ὅτι τὰ ἅγια κυρίου ἐβεβήλωσεν καὶ ἐξολεθρευθήσονται αἱ ψυχαὶ αἱ ἔσθουσαι ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτῶν	ὁ δὲ ἔσθων αὐτὸ ἁμαρτίαν λήψεται, ὅτι τὰ ἅγια Κυρίου ἐβεβήλωσε· καὶ ἐξολοθρευθήσονται αἱ ψυχαὶ αἱ ἔσθουσαι ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτῶν.
Leviticus 19:8 (NETS)	Leviticus 19:8 (English Elpenor)
And he who eats it shall assume guilt because he has profaned what is holy to the Lord, and the souls who eat it shall be exterminated from their people.	And he that eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the holy things of the Lord; and the souls that eat it shall be destroyed from among their people.

Psalm 23:1 (Tanakh)	Psalm 23:1 (KJV)	Psalm 23:1 (NET)
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.	A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.	A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Psalm 23:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 22:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυιδ κύριος ποιμαίνει με καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει	Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ. – ΚΥΡΙΟΣ ποιμαίνει με καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει.
Psalm 23:1 (NETS)	Psalm 22:1 (English Elpenor)
A Psalm. Pertaining to Dauid. The Lord shepherds me, and I shall lack nothing.	[A Psalm of David.] The Lord tends me as a shepherd, and I shall want nothing.

Leviticus 7:20 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 7:20 (KJV)	Leviticus 7:20 (NET)
But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace-offerings, that pertain unto HaShem, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from his people.	But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings, that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.	The person who eats meat from the peace-offering sacrifice which belongs to the Lord while that person’s uncleanness persists will be cut off from his people.

Leviticus 7:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 7:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἡ δὲ ψυχή ἥτις ἐὰν φάγῃ ἀπὸ τῶν κρεῶν τῆς θυσίας τοῦ σωτηρίου ὅ ἐστιν κυρίου καὶ ἡ ἀκαθαρσία αὐτοῦ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἀπολεῗται ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτῆς	ἡ δὲ ψυχή, ἥτις ἐὰν φάγῃ ἀπὸ τῶν κρεῶν τῆς θυσίας τοῦ σωτηρίου, ὅ ἐστι Κυρίου, καὶ ἡ ἀκαθαρσία αὐτοῦ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ, ἀπολεῖται ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτῆς
Leviticus 7:10 (NETS)	Leviticus 7:20 (English Elpenor)
But the soul who should eat any of the sacrifice of deliverance, which belongs to the Lord, and his uncleanness is on him—that soul shall be utterly destroyed from his people.	And whatsoever soul shall eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace-offering which is the Lord’s, and his uncleanness be upon him, that soul shall perish from his people.

Genesis 9:8 (Tanakh)	Genesis 9:8 (KJV)	Genesis 9:8 (NET)
And G-d spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying:	And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,	God said to Noah and his sons,

Genesis 9:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 9:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς τῷ Νωε καὶ τοῗς υἱοῗς αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ λέγων	Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός τῷ Νῷε καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ λέγων
Genesis 9:8 (NETS)	Genesis 9:8 (English Elpenor)
And God spoke to Noe and to his sons with him, saying,	And God spoke to Noe, and to his sons with him, saying,

Genesis 9:11 (Tanakh)	Genesis 9:11 (KJV)	Genesis 9:11 (NET)
And I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of the flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.’	And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.	I confirm my covenant with you: Never again will all living things be wiped out by the waters of a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

Genesis 9:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 9:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ στήσω τὴν διαθήκην μου πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῗται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἔτι ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι κατακλυσμὸς ὕδατος τοῦ καταφθεῗραι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν	καὶ στήσω τὴν διαθήκην μου πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἔτι ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι ἔσται κατακλυσμὸς ὕδατος τοῦ καταφθεῖραι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν.
Genesis 9:11 (NETS)	Genesis 9:11 (English Elpenor)
And I will establish my covenant with you, and no more shall all flesh die by the water of the flood, and no more shall there be a flood of water to destroy all the earth.”	And I will establish my covenant with you and all flesh shall not any more die by the water of the flood, and there shall no more be a flood of water to destroy all the earth.

Genesis 15:18 (Tanakh)	Genesis 15:18 (KJV)	Genesis 15:18 (NET)
In that day HaShem made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates;	In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:	That day the Lord made a covenant with Abram: “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River—

Genesis 15:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 15:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ διέθετο κύριος τῷ Αβραμ διαθήκην λέγων τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Αἰγύπτου ἕως τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου ποταμοῦ Εὐφράτου	ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ διέθετο Κύριος τῷ ῞Αβραμ διαθήκην λέγων· τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην, ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Αἰγύπτου ἕως τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου, ποταμοῦ Εὐφράτου
Genesis 15:18 (NETS)	Genesis 15:18 (English Elpenor)
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I will give this land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates:	In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, To thy seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates.

Genesis 22:18 (Tanakh)	Genesis 22:18 (KJV)	Genesis 22:18 (NET)
and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast hearkened to My voice.’	And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.	Because you have obeyed me, all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings on one another using the name of your descendants.”

Genesis 22:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 22:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ὑπήκουσας τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς	καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς, ἀνθ᾿ ὧν ὑπήκουσας τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς
Genesis 22:18 (NETS)	Genesis 22:18 (English Elpenor)
And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”	And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast hearkened to my voice.

Genesis 17:14 (Tanakh)	Genesis 17:14 (KJV)	Genesis 17:14 (NET)
And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.’	And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.	Any uncircumcised male who has not been circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will be cut off from his people—he has failed to carry out my requirement.”

Genesis 17:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 17:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀπερίτμητος ἄρσην ὃς οὐ περιτμηθήσεται τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας αὐτοῦ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἐξολεθρευθήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη ἐκ τοῦ γένους αὐτῆς ὅτι τὴν διαθήκην μου διεσκέδασεν	καὶ ἀπερίτμητος ἄρσην, ὃς οὐ περιτμηθήσεται τὴν σάρκα τῆς ἀκροβυστίας αὐτοῦ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ, ἐξολοθρευθήσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη ἐκ τοῦ γένους αὐτῆς, ὅτι τὴν διαθήκην μου διεσκέδασε
Genesis 17:14 (NETS)	Genesis 17:14 (English Elpenor)
And as for an uncircumcised male who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be destroyed from his kin, for he has scattered my covenant.”	And the uncircumcised male, who shall not be circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul shall be utterly destroyed from its family, for he has broken my covenant.

Genesis 41:30 (Tanakh)	Genesis 41:30 (KJV)	Genesis 41:30 (NET)
And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;	And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;	But seven years of famine will occur after them, and all the abundance will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will devastate the land.

Genesis 41:30 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 41:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἥξει δὲ ἑπτὰ ἔτη λιμοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐπιλήσονται τῆς πλησμονῆς ἐν ὅλῃ γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἀναλώσει ὁ λιμὸς τὴν γῆν	ἥξει δὲ ἑπτὰ ἔτη λιμοῦ μετὰ ταῦτα, καὶ ἐπιλήσονται τῆς πλησμονῆς τῆς ἐσομένης ἐν ὅλῃ Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ἀναλώσει ὁ λιμὸς τὴν γῆν
Genesis 41:30 (NETS)	Genesis 41:30 (English Elpenor)
Then afterwards will come seven years of famine, and they will forget the abundance in the whole land of Egypt, and the famine will consume the land,	But there shall come seven years of famine after these, and they shall forget the plenty that shall be in all Egypt, and the famine shall consume the land.

Genesis 41:32 (Tanakh)	Genesis 41:32 (KJV)	Genesis 41:32 (NET)
And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by G-d, and G-d will shortly bring it to pass.	And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.	The dream was repeated to Pharaoh because the matter has been decreed by God, and God will make it happen soon.

Genesis 41:32 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 41:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
περὶ δὲ τοῦ δευτερῶσαι τὸ ἐνύπνιον Φαραω δίς ὅτι ἀληθὲς ἔσται τὸ ῥῆμα τὸ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ταχυνεῗ ὁ θεὸς τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτό	περὶ δὲ τοῦ δευτερῶσαι τὸ ἐνύπνιον Φαραὼ δίς, ὅτι ἀληθὲς ἔσται τὸ ρῆμα τὸ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ταχυνεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτό.
Genesis 41:32 (NETS)	Genesis 41:32 (English Elpenor)
And as for Pharao’s dream being repeated twice: because the matter that is from God will be real, and God will hasten to do it.	And concerning the repetition of the dream to Pharao twice, [it is] because the saying which is from God shall be true, and God will hasten to accomplish it.

Genesis 41:36 (Tanakh)	Genesis 41:36 (KJV)	Genesis 41:36 (NET)
And the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.’	And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.	This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.”

Genesis 41:36 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 41:36 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσται τὰ βρώματα πεφυλαγμένα τῇ γῇ εἰς τὰ ἑπτὰ ἔτη τοῦ λιμοῦ ἃ ἔσονται ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ οὐκ ἐκτριβήσεται ἡ γῆ ἐν τῷ λιμῷ	καὶ ἔσται τὰ βρώματα τὰ πεφυλαγμένα τῇ γῇ εἰς τὰ ἑπτὰ ἔτη τοῦ λιμοῦ, ἃ ἔσονται ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτου, καὶ οὐκ ἐκτριβήσεται ἡ γῇ ἐν τῷ λιμῷ
Genesis 41:36 (NETS)	Genesis 41:36 (English Elpenor)
And the provisions shall be kept for the land in regard to the seven years of famine that will be in the land of Egypt, and the land will not be annihilated by the famine.”	And the stored food shall be for the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; and the land shall not be utterly destroyed by the famine.

Ezekiel 33:10 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:10 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:10 (NET)
Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?	Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?	“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have said: “Our rebellious acts and our sins have caught up with us, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’

Ezekiel 33:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ σύ υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου εἰπὸν τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ οὕτως ἐλαλήσατε λέγοντες αἱ πλάναι ἡμῶν καὶ αἱ ἀνομίαι ἡμῶν ἐφ᾽ ἡμῗν εἰσιν καὶ ἐν αὐταῗς ἡμεῗς τηκόμεθα καὶ πῶς ζησόμεθα	Καὶ σύ, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, εἰπὸν τῷ οἴκῳ ᾿Ισραήλ· οὕτως ἐλαλήσατε λέγοντες· αἱ πλάναι ἡμῶν καὶ αἱ ἀνομίαι ἡμῶν ἐφ’ ἡμῖν εἰσι καὶ ἐν αὐταῖς ἡμεῖς τηκόμεθα· καὶ πῶς ζηζόμεθα
Ezekiel 33:10 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:10 (English Elpenor)
Now you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus you spoke, saying, “Our errors and lawless acts are with us, and in them we waste away. And how will we live?	And thou, son of man, say to the house of Israel; Thus have ye spoken, saying, Our errors, and our iniquities weigh upon us, and we pine away in them, and how then shall we live?

Ezekiel 33:11 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:11 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:11 (NET)
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?	Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?	Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but prefer that the wicked change his behavior and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds! Why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Ezekiel 33:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰπὸν αὐτοῗς ζῶ ἐγώ τάδε λέγει κύριος οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς ὡς τὸ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν ἀσεβῆ ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ζῆν αὐτόν ἀποστροφῇ ἀποστρέψατε ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ ὑμῶν καὶ ἵνα τί ἀποθνῄσκετε οἶκος Ισραηλ	εἰπὸν αὐτοῖς· ζῶ ἐγώ, τάδε λέγει Κύριος, οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς ὡς τὸ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν ἀσεβῆ ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ζῆν αὐτόν. ἀποστροφῇ ἀποστρέψατε ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ ὑμῶν· καί ἱνατί ἀποθνήσκετε, οἶκος ᾿Ισραήλ
Ezekiel 33:11 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:11 (English Elpenor)
Say to them, I live, says the Lord; I do not wish the death of the impious, rather that the impious turn back from his way and he live. Turn back from your way by turning back, and why are you dying, O house of Israel?	Say to them, Thus saith the Lord; [As] I live, I desire not the death of the ungodly, as that the ungodly should turn from his way and live: turn ye heartily from your way; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Ezekiel 33:12 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 33:12 (KJV)	Ezekiel 33:12 (NET)
Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.	Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.	“And you, son of man, say to your people, ‘The righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him if he rebels. As for the wicked, his wickedness will not make him stumble if he turns from it. The righteous will not be able to live by his righteousness if he sins.’

Ezekiel 33:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 33:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰπὸν πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ σου δικαιοσύνη δικαίου οὐ μὴ ἐξέληται αὐτὸν ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ πλανηθῇ καὶ ἀνομία ἀσεβοῦς οὐ μὴ κακώσῃ αὐτὸν ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἀποστρέψῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας αὐτοῦ καὶ δίκαιος οὐ μὴ δύνηται σωθῆναι	εἰπὸν πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ σου· δικαιοσύνη δικαίου οὐ μὴ ἐξελεῖται αὐτὸν ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ πλανηθῇ, καὶ ἀνομία ἀσεβοῦς οὐ μὴ κακώσῃ αὐτὸν ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ ἀποστρέψῃ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας αὐτοῦ· καὶ δίκαιος οὐ μὴ δύνηται σωθῆναι
Ezekiel 33:12 (NETS)	Ezekiel 33:12 (English Elpenor)
Say to the sons of your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in whatever day he err, and the lawlessness of the impious shall not harm him on whatever day he turn back from his lawlessness, and the righteous shall not be able to be saved.	Say to the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him, in the day wherein he errs: and the iniquity of the ungodly shall not harm him, in the day wherein he turns from his iniquity, but the righteous [erring] shall not be able to deliver himself.

Matthew 8:32 (NET)	Matthew 8:32 (KJV)
And he said, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned in the water.	And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ὑπάγετε. οἱ δὲ ἐξελθόντες ἀπῆλθον εἰς τοὺς χοίρους· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὥρμησεν πᾶσα ἡ ἀγέλη κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ ἀπέθανον ἐν τοῖς ὕδασιν	και ειπεν αυτοις υπαγετε οι δε εξελθοντες απηλθον εις την αγελην των χοιρων και ιδου ωρμησεν πασα η αγελη των χοιρων κατα του κρημνου εις την θαλασσαν και απεθανον εν τοις υδασιν	και ειπεν αυτοις υπαγετε οι δε εξελθοντες απηλθον εις την αγελην των χοιρων και ιδου ωρμησεν πασα η αγελη των χοιρων κατα του κρημνου εις την θαλασσαν και απεθανον εν τοις υδασιν

Luke 20:37 (NET)	Luke 20:37 (KJV)
But even Moses revealed that the dead are raised in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.	Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὅτι δὲ ἐγείρονται οἱ νεκροί, καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐμήνυσεν ἐπὶ τῆς βάτου, ὡς λέγει κύριον τὸν θεὸν Ἀβραὰμ καὶ θεὸν Ἰσαὰκ καὶ θεὸν Ἰακώβ	οτι δε εγειρονται οι νεκροι και μωσης εμηνυσεν επι της βατου ως λεγει κυριον τον θεον αβρααμ και τον θεον ισαακ και τον θεον ιακωβ	οτι δε εγειρονται οι νεκροι και μωσης εμηνυσεν επι της βατου ως λεγει κυριον τον θεον αβρααμ και τον θεον ισαακ και τον θεον ιακωβ

Acts 3:25 (NET)	Acts 3:25 (KJV)
You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.’	Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ υἱοὶ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ τῆς διαθήκης ἧς διέθετο \|ὁ θεὸς\| πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν λέγων πρὸς Ἀβραάμ· καὶ ἐν τῷ σπέρματι σου [ἐν]ευλογηθήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ πατριαὶ τῆς γῆς	υμεις εστε υιοι των προφητων και της διαθηκης ης διεθετο ο θεος προς τους πατερας ημων λεγων προς αβρααμ και τω σπερματι σου ενευλογηθησονται πασαι αι πατριαι της γης	υμεις εστε υιοι των προφητων και της διαθηκης ης διεθετο ο θεος προς τους πατερας ημων λεγων προς αβρααμ και εν τω σπερματι σου ενευλογηθησονται πασαι αι πατριαι της γης

Matthew 5:44 (NET)	Matthew 5:44 (KJV)
But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you,	But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν· ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς	εγω δε λεγω υμιν αγαπατε τους εχθρους υμων ευλογειτε τους καταρωμενους υμας καλως ποιειτε τους μισουντας υμας και προσευχεσθε υπερ των επηρεαζοντων υμας και διωκοντων υμας	εγω δε λεγω υμιν αγαπατε τους εχθρους υμων ευλογειτε τους καταρωμενους υμας καλως ποιειτε τοις μισουσιν υμας και προσευχεσθε υπερ των επηρεαζοντων υμας και διωκοντων υμας

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 15

Back to Jedidiah, Part 5

Back to The Jerusalem Council

Back to Romans, Part 4

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 3

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 16

Back to Who Am I? Part 13

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 12

Back to Romans, Part 19

Back to Christianity, Part 8

Back to Nothing True, Part 1

Back to Nothing True, Part 4

Back to Who Am I? Part 16

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

^[2] Exodus 32:34b (NET)

^[3] Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 9

^[4] Romans 11:32b (NET) Table2 above: ἀποδιδοὺς, translated repaying (NETS) and visiting (Elpenor English) might have been translated “to deliver over, consign, relegate.”

^[5] Psalm 23:1 (Tanakh)

^[6] “Interview with Messianic Rabbi Derek Leman”; “SOME WITHIN THE MESSIANIC JEWISH COMMUNITY ARE CONVERTING GENTILES INTO JEWS. THAT CROSSES A BOUNDARY THAT MUST NOT BE CROSSED!”

^[7] Genesis 9:8 (Tanakh)

^[8] Genesis 9:11 (Tanakh)

^[9] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had την αγελην (KJV: the herd) preceding the pigs. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not. So the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had χοίρους in the accusative case with its corresponding article τοὺς, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had χοιρων in the genitive case with its corresponding article των (KJV: of swine).

^[10] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had χοιρων in the genitive case with its corresponding article των (KJV: of swine) following the herd. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[11] Matthew 8:32 (NET)

^[12] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ Moses was spelled Μωϋσῆς, and μωσης in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

^[13] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τον preceding God. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[14] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τον preceding God. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[15] Luke 20:37, 38 (NET)

^[16] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὑμῶν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ημων (KJV: our).

^[17] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐν here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

^[18] Acts 26:14b (NET) Table

^[19] Genesis 41:30 (Tanakh)

^[20] Genesis 41:32 (Tanakh)

^[21] Genesis 41:36 (Tanakh)

^[22] Ezekiel 33:10b (Tanakh)

^[23] Ezekiel 33:11 (Tanakh)

^[24] Ezekiel 33:12 (Tanakh)

^[25] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ευλογειτε τους καταρωμενους υμας καλως ποιειτε τους μισουντας υμας (KJV: bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[26] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επηρεαζοντων υμας και (KJV: which despitefully use you, and) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 13

Posted on February 8, 2019 by admin

I’ve been considering y^ehôvâh’s fearful pronouncement: I punish (pâqad, פקד) the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me…^[1] By way of review, I didn’t find anything about the Hebrew word itself that would compel anyone to translate פקד (pâqad) I punish. While I don’t have any particular quarrel with calling the plague of Exodus 32:35 a punishment, I’m not convinced it justifies translating pâqad I punish (פקדי) and I will indeed punish (ופקדתי) beyond this limited context.^[2]

After a kind of thought experiment I concluded that the translation of פקד (pâqad) as I punish in Deuteronomy 5:9 was a perpetuation of an erroneous popular notion of religious minds that was clearly corrected in Ezekiel 18.^[3] Though the fixation on punishment in Leviticus 18:25 is difficult for me to unravel, it hasn’t really dissuaded me from the idea that y^ehôvâh visits iniquity itself upon descendants to consign all to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.^[4]

Here I’ll focus on the first occurrence of ʽâvôn in Leviticus.

Leviticus 5:1 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:1 (NET)
And if any one sin, in that he heareth the voice of adjuration, he being a witness, whether he hath seen or known, if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity;	“‘When a person sins (châṭâʼ, תחטא) in that he hears a public curse against one who fails to testify and he is a witness (he either [ʼô, או] saw or [ʼô, או] knew what had happened) and he does not make it known, then he will bear (nâśâʼ, ונשׁא) his punishment for iniquity (ʽâvôn, עונו).

I’ve written about this in another essay so I had intended to point that out here and move on. But with the NET online open to Leviticus 5 and the Hebrew text open in the right column I clicked on או at the beginning of verse 2 (Hebrew reads right to left). The occurrences of או lit up down the right column in Hebrew and their translations lit up down the left column in the English text of the NET. The highlighted instances of או seemed to bind the verses together. How did I decide that verse 1 could stand apart from the others? It was the only verse with then he will bear his punishment for iniquity (Tanakh: then he shall bear his iniquity).

It piqued my interest enough to study deeper so I looked at the Septuagint.

Leviticus 5:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ψυχὴ ἁμάρτῃ καὶ ἀκούσῃ φωνὴν ὁρκισμοῦ καὶ οὗτος μάρτυς ἢ ἑώρακεν ἢ σύνοιδεν ἐὰν μὴ ἀπαγγείλῃ λήμψεται τὴν ἁμαρτίαν	ΕΑΝ δὲ ψυχὴ ἁμάρτῃ, καὶ ἀκούσῃ φωνὴν ὁρκισμοῦ, καὶ οὗτος μάρτυς, ἢ ἑώρακεν, ἢ σύνοιδεν, ἐὰν μὴ ἀπαγγείλῃ, λήψεται τὴν ἁμαρτίαν
Leviticus 5:1 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:1 (English Elpenor)
Now if a soul sins and hears a sound of oath-taking and he is a witness or has seen it or knows of it, if he does not report the matter, he will assume his guilt.	And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and he is a witness or has seen or been conscious, if he do not report it, he shall bear his iniquity.

In the New English Translation of the Septuagint λήμψεται τὴν ἁμαρτίαν became “he will assume his guilt” (Elpenor: he shall bear his iniquity). Was it just another way of saying he is guilty?

Leviticus 5:2 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:2 (NET)
or if any one touch any unclean thing, whether it be the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean swarming things, and be guilty, it being hidden from him that he is unclean;	Or (ʼô, או) when there is a person who touches anything ceremonially unclean, whether (ʼô, או) the carcass of an unclean wild animal, or (ʼô, או) the carcass of an unclean domesticated animal, or (ʼô, או) the carcass of an unclean creeping thing, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has become unclean and is guilty (ʼâsham, ואשם);

As I completed the tables I noticed that the concept be guilty/is guilty (ʼâsham, ואשם) had disappeared from verse 2 of the Septuagint.

Leviticus 5:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἢ ψυχή ἥτις ἐὰν ἅψηται παντὸς πράγματος ἀκαθάρτου ἢ θνησιμαίου ἢ θηριαλώτου ἀκαθάρτου ἢ τῶν θνησιμαίων ἢ τῶν βδελυγμάτων τῶν ἀκαθάρτων ἢ τῶν θνησιμαίων κτηνῶν τῶν ἀκαθάρτων	ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη, ἥτις ἐὰν ἅψηται παντὸς πράγματος ἀκαθάρτου, ἢ θνησιμαίου, ἢ θηριαλώτου ἀκαθάρτου, ἢ τῶν θνησιμαίων βδελυγμάτων τῶν ἀκαθάρτων, ἢ τῶν θνησιμαίων κτηνῶν τῶν ἀκαθάρτων
Leviticus 5:2 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:2 (English Elpenor)
Or a soul who touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass or the kill of an unclean animal or unclean carcasses of abominations or the unclean carcasses of cattle	That soul which shall touch any unclean thing, or carcase, or [that which is] unclean being taken of beasts, or the dead bodies of abominable [reptiles] which are unclean, or carcases of unclean cattle,

But it had reappeared in verse 3 as πλημμελήσῃ, translated “should be in error” (NETS) or he shall have transgressed (Elpenor).

Leviticus 5:3 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:3 (NET)
or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever his uncleanness be wherewith he is unclean, and it be hid from him; and, when he knoweth of it, be guilty;	or (ʼô, או) when he touches human uncleanness with regard to anything by which he can become unclean, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty (ʼâsham, ואשם);

Leviticus 5:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἢ ἅψηται ἀπὸ ἀκαθαρσίας ἀνθρώπου ἀπὸ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἂν ἁψάμενος μιανθῇ καὶ ἔλαθεν αὐτόν μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ γνῷ καὶ πλημμελήσῃ	ἢ ἅψηται ἀπὸ ἀκαθαρσίας ἀνθρώπου, ἀπὸ πάσης ἀκαθαρσίας αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἂν ἁψάμενος μιανθῇ, καί ἔλαθεν αὐτόν, μετὰ τοῦτο δὲ γνῷ, καὶ πλημμελήσῃ
Leviticus 5:3 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:3 (English Elpenor)
or touches some uncleanness of a person, any of his uncleanness in which he be defiled by touching, and it escaped his notice, but later on comes to know it, and should be in error,	or should touch the uncleanness of a man, or whatever kind, which he may touch and be defiled by, and it should have escaped him, but afterwards he should know,– then he shall have transgressed.

It took a couple of day’s consideration or a couple of night’s sleep but finally the hunt was on. I was going to chase this rabbit. The first occurrence of אשמים (ʼâsham) was found in the mouths of Joseph’s (Genesis 37) brothers.

Genesis 42:21 (Tanakh)	Genesis 42:21 (NET)
And they said one to another: ‘We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.’	They said to one another, “Surely we’re being punished (ʼâsham, אשמים) because of our brother, because we saw how distressed he was when he cried to us for mercy, but we refused to listen. That is why this distress has come on us!”

Genesis 42:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 42:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ναί ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ γάρ ἐσμεν περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν ὅτι ὑπερείδομεν τὴν θλῖψιν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ ὅτε κατεδέετο ἡμῶν καὶ οὐκ εἰσηκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν τούτου ἐπῆλθεν ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἡ θλῖψις αὕτη	καὶ εἶπεν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ· ναί, ἐν ἁμαρτίαις γάρ ἐσμεν περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν, ὅτι ὑπερείδομεν τὴν θλῖψιν τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, ὅτε κατεδέετο ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐκ εἰσηκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἕνεκεν τούτου ἐπῆλθεν ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς ἡ θλῖψις αὕτη
Genesis 42:21 (NETS)	Genesis 42:21 (English Elpenor)
And each one said to his brother, “Indeed, for we are at fault concerning our brother, because we disregarded the affliction of his soul, when he pleaded with us, and we did not listen to him. This is why this affliction has come upon us.”	And each said to his brother, Yes, indeed, for we are in fault concerning our brother, when we disregarded the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we hearkened not to him; and therefore has this affliction come upon us.

The Greek words πλημμελήσῃ and ἁμαρτίᾳ seem like terminology compared to the richness of אשמים (ʼâsham) here. The reader doesn’t witness the distress (tsârâh, צרת; Septuagint: θλῖψιν, a form of θλίψις; NETS: “affliction,” Elpenor: anguish) of Joseph’s soul in the narrative of his kidnapping and sale into slavery (Genesis 37:23-28), nor hear when he cried…for mercy (chânan, בהתחננו; Septuagint: κατεδέετο, a form of καταδέω). Not until his brothers suffer the same distress (tsârâh, הצרה; Septuagint: θλῖψις; NETS and Elpenor: affliction) does the reader see and hear through their recollections.

They were falsely accused as spies by a governor (NET: ruler) in Egypt and imprisoned (Tanakh: put…into ward) until one of them returned from Canaan with their youngest brother Benjamin, to prove the truthfulness of their words (Genesis 42:5-17).

Genesis 42:18 (Tanakh)	Genesis 42:18 (NET)
And Joseph said unto them the third day. ‘This do, and live; for I fear G-d:	On the third day Joseph said to them, “Do as I say and you will live, for I fear (yârêʼ, ירא) God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, האלהים).

Genesis 42:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 42:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ τοῦτο ποιήσατε καὶ ζήσεσθε τὸν θεὸν γὰρ ἐγὼ φοβοῦμαι	Εἶπε δὲ αὐτοῖς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ· τοῦτο ποιήσατε καὶ ζήσεσθε, τὸν Θεὸν γὰρ ἐγὼ φοβοῦμαι
Genesis 42:18 (NETS)	Genesis 42:18 (English Elpenor)
Then on the third day he said to them, “Do this, and you will live, for I fear God.	And he said to them on the third day, This do, and ye shall live, for I fear God.

Out of reverence for האלהים (ʼĕlôhı̂ym), the Egyptian ruler reversed himself, allowing the brothers to return home with food for their families, all except one brother who would remain behind until the others brought their youngest brother Benjamin back to Egypt (Genesis 42:19, 20). On the journey home, one brother opened his sack of grain and found the money he had paid for it inside (Genesis 42:26, 27).

Genesis 42:28 (Tanakh)	Genesis 42:28 (NET)
And he said unto his brethren: ‘My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack.’ And their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying: ‘What is this that G-d hath done unto us?’	He said to his brothers, “My money was returned! Here it is in my sack!” They were dismayed; they turned trembling to one another and said, “What in the world has God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) done to us?”

Genesis 42:28 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 42:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ ἀπεδόθη μοι τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ ἰδοὺ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ μαρσίππῳ μου καὶ ἐξέστη ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν καὶ ἐταράχθησαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες τί τοῦτο ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς ἡμῖν	καὶ εἶπε τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ· ἐπεδόθη μοι τὸ ἀργύριον, καὶ ἰδοὺ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ μαρσίππῳ μου, καὶ ἐξέστη ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐταράχθησαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους λέγοντες· τί τοῦτο ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῖν
Genesis 42:28 (NETS)	Genesis 42:28 (English Elpenor)
And he said to his brothers, “The money has been returned to me, and, look, this is in my bag!” And their heart was confounded, and they were mutually troubled, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”	And he said to his brethren, My money has been restored to me, and behold this is in my sack. And their heart was wonder-struck, and they were troubled, saying one to another, What is this that God has done to us?

In their guilt they were suspicious of good as well as distress. I know what אלהים (ʼĕlôhı̂ym) was doing because Joseph explained it to them after Jacob’s death.

Genesis 50:20 (Tanakh)	Genesis 50:20 (NET)
And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but G-d meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.	As for you, you meant to harm me, but God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) intended it for a good purpose, so he could preserve the lives of many people, as you can see this day.

Genesis 50:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 50:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὑμεῖς ἐβουλεύσασθε κατ᾽ ἐμοῦ εἰς πονηρά ὁ δὲ θεὸς ἐβουλεύσατο περὶ ἐμοῦ εἰς ἀγαθά ὅπως ἂν γενηθῇ ὡς σήμερον ἵνα διατραφῇ λαὸς πολύς	ὑμεῖς ἐβουλεύσασθε κατ᾿ ἐμοῦ εἰς πονηρά, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἐβουλεύσατο περὶ ἐμοῦ εἰς ἀγαθά, ὅπως ἂν γενηθῇ ὡς σήμερον καὶ τραφῇ λαὸς πολύς
Genesis 50:20 (NETS)	Genesis 50:20 (English Elpenor)
You deliberated against me for painful things, but God deliberated concerning me for good things in order that a numerous people might be sustained, that it might come to be as today.	Ye took counsel against me for evil, but God took counsel for me for good, that [the matter] might be as [it is] to-day, and much people might be fed.

Joseph’s brothers couldn’t see this at the time. Frankly, I wonder if Joseph saw it yet. Or was it something the Holy Spirit revealed to him as he watched his brothers bear their iniquity? The brothers returned to their father Jacob and told him about their discomforting encounter with the Egyptian ruler (Genesis 42:29-34).

Genesis 42:35 (Tanakh)	Genesis 42:35 (NET)
And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.	When they were emptying their sacks, there was each man’s bag of money in his sack! When they and their father saw the bags of money, they were afraid (yârêʼ, וייראו).

Genesis 42:35 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 42:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ κατακενοῦν αὐτοὺς τοὺς σάκκους αὐτῶν καὶ ἦν ἑκάστου ὁ δεσμὸς τοῦ ἀργυρίου ἐν τῷ σάκκῳ αὐτῶν καὶ εἶδον τοὺς δεσμοὺς τοῦ ἀργυρίου αὐτῶν αὐτοὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν	ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ κατακενοῦν αὐτοὺς τοὺς σάκκους αὐτῶν, καὶ ἦν ἑκάστου ὁ δεσμὸς τοῦ ἀργυρίου ἐν τῷ σάκκῳ αὐτῶν· καὶ εἶδον τοὺς δεσμοὺς τοῦ ἀργυρίου αὐτῶν αὐτοὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν
Genesis 42:35 (NETS)	Genesis 42:35 (English Elpenor)
Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks that then each one’s bundle of money was in their sack. And they saw their bundles of money, they and their father, and they were afraid.	And it came to pass as they were emptying their sacks, there was each man’s bundle of money in his sack; and they and their father saw their bundles of money, and they were afraid.

In their guilt would they have been more or less afraid, I wonder, had they known that their distress was caused, not by God, but by the brother they had refused to hear when he cried out to them for mercy? I would be content to title this section “Joseph’s brothers bear their iniquity.” In fact, I would assume that bear his iniquity and be guilty in the same paragraph were essentially equivalent in any other kind of writing—any kind other than law.

Leviticus 4:13 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 4:13 (NET)
And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err, the thing being hid from the eyes of the assembly, and do any of the things which HaShem hath commanded not to be done, and are guilty:	“‘If the whole congregation of Israel strays unintentionally and the matter is not noticed by the assembly, and they violate one of the Lord’s commandments, which must not be violated, so they become guilty (ʼâsham, ואשמו),

Leviticus 4:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 4:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ πᾶσα συναγωγὴ Ισραηλ ἀγνοήσῃ ἀκουσίως καὶ λάθῃ ῥῆμα ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν τῆς συναγωγῆς καὶ ποιήσωσιν μίαν ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν κυρίου ἣ οὐ ποιηθήσεται καὶ πλημμελήσωσιν	Εὰν δὲ πᾶσα συναγωγὴ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀγνοήσῃ ἀκουσίως καὶ λάθῃ ῥῆμα ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν τῆς συναγωγῆς καὶ ποιήσωσι μίαν ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν Κυρίου, ἣ οὐ ποιηθήσεται, καὶ πλημμελήσωσι
Leviticus 4:13 (NETS)	Leviticus 4:13 (English Elpenor)
But if the whole congregation of Israel acts in ignorance and the matter escapes the notice of the eyes of the congregation and they do one of any of the commandments of the Lord, which shall not be done, and they shall be in error	And if the whole congregation of Israel trespass ignorantly, and a thing should escape the notice of the congregation, and they should do one thing forbidden of any of the commands of the Lord, which ought not to be done, and should transgress:

Here the people are or become guilty before they were aware of what they had done. When they become aware of it there are things the people and the priest were to do to make atonement (Leviticus 4:14-21).

Leviticus 4:22 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 4:22 (NET)
When a ruler sinneth, and doeth through error any one of all the things which HaShem his G-d hath commanded not to be done, and is guilty:	“‘Whenever a leader, by straying unintentionally, sins and violates one of the commandments of the Lord his God which must not be violated, and he pleads guilty (ʼâsham, ואשם),

Leviticus 4:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 4:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ἄρχων ἁμάρτῃ καὶ ποιήσῃ μίαν ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτῶν ἣ οὐ ποιηθήσεται ἀκουσίως καὶ ἁμάρτῃ καὶ πλημμελήσῃ	ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ἄρχων ἁμάρτῃ, καὶ ποιήσῃ μίαν ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἣ οὐ ποιηθήσεται, ἀκουσίως, καὶ ἁμάρτῃ καὶ πλημμελήσῃ
Leviticus 4:22 (NETS)	Leviticus 4:22 (English Elpenor)
But if he sins and does unintentionally one of any of the commandments of the Lord their God, which shall not be done, and sins and is in error	And if a ruler sin, and break one of all the commands of the Lord his God, [doing the thing] which ought not to be done, unwillingly, and shall sin and trespass

Here ואשם (ʼâsham) was translated καὶ ἁμάρτῃ καὶ πλημμελήσῃ, “and sins and is in error” (NETS), and shall sin and trespass (Englsh Elpenor). I can imagine at least the rabbis’ attempt to accommodate both a technical meaning—one is guilty of violation whether one perceives it or not—and the more expansive meaning—the whole impact knowledge of that guilt has on the one who receives it (or bears it)—simultaneously, though I might not have seen any of it in English translation apart from this study.

So where do I stand?

The brothers’ imprisonment for three days and Simeon’s (Genesis 42:24) longer incarceration certainly qualify as punishment. That punishment, however, came from Joseph, a ruler in Egypt, not God. I’m not insensitive to the question, who but God could orchestrate such a circumstance in real life? And I wonder if Joseph’s brothers would ever have recognized their guilt or borne their iniquity apart from this distress? So I can accept that a part of bearing one’s iniquity is accepting the punishment meted out by human authorities, pay the fine, do the time up to and including forfeiting one’s freedom or life. Paul wrote (Romans 13:1-7 NET):

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by^[5] God’s appointment, and the authorities^[6] that exist have been instituted by God.^[7] So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur^[8] judgment (for rulers cause no fear for good^[9] conduct^[10] but for bad^[11]). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation because it is God’s servant for your well-being. But be afraid if you do wrong because government does not bear the sword for nothing. It is God’s servant to administer punishment (ὀργὴν, a form of ὀργή) on the person who does wrong. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath (ὀργὴν, a form of ὀργή) of the authorities but also because of your conscience. For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing. Pay^[12] everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

I don’t take this to mean that the punishment or wrath of these servants is necessarily just in an absolute sense or in my opinion. I consider the public curse the princes and elders enacted in the book of Ezra as an example.

Ezra 10:7, 8 (Tanakh)	Ezra 10:7, 8 (NET)
And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem [Table];	A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem [Table].
and that whosoever came not within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of the captivity [Table].	Everyone who did not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles [Table].

Ezra 10:7 (Septuagint BLB) [Table ]	Esdras II 10:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ παρήνεγκαν φωνὴν ἐν Ιουδα καὶ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ πᾶσιν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀποικίας τοῦ συναθροισθῆναι εἰς Ιερουσαλημ	καὶ παρήνεγκαν φωνὴν ἐν ᾿Ιούδᾳ καὶ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ πᾶσι τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀποικίας τοῦ συναθροισθῆναι εἰς ῾Ιερουαλήμ
Esdras II 10:7 (NETS)	Esdras II 10:7 (English Elpenor)
And they presented an utterance in Iouda and in Ierousalem to all sons of the exile that they should assemble in Ierousalem:	And they made proclamation throughout Juda and Jerusalem to all the children of the captivity, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, [saying],

Ezra 10:8 (Septuagint BLB) [Table ]	Esdras II 10:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ πᾶς ὃς ἂν μὴ ἔλθῃ εἰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας ὡς ἡ βουλὴ τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀναθεματισθήσεται πᾶσα ἡ ὕπαρξις αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς διασταλήσεται ἀπὸ ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἀποικίας	πᾶς, ὃς ἂν μὴ ἔλθῃ εἰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας, ὡς ἡ βουλὴ τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ἀναθεματισθήσεται πᾶσα ἡ ὕπαρξις αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὸς διασταλήσεται ἀπὸ ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἀποικίας
Esdras II 10:8 (NETS)	Esdras II 10:8 (English Elpenor)
“Anyone who does not come within three days, as the council of the rulers and the elders demands—all his property will be anathematized, and he himself banned from the assembly of the exile.”	Every one who shall not arrive within three days, as [is] the counsel of the rulers and the elders, all his substance shall be forfeited, and he shall be separated from the congregation of the captivity.

I was educated in public schools in the United States of America from the late fifties through the early seventies, taught that government of, by and for the people was predicated on limiting the power of authorities over the people. The dictatorships of the twentieth century were considered anachronistic aberrations not counter trends to the relatively ineffective governance of a free society. So this proclamation sounds fascist to me, though the law—he shall bear his iniquity—would uphold it as I am currently understanding the law. What the laws do not record is what might become of the man who in good conscience could not divorce his foreign wife, suffered the loss of his property and wandered in exile from Israel.

The religious mind wants to believe that such a man is forever doomed. But the religious mind is itself barely a step removed from atheism. It may well call someone or something god, but believes wholeheartedly that it’s god functions only through it’s systems of control, systems which must be maintained at all costs (John 11:45-50). It is unwilling to believe that a man wandering from the faith, so to speak, of his native religious system—like Abram (Genesis 12:1-25:11), Isaac (Genesis 26:1-27:46) or Jacob (Genesis 28:1-35:29) for example (even Hagar [Genesis 21:1-21])—could possibly encounter a true and living God full of mercy and grace for those who seek Him. And it has no conception of what might become of a foreign-born wife impacted by his mercy and grace.

And here my religious mind is screaming: How could anyone be expected to figure all this out?! Frankly, those who have received Jesus are not required to understand. We are required (Romans 8:12-17) to live by the Spirit and [we] will not carry out the desires of the flesh.^[13] For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.^[14]

Tables of Leviticus 5:4 and 5:5 that I used to write this essay follow, along with tables comparing Romans 13:1-3 and 13:7 in the KJV and NET.

Leviticus 5:4 (Tanakh)

Leviticus 5:4 (NET)

or if any one swear clearly with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall utter clearly with an oath, and it be hid from him; and, when he knoweth of it, be guilty in one of these things;

or (ʼô, או) when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly (bâṭâʼ, לבטא) with his lips, whether to do evil or (ʼô, או) to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly (bâṭâʼ, יבטא) in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty (ʼâsham, ואשם) with regard to one of these oaths –

Leviticus 5:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἢ ψυχή ἡ ἂν ὀμόσῃ διαστέλλουσα τοῖς χείλεσιν κακοποιῆσαι ἢ καλῶς ποιῆσαι κατὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν διαστείλῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος μεθ᾽ ὅρκου καὶ λάθῃ αὐτὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ οὗτος γνῷ καὶ ἁμάρτῃ ἕν τι τούτων	ἡ ψυχή, ἣ ἂν ὀμόσῃ διαστέλλουσα τοῖς χείλεσι κακοποιῆσαι ἢ καλῶς ποιῆσαι κατὰ πάντα, ὅσα ἐὰν διαστείλῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος μεθ᾿ ὅρκου, καὶ λάθῃ αὐτὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ οὗτος γνῷ, καὶ ἁμάρτῃ ἕν τι τούτων
Leviticus 5:4 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:4 (English Elpenor)
or a soul who swears, determining with his lips to do evil or to do good, in any way that the person may speak forcefully by an oath, and if it escapes the notice of his eyes and if he comes to know it and should sin in any one of these,	That unrighteous soul, which determines with his lips to do evil or to do good according to whatsoever a man may determine with an oath, and it shall have escaped his notice, and he shall [afterwards] know [it], and [so] he should sin in some one of these things:

Leviticus 5:5 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 5:5 (NET)
and it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that wherein he hath sinned;	when an individual becomes guilty (ʼâsham, יאשם) with regard to one of these things he must confess how he has sinned (châṭâʼ, חטא),

Leviticus 5:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 5:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν περὶ ὧν ἡμάρτηκεν κατ᾽ αὐτῆς	καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, περὶ ὧν ἡμάρτηκε κατ᾿ αὐτῆς
Leviticus 5:5 (NETS)	Leviticus 5:5 (English Elpenor)
then he shall declare his sin concerning the things in which he has sinned.	— then shall he declare his sin in the things wherein he has sinned by that sin.

Romans 13:1-3 (NET)	Romans 13:1-3 (KJV)
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God.	Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ θεοῦ, αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν	πασα ψυχη εξουσιαις υπερεχουσαις υποτασσεσθω ου γαρ εστιν εξουσια ει μη απο θεου αι δε ουσαι εξουσιαι υπο του θεου τεταγμεναι εισιν	πασα ψυχη εξουσιαις υπερεχουσαις υποτασσεσθω ου γαρ εστιν εξουσια ει μη υπο θεου αι δε ουσαι εξουσιαι υπο του θεου τεταγμεναι εισιν

So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὥστε ὁ ἀντιτασσόμενος τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ διαταγῇ ἀνθέστηκεν, οἱ δὲ ἀνθεστηκότες ἑαυτοῖς κρίμα λήμψονται	ωστε ο αντιτασσομενος τη εξουσια τη του θεου διαταγη ανθεστηκεν οι δε ανθεστηκοτες εαυτοις κριμα ληψονται	ωστε ο αντιτασσομενος τη εξουσια τη του θεου διαταγη ανθεστηκεν οι δε ανθεστηκοτες εαυτοις κριμα ληψονται

(for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
(οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες οὐκ εἰσὶν φόβος τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔργῳ ἀλλὰ τῷ κακῷ). θέλεις δὲ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν· τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει, καὶ ἕξεις ἔπαινον ἐξ αὐτῆς	οι γαρ αρχοντες ουκ εισιν φοβος των αγαθων εργων αλλα των κακων θελεις δε μη φοβεισθαι την εξουσιαν το αγαθον ποιει και εξεις επαινον εξ αυτης	οι γαρ αρχοντες ουκ εισιν φοβος των αγαθων εργων αλλα των κακων θελεις δε μη φοβεισθαι την εξουσιαν το αγαθον ποιει και εξεις επαινον εξ αυτης

Romans 13:7 (NET)	Romans 13:7 (KJV)
Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.	Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπόδοτε πᾶσιν τὰς ὀφειλάς, τῷ τὸν φόρον τὸν φόρον, τῷ τὸ τέλος τὸ τέλος, τῷ τὸν φόβον τὸν φόβον, τῷ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν τιμήν	αποδοτε ουν πασιν τας οφειλας τω τον φορον τον φορον τω το τελος το τελος τω τον φοβον τον φοβον τω την τιμην την τιμην	αποδοτε ουν πασιν τας οφειλας τω τον φορον τον φορον τω το τελος το τελος τω τον φοβον τον φοβον τω την τιμην την τιμην

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

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

^[2] Exodus 32:34b (NET)

^[3] Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 9

^[4] Romans 11:32b (NET)

^[5] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ὑπὸ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had απο (KJV: of).

^[6] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εξουσιαι here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[7] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article του preceding God. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[8] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had λήμψονται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ληψονται (KJV: receive).

^[9] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τῷ ἀγαθῷ, the dative singular forms, here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had των αγαθων, the genitive plural forms.

^[10] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔργῳ, the dative singular form, here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εργων, the genitive plural form (KJV: works).

^[11] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τῷ κακῷ, the dative singular forms, here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had των κακων, the genitive plural forms.

^[12] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν following Pay (KJV: therefore). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[13] Galatians 5:16 (NET)

^[14] Galatians 5:23, 24 (NET) Table

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 12

Posted on June 12, 2018 by admin

I’ve been considering yehôvâh’s fearful pronouncement: I punish (pâqad, פקד) the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me…^[1] By way of review, I didn’t find anything about the Hebrew word itself that would compel anyone to translate פקד (pâqad) I punish. While I don’t have any particular quarrel with calling the plague of Exodus 32:35 a punishment, I’m not convinced it justifies translating pâqad I punish (פקדי) and I will indeed punish (ופקדתי) beyond this limited context.^[2]

After a kind of thought experiment I concluded that the translation of פקד (pâqad) as I punish in Deuteronomy 5:9 was a perpetuation of an erroneous popular notion of religious minds that was clearly corrected in Ezekiel 18.^[3] Though the fixation on punishment in Leviticus 18:25 is difficult for me to unravel, it hasn’t really dissuaded me from the idea that y^ehôvâh visits iniquity itself upon descendants to consign all to disobedience, so that he may show mercy to them all.^[4]

Here I’ll focus on ʽâvôn in Exodus, and though I’ve already considered Exodus 20:5 I want to start there again from a slightly different perspective. I’m comparing/contrasting the NET and Tanakh as relatively contemporary translations of the Hebrew from Christian and Jewish perspectives respectively, and the Septuagint as a more ancient Jewish perspective.

Exodus 20:3-6 (NET)	Exodus 20:3-6 (Tanakh)
You shall have no other gods before me [Table].	Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below [Table].	Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, responding (pâqad, פקד) to the transgression (ʽâvôn, עון) of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject me [Table],	thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I HaShem thy G-d am a jealous G-d, visiting (pâqad, פקד) the iniquity (ʽâvôn, עון) of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me;
and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments [Table].	and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

The translators of the NET would not quite enshrine the idea that yehôvâh punishes children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the sins of the father in the ten commandments. Though one might argue that—responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing—is scarcely different if one already has that idea in mind, it is a move away from: punishing the children for the sin of the parents (NIV), punishing the children for the fathers’ iniquity (CSB), I will punish your families (CEV), I bring punishment on those who hate me and on their descendants (GNT), punishing the children for the fathers’ sin (HCSB), punishing the children for the iniquity of the parents (ISV) or I punish children for their parents’ sins (GWT).^[5] All of these translations follow the idea in the Septuagint that visiting (פקד) iniquity (עון) is equivalent to “repaying” (ἀποδιδοὺς, a form of ἀποδίδωμι) “sins” (ἁμαρτίας, a form of ἁμαρτία).

Exodus 20:3-6 (Septuagint)	Exodus 20:3-6 (NETS)
οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ [Table]	You shall have no other gods besides Me.
οὐ ποιήσεις σεαυτῷ εἴδωλον οὐδὲ παντὸς ὁμοίωμα ὅσα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω καὶ ὅσα ἐν τῇ γῇ κάτω καὶ ὅσα ἐν τοῖς ὕδασιν ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς [Table]	You shall not make for yourself an idol or likeness of anything whatever is in heaven above and whatever is in the earth beneath and whatever is in the waters beneath the earth.
οὐ προσκυνήσεις αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ μὴ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῖς ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι κύριος ὁ θεός σου θεὸς ζηλωτὴς ἀποδιδοὺς ἁμαρτίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα ἕως τρίτης καὶ τετάρτης γενεᾶς τοῖς μισοῦσίν με [Table]	You shall not do obeisance to them, nor are you to serve them, for I am the Lord your God, a jealous god, repaying (ἀποδιδοὺς, a form of ἀποδίδωμι) sins (ἁμαρτίας, a form of ἁμαρτία) of fathers upon children up to the third and fourth generation to those who hate me,
καὶ ποιῶν ἔλεος εἰς χιλιάδας τοῖς ἀγαπῶσίν με καὶ τοῖς φυλάσσουσιν τὰ προστάγματά μου [Table]	and doing mercy unto thousands, for those who love me and keep my ordinances.

Admittedly, my own idea is more like I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected in the New Living Translation. But I didn’t come to it by reading the NLT, and I’m way too snobby to cite it as support. The next occurrence of ʽâvôn includes an occurrence of nâśâʼ.

Exodus 28:36-38 (NET)	Exodus 28:36-38 (Tanakh)
“You are to make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it the way a seal is engraved: “Holiness to the Lord.”	And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a signet: HOLY TO THE HaShem.
You are to attach to it a blue cord so that it will be on the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban,	And thou shalt put it on a thread of blue, and it shall be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron will bear (nâśâʼ, ונשׁא) the iniquity (ʽâvôn, עון) of the holy things, which the Israelites are to sanctify by all their holy gifts; it will always be on his forehead, for their acceptance before the Lord.	And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear the iniquity committed in the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow, even in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before HaShem.

I won’t pretend that I understand the iniquity of the holy things or the iniquity committed in the holy things. Nor will I chase that rabbit. I want to stay focused. The translators of the Septuagint took a different tack that actually makes more sense when considering the next occurrence of ʽâvôn also rather than this one alone.

Exodus 28:36-38 (Septuagint)	Exodus 28:32-34 (NETS)
καὶ ποιήσεις πέταλον χρυσοῦν καθαρὸν καὶ ἐκτυπώσεις ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτύπωμα σφραγῖδος ἁγίασμα κυρίου	And you shall make a pure gold thin plate and shall put in relief in it the relief of the seal “Holiness of the Lord.”
καὶ ἐπιθήσεις αὐτὸ ἐπὶ ὑακίνθου κεκλωσμένης καὶ ἔσται ἐπὶ τῆς μίτρας κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς μίτρας ἔσται	And you shall place it on twisted blue, and it shall be on the headdress. It shall be at the front of the headdress.
καὶ ἔσται ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου Ααρων καὶ ἐξαρεῖ Ααρων τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τῶν ἁγίων ὅσα ἂν ἁγιάσωσιν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ παντὸς δόματος τῶν ἁγίων αὐτῶν καὶ ἔσται ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου Ααρων διὰ παντός δεκτὸν αὐτοῖς ἔναντι κυρίου	And it shall be on the forehead of Aaron, and Aaron shall take away (ἐξαρεῖ, a form of ἐξαίρω) the sins (ἁμαρτήματα, a form of ἁμάρτημα) of the holy things, whichever the sons of Israel have consecrated, every donation of their holy things. And it shall be on Aaron’s forehead always, making them acceptable before the Lord.

Exodus 28: 42, 43 (NET)	Exodus 28:42, 43 (Tanakh)
Make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked bodies; they must cover from the waist to the thighs.	And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.
These must be on Aaron and his sons when they enter to the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they bear (nâśâʼ, ישׁאו) no iniquity (ʽâvôn, עון) and die. It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants after him.	And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they go in unto the tent of meeting, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die; it shall be a statute for ever unto him and unto his seed after him.

In the former example Aaron will bear (nâśâʼ, ונשׁא) the iniquity (ʽâvôn, עון) of the holy things. In the latter example Aaron and his sons wear underwear so that they bear (nâśâʼ, ישׁאו) no iniquity (ʽâvôn, עון) and die. The translators of the Septuagint resolved this dilemma by translating ונשׁא (nâśâʼ) ἐξαρεῖ (a form of ἐξαίρω; NETS: “shall take away”) and ישׁאו (nâśâʼ) ἐπάξονται (a form of ἐπάγω; NETS: “shall…bring onto”).

Exodus 28: 42, 43 (Septuagint)	Exodus 28:38, 39 (NETS)
καὶ ποιήσεις αὐτοῖς περισκελῆ λινᾶ καλύψαι ἀσχημοσύνην χρωτὸς αὐτῶν ἀπὸ ὀσφύος ἕως μηρῶν ἔσται	And you shall make for them linen drawers to hide the shame of their flesh; from hip to thighs they shall be.
καὶ ἕξει Ααρων αὐτὰ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς ἂν εἰσπορεύωνται εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου ἢ ὅταν προσπορεύωνται λειτουργεῖν πρὸς τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ οὐκ ἐπάξονται πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἁμαρτίαν ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνωσιν νόμιμον αἰώνιον αὐτῷ καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ μετ᾽ αὐτόν	And Aaron and his sons shall wear them, whenever they enter the tent of witness or whenever they come near the altar of the holy place to minister, and they shall not bring onto (ἐπάξονται, a form of ἐπάγω) themselves sin (ἁμαρτίαν, another form of ἁμαρτία), lest they die: a perpetual precept for him and his seed after him.

And I would consider death an extreme punishment for bearing iniquity. The next occurrences of ʽâvôn also include an occurrence of nâśâʼ.

Exodus 34:5-7 (NET)	Exodus 34:5-7 (Tanakh)
The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) by name.	And HaShem descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of HaShem.
The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה), the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה), the compassionate and gracious God (ʼêl, אל), slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness,	And HaShem passed by before him, and proclaimed: ‘The HaShem, HaShem, G-d, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth;
keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving (nâśâʼ, נשׁא) iniquity (ʽâvôn, עון) and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding (pâqad, פקד) to the transgression (ʽâvôn, עון) of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”	keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty;^[6] visiting (pâqad, פקד) the iniquity (ʽâvôn, עון) of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and unto the fourth generation.’

Exodus 34:5-7 (Septuagint)	Exodus 34:5-7 (NETS)
καὶ κατέβη κύριος ἐν νεφέλῃ καὶ παρέστη αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου	And the Lord descended in a cloud, and he stood beside him there, and he called in the name of the Lord.
καὶ παρῆλθεν κύριος πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκάλεσεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος καὶ ἀληθινὸς	And the Lord passed by before his face, and he called, “The Lord, the Lord God is compassionate and merciful, patient and very merciful and truthful
καὶ δικαιοσύνην διατηρῶν καὶ ποιῶν ἔλεος εἰς χιλιάδας ἀφαιρῶν ἀνομίας καὶ ἀδικίας καὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ οὐ καθαριεῖ τὸν ἔνοχον ἐπάγων ἀνομίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα καὶ ἐπὶ τέκνα τέκνων ἐπὶ τρίτην καὶ τετάρτην γενεάν	and preserving righteousness and doing mercy for thousands, taking away (ἀφαιρῶν, a form of ἀφαιρέω) acts of lawlessness (ἀνομίας, a form of ἀνομία) and of injustice and sins, and he will not acquit the guilty person, bringing (ἐπάγων, another form of ἐπάγω) lawless acts (ἀνομίας, a form of ἀνομία) of fathers upon children and upon children of children, upon the third and fourth generation.”

Here the translators of the NET and Tanakh agreed that נשׁא (nâśâʼ) should be translated forgiving, while the translators of the Septuagint chose ἀφαιρῶν (a form of ἀφαιρέω; NETS: “taking away”). One can appreciate the problem: How could yehôvâh bear iniquity (not to mention transgression and sin) if that made Aaron and his sons liable to death? Of course, if I let the Hebrew words stand as is and learn from them, and believe that yehôvâh took on human flesh and became Jesus the Christ, I have a gospel message foretold to Moses in the long name of God.

So what did Moses know and when did he know it? Following yehôvâh’s self-revelation Moses didn’t ask Him to bear (nâśâʼ) Israel’s iniquity.

Exodus 34: 8, 9 (NET)	Exodus 34: 8, 9 (Tanakh)
Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped	And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
and said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord go among us, for we are a stiff-necked people; pardon (sâlach, וסלחת) our iniquity (ʽâvôn, לעוננו) and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”	And he said: ‘If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O L-rd, let the L-rd, I pray Thee, go in the midst of us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance.’

Moses asked for וסלחת (sâlach) instead. And yehôvâh gave them rules and rituals (Exodus 34:10-27) that when they transgressed them they might seek a remedy through confession, sacrifice and other rituals to receive sâlach. The translators of the Septuagint, on the other hand, turned Moses’ request into a prophecy of the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Exodus 34: 8, 9 (Septuagint)	Exodus 34: 8, 9 (NETS)
καὶ σπεύσας Μωυσῆς κύψας ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν προσεκύνησεν	And quickly, bowing down to the earth, Moyses did obeisance
καὶ εἶπεν εἰ εὕρηκα χάριν ἐνώπιόν σου συμπορευθήτω ὁ κύριός μου μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὁ λαὸς γὰρ σκληροτράχηλός ἐστιν καὶ ἀφελεῖς σὺ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν καὶ τὰς ἀνομίας ἡμῶν καὶ ἐσόμεθα σοί	and said, “If I have found favor before you, let my Lord go together with us. For the people are stiff-necked, and you shall take away (ἀφελεῖς, another form of ἀφαιρέω) our sins (ἁμαρτίας, a form of ἁμαρτία) and lawless acts (ἀνομίας, a form of ἀνομία), and we will be yours.”

If they had the law, the rituals and the sacrifices in mind, hear what may well be Jesus’ teaching to his disciples in the days between his resurrection and ascension (Hebrews 10:1-4 NET):

For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship. For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. For the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away (ἀφαιρεῖν, another form ἀφαιρέω) sins (ἁμαρτίας, a form of ἁμαρτία).

A table of forms of ʽâvôn in Exodus and their translations in the KJV and NET follows.

Form of ʽâvôn	Reference	KJV	NET
עון	Exodus 20:5	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…	…responding to the transgression of fathers…
	Exodus 28:38	…that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things…	…and Aaron will bear the iniquity of the holy things…
	Exodus 28:43	…that they bear not iniquity, and die…	…so that they bear no iniquity and die.
	Exodus 34:7	…forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…	…forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.
	Exodus 34:7	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…	…responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children…
לעוננו	Exodus 34:9	…and pardon our iniquity and our sin…	…pardon our iniquity and our sin…

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 13

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 6

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

^[2] Exodus 32:34b (NET)

^[3] Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 9

^[4] Romans 11:32b (NET)

^[5] See: Bible Hub

^[6] The clauses: But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, and, and that will by no means clear the guilty are translations of three Hebrew words, two of which are forms of nâqâh. First, ונקה (nâqâh), second, לא (lôʼ); third, ינקה (nâqâh).

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Posted on December 30, 2017 by admin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 12

Back to To Make Holy, Part 4

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 13

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

^[9] John 8:24 (ISV)

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

^[11] Isaiah 45:12 (Tanakh)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

^[20] Genesis 21:8 (NET)

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

^[22] Genesis 50:15 (NET)

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

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

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

^[26] Romans 4:5 (NET)

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

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 10

Posted on October 25, 2017 by admin

“Because you obeyed (shâmaʽ, שמעת; Septuagint: ἤκουσας, a form of ἀκούω) your wife, the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) said to Adam, and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground thanks to you; in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.”^[1]

The Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) had commanded Adam: “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.”^[2] Eve saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, so she took some of its fruit and ate it.^[3] When she brought some to Adam she brought not only her recommendation but empirical evidence that she had both touched it and eaten it and had not died.

Adam preferred the voice of his wife to the voice of y^ehôvâh. When Jacob preferred the beautiful Rachel over Leah the Lord saw that Leah was unloved (śânêʼ).^[4] In other words Adam hated the voice of God relative to that of his wife, the voice of God was unloved. For the sake of argument I’ll describe Adam’s iniquity as defiance: Adam was not deceived,^[5] Paul assured Timothy.

Adam’s defiance visited upon Cain became a murderous rage: Cain became very angry [Table]…Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.^[6] Cain’s murderous rage combined with the memory of the mercy y^ehôvâh showed him became a defiant self-righteousness in his descendant Lamech, perhaps even incipient tribal law (Genesis 4:23, 24 NET):

Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah! Listen (shâmaʽ, שמען; Septuagint: ἀκούσατέ, another form of ἀκούω) to me! You wives of Lamech, hear my words! I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for hurting me. If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much, then Lamech seventy-seven times!”

The upshot of this relatively unhindered visiting of fathers’ iniquity upon the sons was: The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence.^[7] So God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.”^[8]

I began this portion of my study of fear to understand how the translators of the NET “arrived at I punish as a translation of the Hebrew word pâqad (פקד)” in Deuteronomy 5:9. If punishment could arrest this relatively unhindered visiting of fathers’ iniquity upon the sons before it culminated in a death sentence for all living creatures it would be a welcome relief. This brings me to the third occurrence of ואפקד (pâqad) translated punish or punishment (and I have brought the punishment) in the NET (Leviticus 18:25 NET):

Therefore the land has become unclean and I have brought the punishment for its iniquity upon it, so that the land has vomited out its inhabitants.

This was not a reference to the violence of the antediluvian world but to the worship/sexual practices of the inhabitants of Canaan before Israel entered the promised land. But first I need to consider whether the visiting of the fathers’ iniquity upon the sons was quite as unhindered as I have imagined it.

I was born and raised in the latter half of the twentieth century near the northern edge of the Bible belt in the United States of America. I am a hardcore materialist with some Jesus jelly smeared on top. I acknowledge this to confess the iniquity of my fathers, not to blame them or excuse myself, but to begin to claim my freedom from my own acceptance of that iniquity as my truth.

The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground (ʼădâmâh)!^[9] y^ehôvâh told Cain. I hear this as a poetic reference to y^ehôvâh’s omniscience (Psalm 139:1-12). These days I’m not unwilling to take it literally, that Abel’s blood had a voice that y^ehôvâh could hear crying out from the ground, but it’s not natural to me. I am the dark side of, Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.^[10] Still, opening myself to its possibility gives me a different perspective.

So now, you are banished (ʼârar, ארור) from the ground (ʼădâmâh, האדמה: NET footnote 28): Heb “cursed are you from the ground”), y^ehôvâh continued, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand [Table]. When you try to cultivate the ground (ʼădâmâh, האדמה) it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth [Table].^[11] To Adam He had already said, cursed (ʼârar, ארורה) is the ground (ʼădâmâh, האדמה) thanks to you; in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, but you will eat the grain of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat food until you return to the ground (ʼădâmâh, האדמה), for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return.^[12]

I can begin to accept these as revelation of the very nature of the ground created by a loving, gracious and holy God, how the earth itself responds to its sinful inhabitants, rather than as post hoc punishments invented in the moment. And I can begin to see the nature of the earth, the ground we live on, as a deterrent to the unhindered visiting of the fathers’ iniquity upon the sons.

Cain couldn’t supply himself with food by his own cultivation of the ground; the ground would no longer yield its best for him. Cain built a city, a place where people could live in community and trade with one another for things they all needed. Did he honor those still righteous enough to cultivate the ground that would not yield its best to him? Did he learn from them?

The text doesn’t say. It says, The earth (ʼerets, הארץ) was ruined in the sight of God; the earth (ʼerets, הארץ) was filled with violence. If I accept that the blood of victims has a voice that y^ehôvâh can hear crying out from the ground, crying out to Him to act, and multiply that by the increase of population over the many generations I can at least imagine the cacophony in his ears and begin to appreciate his choices (Genesis 6:6, 7 NET):

The Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) regretted that he had made humankind on the earth (ʼerets, בארץ), and he was highly offended. So the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth (ʼădâmâh, האדמה) – everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.”

The religious mind must sit quietly here to meditate that at this moment in history y^ehôvâh preferred to destroy all life (air and ground) but that which could be saved in a boat and to start over again rather than to establish a law or a religion (aside from the rudiments of animal sacrifice handed down from Adam, Cain and Abel). One might say that y^ehôvâh hated law and religion, law and religion were unloved relative to starting over again with a remnant of the former world. But after the flood (Genesis 8:20-22 NET):

Noah built an altar to the Lord (y^ehôvâh, ליהוה). He then took some of every kind of clean animal and clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) smelled the soothing aroma and (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground (ʼădâmâh, האדמה) because of humankind, even though the inclination of their minds (lêb, לב) is evil from childhood on. I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done. While the earth continues to exist, planting time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.”

God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) spoke one law to address violence, “Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) has made humankind”^[13] and one revised dietary law: Everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea are under your authority. You may eat any moving thing that lives. As I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.^[14] I assume that the trees of life and of the knowledge of good and evil did not survive the flood and had become a nonissue (Genesis 3:22). But in Leviticus y^ehôvâh was establishing both a law and a religion in clear contrast to those originated by men. Now that will have to wait for another essay.

In my first draft of this essay I had hoped to avoid Noah’s curse: Cursed (ʼârar, ארור; Septuagint: ἐπικατάρατος) be Canaan!^[15] But I couldn’t get away with it. And I have to admit it is more germane than I want it to be. If Noah’s story (Genesis 9:20-27) were about almost anyone else we would take it simply as James’ source text (James 3:7-12 NET):

For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse (καταρώμεθα, a form of καταράομαι) people made in God’s image. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing (κατάρα). These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

But it was Noah, the heir of the world, who spoke this curse and this blessing so we are taught: “God’s blessing is going to rest directly on Shem, indirectly on Japheth, and His cursing is going to rest upon Ham’s son Canaan.”^[16] “So Ham was cursed and Shem and Japheth were blessed in cooperative unity. The problem which must arise from the cursing of Canaan is this: Why did God curse Canaan for the sin of Ham? Beyond this, why did God curse the Canaanites, a nation, for the sin of one man?”^[17] The text is fairly clear that Noah not God spoke both the curse and the blessing. To this point Moses had been very explicit when ʼĕlôhı̂ym or y^ehôvâh spoke. Why do we want to believe that Noah spoke for Him here?

Noah was a godly man; he was blameless (tâmı̂ym, תמים; Septuagint: τέλειος) among his contemporaries. He walked with God.^[18] Perhaps we want tâmı̂ym to be an absolute term. But this was not Paul writing, According to the righteousness stipulated in the law [as understood by first century Pharisees] I was blameless (ἄμεμπτος).^[19] Noah was blameless (KJV: perfect) among his contemporaries^[20] (dôr, בדרתיו; Septuagint: γενεᾷ), those condemned to death for their violence: Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time.^[21] About all one can say for sure about Noah is that he wasn’t a murderer and perhaps not every inclination of the thoughts of [his mind] was only evil all the time.

God said to Noah, Make for yourself an ark of cypress wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it with pitch inside and out.^[22] And Noah did all that God commanded him – he did indeed.^[23] Through his faithfulness Noah was declared a herald of righteousness: and if [God] did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when God brought a flood on an ungodly world…then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment at the day of judgment…^[24] By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.^[25]

But Noah found favor (chên, חן; Septuagint: χάριν) in the sight of the Lord.^[26] As followers of Jesus it is more prudent to believe that Noah’s faithfulness was on account of y^ehôvâh’s grace rather than due to some inherent quality of Noah’s: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.^[27] There is no one righteous, not even one…^[28] [i.e., in and of himself] there is no one who shows kindness, not even one,^[29] Paul quoted the Psalm of David (Psalm 14:2, 3 Tanakh):

The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Jesus’ assessment of Noah and of the entire Old Testament is very helpful here: Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’^[30] Noah didn’t miraculously escape the corruption of the flesh of Adam. Noah didn’t speak for God unless the text had said that Noah spoke the word of God.

Noah’s “words came to pass, so we believe he was inspired by God.”^[31] I know of no place in Scripture where it is written, “this took place to fulfill Noah’s prophecy.” Generations of Bible expositors would surely have quoted it if they had found it, so the contention that Noah’s curse and blessing “came to pass” is in the eye of the beholder.

“The act of Ham could not go unpunished. In the curse of Noah upon Canaan, he was not punishing him personally for something his father Ham had done. The words of Noah refer not to Canaan himself, but to the nation that would come from him…Though we are not told the exact sin of Ham, we do know that it was reprehensible enough for God to curse the line of his son Canaan. The judgment was not directed to Canaan personally but rather to his descendants.”^[32] As prophecies go, then—and the Scriptures do not record that Canaan himself was ever enslaved to his brothers—one need not fear Noah as a prophet (Deuteronomy 18:21, 22 NET):

“Now if you say to yourselves, ‘How can we tell that a message is not from the Lord?’ – whenever a prophet speaks in my name and the prediction is not fulfilled, then I have not spoken it; the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him.”

“Noah’s words did come to pass in the future, as we read that many of Canaan’s descendants were either killed or put under tribute by Israel (descendants of Shem) during the times of Joshua and the Judges, and later by King Solomon.” God’s words will come to pass but the simple fact that a man’s words come to pass doesn’t make them God’s words (Deuteronomy 13:1-4 NET):

Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder should come to pass concerning what he said to you, namely, “Let us follow other gods” – gods whom you have not previously known – “and let us serve them.” You must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer, for the Lord your God will be testing you to see if you love him with all your mind and being. You must follow the Lord your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him.

I’m not accusing Noah of being a false prophet. I’m not accusing Noah of being any kind of prophet at all. If I’m accusing Noah of anything it is that he spoke angrily, self-righteously, with a hangover. But what I must believe about God to believe that He cursed a nation of people for something a man did many generations before those people were even born is a very different god than the One I am knowing through the Scriptures.

I concede that one who believes this is God because “many of Canaan’s descendants were either killed or put under tribute by Israel (descendants of Shem) during the times of Joshua and the Judges, and later by King Solomon” may also believe that He will punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject (śânêʼ, לשׁנאי) me…^[33] Still, I hope that one may be willing to concede that Noah’s curse was not the love that does no wrong to a neighbor, not the love that is the fulfillment of the law.^[34]

While I don’t believe that Noah’s curse, or his blessing, were the immutable Word of God I do think his curse is a terrifying example of God visiting Noah’s iniquity upon Canaan, terrifying precisely because the effect of Noah’s iniquity^[35] has seemed so sure and certain that so many have assumed it was divine prophecy. We’re not told how Canaan reacted to Noah’s curse. I know how I would react to Noah’s “godliness,” “blamelessness,” and his “walk” with God unless I were willing to forgive him for his drunken rant. And I know that Canaan’s descendants practiced a law and religion inimical to y^ehôvâh.

I’ll return to Leviticus 18 in another essay.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Back to To Make Holy, Part 3

Back to Who Am I? Part 8

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 12

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 6

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 13

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 3

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 15

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 5

Back to The Children of Promise, Part 1

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind

^[1] Genesis 3:17 (NET)

^[2] Genesis 2:16, 17 (NET)

^[3] Genesis 3:6a (NET)

^[4] Genesis 29:31a (NET)

^[5] 1 Timothy 2:14a (NET)

^[6] Genesis 4:5b, 8 (NET)

^[7] Genesis 6:11 (NET)

^[8] Genesis 6:13a (NET)

^[9] Genesis 4:10b (NET) Table

^[10] Proverbs 22:6 (NET)

^[11] Genesis 4:11, 12 (NET)

^[12] Genesis 3:17b-19 (NET)

^[13] Genesis 9:6 (NET)

^[14] Genesis 9:2b, 3 (NET)

^[15] Genesis 9:25a (NET)

^[16] J. Ligon Duncan, “The Cursing of Canaan,” Sermon on Genesis 9:18-29, November 22, 1998, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi

^[17] Bob Deffinbaugh, “10. The Nakedness of Noah and the Cursing of Canaan (Genesis 9:18-10:32),” Bible.org

^[18] Genesis 6:9b (NET)

^[19] Philippians 3:6b (NET)

^[20] NET note 32: Heb “Noah was a godly man, blameless in his generations.” The singular “generation” can refer to one’s contemporaries, i.e., those living at a particular point in time. The plural “generations” can refer to successive generations in the past or the future. Here, where it is qualified by “his” (i.e., Noah’s), it refers to Noah’s contemporaries, comprised of the preceding generation (his father’s generation), those of Noah’s generation, and the next generation (those the same age as his children). In other words, “his generations” means the generations contemporary with him. See BDB 190 s.v. דוֹר.

^[21] Genesis 6:5b (NET)

^[22] Genesis 6:14 (NET)

^[23] Genesis 6:22 (NET)

^[24] 2 Peter 2:5, 9 (NET)

^[25] Hebrews 11:7 (NET)

^[26] Genesis 6:8 (NET)

^[27] Genesis 6:9 (KJV)

^[28] Romans 3:10b (NET)

^[29] Romans 3:12b (NET)

^[30] John 3:7 (NET)

^[31] Troy Lacey, “The Curse of Canaan,” October 12, 2012, Answers In Genesis

^[32] Don Stewart, “Why Was Canaan Cursed Instead of Ham?,” Blue Letter Bible

^[33] Deuteronomy 5:9b (NET)

^[34] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[35] To those who hold that the fourth generation is a limit to Noah’s iniquity, I concede the point. It would not be accurate to blame Noah’s iniquity for the sins of Canaanites in the time of Israel’s conquest. My point is that iniquity is like a snowball rolling downhill, gaining mass and momentum, as long as people continue to reject, hate, prefer something other than, y^ehôvâh.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 9

Posted on October 9, 2017 by admin

I’ll continue to look at y^ehôvâh’s fearful pronouncement: I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me…^[1] Two tables comparing/contrasting four partial verses follow. In the center columns the Hebrew words read from top to bottom, beside them are my best effort at a word-for-word translation, and then the NET translations are in the outer columns.

Exodus 20:5b Table			Deuteronomy 5:9b
…responding (פקד) to the transgression (עון) of fathers by dealing with children to the third and fourth generations of those who reject (לשׁנאי) me… Exodus 20:5b (NET)	visiting	פקד	פקד	visiting	…I punish (פקד) the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin (עון) of the fathers who reject (לשׁנאי) me… Deuteronomy 5:9b (NET)
	the iniquity	עון	עון	the iniquity
	of fathers	אבת	אבות	of the fathers
	upon	על	על	upon
	sons	בנים	בנים	sons
	upon	על	ועל	and upon
	the third	שלשים	שלשים	the third
	and upon	ועל	ועל	and upon
	the fourth	רבעים	רבעים	the fourth
	who hate	לשׁנאי	לשׁנאי	who hate

Exodus 34:7b			Numbers 14:18b
…responding (פקד) to the transgression (עון) of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation. Exodus 34:7b (NET)	visiting	פקד	פקד	visiting	…visiting (פקד) the iniquity (עון) of the fathers on the children until the third and fourth generations. Numbers 14:18b (NET)
	the iniquity	עון	עון	the iniquity
	of the fathers	אבות	אבות	of the fathers
	upon	על	על	upon
	sons	בנים	בנים	sons
	and upon	ועל	על	upon
	sons(’)	בני
	sons	בנים
	upon	על
	the third	שלשים	שלשים	the third
	and upon	ועל	ועל	and upon
	the fourth	רבעים	רבעים	the fourth

There doesn’t seem to be anything about the Hebrew words themselves that would compel anyone to translate פקד (pâqad) I punish or עון (ʽâvôn) for the sin.^[2] In fact, forms of pâqad were only translated punish or punishment three other times in the NET prior to Deuteronomy 5:9. Two occur after Israel worshipped the golden calf. Moses said (Exodus 32:30-35 NET):

“You have committed a very serious sin, but now I will go up to the Lord – perhaps I can make atonement on behalf of your sin.”

So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold [Table]. But now, if you will forgive (nâsâh, תשׁא) their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written” [Table]. The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me – that person I will wipe out of my book. So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish (pâqad, פקדי; Tanakh: I visit), I will indeed punish (pâqad, ופקדתי; Tanakh: I will visit) them for their sin.”

And the Lord sent a plague (nâgaph, ויגף) on the people because they had made the calf – the one Aaron made.

I don’t have any quarrel with describing this plague^[3] as punishment, but it occurs in a particular context. Though Moses offered—wipe me out from your book that you have written—y^ehôvâh said, Whoever has sinned against me – that person I will wipe out of my book. Later in his address recorded in Deuteronomy Moses said: Fathers must not be put to death for what their children do, nor children for what their fathers do; each must be put to death for his own sin.^[4]

Rabbi Dr. Zev Farber in his article “Punishing Children for the Sins of their Parents,” on TheTorah online wrote about “the surprising claim” from Rabbi Yossi bar Chanina in the Babylonian Talmud “that in four cases the prophets overturned a decree Moses makes in the Torah.” Apparently Rabbi Yossi bar Chanina held that not only Deuteronomy 5:9 but Exodus 20:5 “makes a clear and strong claim that in at least one case—worshipping other gods or idols—God punishes the descendants of the sinner until the fourth generation.” Rabbi Farber took issue with one of the “four cases”:^[5]

The prophet Ezekiel, who was exiled to Babylon in 597, offers a torrent of arguments and rhetoric against the concept of punishing children for the sins of the parents. He does not frame it as an argument against the Torah…but rather he frames it as a response to a popular notion (Ezek 18).

Rabbi Yossi bar Chanina apparently did not accept that “God punishes the descendants of the sinner until the fourth generation” was an erroneous popular notion and so he pit Ezekiel against Moses and even y^ehôvâh Himself. This tenacious aspect of the religious mind to justify itself should be familiar to us. How many generations of English speaking followers of Jesus have believed that ἄνωθεν meant again, Nicodemus’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ words? How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?^[6] Jesus^[7] answered (John 3:5-8 NET):

“I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above (ἄνωθεν).’ The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

I want to simplify the world to consider pâqad in the context of Adam and two of his sons Cain and Abel. First, for background, consider Paul’s understanding of their situation (Romans 5:12-14 NET Table):

So then, just as sin entered the world through one man [e.g., Adam] and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned – for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed.

And the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) was pleased with Abel and his offering…^[8] But when Cain killed Abel it is apparently possible to argue by the Hebrew words of Deuteronomy 5:9 that y^ehôvâh punished Abel for Adam’s sin. It’s not an argument I want to make before the judgment seat of Christ. Then the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”^[9] Cain lacked David’s knowledge of y^ehôvâh (Psalm 139:1-12 NET):

O Lord, you examine me and know. You know when I sit down and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives. You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; you are aware of everything I do. Certainly my tongue does not frame a word without you, O Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה), being thoroughly aware of it. You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me. Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension; it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.

Where can I go to escape your spirit? Where can I flee to escape your presence? If I were to ascend to heaven, you would be there. If I were to sprawl out in Sheol, there you would be. If I were to fly away on the wings of the dawn, and settle down on the other side of the sea, even there your hand would guide me, your right hand would grab hold of me. If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me, and the light will turn to night all around me,” even the darkness is not too dark for you to see, and the night is as bright as day; darkness and light are the same to you.

Cain mistook y^ehôvâh’s question—Where is your brother Abel?—for ignorance of what he had done rather than as an opportunity to confess, and repent of, his rash act. We can only imagine how differently this scene might have played out if Cain had expressed his own shock and horror at what he had done in anger, anger directed primarily at y^ehôvâh’s rejection of his offering. But I don’t take that to mean that y^ehôvâh was ignorant that Cain murdered Abel: The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!^[10] Nor do I take it to mean that David was disputing with Moses or imagining novel qualities of y^ehôvâh. I assume that y^ehôvâh is ever this knowledgeable and Cain was simply ignorant of it.

Cain wasn’t stupid. Consider his clever evasion to y^ehôvâh’s question, Where is your brother Abel: I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian?^[11] Apparently, he reasoned that his father had tripped himself up by being too forthright with y^ehôvâh: I heard you moving about in the orchard, Adam had answered y^ehôvâh’s question, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.^[12] As Cain understood it, the knowledge Adam let slip—I was naked—enabled y^ehôvâh to infer what his father had done: Who told you that you were naked? y^ehôvâh asked Adam. Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?^[13] But again, I don’t assume that y^ehôvâh had to infer what He already knew Adam had done simply because Cain didn’t know Him.

In a similar way I assume that the word of y^ehôvâh (יהוה) that came to Ezekiel is the same word of the same y^ehôvâh revealed to Moses and recorded in Deuteronomy 5:9. The erroneous popular notion—Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear (nâsâh, נשׁא) the iniquity (ʽâvôn, בעון) of the father?^[14]—that the son should or must die for the father’s sin (Ezekiel 18:20 Tanakh) was the misunderstanding of religious minds no matter how many famous rabbis espoused it. And so I take the translation of פקד (pâqad) as I punish in Deuteronomy 5:9 as a perpetuation of an erroneous popular notion of religious minds that was clearly corrected in Ezekiel 18.

I am not yet perfected in love. The first thing that comes to mind when things don’t go my way is that God is punishing me for something. Faith in y^ehôvâh comes from the fruit of his Spirit, along with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. If I think of verses like Deuteronomy 5:9 from the perspective of sons, grandsons and great grandsons, I will come to the same erroneous conclusion, what Rabbi Farber called Sour Grapes Theology:^[15]

The sour grapes theology paints the punishment of descendants as a harsh but necessary way of God dispensing justice. Full punishment of a sinner may include the punishment of his family.

I think it’s more productive to view Deuteronomy 5:9 from the perspective of iniquitous fathers, particularly iniquitous fathers who don’t want the horror of their iniquity visited upon their children. For [our earthly fathers] disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but [God] does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness.^[16] My children were not my biological offspring so I won’t even comment on passing on my iniquity via nature. But the iniquity I passed on to them via nurture was not merely a matter of my inept blundering.

As I think of it now I recall how often I passed on my perverse views of life, the way things “really” work. And I did so with as much or more conviction than anything I taught them about Christ and his righteousness. Add to that my own on-again-off-again righteousness—sometimes led by the Holy Spirit, sometimes not so much—and I have a truly horrifying picture of y^ehôvâh visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children,^[17] my children! And this, when I wanted what was best for them.

I find myself crying aloud with Cain’s words (if not his meaning): My iniquity (ʽâvôn, עוני) is too great to endure (nâsâh, מנשׁא)! What hope do I have but that which is to be found in the long name of y^ehôvâh? The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, [bearing] (nâsâh, נשׁא) iniquity (ʽâvôn, עון) and transgression and sin.^[18]

In a prophecy that reads so much like history unbelievers doubt its authenticity, y^ehôvâh spoke of disobedient (Leviticus 26:13-17) survivors (Leviticus 26:39, 40 Tanakh):

And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. And they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their treachery which they committed against Me, and also that they have walked contrary unto Me.

Confession of one’s own iniquity is obvious. Confession of one’s fathers’ iniquity is necessary because we are far too likely to mistake our fathers’ iniquity for the way things are done, especially if those fathers were religious leaders of some note.

In the movie The Shack in a dream within a vision during a life-threatening coma Mack (Sam Worthington) spends a weekend in a cabin at a lake with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. His wife Nan (Radha Mitchell) calls God Papa, a bit too familiar for Mack’s taste at the beginning of the film.

Papa (Octavia Spencer) appears to Mack as the neighbor woman who, looking at young Mack’s bruised face, said, “Daddies aren’t supposed to do that to their kids. It ain’t love. You understand?” Papa explains to adult Mack, “After what you been through, I didn’t think you could handle a father right now.” But once Mack has God in his hands, so to speak, he has a lifetime of blame to unleash.

“You’re the almighty God, right?” he accuses Papa. “You know everything. You’re everywhere, all at once. And you have limitless power. Yet, somehow you let my little girl die. When she needed you most, you abandoned her.” Mack’s 7-year-old daughter Missy (Amélie Eve) was abducted by a serial killer. Nothing of her was ever found but her bloodstained dress. Still, Mack’s first salvo is mostly a ruse that doesn’t quite get to the heart of his issue with God.

That first night he reads himself to sleep with the Old Testament and dreams of Missy’s abduction, a dream within a dream within a vision in a coma. Missy calls out to him for rescue. The next morning at breakfast Mack moves one step closer to the real issue.

Mack: Everybody knows you punish the people who disappoint you.

Papa: Hmm. Nope. I don’t need to punish people. Sin is its own punishment.^[19] As difficult as it is for you to accept, I’m in the middle of everything you perceive to be a mess, workin’ for your good.

Later, after a stroll across the lake with Jesus (Aviv Alush), Mack meets Wisdom (Alice Braga) in a cave beneath a waterfall. She helps him take his first steps toward obeying Jesus’ command: Do not judge so that you will not be judged.^[20] Sitting with Wisdom, Mack approaches the heart of the matter.

Mack: You know, what I don’t understand is how God can love Missy and put her through so much horror. She was innocent.

Wisdom: I know.

Mack: Did he use her to punish me? ‘Cause that’s not fair. And she didn’t deserve it. My wife and my children didn’t deserve it. Now, I might. ‘Cause you know I’m…

Mack can never bring himself to confess that he murdered his father. Later that day Mack acknowledges being overly hard on God. Papa responds: “I can work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies. But that doesn’t mean I orchestrate the tragedies.”

That evening Mack is taken to meet the abusive father he poisoned. Before he can say anything more than “Dad” his father says, “Mack, I’m so sorry for everything. I was blind and I couldn’t see you. I couldn’t see anyone.” Still, Mack can’t or won’t confess his murder, he only makes excuses. “Son, I forgive you,” his father continues. “You’ve become the father I could never be. And I’m so proud of you. Can you ever forgive me?”

In the movie Papa protested that she didn’t “orchestrate the tragedies.” Still, woven into the fabric of The Shack is a serial killer who came to a campground to abduct a little girl. His victim of opportunity was a murderer’s daughter. Papa in Mack’s dream in a vision in a coma in a movie may want to leave it to chance or fate or karma, but in Scripture visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children is as much a part of y^ehôvâh’s self-proclaimed name as forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.^[21] That’s as important in reality as it proved to be in The Shack.

The next morning Papa appears to Mack as a man (Graham Greene). “For what we have to do today you’re gonna need a father,” Papa explains. He wants Mack to forgive the man who murdered his daughter.

Mack: So, you just let him get away with it?

Papa: Nobody gets away with anything…I’m not asking you to excuse what he did. I’m asking you to trust me to do what’s right and to know what’s best.

Form of pâqad	Reference	KJV	NET
פקד	Exodus 34:7	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…	…responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children…
	Exodus 38:21	…as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses…	…which was counted by the order of Moses…
	Numbers 1:44	…which Moses and Aaron numbered…	…whom Moses and Aaron numbered…
	Numbers 3:15	Number the children of Levi after the…	Number the Levites by their clans and…
	Numbers 3:39	…which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD…	…whom Moses and Aaron numbered by the word of the Lord…
	Numbers 3:40	Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel…	Number all the firstborn males of the Israelites…
	Numbers 4:37	…which Moses and Aaron did number…	…whom Moses and Aaron numbered…
	Numbers 4:41	…whom Moses and Aaron did number…	…whom Moses and Aaron numbered…
	Numbers 4:45	…whom Moses and Aaron numbered…	…whom Moses and Aaron numbered…
	Numbers 4:46	…whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered…	…whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered…
	Numbers 4:49	According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered…	According to the word of the Lord they were numbered…
	Numbers 14:18	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children…
	Deuteronomy 5:9	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…	I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers…
יפקד	Numbers 16:29	…or if they be visited after the visitation of all men…	…or if they share the fate^[22] of all men…
יפקד	Numbers 27:16	…set a man over the congregation…	…appoint a man over the community…
פקדי	Exodus 32:34	…nevertheless in the day when I visit…	But on the day that I punish…
פקדו	Numbers 26:63	…who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab…	…who numbered the Israelites in the plains of Moab…
פקדו	Numbers 26:64	…when they numbered the children of Israel…	…when they numbered the Israelites…
פקדיו	Numbers 1:22	…those that were numbered of them, according to the number of the names…	…all the males numbered of them twenty years old or older…
פקדיו	Numbers 26:54	…be given according to those that were numbered of him.	…given according to the number of people in it.
פקדיכם	Numbers 14:29	…and all that were numbered of you…	…all those of you who were numbered…
פקדיהם	Numbers 1:21	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
	Numbers 1:23	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
	Numbers 1:25	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
	Numbers 1:27	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
	Numbers 1:29	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
	Numbers 1:31	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
	Numbers 1:33	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
	Numbers 1:35	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
	Numbers 1:37	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
	Numbers 1:39	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
	Numbers 1:41	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
	Numbers 1:43	Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali…	Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
	Numbers 3:22	Those that were numbered of them, according to the number…	Those of them who were numbered, counting every male…
	Numbers 3:22	…even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.	Not translated
	Numbers 4:36	And those that were numbered of them by their families were…	…and those of them numbered by their families were 2,750.
	Numbers 4:40	Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families…	…those of them numbered by their families, by their clans, were 2,630.
	Numbers 4:44	Even those that were numbered of them after their families…	…those of them numbered by their families were 3,200.
	Numbers 4:48	Even those that were numbered of them, were…	…those of them numbered were 8,580.
	Numbers 26:7	…and they that were numbered of them were…	…and those numbered of them were 43,730.
	Numbers 26:62	And those that were numbered of them were…	Those of them who were numbered were 23,000…
פקודי	Exodus 38:21	This is the sum of the tabernacle…	This is the inventory of the tabernacle…
	Exodus 38:25	And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation…	The silver of those who were numbered of the community…
	Numbers 1:45	So were all those that were numbered of the children of Israel…	…who could serve in Israel’s army, were numbered…
	Numbers 2:32	These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel…	These are the Israelites, numbered according to their families.
	Numbers 2:32	…all those that were numbered of the camps…	All those numbered in the camps…
	Numbers 3:39	All that were numbered of the Levites…	All who were numbered of the Levites…
	Numbers 4:37	These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites…	These were those numbered from the families of the Kohathites…
	Numbers 4:41	These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon…	These were those numbered from the families of the Gershonites…
	Numbers 4:45	These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari…	These are those numbered from the families of the Merarites…
	Numbers 26:51	These were the numbered of the children of Israel…	These were those numbered of the Israelites, 601,730.
	Numbers 26:57	And these are they that were numbered of the Levites…	…Levites who were numbered according to their families…
	Numbers 26:63	These are they that were numbered by Moses…	These are those who were numbered by Moses…
	Numbers 31:14	…Moses was wroth with the officers of the host…	…Moses was furious with the officers of the army…
ויפקד	Numbers 3:16	Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD…	Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord…
	Numbers 3:42	And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him…	So Moses numbered all the firstborn males among the Israelites…
	Numbers 4:34	And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered…	…Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the community numbered…
ופקדיו	Numbers 2:6	And his host, and those that were numbered thereof…	Those numbered in his division are 54,400.
	Numbers 2:8	And his host, and those that were numbered thereof…	Those numbered in his division are 57,400.
	Numbers 2:11	And his host, and those that were numbered thereof…	Those numbered in his division are 46,500.
	Numbers 4:49	…thus were they numbered of him…	Thus were they numbered by him…
ויפקדם	Numbers 1:19	…so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.	And so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
ופקדתי	Exodus 32:34	…I will visit their sin upon them.	…I will indeed punish them for their sin.
ופקדתם	Numbers 4:27	…and ye shall appoint unto them in charge…	You will assign them all their tasks…
ופקדיהם	Numbers 2:4	And his host, and those that were numbered of them…	Those numbered in his division are 74,600.
	Numbers 2:13	And his host, and those that were numbered of them…	Those numbered in his division are 59,300.
	Numbers 2:15	And his host, and those that were numbered of them…	Those numbered in his division are 45,650.
	Numbers 2:19	And his host, and those that were numbered of them…	Those numbered in his division are 40,500.
	Numbers 2:21	And his host, and those that were numbered of them…	Those numbered in his division are 32,200.
	Numbers 2:23	And his host, and those that were numbered of them…	Those numbered in his division are 35,400.
	Numbers 2:26	And his host, and those that were numbered of them…	Those numbered in his division are 62,700.
	Numbers 2:28	And his host, and those that were numbered of them…	Those numbered in his division are 41,500.
	Numbers 2:30	And his host, and those that were numbered of them…	Those numbered in his division are 53,400.
	Numbers 3:34	And those that were numbered of them, according to the number…	Those of them who were numbered, counting every male…
	Numbers 26:34	…Manasseh, and those that were numbered of them…	…Manasseh; those numbered of them were 52,700.
	Numbers 26:41	…and they that were numbered of them were…	…and according to those numbered of them, 45,600.
	Numbers 26:50	…and they that were numbered of them were…	…and those numbered of them were 45,400.
ואפקד	Leviticus 18:25	…therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it…	…and I have brought the punishment for its iniquity upon it…
והפקדתי	Leviticus 26:16	…I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague…	…I will inflict horror on you, consumption and fever…
ופקודי	Numbers 4:38	And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon…	Those numbered from the Gershonites…
ופקודי	Numbers 4:42	And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari…	Those numbered from the families of the Merarites…
לפקדיהם	Exodus 30:12	…sum of the children of Israel after their number…	…census of the Israelites according to their number…
	Numbers 3:43	…of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand…	Not translated
	Numbers 26:18	…Gad according to those that were numbered of them…	…Gadites according to those numbered of them, 40,500.
	Numbers 26:22	…Judah according to those that were numbered of them…	…Judah according to those numbered of them, 76,500.
	Numbers 26:25	…Issachar according to those that were numbered of them…	…Issachar, according to those numbered of them, 64,300.
	Numbers 26:27	…Zebulunites according to those that were numbered of them…	…Zebulunites, according to those numbered of them, 60,500.
	Numbers 26:37	…Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them…	…Ephraimites, according to those numbered of them, 32,500.
	Numbers 26:43	…Shuhamites, according to those that were numbered of them…	…Shuhahites according to those numbered of them were 64,400.
	Numbers 26:47	…Asher according to those that were numbered of them…	…Asherites, according to those numbered of them, 53,400.
בפקד	Exodus 30:12	…ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them…	…ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them…
	Exodus 30:12	…that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.	…there will be no plague among them when you number them.
	Numbers 31:49	…and there lacketh not one man of us.	…and not one is missing.
הפקד	Leviticus 6:4^[23]	…or that which was delivered him to keep…	…or the thing that he had held in trust…
תפקד	Numbers 1:49	…thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi…	…the tribe of Levi you must not number…
	Numbers 1:50	But thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony…	But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony…
	Numbers 3:10	And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons…	So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons…
	Numbers 4:23	…until fifty years old shalt thou number them…	You must number them from thirty years old and upward…
	Numbers 4:29	…thou shalt number them after their families…	…you are to number them by their families…
הפקדים	Exodus 30:13	…every one that passeth among them that are numbered…	Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered…
	Exodus 30:14	Every one that passeth among them that are numbered…	Everyone who crosses over to those numbered…
	Exodus 38:26	…for every one that went to be numbered…	…for everyone who crossed over to those numbered…
	Numbers 1:44	These are those that were numbered…	These were the men…
	Numbers 1:46	Even all they that were numbered were…	And all those numbered totaled 603,550.
	Numbers 2:9	All that were numbered in the camp of…	All those numbered of the camp of Judah…
	Numbers 2:16	All that were numbered in the camp of Reuben…	All those numbered of the camp of Reuben…
	Numbers 2:24	All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim…	All those numbered of the camp of Ephraim…
	Numbers 2:31	All they that were numbered in the camp…	All those numbered of the camp of Dan…
	Numbers 4:46	All those that were numbered of the…	All who were numbered of the Levites…
	Numbers 7:2	…over them that were numbered…	…had been supervising the numbering.
תפקדו	Numbers 1:3	…thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.	You and Aaron are to number all in Israel…
תפקדו	Numbers 4:32	…and by name ye shall reckon the instruments…	You are to assign by names the items…
תפקדם	Numbers 3:15	…a month old and upward shalt thou number…	…a month old and upward you are to number.
תפקדם	Numbers 4:30	…unto fifty years old shalt thou number them…	You must number them from thirty years…
הפקדים	Numbers 31:48	And the officers which were over thousands of the host…	Then the officers who were over the thousands of the army…
התפקדו	Numbers 1:47	…were not numbered among them.	…were not numbered among them.
	Numbers 2:33	But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel…	But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites…
	Numbers 26:62	…they were not numbered among the children of Israel…	…they were not numbered among the Israelites…
מפקודי	Numbers 26:64	…whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered…	…a man among these who had been among those numbered by Moses…

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 10

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Back to To Make Holy, Part 4

Back to Father, Forgive Them – Part 4

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 12

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited – Part 1

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 13

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 3

Back to Christianity, Part 3

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 9

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

^[2] I also notice that the qualifications לשׁנאי (translated: of those who reject me) and מצותי ולשמרי לאהבי (translated: those who love me and keep my commandments ) have vanished from occurrences after the end of the forty-day covenant. I won’t say more since they reappear in Moses’ history lesson (Deuteronomy 5:5-10).

^[3] Leviticus 26:14-17 may give some hint what this plague may have been.

^[4] Deuteronomy 24:16 (NET)

^[5] Rabbi Dr. Zev Farber, “Punishing Children for the Sins of their Parents,” TheTorah

^[6] John 3:4 (NET)

^[7] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding Jesus. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[8] Genesis 4:4b (NET) Table

^[9] Genesis 4:9a (NET)

^[10] Genesis 4:10b (NET) Table

^[11] Genesis 4:9b (NET)

^[12] Genesis 3:10 (NET)

^[13] Genesis 3:11 (NET)

^[14] Ezekiel 18:19a (Tanakh)

^[15] Rabbi Dr. Zev Farber, “Punishing Children for the Sins of their Parents,” TheTorah

^[16] Hebrews 12:10 (NET)

^[17] Deuteronomy 5:9 (Tanakh)

^[18] Exodus 34:6b, 7a (NET)

^[19] “Sin is its own punishment,” is practically the definition of ʽâvôn but that will have to wait for another essay.

^[20] Matthew 7:1 (NET)

^[21] Exodus 34:7 (KJV)

^[22] p^eqûddâh

^[23] According to NET online this is piqqâdôn rather than pâqad as it is listed in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 8

Posted on July 2, 2017 by admin

I was standing between the Lord and you at that time, Moses said to Israel, to reveal to you the message of the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה), because you were afraid (yârêʼ, יראתם) of the fire and would not go up the mountain.^[1] Then he recounted the ten commandments. Within them was a fearful description of y^ehôvâh: I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject me…^[2] And in a footnote (11) the translators made it perfectly clear what form of punishment they had in mind: “God sometimes punishes children for the sins of a father (cf. Num 16:27, 32; Josh 7:24-25; 2 Sam 21:1-9).” In other words y^ehôvâh executes the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons for the sin of the fathers who reject Him.

That’s what I thought. And that’s why I love the NET. Apart from its written record I would look back and think I had been completely insane. It’s not that I had the NET to read when I was young, but that its translators came of age in the same religious milieu as I did. So in the spirit of fearing the Lord I want to slow way down to consider how they arrived at I punish as a translation of the Hebrew word pâqad (פקד; Septuagint: ἀποδιδοὺς, a form of ἀποδίδωμι). And this fear is not reverence, but the fear that keeps one from direct intercourse with y^ehôvâh. Only Moses risked that, because you were afraid of the fire and would not go up the mountain.

In Exodus 20:5 (NET) pâqad was translated responding.

Form of pâqad	Reference	KJV	NET
פקד	Exodus 20:5	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…	…responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children…
פקד	Deuteronomy 5:9	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…	…I punish the sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons…

I intend to track pâqad, ʽâvôn (עון; translated to the transgression and for the sin) and śânêʼ (לשׁנאי; translated of those who reject me and who reject me) from the beginning to the giving of the law, and then from there to its restatement in Deuteronomy. I first encountered ʽâvôn from the mouth of Cain after he attacked his brother Abel and killed him.^[3]

So now, you are banished from the ground, y^ehôvâh said to him, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.^[4] Up to that time Cain had cultivated the ground. When you try to cultivate the ground, y^ehôvâh continued, it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.^[5] Cain lamented (Genesis 4:13b, 14 NET):

My punishment (ʽâvôn, עוני) is too great to endure! [Table] Look! You are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.

Here the translators assumed that Cain lamented his punishment rather than his sin; ʽâvôn can mean both. When y^ehôvâh prophesied to Abram the translators assumed the Amorites were not punished in the promised land they inhabited but that the land itself would not be given to Abram’s descendants until the Amorites’ sin reached some predetermined limit (Genesis 15:13b-16 NET):

Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign country. They will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years [Table]. But I will execute judgment on the nation that they will serve. Afterward they will come out with many possessions [Table]. But as for you, you will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age [Table]. In the fourth generation your descendants will return here, for the sin (ʽâvôn, עון) of the Amorites has not yet reached its limit [Table].

But Abram/Abraham had no son yet by his wife Sarah (Genesis 17:15-21).

Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife, you must no longer call her Sarai; Sarah will be her name [Table]. I will bless her and will give you a son through her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations. Kings of countries will come from her [Table]!”

Then Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground and laughed as he said to himself, “Can a son be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety [Table]?” Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live before you [Table]!”

God said, “No, Sarah your wife is going to bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a perpetual covenant for his descendants after him [Table]. As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will indeed bless him, make him fruitful, and give him a multitude of descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes; I will make him into a great nation [Table]. But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year [Table].”

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest time of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing across from him.^[6] One of them said, “I will surely return to you when the season comes round again, and your wife Sarah will have a son!”^[7]

So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, “After I am worn out will I have pleasure, especially when my husband is old too?”

The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child when I am old?’ Is anything impossible for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid (yârêʼ, יראה). But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.”^[8]

The next occurrence of ʽâvôn involved the judgment and condemnation of Sodom. At dawn the angels hurried Lot along, saying, “Get going! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or else you will be destroyed when the city is judged (ʽâvôn)!”^[9] Competing values had met at Lot’s front door (Genesis 19:4-9a NET):

Before they could lie down to sleep, all the men – both young and old, from every part of the city of Sodom – surrounded the house. They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!”

Lot went outside to them, shutting the door behind him. He said, “No, my brothers! Don’t act so wickedly (râʽaʽ, תרעו)! Look, I have two daughters who have never had sexual relations with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do to them whatever you please. Only don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

“Out of our way!” they cried, and “This man came to live here as a foreigner, and now he dares to judge us! We’ll do more harm (râʽaʽ, נרע) to you than to them!”

The two angels, y^ehôvâh’s messengers, didn’t allow the men of Sodom to fulfill their desire, nor did they allow Lot to defile his daughters to fulfill his family’s ideal of hospitality. They struck the men who were at the door of the house, from the youngest to the oldest, with blindness.^[10] And that brings me to the first occurrence of pâqad.

The Lord visited (pâqad, פקד) Sarah just as he had said he would and did for Sarah what he had promised.^[11] The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose ἐπεσκέψατο (a form of ἐπισκέπτομαι) here. I find ἐπεσκέψατο at the beginning of the fulfillment of another promise as well. The Jerusalem Council listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.^[12] James replied (Acts 15:13b-18 NET Table1 Table2):

“Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has explained (Acts 15:7-11) how God first concerned himself (ἐπεσκέψατο, a form of ἐπισκέπτομαι) to select from among the Gentiles a people for his name. The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be my own,’ says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.”

James didn’t quote the Septuagint.

Acts 15:16, 17 (NET)	Acts 15:16, 17 Parallel Greek	Amos 9:11, 12 Septuagint	Amos 9:11, 12 NETS
‘After this…	μετὰ ταῦτα…	ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ…	On that day…
…I will return…	…ἀναστρέψω…
…and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David…	καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω τὴν σκηνὴν Δαυὶδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν	…ἀναστήσω τὴν σκηνὴν Δαυιδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν…	…I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen…
		…καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω τὰ πεπτωκότα αὐτῆς…	…and rebuild its ruins…
…I will rebuild its ruins…	…καὶ τὰ \|κατεσκαμμένα\| αὐτῆς ἀνοικοδομήσω…	…καὶ τὰ κατεσκαμμένα αὐτῆς ἀναστήσω…	…and raise up its destruction…
…and restore it…	…καὶ ἀνορθώσω αὐτήν…	…καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω αὐτὴν καθὼς αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ αἰῶνος…	…and rebuild it as the days of old…
…so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be my own,’ says the Lord, who makes these things…	…ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν κύριον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐφ᾿ οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομα μου ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς, λέγει κύριος ποιῶν ταῦτα…	…ὅπως ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐφ᾽ οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα…	…in order that those remaining of humans and all the nations upon whom my name has been called might seek out me, says the Lord who does these things.

But the Septuagint version of Amos 9:12 is much closer to James’ quotation than the Hebrew from which our Bibles have been translated.

Amos 9:12 (NET)	Amos 9:12 (KJV)	Amos 9:12 (Tanakh)
“As a result they will conquer those left in Edom and all the nations subject to my rule.” The Lord, who is about to do this, is speaking!	That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.	That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

The first occurrence of śânêʼ is found in the words with which Rebekah’s family blessed her when she left them to marry Abraham’s and Sarah’s son Isaac: Our sister, may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands! May your descendants possess the strongholds of their enemies (śânêʼ).^[13] But enemies as a translation of śânêʼ did not mean open warfare exclusively. It could include the fear of a potential enemy. Abimelech said to Isaac, “Leave us and go elsewhere, for you have become much more powerful than we are.”^[14] When Abimelech saw how y^ehôvâh had blessed Isaac and sought a treaty with him, Isaac asked, Why have you come to me? You hate (śânêʼ, שׁנאתם) me and sent me away from you. ^[15]

The Hebrew word śânêʼ was also used to describe personal preference. Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Jacob married two women, Leah and Rachel. Rachel was beautiful. Leah was not. When evening came Jacob preferred to bed Rachel over Leah. When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved (śânêʼ, שׁנואה), he enabled her to become pregnant while Rachel remained childless.^[16] She became pregnant again and had another son. She said, “Because the Lord heard that I was unloved (śânêʼ, שׁנואה), he gave me this one too.”^[17]

From the perspective of the word usage of śânêʼ it matters very little whether Leah was a superstitious woman who mistook happenstance for interaction with y^ehôvâh. As a matter of faith in y^ehôvâh it is important to remember that Moses was not afraid of the fire, went up the mountain and spoke directly with Him. He said of Moses (Numbers 12:6-8a NET):

Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream. My servant Moses is not like this; he is faithful in all my house. With him I will speak face to face, openly, and not in riddles; and he will see the form of the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה).

It was Moses who wrote that y^ehôvâh saw (râʼâh, וירא) that Leah was unloved and enabled her to become pregnant. If I believe, the details pulse with life. Leah concurred with y^ehôvâh at first: The Lord has looked (râʼâh, ראה) with pity on my oppressed condition,^[18] she said when she was not having regular sex with Jacob. But after she was and had given birth to two sons, Reuben and Simeon, the idea that y^ehôvâh saw her became less comforting: the Lord heard (shâmaʽ, ושמע) that I was unloved, she amended her statement of faith.

So then faith comes by hearing,^[19] Paul wrote the Romans. The best way to avoid faith in y^ehôvâh is to avoid the Bible. Don’t read it for yourself or listen to preaching or teaching from it. The second best way to avoid faith in y^ehôvâh is to read the Bible, study it even, listen to plenty of sermons from it, but keep your mind focused on rules for you to obey. I know. I did it for years.

With my mind focused on my own compliance, or lack of compliance, to rules derived from the law I missed the grace of God, his gift of righteousness, the fruit of his Spirit. Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand,^[20] Jesus promised those who trusted their religion, rites and rituals rather than y^ehôvâh. Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, He critiqued their labors, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves!^[21]

Elsewhere I called my attempt “to keep yehôvâh’s law in my own strength…an occupational hazard of reading the Old Testament with a willing heart…If y^ehôvâh said do this or don’t do that, I said okay, and woke up somewhere in the story of David to the fact that I was striving again to keep the law in my own strength, without malice or forethought.” Jesus read the Old Testament and concluded, You must all be born from above^[22] because what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.^[23] Keeping that in view and remaining open to understanding how He got that out of the Old Testament helps to minimize the “occupational hazard” of studying it. Another more manual technique has been to deny my suspicions of y^ehôvâh, to take Him at his word, and to become more suspicious of the motives (1 Timothy 1:5-7) and agendas (Galatians 4:17-31) of those who would dissuade me from trusting his salvation.

Eventually, Rachel had a son, Joseph. When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated (śânêʼ, וישׁנאו) Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly. Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated (śânêʼ, שׁנא) him even more.^[24] He said to them (Genesis 37:6-8 NET):

“Listen to this dream I had: There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down to it!” Then his brothers asked him, “Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?” They hated (śânêʼ, שׁנא) him even more because of his dream and because of what he said.

Joseph had another dream, and told it to his brothers (Genesis 37:9, 10 NET).

“Look,” he said. “I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, “What is this dream that you had? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?”

Joeseph’s brothers’ śânêʼ was no mere emotion. They plotted to kill him. But Reuben, the eldest, talked them down from killing Joseph. Then Judah said to his brothers (Genesis 37:26-28 NET):

“What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let’s not lay a hand on him, for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants passed by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites then took Joseph to Egypt.

An Egyptian named Potiphar, an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, purchased [Joseph] from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there (Genesis 39:1b-6a NET).

The Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) was with Joseph. He was successful and lived in the household of his Egyptian master. His master observed that the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) was with him and that the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) made everything he was doing successful. So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar appointed (pâqad, ויפקדהו) Joseph overseer of his household and put him in charge of everything he owned. From the time Potiphar appointed (pâqad, הפקיד) him over his household and over all that he owned, the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) blessed the Egyptian’s household for Joseph’s sake. The blessing of the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) was on everything that he had, both in his house and in his fields. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; he gave no thought to anything except the food he ate.

In the Septuagint these two occurrences of pâqad were translated κατέστησεν and κατασταθῆναι (forms of καθίστημι). Who then is the faithful and wise slave, Jesus asked, whom the master has put in charge (κατέστησεν, a form of καθίστημι) of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes. I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge (καταστήσει, another form of καθίστημι) of all his possessions.^[25]

I’ll pick this up in another essay. The tables I’ve used here follow.

Form of pâqad	Reference	KJV	NET
פקד	Genesis 21:1	And the LORD visited Sarah as he had…	The Lord visited Sarah just as he had said…
	Genesis 50:24	…and God will surely visit you…	…But God will surely come to you…
	Genesis 50:25	…God will surely visit you…	..God will surely come to you…
	Exodus 3:16	…I have surely visited you…	…I have attended carefully to you…
	Exodus 4:31	…they heard that the LORD had visited…	…heard that the Lord had attended to…
	Exodus 13:19	…God will surely visit you…	…God will surely attend to you…
	Exodus 20:5	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…	…responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children…
ויפקדהו	Genesis 39:4	…and he made him overseer over his…	…Potiphar appointed Joseph overseer of…
הפקיד	Genesis 39:5	…he had made him overseer in his house…	…Potiphar appointed him over his…
ויפקד	Genesis 40:4	…charged Joseph with them…	…appointed Joseph to be their attendant…
ויפקד	Genesis 41:34	…and let him appoint officers over the…	…he should appoint officials throughout…
יפקד	Genesis 50:24	…and God will surely visit you…	…But God will surely come to you…
	Genesis 50:25	…God will surely visit you…	..God will surely come to you…
	Exodus 13:19	…God will surely visit you…	…God will surely attend to you…
פקדתי	Exodus 3:16	…I have surely visited you…	…I have attended carefully to you…

Form of ʽâvôn	Reference	KJV	NET
עוני	Genesis 4:13	My punishment is greater than I can bear.	My punishment is too great to endure!
עון	Genesis 15:16	…for the iniquity of the Amorites is not…	…for the sin of the Amorites has not yet…
	Genesis 44:16	…found out the iniquity of thy servants…	…God has exposed the sin of your servants!
	Exodus 20:5	…visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…	…responding to the transgression of fathers…
בעון	Genesis 19:15	…be consumed in the iniquity of the city.	…will be destroyed when the city is judged!

Form of śânêʼ	Reference	KJV	NET
שׁנאיו	Genesis 24:60	…possess the gate of those which hate…	…possess the strongholds of their enemies.
שׁנאתם	Genesis 26:27	…ye hate me, and have sent me away…	You hate me and sent me away from you.
שׁנואה	Genesis 29:31	…the LORD saw that Leah was hated…	…the Lord saw that Leah was unloved…
שׁנואה	Genesis 29:33	…the LORD hath heard that I was hated…	…the Lord heard that I was unloved…
וישׁנאו	Genesis 37:4	…they hated him, and could not speak…	…they hated Joseph and were not able to…
שׁנא	Genesis 37:5	…and they hated him yet the more.	…they hated him even more.
שׁנא	Genesis 37:8	And they hated him yet the more for his…	They hated him even more because of his…
שׁנאינו	Exodus 1:10	…they join also unto our enemies…	…will ally themselves with our enemies…
שׁנאי	Exodus 18:21	…men of truth, hating covetousness…	…men of truth, those who hate bribes…
לשׁנאי	Exodus 20:5	…generation of them that hate me…	…generations of those who reject me…

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 9

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 10

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 12

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 6

Back to Romans. Part 91

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 13

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 15

Back to Isaiah 53:10-12, Part 9

^[1] Deuteronomy 5:5 (NET)

^[2] Deuteronomy 5:9b (NET)

^[3] Genesis 4:8b (NET)

^[4] Genesis 4:11 (NET) Table

^[5] Genesis 4:12 (NET) Table

^[6] Genesis 18:1, 2a (NET)

^[7] Genesis 18:10a (NET)

^[8] Genesis 18:12-15 (NET)

^[9] Genesis 19:15 (NET) בעון

^[10] Genesis 19:11a (NET)

^[11] Genesis 21:1 (NET)

^[12] Acts 15:12 (NET)

^[13] Genesis 24:60 (NET) שׁנאיו

^[14] Genesis 26:16 (NET)

^[15] Genesis 26:27 (NET)

^[16] Genesis 29:31 (NET)

^[17] Genesis 29:33a (NET)

^[18] Genesis 29:32a (NET)

^[19] Romans 10:17a (NKJV)

^[20] Matthew 13:13b (NET)

^[21] Matthew 23:15 (NET)

^[22] John 3:7b (NET)

^[23] John 3:6 (NET)

^[24] Genesis 37:4, 5 (NET)

^[25] Matthew 24:45-47 (NET)

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 7

Posted on April 16, 2017 by admin

In this essay I’ll consider three occurrences of yârêʼ (תירא), the first two very briefly. They simply mean fear, the fear of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more they can do.^[1]

Numbers 21:33-35 (NET)	Deuteronomy 3:1-4 (NET)
Then they turned and went up by the road to Bashan. And King Og of Bashan and all his forces marched out against them to do battle at Edrei. And the Lord said to Moses, “Do not fear (yârêʼ, תירא) him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand. You will do to him what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon.	Next we set out on the route to Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet us in battle at Edrei. The Lord, however, said to me, “Don’t be afraid (yârêʼ, תירא) of him because I have already given him, his whole army, and his land to you. You will do to him exactly what you did to King Sihon of the Amorites who lived in Heshbon.”
So they defeated Og, his sons, and all his people, until there were no survivors, and they possessed his land.	So the Lord our God did indeed give over to us King Og of Bashan and his whole army and we struck them down until not a single survivor was left. We captured all his cities at that time – there was not a town we did not take from them – sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the dominion of Og in Bashan.

I also commanded Joshua at the same time, Moses continued, “You have seen everything the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) your God did to these two kings; he (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) will do the same to all the kingdoms where you are going. Do not be afraid (yârêʼ, תיראום) of them, for the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) your God will personally fight for you.”^[2]

The third occurrence of yârêʼ requires more consideration (Deuteronomy 4:10 NET):

You stood before the Lord your God at Horeb and he said to me, “Assemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands. Then they will learn to revere (yârêʼ, ליראה) me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.”

The Hebrew word was yârêʼ. The Tanakh reads: ‘Assemble Me the people, and I will make them hear My words that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.’^[3] The Septuagint reads: “Assemble the people to me, and let them hear (ἀκουσάτωσαν, a form of ἀκούω; See Luke 16:29) my words so that they may learn to fear me all the days as long as they live on the earth and may teach their sons…”^[4] Yet the NET translators chose revere and I don’t have any quarrel with it. Doing this study has helped me realize that something is happening to the fear of y^ehôvâh.

I’ve already heard Moses associate this fear with faith. Here, too, it is associated with something like faith. Moses said (Deuteronomy 4:1-4 NET):

Now, Israel, pay attention to the statutes and ordinances I am about to teach you, so that you might live and go on to enter and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am delivering to you. You have witnessed what the Lord did at Baal Peor, how he eradicated from your midst everyone who followed Baal Peor. But you who remained faithful to the Lord your God are still alive to this very day, every one of you.

The Hebrew word translated remained faithful was dâbêq (הדבקים), clinging, adhering to in the NET dictionary. But ye that did cleave unto HaShem your G-d are alive every one of you this day.^[5] I picture a child clinging to her parent’s leg for comfort and security. It reminded me of President Obama’s gaffe on the campaign trail:^[6]

For a second day, Mr. Obama sought to explain his remarks at a recent San Francisco fund-raiser that small-town Pennsylvania voters, bitter over their economic circumstances, “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them” as a way to explain their frustrations.

A believer looking back might easily perceive the clinging of those who did not join themselves to Baal Peor as a kind of faith. In the Septuagint it was προσκειμενοι (a form of προσκαρτέρησις; translated held fast in English): “strong perseverance which prevails by interacting with God.”

I’ve been thinking lately about the ubiquity of the hero’s journey as a function of the religious mind, the pride (ἀλαζονεία, a form of ἀλαζονεία) of life. Looking back—after the judgment and condemnation (Numbers 25:4, 5) that distinguished those who engaged in πορνεία with the Moabite women and their gods (Numbers 25:1-3) from those who did not—the latter group may seem the more heroic whether through a “strong perseverance which prevails by interacting with God” or having remained faithful. But Moses’ choice of dâbêq (הדבקים) may reflect the actual situation when the next step on the hero’s journey seemed to be a love and peace initiative with the descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot through his eldest daughter (Genesis 19:37), while the less heroic in Israel clung to y^ehôvâh’s commands regarding idolatry and adultery.

The only other occurrence of dâbêq (הדבקים) in the Old Testament was in Solomon’s proverb: there is a friend who sticks closer (dâbêq, דבק) than a brother.^[7] I have no idea what that meant to Solomon. To someone who knows the Holy Spirit it is difficult not to think of Him as that friend. Moses continued, a significantly different attitude toward the law than Luther/Graebner indicated (Deuteronomy 4:5-8 NET):

Look! I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the Lord my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in the land you are about to enter and possess. So be sure to do them, because this will testify of your wise understanding to the people who will learn of all these statutes and say, “Indeed, this great nation is a very wise people.” In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this whole law that I am about to share with you today?

Then Moses recalled the giving of the law:

Exodus 20:18-20 (NET)

Deuteronomy 4:9, 10 (NET)

All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking – and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance. They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear (yârêʼ, תיראו), for God has come to test you, that the fear (yirʼâh, יראתו) of him may be before you so that you do not sin.”

Again, however, pay very careful attention, lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren. You stood before the Lord your God at Horeb and he said to me, “Assemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands. Then they will learn to revere (yârêʼ, ליראה) me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.”

Here Moses chose yârêʼ for the fear that was yirʼâh in Exodus. The translation revere seems cognizant at least of a meaning other than simple fear. “We want it understood that we do not reject the Law as our opponents claim,” Luther/Graebner asserted in their “Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians” under the heading The Twofold Purpose of the Law. “On the contrary, we uphold the Law.”

Their twofold purpose was “to check civil transgression, and to magnify spiritual transgressions.” Paul added another purpose: through the law comes the knowledge of sin.^[8] Luther/Graebner allowed:

The Law is also a light like the Gospel. But instead of revealing the grace of God, righteousness, and life, the Law brings sin, death, and the wrath of God to light. This is the business of the Law, and here the business of the Law ends, and should go no further.

I would add under this rubric of light that the law like all Scripture is a way to know…the only true God, and Jesus Christ.^[9]

Luther/Graebner recognized “three ways in which the Law may be abused”^[10] (actually, four ways):

First, by the self- righteous hypocrites who fancy that they can be justified by the Law. Secondly, by those who claim that Christian liberty exempts a Christian from the observance of the Law…Thirdly, the Law is abused by those who do not understand that the Law is meant to drive us to Christ. When the Law is properly used its value cannot be too highly appraised. It will take me to Christ every time.

The fourth way the law may be abused is to be ignorant of it. Luther/Graebner cited this as the introduction to the other three ways: “The doctrine of the Law must therefore be studied carefully lest we either reject the Law altogether, or are tempted to attribute to the Law a capacity to save.” I was ignorant of Leviticus 5:4-6 (though I had certainly read it) while Numbers 30:1-2 stuck with me.

Numbers 30:1, 2 (NET)

Leviticus 5:4-6 (NET)

Moses told the leaders of the tribes concerning the Israelites, “This is what the Lord has commanded [Table]: If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath of binding obligation on himself, he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised [Table].”

…when a person swears an oath, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips, whether to do evil or to do good, with regard to anything which the individual might speak thoughtlessly in an oath, even if he did not realize it, but he himself has later come to know it and is guilty with regard to one of these oaths [Table]– when an individual becomes guilty with regard to one of these things he must confess how he has sinned [Table], and he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin [Table].

I hope Jephthah (Judges 11:34-40) was ignorant of Leviticus 5:4-6 (though I just stumbled across an essay that claims Jephthah didn’t sacrifice his daughter but merely consigned her to a life of celibacy [according to her own will]).^[11] I had thought that Jephthah’s sacrifice was necessary and in some sense “good,” given my understanding of the law. Now I consider Jephthah’s attempt to justify himself by law a failure, whether he sacrificed his daughter or consigned her to celibacy, for he did not confess his thoughtless oath. As James wrote (James 2:10, 11 NET Table):

For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law.

This time however I see the hero’s journey as an aspect of the religious mind as well. It seems so much more “heroic” (in the sense that I pay the price of obedience to God’s law) to sacrifice one’s daughter, whether to death or celibacy, than to confess one’s sin. To confess sin is a weakness and a disgrace by comparison to a hero’s journey.

In the book of Esther, Letters were sent by the runners to all the king’s provinces stating that they should destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, from youth to elderly, both women and children, on a particular day, namely the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar), and to loot and plunder their possessions.^[12] Esther interceded with the king on behalf of her people: let an edict be written rescinding those recorded intentions of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote in order to destroy the Jews who are throughout all the king’s provinces.^[13]

But the king’s decree could not be rescinded: Any decree that is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring cannot be rescinded.^[14] The only solution was to write another decree authorizing a day of civil war in the kingdom: The king thereby allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and to stand up for themselves – to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any army of whatever people or province that should become their adversaries, including their women and children, and to confiscate their property.^[15]

When Moses interceded with y^ehôvâh, pleading for the lives of the descendants of Israel (Exodus 32:9-14), the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה), unlike the king of Persia, repented (nâcham, וינחם; Septuagint: ἱλάσθη, a form of ἱλάσκομαι) of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.^[16] Follow me, Jesus said. John wrote (1 John 1:8-2:2 NET):

If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. (My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.

The fear of y^ehôvâh might compel one to sacrifice his daughter, whether to death or celibacy. To confess one’s sin and bring the appropriate sacrifice, So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin is something else altogether. To revere y^ehôvâh is not an altogether unworthy attempt to encapsulate that difference in a word.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 8

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 3

^[1] Luke 12:4 (NET)

^[2] Deuteronomy 3:21, 22 (NET)

^[3] Deuteronomy 4:10b (Tanakh)

^[4] Deuteronomy 4:10b (Septuagint)

^[5] Deuteronomy 4:4 (Tanakh)

^[6] New York Times, April 13, 2008, On the Defensive, Obama Calls His Words Ill-Chosen, by KATHARINE Q. SEELYE and JEFF ZELENY

^[7] Proverbs 18:24b (NET)

^[8] Romans 3:20b (NET)

^[9] John 17:3b (NET)

^[10] Commentary on Galatians 3:23

^[11] The opposing view is defended adequately in “Jephthah’s Vow”

^[12] Esther 3:13 (NET)

^[13] Esther 8:5b (NET)

^[14] Esther 8:8b (NET)

^[15] Esther 8:11 (NET)

^[16] Exodus 32:14 (KJV)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

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

Category Archives: Deuteronomy

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 16

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 15

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 13

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 12

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 10

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 9

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 8

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 7