The Day of the Lord, Part 7

Posted on December 28, 2023 by admin

This is a continuation of my consideration whether my assumption that Jesus called Judas Iscariot ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας (NET: the one destined for destruction) is like Jesus’ disciples’ discussion about having no bread¹ after He said: “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!”² In another essay I began to look at John’s description of antichrist and many antichrists because Meyer’s NT Commentary stated that many of the Church Fathers had understood Paul’s description of the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, as the Antichrist.

I highlighted two things he wrote about their insights:³

They correctly agree in considering that by the advent (2 Thessalonians 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:8), or the day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:2), is to be understood the personal advent of Christ for the last judgment and for the completion of the Messianic kingdom. Also it is correctly regarded as proved, that the Antichrist here described is to be considered as an individual person, in whom sin will embody itself.

Meyer’s NT Commentary continued to elaborate on the “view of the Fathers” regarding “the Antichrist…considered as an individual person” with the following caveat:

Meyer’s NT Commentary	Google Translate
Yet Augustin already remarks, that “nonnulli non ipsum principem, sed universum quodam modo corpus ejus i. e. ad eum pertinentem hominum multitudinem simul cum ipso suo principe hoc loco intelligi Antichristum volunt.”	Yet Augustin already remarks, that “some, not the prince himself, but the whole world, in a certain way, his body i. e. The multitude of men belonging to him, together with their own leader, want to be understood in this place as Antichrist.”

Mr. Meyer cataloged many evolving views: “[T]he view, first in the eleventh century, that the establishment and growing power of the Papacy is to be considered as the Antichrist predicted by Paul,”⁴ is a familiar one. “Yet even before the reference of Antichrist to Popery was maintained, Mohammed[55] was already regarded by the divines of the Greek church…as the Antichrist predicted by Paul.”⁵

The power which restrained Antichrist evolved as well.

The restraining power by which the appearance of Antichrist is delayed, is usually considered [by the Church Fathers] to be the continuance of the Roman Empire (τὸ κατέχον) and its representative the Roman emperor (ὁ κατέχων). Some, however, as Theodorus Mopsuestius and Theodoret, understand by it τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ὅρον, i.e. more exactly, the counsel of God to keep back the appearance of Antichrist until the gospel is proclaimed throughout the earth…Chrysostom chooses a third interpretation, that by the restraining power is meant the continuance of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit…

In recent times it has often been considered as objectionable to determine exactly the individual traits of the imagery used by Paul. Accordingly the representation of the apostle has been interpreted in a general, ideal, or symbolical sense. To this class of interpreters belongs Koppe, according to whom Paul, founding on an old national Jewish oracle, supported especially by Daniel, would describe the ungodliness preceding the last day, which already worked, but whose full outbreak was only to take place after the death of the apostle; so that Paul himself was the κατέχων.[57]⁶

Meyer’s NT Commentary continued:

Meyer’s NT Commentary	Google Translate
Similarly Storr (l.c.), who understands by the ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας [man of sin] “potestas aliqua, deo omnique religioni adversaria, quae penitus incognita et futuro demum tempore se proditura sit,” and by the preventing power the “copia hominum verissimo amore inflammatorum in christianam religionem.”	Similarly Storr (l.c.), who understands by the ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἁμαρτίας [man of sin] “some power, hostile to God and to all religion, which is completely unknown and will betray itself in the future at the last time,” and by the preventing power the “a multitude of men inflamed with true love into the Christian religion.”

Other opinions were cited: “Nitzsch (l.c.) thinks on the power of atheism first come to have public authority, or the contempt of all religion generally.”⁷ “Pelt…sums up his views in the following words”:⁸

Meyer’s NT Commentary	Google Translate
Mihi … adversarius illi principium esse videtur sive vis spiritualis evangelio contraria, quae huc usque tamen in Pontificiorum Romanorum operibus ac serie luculentissime sese prodidit, ita tamen, ut omnia etiam mala, quae in ecclesia compareant, ad eandem Antichristi ἐνέργειαν sint referenda.	To me… it seems that the opposite principle is a spiritual force contrary to the gospel, which until now has revealed itself most clearly in the works and series of the Roman Pontiffs, so that even all the evils that appear in the church are to be referred to the same Antichrist ἐνέργειαν.
Ejus vero ΠΑΡΟΥΣΊΑ i. e. summum fastigium, quod Christi reditum qui nihil aliud est, nisi regni divini victoria,[59] antecedet, futurum adhuc esse videtur, quum illud tempus procul etiamnum abesse putemus, ubi omnes terrae incolae in eo erunt, ut ad Christi sacra transeant. Κατέχον vero cum Theodoreto putarim esse dei voluntatem illud Satanae regnum cohibentem, ne erumpat, et, si mediae spectantur causae, apostolorum tempore maxime imperii Romani vis, et quovis aevo illa resistentia, quam malis artibus, quae religionem subvertere student, privati commodi et honoris augendorum cupiditas opponere solet.	But his ΠΑΡΟΥΣΊΑ i. e. the highest climax, which precedes the return of Christ, which is nothing else but the victory of the divine kingdom, [59] seems to be yet to come, since we think that time is still far off, when all the inhabitants of the earth will be there, to pass to the sacraments of Christ. Κατέχον, with Theodoretus, I think that it is the will of God restraining that kingdom of Satan, lest it break out, and, if we look at the middle causes, in the time of the apostles the power of the Roman government was especially strong, and in every age that resistance, which is usually opposed to the evil arts which seek to subvert religion, the desire to increase private advantage and honor.

According to [Pelt], the chief stress lies on ΤῸ ΜΥΣΤΉΡΙΟΝ ἬΔΗ ἘΝΕΡΓΕῖΤΑΙ Τῆς ἈΝΟΜΊΑς [literally: the mystery already working of lawlessness]. Antichrist is a union of the individuality and spiritual tendency in masses of individuals. The revolt of the Jews from the Romans, and the fearful divine punishment in the destruction of Jerusalem, Nero, Mohammed and his spiritual devastating power, the development of the Papacy in the Middle Ages, the French Revolution of 1789, with the abrogation of Christianity, and the setting up of prostitutes on altars for worship, in the external world, as well as the constantly spreading denial of the fundamentals of all religious truth and morality, of the doctrines of God, freedom, and immortality, and likewise the self-deification of the ego in the internal world,—all these phenomena are the real precursors of Antichrist; but they contain only some of his characteristics, not all; it is the union of all these characteristics which shall make the full Antichrist.⁹

Ultimately, though I found some of them illuminating, Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer rejected the views developed in recent times:

It is evident that all these explanations are arbitrary. The Pauline description is so definitely and sharply marked, and has for its whole compass so much the idea of nearness for its supposition, that it can by no means be taken generally, and in this manner explained away.

While I’m grateful to Mr. Meyer for painstakingly collecting all of these opinions in one place, I don’t intend to play guess the identity of Antichrist as an individual person. That game scatters in my opinion, rather than gathering with the Lord Jesus: and whoever does not gather (συνάγων, a form of συνέχω) with me scatters (σκορπίζει, a form of σκορπίζω),¹⁰ Jesus said. So, I want to approach it differently.

Matthew Poole’s summation from his Commentary of the difficulty of knowing “what whithholdeth” the revelation of the man of lawlessness was very accessible:

And now ye know what withholdeth: the apostle it seems had told them, as of his coming, so of what at present withheld the revealing of him. And what this was is difficult to know now, though it seems these Thessalonians knew it: there are many conjectures about it. This I shall say in general:
1. It was something that the apostle thought not safe openly to declare in writing; else he would not have written of it so obscurely.
2. It was both a thing, and a person; a thing, to katecon, in this verse, that which withholdeth; and a person, as in the next verse, o katecwn, he who letteth.
3. It was also such a thing and such a person as were to be removed out of the way, not totally, but as they were hinderances [sic] of this revelation.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible echoed Mr. Poole’s first point:

It is not known precisely what is referred to by the phrase “what withholdeth,” τὸ κατέχον to katechon. The phrase means properly, something that “holds back,” or “restrains”….Of this, the apostle says, they had had full information; but we can only conjecture what it was.

This seems to be a natural consequence of the assumption that Antichrist is an unknown individual from the future. Rather than assuming that Paul, the Holy Spirit and the New Testament are keeping something from us, I prefer to experiment with the idea that ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῆς ἀνομίας or αμαρτιας (NET: the man of lawlessness; KJV: that man of sin [Table])¹¹ and ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας (NET: the son of destruction; KJV: the son of perdition)¹² are other words for ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία (NET: sin that lives in me; KJV: sin that dwelleth in me),¹³ τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν φθειρόμενον κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης (NET: the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires; KJV: the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts),¹⁴ ἐμοὶ τὸ κακὸν παράκειται (NET/KJV: evil…present with me)¹⁵ and ἡ…σὰρξ (NET/KJV: the flesh).¹⁶ I’ll work backwards through this.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh (σὰρξ) is weak,¹⁷ Jesus said of disciples who both believed and followed Him. The Greek word translated willing was πρόθυμον (a form of πρόθυμος): “ready, willing, eager, predisposed.” The Greek word translated weak was ἀσθενής: “weak, powerless; weak and easily defeated; sick, ill, unhealthy; disabled, physically weak, feeble, miserable; morally weak; weak in influence, without influence; structurally weak (e.g., weak stones unable to support).” What is born of the flesh (σαρκὸς, a form of σὰρξ) is flesh (σάρξ),¹⁸ He told Nicodemus; in other words, it is weak (ἀσθενής). And again, Jesus said to his disciples, The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature (σὰρξ) is of no help!¹⁹

Flesh (σὰρξ) and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,²⁰ Paul wrote the Corinthians. He elaborated on this point in his letter to the Romans (Romans 8:1-8 NET):

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death [Table]. For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened (ἠσθένει, a form of ἀσθενέω) through the flesh (σαρκός, a form of σὰρξ). By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (σαρκὸς, a form of σὰρξ) and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh (σαρκί, another form of σὰρξ), so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh (σάρκα, another form of σὰρξ) but according to the Spirit.

For those who live according to the flesh (σάρκα) have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh (σαρκὸς), but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. For the outlook of the flesh (σαρκὸς) is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace, because the outlook of the flesh (σαρκὸς) is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. Those who are in the flesh (σαρκὶ) cannot please God.

Prior to this, Paul had written, with my flesh (σαρκὶ, another form of σὰρξ) I serve the law of sin.²¹ [W]hen I want to do good, evil is present with me,²² he lamented as he characterized that evil as a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members.²³ For the flesh (σὰρξ) has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh (σαρκός, another form of σὰρξ),²⁴ he wrote to the Galatians. To the Ephesians he characterized this flesh as the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires.²⁵ He also called this old man simply, sin that lives in me.²⁶ And to the Thessalonians he described all of this as the man of lawlessness…the son of destruction.²⁷

I’ll continue with this in another essay.

¹ Mark 8:16b (NET) Table

² Mark 8:15b (NET)

³ From Meyer’s NT Commentary 2 Thessalonians 2:12, Bible Commentaries on Bible Hub online.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Ibid.

⁶ Ibid.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Ibid.

⁹ Ibid.

¹⁰ Matthew 12:30b (NET)

¹¹ 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Table

¹² Ibid.

¹³ Romans 7:19 Table

¹⁴ Ephesians 4:22

¹⁵ Romans 7:21

¹⁶ Galatians 5:17 Table

¹⁷ Matthew 26:41b (NET)

¹⁸ John 3:6a (NET)

¹⁹ John 6:63a (NET) Table

²⁰ 1 Corinthians 15:50b (NET) Table

²¹ Romans 7:25b (NET) Table

²² Romans 7:21b (NET)

²³ Romans 7:23b (NET) Table

²⁴ Galatians 5:17a (NET) Table

²⁵ Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

²⁶ Romans 7:17b (NET) Table, and 7:20b (NET) Table

²⁷ 2 Thessalonians 2:3b (NET) Table

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 9

Posted on December 22, 2023 by admin

In another essay I began to consider the substance or body which cast the shadow of the scape-goat (English Elpenor) or the [goat] to be sent off (NETS) in Leviticus 16:8 (Septuagint [Table]). It led me to Paul’s continuing discussion of the death of those who were baptized into Christ Jesus (Romans 7:14-20 NET):

For we know that the law is spiritual—but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin [Table]. For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate. But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me [Table]. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me [Table].

Immediately, I was confronted with my own unbelief. My religious mind rebels against the idea that I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.¹ Why adhere to a religion that renders me unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin? The easiest way to overcome the evangelical penchant of my religious mind to fabricate a religion palatable to unbelievers is to stop thinking about religion and start thinking about truth: Set them apart in the truth, Jesus prayed to his Father; your word is truth.²

Truthfully, my religious mind wants I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin to apply to the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires.³ My old man may well be the proximate cause of my unspirituality and slavery to sin, but Paul described an I, as I am seen here and now, that is comprised of both an old man and a new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth:⁴ For I want to do the good, he wrote, but I cannot do it.⁵

Though this saying is too defeatist for my religious mind, its truth is readily apparent when contrasted to the lie told at the inauguration of the law.

Romans 7:18b (NET)	Exodus 19:8b (NET)
For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it.	All that the Lord has commanded we will do!

Besides, I do not do the good: For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!⁶

Literally: “For I by law to law died” (ἐγὼ γὰρ διὰ νόμου νόμῳ ἀπέθανον). I suppose I’ve wanted this I to be the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires⁷ only, but Paul wrote (Romans 12:1 NET):

Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies (τὰ σώματα ὑμῶν) as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service.

I wonder if persons might be a better translation of σώματα here, but the bodies or persons to whom Paul wrote were comprised of both an old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires⁸ and a new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.⁹

Paul continued: so that I may live to God.¹⁰ Literally: “so that (ἵνα) to God (θεῷ) I may live (ζήσω).” The may was added because the verb ζήσω is in the subjunctive mood. Logically, it can be dropped, however, because this is a purpose and a result clause: “to God I live” because “I by law to law died.” Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live before him,¹¹ Jesus told some Sadducees (who contend that there is no resurrection).¹²

I have been crucified with Christ (Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι):¹³ “in Christ, to Christ, by Christ I have been and am crucified with [Him].” The Greek verb συνεσταύρωμαι is in the perfect tense:

The basic thought of the perfect tense is that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect. In other words, the progress of the action has reached its culmination and the finished results are now in existence. Unlike the English perfect, which indicates a completed past action, the Greek perfect tense indicates the continuation and present state of a completed past action.

For example, Galatians 2:20 should be translated “I am in a present state of having been crucified with Christ,” indicating that not only was I crucified with Christ in the past, but I am existing now in that present condition.

Paul continued: and it is no longer I who live.¹⁴ Literally, “and I live (ζῶ δὲ) no longer I (οὐκέτι ἐγώ),” but Christ lives in me.¹⁵ Literally, “but lives (ζῇ δὲ) in me (ἐν ἐμοὶ) Christ (Χριστός).” So the life I now live in the body:¹⁶ “so which (ὃ δὲ) now I live (νῦν ζῶ) in flesh (ἐν σαρκί),” I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God:¹⁷ “in the faithfulness I live (ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ) of the Son of God (τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ),”¹⁸ who loved me (τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντος με) and gave himself (καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν) for me (ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ).¹⁹

So, the I who actually accomplishes the good I want to do,²⁰ or “is present in/with me,” (but cannot do) is Christ [who] lives in me.²¹ This is in keeping with Paul’s explanation in his letter to the Galatians of an I comprised of an old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires²² and a new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth²³ (Galatians 5:16, 17 NET):

But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want (θέλητε, a form of θέλω) [Table].

But I say (Λέγω δέ), live by the Spirit, “by [the] Spirit (πνεύματι) walk or you walk (περιπατεῖτε),” and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh,²⁴ “and (καὶ) desire of flesh (ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς) you never carry out (οὐ μὴ τελέσητε).” I wrote about the strength of οὐ μὴ τελέσητε elsewhere. Jesus is the One who proved this statement true.

So, to walk or live by the Spirit, buoyed up and carried along by the fruit of the Spirit—Jesus’ own love, his joy, his peace, his patience, his kindness, his goodness, his faithfulness, his gentleness and his self-control—is the only way I will do the good I want but cannot do. So you too, Jesus said, when you have done (ποιήσητε, a form of ποιέω) everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done (ποιῆσαι, another form of ποιέω) what was our duty.’²⁵ Though I’ve complained—“You mean, I can’t even put in my thumb, pull out a plum and say, ‘Oh, what a good boy am I’?”²⁶—I do recognize how little credit I deserve for what is effectively the Lord’s work in and through me.

This explains to my satisfaction why Paul and the Holy Spirit considered an I comprised of an old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires²⁷ and a new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth,²⁸ who want[s] to do the good, but…cannot do it,²⁹ unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.³⁰ This new desire (Romans 3:10-18), this new will, to do the will of God revealed in the law, prompted the following conclusion (Romans 7:16, 17 NET):

But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me [Table].

Literally, “But if (εἰ δὲ) what not I want (ὃ οὐ θέλω) this I do (τοῦτο ποιῶ),” according to a note (23) in the NET, “I agree with the law (σύμφημι τῷ νόμῳ) that it is good (ὅτι καλός)” or beautiful. But now (νυνὶ δὲ) it is no longer me (οὐκέτι ἐγὼ) doing it (κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ), “but (ἀλλὰ) this lives (ἡ |οἰκοῦσα|) in me (ἐν ἐμοὶ), sin (ἁμαρτία)” or “but this sin lives in me.”

Here is the substance or body which cast the shadow of the scape-goat (English Elpenor) or the [goat] to be sent off (NETS). It was repeated for good measure (Romans 7:20 NET [Table]).

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.

Literally, “If now (εἰ δὲ) what not I want (ὃ οὐ θέλω) I ([ἐγὼ]) this do (τοῦτο ποιῶ), it is no longer me (οὐκέτι ἐγὼ) doing it (κατεργάζομαι αὐτὸ), but (ἀλλὰ) this lives (ἡ οἰκοῦσα) in me (ἐν ἐμοὶ), sin (ἁμαρτία)” or “but this sin lives in me.”

Paul continued (Romans 7:21-25 NET):

So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members [Table]. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin [Table].

Paul seemed simultaneously frustrated and calmly resigned to reside in this body of death (τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου) for a season, trusting the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.³¹ The Lord described the scape-goat ceremony as follows:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 16:21, 22 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:21, 22 (NET)	Leviticus 16:21, 22 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:21, 22 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of an appointed man into the wilderness.	Aaron is to lay his two hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins, and thus he is to put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the desert by the hand of a man standing ready.	And Aaron shall lay his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the lawless acts of the sons of Israel and all their offenses and all their sins and shall put them on the head of the live goat and shall send it away into the desert by the hand of a ready person.	and Aaron shall lay his hands on the head of the live goat, and he shall declare over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their unrighteousness, and all their sins; and he shall lay them upon the head of the live goat, and shall send him by the hand of a ready man into the wilderness.
And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land which is cut off (גְּזֵרָ֑ה); and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.	The goat is to bear on itself all their iniquities into an inaccessible (gᵊzērâ, גזרה) land, so he is to send the goat away into the desert.	And the goat shall bear on itself their offenses to an untrodden (ἄβατον) region, and he shall send off the goat into the wilderness.	And the goat shall bear their unrighteousnesses upon him into a desert (ἄβατον) land; and Aaron shall send away the goat into the wilderness.

I’ll pick this up in another essay. A table comparing Exodus 19:8 translated from the Hebrew of the Masoretic text and the Greek of the Septuagint follows:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Exodus 19:8 (Tanakh)	Exodus 19:8 (NET)	Exodus 19:8 (NETS)	Exodus 19:8 (English Elpenor)
And all the people answered together, and said: ‘All that HaShem (יְהוָֹ֖ה) hath spoken we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people unto HaShem (יְהוָֹֽה).	and all the people answered together, “All that the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) has commanded we will do!” So Moses brought the words of the people back to the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה).	And all the people with one accord answered and said, “All that God (ὁ θεός) said we will do and heed.” Then Moyses carried the words of the people up to God (τὸν θεόν).	And all the people answered with one accord, and said, All things that God (ὁ Θεός) has spoken, we will do and hearken to: and Moses reported these words to God (τὸν Θεόν).

Tables comparing Exodus 19:8; Leviticus 16:21 and 16:22 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Exodus 19:8; Leviticus 16:21 and 16:22 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Exodus 19:8 (Tanakh)	Exodus 19:8 (KJV)	Exodus 19:8 (NET)
And all the people answered together, and said: ‘All that HaShem hath spoken we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people unto HaShem.	And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.	and all the people answered together, “All that the Lord has commanded we will do!” So Moses brought the words of the people back to the Lord.

Exodus 19:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 19:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπεκρίθη δὲ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁμοθυμαδὸν καὶ εἶπαν πάντα ὅσα εἶπεν ὁ θεός ποιήσομεν καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα ἀνήνεγκεν δὲ Μωυσῆς τοὺς λόγους τοῦ λαοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεόν	ἀπεκρίθη δὲ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ὁμοθυμαδὸν καὶ εἶπαν· πάντα, ὅσα εἶπεν ὁ Θεός, ποιήσομεν καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα. ἀνήνεγκε δὲ Μωυσῆς τοὺς λόγους τούτους πρὸς τὸν Θεόν
Exodus 19:8 (Septuagint NETS)	Exodus 19:8 (English Elpenor)
And all the people with one accord answered and said, “All that God said we will do and heed.” Then Moyses carried the words of the people up to God.	And all the people answered with one accord, and said, All things that God has spoken, we will do and hearken to: and Moses reported these words to God.

Leviticus 16:21 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:21 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:21 (NET)
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of an appointed man into the wilderness.	And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:	Aaron is to lay his two hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins, and thus he is to put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the desert by the hand of a man standing ready.

Leviticus 16:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπιθήσει Ααρων τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ χιμάρου τοῦ ζῶντος καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν καὶ πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπιθήσει αὐτὰς ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ χιμάρου τοῦ ζῶντος καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖ ἐν χειρὶ ἀνθρώπου ἑτοίμου εἰς τὴν ἔρημον	καὶ ἐπιθήσει ᾿Ααρὼν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ χιμάρου τοῦ ζῶντος καὶ ἐξαγορεύσει ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν καὶ πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπιθήσει αὐτὰς ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ χιμάρου τοῦ ζῶντος καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖ ἐν χειρὶ ἀνθρώπου ἑτοίμου εἰς τὴν ἔρημον
Leviticus 16:21 (Septuagint NETS)	Leviticus 16:21 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron shall lay his hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the lawless acts of the sons of Israel and all their offenses and all their sins and shall put them on the head of the live goat and shall send it away into the desert by the hand of a ready person.	and Aaron shall lay his hands on the head of the live goat, and he shall declare over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their unrighteousness, and all their sins; and he shall lay them upon the head of the live goat, and shall send him by the hand of a ready man into the wilderness.

Leviticus 16:22 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:22 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:22 (NET)
And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land which is cut off; and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.	And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.	The goat is to bear on itself all their iniquities into an inaccessible land, so he is to send the goat away into the desert.

Leviticus 16:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λήμψεται ὁ χίμαρος ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῷ τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν εἰς γῆν ἄβατον καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖ τὸν χίμαρον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον	καὶ λήψεται ὁ χίμαρος ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτῷ τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν εἰς γῆν ἄβατον, καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖ τὸν χίμαρον εἰς τὴν ἔρημον
Leviticus 16:22 (Septuagint NETS)	Leviticus 16:22 (English Elpenor)
And the goat shall bear on itself their offenses to an untrodden region, and he shall send off the goat into the wilderness.	And the goat shall bear their unrighteousnesses upon him into a desert land; and Aaron shall send away the goat into the wilderness.

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 10

¹ Romans 7:14b (NET) Table

² John 17:17 (NET) Table

³ Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

⁴ Ephesians 4:24b (NET)

⁵ Romans 7:18b (NET) Table

⁶ Galatians 2:19-21 (NET)

⁷ Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

⁸ Ibid.

⁹ Ephesians 4:24b (NET)

¹⁰ Galatians 2:19b (NET)

¹¹ Luke 20:38 (NET)

¹² Luke 20:27 (NET)

¹³ Galatians 2:20a (NET)

¹⁴ Galatians 2:20b (NET)

¹⁵ Galatians 2:20c (NET)

¹⁶ Galatians 2:20d (NET)

¹⁷ Galatians 2:20e (NET)

¹⁸ Both πίστει and the article τῇ are in the dative case. Perhaps, this could be understood as “in faithfulness I live to” the Son of God, but that strikes me as the selfsame lie as All that the Lord has commanded we will do! (Exodus 19:8b NET)

¹⁹ Galatians 2:20f (NET)

²⁰ Romans 7:18b (NET) Table

²¹ Galatians 2:20c (NET)

²² Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

²³ Ephesians 4:24b (NET)

²⁴ Galatians 5:16 (NET)

²⁵ Luke 17:10 (NET)

²⁶ From Little Jack Horner on Nursery Rhymes online.

²⁷ Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

²⁸ Ephesians 4:24b (NET)

²⁹ Romans 7:18b (NET) Table

³⁰ Romans 7:14b (NET) Table

³¹ Romans 7:25b (NET) Table

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 8

Posted on December 16, 2023 by admin

The Lord gave Moses detailed instructions about the day of atonement:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 16:2, 3 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:2, 3 (NET)	Leviticus 16:2, 3 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:2, 3 (English Elpenor)
and HaShem (יְהֹוָ֜ה) said unto Moses: ‘Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the ark-cover which is upon the ark; that he die not; for I appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover.	and the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the Holy Place inside the special curtain in front of the atonement lid that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement lid.	And the Lord (κύριος) said to Moyses: Speak to Aaron your brother, and let him not enter at any time into the sanctuary inside the veil facing the propitiatory that is on the ark of witness, and he will not die, for I will be seen in the cloud upon the propitiatory.	And the Lord (Κύριος) said to Moses, Speak to Aaron thy brother, and let him not come in at all times into the holy place within the veil before the propitiatory, which is upon the ark of the testimony, and he shall not die; for I will appear in a cloud on the propitiatory.
Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering.	“In this way Aaron is to enter into the sanctuary—with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.	Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a calf from the cattle for sin and a ram for a whole burnt offering.	Thus shall Aaron enter into the holy place; with a calf of the herd for a sin-offering, and [having] a ram for a whole-burnt-offering.

The writer of Hebrews explained (Hebrews 9:6b-10 NET):

…the priests enter continually into the outer tent as they perform their duties [Table]. But only the high priest enters once a year into the inner tent, and not without blood that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit is making clear that the way into the Holy Place had not yet appeared as long as the old tabernacle was standing. This was a symbol for the time then present, when gifts and sacrifices were offered that could not perfect the conscience of the worshiper. They served only for matters of food and drink and various ritual washings; they are external regulations¹ imposed until the new order came.

The Lord described how Aaron should dress:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 16:4 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:4 (NET)	Leviticus 16:4 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:4 (English Elpenor)
He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired; they are the holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on.	He must put on a holy linen tunic, linen leggings are to cover his body, and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. They are holy garments, so he must bathe his body in water and put them on.	And he shall put on (ἐνδύσεται) the consecrated linen tunic, and linen drawers shall be on his flesh, and he shall gird himself with a linen girdle and wrap around a linen turban; they are holy vestments. And he shall bathe his entire body in water and then put them on (ἐνδύσεται αὐτά).	And he shall put on the (ἐνδύσεται) consecrated linen tunic, and he shall have on his flesh the linen drawers, and shall gird himself with a linen girdle, and shall put on the linen cap, they are holy garments; and he shall bathe all his body in water, and shall put them on (ἐνδύσεται αὐτά).

Peter wrote of the eight souls…delivered through water,² from the flood (1 Peter 3:21, 22 NET):

And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you—not the washing off of physical dirt but the pledge of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ [Table], who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels and authorities and powers subject to him.

And Paul wrote (Ephesians 4:22-24 NET)

You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on (ἐνδύσασθαι, another form of ἐνδύω) the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

The Lord commanded further concerning the day of atonement:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 16:5-10 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:5-10 (NET)	Leviticus 16:5-10 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:5-10 (English Elpenor)
And [Aaron] shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two he-goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering.	He must also take two male goats from the congregation of the Israelites for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.	And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two billy goats for sin and one ram for a whole burnt offering.	And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering, and one lamb for a whole-burnt-offering.
And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house.	Then Aaron is to present the sin-offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household.	And Aaron shall offer the bull calf for sin, which is his own, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.	And Aaron shall bring the calf for his own sin-offering, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.
And he shall take the two goats, and set them before HaShem at the door of the tent of meeting.	Next he must take the two goats and stand them before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent,	And he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the door of the tent of witness,	And he shall take the two goats, and place them before the Lord by the door of the tabernacle of witness.
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for HaShem (לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה), and the other lot for Azazel (לַֽעֲזָאזֵֽל).	and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, ליהוה) and one lot for Azazel (ʿăzā’zēl, לעזאזל).	And Aaron shall place lots on the two goats, one lot for the Lord (τῷ κυρίῳ) and one lot for the one to be sent off (τῷ ἀποπομπαίῳ).	and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord (τῷ Κυρίῳ), and the other for the scape-goat (τῷ ἀποπομπαίῳ).
And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for HaShem, and offer him for a sin-offering.	Aaron must then present the goat which has been designated by lot for the Lord, and he is to make it a sin offering,	And Aaron shall present the goat which the lot fell on for the Lord and offer for sin,	And Aaron shall bring forward the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and shall offer him for a sin-offering.
But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel (לַֽעֲזָאזֵ֔ל), shall be set alive before HaShem, to make atonement over him, to send him away for Azazel (לַֽעֲזָאזֵ֖ל) into the wilderness.	but the goat which has been designated by lot for Azazel (ʿăzā’zēl, לעזאזל) is to be stood alive before the Lord to make atonement on it by sending it away into the desert to Azazel (ʿăzā’zēl, לעזאזל).	and the goat which the lot fell on of the one to be sent off (τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου) he shall set it alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, to send it away into the place for sending away (τὴν ἀποπομπήν)—he shall let it go into the wilderness.	and the goat upon which the lot of the scape-goat (τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου) came, he shall present alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon him, so as to send him away as a scape-goat (τὴν ἀποπομπήν), and he shall send him into the wilderness.

The writer of Hebrews continued (Hebrews 9:11, 12 NET):

But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation [Table], and he entered once for all into the Most Holy Place not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood, and so he himself secured eternal redemption.

I’m thinking more deeply about the theme of this thread:

Hebrews 10:1a (NET)	Colossians 2:17 (NET) Table
For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself…	…these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ!
Hebrews 10:1a (NET Parallel Greek)	Colossians 2:17 (NET Parallel Greek)
Σκιὰν γὰρ ἔχων ὁ νόμος τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ αὐτὴν τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν πραγμάτων	ἅ ἐστιν σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων, τὸ δὲ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ

The writer of Hebrews declared that the law possesses (ἔχων, a participle of ἔχω) a shadow (Σκιὰν, a form of σκιά ). Paul wrote that food or drink…the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days³ (i.e., those things described in the law) are (ἐστιν)…the shadow (σκιὰ). Two different phrases were translated reality itself (Hebrews) or reality (Colossians) in the NET. The author of Hebrews wrote τὴν εἰκόνα τῶν πραγμάτων (literally: “the image of the things”), while Paul wrote τὸ…σῶμα, (literally: “the body”).

I won’t quarrel with the NET translation except to say that it doesn’t imply that the shadow is unreal. A shadow is very real and prompts one to look up or turn around and look in another direction for what has cast it. I’m particularly exercised here to look for what cast the shadow of the scape-goat or the goat…to send…away for Azazel. The Scriptures listed in “6 Bible Verses about Scapegoat,” on Knowing Jesus online indicate to me that τὸ…σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ was understood literally as “the body of Christ.” There is another way to understand this phrase, especially in this particular context.

One may assume that the verb of being ἐστιν from the first clause is implied in the second: τὸ…σῶμα (ἐστιν) τοῦ Χριστοῦ, “the body [is] of Christ” or “[is] of the Christ.” Consider the following translation (Colossians 2:17 ESV):

These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

This, coupled with the plural τῶν πραγμάτων in Hebrews, gives me both the license and the inclination to seek that particular aspect of Christ’s atonement⁴ that casts this particular shadow. What comes to mind as I consider the scape-goat,⁵ the one to be sent off,⁶ is Paul’s continuing explanation of one’s death to sin through faith in Christ (Romans 7:14-20 NET).

For we know that the law is spiritual—but I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin [Table]. For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate. But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me [Table]. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me [Table].

This deserves a more in-depth look: For we know that the law is spiritual—but I (ἐγὼ) am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.⁷ In another essay I wrote:

It is difficult to hear Paul call himself unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. After all, what does that mean for someone like me? But Paul was describing himself as a man deceived^[9] and seized by a fit of coveting, sin [old man], seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires.^[10] In the beginning this old man (sin personified) was perceived by Paul as I (ἐγὼ), I am unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin.

The Benson Commentary ⁸ reads:

But I am carnal — That is, man, considered in himself, as in a state of nature, and destitute of the regenerating grace of God, is carnal.

Meyer’s NT Commentary ⁹ reads:

ἐγὼ δέ] but I, i.e. according to the ἰδίωσις pervading the entire section: the man, not yet regenerate by the Holy Spirit, in his relation to the Mosaic law given to him…

I think we were all mistaken. Consider the I Paul described:

For I don’t understand what I am doing.¹⁰

Here, I don’t understand was οὐ γινώσκω, the I being understood from the 1^st person verb. And, what I am doing was ὃ…κατεργάζομαι. Again, the I is understood from the 1^st person verb. Paul continued:

For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate.¹¹

Literally: “For not what I want (οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω) this I do” (τοῦτο πράσσω). And, according to a note (22) in the NET, “but (ἀλλ᾿) what (ὃ) I hate (μισῶ), this (τοῦτο) I do (ποιῶ).” Here, too, I was understood from the 1^st person verbs.

Paul made his desire, his will, quite explicit:

For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it.¹²

Literally according to a note (24) in the NET: “For to wish (τὸ γὰρ θέλειν) is present (παράκειται) in/with me (μοι), but not to do it” (τὸ δὲ κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ καλὸν οὔ). Here, μοι, translated “in/with me,” is a form of ἐγώ in the dative case, hearkening back to that I Paul described as unspiritual, sold into slavery to sin. It is readily distinguished from ἐμοί (another form of ἐγώ in the dative case) which precedes it:

For I know that nothing good lives in me (ἐμοί), that is, in my (μου) flesh.¹³

I’ll follow Paul’s word order more closely here. Though awkward in English it conveys his meaning quite clearly: For I know (Οἶδα γὰρ) that nothing (ὅτι οὐκ)…lives in me (οἰκεῖ ἐν ἐμοί), that is (τοῦτ᾿ ἔστιν), in my flesh (ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου), good (ἀγαθόν). And so, with these particular occurrences of dative forms of ἐγώ (ἐμοί and μου) he referred to his flesh only: that old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires.¹⁴ But his qualification of these particular occurrences also serves to highlight those occurrences he did not qualify in a similar way.

And once more for good measure:

For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want!¹⁵

Here, For I do not do the good I want was οὐ γὰρ ὃ θέλω ποιῶ ἀγαθόν in Greek. And, but I do the very evil I do not want was ἀλλὰ ὃ οὐ θέλω κακὸν τοῦτο πράσσω. Here again, I was understood from the 1^st person verbs.

The good (ἀγαθόν, a form of ἀγαθός) was not something Paul imagined for Himself, for he had already written (Romans 7:12 NET):

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good (ἀγαθή, another form of ἀγαθός).

The I Paul described had a new desire (Romans 3:10-18), a new will, to do the will of God revealed in the law. He was not “in a state of nature, and destitute of the regenerating grace of God.” He did not describe his plight as one “not yet regenerate by the Holy Spirit, in his relation to the Mosaic law given to him.” Rather, he described an I who was born from above, born of water and spirit, born of the flesh and born of the Spirit. I want to do the good, he wrote, but I cannot do it.¹⁶

I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Leviticus 16:2; 16:3; 16:4; 16:5; 16:6; 16:7; 16:8; 16:9 and 16:10 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Leviticus 16:2; 16:3; 16:4; 16:5; 16:6; 16:7; 16:8; 16:9 and 16:10 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing Hebrews 9:10 in the NET and KJV follow.

Leviticus 16:2 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:2 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:2 (NET)
and HaShem said unto Moses: ‘Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the ark-cover which is upon the ark; that he die not; for I appear in the cloud upon the ark-cover.	And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.	and the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron your brother that he must not enter at any time into the Holy Place inside the special curtain in front of the atonement lid that is on the ark so that he may not die, for I will appear in the cloud over the atonement lid.

Leviticus 16:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λάλησον πρὸς Ααρων τὸν ἀδελφόν σου καὶ μὴ εἰσπορευέσθω πᾶσαν ὥραν εἰς τὸ ἅγιον ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος εἰς πρόσωπον τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ μαρτυρίου καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν γὰρ νεφέλῃ ὀφθήσομαι ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου	καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν· λάλησον πρὸς ᾿Ααρὼν τὸν ἀδελφόν σου, καὶ μὴ εἰσπορευέσθω πᾶσαν ὥραν εἰς τὸ ἅγιον ἐσώτερον τοῦ καταπετάσματος εἰς πρόσωπον τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ μαρτυρίου, καὶ οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται· ἐν γὰρ νεφέλῃ ὀφθήσομαι ἐπὶ τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου
Leviticus 16:2 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:2 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord said to Moyses: Speak to Aaron your brother, and let him not enter at any time into the sanctuary inside the veil facing the propitiatory that is on the ark of witness, and he will not die, for I will be seen in the cloud upon the propitiatory.	And the Lord said to Moses, Speak to Aaron thy brother, and let him not come in at all times into the holy place within the veil before the propitiatory, which is upon the ark of the testimony, and he shall not die; for I will appear in a cloud on the propitiatory.

Leviticus 16:3 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:3 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:3 (NET)
Herewith shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin-offering, and a ram for a burnt-offering.	Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a young bullock for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.	“In this way Aaron is to enter into the sanctuary—with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

Leviticus 16:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὕτως εἰσελεύσεται Ααρων εἰς τὸ ἅγιον ἐν μόσχῳ ἐκ βοῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ κριὸν εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα	οὕτως εἰσελεύσεται ᾿Ααρὼν εἰς τὸ ἅγιον· ἐν μόσχῳ ἐκ βοῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας, καὶ κριὸν εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα
Leviticus 16:3 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:3 (English Elpenor)
Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place: with a calf from the cattle for sin and a ram for a whole burnt offering.	Thus shall Aaron enter into the holy place; with a calf of the herd for a sin-offering, and [having] a ram for a whole-burnt-offering.

Leviticus 16:4 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:4 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:4 (NET)
He shall put on the holy linen tunic, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with the linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired; they are the holy garments; and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and put them on.	He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.	He must put on a holy linen tunic, linen leggings are to cover his body, and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. They are holy garments, so he must bathe his body in water and put them on.

Leviticus 16:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ χιτῶνα λινοῦν ἡγιασμένον ἐνδύσεται καὶ περισκελὲς λινοῦν ἔσται ἐπὶ τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ζώνῃ λινῇ ζώσεται καὶ κίδαριν λινῆν περιθήσεται ἱμάτια ἅγιά ἐστιν καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι πᾶν τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνδύσεται αὐτά	καὶ χιτῶνα λινοῦν ἡγιασμένον ἐνδύσεται, καὶ περισκελὲς λινοῦν ἔσται ἐπὶ τοῦ χρωτὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ζώνῃ λινῇ ζώσεται καὶ κίδαριν λινῆν περιθήσεται, ἱμάτια ἅγιά ἐστι, καὶ λούσεται ὕδατι πᾶν τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐνδύσεται αὐτά
Leviticus 16:4 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:4 (English Elpenor)
And he shall put on the consecrated linen tunic, and linen drawers shall be on his flesh, and he shall gird himself with a linen girdle and wrap around a linen turban; they are holy vestments. And he shall bathe his entire body in water and then put them on.	And he shall put on the consecrated linen tunic, and he shall have on his flesh the linen drawers, and shall gird himself with a linen girdle, and shall put on the linen cap, they are holy garments; and he shall bathe all his body in water, and shall put them on.

Leviticus 16:5 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:5 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:5 (NET)
And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two he-goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering.	And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.	He must also take two male goats from the congregation of the Israelites for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.

Leviticus 16:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ παρὰ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ λήμψεται δύο χιμάρους ἐξ αἰγῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ κριὸν ἕνα εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα	καὶ παρὰ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ λήψεται δύο χιμάρους ἐξ αἰγῶν περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ κριὸν ἕνα εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα
Leviticus 16:5 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:5 (English Elpenor)
And he shall take from the congregation of the sons of Israel two billy goats for sin and one ram for a whole burnt offering.	And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering, and one lamb for a whole-burnt-offering.

Leviticus 16:6 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:6 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:6 (NET)
And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house.	And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself, and for his house.	Then Aaron is to present the sin-offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household.

Leviticus 16:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ προσάξει Ααρων τὸν μόσχον τὸν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ	καὶ προσάξει ᾿Ααρὼν τὸν μόσχον τὸν περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ
Leviticus 16:6 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:6 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron shall offer the bull calf for sin, which is his own, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.	And Aaron shall bring the calf for his own sin-offering, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house.

Leviticus 16:7 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:7 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:7 (NET)
And he shall take the two goats, and set them before HaShem at the door of the tent of meeting.	And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.	Next he must take the two goats and stand them before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent,

Leviticus 16:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λήμψεται τοὺς δύο χιμάρους καὶ στήσει αὐτοὺς ἔναντι κυρίου παρὰ τὴν θύραν τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου	καὶ λήψεται τοὺς δύο χιμάρους καὶ στήσει αὐτοὺς ἔναντι Κυρίου παρὰ τὴν θύραν τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου
Leviticus 16:7 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:7 (English Elpenor)
And he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the door of the tent of witness,	And he shall take the two goats, and place them before the Lord by the door of the tabernacle of witness.

Leviticus 16:8 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:8 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:8 (NET)
And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats: one lot for HaShem, and the other lot for Azazel.	And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat.	and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for Azazel.

Leviticus 16:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπιθήσει Ααρων ἐπὶ τοὺς δύο χιμάρους κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ ἀποπομπαίῳ	καὶ ἐπιθήσει ᾿Ααρὼν ἐπὶ τοὺς δύο χιμάρους κλήρους, κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ κλῆρον ἕνα τῷ ἀποπομπαίῳ
Leviticus 16:8 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:8 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron shall place lots on the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for the one to be sent off.	and Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats, one lot for the Lord, and the other for the scape-goat.

Leviticus 16:9 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:9 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:9 (NET)
And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for HaShem, and offer him for a sin-offering.	And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD’S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.	Aaron must then present the goat which has been designated by lot for the Lord, and he is to make it a sin offering,

Leviticus 16:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ προσάξει Ααρων τὸν χίμαρον ἐφ᾽ ὃν ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ὁ κλῆρος τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ προσοίσει περὶ ἁμαρτίας	καὶ προσάξει ᾿Ααρὼν τὸν χίμαρον, ἐφ᾿ ὃν ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ὁ κλῆρος τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ προσοίσει περὶ ἁμαρτίας
Leviticus 16:9 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:9 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron shall present the goat which the lot fell on for the Lord and offer for sin,	And Aaron shall bring forward the goat on which the lot for the Lord fell, and shall offer him for a sin-offering.

Leviticus 16:10 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 16:10 (KJV)	Leviticus 16:10 (NET)
But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before HaShem, to make atonement over him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.	But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.	but the goat which has been designated by lot for Azazel is to be stood alive before the Lord to make atonement on it by sending it away into the desert to Azazel.

Leviticus 16:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 16:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τὸν χίμαρον ἐφ᾽ ὃν ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν ὁ κλῆρος τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου στήσει αὐτὸν ζῶντα ἔναντι κυρίου τοῦ ἐξιλάσασθαι ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ὥστε ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἀποπομπήν ἀφήσει αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον	καὶ τὸν χίμαρον, ἐφ᾿ ὃν ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ὁ κλῆρος τοῦ ἀποπομπαίου, στήσει αὐτὸν ζῶντα ἔναντι Κυρίου, τοῦ ἐξιλάσασθαι ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ὥστε ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἀποπομπήν, καὶ ἀφήσει αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον
Leviticus 16:10 (NETS)	Leviticus 16:10 (English Elpenor)
and the goat which the lot fell on of the one to be sent off he shall set it alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, to send it away into the place for sending away—he shall let it go into the wilderness.	and the goat upon which the lot of the scape-goat came, he shall present alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon him, so as to send him away as a scape-goat, and he shall send him into the wilderness.

Hebrews 9:10 (NET)	Hebrews 9:10 (KJV)
They served only for matters of food and drink and various ritual washings; they are external regulations imposed until the new order came.	Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Hebrews 9:10 (NET Parallel Greek)	Hebrews 9:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Hebrews 9:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
μόνον ἐπὶ βρώμασιν καὶ πόμασιν καὶ διαφόροις βαπτισμοῖς, δικαιώματα σαρκὸς μέχρι καιροῦ διορθώσεως ἐπικείμενα	μονον επι βρωμασιν και πομασιν και διαφοροις βαπτισμοις και δικαιωμασιν σαρκος μεχρι καιρου διορθωσεως επικειμενα	μονον επι βρωμασιν και πομασιν και διαφοροις βαπτισμοις και δικαιωμασιν σαρκος μεχρι καιρου διορθωσεως επικειμενα

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 9

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 10

¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δικαιώματα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και δικαιωμασιν (KJV: and…ordinances).

² 1 Peter 3:20b (NET) Table

³ Colossians 2:16b (NET) Table

⁴ I’m using the phrase “Christ’s atonement” very deliberately here in the context of a body or substance casting a shadow called the day of atonement. But I don’t intend to dispute anything contained in the transcript of John Piper’s interview, “Why Does ‘Atonement’ Disappear in the New Testament?,” on desiringGod online. I, too, am intrigued by this.

⁵ Leviticus 16:10 (English Elpenor)

⁶ Leviticus 16:10 (NETS)

⁷ Romans 7:14 (NET) Table

⁸ “Joseph Benson (1749-1821) was an English Methodist preacher and biblical scholar who is best known for his extensive work as a commentator on the Bible…Benson’s most significant work was his six-volume commentary on the entire Bible, which he began publishing in 1811. This comprehensive work represented the culmination of his many years of study and reflection on the Scriptures, and it remains a valuable resource for biblical scholars and lay readers alike.” From “Benson’s Commentary of the Old and New Testaments,” on StudyLight.org online.

⁹ “Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer, a German Protestant with a gift for languages, published the first commentary in this collection in 1832 at the age of thirty-two…For over forty years Meyer balanced working on new additions to the commentary collection while also updating those already published with multiple, serious revisions. Before passing the baton to a few of his trusted peers to finish the NT, Meyer had completed sixteen volumes.” From Overview on LOGOS online.

¹⁰ Romans 7:15a (NET)

¹¹ Romans 7:15b (NET)

¹² Romans 7:18b (NET) Table

¹³ Romans 7:18a (NET) Table

¹⁴ Ephesians 4:22b (NET)

¹⁵ Romans 7:19 (NET) Table

¹⁶ Romans 7:18b (NET) Table

Nothing True, Part 5

Posted on November 21, 2023 by admin

Eliphaz continued his response to Job’s lament:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Job 4:9 (Tanakh/KJV)	Job 4:9 (NET)	Job 4:9 (NETS)	Job 4:9 (English Elpenor)
By the blast (מִנִּשְׁמַ֣ת) of God they perish, and by the breath (וּמֵר֖וּחַ) of his nostrils are they consumed.	By the breath (nᵊšāmâ, מנשמת) of God they perish, and by the blast (rûaḥ, ומרוח) of his anger they are consumed.	By the command (ἀπὸ προστάγματος) of the Lord they will perish, and by the breath (ἀπὸ δὲ πνεύματος) of his anger they will disappear.	They shall perish by the command (ἀπὸ προστάγματος) of the Lord, and shall be utterly consumed by the breath (ἀπὸ δὲ πνεύματος) of his wrath.

In another essay I came to a draw, more or less, considering whether there was “nothing true” in Eliphaz’s argument. But here he spoke specifically about the Lord, and I admit what he said sounds similar to other descriptions in the Old Testament. So, I’ll pause here to consider some of those other descriptions, to see if I can understand why God was angered by Eliphaz’s words.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 30:33 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 30:33 (NET)	Isaiah 30:33 (NETS)	Isaiah 30:33 (English Elpenor)
For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath (נִשְׁמַ֚ת) of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.	For the burial place¹ is already prepared; it has been made deep and wide for the king. The firewood is piled high on it. The Lord’s breath (nᵊšāmâ, נשמת), like a stream flowing with brimstone, will ignite it.	for you will be deceived before those days; was it also for you to reign that it was made ready with a deep trench, wood piled, fire and wood in abundance? The wrath (ὁ θυμὸς) of the Lord is like a ravine burning with brimstone.	For thou shalt be required before [thy] time: has it been prepared for thee also to reign? nay, God has [prepared for thee] a deep trench, wood piled, fire and much wood: the wrath (ὁ θυμὸς) of the Lord [shall be] as a trench kindled with sulphur.

Here, in the Masoretic text God is imagined as a fire-breathing dragon, lighting the funeral pyre of the king of Assyria and, presumably, the army that oppressed (and punished) the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 15:17-18:12). Assyria then moved on to threaten the southern kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 18:13-19:37), angering God (2 Kings 19:34) with blasphemy. But Isaiah comforted Hezekiah king of Judah:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
2 Kings 19:7 (Tanakh)	2 Kings 19:7 (NET)	4 Reigns 19:7 (NETS)	4 Kings 19:7 (English Elpenor)
Behold, I will put a spirit (ר֔וּחַ) in him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.’	Look, I will take control of his mind (rûaḥ, רוח); he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down with a sword in his own land.”’”	Behold, I myself am putting a spirit (πνεῦμα) in him, and he shall hear a message and return to his own land, and I will strike him down by a sword in his own land’.”	Behold, I send a blast (πνεῦμα) upon him, and he shall hear a report, and shall return to his own land; and I will overthrow him with the sword in his own land.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 37:7 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 37:7 (NET)	Isaiah 37:7 (NETS)	Isaiah 37:7 (English Elpenor)
Behold, I will send a blast (ר֔וּחַ) upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.	Look, I will take control of his mind (rûaḥ, רוח); he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down with a sword in his own land.”’”	Look, I will put a spirit (πνεῦμα) in him, and when he hears a report, he will return to his country, and he will fall by the dagger in his own land’.”	Behold, I [will] send a blast (πνεῦμα) upon him, and he shall hear a report, and return to his own country, and he shall fall by the sword in his own land.

Eliphaz spoke of more ordinary sinners who were not an immediate threat to the lives of those God intended to protect. Was Eliphaz justified appropriating such imagery of God for that purpose? Was he justified using such imagery against Job?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Job 1:19 (Tanakh/KJV) Table	Job 1:19 (NET)	Job 1:19 (NETS) Table	Job 1:19 (English Elpenor)
And, behold, there came a great wind (ר֨וּחַ) from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.	and suddenly a great wind (rûaḥ, רוח) swept across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they died! And I—only I alone—escaped to tell you!”	suddenly a great wind (πνεῦμα) came from the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and the house fell on your children, and they died, but I alone escaped, and I came to tell you.”	suddenly a great wind (πνεῦμα) came on from the desert, and caught the four corners of the house, and the house fell upon thy children, and they are dead; and I have escaped alone, and am come to tell thee.

It seems as if Eliphaz found an open wound in Job’s heart and ground his heel into it. Two verses follow from the song of David (2 Samuel 22, Psalm 18), the Lord’s anointed king and a soldier, praising God for rescuing him (and his men) in combat.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
2 Samuel 22:16 (Tanakh) Table	2 Samuel 22:16 (NET)	2 Samuel 22:16 (NETS) Table	2 Samuel 22:16 (English Elpenor)
And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of HaShem, at the blast (מִנִּשְׁמַ֖ת) of the breath (ר֥וּחַ) of His nostrils.	The depths of the sea were exposed; the inner regions of the world were uncovered by the Lord’s battle cry, by the powerful (nᵊšāmâ, מנשמת) breath (rûaḥ, רוח) from his nose.	And emissions of sea were seen, and foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast (ἀπὸ πνοῆς) of the breath (πνεύματος) of his anger.	And the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast (ἀπὸ πνοῆς) of the breath (πνεύματος) of his anger.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 18:15 (Tanakh/KJV) Table	Psalm 18:15 (NET)	Psalm 17:16 (NETS) Table	Psalm 17:16 (English Elpenor)
Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast (מִ֜נִּשְׁמַ֗ת) of the breath (ר֣וּחַ) of thy nostrils.	The depths of the sea were exposed; the inner regions of the world were uncovered by your battle cry, Lord, by the powerful (nᵊšāmâ, מנשמת) breath (rûaḥ, רוח) from your nose.	And the springs of the waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast (ἀπὸ ἐμπνεύσεως) of the breath (πνεύματος) of your wrath.	And the springs of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were exposed, at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blasting (ἀπὸ ἐμπνεύσεως) of the breath (πνεύματος) of thy wrath.

Here again, the violent imagery of God is used to praise Him for his rescue from dire and immediate threat, rather than to threaten ordinary sinners who were no immediate threat. What follows is from a song of Moses, celebrating God’s rescue from impending destruction when Israel crossed the Red Sea.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Exodus 15:8 -10 (Tanakh)	Exodus 15:8 -10 (NET)	Exodus 15:8 -10 (NETS)	Exodus 15:8 -10 (English Elpenor)
And with the blast (וּבְר֤וּחַ) of Thy nostrils the waters were piled up–the floods stood upright as a heap; the deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.	By the blast (rûaḥ, וברוח) of your nostrils the waters were piled up, the flowing water stood upright like a heap, and the deep waters were solidified in the heart of the sea.	And through the breath (καὶ διὰ πνεύματος) of your wrath the water separated; the waters were congealed like a wall; the waves were congealed in the midst of the sea.	And by the breath (καὶ διὰ πνεύματος) of thine anger the water parted asunder; the waters were congealed as a wall, the waves were congealed in the midst of the sea.
The enemy said: ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’	The enemy said, ‘I will chase, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’	The enemy said, ‘In pursuit I will overtake; I will divide spoil; I will destroy with my dagger; my hand shall dominate’.	The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils; I will satisfy my soul, I will destroy with my sword, my hand shall have dominion.
Thou didst blow with Thy wind (בְרֽוּחֲךָ֖), the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters.	But you blew with your breath (rûaḥ, ברוחך), and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.	You sent your breath (τὸ πνεῦμά σου); the sea covered them; they sank like lead in violent water.	Thou sentest forth thy wind (τὸ πνεῦμά σου), the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty water.

In this same song the Lord was called a man (אִ֣ישׁ) of war (מִלְחָמָ֑ה) in the Masoretic text. The rabbis who translated the Septuagint understood this as συντρίβων (a form of συντρίβω) πολέμους (a form of πόλεμος), or they translated a word other than אִ֣ישׁ they found here in an older Hebrew manuscript.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Exodus 15:3 (Tanakh)	Exodus 15:3 (NET)	Exodus 15:3 (NETS)	Exodus 15:3 (English Elpenor)
HaShem is a man (אִ֣ישׁ) of war (מִלְחָמָ֑ה), HaShem is His name.	The Lord is a warrior [NET note 10: Heb “man (‘îš, איש) of war (milḥāmâ, מלחמה)”]—the Lord is his name.	The Lord, when he shatters wars (συντρίβων πολέμους), the Lord is his name.	The Lord bringing wars to nought (συντρίβων πολέμους), the Lord [is] his name.

In the verse that follows Isaiah praised the Lord, but the rabbis who translated the Septuagint didn’t understand ר֥וּחַ (rûaḥ) in quite the way English translators understand it now:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 25:4 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 25:4 (NET)	Isaiah 25:4 (NETS)	Isaiah 25:4 (English Elpenor)
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast (ר֥וּחַ) of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.	For you are a protector for the poor, a protector for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm, a shade from the heat. Though the breath (rûaḥ, רוח) of tyrants is like a winter rainstorm,	For you have become a helper to every humble city and a shelter to those who are dispirited because of poverty; you will rescue them from evil persons—a shelter for the thirsty and breath (καὶ πνεῦμα) for ill-treated persons,	For thou hast been a helper to every lowly city, and a shelter to them that were disheartened by reason of poverty: thou shalt deliver them from wicked men: [thou hast been] a shelter of them that thirst, and a refreshing air (καὶ πνεῦμα) to injured men.

And finally, Isaiah’s prophecy of Jesus follows:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 11:1-4 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 11:1-4 (NET)	Isaiah 11:1-4 (NETS)	Isaiah 11:1-4 (English Elpenor)
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse (Matthew 1:1-16), and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:	A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s root stock (Luke 3:23-28), a bud will sprout from his roots.	And a rod shall come out of the root of Iessai, and a blossom shall come up out of his root.	And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a blossom shall come up from [his] root:
And the spirit (ר֣וּחַ) of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit (ר֧וּחַ) of wisdom and understanding, the spirit (ר֚וּחַ) of counsel and might, the spirit (ר֥וּחַ) of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;	The Lord’s Spirit (rûaḥ, רוח) will rest on him—a Spirit (rûaḥ, רוח) that gives extraordinary wisdom, a Spirit (rûaḥ, רוח) that provides the ability to execute plans, a Spirit (rûaḥ, רוח) that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord.	And the spirit (πνεῦμα) of God shall rest on him, the spirit (πνεῦμα) of wisdom and understanding, the spirit (πνεῦμα) of counsel and might, the spirit (πνεῦμα) of knowledge and godliness.	and the Spirit (πνεῦμα) of God shall rest upon him, the spirit (πνεῦμα) of wisdom and understanding, the spirit (πνεῦμα) of counsel and strength, the spirit (πνεῦμα) of knowledge and godliness shall fill him;
And shall make him of quick understanding (וַֽהֲרִיח֖וֹ) in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:	He will take delight (rîaḥ, והריחו) in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by mere appearances or make decisions on the basis of hearsay.	The spirit (πνεῦμα) of the fear of God will fill him. He shall not judge on the basis of repute or convict on the basis of report,	the spirit (πνεῦμα) of the fear of God. He shall not judge according to appearance, nor reprove according to report:
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath (וּבְר֥וּחַ) of his lips shall he slay the wicked.	He will treat the poor fairly and make right decisions for the downtrodden of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and order the wicked to be executed [NET note 14: Heb “and by the breath (וברוח) of his lips he will kill the wicked”].	but he shall administer justice to a humble one and convict the humble ones of the earth, and he shall strike the earth with the word of his mouth, and with breath (καὶ ἐν πνεύματι) through his lips he shall do away with the impious.	but he shall judge the cause of the lowly, and shall reprove the lowly of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the word of his mouth, and with the breath (καὶ ἐν πνεύματι) of his lips shall he destroy the ungodly one.

Viewed through an Old Testament lens alone this could be the most relevant passage to justify Eliphaz’s usage of violent imagery against ordinary sinners including Job. Knowing Jesus, however, the image of bloodied corpses lying on a battlefield does not come immediately to mind here. It reminds one instead of that death of which the redeemed partake in Christ (Romans 6:3, 4; Galatians 2:20 NET):

Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Regardless, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.² I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Job 4:9; Isaiah 30:33; 2 Kings 19:7; Isaiah 37:7; Exodus 15:8; 15:9; 15:10; 15:3; Isaiah 25:4; 11:1; 11:2; 11:3 and 11:4 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Job 4:9; Isaiah 30:33; 2 Kings (4 Reigns, 4 Kings) 19:7; Isaiah 37;7; Exodus 15:8; 15:9; 15:10; 15:3; Isaiah 25:4; 11:1; 11:2; 11:3 and 11:4 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Job 4:9 (Tanakh)	Job 4:9 (KJV)	Job 4:9 (NET)
By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.	By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed.	By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed.

Job 4:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Job 4:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπὸ προστάγματος κυρίου ἀπολοῦνται ἀπὸ δὲ πνεύματος ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ ἀφανισθήσονται	ἀπὸ προστάγματος Κυρίου ἀπολοῦνται, ἀπὸ δὲ πνεύματος ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ ἀφανισθήσονται
Job 4:9 (NETS)	Job 4:9 (English Elpenor)
By the command of the Lord they will perish, and by the breath of his anger they will disappear.	They shall perish by the command of the Lord, and shall be utterly consumed by the breath of his wrath.

Isaiah 30:33 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 30:33 (KJV)	Isaiah 30:33 (NET)
For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.	For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.	For the burial place is already prepared; it has been made deep and wide for the king. The firewood is piled high on it. The Lord’s breath, like a stream flowing with brimstone, will ignite it.

Isaiah 30:33 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 30:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
σὺ γὰρ πρὸ ἡμερῶν ἀπαιτηθήσῃ μὴ καὶ σοὶ ἡτοιμάσθη βασιλεύειν φάραγγα βαθεῖαν ξύλα κείμενα πῦρ καὶ ξύλα πολλά ὁ θυμὸς κυρίου ὡς φάραγξ ὑπὸ θείου καιομένη	σὺ γὰρ πρὸ ἡμερῶν ἀπαιτηθήσῃ· μὴ καὶ σοὶ ἡτοιμάσθη βασιλεύειν, φάραγγα βαθεῖαν. ξύλα κείμενα, πῦρ καὶ ξύλα πολλά; ὁ θυμὸς Κυρίου ὡς φάραγξ ὑπὸ θείου καιομένη
Isaiah 30:33 (NETS)	Isaiah 30:33 (English Elpenor)
for you will be deceived before those days; was it also for you to reign that it was made ready with a deep trench, wood piled, fire and wood in abundance? The wrath of the Lord is like a ravine burning with brimstone.	For thou shalt be required before [thy] time: has it been prepared for thee also to reign? nay, God has [prepared for thee] a deep trench, wood piled, fire and much wood: the wrath of the Lord [shall be] as a trench kindled with sulphur.

2 Kings 19:7 (Tanakh)	2 Kings 19:7 (KJV)	2 Kings 19:7 (NET)
Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.’	Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.	Look, I will take control of his mind; he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down with a sword in his own land.”’”

2 Kings 19:7 (Septuagint BLB)	4 Kings 19:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δίδωμι ἐν αὐτῷ πνεῦμα καὶ ἀκούσεται ἀγγελίαν καὶ ἀποστραφήσεται εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ καὶ καταβαλῶ αὐτὸν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ	ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ δίδωμι ἐν αὐτῷ πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀκούσεται ἀγγελίαν καὶ ἀποστραφήσεται εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταβαλῶ αὐτὸν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ
4 Reigns 19:7 (NETS)	4 Kings 19:7 (English Elpenor)
Behold, I myself am putting a spirit in him, and he shall hear a message and return to his own land, and I will strike him down by a sword in his own land’.”	Behold, I send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a report, and shall return to his own land; and I will overthrow him with the sword in his own land.

Isaiah 37:7 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 37:7 (KJV)	Isaiah 37:7 (NET)
Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.	Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.	Look, I will take control of his mind; he will receive a report and return to his own land. I will cut him down with a sword in his own land.”’”

Isaiah 37:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 37:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβαλῶ εἰς αὐτὸν πνεῦμα καὶ ἀκούσας ἀγγελίαν ἀποστραφήσεται εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ καὶ πεσεῖται μαχαίρᾳ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ	ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐμβάλλω εἰς αὐτὸν πνεῦμα, καὶ ἀκούσας ἀγγελίαν ἀποστραφήσεται εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ καὶ πεσεῖται μαχαίρᾳ ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ
Isaiah 37:7 (NETS)	Isaiah 37:7 (English Elpenor)
Look, I will put a spirit in him, and when he hears a report, he will return to his country, and he will fall by the dagger in his own land’.”	Behold, I [will] send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a report, and return to his own country, and he shall fall by the sword in his own land.

Exodus 15:8 (Tanakh)	Exodus 15:8 (KJV)	Exodus 15:8 (NET)
And with the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were piled up–the floods stood upright as a heap; the deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.	And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.	By the blast of your nostrils the waters were piled up, the flowing water stood upright like a heap, and the deep waters were solidified in the heart of the sea.

Exodus 15:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 15:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διὰ πνεύματος τοῦ θυμοῦ σου διέστη τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπάγη ὡσεὶ τεῖχος τὰ ὕδατα ἐπάγη τὰ κύματα ἐν μέσῳ τῆς θαλάσσης	καὶ διὰ πνεύματος τοῦ θυμοῦ σου διέστη τὸ ὕδωρ· ἐπάγη ὡσεὶ τεῖχος τὰ ὕδατα, ἐπάγη τὰ κύματα ἐν μέσῳ τῆς θαλάσσης
Exodus 15:8 (NETS)	Exodus 15:8 (English Elpenor)
And through the breath of your wrath the water separated; the waters were congealed like a wall; the waves were congealed in the midst of the sea.	And by the breath of thine anger the water parted asunder; the waters were congealed as a wall, the waves were congealed in the midst of the sea.

Exodus 15:9 (Tanakh)	Exodus 15:9 (KJV)	Exodus 15:9 (NET)
The enemy said: ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’	The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.	The enemy said, ‘I will chase, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my desire will be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.’

Exodus 15:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 15:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν ὁ ἐχθρός διώξας καταλήμψομαι μεριῶ σκῦλα ἐμπλήσω ψυχήν μου ἀνελῶ τῇ μαχαίρῃ μου κυριεύσει ἡ χείρ μου	εἶπεν ὁ ἐχθρός, διώξας καταλήψομαι, μεριῶ σκῦλα, ἐμπλήσω ψυχήν μου, ἀνελῶ τῇ μαχαίρᾳ μου, κυριεύσει ἡ χείρ μου
Exodus 15:9 (NETS)	Exodus 15:9 (English Elpenor)
The enemy said, ‘In pursuit I will overtake; I will divide spoil; I will destroy with my dagger; my hand shall dominate’.	The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoils; I will satisfy my soul, I will destroy with my sword, my hand shall have dominion.

Exodus 15:10 (Tanakh)	Exodus 15:10 (KJV)	Exodus 15:10 (NET)
Thou didst blow with Thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters.	Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.	But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

Exodus 15:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 15:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπέστειλας τὸ πνεῦμά σου ἐκάλυψεν αὐτοὺς θάλασσα ἔδυσαν ὡσεὶ μόλιβος ἐν ὕδατι σφοδρῷ	ἀπέστειλας τὸ πνεῦμά σου, ἐκάλυψεν αὐτοὺς θάλασσα· ἔδυσαν ὡσεὶ μόλιβος ἐν ὕδατι σφοδρῷ
Exodus 15:10 (NETS)	Exodus 15:10 (English Elpenor)
You sent your breath; the sea covered them; they sank like lead in violent water.	Thou sentest forth thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty water.

Exodus 15:3 (Tanakh)	Exodus 15:3 (KJV)	Exodus 15:3 (NET)
HaShem is a man of war, HaShem is His name.	The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.	The Lord is a warrior—the Lord is his name.

Exodus 15:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 15:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κύριος συντρίβων πολέμους κύριος ὄνομα αὐτῷ	Κύριος συντρίβων πολέμους, Κύριος ὄνομα αὐτῷ
Exodus 15:3 (NETS)	Exodus 15:3 (English Elpenor)
The Lord, when he shatters wars, the Lord is his name.	The Lord bringing wars to nought, the Lord [is] his name.

Isaiah 25:4 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 25:4 (KJV)	Isaiah 25:4 (NET)
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.	For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.	For you are a protector for the poor, a protector for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm, a shade from the heat. Though the breath of tyrants is like a winter rainstorm,

Isaiah 25:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 25:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένου γὰρ πάσῃ πόλει ταπεινῇ βοηθὸς καὶ τοῖς ἀθυμήσασιν διὰ ἔνδειαν σκέπη ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων πονηρῶν ῥύσῃ αὐτούς σκέπη διψώντων καὶ πνεῦμα ἀνθρώπων ἀδικουμένων	ἐγένου γὰρ πάσῃ πόλει ταπεινῇ βοηθὸς καὶ τοῖς ἀθυμήσασι δι᾿ ἔνδειαν σκέπη, ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων πονηρῶν ῥύσῃ αὐτούς, σκέπη διψώντων καὶ πνεῦμα ἀνθρώπων ἀδικουμένων
Isaiah 25:4 (NETS)	Isaiah 25:4 (English Elpenor)
For you have become a helper to every humble city and a shelter to those who are dispirited because of poverty; you will rescue them from evil persons—a shelter for the thirsty and breath for ill-treated persons,	For thou hast been a helper to every lowly city, and a shelter to them that were disheartened by reason of poverty: thou shalt deliver them from wicked men: [thou hast been] a shelter of them that thirst, and a refreshing air to injured men.

Isaiah 11:1 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 11:1 (KJV)	Isaiah 11:1 (NET)
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:	And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:	A shoot will grow out of Jesse’s root stock, a bud will sprout from his roots.

Isaiah 11:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 11:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξελεύσεται ῥάβδος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ιεσσαι καὶ ἄνθος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης ἀναβήσεται	ΚΑΙ ἐξελεύσεται ῥάβδος ἐκ τῆς ρίζης ᾿Ιεσσαί, καὶ ἄνθος ἐκ τῆς ρίζης ἀναβήσεται
Isaiah 11:1 (NETS)	Isaiah 11:1 (English Elpenor)
And a rod shall come out of the root of Iessai, and a blossom shall come up out of his root.	And there shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse, and a blossom shall come up from [his] root:

Isaiah 11:2 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 11:2 (KJV)	Isaiah 11:2 (NET)
And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;	And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;	The Lord’s Spirit will rest on him—a Spirit that gives extraordinary wisdom, a Spirit that provides the ability to execute plans, a Spirit that produces absolute loyalty to the Lord.

Isaiah 11:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 11:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀναπαύσεται ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως πνεῦμα βουλῆς καὶ ἰσχύος πνεῦμα γνώσεως καὶ εὐσεβείας	καὶ ἀναπαύσεται ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως, πνεῦμα βουλῆς καὶ ἰσχύος, πνεῦμα γνώσεως καὶ εὐσεβείας
Isaiah 11:2 (NETS)	Isaiah 11:2 (English Elpenor)
And the spirit of God shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and godliness.	and the Spirit of God shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness shall fill him;

Isaiah 11:3 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 11:3 (KJV)	Isaiah 11:3 (NET)
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:	And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:	He will take delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by mere appearances or make decisions on the basis of hearsay.

Isaiah 11:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 11:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐμπλήσει αὐτὸν πνεῦμα φόβου θεοῦ οὐ κατὰ τὴν δόξαν κρινεῖ οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν λαλιὰν ἐλέγξει	ἐμπλήσει αὐτὸν πνεῦμα φόβου Θεοῦ. οὐ κατὰ τὴν δόξαν κρινεῖ οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν λαλιὰν ἐλέγξει
Isaiah 11:3 (NETS)	Isaiah 11:3 (English Elpenor)
The spirit of the fear of God will fill him. He shall not judge on the basis of repute or convict on the basis of report,	the spirit of the fear of God. He shall not judge according to appearance, nor reprove according to report:

Isaiah 11:4 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 11:4 (KJV)	Isaiah 11:4 (NET)
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.	But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.	He will treat the poor fairly and make right decisions for the downtrodden of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and order the wicked to be executed.

Isaiah 11:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 11:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀλλὰ κρινεῖ ταπεινῷ κρίσιν καὶ ἐλέγξει τοὺς ταπεινοὺς τῆς γῆς καὶ πατάξει γῆν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ	ἀλλὰ κρινεῖ ταπεινῷ κρίσιν καὶ ἐλέγξει τοὺς ταπεινοὺς τῆς γῆς· καὶ πατάξει γῆν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν πνεύματι διὰ χειλέων ἀνελεῖ ἀσεβῆ
Isaiah 11:4 (NETS)	Isaiah 11:4 (English Elpenor)
but he shall administer justice to a humble one and convict the humble ones of the earth, and he shall strike the earth with the word of his mouth, and with breath through his lips he shall do away with the impious.	but he shall judge the cause of the lowly, and shall reprove the lowly of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the word of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he destroy the ungodly one.

Nothing True, Part 6

¹ See NET note 76 and Commentaries on BibleHub on Isaiah 30:33.

² Job 42:7b (Tanakh, KJV) Table

Who Am I? Part 15

Posted on November 16, 2023 by admin

This is a continuation of my consideration of “5 Bible Passages That Caused Me to Lose My Faith” by Kristi Burke. Her first Bible passage was “Romans 9…the starting point of my deconstruction journey.”¹ Though she began with verse 16, I started at the beginning of the chapter to gain some context.

What shall we say then? Paul continued. Is there injustice with God?² He asked rhetorically in direct response to God’s preference for Jacob over Esau even before they were born or had done anything good or bad.³ But I think one could apply his rhetorical question to his contention that not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel⁴ as well (Romans 9:14b, 15 NET):

Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” [Table].

According to a note (29) in the NET Paul quoted from Exodus 33:19. At the very moment when people may have thought that in the law they had the ultimate knowledge of good and evil, at the very moment some people were authorized to judge others by that law, God freed Himself from human judgments based on law (Exodus 33:19 NET [Table]).

And the Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious; I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.”

Ms. Burke said:⁵

I was an evangelist. So, I believed in going out to my communities and spreading the word and trying to win as many souls as possible, because I looked around and there were people going to hell and I didn’t want that to happen.

And when I was seventeen-years-old I was introduced to the concept of Calvinism. And when I was introduced to this I said, “No way. There is no way that god created people just to go to hell.”

She was offended by a concept called “non-election,” to those who would be the “non-elect.” John Piper was quoted in an interview in “Do the Non-Elect Have a Chance to Repent?” on desiringGod online:

The first truth is, from all eternity God has chosen from among the entire fallen, sinful humanity a people for himself — but not everyone. Thus, this selection is owing to no merit at all in those chosen people. God pursues their salvation not only by effectively achieving the atonement for their sin through Christ, but also by sovereignly overcoming all their rebellion and bringing them to saving faith.

And Daniel R. Hyde wrote in “What Does Predestination Mean for the Non-Elect?”:

A simple reading of Scripture shows that not only are some chosen to salvation in God’s eternal purpose, but some are not. Those Scripture passages that teach God’s election of a particular people unto salvation also teach God’s non-election of others.

Ms. Burke continued:

And then I read Romans 9.

As confirmation that Paul wrote “that god created people just to go to hell,” she quoted Romans 9:16-24 (NIV):

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy [Table]. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” [Table] But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Ms. Burke presented a “Before” and “After” account of her encounter with Romans 9:

Before

After

Up until the point that I read and studied and chewed on the words in Romans 9, I believed in a god who created all people, gave them free will and that he wanted all people to be saved but he couldn’t violate their free will to save them. And that it was the most loving thing he could do to give people freedom. And within that freedom they could either choose him and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell. And that would be entirely their choice.

It says starting in verse 16, “It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy,” meaning: there is nothing about you that can come to God and choose. God has to choose you.

She was correct that Romans 9:16 called her initial belief that people had the “freedom” to “either choose [Jesus] and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell” into serious question. But consider this:

Romans 9:16 (NET)	Romans 11:32 (NET)
So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.	For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.

I consider this Paul’s couplet on God’s mercy in Romans 9-11. Granted, the Greek word translated shows mercy (NIV: mercy) was ἐλεῶντος, a participle of the verb ἐλεέω in the genitive case. And he may show mercy (NIV: he may have mercy) was the verb ἐλεήσῃ another form of the verb ἐλεέω. It was translated may show or may have mercy because it is in the subjunctive mood.⁶

The subjunctive mood indicates probability or objective possibility. The action of the verb will possibly happen, depending on certain objective factors or circumstances. It is oftentimes used in conditional statements (i.e. ‘If…then…’ clauses) or in purpose clauses.

The Greek word translated so that was ἵνα, making he may show mercy to them all (NIV: he may have mercy on them all) “a purpose or result clause.” The definition of the subjunctive mood continued:⁷

However if the subjunctive mood is used in a purpose or result clause, then the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.

In other words, he shows mercy to them all (NIV: he has mercy on them all). The most common limit placed on all here is to assume that Paul meant only those who believe:

For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all who believe.

Before her encounter with Romans 9 Ms. Burke might have limited all further still, to all who believe of their own free will:

For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all who believe of their own free will.

Part of the beauty of this verse is that the Greek words translated all are τοὺς πάντας in the first clause as well as in the second. So, if we limit all in the second clause, we should place the same limit on the first clause:

For God has consigned all people who believe of their own free will to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all who believe of their own free will.

That sounds odd, but it points to what Ms. Burke might have wanted it to say. And please don’t think I’m picking on her. Before my encounter with Romans 9 (among other passages) I wanted, even expected, this verse to say:

For God has consigned all people who do not believe of their own free will to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all who believe of their own free will.

And this is precisely what this verse does not say. So, I want to repeat some of the previous verses while bearing in mind that God shows mercy to all (Romans 9:16-18 NIV).

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy [Table]. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

Ms. Burke responded:⁸

It says in verse 18: “Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.” When Christians talk about, you have a hardened heart against God, the Bible says that God’s the one that hardened it.

Actually, Paul wrote that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart for a very specific purpose at a specific time: that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. Nothing about that statement implies that God is responsible for every hardened heart. People are quite capable of hardening their hearts all on their own.

Jesus described God’s understanding of marriage to some Pharisees who questioned Him about divorce (Matthew 19:6-8 NET):

“So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?” Jesus said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way” [Table].

Though God hardened Pharaoh’s heart for a specific purpose at a specific time, it’s always important to remember that God shows mercy to all as well. Paul continued (Romans 9:19-22 NIV):

One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” [Table] But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?

The Greek word translated prepared here was κατηρτισμένα, a plural participle of the verb καταρτίζω in the middle voice. The definition of the middle voice in Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on ntgreek.org online reads:

The Greek middle voice shows the subject acting in his own interest or on his own behalf, or participating in the results of the verbal action. In overly simplistic terms, sometimes the middle form of the verb could be translated as “the performer of the action actually acting upon himself” (reflexive action).

For example: “I am washing myself.” “I” is the subject of the sentence (performing the action of the verb) and yet “I” am also receiving the action of the verb. This is said to be in the “Middle Voice”. Many instances in the Greek are not this obvious and cannot be translated this literally.

In other words, people prepare themselves for destruction (ἀπώλειαν, a form of ἀπώλεια). But Jesus came to seek and to save the lost⁹ (τὸ ἀπολωλός) as a singular collective. Ms. Burke responded:¹⁰

If He has decided He wants to create you just to destroy you, then He’s going to do that. That’s his right you don’t get to question that. And realizing this changed everything about my perspective of God. Realizing this made me see a god who did not desire people to be saved but instead creates people as puppets, does what he wants with them and then tells them, you’re not allowed to question it. That is just in direct contradiction to any kind of a loving, kind, father god that I was taught growing up in the church. I was fed one version of god who was a loving father but I’m learning about this completely different god who intentionally creates people to go to hell.

This sounds so ominous, but remember Ms. Burke’s original description of “a loving, kind, father god”:

…god…created all people, gave them free will and…he wanted all people to be saved but he couldn’t violate their free will to save them.

So, by definition her “loving, kind, father god” was powerless to accomplish his own will. She continued:

…the most loving thing he could do [is] to give people freedom. And within that freedom they could either choose him and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell. And that would be entirely their choice.

Now she has chosen to “reject him and go to hell.” So, again, by her own definition “a loving, kind, father god” must let her go her own way since he is powerless to do otherwise. Frankly, that is not my experience of God, who tracked me down and drew me, sometimes kicking and screaming, to Himself: For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.¹¹

Though Mr. Piper denied (“but not everyone,” he wrote) that God shows mercy to all, he gave an admirable description of that mercy:

Thus, this selection is owing to no merit at all in those chosen people. God pursues their salvation not only by effectively achieving the atonement for their sin through Christ, but also by sovereignly overcoming all their rebellion and bringing them to saving faith.

It becomes clear as one proceeds in Romans 9-11 that the so-called “non-elect” here were Paul’s people, [his] fellow countrymen, who are Israelites¹² those of whom he wrote: I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed—cut off from Christ—for [their] sake¹³ [Table]. If he believed that they were “intentionally” created “just to go to hell,” he was in a predicament very similar to Ms. Burke’s when she became an “evangelist.”

I believed in going out to my communities and spreading the word and trying to win as many souls as possible, because I looked around and there were people going to hell and I didn’t want that to happen.

She did this (of her own free will?), despite believing in an impotent god: though “he wanted all people to be saved…he couldn’t violate their free will to save them.” I’ll pick this up in another essay.

According to a note (33) in the NET Paul quoted from Exodus 9:16 in Romans 9:17. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to the Septuagint follows.

Romans 9:17b (NET Parallel Greek)	Exodus 9:16 (Septuagint BLB) Table	Exodus 9:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐξήγειρα σε ὅπως ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν δύναμιν μου καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομα μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ	καὶ ἕνεκεν τούτου διετηρήθης ἵνα ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν ἰσχύν μου καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ	καὶ ἕνεκεν τούτου διετηρήθης, ἵνα ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν ἰσχύν μου, καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ
Romans 9:17b (NET)	Exodus 9:16 (NETS)	Exodus 9:16 (English Elpenor)
For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.	And for this reason you have been spared in order that I might display in you my power and in order that my name might be proclaimed in all the land.	And for this purpose hast thou been preserved, that I might display in thee my strength, and that my name might be published in all the earth.

Who Am I? Part 16

Back to Who Am I? Part 17

¹ “5 Bible Passages That Caused Me to Lose My Faith,” by Kristi Burke

² Romans 9:14a (NET)

³ Romans 9:11a (NET) Table

⁴ Romans 9:6b (NET)

⁵ “5 Bible Passages That Caused Me to Lose My Faith,” by Kristi Burke

⁶ From “Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on ntgreek.org online.

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ “5 Bible Passages That Caused Me to Lose My Faith,” by Kristi Burke

9 Luke 19:10b (NET)

¹⁰ “5 Bible Passages That Caused Me to Lose My Faith,” by Kristi Burke

¹¹ Romans 11:32 (NET)

¹² Romans 9:3b, 4a (NET)

¹³ Romans 9:1-3a (NET)

Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 10

Posted on November 6, 2023 by admin

This is a continuation of my intent to become much more familiar with the Greek translation of יְהֹוָ֨ה (Yᵊhōvâ) and יֱהֹוִה֙ (yᵊhōvâ) in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 3:11 (Tanakh/KJV)	Genesis 3:11 (NET)	Genesis 3:11 (NETS)	Genesis 3:11 (English Elpenor)
And He said (וַיֹּ֕אמֶר): ‘Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’	And the Lord God said (‘āmar, ויאמר), “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”	And he said (καὶ εἶπεν) to him, “Who told you that you are naked, unless you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, of this one alone, not to eat from it?”	And God said (καὶ εἶπεν…ὁ Θεός) to him, Who told thee that thou wast naked, unless thou hast eaten of the tree concerning which I charged thee of it alone not to eat?

Here the Hebrew verb וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (‘āmar) was translated And He said (Tanakh, KJV) or And the Lord God said (NET). A note (28) in the NET explained:

Heb “and he said.” The referent (the Lord God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

It goes a long way to explaining the different translations in the Septuagint: καὶ εἶπεν (BLB), And he said (NETS), or καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς (Elpenor), And God said (English Elpenor). But why did He ask this misleading question in the first place? Why didn’t He just come straight out with it, right here in the beginning?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (NET)	Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (NETS)	Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (English Elpenor)
I am God (אֵל֙), and there is none else; I am God (אֱלֹהִ֖ים), and there is none like me [Table],	I am God (‘ēl, אל), I have no peer; I am God (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים), and there is none like me,	I am God (ὁ θεός), and there is no other besides me [Table],	I am God (ὁ Θεός), and there is none other beside me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (חֶפְצִ֖י) [Table]:	who announces the end from the beginning and reveals beforehand what has not yet occurred; who says, ‘My plan will be realized, I will accomplish what I desire (ḥēp̄eṣ, חפצי);’	declaring the last things first, before they happen, and at once they came to pass, and I said, “My whole plan shall stand, and I will do all the things I have planned (βεβούλευμαι)” [Table],	telling beforehand the latter events before they come to pass, and they are accomplished together: and I said, all my counsel shall stand, and I will do all things that I have planned (βεβούλευμαι):

It has taken the better part of a lifetime for me to recognize that these declarative statements, of which I am so fond, are remedial education for dullards. This is the take-home message I was expected to understand from the first two chapters of Genesis, and probably would have if not for a heart and mind dominated by sin, that innate drive to do my own thing even if, especially if, God disapproves.

Paul’s confession comes readily to mind (Romans 7:7b, 8a NET):

I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires.

The “educated” minds I fawned over when I was younger would have me believe that God was not unique, knowledgeable or determined to accomplish all his pleasure until Isaiah declared Him so sometime after his alleged prophecies came to pass, because “God” was the creation of lying Jews. But what happens if I assume that the Creator of the heavens and the earth¹ was already unique, knowledgeable and determined to accomplish all his pleasure in the beginning? What might I understand if I don’t assume that He was ignorant of what had transpired, guessing by some form of reasoning and in need of Adam’s confirmation that He had guessed correctly?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 3:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:12 (NET)	Genesis 3:12 (NETS)	Genesis 3:12 (English Elpenor)
And the man said: ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.’	The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.”	And Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”	And Adam said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me– she gave me of the tree and I ate.

With my mind cleansed of the idea that God was ignorant, guessing at what had transpired and seeking Adam’s confirmation, buttressed by the knowledge that He was already unique, knowledgeable and determined to accomplish all his pleasure, I assume that Adam’s response was what God wanted to achieve when He asked the question. A table comparing Adam’s answer to the narrator’s description of what had transpired follows.

Adam

Narrator

The woman whom you gave me,

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him” [Table]…So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was asleep, he took part of the man’s side and closed up the place with flesh [Table]. Then the Lord God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man [Table].

Genesis 2:18, 21, 22 (NET)

she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.

Genesis 3:12 (NET)

She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it [Table].

Genesis 3:6b (NET)

The Lord God asked Eve a similar question.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 3:13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:13 (NET)	Genesis 3:13 (NETS)	Genesis 3:13 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem (יְהֹוָ֧ה) G-d (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) said unto the woman: ‘What is this thou hast done?’ And the woman said: ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’	So the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) God (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים) said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”	And God (κύριος ὁ θεὸς) said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.”	And the Lord (Κύριος) God (ὁ Θεὸς) said to the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me and I ate.

Here the narrator called God יְהֹוָ֧ה (Yᵊhōvâ) in the Masoretic text which was corroborated by Κύριος in both versions of the Septuagint, though the NETS translation God might indicate the existence of another version without Κύριος. A table comparing Eve’s answer to the narrator’s description of what had transpired follows.

Eve

Narrator

The serpent tricked me,

The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die [Table], for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” [Table].

Genesis 3:4, 5 (NET)

and I ate.

Genesis 3:13b (NET)

When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it [Table].

Genesis 3:6a (NET)

Both Adam and Eve responded to God’s questions with true answers accurately restating events as related by the narrator of Genesis. The Lord God asked the serpent no questions.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 3:14, 15 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:14, 15 (NET)	Genesis 3:14, 15 (NETS)	Genesis 3:14, 15 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem (יְהֹוָ֨ה) G-d (אֱלֹהִ֥ים) said unto the serpent: ‘Because thou hast done this, cursed (אָר֤וּר) art thou from among all cattle, and from among all beasts of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.	The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) God (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים) said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed (‘ārar, ארור) are you above all the cattle and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat all the days of your life.	And the Lord (κύριος) God (ὁ θεὸς) said to the snake, “Because you have done this, cursed (ἐπικατάρατος) are you from all the domestic animals and from the wild animals of the earth; upon your chest and belly you shall go, and earth you shall eat all the days of your life.	And the Lord (Κύριος) God (ὁ Θεὸς) said to the serpent, Because thou hast done this thou art cursed (ἐπικατάρατος) above all cattle and all the brutes of the earth, on thy breast and belly thou shalt go, and thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise (יְשֽׁוּפְךָ֣) thy head, and thou shalt bruise (תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ) their heel.’	And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike (šûp̄, ישופך) your head, and you will strike (šûp̄, תשופנו) his heel.”	And I will put enmity between you and between the woman and between your offspring and between her offspring; he will watch (τηρήσει) your head, and you will watch (τηρήσεις) his heel.”	And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, he shall watch against (τηρήσει) thy head, and thou shalt watch against (τηρήσεις) his heel.

Here again the narrator called God יְהֹוָ֨ה (Yᵊhōvâ) in the Masoretic text. It was corroborated by Κύριος in both Greek versions of the Septuagint and Lord in both English translations. Though the Lord God asked the serpent no questions, Rashi described the serpent’s answer to the question: “Why have you done this?”

Now the serpent was cunning: What is the connection of this matter here? Scripture should have juxtaposed (below verse 21): “And He made for Adam and for his wife shirts of skin, and He dressed them.” But it teaches you as a result of what plan the serpent thrust himself upon them. He saw them naked and engaging in intercourse before everyone’s eyes, and he desired her. — [from Gen. Rabbah 18:6]²

And I shall place hatred: You intended that the man should die when he would eat first, and you would marry Eve, and you came to Eve first only because women are easily enticed, and they know how to entice their husbands. Therefore, “I shall place hatred.”³

So, according to Rashi Eve’s nudity stirred-up lust and a murderous plot in the serpent’s heart: the serpent coveted Adam’s wife. If God had clothed Eve properly and given her a shelter for “engaging in intercourse” away from “everyone’s eyes” perhaps none of this would have happened. But I wonder why Rashi assumed that the serpent wanted Eve rather than Adam. All this conjecture leads away from the point:

God questioned Adam: Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?⁴ Adam answered truthfully relative to the narration of Genesis. The Lord God questioned Eve: What is this you have done?⁵ She didn’t deny Adam’s answer but added her own perspective truthfully relative to the narration of Genesis. The Lord God asked the serpent no questions at all. Was He unfair? Did He curse the serpent on Eve’s word alone? No, He didn’t need anyone to tell Him what He already knew.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:14, 15 NET):

But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty⁶ again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life” [Table]. The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come⁷ here to draw water.”

The Samaritan woman was already drinking out of Jesus’ hand, so to speak. But rather than explaining straightforwardly that the fountain of water springing up to eternal life He spoke of was the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit, as I would have preferred, Jesus’ mind took an abrupt turn (John 4:16 NET):

He⁸ said to her, “Go call your husband (τὸν ἄνδρα |σου|) and come back here.”

The Samaritan woman might have obeyed Jesus and run to fetch her man: ἄνδρα, a form of ἀνήρ means man as well as husband. But she seemed to grasp his meaning (John 4:17, 18 NET):

The woman replied,⁹ “I have no husband (ἄνδρα).” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ‘I have no husband (ἄνδρα),’ for you have had five husbands (ἄνδρας), and the man you are living with now is not your husband (ἀνήρ). This you said truthfully (ἀληθὲς, a form of ἀληθής)!”

The Greek word translated man above was the masculine ὃν rather than the feminine ἥν. I would have known nothing of this woman’s past except for Jesus’ word, which she corroborated when she called, not her husband but, the whole town to Jesus: Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.¹⁰ Jesus remained focused on truth (John 4:23, 24 NET):

But¹¹ a time is coming—and now is here—when the true (ἀληθινοὶ, a form of ἀληθινός) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (ἀληθείᾳ), for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (ἀληθείᾳ).

The Father seeks (ζητεῖ, a form of ζητέω) such people to be his worshipers, those who will worship the Father in spirit and truth.¹² This is quite moving: For the Son of Man came to seek (ζητῆσαι, another form of ζητέω) and to save the lost (τὸ ἀπολωλός).¹³ Is that why the Lord God questioned Adam and Eve? He sought them as worshipers after they disobeyed Him? To read Jesus’ out-of-his-way effort, to find something truthful in the Samaritan woman He sought, back into the Lord God’s questions to Adam and Eve seems difficult.

Neither the narrator nor the Lord God called Adam’s or Eve’s responses truthful. I’m the one comparing them to the narration and declaring them true. Perhaps it’s safer to say, that I hear Jesus’ personality in the Lord God’s questions. I tell you the solemn truth, Jesus said, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.¹⁴ And, I always do those things that please him.¹⁵ This seems like one of those places He saw the Father doing and did likewise.

What I call the Old Testament was written uniquely for, and primarily to, that 12-year-old boy who grew into the man I know as Jesus Christ. And it is his understanding of the Scriptures that I want to know. He is the One who proved Paul’s saying true: live by the Spirit and you will not carry out (οὐ μὴ τελέσητε ¹⁶) the desires of the flesh.¹⁷ He found a loving Father in the pages of Scripture: One who gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life;¹⁸ One who did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him;¹⁹ One who does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance;²⁰ One who gave all authority in heaven and on earth²¹ to his Son that his Son will draw all people to²² Himself. Now this is eternal life, the Son prayed to his Father, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.²³

I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Genesis 3:11; 3:12; 3:13; 3:14 and 3:15 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET; and tables comparing Genesis 3:11; 3:12; 3:13; 3:14 and 3:15 in the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint with the English translations from Hebrew and Greek, and tables comparing the Greek of John 4:15; 4:16; 4:17 and 4:23 the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 3:11 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:11 (KJV)	Genesis 3:11 (NET)
And He said: ‘Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’	And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?	And the Lord God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Genesis 3:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ τίς ἀνήγγειλέν σοι ὅτι γυμνὸς εἶ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου οὗ ἐνετειλάμην σοι τούτου μόνου μὴ φαγεῖν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγες	καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός· τίς ἀνήγγειλέ σοι ὅτι γυμνὸς εἶ, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, οὗ ἐνετειλάμην σοι τούτου μόνου μὴ φαγεῖν, ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγες
Genesis 3:11 (NETS)	Genesis 3:11 (English Elpenor)
And he said to him, “Who told you that you are naked, unless you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, of this one alone, not to eat from it?”	And God said to him, Who told thee that thou wast naked, unless thou hast eaten of the tree concerning which I charged thee of it alone not to eat?

Genesis 3:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:12 (KJV)	Genesis 3:12 (NET)
And the man said: ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.’	And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.	The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.”

Genesis 3:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Αδαμ ἡ γυνή ἣν ἔδωκας μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ αὕτη μοι ἔδωκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καὶ ἔφαγον	καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Αδάμ· ἡ γυνή, ἣν ἔδωκας μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, αὕτη μοι ἔδωκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, καὶ ἔφαγον
Genesis 3:12 (NETS)	Genesis 3:12 (English Elpenor)
And Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”	And Adam said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me– she gave me of the tree and I ate.

Genesis 3:13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:13 (KJV)	Genesis 3:13 (NET)
And HaShem G-d said unto the woman: ‘What is this thou hast done?’ And the woman said: ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’	And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.	So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῇ γυναικί τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέν με καὶ ἔφαγον	καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῇ γυναικί· τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας; καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέ με, καὶ ἔφαγον
Genesis 3:13 (NETS)	Genesis 3:13 (English Elpenor)
And God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.”	And the Lord God said to the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me and I ate.

Genesis 3:14 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:14 (KJV)	Genesis 3:14 (NET)
And HaShem G-d said unto the serpent: ‘Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou from among all cattle, and from among all beasts of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.	And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:	The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ ὄφει ὅτι ἐποίησας τοῦτο ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ τῷ στήθει σου καὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ πορεύσῃ καὶ γῆν φάγῃ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου	καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ὄφει· ὅτι ἐποίησας τοῦτο, ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἐπὶ τῷ στήθει σου καὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ πορεύσῃ καὶ γῆν φαγῇ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου.
Genesis 3:14 (NETS)	Genesis 3:14 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God said to the snake, “Because you have done this, cursed are you from all the domestic animals and from the wild animals of the earth; upon your chest and belly you shall go, and earth you shall eat all the days of your life.	And the Lord God said to the serpent, Because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all cattle and all the brutes of the earth, on thy breast and belly thou shalt go, and thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life.

Genesis 3:15 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:15 (KJV)	Genesis 3:15 (NET)
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise their heel.’	And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.	And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν	καὶ ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σοῦ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς· αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν, καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν
Genesis 3:15 (NETS)	Genesis 3:15 (English Elpenor)
And I will put enmity between you and between the woman and between your offspring and between her offspring; he will watch your head, and you will watch his heel.”	And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, he shall watch against thy head, and thou shalt watch against his heel.

John 4:15 (NET)	John 4:15 (KJV)
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”	The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

John 4:15 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 4:15 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 4:15 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ γυνή· κύριε, δός μοι τοῦτο τὸ ὕδωρ, ἵνα μὴ διψῶ μηδὲ διέρχωμαι ἐνθάδε ἀντλεῖν	λεγει προς αυτον η γυνη κυριε δος μοι τουτο το υδωρ ινα μη διψω μηδε ερχωμαι ενθαδε αντλειν	λεγει προς αυτον η γυνη κυριε δος μοι τουτο το υδωρ ινα μη διψω μηδε ερχομαι ενθαδε αντλειν

John 4:16 (NET)	John 4:16 (KJV)
He said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.”	Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

John 4:16 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 4:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 4:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγει αὐτῇ· ὕπαγε φώνησον τὸν ἄνδρα \|σου\| καὶ ἐλθὲ ἐνθάδε	λεγει αυτη ο ιησους υπαγε φωνησον τον ανδρα σου και ελθε ενθαδε	λεγει αυτη ο ιησους υπαγε φωνησον τον ανδρα σου και ελθε ενθαδε

John 4:17 (NET)	John 4:17 (KJV)
The woman replied, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ‘I have no husband,’	The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

John 4:17 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 4:17 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 4:17 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπεκρίθη ἡ γυνὴ καὶ εἶπεν \|αὐτῷ\|· οὐκ ἔχω ἄνδρα. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· καλῶς εἶπας ὅτι ἄνδρα οὐκ ἔχω·	απεκριθη η γυνη και ειπεν ουκ εχω ανδρα λεγει αυτη ο ιησους καλως ειπας οτι ανδρα ουκ εχω	απεκριθη η γυνη και ειπεν ουκ εχω ανδρα λεγει αυτη ο ιησους καλως ειπας οτι ανδρα ουκ εχω

John 4:23 (NET)	John 4:23 (KJV)
But a time is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers.	But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

John 4:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 4:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 4:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀλλὰ ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐστιν, ὅτε οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνήσουσιν τῷ πατρὶ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ· καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ τοιούτους ζητεῖ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτόν	αλλ ερχεται ωρα και νυν εστιν οτε οι αληθινοι προσκυνηται προσκυνησουσιν τω πατρι εν πνευματι και αληθεια και γαρ ο πατηρ τοιουτους ζητει τους προσκυνουντας αυτον	αλλ ερχεται ωρα και νυν εστιν οτε οι αληθινοι προσκυνηται προσκυνησουσιν τω πατρι εν πνευματι και αληθεια και γαρ ο πατηρ τοιουτους ζητει τους προσκυνουντας αυτον

Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 11

Keep Yourselves from Idols, Part 1

¹ Gensis 1:1b (NET) Table

² From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 3:1 (Tanakh), chabad.org

³ From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 3:15 (Tanakh), chabad.org

⁴ Genesis 3:11 (NET)

⁵ Genesis 3:13a (NET)

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had διψήσει here in the future tense and indicative mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had διψήσῃ (KJV: shall…thirst) in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood. Since the negation is οὐ μὴ here, διψήσῃ is the stronger of the two: the subjunctive of emphatic negation.

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had διέρχωμαι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ερχωμαι (KJV: come).

⁸ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο ιησους (KJV: Jesus) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αὐτῷ (“to him”) here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

¹⁰ John 4:29a (NET)

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

¹² John 4:23b (NET)

¹³ Luke 19:10 (NET)

¹⁴ John 5:19 (NET) Table

¹⁵ John 8:29b (NET) Table

¹⁶ This is a subjunctive of emphatic negation: “However, when this combination [οὐ µή (ou mē)] is attached to an Aorist Subjunctive, what occurs is what has been termed the Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation. As was pointed out above, the Subjunctive Mood indicates the probability of an event, and the Aorist Tense emphasizes an action as simply occurring, without any specific reference to time, apart from the use of an adverbial modifier (e.g., that which would describe when, where, how much, or how often). Thus, when you have οὐ µή (ou mē) in combination with the Aorist Subjunctive, what occurs is the absolute and unequivocal denial of the probability of an event EVER OCCURING at any moment or time in the future.” From “EMPHATIC NEGATIONS IN BIBLICAL GREEK” on the BLB Blog online.

¹⁷ Galatians 5:16 (NET)

¹⁸ John 3:16 (NET) Table

¹⁹ John 3:17 (NET) Table

²⁰ 2 Peter 3:9b (NET) Table

²¹ Matthew 28:18b (NET) Table

²² John 12:32b (NET)

²³ John 17:3 (NET)

Wonders and False Wonders, Part 2

Posted on October 13, 2023 by admin

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon [Table]. And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful (Ὡραίαν, a form of ὡραῖος) Gate” every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money.¹ Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.²

This is the first story about any apostles after Luke declared: many wonders (τέρατα, a form of τέρας) and miraculous signs (σημεῖα, a form of σημεῖον) came about by the apostles.³ I’ll use the knowledge gleaned from the translation of Exodus 4:21 and 4:8, 9 in the Septuagint to analyze this miraculous sign as “the thing itself,” and distinguish it from “the wonder, the voice of the sign…the effect it has on the one who witnesses the sign.”⁴

First, the miraculous sign (Acts 3:6-8a NET):

But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up⁵ and walk!” Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong [Table]. He jumped up, stood and began walking around…

Next came the first two wonders of this miraculous sign, the first two voices of the sign (Acts 3:8b-10 NET):

…and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and⁶ they recognized him as the man⁷ who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him.

So first, a man who sat outside of the temple because it seemed like a good place to meet people who might take pity on him entered the temple courts with Peter and John praising God. Then the people who saw him recognized him and were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him. This snowball is beginning to gain some mass and momentum as it rolls downhill.

The next wonder follows (Acts 3:11 NET):

While the man⁸ was hanging on to Peter and John,⁹ all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway called Solomon’s Portico.

And so Peter proclaimed the Gospel to those who assembled there. I’ve already covered that in other essays¹⁰ and won’t repeat it here. The next obvious wonder or voice of the sign occurred after this Gospel proclamation (Acts 4:4 NET [Table]):

But many of those who had listened to the message believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000.

There was another, perhaps, less obvious wonder that occurred as well (Acts 4:1-3 NET):

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of¹¹ the dead. So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day (for it was already evening).

I call this a wonder of the miraculous sign of healing the lame man because, first, it led to another Gospel proclamation to the leaders in Jerusalem. Again, I covered it in another essay and won’t repeat it here. Any of these leaders would have been disturbed about any positive mention of Jesus, since they had condemned Him as an enemy of the state (John 11:48-50). But the Sadducees were doubly angered by the resurrection of the dead. All three synoptic Gospels mention their unbelief.

Matthew 22:23 (NET)	Mark 12:18 (NET)	Luke 20:27 (NET)
The same day Sadducees (who¹² say there is no resurrection) came to him and asked him,	Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) also came to him and asked¹³ him,	Now some Sadducees (who contend that there is no resurrection) came to him.

Paul put this particular rift between Pharisees and Sadducees to good use (Acts 23:6-8 NET):

Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out¹⁴ in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.¹⁵ I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” When he said¹⁶ this, an argument began between the Pharisees and the¹⁷ Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or¹⁸ angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

As they deliberated that day after the arrest of Peter and John, “What should we do with these men?” the next wonder came to light: both Sadducees and Pharisees became reluctant witnesses to the miraculous sign performed in Jesus’ name (Acts 4:16 NET [Table]):

For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable (γνωστὸν, a form of γνωστός) miraculous sign (σημεῖον) has come about through them, and we cannot deny it.

The next wonder of this miraculous sign follows (Acts 4:21, 22 NET):

After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened [Table]. For the man, on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed,¹⁹ was over forty years old.

Though it may be somewhat arbitrary to say, the last wonder of this miraculous sign follows (Acts 4:23, 24a, 29-31 NET):

When they were released, Peter and John went to their fellow believers (τοὺς ἰδίους; NET note 54: “to their own [people]”) and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said,²⁰

“…Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage, while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs (σημεῖα) and wonders (τέρατα) through the name of your holy servant (ἁγίου παιδός σου) Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the²¹ Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously.

It’s not too difficult to extrapolate the false wonder from all of this: a healing that does not result in faith in God through the Lord Jesus Christ, or confidence in his word, both to hear and to proclaim it. This could potentially mean the entire medical industry, though it’s not likely to be the kind of false wonder that deceives the elect. Jesus said (Mark 13:22, 23 NET):

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs (σημεῖα) and wonders (τέρατα) to deceive, if possible, the elect. Be careful!²² I have told you everything ahead of time.

There is no cause to be puffed up by the term the elect (τοὺς ἐκλεκτούς). It is simply a phrase to distinguish those who have been drawn to Christ currently from those who are yet to be drawn: For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.”²³

In most other fields of science when someone comes up with a clever idea, it will take time, weeks to centuries, for someone else to come up with a clever test to falsify that hypothesis. That’s why it makes more sense to pay attention to the history of any given field of science rather than the latest and greatest. When I was young, I thought medicine with its life and death feedback would be the best of the sciences.

Be that as it may, at any prayer meeting one might attend, those who have fallen ill and into the hands of doctors or surgeons, are a major portion of the prayers offered to God. These signs (σημεῖα) will accompany those who believe, Jesus promised: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; they will pick up snakes with their hands,²⁴ and whatever poison they drink will not harm²⁵ them; they will place their hands on the sick and they will be well.²⁶

The Greek words translated whatever poison here were θανάσιμον τι (literally: “anything deadly”). So, I assume it would include the harmful side effects of medications, medical treatments or procedures, especially since the negation here is οὐ μὴ and the verb negated is βλάψῃ ²⁷ in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood. That makes this a subjunctive of emphatic negation:²⁸

Thus, when you have οὐ µή (ou mē) in combination with the Aorist Subjunctive, what occurs is the absolute and unequivocal denial of the probability of an event EVER OCCURING at any moment or time in the future.

With that level of uncontrollable confounding medical science may be one of the worst of the sciences. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be next in line to take any medication, medical treatment or procedure after one bathed in the prayer of the elect and promised health and protection, if I were trusting in that medication, medical treatment, procedure, doctor, surgeon or medical science instead of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I’ll continue with this in another essay.

According to a note (8) in the NET Paul quoted from Isaiah 45:23. A table comparing the Greek of Romans 14:11 with that of Isaiah 45:23 in the Septuagint follows.

Romans 14:11 (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 45:23b (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 45:23b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ζῶ ἐγώ, λέγει κύριος, ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ	ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ θεῷ	ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ Θεῷ
Romans 14:11 (NET)	Isaiah 45:23b (NETS)	Isaiah 45:23b (English Elpenor)
As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.	because to me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall acknowledge God,	that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God,

The phrase ζῶ ἐγώ λέγει κύριος (NET: As I live, says the Lord) is fairly common in the Septuagint. It’s found in Numbers 14:28; Isaiah 49:18; Jeremiah 22:24; Jeremiah 46:18; Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 14:16; Ezekiel 14:18; Ezekiel 14:20; Ezekiel 16:48; Ezekiel 17:16; Ezekiel 18:3; Ezekiel 20:31; Ezekiel 20:33; Ezekiel 34:8; Ezekiel 35:6; Ezekiel 35:11 and Zephaniah 2:9. In Romans 14:11 as it relates to Isaiah 45:23a, however, it seems to be Paul’s paraphrase of another oath:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 45:23 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 45:23 (NET)	Isaiah 45:23 (NETS)	Isaiah 45:23 (English Elpenor)
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.	I solemnly make this oath—what I say is true and reliable: ‘Surely every knee will bow to me, every tongue will solemnly affirm;	By myself I swear, “Verily righteousness shall go forth from my mouth; my words shall not be turned back, because to me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall acknowledge God,	By myself I swear, righteousness shall surely proceed out of my mouth; my words shall not be frustrated; that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God,

Tables comparing Isaiah 45:23 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET; and comparing Isaiah 45:23 in the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint with the English translations from Hebrew and Greek, and tables comparing the Greek of Acts 3:3; 3:6; 3:10; 3:11; 4:2; Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18; Acts 23:6-8; 4:22; 4:24; 4:31; Mark 13:23 and 16:18 in the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 45:23 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 45:23 (KJV)	Isaiah 45:23 (NET)
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.	I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.	I solemnly make this oath—what I say is true and reliable: ‘Surely every knee will bow to me, every tongue will solemnly affirm;

Isaiah 45:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 45:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κατ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω ἦ μὴν ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου δικαιοσύνη οἱ λόγοι μου οὐκ ἀποστραφήσονται ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ θεῷ	κατ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ ὀμνύω, ἦ μὴν ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου δικαιοσύνη, οἱ λόγοι μου οὐκ ἀποστραφήσονται, ὅτι ἐμοὶ κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ Θεῷ
Isaiah 45:23 (NETS)	Isaiah 45:23 (English Elpenor)
By myself I swear, “Verily righteousness shall go forth from my mouth; my words shall not be turned back, because to me every knee shall bow and every tongue shall acknowledge God,	By myself I swear, righteousness shall surely proceed out of my mouth; my words shall not be frustrated; that to me every knee shall bend, and every tongue shall swear by God,

Acts 3:3 (NET)	Acts 3:3 (KJV)
When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money.	Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

Acts 3:3 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 3:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 3:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὃς ἰδὼν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην μέλλοντας εἰσιέναι εἰς τὸ ἱερόν, ἠρώτα ἐλεημοσύνην λαβεῖν	ος ιδων πετρον και ιωαννην μελλοντας εισιεναι εις το ιερον ηρωτα ελεημοσυνην λαβειν	ος ιδων πετρον και ιωαννην μελλοντας εισιεναι εις το ιερον ηρωτα ελεημοσυνην

Acts 3:6 (NET)	Acts 3:6 (KJV)
But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!”	Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Acts 3:6 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 3:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 3:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἶπεν δὲ Πέτρος· ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι, ὃ δὲ ἔχω τοῦτο σοι δίδωμι· ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου [ἔγειρε καὶ] περιπάτει	ειπεν δε πετρος αργυριον και χρυσιον ουχ υπαρχει μοι ο δε εχω τουτο σοι διδωμι εν τω ονοματι ιησου χριστου του ναζωραιου εγειραι και περιπατει	ειπεν δε πετρος αργυριον και χρυσιον ουχ υπαρχει μοι ο δε εχω τουτο σοι διδωμι εν τω ονοματι ιησου χριστου του ναζωραιου εγειραι και περιπατει

Acts 3:10 (NET)	Acts 3:10 (KJV)
and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him.	And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

Acts 3:10 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 3:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 3:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐπεγίνωσκον δὲ αὐτὸν ὅτι \|αὐτὸς\| ἦν ὁ πρὸς τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῇ ὡραίᾳ πύλῃ τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν θάμβους καὶ ἐκστάσεως ἐπὶ τῷ συμβεβηκότι αὐτῷ	επεγινωσκον τε αυτον οτι ουτος ην ο προς την ελεημοσυνην καθημενος επι τη ωραια πυλη του ιερου και επλησθησαν θαμβους και εκστασεως επι τω συμβεβηκοτι αυτω	επεγινωσκον τε αυτον οτι ουτος ην ο προς την ελεημοσυνην καθημενος επι τη ωραια πυλη του ιερου και επλησθησαν θαμβους και εκστασεως επι τω συμβεβηκοτι αυτω

Acts 3:11 (NET)	Acts 3:11 (KJV)
While the man was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway called Solomon’s Portico.	And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

Acts 3:11 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 3:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 3:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Κρατοῦντος δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸν Πέτρον καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην συνέδραμεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ στοᾷ τῇ καλουμένῃ Σολομῶντος ἔκθαμβοι	κρατουντος δε του ιαθεντος χωλου τον πετρον και ιωαννην συνεδραμεν προς αυτους πας ο λαος επι τη στοα τη καλουμενη σολομωντος εκθαμβοι	κρατουντος δε του ιαθεντος χωλου τον πετρον και ιωαννην συνεδραμεν προς αυτους πας ο λαος επι τη στοα τη καλουμενη σολομωντος εκθαμβοι

Acts 4:2 (NET)	Acts 4:2 (KJV)
angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.	Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

Acts 4:2 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 4:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 4:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
διαπονούμενοι διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαὸν καὶ καταγγέλλειν ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν	διαπονουμενοι δια το διδασκειν αυτους τον λαον και καταγγελλειν εν τω ιησου την αναστασιν την εκ νεκρων	διαπονουμενοι δια το διδασκειν αυτους τον λαον και καταγγελλειν εν τω ιησου την αναστασιν των νεκρων

Matthew 22:23 (NET)	Matthew 22:23 (KJV)
The same day Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to him and asked him,	The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

Matthew 22:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 22:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 22:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ Σαδδουκαῖοι (λέγοντες μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν) καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν	εν εκεινη τη ημερα προσηλθον αυτω σαδδουκαιοι οι λεγοντες μη ειναι αναστασιν και επηρωτησαν αυτον	εν εκεινη τη ημερα προσηλθον αυτω σαδδουκαιοι οι λεγοντες μη ειναι αναστασιν και επηρωτησαν αυτον

Mark 12:18 (NET)	Mark 12:18 (KJV)
Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) also came to him and asked him,	Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

Mark 12:18 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 12:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 12:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἔρχονται Σαδδουκαῖοι πρὸς αὐτόν (οἵτινες λέγουσιν ἀνάστασιν μὴ εἶναι) καὶ ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες	και ερχονται σαδδουκαιοι προς αυτον οιτινες λεγουσιν αναστασιν μη ειναι και επηρωτησαν αυτον λεγοντες	και ερχονται σαδδουκαιοι προς αυτον οιτινες λεγουσιν αναστασιν μη ειναι και επηρωτησαν αυτον λεγοντες

Acts 23:6-8 (NET)	Acts 23:6-8 (KJV)
Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!”	But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

Acts 23:6 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 23:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 23:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Παῦλος ὅτι τὸ ἓν μέρος ἐστὶν Σαδδουκαίων τὸ δὲ ἕτερον Φαρισαίων ἔκραζεν ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ· ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἐγὼ Φαρισαῖος εἰμι, υἱὸς Φαρισαίων, περὶ ἐλπίδος καὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν [ἐγὼ] κρίνομαι	γνους δε ο παυλος οτι το εν μερος εστιν σαδδουκαιων το δε ετερον φαρισαιων εκραξεν εν τω συνεδριω ανδρες αδελφοι εγω φαρισαιος ειμι υιος φαρισαιου περι ελπιδος και αναστασεως νεκρων εγω κρινομαι	γνους δε ο παυλος οτι το εν μερος εστιν σαδδουκαιων το δε ετερον φαρισαιων εκραξεν εν τω συνεδριω ανδρες αδελφοι εγω φαρισαιος ειμι υιος φαρισαιου περι ελπιδος και αναστασεως νεκρων εγω κρινομαι

When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

Acts 23:7 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 23:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 23:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοῦ \|εἰπόντος\| ἐγένετο στάσις τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων καὶ ἐσχίσθη τὸ πλῆθος	τουτο δε αυτου λαλησαντος εγενετο στασις των φαρισαιων και των σαδδουκαιων και εσχισθη το πληθος	τουτο δε αυτου λαλησαντος εγενετο στασις των φαρισαιων και των σαδδουκαιων και εσχισθη το πληθος

(For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

Acts 23:8 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 23:8 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 23:8 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Σαδδουκαῖοι \|μὲν\| γὰρ λέγουσιν μὴ εἶναι ἀνάστασιν μήτε ἄγγελον μήτε πνεῦμα, Φαρισαῖοι δὲ ὁμολογοῦσιν τὰ ἀμφότερα	σαδδουκαιοι μεν γαρ λεγουσιν μη ειναι αναστασιν μηδε αγγελον μητε πνευμα φαρισαιοι δε ομολογουσιν τα αμφοτερα	σαδδουκαιοι μεν γαρ λεγουσιν μη ειναι αναστασιν μηδε αγγελον μητε πνευμα φαρισαιοι δε ομολογουσιν τα αμφοτερα

Acts 4:22 (NET)	Acts 4:22 (KJV)
For the man, on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed, was over forty years old.	For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

Acts 4:22 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 4:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 4:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐτῶν γὰρ ἦν πλειόνων τεσσεράκοντα ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐφ᾿ ὃν γεγόνει τὸ σημεῖον τοῦτο τῆς ἰάσεως	ετων γαρ ην πλειονων τεσσαρακοντα ο ανθρωπος εφ ον εγεγονει το σημειον τουτο της ιασεως	ετων γαρ ην πλειονων τεσσαρακοντα ο ανθρωπος εφ ον εγεγονει το σημειον τουτο της ιασεως

Acts 4:24 (NET)	span style=”font-size: small;”>Acts 4:24 (KJV)
When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, “Master of all, you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them,	And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

Acts 4:24 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 4:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 4:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦραν φωνὴν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπαν· δέσποτα, σὺ ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς,	οι δε ακουσαντες ομοθυμαδον ηραν φωνην προς τον θεον και ειπον δεσποτα συ ο θεος ο ποιησας τον ουρανον και την γην και την θαλασσαν και παντα τα εν αυτοις	οι δε ακουσαντες ομοθυμαδον ηραν φωνην προς τον θεον και ειπον δεσποτα συ ο θεος ο ποιησας τον ουρανον και την γην και την θαλασσαν και παντα τα εν αυτοις

Acts 4:31 (NET)	Acts 4:31 (KJV)
When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously.	And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 4:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 4:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ δεηθέντων αὐτῶν ἐσαλεύθη ὁ τόπος ἐν ᾧ ἦσαν συνηγμένοι, καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος καὶ ἐλάλουν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ παρρησίας	και δεηθεντων αυτων εσαλευθη ο τοπος εν ω ησαν συνηγμενοι και επλησθησαν απαντες πνευματος αγιου και ελαλουν τον λογον του θεου μετα παρρησιας	και δεηθεντων αυτων εσαλευθη ο τοπος εν ω ησαν συνηγμενοι και επλησθησαν απαντες πνευματος αγιου και ελαλουν τον λογον του θεου μετα παρρησιας

Mark 13:23 (NET)	Mark 13:23 (KJV)
Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time.	But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Mark 13:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 13:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 13:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὑμεῖς δὲ βλέπετε· προείρηκα ὑμῖν πάντα	υμεις δε βλεπετε ιδου προειρηκα υμιν παντα	υμεις δε βλεπετε ιδου προειρηκα υμιν παντα

Mark 16:18 (NET)	Mark 16:18 (KJV)
they will pick up snakes with their hands, and whatever poison they drink will not harm them; they will place their hands on the sick and they will be well.	They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark 16:18 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 16:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 16:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)
[καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν] ὄφεις ἀροῦσιν κὰν θανάσιμον τι πίωσιν οὐ μὴ αὐτοὺς βλάψῃ, ἐπὶ ἀρρώστους χεῖρας ἐπιθήσουσιν καὶ καλῶς ἕξουσιν	οφεις αρουσιν καν θανασιμον τι πιωσιν ου μη αυτους βλαψει επι αρρωστους χειρας επιθησουσιν και καλως εξουσιν	οφεις αρουσιν καν θανασιμον τι πιωσιν ου μη αυτους βλαψη επι αρρωστους χειρας επιθησουσιν και καλως εξουσιν

Wonders and False Wonders, Part 3

¹ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had ἐλεημοσύνην λαβεῖν here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had simply ελεημοσυνην.

² Acts 3:1-5 (NET)

³ Acts 2:43 (NET) Table

⁴ Wonders and False Wonders, Part 1

⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔγειρε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγειραι (KJV: rise up).

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δὲ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τε.

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αὐτὸς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουτος (KJV: he).

⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αὐτοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had του ιαθεντος χωλου (KJV: as the lame man which was healed).

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

¹⁰ Peter’s Second Gospel Proclamation, Part 1; Peter’s Second Gospel Proclamation, Part 2; Peter’s Second Gospel Proclamation, Part 3

¹¹ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had ἐκ here. The Byzantine Majority Text did not.

¹² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οι (KJV: which) preceding say. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐπηρώτων here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επηρωτησαν (KJV: they asked).

¹⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔκραζεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εκραξεν (KJV: he cried out).

¹⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the plural Φαρισαίων here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular φαρισαιου (KJV: of a Pharisee).

¹⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἰπόντος here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had λαλησαντος (KJV: had…said).

¹⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article των here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had μήτε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μηδε (KJV: neither).

¹⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had γεγόνει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγεγονει (KJV: was shewed).

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἶπαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπον.

²¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article τοῦ preceding Holy. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιδου (KJV: behold) following Be careful! (KJV: take…heed). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²³ Romans 14:11 (NET)

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν (NET: with their hands) here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²⁵ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had βλάψῃ here in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had βλαψει (KJV: it shall…hurt) in the future tense and indicative mood.

²⁶ Mark 16:17, 18 (NET)

²⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus had βλαψει (KJV: it shall…hurt) here in the future tense and indicative mood, which is also a strong form of negation. From Emphatic Negations in Biblical Greek: “when these two Greek negative particles are combined in the form of οὐ µή (ou mē) with reference to a future event, what results is an intensified form of the negative.” But βλάψῃ in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood is currently considered more original in the NA²⁸. It also occurs most frequently in the eastern manuscripts as shown by the Byzantine Majority Text.

²⁸ From “Emphatic Negations in Biblical Greek,” on the BLB Blog online.

Christianity, Part 12

Posted on October 6, 2023 by admin

There are 3 occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians [see Table below] the Greek word translated all people in: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people (πάντας, a form of πᾶς) to myself.¹ This is a continuation of my consideration of the first (1 Corinthians 7:7 ESV):

I wish that all (πάντας ἀνθρώπους) were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another [Table].

I think everyone (NET) is a good translation of πάντας ἀνθρώπους above, despite “Paul’s assumptions [in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34] about the beautiful preoccupations of an unmarried man and an unmarried or betrothed woman”² limited to “those who were born…of the flesh of Adam” and born “from above…by the Spirit.”³ Here I want to explore the beauty of the story of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech more thoroughly. It began when Abram and Sarai journeyed to Egypt.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 12:10-13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:10-13 (NET)	Genesis 12:10-13 (NETS)	Genesis 12:10-13 (English Elpenor)
And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land.	There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay for a while because the famine was severe.	And a famine occurred upon the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine prevailed upon the land.	And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, because the famine prevailed in the land.
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife (אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ): ‘Behold now, I know that thou art a fair (יְפַת) woman (אִשָּׁ֥ה) to look upon (מַרְאֶ֖ה).	As he approached Egypt, he said to his wife (‘iššâ, אשתו) Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman [NET note 34: Heb “a woman (‘iššâ, אשה) beautiful (yāp̄ê, יפת) of appearance (mar’ê, מראה) are you”].	And it came about when Abram drew near to enter into Egypt that Abram said to his wife (τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ) Sara, “I do know that your are a woman (γυνὴ) beautiful in countenance (εὐπρόσωπος),	And it came to pass when Abram drew nigh to enter into Egypt, Abram said to Sara his wife (τῇ γυναικί), I know that thou art a fair (εὐπρόσωπος) woman (γυνὴ).
And it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say: This is his wife (אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ); and they will kill me, but thee they will keep alive.	When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife (‘iššâ, אשתו).’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive.	it will be, therefore, that should the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’ (γυνὴ αὐτοῦ), and they will kill me, but you they will keep for themselves.	It shall come to pass then that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife (γυνὴ αὐτοῦ), and they shall slay me, but they shall save thee alive.
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.’	So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you and my life will be spared on account of you.”	Say, therefore, ‘I am his sister’, so that it may go well with me because of you, and my soul will live on your account.”	Say, therefore, I am his sister, that it may be well with me on account of thee, and my soul shall live because of thee.

I am harder on Abram/Abraham about this fear than I should be. I’ve never lived in a world where anyone thought to kill me before having sex with my girlfriends or wives. Only God’s care makes Abram’s fear seem foolish. I’ve certainly feared matters of much less import when I should have trusted Him. And Abram’s fear—should the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’, and they will kill me, but you they will keep for themselves⁴—sounds very much like a rationalization of the religious mind among those who have some compunction about sex with another man’s wife.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 12:14-16 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:14-16 (NET)	Genesis 12:14-16 (NETS)	Genesis 12:14-16 (English Elpenor)
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman (הָ֣אִשָּׁ֔ה) that she was very (מְאֹֽד) fair (יָפָ֥ה).	When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman (‘iššâ, האשה) was very (mᵊ’ōḏ, מאד) beautiful (yāp̄ê, יפה).	And it came about when Abram entered into Egypt—as the Egyptians saw the woman (τὴν γυναῖκα), that she was very (σφόδρα) beautiful (καλὴ)—	And it came to pass when Abram entered into Egypt– the Egyptians having seen his wife (τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ) that she was very (σφόδρα) beautiful (καλὴ)–
And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her to Pharaoh; and the woman was taken (וַתֻּקַּ֥ח) into Pharaoh’s house [Table].	When Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. So Abram’s wife was taken (lāqaḥ, ותקח) into the household of Pharaoh,	that then the rulers of Pharao saw her and praised her to Pharao and brought (εἰσήγαγον) her into Pharao’s house [Table].	that the princes of Pharao saw her, and praised her to Pharao and brought (εἰσήγαγον) her into the house of Pharao.
And he dealt well with Abram for her sake; and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels [Table].	and he did treat Abram well on account of her. Abram received sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.	And for her sake they dealt well with Abram, and he had sheep and calves and donkeys, male and female slaves, mules and camels [Table].	And they treated Abram well on her account, and he had sheep, and calves, and asses, and men-servants, and women-servants, and mules, and camels.

The Hebrew word יָפָ֥ה (yāp̄ê), fair (Tanakh, KJV), beautiful (NET), was translated καλὴ, a form of καλός, in the Septuagint. I want to review what happened after Abimelech took Sarah to contrast that beauty to the story of Pharaoh and Sarai.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:3 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:3 (NET)	Genesis 20:3 (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:3 (English Elpenor)
But G-d came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: ‘Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman (הָֽאִשָּׁ֣ה) whom thou hast taken (לָקַ֔חְתָּ); for she is a man’s wife’.	But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman (‘iššâ, האשה) you have taken (lāqaḥ, לקחת), for she is someone else’s wife.”	And God came in to Abimelech in his sleep during the night and said, “Look, you are about to die by reason of the woman (τῆς γυναικός) whom you have taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she is married to a man.”	And God came to Abimelech by night in sleep, and said, Behold, thou diest for the woman (τῆς γυναικός), whom thou hast taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she has lived with a husband.

God did not warn Pharaoh in a dream:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 12:17 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 12:17 (NET)	Genesis 12:17 (NETS) Table	Genesis 12:17 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife (אֵ֥שֶׁת).	But the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases because of Sarai, Abram’s wife (‘iššâ, אשת).	And God tried Pharao and his house with great and grievous trials because of Sara, Abram’s wife (τῆς γυναικὸς).	And God afflicted Pharao with great and severe afflictions, and his house, because of Sara, Abram’s wife (τῆς γυναικὸς).

Was Abimelech somehow different from Pharoah?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:4a (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:4a (NET)	Genesis 20:4a (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:4a (English Elpenor)
Now Abimelech had not come near (קָרַ֖ב) her;	Now Abimelech had not gone near (qāraḇ, קרב) her.	Now Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her,	But Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her,

The implication is strong that Pharoah had…come near (qāraḇ, קָרַ֖ב) her (Tanakh), he had…touched (ἥψατο) her (NETS, English Elpenor). Is that why God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night,⁵ but struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases?⁶ Well, maybe, since the law, which came [more than] 430 years afterward⁷ said, “You shall not commit adultery”⁸?

But that answer only prompts another question, for God said to Abimelech:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:6b (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:6b (NET)	Genesis 20:6b (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:6b (English Elpenor)
I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch (לִנְגֹּ֥עַ) her.	I have kept you from sinning against me and..I did not allow you to touch (nāḡaʿ, לנגע) her.	I was the one who spared you so that you did not sin in regard to me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.	I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.

Here the implication that Pharoah sinned against God by touching Sarai borders on certainty.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 12:18, 19 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:18, 19 (NET)	Genesis 12:18, 19 (NETS)	Genesis 12:18, 19 (English Elpenor)
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said: ‘What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife (אִשְׁתְּךָ֖)?	So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife (‘iššâ,אשתך)?	Now when Pharao had called Abram he said, “What is this you have done to me, that you did not tell me that she is your wife (γυνή σού)?	And Pharao having called Abram, said, What is this thou hast done to me, that thou didst not tell me that she was thy wife (γυνή σου)?
Why saidst thou: She is my sister? so that I took (וָֽאֶקַּ֥ח) her to be my wife (לְאִשָּׁ֑ה); now therefore behold thy wife (אִשְׁתְּךָ֖), take her (קַ֥ח), and go thy way.’	Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took (lāqaḥ, ואקח) her to be my wife (‘iššâ, לאשה)? Now, here is your wife (‘iššâ, אשתך). Take her (lāqaḥ, קח) and go!”	Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? And I took (ἔλαβον) her to myself for a wife (γυναῖκα). And now here is your wife (ἡ γυνή σου) before you; take her (λαβὼν); hurry off.”	Wherefore didst thou say, She is my sister? and I took (ἔλαβον) her for a wife (γυναῖκα) to myself; and now, behold, thy wife (ἡ γυνή σου) is before thee, take her (λαβὼν) and go quickly away.

So, if God did not allow [Abimelech] to touch Sarah, why didn’t He do the same for Pharaoh and Sarai? Before I go on, I should acknowledge that Rashi potentially disputed my “certainty” that Pharaoh “touched” Sarai:⁹

And the Lord plagued Pharaoh…[with] great plagues: He was stricken with the plague of “ra’athan,” making intercourse harmful to him. Gen. Rabbah (41:2)

as well as his household: lit. and his house. As the Targum states: and upon the people of his house, (and its midrashic interpretation (Tan. Lech Lecha 8) is that this includes its walls, pillars, and utensils. In an old Rashi).

on account of Sarai: [The words עַל דְבַר שָׂרַי mean literally] according to her words: she would say to the angel, “Strike,” and he would strike. [from Tan. Lech Lecha 5]

From the word דְּבַ֥ר (dāḇār), a word not translated independently into English, Rashi constructed a scene where Sarai called on an angel to strike Pharaoh and his household. The word “strike” was וַיְנַגַּ֨ע (nāḡaʿ), translated plagued (Tanakh, KJV) and struck (NET), from the same root as לִנְגֹּ֥ע (nāḡaʿ), translated to touch (Tanakh, KJV, NET) when God told Abimelech: I did not allow you to touch her.¹⁰ Rashi didn’t say explicitly whether Sarai told the angel to strike before or after Pharaoh “touched” her. But consider God’s command to Abimelech:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:7 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:7 (NET)	Genesis 20:7 (NETS)	Genesis 20:7 (English Elpenor)
Now therefore restore the man’s wife (אֵֽשֶׁת); for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.’	But now give back the man’s wife (‘iššâ, אשת). Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don’t give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you.”	And now return the woman (τὴν γυναῖκα) to the man, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If, however, you do not restore her, know that you shall die, you and all that are yours.”	But now return the man his wife (τὴν γυναῖκα); for he is a prophet, and shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; but if thou restore her not, know that thou shalt die and all thine.

Then consider Rashi’s commentary:¹¹

return the man’s wife: And do not think that perhaps she will be repugnant to him, and he will not accept her, or that he will hate you and not pray for you. (Abimelech said to Him, “Who will let him know that I did not touch her?” He replied,)

because he is a prophet: And he knows that you did not touch her; therefore, “he will pray for you.” – [from Tan. Buber, Vayera 25]

The suggestion here, that Sarai would or should “be repugnant” to Abram if she told the angel to strike after Pharaoh “touched” her, implies that Rashi intended before Pharaoh “touched” her. I was a little surprised that many if not most commentators seemed to hold that the Lord struck Pharaoh and his household with severe diseases¹² before Pharaoh “touched” Sarai. It was also the hope or expectation of most people I found online.¹³ It would’ve been my own preference. That’s why I’m pursuing the question.

It just seems to me now that the contrast between the two stories implies that Pharaoh “touched” Sarai. I’ll back off from my “certainty.” The text doesn’t explicitly say that Pharaoh “touched” Sarai any more than it says that Sarai “would say to the angel, ‘Strike,’ and he would strike.” The same phrase עַל־דְּבַ֥ר, made up of two words עַל (ʿal) and דְּבַ֥ר (dāḇār), is found in Genesis 20:11.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:11 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:11 (NET)	Genesis 20:11 (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:11 (English Elpenor)
And Abraham said: ‘Because I thought: Surely the fear of G-d is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wife’s sake.	Abraham replied, “Because I thought, ‘Surely no one fears God in this place. They will kill me because of my wife.	And Abraam said, “Because I said, It appears there is no piety in this place, and so they will kill me because of my wife.	And Abraam said, Why I said, Surely there is not the worship of God in this place, and they will slay me because of my wife.

Here that two word phrase was translated for…sake (Tanakh) and because of (NET). A note (28) in the NET reads: “Heb ‘over the matter of.’” That seems to be the most reasonable understanding of the phrase in Genesis 12:17. The story of Sarai calling on an angel to defend her virtue would have been a good one to tell, if it actually happened. It sounds a little too much like the chivalric code:

The code of chivalry that developed in medieval Europe had its roots in earlier centuries. It arose in the Carolingian Empire from the idealisation of the cavalryman—involving military bravery, individual training, and service to others—especially in Francia, among horse soldiers in Charlemagne’s cavalry.^{[4]: 2 [5]}

It’s not too hard to imagine that a medieval French rabbi, learning and teaching at a time when these ideals of justice and virtue were percolating, thought that God would put his knight at the fair lady Sarai’s disposal. I’m a little distressed how unchivalrous Abram seems 918 years after Rashi died. This is how Abraham explained it to Abimelech:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:13 (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 20:13 (NET)	Genesis 20:13 (NETS) Table	Genesis 20:13 (English Elpenor)
And it came to pass, when G-d caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said unto her: This is thy kindness (חַסְדֵּ֔ךְ) which thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither we shall come, say of me: He is my brother.’	When God made me wander from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty (ḥeseḏ, חסדך) to me: Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”	Now it came about when God brought me forth from my father’s house, that then I said to her, ‘This righteousness (δικαιοσύνην) you shall do for me: in every place, there where we enter, say about me, He is my brother.’”	And it came to pass when God brought me forth out of the house of my father, that I said to her, This righteousness (δικαιοσύνην) thou shalt perform to me, in every place into which we may enter, say of me, He is my brother.

The Hebrew word חַסְדֵּ֔ךְ (ḥeseḏ), translated kindness (Tanakh, KJV) and loyalty (NET), was rendered δικαιοσύνην (righteousness) by the rabbis who translated the Septuagint. So, rather than cavil at Abraham’s apparent lack of medieval European moral sensibilities, I should marvel at how far Sarai/Sarah was willing to go to obey her husband, her owner, her lord.

Without speaking a word against Abraham, Peter drew a sharp contrast quietly commending Sarah as one who did good and [did] not fear anything that is frightening.¹⁴ And the Lord didn’t need to constantly critique and criticize Abraham as I am prone to do, since He had already given him a wife who demonstrated such faithful, patient obedience without fear, that he may be won¹⁵ without a word by the conduct of¹⁶ his wife.

I’ll pick this up in another essay. The table mentioned above follows.

Occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians
Reference	NET Parallel Greek	ESV
1 Corinthians 7:7	θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν	I wish that all were as I myself am.
1 Corinthians 14:5	θέλω δὲ πάντας ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν γλώσσαις	Now I want you all to speak in tongues,
1 Corinthians 15:25	ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Tables comparing Genesis 12:10; 12:11; 12:12; 12:13; 12:14; 12:18; 12:19 and 20:7 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 12:10; 12:11; 12:12; 12:13; 12:14; 12:18; 12:19 and 20:7 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing 1 Peter 3:1 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 12:10 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:10 (KJV)	Genesis 12:10 (NET)
And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was sore in the land.	And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.	There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay for a while because the famine was severe.

Genesis 12:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ κατέβη Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον παροικῆσαι ἐκεῖ ὅτι ἐνίσχυσεν ὁ λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς	Καὶ ἐγένετο λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ κατέβη ῞Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον παροικῆσαι ἐκεῖ, ὅτι ἐνίσχυσεν ὁ λιμὸς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
Genesis 12:10 (NETS)	Genesis 12:10 (English Elpenor)
And a famine occurred upon the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine prevailed upon the land.	And there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, because the famine prevailed in the land.

Genesis 12:11 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:11 (KJV)	Genesis 12:11 (NET)
And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife: ‘Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon.	And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:	As he approached Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman.

Genesis 12:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἤγγισεν Αβραμ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον εἶπεν Αβραμ Σαρα τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ γινώσκω ἐγὼ ὅτι γυνὴ εὐπρόσωπος εἶ	ἐγένετο δέ, ἡνίκα ἤγγισεν ῞Αβραμ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, εἶπεν ῞Αβραμ Σάρᾳ τῇ γυναικί· γινώσκω ἐγώ, ὅτι γυνὴ εὐπρόσωπος εἶ
Genesis 12:11 (NETS)	Genesis 12:11 (English Elpenor)
And it came about when Abram drew near to enter into Egypt that Abram said to his wife Sara, “I do know that your are a woman beautiful in countenance,	And it came to pass when Abram drew nigh to enter into Egypt, Abram said to Sara his wife, I know that thou art a fair woman.

Genesis 12:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:12 (KJV)	Genesis 12:12 (NET)
And it will come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they will say: This is his wife; and they will kill me, but thee they will keep alive.	Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.	When the Egyptians see you they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will keep you alive.

Genesis 12:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἔσται οὖν ὡς ἂν ἴδωσίν σε οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἐροῦσιν ὅτι γυνὴ αὐτοῦ αὕτη καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσίν με σὲ δὲ περιποιήσονται	ἔσται οὖν, ὡς ἂν ἴδωσί σε οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, ἐροῦσιν ὅτι γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν αὐτή, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσί με, σὲ δὲ περιποιήσονται
Genesis 12:12 (NETS)	Genesis 12:12 (English Elpenor)
it will be, therefore, that should the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’, and they will kill me, but you they will keep for themselves.	It shall come to pass then that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, This is his wife, and they shall slay me, but they shall save thee alive.

Genesis 12:13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:13 (KJV)	Genesis 12:13 (NET)
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister; that it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul may live because of thee.’	Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.	So tell them you are my sister so that it may go well for me because of you and my life will be spared on account of you.”

Genesis 12:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰπὸν οὖν ὅτι ἀδελφὴ αὐτοῦ εἰμι ὅπως ἂν εὖ μοι γένηται διὰ σέ καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἕνεκεν σοῦ	εἰπὸν οὖν, ὅτι ἀδελφὴ αὐτοῦ εἰμι, ὅπως ἂν εὖ μοι γένηται διὰ σέ, καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἕνεκέν σου
Genesis 12:13 (NETS)	Genesis 12:13 (English Elpenor)
Say, therefore, ‘I am his sister’, so that it may go well with me because of you, and my soul will live on your account.”	Say, therefore, I am his sister, that it may be well with me on account of thee, and my soul shall live because of thee.

Genesis 12:14 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:14 (KJV)	Genesis 12:14 (NET)
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.	And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.	When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful.

Genesis 12:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἰδόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν γυναῖκα ὅτι καλὴ ἦν σφόδρα	ἐγένετο δέ, ἡνίκα εἰσῆλθεν ῞Αβραμ εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἰδόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, ὅτι καλὴ ἦν σφόδρα
Genesis 12:14 (NETS)	Genesis 12:14 (English Elpenor)
And it came about when Abram entered into Egypt—as the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful—	And it came to pass when Abram entered into Egypt– the Egyptians having seen his wife that she was very beautiful–

Genesis 12:18 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:18 (KJV)	Genesis 12:18 (NET)
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said: ‘What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?	And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?	So Pharaoh summoned Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why didn’t you tell me that she was your wife?

Genesis 12:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καλέσας δὲ Φαραω τὸν Αβραμ εἶπεν τί τοῦτο ἐποίησάς μοι ὅτι οὐκ ἀπήγγειλάς μοι ὅτι γυνή σού ἐστιν	καλέσας δὲ Φαραὼ τὸν ῞Αβραμ εἶπε· τί τοῦτο ἐποίησάς μοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπήγγειλάς μοι, ὅτι γυνή σου ἐστίν;
Genesis 12:18 (NETS)	Genesis 12:18 (English Elpenor)
Now when Pharao had called Abram he said, “What is this you have done to me, that you did not tell me that she is your wife?	And Pharao having called Abram, said, What is this thou hast done to me, that thou didst not tell me that she was thy wife?

Genesis 12:19 (Tanakh)	Genesis 12:19 (KJV)	Genesis 12:19 (NET)
Why saidst thou: She is my sister? so that I took her to be my wife; now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.’	Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.	Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her to be my wife? Now, here is your wife. Take her and go!”

Genesis 12:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 12:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἵνα τί εἶπας ὅτι ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ εἰς γυναῖκα καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου ἐναντίον σου λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε	ἱνατί εἶπας ὅτι ἀδελφή μου ἐστί; καὶ ἔλαβον αὐτὴν ἐμαυτῷ γυναῖκα, καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἡ γυνή σου ἔναντί σου· λαβὼν ἀπότρεχε
Genesis 12:19 (NETS)	Genesis 12:19 (English Elpenor)
Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? And I took her to myself for a wife. And now here is your wife before you; take her; hurry off.”	Wherefore didst thou say, She is my sister? and I took her for a wife to myself; and now, behold, thy wife is before thee, take her and go quickly away.

Genesis 20:7 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:7 (KJV)	Genesis 20:7 (NET)
Now therefore restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.’	Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.	But now give back the man’s wife. Indeed he is a prophet and he will pray for you; thus you will live. But if you don’t give her back, know that you will surely die along with all who belong to you.”

Genesis 20:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
νῦν δὲ ἀπόδος τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ὅτι προφήτης ἐστὶν καὶ προσεύξεται περὶ σοῦ καὶ ζήσῃ εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀποδίδως γνῶθι ὅτι ἀποθανῇ σὺ καὶ πάντα τὰ σά	νῦν δὲ ἀπόδος τὴν γυναῖκα τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὅτι προφήτης ἐστὶ καὶ προσεύξεται περὶ σοῦ καὶ ζήσῃ· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀποδίδως, γνώσῃ ὅτι ἀποθανῇ σὺ καὶ πάντα τὰ σά
Genesis 20:7 (NETS)	Genesis 20:7 (English Elpenor)
And now return the woman to the man, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live. If, however, you do not restore her, know that you shall die, you and all that are yours.”	But now return the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; but if thou restore her not, know that thou shalt die and all thine.

1 Peter 3:1 (NET)	1 Peter 3:1 (KJV)
In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live,	Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

1 Peter 3:1 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Peter 3:1 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Peter 3:1 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ὁμοίως [αἱ] γυναῖκες, ὑποτασσόμεναι τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν, ἵνα \|καὶ\| εἴ τινες ἀπειθοῦσιν τῷ λόγῳ, διὰ τῆς τῶν γυναικῶν ἀναστροφῆς ἄνευ λόγου κερδηθήσονται	ομοιως αι γυναικες υποτασσομεναι τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν ινα και ει τινες απειθουσιν τω λογω δια της των γυναικων αναστροφης ανευ λογου κερδηθησωνται	ομοιως αι γυναικες υποτασσομεναι τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν ινα και ει τινες απειθουσιν τω λογω δια της των γυναικων αναστροφης ανευ λογου κερδηθησονται

Christianity, Part 13

The Children of Promise, Part 1

¹ John 12:32 (ESV)

² Christianity, Part 11

³ Christianity, Part 11

⁴ Genesis 12:13 (NETS)

⁵ Genesis 20:3a (NET) Table

⁶ Genesis 12:17a (NET) Table

⁷ Galatians 3:17a (ESV) Table

⁸ Exodus 20:14 (ESV) Table

⁹ From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 12:17 (Tanakh), chabad.org

¹⁰ Genesis 20:6b (NET) Table

¹¹ From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 20:7 (Tanakh), chabad.org

¹² Genesis 12:17a (NET) Table

¹³ “Did Sarah sleep with Pharaoh when she was taken to his palace?;” “Did Pharaoh sleep with Sarah?,” on Ask the Pastors: Questions from real people answered by experienced pastors

¹⁴ 1 Peter 3:6b (ESV)

¹⁵ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had κερδηθήσονται (NET: they will be won over) here in the future tense and indicative mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had κερδηθησωνται (KJV: they…may…be won) in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood.

¹⁶ 1 Peter 3:1b (ESV)

Christianity, Part 11

Posted on September 30, 2023 by admin

There are 3 occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians [see Table below], the Greek word translated all people in: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people (πάντας, a form of πᾶς) to myself.¹ The first occurrence will take some time (1 Corinthians 7:7 ESV):

I wish² that all (πάντας ἀνθρώπους) were as I myself am. But³ each has his own gift from God, one⁴ of one kind and one⁵ of another.

Here πάντας was clearly limited by ἀνθρώπους (KJV: all men). Paul did not wish that all porcupines were as I myself am. I admit when I first read it I considered even all men limited to “very few men” because I heard the second clause as “But most of you aren’t as spiritual as I am.” Yet here πάντας ἀνθρώπους was translated all, everyone in the NET, which has the advantage of eliminating porcupines and other non-humans. And now I no longer think that everyone is wrong, misleading or a poor translation.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote,⁶ Paul began this particular explanation, but what was written wasn’t recorded. Perhaps that’s because it seems fairly obvious that the question involved whether certain people at a certain place and time should or could marry, depending on whether the writers were doing the forbidding, being forbidden or both. Or perhaps it was because the Holy Spirit regarded Paul’s answer as more universally applicable than the questions as written. Paul continued (1 Corinthians 7:1b ESV)

“It is good for a man not to have sexual relations (ἅπτεσθαι) with a woman” [Table].

The Greek word translated good here was καλὸν (a form of καλός), the “beautiful good,” rather than ἀγαθόν (a form of ἀγαθός). I wrote about the “beautiful good” in another essay. So, why did Paul write, It is good (a beautiful good) for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman?

According to Britannica online, “The philosophical and religious ideals of celibacy in the Classical world strongly influenced subsequent practices of celibacy and monasticism in Christianity.”⁷ Was Paul persuaded that pagan celibacy was the highest form of self-righteousness? Probably not.

As I studied, I wondered why Paul chose ἅπτεσθαι, “to touch,” rather than λαμβάνεσθαι, a present middle/passive infinitive form of λαμβάνω, “to take.” And I also wondered why γυναικὸς (ESV: woman), a form of γυνή in the genitive case, was chosen rather than γυνήν in the accusative case or even γυνῇ in the dative. I typed the latter question into a search engine and Barnes’ Notes on the Bible directed me to the story of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 20:2-6 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:2-6 (NET)	Genesis 20:2-6 (NETS)	Genesis 20:2-6 (English Elpenor)
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife (אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ): ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took (וַיִּקַּ֖ח) Sarah.	Abraham said about his wife (‘iššâ, אשתו) Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took (lāqaḥ, ויקח) her.	And Abraam said of his wife (τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ) Sarra, “She is my sister,” lest perhaps the men of the city kill him on her account. Then Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took (ἔλαβεν) Sarra.	And Abraam said concerning Sarrha his wife (τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ), She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the city should kill him for her sake. So Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took (ἔλαβε) Sarrha.
But G-d came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said to him: ‘Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman (הָֽאִשָּׁ֣ה) whom thou hast taken (לָקַ֔חְתָּ); for she is a man’s (בָּֽעַל) wife (בְּעֻ֥לַת)’ [Table].	But God appeared to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman (‘iššâ, האשה) you have taken (lāqaḥ, לקחת), for she is someone else’s (baʿal, בעל) wife (bāʿal, בעלת).”	And God came in to Abimelech in his sleep during the night and said, “Look, you are about to die by reason of the woman (τῆς γυναικός) whom you have taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she is married (συνῳκηκυῗα) to a man (ἀνδρί)” [Table].	And God came to Abimelech by night in sleep, and said, Behold, thou diest for the woman (τῆς γυναικός), whom thou hast taken (ἔλαβες), whereas she has lived (συνῳκηυῖα) with a husband (ἀνδρί).
Now Abimelech had not come near (קָרַ֖ב) her; and he said: ‘L-rd, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation?	Now Abimelech had not gone near (qāraḇ, קרב) her. He said, “Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation?	Now Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her, and he said, “Lord, will you destroy an unwitting and righteous nation?	But Abimelech had not touched (ἥψατο) her, and he said, Lord, wilt thou destroy an ignorantly [sinning] and just nation?
Said he not himself unto me: She is my sister? and she, even she herself said: He is my brother. In the simplicity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.’	Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!”	Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said to me, ‘He is my brother’. I did this with a pure heart and righteousness of hands.”	Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said to me, ‘He is my brother’. I did this with a pure heart and righteousness of hands.”
And G-d said unto him in the dream: ‘Yea, I know that in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch (לִנְגֹּ֥עַ) her.	Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch (nāḡaʿ, לנגע) her.	Then God said to him during his sleep, “I too knew that you did this with a pure heart, and I was the one who spared you so that you did not sin in regard to me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.	And God said to him in sleep, Yea, I knew that thou didst this with a pure heart, and I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch (ἅψασθαι) her.

Abimelech took (וַיִּקַּ֖ח) Sarah. In the Septuagint the Greek word translated took was ἔλαβε(ν) (a form of λαμβάνω). Abimelech had every intention of making Sarah one of his wives but he had not come near (קָרַ֖ב) her,⁸ he had not touched (ἥψατο, a form of ἅπτω in the middle voice) her.⁹ The Greek word translated sexual relations (ἅπτεσθαι) in 1 Corinthians 7:1b (ESV) was an infinitive form of ἅπτω also in the middle voice. I did not allow you to touch her,¹⁰ God told Abimelech in a dream. The Greek word translated to touch here was ἅψασθαι, another infinitive form of ἅπτω in the middle voice.

The Greek word γυναικὸς (a form of γυνή) was in the genitive case because whether translated wife¹¹ or woman,¹² she is married (συνῳκηκυῗα) to a man (ἀνδρί),¹³ or she has lived (συνῳκηυῖα) with a husband (ἀνδρί).¹⁴ A note (5) in the NET explained that the Hebrew was literally: “and she is owned by an owner.” Though this concept has been misunderstood as abusive authority, I think the Holy Spirit understands it as a man’s responsibility for his wife.

Consider an owner’s responsibility, written in the law, for an ox or bull:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Exodus 21:28, 29 (Tanakh)	Exodus 21:28, 29 (NET)	Exodus 21:28, 29 (NETS)	Exodus 21:28, 29 (English Elpenor)
And if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner (וּבַ֥עַל) of the ox shall be quit.	“If an ox gores a man or a woman so that either dies, then the ox must surely be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner (baʿal, ובעל) of the ox will be acquitted.	Now if a bull gores a man or a woman and he dies, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and its meat shall not be eaten, but the owner (κύριος) of the bull shall not be liable.	And if a bull gore a man or woman and they die, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner (κύριος) of the bull shall be clear.
But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and warning hath been given to its owner (בִּבְעָלָיו֙), and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner (בְּעָלָ֖יו) also shall be put to death.	But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner (baʿal, בבעליו) was warned but he did not take the necessary precautions, and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man (baʿal, בעליו) must be put to death.	But if the bull was prone to gore before yesterday and before the third day and they warn its owner (κυρίῳ) and he does not restrain it and it kills a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner (κύριος) shall die as well.	But if the bull should have been given to goring in former time, and men should have told his owner (κυρίῳ), and he have not removed him, but he should have slain a man or woman, the bull shall be stoned, and his owner (κύριος) shall die also.

Husbands, love your¹⁵ wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, Paul wrote, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself [Table].¹⁶ The Greek words translated should here are ὀφείλουσιν [καὶ], and love is ἀγαπᾶν, an infinitive form of ἀγαπάω in the present tense: In the same way husbands owe also to love their wives as their own bodies.

Yes, I am asking myself at this very moment if I took ownership of, if I accepted the responsibility for, my wife’s spiritual well-being while we were married. No, I’m not at all happy with the answer. “Find’em, feel’em, fuck’em and forget’em,” was the guiding maxim of the 4F club. It was something I learned in elementary school, not part of the official curriculum but handed down from a classmate’s older brother. And though I scoffed at it in my youth as morally beneath me, in my old age I reckon I’ve lived more nearly in compliance to that odious maxim than to any semblance of Christ-likeness. A feminist is not a godly husband: See to that¹⁷ yourself,¹⁸ was too often my attitude as I was preoccupied with more worldly concerns.

It seems like I understand Paul’s insight in 1 Corinthians 7:1b better, at least grasp its generality better, if I don’t even try to translate his word string into a fluent English sentence: καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ γυναικὸς μὴ ἅπτεσθαι, “beautiful man wife not to touch.” That beauty is obvious in the story of Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech, when a man does not touch another man’s wife. The beauty of God’s intervention to spare both Sarah and Abimelech is beyond compare. I’ll return to that later. Paul described the beauty of a man not touching his own wife for an agreed upon period of time a few verses after this, and the beauty of not taking a wife at all in some verses after that (1 Corinthians 7:28-35 ESV):

But if you do marry,¹⁹ you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world²⁰ as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please²¹ the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please²² his wife, and his interests are divided.²³ And the unmarried or betrothed woman²⁴ is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body²⁵ and spirit.²⁶ But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please²⁷ her husband. I say this for your own benefit,²⁸ not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion²⁹ to the Lord.

I’ve discounted this entire chapter way too much: the appointed time has grown very short spoke to me of the return of Christ. I couldn’t calculate how Paul might have amended his words if he had known that I would still be waiting in the fall of 2023, and so I failed to pay enough attention to what is actually written here. Now, as I approach my seventieth birthday my appointed time has grown very short and my attention is more focused, perhaps, than in the past. There are things to consider about συνεσταλμένος, the Greek word translated very short, a participle of the verb συστέλλω in the perfect tense. But for the moment I’d rather consider and address something else.

Paul’s assumptions about the beautiful preoccupations of an unmarried man and an unmarried or betrothed woman were not made regarding those who are born of the flesh of Adam only. His words are folly to those who are perishing.³⁰ That which is born of the flesh is flesh,³¹ Jesus explained to Nicodemus. “None is righteous,” Paul wrote of those born only of the flesh of Adam, “no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one [Table]. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”³²

In this letter Paul addressed those who were born, not only of the flesh of Adam but, from above as well, by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:4-9 ESV):

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

I say: “I’ve lived more nearly in compliance to that odious [4F club] maxim than to any semblance of Christ-likeness.” But Paul wrote that, our Lord Jesus Christ…will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.³³ The Greek word translated will sustain was βεβαιώσει, a 3^rd person singular form of βεβαιόω in the future tense, active voice and indicative mood: “to establish, strengthen, stabilize, make firm, confirm, secure, warrant, make good.” The word translated you was the plural ὑμᾶς, so I assume Paul meant individuals rather than the Corinthian church as a singular collective.

Everything I’m complaining about in my self-assessment happened after I said a sinner’s prayer to Jesus. Some of it after I returned from atheism. What hurts the most is the more recent events in my forties and fifties when I thought I was doing better. At the very time when 1 Corinthians 7 and Ephesians 5 should have been my daily meditation, I ignored them and became anxious about worldly things, how to please [my] wife,³⁴ and I should’ve known better—but, clearly, I didn’t. During this study, as my failure to understand the love owed to my wife was brought to my attention (how many years after the fact?), I moaned, “Why don’t You just kill me, and be done with it?”

That wouldn’t really accomplish anything from God’s perspective: for all live to him.³⁵ So I suck it up and appropriate Paul’s words as my own, finding hope and comfort (even fellowship) in them (1 Timothy 1:15, 16 ESV):

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life [Table].

I left a sermon on the first chapter of 1 Peter recently, disgruntled. Peter is not my favorite writer, though my Pastor is beginning to help overcome that antipathy in me. The text was: Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.³⁶ I left the worship service that afternoon mumbling something about, “pie in the sky bye and bye.” It took me a day or so to put my disgruntled feelings into words.

But when I finally expressed myself honestly…

No, thank you. I’ll put my hope fully on the grace that is brought to me new every morning, the fruit of Your Spirit: Your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

…the Lord’s answer was immediate:

Why do you hope for what you already see?

There wasn’t much left for me to say:

Duh, because I’m an idiot?

And so He corrected my misunderstanding.

Any time I compare myself to Jesus, I come up short. And the appointed time has grown very short³⁷ for that gap to be closed before I see Him face to face. Here is real hope: to set [my] hope fully on the grace that will be brought to [me] at the revelation of Jesus Christ. For now, I keep following Him through the Scripture, all too aware that those who have suffered the most from this gap are those whom I have loved and continue to love (e.g., because I do it so poorly).

I’ll pick this up in another essay. The table mentioned above follows.

Occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians
Reference	NET Parallel Greek	ESV
1 Corinthians 7:7	θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν	I wish that all were as I myself am.
1 Corinthians 14:5	θέλω δὲ πάντας ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν γλώσσαις	Now I want you all to speak in tongues,
1 Corinthians 15:25	ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ	until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Tables comparing Genesis 20:2; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; Exodus 21:28 and 21:29 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 20:2; 20:4; 20:5; 20:6; Exodus 21:28 and 21:29 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing 1 Corinthians 7:7; Ephesians 5:25; Matthew 27:4; 1 Corinthians 7:28 and 7:31-35 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 20:2 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:2 (KJV)	Genesis 20:2 (NET)
And Abraham said of Sarah his wife: ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.	And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.	Abraham said about his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent for Sarah and took her.

Genesis 20:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Αβρααμ περὶ Σαρρας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν ἐφοβήθη γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὅτι γυνή μού ἐστιν μήποτε ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως δι᾽ αὐτήν ἀπέστειλεν δὲ Αβιμελεχ βασιλεὺς Γεραρων καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν Σαρραν	εἶπε δὲ ῾Αβραὰμ περὶ Σάρρας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀδελφή μου ἐστίν· ἐφοβήθη γὰρ εἰπεῖν ὅτι γυνή μου ἐστί, μή ποτε ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτὸν οἱ ἄνδρες τῆς πόλεως δι᾿ αὐτήν. ἀπέστειλε δὲ ᾿Αβιμέλεχ, βασιλεὺς Γεράρων, καὶ ἔλαβε τὴν Σάρραν
Genesis 20:2 (NETS)	Genesis 20:2 (English Elpenor)
And Abraam said of his wife Sarra, “She is my sister,” lest perhaps the men of the city kill him on her account. Then Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took Sarra.	And Abraam said concerning Sarrha his wife, She is my sister, for he feared to say, She is my wife, lest at any time the men of the city should kill him for her sake. So Abimelech king of Gerara sent and took Sarrha.

Genesis 20:4 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:4 (KJV)	Genesis 20:4 (NET)
Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he said: ‘L-rd, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation?	But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?	Now Abimelech had not gone near her. He said, “Lord, would you really slaughter an innocent nation?

Genesis 20:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
Αβιμελεχ δὲ οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπεν κύριε ἔθνος ἀγνοοῦν καὶ δίκαιον ἀπολεῖς	᾿Αβιμέλεχ δὲ οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς καὶ εἶπε· Κύριε, ἔθνος ἀγνοοῦν καὶ δίκαιον ἀπολεῖς
Genesis 20:4 (NETS)	Genesis 20:4 (English Elpenor)
Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said, “Lord, will you destroy an unwitting and righteous nation?	But Abimelech had not touched her, and he said, Lord, wilt thou destroy an ignorantly [sinning] and just nation?

Genesis 20:5 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:5 (KJV)	Genesis 20:5 (NET)
Said he not himself unto me: She is my sister? and she, even she herself said: He is my brother. In the simplicity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I done this.’	Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.	Did Abraham not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this with a clear conscience and with innocent hands!”

Genesis 20:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ αὐτός μοι εἶπεν ἀδελφή μού ἐστιν καὶ αὐτή μοι εἶπεν ἀδελφός μού ἐστιν ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ χειρῶν ἐποίησα τοῦτο	οὐκ αὐτός μοι εἶπεν, ἀδελφή μου ἐστί; καὶ αὕτη μοι εἶπεν, ἀδελφός μου ἐστίν; ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ χειρῶν ἐποίησα τοῦτο
Genesis 20:5 (NETS)	Genesis 20:5 (English Elpenor)
Did not he himself say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said to me, ‘He is my brother’. I did this with a pure heart and righteousness of hands.”	Said he not to me, She is my sister, and said she not to me, He is my brother? with a pure heart and in the righteousness of my hands have I done this.

Genesis 20:6 (Tanakh)	Genesis 20:6 (KJV)	Genesis 20:6 (NET)
And G-d said unto him in the dream: ‘Yea, I know that in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.	And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.	Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. That is why I have kept you from sinning against me and why I did not allow you to touch her.

Genesis 20:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 20:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς καθ᾽ ὕπνον κἀγὼ ἔγνων ὅτι ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ ἐποίησας τοῦτο καὶ ἐφεισάμην ἐγώ σου τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτεῖν σε εἰς ἐμέ ἕνεκεν τούτου οὐκ ἀφῆκά σε ἅψασθαι αὐτῆς	λίγο εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς καθ᾿ ὕπνον· κἀγὼ ἔγνων ὅτι ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ ἐποίησας τοῦτο, καὶ ἐφεισάμην σου τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτεῖν σε εἰς ἐμέ· ἕνεκα τούτου οὐκ ἀφῆκά σε ἅψασθαι αὐτῆς
Genesis 20:6 (NETS)	Genesis 20:6 (English Elpenor)
Then God said to him during his sleep, “I too knew that you did this with a pure heart, and I was the one who spared you so that you did not sin in regard to me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch her.	And God said to him in sleep, Yea, I knew that thou didst this with a pure heart, and I spared thee, so that thou shouldest not sin against me, therefore I suffered thee not to touch her.

Exodus 21:28 (Tanakh)	Exodus 21:28 (KJV)	Exodus 21:28 (NET)
And if an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die, the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.	If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.	“If an ox gores a man or a woman so that either dies, then the ox must surely be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will be acquitted.

Exodus 21:28 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 21:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ κερατίσῃ ταῦρος ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα καὶ ἀποθάνῃ λίθοις λιθοβοληθήσεται ὁ ταῦρος καὶ οὐ βρωθήσεται τὰ κρέα αὐτοῦ ὁ δὲ κύριος τοῦ ταύρου ἀθῷος ἔσται	᾿Εὰν δὲ κερατίσῃ ταῦρος ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, λίθοις λιθοβοληθήσεται ὁ ταῦρος, καὶ οὐ βρωθήσεται τὰ κρέα αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ κύριος τοῦ ταύρου ἀθῷος ἔσται
Exodus 21:28 (NETS)	Exodus 21:28 (English Elpenor)
Now if a bull gores a man or a woman and he dies, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and its meat shall not be eaten, but the owner of the bull shall not be liable.	And if a bull gore a man or woman and they die, the bull shall be stoned with stones, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the bull shall be clear.

Exodus 21:29 (Tanakh)	Exodus 21:29 (KJV)	Exodus 21:29 (NET)
But if the ox was wont to gore in time past, and warning hath been given to its owner, and he hath not kept it in, but it hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.	But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.	But if the ox had the habit of goring, and its owner was warned but he did not take the necessary precautions, and then it killed a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned and the man must be put to death.

Exodus 21:29 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 21:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ταῦρος κερατιστὴς ᾖ πρὸ τῆς ἐχθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης καὶ διαμαρτύρωνται τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃ αὐτόν ἀνέλῃ δὲ ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα ὁ ταῦρος λιθοβοληθήσεται καὶ ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ προσαποθανεῖται	ἐὰν δὲ ὁ ταῦρος κερατιστὴς ᾖ πρὸ τῆς χθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης, καὶ διαμαρτύρωνται τῷ κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃ αὐτόν, ἀνέλῃ δὲ ἄνδρα ἢ γυναῖκα, ὁ ταῦρος λιθοβοληθήσεται καὶ ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ προσαποθανεῖται
Exodus 21:29 (NETS)	Exodus 21:29 (English Elpenor)
But if the bull was prone to gore before yesterday and before the third day and they warn its owner and he does not restrain it and it kills a man or a woman, the bull shall be stoned, and its owner shall die as well.	But if the bull should have been given to goring in former time, and men should have told his owner, and he have not removed him, but he should have slain a man or woman, the bull shall be stoned, and his owner shall die also.

1 Corinthians 7:7 (NET)	1 Corinthians 7:7 (KJV)
I wish that everyone was as I am. But each has his own gift from God, one this way, another that.	For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

1 Corinthians 7:7 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν· ἀλλὰ ἕκαστος ἴδιον ἔχει χάρισμα ἐκ θεοῦ, ὁ μὲν οὕτως, ὁ δὲ οὕτως	θελω γαρ παντας ανθρωπους ειναι ως και εμαυτον αλλ εκαστος ιδιον χαρισμα εχει εκ θεου ος μεν ουτως ος δε ουτως	θελω γαρ παντας ανθρωπους ειναι ως και εμαυτον αλλ εκαστος ιδιον χαρισμα εχει εκ θεου ος μεν ουτως ος δε ουτως

Ephesians 5:25 (NET)	Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)
Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her	Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Ephesians 5:25 (NET Parallel Greek)	Ephesians 5:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Ephesians 5:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς	οι ανδρες αγαπατε τας γυναικας εαυτων καθως και ο χριστος ηγαπησεν την εκκλησιαν και εαυτον παρεδωκεν υπερ αυτης	οι ανδρες αγαπατε τας γυναικας εαυτων καθως και ο χριστος ηγαπησεν την εκκλησιαν και εαυτον παρεδωκεν υπερ αυτης

Matthew 27:4 (NET)	Matthew 27:4 (KJV)
saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!”	Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.

Matthew 27:4 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 27:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 27:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγων· ἥμαρτον παραδοὺς αἷμα \|ἀθῷον\|. οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· τί πρὸς ἡμᾶς; σὺ ὄψῃ	λεγων ημαρτον παραδους αιμα αθωον οι δε ειπον τι προς ημας συ οψει	λεγων ημαρτον παραδους αιμα αθωον οι δε ειπον τι προς ημας συ οψει

1 Corinthians 7:28 (NET)	1 Corinthians 7:28 (KJV)
But if you marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face difficult circumstances, and I am trying to spare you such problems.	But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.

1 Corinthians 7:28 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:28 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:28 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐὰν δὲ καὶ γαμήσῃς, οὐχ ἥμαρτες, καὶ ἐὰν γήμῃ \|ἡ\| παρθένος, οὐχ ἥμαρτεν· θλῖψιν δὲ τῇ σαρκὶ ἕξουσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι, ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομαι	εαν δε και γημης ουχ ημαρτες και εαν γημη η παρθενος ουχ ημαρτεν θλιψιν δε τη σαρκι εξουσιν οι τοιουτοι εγω δε υμων φειδομαι	εαν δε και γημης ουχ ημαρτες και εαν γημη η παρθενος ουχ ημαρτεν θλιψιν δε τη σαρκι εξουσιν οι τοιουτοι εγω δε υμων φειδομαι

1 Corinthians 7:31-35 (NET)	1 Corinthians 7:31-35 (KJV)
those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape of this world is passing away.	And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

1 Corinthians 7:31 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ οἱ χρώμενοι τὸν κόσμον ὡς μὴ καταχρώμενοι· παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου	και οι χρωμενοι τω κοσμω τουτω ως μη καταχρωμενοι παραγει γαρ το σχημα του κοσμου τουτου	και οι χρωμενοι τω κοσμω τουτω ως μη καταχρωμενοι παραγει γαρ το σχημα του κοσμου τουτου

And I want you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.

But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:

1 Corinthians 7:32 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:32 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:32 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους εἶναι. ὁ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κυρίου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῷ κυρίῳ·	θελω δε υμας αμεριμνους ειναι ο αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου πως αρεσει τω κυριω	θελω δε υμας αμεριμνους ειναι ο αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου πως αρεσει τω κυριω

But a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife,

But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:33 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:33 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:33 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ δὲ γαμήσας μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῇ γυναικί	ο δε γαμησας μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τη γυναικι	ο δε γαμησας μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τη γυναικι

and he is divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband.

There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.

1 Corinthians 7:34 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:34 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:34 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ μεμέρισται. καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄγαμος καὶ ἡ παρθένος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κυρίου, ἵνα ᾖ ἁγία \|καὶ\| τῷ σώματι καὶ τῷ πνεύματι· ἡ δὲ γαμήσασα μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσῃ τῷ ἀνδρί	μεμερισται η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου ινα η αγια και σωματι και πνευματι η δε γαμησασα μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τω ανδρι	μεμερισται και η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος μεριμνα τα του κυριου ινα η αγια και σωματι και πνευματι η δε γαμησασα μεριμνα τα του κοσμου πως αρεσει τω ανδρι

I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord.

And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.

1 Corinthians 7:35 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Corinthians 7:35 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Corinthians 7:35 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς τὸ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν σύμφορον λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα βρόχον ὑμῖν ἐπιβάλω ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ εὔσχημον καὶ εὐπάρεδρον τῷ κυρίῳ ἀπερισπάστως	τουτο δε προς το υμων αυτων συμφερον λεγω ουχ ινα βροχον υμιν επιβαλω αλλα προς το ευσχημον και ευπροσεδρον τω κυριω απερισπαστως	τουτο δε προς το υμων αυτων συμφερον λεγω ουχ ινα βροχον υμιν επιβαλω αλλα προς το ευσχημον και ευπροσεδρον τω κυριω απερισπαστως

Christianity, Part 12

Back to Christianity, Part 13

¹ John 12:32 (ESV)

² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δὲ (not translated in the NET) near the beginning of this clause, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γαρ (KJV: For).

³ The NET parallel Greek text had the conjunction ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had ἀλλ᾽.

⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article ὁ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the relative pronoun ος.

⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article ὁ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the relative pronoun ος.

⁶ 1 Corinthians 7:1a (ESV) Table

⁷ “Pagan religions of the ancient Mediterranean,” celibacy, Britannica

⁸ Genesis 20:4 (Tanakh)

⁹ Genesis 20:4 (NETS, English Elpenor)

¹⁰ Genesis 20:6 (NETS)

¹¹ Genesis 20:2 (NETS, English Elpenor)

¹² Genesis 20:3 (NETS, English Elpenor) Table

¹³ Genesis 20:3b (NETS) Table

¹⁴ Genesis 20:3b (English Elpenor) Table

¹⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εαυτων here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁶ Ephesians 5:25-28 (ESV)

¹⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὄψῃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οψει (KJV: see…to that).

¹⁸ Matthew 27:4b (NASB)

¹⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had γαμήσῃς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γημης (KJV: thou marry).

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τὸν κόσμον here in the accusative case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τω κοσμω τουτω (KJV: this world) in the dative case.

²¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀρέσῃ here in the subjunctive mood and aorist tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αρεσει (KJV: he may please) in the indicative mood and future tense.

²² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀρέσῃ here in the subjunctive mood and aorist tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αρεσει (KJV: he may please) in the indicative mood and future tense.

²³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had καὶ μεμέρισται (NET: and he is divided) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had simply μεμερισται (KJV: There is difference also between).

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἄγαμος καὶ ἡ παρθένος (NET: An unmarried woman or a virgin) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had η γυνη και η παρθενος η αγαμος (KJV: a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman).

²⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article τῷ preceding body. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article τῷ preceding spirit. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

²⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀρέσῃ here in the subjunctive mood and aorist tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αρεσει (KJV: she may please) in the indicative mood and future tense.

²⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the noun σύμφορον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had συμφερον (KJV: profit), a participle of the verb συμφέρω.

²⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εὐπάρεδρον here, a form of εὐπάρεδρος, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ευπροσεδρον (KJV: that ye may attend upon), a form of εὐπρόσεδρος.

³⁰ 1 Corinthians 1:18b (ESV)

³¹ John 3:6a (ESV)

³² Romans 3:10b-18 (ESV)

³³ 1 Corinthians 1:7b, 8 (ESV)

³⁴ 1 Corinthians 7:33b (ESV)

³⁵ Luke 20:38b (ESV)

³⁶ 1 Peter 1:13 (ESV)

³⁷ 1 Corinthians 7:29a (ESV)

The Day of the Lord, Part 6

Posted on September 23, 2023 by admin

In another essay I began to look at John’s description of antichrist and many antichrists because Meyer’s NT Commentary stated that many of the Church Fathers had understood Paul’s description of the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, as the Antichrist.

2 Thessalonians 2:3b, 4 (NET)

The Church Fathers

For [the day of the Lord] will not arrive until the rebellion comes and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας) [Table]. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat in God’s temple, displaying himself as God [Table].

They correctly agree in considering that by the advent (2 Thessalonians 2:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:8), or the day of the Lord (2 Thessalonians 2:2), is to be understood the personal advent of Christ for the last judgment and for the completion of the Messianic kingdom. Also it is correctly regarded as proved, that the Antichrist here described is to be considered as an individual person, in whom sin will embody itself.

The last insight into antichrist I considered in another essay I titled “the antichrist…denies the Father and the Son.” John penned a contrast to this title in the final verse I quoted under that heading: The person who confesses (ὁ ὁμολογῶν) the Son has the Father also.³ His explanation of this point is my final insight:

4. …the spirit of the antichrist…refuses to confess Jesus

John wrote (1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 1:7 NET):

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

For many deceivers have gone out⁴ into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.⁵ Though I might otherwise have focused on test (δοκιμάζετε, a form of δοκιμάζω) the spirits, this study has focused my attention on the many antichrists who went out from us.

1 John 2:18b, 19a (NET Parallel Greek) Table	1 John 4:1b (NET Parallel Greek)
καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασιν…ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθαν	ὅτι πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐξεληλύθασιν εἰς τὸν κόσμον
1 John 2:18b, 19a (NET)	1 John 4:1b (NET)
so now many antichrists have appeared…They went out from us	because many false prophets have gone out into the world

This is, admittedly, the first time I’ve made any strong connection between ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ (many antichrists) and πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται (many false prophets). The connection is made primarily by John’s descriptions of antichrist and many antichrists, but also through the verbs ἐξῆλθαν (They went out) and ἐξεληλύθασιν (have gone out), forms of ἐξέρχομαι. I hadn’t thought of these many false prophets as those who went out from us before. Jesus warned, Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.⁶

Up until this moment my religious mind had limited my understanding of false prophets to “religious” things, to those who make false predictions about Jesus’ return or some other false teaching of Scripture. Combined with the many antichrists who went out from us, Jesus’ warning that whoever does not gather with me scatters (σκορπίζει, a form of σκορπίζω) and my initial insights into false wonders, however, I’m willing to modify that understanding.

Charles Darwin doesn’t appear to be one who went out from the visible church literally. “Darwin and his family had a lifetime involvement with the Church of England, and various dissenting establishments…His local activities in the village of Down paint a fascinating picture of a man who, despite his own divergent beliefs and uncertainties, was determined to support the church as a social institution.”⁷ This was partly explained by the existence of a state church in England: “A nominal adherence to the Anglican Church’s teachings was still essential for admittance to many of the elite cultural and political institutions of England. It was required to enter Oxford and Cambridge, for example, and an Oxbridge degree was often crucial, in turn, in securing a position in the most prestigious professions. As a young man, Charles went up to Cambridge in 1828 with the aim of completing the necessary studies to be a clergyman.”⁸

On the other hand, it is apparent that Aleister Crowley went out from the Plymouth Brethren. An entry in Wikipedia describing “The Confessions of Aleister Crowley: An Autohagiography” states: “In reference to his early years of being raised by fundamentalist Christians, Crowley explains how he became a rebel against conventional religion and how his behaviour and conflicts with authority figures contributed to his reputation as a dark magician. Whilst Crowley does not deny dabbling with demonic forces, his memoirs reveal that his aim was the progress and spiritual freedom of humanity.”⁹

E.O. Wilson, the controversial¹⁰ “father of sociobiology,” according to an entry¹¹ in Wikipedia online:

…described his position as “provisional deism”^[71] and explicitly denied the label of “atheist”, preferring “agnostic”.^[72] He explained his faith as a trajectory away from traditional beliefs: “I drifted away from the church, not definitively agnostic or atheistic, just Baptist & Christian no more.”^[45] Wilson argued that belief in God and the rituals of religion are products of evolution.^[73] He argued that they should not be rejected or dismissed, but further investigated by science to better understand their significance to human nature. In his book The Creation, Wilson wrote that scientists ought to “offer the hand of friendship” to religious leaders and build an alliance with them, stating that “Science and religion are two of the most potent forces on Earth and they should come together to save the creation.”^[74]

…In a New Scientist interview published on January 21, 2015, however, Wilson said that “Religion ‘is dragging us down’ and must be eliminated ‘for the sake of human progress'”, and “So I would say that for the sake of human progress, the best thing we could possibly do would be to diminish, to the point of eliminating, religious faiths.”^[76]

An entry titled “Sociobiology” in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy online states:

Human behavioral ecology (HBE), or human evolutionary ecology, is the current evolutionary social science most closely related to Wilson’s sociobiological project; it is the project that is sometimes still referred to as “sociobiology” by some philosophers of science (Griffiths, 2008; Sterelny and Griffiths, 1999)…

To understand the purposes of the HBE project, let’s consider one of its classic examples: Kaplan and Hill’s (1992) work on prey choice strategies amongst the Ache foragers of Paraguay. Just as in non-human behavioral ecology, behavioral strategies in HBE are usually described as complex behavioral dispositions. Behavioral dispositions involve behavioral responses to local stimuli; behavioral strategies then involve producing a set of different responses to a set of different stimuli (i.e. the response conditions of the strategy). According to Kaplan and Hill, the Ache prey choice strategy involves choosing a variety of different potential prey items from the environment; whether or not a prey item is taken depends on a number of circumstances acting as the response conditions: for example, the presence of prey with certain specific features, such as the caloric return of the prey given the time necessary to process it (known as the profitability); the rate at which that prey occurs in the environment; whether or not the prey is encountered on their search; and the search time available on a foraging trip…

HBEs explicitly accept that social learning of general purpose reasoning may be responsible for human behavioral strategies such as the Ache’s.

This was followed immediately by a Human Behavioral Ecology “statement of faith”:

However, this is ultimately irrelevant; one way or another, natural selection has, in effect, “seen to it” that humans behave in ways that tend to maximize their reproductive success.

The Lord used statements like this in E.O. Wilson’s comments on Sociobiology to help wean me from any consideration of evolution as a plausible alternative to his creation of life. As for “means” (e.g., God used evolution to create life as we see it now), it’s not what the Scripture says. Perhaps, the benefit I’ve derived from considering each of these men as I followed Jesus through the Scriptures has made me slow (or even loathe) to recognize them as false prophets and antichrists. And that brings me at last to Friedrich Nietzsche.

According to an entry in Wikipedia online, Friedrich Nietzsche was the son of “a Lutheran pastor^[15]…Academic records from one of the schools attended by Nietzsche noted that he excelled in Christian theology.”^[17] The Lord used Nietzsche’s¹² writings to help me understand my own unbelief. I wrote of Nietzsche in another essay:

When I consider the justice of God’s mercy in and through Christ I am reminded of Friedrich Nietzsche. Jesus said, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.^[30] The soul cannot be killed with weaponry. But Friedrich Nietzsche came about as close to being a soul killer as I can imagine a human being becoming. Who can calculate his devastating impact on the souls of academics and the intelligentsia? But if I imagine him in torment in hell for all eternity, cursing his nonexistent god, I realize that I can imagine no greater destruction of the personality I know as Friedrich Nietzsche than to find him one day clothed and in his right mind,^[31] and sitting at the feet of Jesus.

This particular blog entry posted: May 25, 2013. The confirmation of this “no greater destruction” insight posted: December 14, 2022. It was the first time I really grappled with the differences between the mind of Christ and my religious mind vis-a-vis John 12:31, 32 (NET).

Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Before that study I could only see these as three independent projects on a to-do list. Afterward, I began to see the first two accomplished in the promise of the third. Present day scientists and philosophers would call that confirmation bias. Possibly so, but it’s the kind of confirmation bias that helps to keep me following Jesus through the Scripture.

Frankly, I would much rather tell you that I learned about the judgment of this world¹³ from Jesus’ words, explained in his promise, And I…will draw all people to myself,¹⁴ and then declared “that I can imagine no greater destruction of the personality I know as Friedrich Nietzsche than to find him one day clothed and in his right mind,^[31] and sitting at the feet of Jesus.” The opposite, that I had this insight before I heard Jesus’ words (which I had read many times before), makes me feel stupid and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!¹⁵ And the prophet here was none other than the Lord Himself!

Granted, some of my stupidity and slowness of heart to believe is attributable to the fact that what I am believing now is contrary to my religion and even to my own religious mind. This confirmation bias is one of many that helps me to gain the courage to stand up to my religion and my own religious mind and say: “No, I would rather be wrong trusting Jesus’ words when I stand before Him in judgment, than right trusting yours.”

Having said that, I think it’s important to point out that John limited the terms antichrist, false prophets and deceivers (πλάνοι, a form of πλάνος) to those who do not confess Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh,¹⁶ to people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh.¹⁷ These are not terms John threw out at brothers and sisters who are slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. The resurrected Jesus described us as, You foolish people (ὦ ἀνόητοι).¹⁸ The Greek word ἀνόητοι is a plural form of the adjective ἀνόητος: “uneducated, low intelligence, unintelligent, lacking understanding; unwise, not thought on, unheard of; foolish, senseless.”

I’ll continue with this in another essay. A table comparing 2 John 1:7 in the NET and KJV follows.

2 John 1:7 (NET)	2 John 1:7 (KJV)
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!	For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

2 John 1:7 (NET Parallel Greek)	2 John 1:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	2 John 1:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οἱ μὴ ὁμολογοῦντες Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐν σαρκί· οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ πλάνος καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος	οτι πολλοι πλανοι εισηλθον εις τον κοσμον οι μη ομολογουντες ιησουν χριστον ερχομενον εν σαρκι ουτος εστιν ο πλανος και ο αντιχριστος	οτι πολλοι πλανοι εισηλθον εις τον κοσμον οι μη ομολογουντες ιησουν χριστον ερχομενον εν σαρκι ουτος εστιν ο πλανος και ο αντιχριστος

The Day of the Lord, Part 7

¹ Mark 8:16b (NET) Table

² Mark 8:15b (NET)

³ 1 John 2:23b (NET) Table

⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐξῆλθον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εισηλθον (KJV: are entered).

⁵ 1 John 4:1 (NET)

⁶ Matthew 12:30 (NET)

⁷ “Darwin and the Church,” Darwin Correspondence Project, University of Cambridge

⁸ Ibid.

⁹ “The Confessions of Aleister Crowley”

¹⁰ Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, 1975, “Reception and controversy,” E. O. Wilson

¹¹ “God and religion,” E. O. Wilson

¹³ John 12:31 (NET)

¹⁴ John 12:32 (NET)

¹⁵ Luke 24:25b (NET)

¹⁶ 1 John 4:2, 3 (NET) Table

¹⁷ 2 John 1:7 (NET)

¹⁸ Luke 24:25b (NET)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

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