A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 5

After the flood God spoke to Noah and his sons.[1]

Masoretic Text

Septuagint
Genesis 9:5, 6 (Tanakh) Genesis 9:5, 6 (NET) Genesis 9:5, 6 (NETS)

Genesis 9:5, 6 (English Elpenor)

And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it; and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, will I require the life of man. For your lifeblood I will surely exact punishment, from every living creature I will exact punishment.  From each person I will exact punishment for the life of the individual since the man was his relative. For truly, your blood of your lives I will seek out: from the hand of all the animals I will seek it out, and from the hand of a fellow human I will seek out the life of the human. For your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of all wild beasts, and I will require the life of man at the hand of [his] brother man.
Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man (בָּֽאָדָ֖ם) shall his blood be shed; for in the image of G-d made He man. “Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans (‘āḏām, באדם) must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God has made humankind. As for the one who sheds a human’s blood, in return for this blood shall it be shed.  For by divine image I made humankind. He that sheds man’s blood, instead of that blood shall his own be shed, for in the image of God I made man.

Rashi’s commentary reads:

through man shall his blood be shed: If there are witnesses, you kill him. Why? “For in the image of God, etc.”

In another essay, reading only from the Masoretic text, I called this “a righteous expectation of the law God gave Noah and his sons after the flood.”  I wrote, “God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) spoke one law to address violence” in another.  And in another, even after checking the Septuagint but not yet giving it the weight I do today, I used this “law” to justify killing the Canaanites: “In this sense then Israel’s army became a limited cleansing flood, as opposed to the flood yehôvâh promised not to unleash again to destroy the earth.”

The Septuagint doesn’t include the phrase by man (בָּֽאָדָ֖ם), or by other humans (NET).  It is entirely possible that אֱלֹהִ֔ים (‘ĕlōhîm) described his own attitude and actions toward murderers henceforward rather than delegating that authority to human beings through a law, regardless if human beings understood his words as open season on those who killed their loved ones.

He said: your blood of your lives will I require (אֶדְר֔שׁ), I will surely exact punishment[2] (NET), I will seek out (ἐκζητήσω), will I require it (אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ), I will exact punishment (NET), I will seek it out (ἐκζητήσω), will I require (English Elpenor), will I require (אֶדְר֖שׁ) the life of man (Tanakh), I will exact punishment (NET), I will seek out (ἐκζητήσω), and I will require (English Elpenor).

At any rate it finally got through to me how I may be blaspheming God and the law by calling this brief passage law.  When this issue is finally addressed in the law it is described in detail and in the context of cities of refuge:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint
Numbers 35:9-11 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:9-11 (NET) Numbers 35:9-11 (NETS)

Numbers 35:9-11 (English Elpenor)

And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying: Then the Lord spoke to Moses: And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: As for you, you are crossing the Jordan into the land of Chanaan, Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Ye are to cross over Jordan into the land of Chanaan.
then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person through error may flee thither. you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee. and you shall set aside for yourselves cities; they shall be places of refuge for you for the murderer to flee there, everyone who strikes a soul unintentionally. And ye shall appoint to yourselves cities: they shall be to you cities of refuge for the slayer to flee to, every one who has killed another unintentionally.

As one might expect, the legal concept through error (בִּשְׁגָגָֽה) or unintentionally (ἀκουσίως) was spelled out in some detail in the law:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint
Numbers 35:22-25 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:22-25 (NET) Numbers 35:22-25 (NETS)

Numbers 35:22-25 (English Elpenor)

But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or hurled upon him any thing without lying in wait, [Table] “But if he strikes him suddenly, without enmity, or throws anything at him unintentionally But if he pushes him suddenly, not out of enmity, or throws at him any object not from an ambush But if he should thrust him suddenly, not through enmity, or cast any thing upon him, not from an ambuscade,
or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm; [Table] or with any stone large enough that a man could die, without seeing him, and throws it at him, and he dies, even though he was not his enemy nor sought his harm, or with any stone—by which he may die—unknowingly, and it falls upon him and he dies but he is not his enemy nor was he seeking to harm him, or [smite him] with any stone, whereby a man may die, unawares, and it should fall upon him, and he should die, but he was not his enemy, nor sought to hurt him;
then the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood according to these ordinances; [Table] then the community must judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these decisions. then the congregation shall judge between the striker and between the one doing the relative’s blood duty, according to these judgments, then the assembly shall judge between the smiter and the avenger of blood, according to these judgments.
and the congregation shall deliver the manslayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he was fled; and he shall dwell therein until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the holy oil [Table]. The community must deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the community must restore him to the town of refuge to which he fled, and he must live there until the death of the high priest, who was anointed with the consecrated oil. and the congregation shall rescue the one that committed murder from the one doing the relative’s blood duty.  And the congregation shall restore him to the city of his place of refuge, where he fled for refuge.  And he shall live there until the great priest dies, him whom they anointed with the holy oil. And the congregation shall rescue the slayer from the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge, whither he fled for refuge; and he shall dwell there till the death of the high-priest, whom they anointed with the holy oil.

This was contrasted to the conditions that called for a guilty verdict and the death penalty:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Numbers 35:16-21 (Tanakh)

Numbers 35:16-21 (NET) Numbers 35:16-21 (NETS)

Numbers 35:16-21 (English Elpenor)

But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. “‘But if he hits someone with an iron tool so that he dies, he is a murderer.  The murderer must surely be put to death. But if he strikes him with an iron instrument and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death. And if he should smite him with an iron instrument, and the man should die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
And if he smote him with a stone in the hand (יָד֩), whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. If he strikes him by throwing (yāḏ, יד) a stone large enough that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer.  The murderer must surely be put to death. Now if he strikes him with a stone out of hand (ἐκ χειρός)—by which he may die—and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death. And if he should smite him with a stone [thrown] from his hand (ἐκ χειρός), whereby a man may die, and he [thus] die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand (יָד֩), whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand (yāḏ, יד) weapon so that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer.  The murderer must surely be put to death. Now if he strikes him with a wooden instrument out of hand (ἐκ χειρός)—from which he may die—and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death. And if he should smite him with an instrument of wood from his hand (ἐκ χειρός), whereby he may die, and he [thus] die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death. The avenger of blood himself must kill the murderer; when he meets him, he must kill him. As for the one doing the relative’s blood duty, he shall kill the one that committed murder; when he meets up with him, he shall kill him. The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: whensoever he shall meet him he shall slay him.
And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him any thing, lying in wait, so that he died; [Table] “‘But if he strikes him out of hatred or throws something at him intentionally so that he dies, Now if out of enmity he pushes him and hurls at him any object from an ambush and he dies And if he should thrust him through enmity, or cast any thing upon him from an ambuscade, and the man should die,
or in enmity smote him with his hand, that he died; he that smote him shall surely be put to death: he is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meeteth him [Table]. or with enmity he strikes him with his hand and he dies, the one who struck him must surely be put to death, for he is a murderer.  The avenger of blood must kill the murderer when he meets him. or out of rage he struck him with the hand and he dies, let the one who struck be put to death by death—he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death; the one doing the relative’s blood duty shall strike the one that committed murder when he meets him. or if he have smitten him with his hand through anger, and the man should die, let the man that smote him be put to death by all means, he is a murderer: let the murderer by all means be put to death: the avenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meets him.

The law continued to clarify the meaning of the cities of refuge:

Masoretic Text Septuagint
Numbers 35:12-15 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:12-15 (NET) Numbers 35:12-15 (NETS) Numbers 35:12-15 (English Elpenor)
And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment. And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community. And the cities shall be for you places of refuge from one doing the relative’s blood duty, and the one that commits murder will not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. And the cities shall be to you places of refuge from the avenger of blood, and the slayer shall not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
And as to the cities which ye shall give, there shall be for you six cities of refuge. These towns that you must give shall be your six towns for refuge. And the cities that you give as the six cities shall be places of refuge for you. And the cities which ye shall assign, [even] the six cities, shall be places of refuge for you.
Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. “‘You must give three towns on this side of the Jordan, and you must give three towns in the land of Canaan; they must be towns of refuge. Three cities you shall give beyond the Jordan, and three cities you shall give in the land of Chanaan. Ye shall assign three cities on the other side of Jordan, and ye shall assign three cities in the land of Chanaan.
For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that killeth any person through error may flee thither. These six towns will be places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the resident foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills any person accidentally may flee there. They shall be an asylum for the sons of Israel and for the guest and for the resident alien among you.  These cities shall be a place of refuge for everyone to flee there when he strikes a soul unintentionally. It shall be a place of refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that sojourns among you; these cities shall be for a place of refuge, for every one to flee thither who has killed a man unintentionally.

While the city of refuge was not exactly house arrest, it was an enforceable exile for an indeterminate period of time.

Masoretic Text Septuagint
Numbers 35:26-28 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:26-28 (NET) Numbers 35:26-28 (NETS) Numbers 35:26-28 (English Elpenor)
But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth; But if the slayer at any time goes outside the boundary of the town to which he had fled, But if he that commits murder by an exit leaves the bounds of the city, there where he fled for refuge, But if the slayer should in any wise go out beyond the bounds of the city whither he fled for refuge,
and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him; and the avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the town of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the slayer, he will not be guilty of blood, and the one doing the relative’s blood duty finds him outside the bounds of the city of his refuge, and the one doing the relative’s blood duty kills the one that committed murder, he is not liable. and the avenger of blood should find him without the bounds of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood should kill the slayer, he is not guilty.
because he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return into the land of his possession. because the slayer should have stayed in his town of refuge until the death of the high priest.  But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to the land of his possessions. For let him live in the city of refuge until the great priest dies, and after the great priest dies, he that committed murder shall return to the land of his possession. For he ought to have remained in the city of refuge till the high-priest died; and after the death of the high-priest the slayer shall return to the land of his possession.

Some sentencing guidelines followed:

Masoretic Text Septuagint
Numbers 35:29-32 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:29-32 (NET) Numbers 35:29-32 (NETS) Numbers 35:29-32 (English Elpenor)
And these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. So these things must be a statutory ordinance for you throughout your generations, in all the places where you live. And these things shall be for you a requirement of judgment for your generations in all your settlements. And these things shall be to you for an ordinance of judgment throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die. “‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer must be put to death by the testimony of witnesses, but one witness cannot testify against any person to cause him to be put to death. Every one, when he strikes a soul, through witnesses you shall kill the murderer, and one witness shall not bear witness against a soul that he should die. Whoever kills a man, thou shalt slay the murderer on the testimony of witnesses; and one witness shall not testify against a soul that he should die.
Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death. Moreover, you must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; he must surely be put to death. And you shall not receive ransom for a soul from the one that committed murder, liable to be killed, for he shall be put to death by death. And ye shall not accept ransoms for life from a murderer who is worthy of death, for he shall be surely put to death.
And ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. And you must not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a town of refuge, to allow him to return home and live on his own land before the death of the high priest. And you shall not receive ransom to flee to a city of places of refuge to live again on the land until the great priest dies. Ye shall not accept a ransom [to excuse] his fleeing to the city of refuge, so that he should again dwell in the land, until the death of the high-priest.

The rationale for all of this legislation followed:

Masoretic Text Septuagint
Numbers 35:33, 34 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:33, 34 (NET) Numbers 35:33, 34 (NETS) Numbers 35:33, 34 (English Elpenor)
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. “‘You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it. And you shall not kill by murder the land on which you live.  For this blood kills the land by murder, and the land shall not be atoned for from the blood that was shed upon it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. So shall ye not pollute with murder the land in which ye dwell; for this blood pollutes the land, and the land shall not be purged from the blood shed upon it, but by the blood of him that shed it.
And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I HaShem dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.’ Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the Israelites.’” And you shall not defile the land that you live upon, on which I will encamp among you, for I am the Lord, encamping in the midst of the sons of Israel. And ye shall not defile the land whereon ye dwell, on which I dwell in the midst of you; for I am the Lord dwelling in the midst of the children of Israel.

This rationale is very consistent with the Lord’s word to Cain after he had murdered Abel:

Masoretic Text Septuagint
Genesis 4:10b-12a (Tanakh) Genesis 4:10b-12a (NET) Genesis 4:10b-12a (NETS) Genesis 4:10b-12a (English Elpenor)
the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground [Table]. The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the earth! the voice of thy brother’s blood cries to me out of the ground.
And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand [Table]. So now you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened wide its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. And now thou [art] cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; [Table] When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you. For you will till the earth, and it will not continue to yield its strength to you; When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee:

What is not consistent is the killing spree God inaugurated in Genesis 9:6 in the Masoretic text only.  It is so inconsistent it can serve as evidence that the phrase by man (בָּֽאָדָ֖ם), or by other humans (NET), was added erroneously to the original text.  I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Genesis 9:5; 9:6; Numbers 35:9; 35:10; 35:11; 35:16; 35:17; 35:18; 35:19; 35:12; 35:13; 35:14; 35:15; 35:26; 35:27; 35:28; 35:29; 35:30; 35:31; 35:32; 35:33 and 35:34 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 9:5; 9:6; Numbers 35:9; 35:10; 35:11; 35:16; 35:17; 35:18; 35:19; 35:12; 35:13; 35:14; 35:15; 35:26; 35:27; 35:28; 35:29; 35:30; 35:31; 35:32; 35:33 and 35:34 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Genesis 9:5 (Tanakh) Genesis 9:5 (KJV) Genesis 9:5 (NET)
And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it; and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, will I require the life of man. And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man. For your lifeblood I will surely exact punishment, from every living creature I will exact punishment.  From each person I will exact punishment for the life of the individual since the man was his relative.
Genesis 9:5 (Septuagint BLB) Genesis 9:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ γὰρ τὸ ὑμέτερον αἷμα τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἐκζητήσω ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν θηρίων ἐκζητήσω αὐτὸ καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀδελφοῦ ἐκζητήσω τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ γὰρ τὸ ὑμέτερον αἷμα τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἐκ χειρὸς πάντων τῶν θηρίων ἐκζητήσω αὐτὸ καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς ἀνθρώπου ἀδελφοῦ ἐκζητήσω τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου
Genesis 9:5 (NETS) Genesis 9:5 (English Elpenor)
For truly, your blood of your lives I will seek out: from the hand of all the animals I will seek it out, and from the hand of a fellow human I will seek out the life of the human. For your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of all wild beasts, and I will require the life of man at the hand of [his] brother man.
Genesis 9:6 (Tanakh) Genesis 9:6 (KJV) Genesis 9:6 (NET)
Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of G-d made He man. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man. “Whoever sheds human blood, by other humans must his blood be shed; for in God’s image God has made humankind.
Genesis 9:6 (Septuagint BLB) Genesis 9:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ἐκχέων αἷμα ἀνθρώπου ἀντὶ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ ἐκχυθήσεται ὅτι ἐν εἰκόνι θεοῦ ἐποίησα τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὁ ἐκχέων αἷμα ἀνθρώπου, ἀντὶ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ ἐκχυθήσεται, ὅτι ἐν εἰκόνι Θεοῦ ἐποίησα τὸν ἄνθρωπον
Genesis 9:6 (NETS) Genesis 9:6 (English Elpenor)
As for the one who sheds a human’s blood, in return for this blood shall it be shed.  For by divine image I made humankind. He that sheds man’s blood, instead of that blood shall his own be shed, for in the image of God I made man.
Numbers 35:9 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:9 (KJV) Numbers 35:9 (NET)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Then the Lord spoke to Moses:
Numbers 35:9 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων Καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων
Numbers 35:9 (NETS) Numbers 35:9 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying: And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
Numbers 35:10 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:10 (KJV) Numbers 35:10 (NET)
‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come over Jordan into the land of Canaan; “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you cross over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan,
Numbers 35:10 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λάλησον τοῗς υἱοῗς Ισραηλ καὶ ἐρεῗς πρὸς αὐτούς ὑμεῗς διαβαίνετε τὸν Ιορδάνην εἰς γῆν Χανααν λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτούς· ὑμεῖς διαβαίνετε τὸν ᾿Ιορδάνην εἰς γῆν Χαναὰν
Numbers 35:10 (NETS) Numbers 35:10 (English Elpenor)
Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: As for you, you are crossing the Jordan into the land of Chanaan, Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Ye are to cross over Jordan into the land of Chanaan.
Numbers 35:11 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:11 (KJV) Numbers 35:11 (NET)
then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that killeth any person through error may flee thither. Then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you; that the slayer may flee thither, which killeth any person at unawares. you must then designate some towns as towns of refuge for you, to which a person who has killed someone unintentionally may flee.
Numbers 35:11 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διαστελεῗτε ὑμῗν αὐτοῗς πόλεις φυγαδευτήρια ἔσται ὑμῗν φυγεῗν ἐκεῗ τὸν φονευτήν πᾶς ὁ πατάξας ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως καὶ διαστελεῖτε ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς πόλεις· φυγαδευτήρια ἔσται ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἐκεῖ τὸν φονευτήν, πᾶς ὁ πατάξας ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως
Numbers 35:11 (NETS) Numbers 35:11 (English Elpenor)
and you shall set aside for yourselves cities; they shall be places of refuge for you for the murderer to flee there, everyone who strikes a soul unintentionally. And ye shall appoint to yourselves cities: they shall be to you cities of refuge for the slayer to flee to, every one who has killed another unintentionally.
Numbers 35:16 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:16 (KJV) Numbers 35:16 (NET)
But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. “‘But if he hits someone with an iron tool so that he dies, he is a murderer.  The murderer must surely be put to death.
Numbers 35:16 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐν σκεύει σιδήρου πατάξῃ αὐτόν καὶ τελευτήσῃ φονευτής ἐστιν θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής ἐὰν δὲ ἐν σκεύει σιδήρου πατάξῃ αὐτόν, καὶ τελευτήσῃ, φονευτής ἐστι· θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής
Numbers 35:16 (NETS) Numbers 35:16 (English Elpenor)
But if he strikes him with an iron instrument and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death. And if he should smite him with an iron instrument, and the man should die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
Numbers 35:17 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:17 (KJV) Numbers 35:17 (NET)
And if he smote him with a stone in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. If he strikes him by throwing a stone large enough that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer.  The murderer must surely be put to death.
Numbers 35:17 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐν λίθῳ ἐκ χειρός ἐν ᾧ ἀποθανεῗται ἐν αὐτῷ πατάξῃ αὐτόν καὶ ἀποθάνῃ φονευτής ἐστιν θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής ἐὰν δὲ ἐν λίθῳ ἐκ χειρός, ἐν ᾧ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν αὐτῷ, πατάξῃ αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, φονευτής ἐστι· θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής
Numbers 35:17 (NETS) Numbers 35:17 (English Elpenor)
Now if he strikes him with a stone out of hand—by which he may die—and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death. And if he should smite him with a stone [thrown] from his hand, whereby a man may die, and he [thus] die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
Numbers 35:18 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:18 (KJV) Numbers 35:18 (NET)
Or if he smote him with a weapon of wood in the hand, whereby a man may die, and he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon so that he could die, and he dies, he is a murderer.  The murderer must surely be put to death.
Numbers 35:18 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐν σκεύει ξυλίνῳ ἐκ χειρός ἐξ οὗ ἀποθανεῗται ἐν αὐτῷ πατάξῃ αὐτόν καὶ ἀποθάνῃ φονευτής ἐστιν θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής ἐὰν δὲ ἐν σκεύει ξυλίνῳ ἐκ χειρός, ἐξ οὗ ἀποθανεῖται ἐν αὐτῷ, πατάξῃ αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, φονευτής ἐστι· θανάτῳ θανατούσθω ὁ φονευτής
Numbers 35:18 (NETS) Numbers 35:18 (English Elpenor)
Now if he strikes him with a wooden instrument out of hand—from which he may die—and he dies, he is a murderer; let the murderer be put to death by death. And if he should smite him with an instrument of wood from his hand, whereby he may die, and he [thus] die, he is a murderer; let the murderer by all means be put to death.
Numbers 35:19 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:19 (KJV) Numbers 35:19 (NET)
The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meeteth him, he shall put him to death. The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him. The avenger of blood himself must kill the murderer; when he meets him, he must kill him.
Numbers 35:19 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα οὗτος ἀποκτενεῗ τὸν φονεύσαντα ὅταν συναντήσῃ αὐτῷ οὗτος ἀποκτενεῗ αὐτόν ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα, οὗτος ἀποκτενεῖ τὸν φονεύσαντα· ὅταν συναντήσῃ αὐτῷ, οὗτος ἀποκτενεῖ αὐτόν
Numbers 35:19 (NETS) Numbers 35:19 (English Elpenor)
As for the one doing the relative’s blood duty, he shall kill the one that committed murder; when he meets up with him, he shall kill him. The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: whensoever he shall meet him he shall slay him.
Numbers 35:12 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:12 (KJV) Numbers 35:12 (NET)
And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment. And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger; that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation in judgment. And they must stand as your towns of refuge from the avenger in order that the killer may not die until he has stood trial before the community.
Numbers 35:12 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις ὑμῗν φυγαδευτήρια ἀπὸ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ φονεύων ἕως ἂν στῇ ἔναντι τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν καὶ ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις ὑμῖν φυγαδευτήρια ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀγχιστεύοντος τὸ αἷμα, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ ὁ φονεύων ἕως ἂν στῇ ἔναντι τῆς συναγωγῆς εἰς κρίσιν
Numbers 35:12 (NETS) Numbers 35:12 (English Elpenor)
And the cities shall be for you places of refuge from one doing the relative’s blood duty, and the one that commits murder will not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment. And the cities shall be to you places of refuge from the avenger of blood, and the slayer shall not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.
Numbers 35:13 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:13 (KJV) Numbers 35:13 (NET)
And as to the cities which ye shall give, there shall be for you six cities of refuge. And of these cities which ye shall give six cities shall ye have for refuge. These towns that you must give shall be your six towns for refuge.
Numbers 35:13 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ αἱ πόλεις ἃς δώσετε τὰς ἓξ πόλεις φυγαδευτήρια ἔσονται ὑμῗν καὶ αἱ πόλεις ἃς δώσετε, τὰς ἓξ πόλεις, φυγαδευτήρια ἔσονται ὑμῖν
Numbers 35:13 (NETS) Numbers 35:13 (English Elpenor)
And the cities that you give as the six cities shall be places of refuge for you. And the cities which ye shall assign, [even] the six cities, shall be places of refuge for you.
Numbers 35:14 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:14 (KJV) Numbers 35:14 (NET)
Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. Ye shall give three cities on this side Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge. “‘You must give three towns on this side of the Jordan, and you must give three towns in the land of Canaan; they must be towns of refuge.
Numbers 35:14 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὰς τρεῗς πόλεις δώσετε ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου καὶ τὰς τρεῗς πόλεις δώσετε ἐν γῇ Χανααν τὰς τρεῖς πόλεις δώσετε πέραν τοῦ ᾿Ιορδάνου καὶ τὰς τρεῖς πόλεις δώσετε ἐν γῇ Χαναάν
Numbers 35:14 (NETS) Numbers 35:14 (English Elpenor)
Three cities you shall give beyond the Jordan, and three cities you shall give in the land of Chanaan. Ye shall assign three cities on the other side of Jordan, and ye shall assign three cities in the land of Chanaan.
Numbers 35:15 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:15 (KJV) Numbers 35:15 (NET)
For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that killeth any person through error may flee thither. These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither. These six towns will be places of refuge for the Israelites, and for the resident foreigner, and for the settler among them, so that anyone who kills any person accidentally may flee there.
Numbers 35:15 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
φυγάδιον ἔσται τοῗς υἱοῗς Ισραηλ καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ καὶ τῷ παροίκῳ τῷ ἐν ὑμῗν ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις αὗται εἰς φυγαδευτήριον φυγεῗν ἐκεῗ παντὶ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως φυγαδεῖον ἔσται τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ καὶ τῷ παροίκῳ τῷ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔσονται αἱ πόλεις αὗται εἰς φυγαδευτήριον, φυγεῖν ἐκεῖ παντὶ πατάξαντι ψυχὴν ἀκουσίως
Numbers 35:15 (NETS) Numbers 35:15 (English Elpenor)
They shall be an asylum for the sons of Israel and for the guest and for the resident alien among you.  These cities shall be a place of refuge for everyone to flee there when he strikes a soul unintentionally. It shall be a place of refuge for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for him that sojourns among you; these cities shall be for a place of refuge, for every one to flee thither who has killed a man unintentionally.
Numbers 35:26 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:26 (KJV) Numbers 35:26 (NET)
But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he fleeth; But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled; But if the slayer at any time goes outside the boundary of the town to which he had fled,
Numbers 35:26 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐξόδῳ ἐξέλθῃ ὁ φονεύσας τὰ ὅρια τῆς πόλεως εἰς ἣν κατέφυγεν ἐκεῗ ἐὰν δὲ ἐξόδῳ ἐξέλθῃ ὁ φονεύσας τὰ ὅρια τῆς πόλεως εἰς ἣν κατέφυγεν ἐκεῖ
Numbers 35:26 (NETS) Numbers 35:26 (English Elpenor)
But if he that commits murder by an exit leaves the bounds of the city, there where he fled for refuge, But if the slayer should in any wise go out beyond the bounds of the city whither he fled for refuge,
Numbers 35:27 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:27 (KJV) Numbers 35:27 (NET)
and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him; And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood: and the avenger of blood finds him outside the borders of the town of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the slayer, he will not be guilty of blood,
Numbers 35:27 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εὕρῃ αὐτὸν ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα ἔξω τῶν ὁρίων τῆς πόλεως καταφυγῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ φονεύσῃ ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα τὸν φονεύσαντα οὐκ ἔνοχός ἐστιν καὶ εὕρῃ αὐτὸν ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα ἔξω τῶν ὁρίων τῆς πόλεως καταφυγῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ φονεύσῃ ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τὸ αἷμα τὸν φονεύσαντα, οὐκ ἔνοχός ἐστιν
Numbers 35:27 (NETS) Numbers 35:27 (English Elpenor)
and the one doing the relative’s blood duty finds him outside the bounds of the city of his refuge, and the one doing the relative’s blood duty kills the one that committed murder, he is not liable. and the avenger of blood should find him without the bounds of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood should kill the slayer, he is not guilty.
Numbers 35:28 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:28 (KJV) Numbers 35:28 (NET)
because he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return into the land of his possession. Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession. because the slayer should have stayed in his town of refuge until the death of the high priest.  But after the death of the high priest, the slayer may return to the land of his possessions.
Numbers 35:28 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν γὰρ τῇ πόλει τῆς καταφυγῆς κατοικείτω ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῗν τὸν ἱερέα τὸν μέγαν ἐπαναστραφήσεται ὁ φονεύσας εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς κατασχέσεως αὐτοῦ ἐν γὰρ τῇ πόλει τῆς καταφυγῆς κατοικείτω, ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν ἱερέα τὸν μέγαν ἐπαναστραφήσεται ὁ φονεύσας εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς κατασχέσεως αὐτοῦ
Numbers 35:28 (NETS) Numbers 35:28 (English Elpenor)
For let him live in the city of refuge until the great priest dies, and after the great priest dies, he that committed murder shall return to the land of his possession. For he ought to have remained in the city of refuge till the high-priest died; and after the death of the high-priest the slayer shall return to the land of his possession.
Numbers 35:29 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:29 (KJV) Numbers 35:29 (NET)
And these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. So these things must be a statutory ordinance for you throughout your generations, in all the places where you live.
Numbers 35:29 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσται ταῦτα ὑμῗν εἰς δικαίωμα κρίματος εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν ἐν πάσαις ταῗς κατοικίαις ὑμῶν καὶ ἔσται ταῦτα ὑμῖν εἰς δικαίωμα κρίματος εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν ἐν πάσαις ταῖς κατοικίαις ὑμῶν
Numbers 35:29 (NETS) Numbers 35:29 (English Elpenor)
And these things shall be for you a requirement of judgment for your generations in all your settlements. And these things shall be to you for an ordinance of judgment throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Numbers 35:30 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:30 (KJV) Numbers 35:30 (NET)
Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die. Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. “‘Whoever kills any person, the murderer must be put to death by the testimony of witnesses, but one witness cannot testify against any person to cause him to be put to death.
Numbers 35:30 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πᾶς πατάξας ψυχήν διὰ μαρτύρων φονεύσεις τὸν φονεύσαντα καὶ μάρτυς εἷς οὐ μαρτυρήσει ἐπὶ ψυχὴν ἀποθανεῗν πᾶς πατάξας ψυχήν, διὰ μαρτύρων φονεύσεις τὸν φονεύσαντα, καὶ μάρτυς εἷς οὐ μαρτυρήσει ἐπὶ ψυχὴν ἀποθανεῖν
Numbers 35:30 (NETS) Numbers 35:30 (English Elpenor)
Every one, when he strikes a soul, through witnesses you shall kill the murderer, and one witness shall not bear witness against a soul that he should die. Whoever kills a man, thou shalt slay the murderer on the testimony of witnesses; and one witness shall not testify against a soul that he should die.
Numbers 35:31 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:31 (KJV) Numbers 35:31 (NET)
Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. Moreover, you must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; he must surely be put to death.
Numbers 35:31 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ λήμψεσθε λύτρα περὶ ψυχῆς παρὰ τοῦ φονεύσαντος τοῦ ἐνόχου ὄντος ἀναιρεθῆναι θανάτῳ γὰρ θανατωθήσεται καὶ οὐ λήψεσθε λύτρα περὶ ψυχῆς παρὰ τοῦ φονεύσαντος τοῦ ἐνόχου ὄντος ἀναιρεθῆναι· θανάτῳ γὰρ θανατωθήσεται
Numbers 35:31 (NETS) Numbers 35:31 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not receive ransom for a soul from the one that committed murder, liable to be killed, for he shall be put to death by death. And ye shall not accept ransoms for life from a murderer who is worthy of death, for he shall be surely put to death.
Numbers 35:32 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:32 (KJV) Numbers 35:32 (NET)
And ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. And you must not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a town of refuge, to allow him to return home and live on his own land before the death of the high priest.
Numbers 35:32 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ λήμψεσθε λύτρα τοῦ φυγεῗν εἰς πόλιν τῶν φυγαδευτηρίων τοῦ πάλιν κατοικεῗν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας οὐ λήψεσθε λύτρα τοῦ φυγεῖν εἰς πόλιν τῶν φυγαδευτηρίων, τοῦ πάλιν κατοικεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἕως ἂν ἀποθάνῃ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας
Numbers 35:32 (NETS) Numbers 35:32 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not receive ransom to flee to a city of places of refuge to live again on the land until the great priest dies. Ye shall not accept a ransom [to excuse] his fleeing to the city of refuge, so that he should again dwell in the land, until the death of the high-priest.
Numbers 35:33 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:33 (KJV) Numbers 35:33 (NET)
So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood, it polluteth the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. “‘You must not pollute the land where you live, for blood defiles the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed there, except by the blood of the person who shed it.
Numbers 35:33 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ μὴ φονοκτονήσητε τὴν γῆν εἰς ἣν ὑμεῗς κατοικεῗτε τὸ γὰρ αἷμα τοῦτο φονοκτονεῗ τὴν γῆν καὶ οὐκ ἐξιλασθήσεται ἡ γῆ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἐκχυθέντος ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἐκχέοντος καὶ οὐ μὴ φονοκτονήσητε τὴν γῆν, εἰς ἣν ὑμεῖς κατοικεῖτε· τὸ γὰρ αἷμα τοῦτο φονοκτονεῖ τὴν γῆν, καὶ οὐκ ἐξιλασθήσεται ἡ γῆ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἐκχυθέντος ἐπ’ αὐτῆς, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἐκχέοντος
Numbers 35:33 (NETS) Numbers 35:33 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not kill by murder the land on which you live.  For this blood kills the land by murder, and the land shall not be atoned for from the blood that was shed upon it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. So shall ye not pollute with murder the land in which ye dwell; for this blood pollutes the land, and the land shall not be purged from the blood shed upon it, but by the blood of him that shed it.
Numbers 35:34 (Tanakh) Numbers 35:34 (KJV) Numbers 35:34 (NET)
And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I HaShem dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.’ Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel. Therefore do not defile the land that you will inhabit, in which I live, for I the Lord live among the Israelites.’”
Numbers 35:34 (Septuagint BLB) Numbers 35:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ μιανεῗτε τὴν γῆν ἐφ᾽ ἧς κατοικεῗτε ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐφ᾽ ἧς ἐγὼ κατασκηνώσω ἐν ὑμῗν ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι κύριος κατασκηνῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ οὐ μιανεῖτε τὴν γῆν, ἐφ’ ἧς κατοικεῖτε ἐπ’ αὐτῆς, ἐφ’ ἧς ἐγὼ κατασκηνῶ ἐν ὑμῖν· ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι Κύριος κατασκηνῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ
Numbers 35:34 (NETS) Numbers 35:34 (English Elpenor)
And you shall not defile the land that you live upon, on which I will encamp among you, for I am the Lord, encamping in the midst of the sons of Israel. And ye shall not defile the land whereon ye dwell, on which I dwell in the midst of you; for I am the Lord dwelling in the midst of the children of Israel.

[1] Genesis 9:1

[2] NET note 11: The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification. The verb דָּרָשׁ (darash) means “to require, to seek, to ask for, to exact.” Here it means that God will exact punishment for the taking of a life. See R. Mawdsley, “Capital Punishment in Gen. 9:6,” CentBib 18 (1975): 20-25.

David’s Forgiveness, Part 3

The Social Construction of Reality helped me understand my own life in a new way.  I didn’t take my Dad’s advice to avoid or watch out for women too much to heart.  Though, now that I think about it, I’ve never had sex without the benefit of some form of birth control.  I did, however, deeply internalize my uselessness and meaninglessness.  And I learned even better than I knew that I was the cause of my Dad’s problems.  They were my fault.

Now before I go too far with this I need to say that my Dad was not a son of his father’s youth but of his old age.  My Dad’s father died when my Dad was eight, leaving the family destitute and my Dad fearful for his own welfare and survival.  In other words, while I might fault my father for who or what he was, my father’s father for all practical purposes was not.

My father provided well enough for my survival and welfare that I grew up taking it and him for granted.  And to be fair to him, the other legacy he bequeathed me was his constant admonition from Proverbs 4:7 (KJV; Addendum below): Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.  There are times, admittedly, when I look at myself with dismay as little more than a program carrying out my father’s command.  But considering the relationship with my father in this multigenerational-social-construction-of-reality way made it fairly obvious to me that there are many ways to make a son less than a blessing, ways that fall far short of taking that son’s life.  So I discarded that reason for the death of David’s first son with Bathsheba.

Another thought occurred to me: maybe the Lord Jesus didn’t want the child of an adulterous affair and a murderous cover-up to become king of Israel.  But Jephthah—one of the Judges—was the son of an adulterous affair between Gilead and a prostitute, and The Lord’s spirit empowered Jephthah.1

I’ve covered Jephthah pretty thoroughly elsewhere and won’t do it again here, except to comment on the reality that was socially constructed for Jephthah’s daughter by her father and other adults around her.  They apparently wholeheartedly believed the Lord’s command, If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath of binding obligation on himself, he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised.2  Jephthah’s daughter’s response when she learned of her father’s oath, and who was to be the victim, indicated that she knew and believed this command, too.  My father, she said, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised.  After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.3

Nothing I believe or think or feel about Jephthah can or should taint my admiration for this girl’s childlike faith.  It is as stunning today as it was to Jephthah’s contemporaries.  She only asked for two months reprieve that she might mourn her virginity with her friends.  Jephthah granted her request.

Perhaps he hoped she would flee.  He would never see her again.  She would be as good as dead to him, but she would live.  But she, like her father, was true to her word and returned after two months as she promised.

Perhaps he hoped for a pardon as he prepared the sacrifice.  The Lord Jesus had commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and then at the last moment provided a substitute for the boy.  No angel came to stay Jephthah’s hand.  No substitute was provided.  Jephthah sacrificed his daughter, his only child.  Even after the fact the Lord Jesus remained silent.  No prophets came, no dreams, no word from the Lord.  Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.4

Since the Lord was silent, what social reality could the Israelites of Jephthah’s day construct except that Jephthah was an honorable and righteous man, fulfilling his vow to the Lord, no matter the cost?  After all, Jesus told his disciples, whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.5  It was many years after Jephthah’s time in the Proverbs of Solomon that I see the first glimmer of a subtle hint: It is a snare for a person to rashly cry, “Holy!” and only afterward to consider what he has vowed.6  To declare something “Holy” was equivalent to vowing it to the Lord.  This proverb may have had Jephthah in view.  Even so, it said little more than to consider your vows carefully or you may end up like Jephthah, sacrificing your daughter for righteousness’ sake.

It was many years after that, when the Israelites were sacrificing their children to Baal, the Lord Jesus finally spoke to the prophet Jeremiah and said: Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make! They are something I never told them to do! Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind!7  The first time I understood this passage, I thought it was the most disingenuous thing I had ever heard.  Actually, I went ballistic, “What did you expect them to think?!” I shrieked with that tone in my voice that said, “what, are you stupid or something?”

If you ever hear that I was struck by lightning, you’ll know why, though subsequent years of daily infusion of spiritual fruit8 have tempered my temper some, especially with the Lord.  And beginning to recognize the religious mind as a human phenomena as opposed to a divine one, that God is always reaching out to communicate to us through this ungodly barrier, hasn’t hurt.  Let’s face it, historically speaking God was late to the game with both a law and a religion.  There is no indication in Genesis that Cain’s (or Abel’s) offering was God’s idea.

At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord.9  It was either Cain’s idea or if the phrase And it happened at the end of days actually carries the meaning At the designated time that the translators of the NET have assigned it, it was Adam’s idea.  The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased.  So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.10  His religion and his worship were unacceptable, but his younger brother’s religion and worship was?  I am an older brother, believe me, I feel Cain’s anger and dejection.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast?  Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door.  It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.”11  My mom tells a story about a time when I was angry with the boy next door.  She tried to soothe my anger with counsel about Jesus and turning the other cheek.  Apparently, I didn’t get the message any better than Cain did.  I left the house, saying, “I’ll make him turn the other cheek.”  Cain subdued his brother Abel by killing him.  I don’t recall what I did to the boy next door.  I know he survived it.

What have you done? The Lord said to Cain.  The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!  So now, you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.  When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you.  You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.12  Cain said, My punishment is too great to endure!13

For a long time I believed Cain.  But as I look back now this banishment from his occupation as a tiller of the field sounds more like the events that became David’s life after the Lord forgave his sin.  Cain’s punishment would have been his death.  Now scripture rolls and boils and tumbles in my mind:  before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law.14

So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God.  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.  But now we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.15

The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.16  He was not slow to establish a law of specific commandments and punishments, or a religion of specific rites and obligations.  He was positively resistant to the idea.  He chose to drown all but eight human beings and start over rather than establish a law or a religion.  I can only assume that He relented when it proved to be the only way to communicate to and through the ungodliness of human religious minds.  Even as He gave the law and founded the Hebrew religion He resisted it, saying defiantly to Moses, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.17

But that was all in my future the first time I understood Him to say, such a thing never even entered my mind!18  “All this started when you told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac,” I continued my rant.  “It culminates with God the Father sacrificing his only begotten Son, and somewhere in the middle of it all is Jephthah.  It never entered your mind that desperate people might think this was a good way to get your attention?”

I calmed down eventually and felt bad.  But I didn’t have some wonderful intuitive answer.  For me at the time it was a matter of brute faith.  I had to force myself to give the Lord Jesus the benefit of the doubt and simply believe that He is self-aware enough to determine the boundary between his thoughts and ours, to distinguish between his intent and his foreknowledge of our misunderstanding of that intent, and that He speaks sincerely and without guile.

Finally, with his feet firmly planted on earth, Jesus gave a definitive answer to Jephthah, to Israel and to me in the Sermon on the Mount: Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, “Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.”  But I say to you, do not take oaths at all….Let your word be “Yes, yes” or “No, no.”  More than this is from the evil one.19  The NIV translated this verse:  “Simply, let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

Now if I ask, Why would Jesus consider Jephthah’s oath from the evil one? the answer seems fairly obvious.  If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me, Jephthah vowed to the Lord, then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites – he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.20  I’m going to give Jephthah the benefit of the doubt that he intended to offer a goat to bribe God to help him defeat the Ammonites, and he was willing to let God choose which, or any, or all, of his goats.  I think the translators of the NET have deliberately made Jephthah’s oath even more from the evil one.21

But imagine with me for a moment that Jephthah intended to bribe God with any or all of his goats.  God could have brought any goat, or as many goats as He wanted, out to meet Jephthah on his triumphant return.  But God didn’t bring any goats to meet Jephthah.  God wasn’t satisfied with goats as a bribe.  God wanted Jephthah’s daughter, his only child.  What was Jephthah to do?  Certainly God deserves to be bribed with something better than goats.

Jephthah acted on a kind of faith.  It would have been very difficult for him to see that the bribe, the oath, was the evil, and the thing that Jephthah should have repented.  To paraphrase Paul, I can testify that Jephthah was zealous for God, but his zeal was not in line with the truth.  For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish his own righteousness, he did not submit to God’s righteousness.22  But Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and Paul’s letter to the Romans were not part of Jephthah’s socially constructed reality.  Why not? I began to wonder.

Why were You silent for so long? I asked the Lord.

 

Addendum: June 21, 2020
When I discovered that Proverbs 4:7 wasn’t in the Septuagint my first thought was, “Well, that figures!”  I talked with my brother about it.  He thought it was somewhere else but couldn’t find it.  I read all of Proverbs in English translation of the Elpenor Septuagint and didn’t recognize it in any other chapter.  I also did a search of the Greek words I imagined might underlie the English translation and didn’t discover it in Proverbs.  I haven’t searched every book in the Septuagint.

I don’t know for certain what Dad actually meant when he quoted it.  He suffered a stroke and couldn’t speak or write before it ever occurred to me to ask.  I had assumed that wisdom and understanding were science and engineering.  He idolized electrical engineers.  I had also assumed that he didn’t mean the Bible, especially my mother’s interpretation of it.  At least, the Bible wasn’t where I sought wisdom or understanding as a child.  Proverbs 2:1-12 is a fairly accurate description how I understand the disputable Proverbs 4:7 as I run its programming today.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint
Proverbs 2:1-12 (Tanakh) Proverbs 2:1-12 (NET) Proverbs 2:1-12 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:1-12 (English Elpenor)

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; My son, if, when you accept the saying of my commandment, you hide it with yourself, [My] son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee;
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding, your ear will be attentive to wisdom, and you shall incline your heart to understanding; yes, you shall incline it to the admonition of your son. thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; indeed, if you call out for discernment—shout loudly for understanding— For if you call upon wisdom and raise your voice for understanding, as well as seek perception with a loud voice, For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding; (τὴν δὲ αἴσθησιν ζητήσῃς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ was not translated into English.)
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure, and if you seek it like silver and search for it like treasures, and if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God. then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will find divine knowledge. then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. Because the Lord gives wisdom, also from his presence come knowledge and understanding, For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity, and he stores up salvation for those who succeed; he will shield their journey and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;
He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones. to guard the ways of righteous deeds, and he will protect the way of the ones who revere him. that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way. Then you will understand righteousness and judgment, and you will make all good courses straight. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright.
When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you. For if wisdom comes into your mind and perception seems pleasing to your soul, For if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul,
Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: Discretion will protect you, understanding will guard you, good counsel will guard you, and holy insight will protect you good counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee;

Tables comparing Proverbs 4:7; 2:1; 2:2; 2:3; 2:4; 2:5; 2:6; 2:7; 2:8; 2:9, 2:10; 2:11; 2:12; Judges 11:29; Numbers 30:2 (30:3); Judges 11:36; 11:40; Proverbs 20:25; Jeremiah 19:5; Genesis 4:3; 4:4; 4:5; 4:6; 4:7; 4:10; 4:11; 4:12; 4:13; Judges 11:30 and 11:31 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Proverbs 4:7; 2:1; 2:2; 2:3; 2:4; 2:5; 2:6; 2:7; 2:8; 2:9; 2:10; 2:11; 2:12; Judges 11:29; Numbers 30:2 (30:3); Judges 11:36; 11:40; Proverbs 20:25; Jeremiah 19:5; Genesis 4:3; 4:4; 4:5; 4:6; 4:7; 4:10; 4:11; 4:12; 4:13; Judges 11:30 and 11:31 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Proverbs 4:7 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 4:7 (KJV)

Proverbs 4:7 (NET)

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Wisdom is supreme—so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding!

Proverbs 4:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 4:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)

N/A N/A

Proverbs 4:7 (NETS)

Proverbs 4:7 (English Elpenor)

N/A N/A

Proverbs 2:1 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:1 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:1 (NET)

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands inside yourself,

Proverbs 2:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)

υἱέ ἐὰν δεξάμενος ῥῆσιν ἐμῆς ἐντολῆς κρύψῃς παρὰ σεαυτῷ ΥΙΕ, ἐὰν δεξάμενος ῥῆσιν ἐμῆς ἐντολῆς κρύψῃς παρὰ σεαυτῷ

Proverbs 2:1 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:1 (English Elpenor)

My son, if, when you accept the saying of my commandment, you hide it with yourself, [My] son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee;

Proverbs 2:2 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:2 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:2 (NET)

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding,

Proverbs 2:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ὑπακούσεται σοφίας τὸ οὖς σου καὶ παραβαλεῗς καρδίαν σου εἰς σύνεσιν παραβαλεῗς δὲ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ νουθέτησιν τῷ υἱῷ σου ὑπακούσεται σοφία τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ παραβαλεῖς καρδίαν σου εἰς σύνεσιν, παραβαλεῖς δὲ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ νουθέτησιν τῷ υἱῷ σου

Proverbs 2:2 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:2 (English Elpenor)

your ear will be attentive to wisdom, and you shall incline your heart to understanding; yes, you shall incline it to the admonition of your son. thine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.

Proverbs 2:3 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:3 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:3 (NET)

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; indeed, if you call out for discernment—shout loudly for understanding—

Proverbs 2:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ἐὰν γὰρ τὴν σοφίαν ἐπικαλέσῃ καὶ τῇ συνέσει δῷς φωνήν σου τὴν δὲ αἴσθησιν ζητήσῃς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ ἐὰν γὰρ τὴν σοφίαν ἐπικαλέσῃ καὶ τῇ συνέσει δῷς φωνήν σου, τὴν δὲ αἴσθησιν ζητήσῃς μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ

Proverbs 2:3 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:3 (English Elpenor)

For if you call upon wisdom and raise your voice for understanding, as well as seek perception with a loud voice, For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding;

Proverbs 2:4 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:4 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:4 (NET)

If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure,

Proverbs 2:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ ἐὰν ζητήσῃς αὐτὴν ὡς ἀργύριον καὶ ὡς θησαυροὺς ἐξερευνήσῃς αὐτήν καὶ ἐὰν ζητήσῃς αὐτὴν ὡς ἀργύριον καὶ ὡς θησαυροὺς ἐξερευνήσῃς αὐτήν

Proverbs 2:4 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:4 (English Elpenor)

and if you seek it like silver and search for it like treasures, and if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;

Proverbs 2:5 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:5 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:5 (NET)

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God.

Proverbs 2:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)

τότε συνήσεις φόβον κυρίου καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν θεοῦ εὑρήσεις τότε συνήσεις φόβον Κυρίου καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν Θεοῦ εὑρήσεις

Proverbs 2:5 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:5 (English Elpenor)

then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will find divine knowledge. then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

Proverbs 2:6 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:6 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:6 (NET)

For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ὅτι κύριος δίδωσιν σοφίαν καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ γνῶσις καὶ σύνεσις ὅτι Κύριος δίδωσι σοφίαν, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ γνῶσις καὶ σύνεσις

Proverbs 2:6 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:6 (English Elpenor)

Because the Lord gives wisdom, also from his presence come knowledge and understanding, For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,

Proverbs 2:7 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:7 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:7 (NET)

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity,

Proverbs 2:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ θησαυρίζει τοῗς κατορθοῦσι σωτηρίαν ὑπερασπιεῗ τὴν πορείαν αὐτῶν καὶ θησαυρίζει τοῖς κατορθοῦσι σωτηρίαν, ὑπερασπιεῖ τὴν πορείαν αὐτῶν

Proverbs 2:7 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:7 (English Elpenor)

and he stores up salvation for those who succeed; he will shield their journey and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;

Proverbs 2:8 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:8 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:8 (NET)

He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones.

Proverbs 2:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)

τοῦ φυλάξαι ὁδοὺς δικαιωμάτων καὶ ὁδὸν εὐλαβουμένων αὐτὸν διαφυλάξει τοῦ φυλάξαι ὁδοὺς δικαιωμάτων καὶ ὁδὸν εὐλαβουμένων αὐτὸν διαφυλάξει

Proverbs 2:8 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:8 (English Elpenor)

to guard the ways of righteous deeds, and he will protect the way of the ones who revere him. that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.

Proverbs 2:9 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:9 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:9 (NET)

Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way.

Proverbs 2:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)

τότε συνήσεις δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίμα καὶ κατορθώσεις πάντας ἄξονας ἀγαθούς τότε συνήσεις δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίμα καὶ κατορθώσεις πάντας ἄξονας ἀγαθούς

Proverbs 2:9 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:9 (English Elpenor)

Then you will understand righteousness and judgment, and you will make all good courses straight. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright.

Proverbs 2:10 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:10 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:10 (NET)

When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul; For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.

Proverbs 2:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ἐὰν γὰρ ἔλθῃ ἡ σοφία εἰς σὴν διάνοιαν ἡ δὲ αἴσθησις τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ καλὴ εἶναι δόξῃ ἐὰν γὰρ ἔλθῃ ἡ σοφία εἰς σὴν διάνοιαν, ἡ δὲ αἴσθησις τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ καλὴ εἶναι δόξῃ

Proverbs 2:10 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:10 (English Elpenor)

For if wisdom comes into your mind and perception seems pleasing to your soul, For if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul,

Proverbs 2:11 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:11 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:11 (NET)

Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: Discretion will protect you, understanding will guard you,

Proverbs 2:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)

βουλὴ καλὴ φυλάξει σε ἔννοια δὲ ὁσία τηρήσει σε βουλὴ καλὴ φυλάξει σε, ἔννοια δὲ ὁσία τηρήσει σε

Proverbs 2:11 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:11 (English Elpenor)

good counsel will guard you, and holy insight will protect you good counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee;

Proverbs 2:12 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 2:12 (KJV)

Proverbs 2:12 (NET)

To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from those speaking perversity,

Proverbs 2:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 2:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ἵνα ῥύσηταί σε ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς λαλοῦντος μηδὲν πιστόν ἵνα ρύσηταί σε ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς λαλοῦντος μηδὲν πιστόν

Proverbs 2:12 (NETS)

Proverbs 2:12 (English Elpenor)

in order that it can rescue you from an evil way and from a man who speaks nothing reliable. to deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

Judges 11:29 (Tanakh)

Judges 11:29 (KJV)

Judges 11:29 (NET)

Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. The Lord’s Spirit empowered Jephthah.  He passed through Gilead and Manasseh and went to Mizpah in Gilead. From there he approached the Ammonites.

Judges 11:29 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐπὶ Ιεφθαε πνεῦμα κυρίου καὶ διέβη τὴν γῆν Γαλααδ καὶ τὸν Μανασση καὶ διέβη τὴν σκοπιὰν Γαλααδ καὶ ἀπὸ σκοπιᾶς Γαλααδ εἰς τὸ πέραν υἱῶν Αμμων Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ ᾿Ιεφθάε πνεῦμα Κυρίου, καὶ παρῆλθε τὸν Γαλαὰδ καὶ τὸν Μανασσῆ καὶ παρῆλθε τὴν σκοπιὰν Γαλαὰδ εἰς τὸ πέραν υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών

Judges 11:29 (NETS)

Judges 11:29 (English Elpenor)

And a spirit of the Lord came upon Iephthae, and he passed through the land of Galaad and Manasses.  And he passed through the vantage point of Galaad and from the vantage point of Galaad to the other side of the sons of Ammon. And the spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthae, and he passed over Galaad, and Manasse, and passed by the watch-tower of Galaad to the other side of the children of Ammon.

Numbers 30:3 (Tanakh)

Numbers 30:2 (KJV)

Numbers 30:2 (NET)

When a man voweth a vow unto HaShem, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. If a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath of binding obligation on himself, he must not break his word, but must do whatever he has promised.

Numbers 30:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 30:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ἄνθρωπος ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἂν εὔξηται εὐχὴν κυρίῳ ἢ ὀμόσῃ ὅρκον ἢ ὁρίσηται ὁρισμῷ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸ ῥῆμα αὐτοῦ πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ποιήσει ἄνθρωπος ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ἂν εὔξηται εὐχὴν Κυρίῳ ἢ ὀμόσῃ ὅρκον ἢ ὁρίσηται ὁρισμῷ περὶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐ βεβηλώσει τὸ ρῆμα αὐτοῦ· πάντα ὅσα ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, ποιήσει

Numbers 30:3 (NETS)

Numbers 30:3 (English Elpenor)

Person by person—if he vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath or determines for himself with determination about his soul, he shall not profane his word; everything that proceeds out of his mouth he shall do. Whatsoever man shall vow a vow to the Lord, or swear an oath, or bind himself with an obligation upon his soul, he shall not break his word; all that shall come out of his mouth he shall do.

Judges 11:36 (Tanakh)

Judges 11:36 (KJV)

Judges 11:36 (NET)

And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon. She said to him, “My father, since you made an oath to the Lord, do to me as you promised.  After all, the Lord vindicated you before your enemies, the Ammonites.”

Judges 11:36 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:36 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν πάτερ μου εἰ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἤνοιξας τὸ στόμα σου πρὸς κύριον ποίει μοι ὃν τρόπον ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἐποίησέν σοι κύριος ἐκδικήσεις ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Αμμων δὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· πάτερ, ἤνοιξας τὸ στόμα σου πρὸς Κύριον; ποίησόν μοι ὃν τρόπον ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ στόματός σου, ἐν τῷ ποιῆσαί σοι Κύριον ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών

Judges 11:36 (NETS)

Judges 11:36 (English Elpenor)

And she said to him, “My father, if against me you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me as it came out of your mouth, now that the Lord has exacted vengeance for you from your enemies, from the sons of Ammon.” And she said to him, Father, hast thou opened thy mouth to the Lord?  Do to me accordingly as [the word] went out of thy mouth, in that the Lord has wrought vengeance for thee on thine enemies of the children of Ammon.

Judges 11:40 (Tanakh)

Judges 11:40 (KJV)

Judges 11:40 (NET)

That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year. Every year Israelite women commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days.

Judges 11:40 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:40 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ἐξ ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας συνεπορεύοντο αἱ θυγατέρες Ισραηλ θρηνεῗν τὴν θυγατέρα Ιεφθαε τοῦ Γαλααδίτου τέσσαρας ἡμέρας ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ ἀπὸ ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας ἐπορεύοντο θυγατέρες ᾿Ισραὴλ θρηνεῖν τὴν θυγατέρα ᾿Ιεφθάε τοῦ Γαλααδίτου ἐπὶ τέσσαρας ἡμέρας ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ

Judges 11:40 (NETS)

Judges 11:40 (English Elpenor)

from days to days the daughters of Israel would go together to lament the daughter of Iephthae the Galaadite, four days in the year. and it was an ordinance in Israel, [That] the daughters of Israel went from year to year to bewail the daughter of Jephtha the Galaadite for four days in a year.

Proverbs 20:25 (Tanakh)

Proverbs 20:25 (KJV)

Proverbs 20:25 (NET)

It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. It is a snare for a person to rashly cry, “Holy!” and only afterward to consider what he has vowed.

Proverbs 20:25 (Septuagint BLB)

Proverbs 20:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)

παγὶς ἀνδρὶ ταχύ τι τῶν ἰδίων ἁγιάσαι μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εὔξασθαι μετανοεῗν γίνεται παγὶς ἀνδρὶ ταχύ τι τῶν ἰδίων ἁγιάσαι, μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εὔξασθαι μετανοεῖν γίνεται

Proverbs 20:25 (NETS)

Proverbs 20:25 (English Elpenor)

Quickly to consecrate something of his own is a snare to a man, for after making a vow a change of mind can happen. It is a snare to a man hastily to consecrate some of his own property: for [in that case] repentance comes after vowing.

Jeremiah 19:5 (Tanakh)

Jeremiah 19:5 (KJV)

Jeremiah 19:5 (NET)

They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: They have built places here for worship of the god Baal so that they could sacrifice their children as burnt offerings to him in the fire.  Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make.  They are something I never told them to do! Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind.

Jeremiah 19:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Jeremiah 19:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν ὑψηλὰ τῇ Βααλ τοῦ κατακαίειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν πυρί ἃ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην οὐδὲ ἐλάλησα οὐδὲ διενοήθην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν ὑψηλὰ τῇ Βάαλ τοῦ κατακαίειν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν πυρί, ἃ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην οὐδὲ διενοήθην ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου

Jeremiah 19:5 (NETS)

Jeremiah 19:5 (English Elpenor)

and built high places of the goddess Baal to burn their sons with fire, which things I did not command nor intended in my heart. and built high places for Baal, to burn their children in the fire, which things I commanded not, neither did I design [them] in my heart:

Genesis 4:3 (Tanakh)

Genesis 4:3 (KJV)

Genesis 4:3 (NET)

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto HaShem. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. At the designated time Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground for an offering to the Lord.

Genesis 4:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ᾽ ἡμέρας ἤνεγκεν Καιν ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς θυσίαν τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ᾿ ἡμέρας ἤνεγκε Κάϊν ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς θυσίαν τῷ Κυρίῳ,

Genesis 4:3 (NETS)

Genesis 4:3 (English Elpenor)

And it came about after some days that Kain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruits of the earth, And it was so after some time that Cain brought of the fruits of the earth a sacrifice to the Lord.

Genesis 4:4 (Tanakh)

Genesis 4:4 (KJV)

Genesis 4:4 (NET)

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.  And HaShem had respect unto Abel and to his offering; And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But Abel brought some of the firstborn of his flock—even the fattest of them. And the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ Αβελ ἤνεγκεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπεῗδεν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ Αβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῗς δώροις αὐτοῦ καὶ Ἄβελ ἤνεγκε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν. καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ ῎Αβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ,

Genesis 4:4 (NETS)

Genesis 4:4 (English Elpenor)

And Habel, he also brought of the firstlings of his sheep and of their fat portions.  And God looked upon Habel and upon his gifts, And Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts,

Genesis 4:5 (Tanakh)

Genesis 4:5 (KJV)

Genesis 4:5 (NET)

but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect.  And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.  And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. but with Cain and his offering he was not pleased.  So Cain became very angry, and his expression was downcast.

Genesis 4:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ἐπὶ δὲ Καιν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῗς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχεν καὶ ἐλύπησεν τὸν Καιν λίαν καὶ συνέπεσεν τῷ προσώπῳ ἐπὶ δὲ Κάϊν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχε. καὶ ἐλυπήθη Κάϊν λίαν, καὶ συνέπεσε τῷ προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ.

Genesis 4:5 (NETS)

Genesis 4:5 (English Elpenor)

but on Kain and on his offerings he was not intent.  And it distressed Kain exceedingly, and he collapsed in countenance. but Cain and his sacrifices he regarded not, and Cain was exceedingly sorrowful and his countenance fell.

Genesis 4:6 (Tanakh)

Genesis 4:6 (KJV)

Genesis 4:6 (NET)

And HaShem said unto Cain: ‘Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast?

Genesis 4:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ Καιν ἵνα τί περίλυπος ἐγένου καὶ ἵνα τί συνέπεσεν τὸ πρόσωπόν σου καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Κάϊν· ἵνα τί περίλυπος ἐγένου, καὶ ἵνα τί συνέπεσε τὸ πρόσωπόν σου;

Genesis 4:6 (NETS)

Genesis 4:6 (English Elpenor)

And the Lord God said to Kain, “Why have you become deeply grieved, and why has your countenance collapsed? And the Lord God said to Cain, Why art thou become very sorrowful and why is thy countenance fallen?

Genesis 4:7 (Tanakh)

Genesis 4:7 (KJV)

Genesis 4:7 (NET)

If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee is its desire, but thou mayest rule over it.’ If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.  And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door.  It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.”

Genesis 4:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)

οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς ἥμαρτες ἡσύχασον πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς, ἥμαρτες; ἡσύχασον· πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ

Genesis 4:7 (NETS)

Genesis 4:7 (English Elpenor)

If you offer correctly but do not divide correctly, have you not sinned?  Be still; his recourse is to you, and you will rule over him.” Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him.

Genesis 4:10 (Tanakh)

Genesis 4:10 (KJV)

Genesis 4:10 (NET)

And He said: ‘What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground. And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. But the Lord said, “What have you done?  The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!

Genesis 4:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ εἶπεν θεός τί ἐποίησας φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς καί εἶπε Κύριος· τί πεποίηκας; φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς

Genesis 4:10 (NETS)

Genesis 4:10 (English Elpenor)

And God said, “What have you done?  The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the earth! And the Lord said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood cries to me out of the ground.

Genesis 4:11 (Tanakh)

Genesis 4:11 (KJV)

Genesis 4:11 (NET)

And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; So now you are banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

Genesis 4:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ νῦν ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἣ ἔχανεν τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς δέξασθαι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου καὶ νῦν ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἣ ἔχανε τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς δέξασθαι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου

Genesis 4:11 (NETS)

Genesis 4:11 (English Elpenor)

And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened wide its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. And now thou [art] cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.

Genesis 4:12 (Tanakh)

Genesis 4:12 (KJV)

Genesis 4:12 (NET)

When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth.’ When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you.  You will be a homeless wanderer on the earth.”

Genesis 4:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ὅτι ἐργᾷ τὴν γῆν καὶ οὐ προσθήσει τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς δοῦναί σοι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὅτε ἐργᾷ τὴν γῆν, καὶ οὐ προσθήσει τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς δοῦναί σοι· στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

Genesis 4:12 (NETS)

Genesis 4:12 (English Elpenor)

For you will till the earth, and it will not continue to yield its strength to you; you will be groaning and trembling on the earth.” When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning and trembling on the earth.

Genesis 4:13 (Tanakh)

Genesis 4:13 (KJV)

Genesis 4:13 (NET)

And Cain said unto HaShem: ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear. And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to endure!

Genesis 4:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ εἶπεν Καιν πρὸς τὸν κύριον μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με καὶ εἶπε Κάϊν πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεόν· μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με

Genesis 4:13 (NETS)

Genesis 4:13 (English Elpenor)

And Kain said to the Lord, “My guilt is too great for me to be forgiven! And Cain said to the Lord God, My crime [is] too great for me to be forgiven.

Judges 11:30 (Tanakh)

Judges 11:30 (KJV)

Judges 11:30 (NET)

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me,

Judges 11:30 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ ηὔξατο Ιεφθαε εὐχὴν τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ εἶπεν ἐὰν παραδώσει παραδῷς μοι τοὺς υἱοὺς Αμμων ἐν χειρί μου καὶ ηὔξατο ᾿Ιεφθάε εὐχὴν τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ εἶπεν· ἐὰν διδοὺς δῷς μοι τοὺς υἱοὺς ᾿Αμμὼν ἐν τῇ χειρί μου

Judges 11:30 (NETS)

Judges 11:30 (English Elpenor)

And Iephthae vowed a vow to the Lord and said, “If with a giving over, you will give over to me the sons of Ammon in my hand, And Jephthae vowed a vow to the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,

Judges 11:31 (Tanakh)

Judges 11:31 (KJV)

Judges 11:31 (NET)

Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. then whoever is the first to come through the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from fighting the Ammonites—he will belong to the Lord and I will offer him up as a burnt sacrifice.”

Judges 11:31 (Septuagint BLB)

Judges 11:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ ἔσται ὃς ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῶν θυρῶν τοῦ οἴκου μου εἰς ἀπάντησίν μου ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέψαι με ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν Αμμων καὶ ἔσται τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἀνοίσω αὐτὸν ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ ἔσται ἐκπορευόμενος, ὃς ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ἀπὸ τῆς θύρας τοῦ οἴκου μου εἰς συνάντησίν μου ἐν τῷ ἐπιστρέφειν με ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἀπὸ υἱῶν ᾿Αμμών, καὶ ἔσται τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀνοίσω αὐτὸν ὁλοκαύτωμα

Judges 11:31 (NETS)

Judges 11:31 (English Elpenor)

it shall also be that whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, shall also be the Lord’s, and I will offer him up as a whole burnt offering.” then it shall come to pass that whosoever shall first come out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, he shall be the Lord’s: I will offer him up for a whole-burnt-offering.

 


1 Judges 11:29a (NET)

2 Numbers 30:2 (NET)

3 Judges 11:36 (NET)

4 Judges 11:40 (NET)

5 Matthew 10:37b (NET)

6 Proverbs 20:25 (NET)

7 Jeremiah 19:5bc (NET)

9 Genesis 4:3 (NET)

10 Genesis 4:4b, 5 (NET)

11 Geneis 4:6, 7 (NET)

12 Genesis 4:10-12 (NET)  When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning and trembling on the earth. Genesis 4:12 (Elpenor English)

13 Genesis 4:13 (NET)

14 Romans 5:13 (NET)

15 Romans 7:4-6 (NET)

16 2 Peter 3:9 (NET) Table

17 Exodus 33:19b (NET) Table

18 Jeremiah 19:5 (NET)

19 Matthew 5:33, 34a, 37 (NET)

20 Judges 11:30, 31 (NET)

21 Consider the same passage in the KJV: And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

22 Paraphrase of Romans 10:2, 3 (NET)