Christianity, Part 2

Posted on November 19, 2022 by admin

I concluded the first essay in this series with the clause, “So here I must decide.” That’s true in the sense that faith is an ongoing choice. It is misleading if the reader assumes that choice is to be made by the puny power of my rational mind.

By the time I can stare down my Christianity and say, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,¹ the initial choice has already been made. [F]or it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure,² is how Paul described it. Led by the Holy Spirit, continuously bathed from the inside out in Jesus’ own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, the choice to trust Him becomes a relatively simple matter of not resisting Him.

That the initial choice was made in a non-rational way, however, doesn’t make that choice itself irrational. There are good reasons for making that choice. In real time, however, those reasons have come more like rationalizations after the choice was made rather than preceding and causing the choice. Those reasons do help, however, to sustain that choice on a day-to-day basis.

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself,³ Jesus said. I will draw is not particularly tricky. It was ἑλκύσω (a form of ἑλκύω) in Greek, a first person indicative verb in the future tense. “The indicative mood is a statement of fact or an actual occurrence from the writer’s or speaker’s perspective.”⁴ In other words, as Jesus says this He believes that He will draw all to Himself.

This is quite powerful as reasons go. Any rational argument against it must explain: 1) how Jesus was wrong and 2) when He changed his mind. My religious mind might imagine any number of scenarios from its own experiences and feelings, but for the mind of Christ this is a very high bar, practically insurmountable.

If Jesus were to ask me, “Why did you believe that I would draw all to myself?” my account is simple and direct: That is what you said. If He asked why I believed that He would fail to draw all to Himself, things become more complicated.

When I believed that Jesus would fail to draw all to Himself, I didn’t put it in those words. At that time I didn’t think about giving an account to Jesus but if I had it would have gone something like this:

I didn’t believe that you would fail. I believed that you would do everything in your power but salvation depends ultimately on the individual believer.

Jesus’ next question is obvious: “Why did you believe that All authority in heaven and on earth has [not] been given to me”?⁵

This was the authority on which Jesus’ command to disciple all nations is based. And his saying that No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him⁶ refutes the idea that people choose Christ apart from being drawn by God. The people-must-save-themselves-through-their-own-faith version of Christianity is weakened by the flesh much like the law. It is not what God has done…By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.⁷

If I take Jesus at his word and assume that He draws all to Himself before anyone is sent into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels⁸…and that is an assumption. I don’t see any way to limit Jesus to this moment but I’m intrigued by the possibilities of this moment…then I can believe that all gathered before his glorious throne have been drawn to Him and like Paul [they themselves] serve the law of God with [their minds] but with [their] flesh [they] serve the law of sin.⁹

So from where do the cursed come? Who are those to whom Jesus says, Depart from me…into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels¹⁰? [H]e will separate people (literally: themselves) one from another¹¹ must be very different than I imagined when I imagined that the righteous and the wicked were different, already separate, people.

I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin¹² was a compromise Paul also described with the words: when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members [Table]. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?¹³

I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin was acceptable to Paul as a compromise in the hope that God would deliver him through Jesus Christ: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!¹⁴ If those standing before Jesus’ glorious throne are about to experience that deliverance, I get a different image of that day when, according to [Paul’s] gospel (i.e., good news), God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.¹⁵

The cursed standing to Jesus’ left are not like the evil (πονηροί, a form of πονηρός). You brood of vipers! Jesus said to religious leaders. How can you speak good, when you are evil (πονηροί)?¹⁶

After I got over thinking that Jesus was simply rude and abusive, I bypassed thinking He was ignorant seeking information, but I rested for a while on the idea that He was constantly perplexed by human nature. Now, however, I assume He asked a legitimate question, inviting the Pharisees to think deeply about how they spoke anything good.

I relate to that from my own experience with None is righteous.¹⁷ The moment I accepted that premise as true, my arguments against it became prima facie evidence that Jesus was in fact drawing me to Himself. If no one seeks for God¹⁸ is true, and I was seeking for God, then the source of my seeking was something other than my unrighteousness self.

Jesus said (Matthew 7:9-11 ESV):

Or which one of you, if his son asks¹⁹ him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if²⁰ he asks²¹ for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil (πονηροί), know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

It fits then that the cursed standing on Jesus’ left are the distilled sin condemned in the human flesh of those on his right. This distilled sin condemned in human flesh never gave food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome to a stranger, clothing to the naked, nor the time of day to those who were sick or in prison, things the evil (πονηροί) do often for people they care about.

As this distilled sin condemned in human flesh stares at the glorified Christ, looking much like when He was transfigured before [Peter, James and John], his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became²² white as light,²³ I can almost hear them sneer, when did we see you?²⁴

Peter said to Jesus [at Jesus’ transfiguration], “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses²⁵ and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say,²⁶ for they were²⁷ terrified.²⁸ The righteous on Jesus’ right don’t seem terrified necessarily, just disoriented. None seems to recall this moment from Scripture. They, too, question when they have ever done anything for anyone like their glorified Lord.

My sheep hear my voice, Jesus said, and I know them, and they follow me [Table]. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.²⁹ Though I called the cursed, “the distilled sin condemned in…human flesh,” it seems more likely that it is the righteous led by the Holy Spirit who heed his command to go³⁰ out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.³¹

In his sermon on the mount Jesus said (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV):

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.³² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ [Table] And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Now I would understand these many as the distilled sin condemned in the flesh of Christians standing on Jesus’ left. This is not to say that there is no corresponding many who heard his command to go out from their midst, and be separate from them standing on Jesus’ right, just that in this passage we are hearing the arguments of the distilled sin that was condemned in their flesh. It boasts in the work of God as if it were its own. It supposes that it should be rewarded along with the new creation it plagued for a lifetime.

One of the wonderful possibilities of this moment is that I won’t see my doppelganger. The glorified Lord separates us one from the other, like trying to see something on the other side of the sun. But it is sobering to consider: Who will I be at that moment?

Will I myself be the righteous new creation on Jesus’ right, marveling at my glorious Lord, wondering what I ever could have done for Him? Or will I identify more with the distilled sin condemned in my flesh, arguing that He should reward me for all the wonderful things that I have done for Him?

When I was barely escaping from a life of atheism, sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, Paul’s words kept me from despair (Romans 7:13-20 ESV):

Did [the law] which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure [Table]. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin [Table]. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me [Table]. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me [Table].

The more I believed Paul’s saying, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh,³³ the more I began to see God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as the good in my life, and the more I began to view me myself as the evil. My Pastor warned me about thinking and speaking like this (which should not be taken to imply that he would endorse all I’ve written here). I thought I understood what he was saying, even paid some lip service to it. Writing this essay has cast it in a new light and reminded me of an incident with my son.

I walked through the living room one afternoon as he played a video game. He was driving a car, racing away from the police. As I walked out of the room I said, “You’re never going to drive one of my cars.” He stopped playing and hurried to catch up to me to ask, why. “You’re training yourself to hit the accelerator when you hear a siren rather than the brakes.” The next time I noticed him playing that video game, he had turned off the siren and the police chase, and simply played it as a road race game. He turned out to be a very good driver.

I certainly don’t want to train myself to identify with the distilled sin condemned in my flesh. Part of my prayer for all is to ask that “we know by faith your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control springing up within us to eternal life from your Holy Spirit.” I’ve changed “your Holy Spirit” to “our Holy Spirit,” not to claim any credit for myself but to take ownership of all that I have been given in Christ.

According to a note (26) in the NET Paul quoted from Isaiah 52:11. The table below compares the relevant portions of the Greek of 2 Corinthians 6:17 to Isaiah 52:11 in the Septuagint.

2 Corinthians 6:17a (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 52:11b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Isaiah 52:11b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐξέλθατε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν καὶ ἀφορίσθητε	ἐξέλθατε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῆς ἀφορίσθητε	ἐξέλθετε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῆς, ἀφορίσθητε
2 Corinthians 6:17a (NET)	Isaiah 52:11b (NETS)	Isaiah 52:11b (English Elpenor)
come out from their midst, and be separate	go out from the midst of it; be separated	go ye out from the midst of her; separate yourselves
2 Corinthians 6:17b (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 52:11a (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 52:11a (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε	καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε	καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε
2 Corinthians 6:17b (NET)	Isaiah 52:11a (NETS)	Isaiah 52:11a (English Elpenor)
and touch no unclean thing	and touch no unclean thing	and touch not the unclean thing

According to a note (28) in the NET the last clause of 2 Corinthians 6:17 was a paraphrased quotation from Ezekiel 20:41. The table below compares the relevant portion of the Greek of 2 Corinthians 6:17 to Ezekiel 20:41 in the Septuagint.

2 Corinthians 6:17c (NET Parallel Greek)	Ezekiel 20:41b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Ezekiel 20:41b (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς	προσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς	προσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς
2 Corinthians 6:17c (NET)	Ezekiel 20:41b (NETS)	Ezekiel 20:41b (English Elpenor)
I will welcome you	I will accept you	I will accept you

According to a note (29) in the NET 2 Corinthians 6:18 was a paraphrased quotation of 2 Samuel 7:14 and Isaiah 43:6. The table below compares the Greek of 2 Corinthians 6:18 to 2 Samuel (Reigns, Kings) 7:14 in the Septuagint.

2 Corinthians 6:18a (NET Parallel Greek)	2 Samuel 7:14a (Septuagint BLB) Table	2 Kings 7:14a (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσομαι ὑμῖν εἰς πατέρα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθε μοι εἰς υἱοὺς	ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν	ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν
2 Corinthians 6:18a (NET)	2 Reigns 7:14a (NETS)	2 Kings 7:14a (English Elpenor)
and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons	I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me	I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son

The table below compares the Greek of 2 Corinthians 6:18 to Isaiah 43:6 in the Septuagint.

2 Corinthians 6:18b (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 43:6b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Isaiah 43:6b (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθε μοι εἰς υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας	ἄγε τοὺς υἱούς μου ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας μου ἀπ᾽ ἄκρων τῆς γῆς	ἄγε τοὺς υἱούς μου ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας μου ἀπ᾿ ἄκρων τῆς γῆς
2 Corinthians 6:18b (NET)	Isaiah 43:6b (NETS)	Isaiah 43:6b (English Elpenor)
and you will be my sons and daughters	bring my sons from a land far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth	bring my sons from the [land] afar off, and my daughters from the ends of the earth

Tables comparing Ezekiel 20:41; 2 Samuel 7:14 and Isaiah 43:6 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing Ezekiel 20:41; 2 Samuel (Reigns, Kings) 7:14 and Isaiah 43:6 in the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint with the English translations from Hebrew and Greek, and tables comparing the Greek of Matthew 7:9, 10; 17:2; Mark 9:5, 6; 2 Corinthians 6:17 and Matthew 7:21 in the NET and KJV follow.

Ezekiel 20:41 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 20:41 (KJV)	Ezekiel 20:41 (NET)
I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.	I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.	When I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, I will accept you along with your soothing aroma. I will display my holiness among you in the sight of the nations.

Ezekiel 20:41 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 20:41 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν ὀσμῇ εὐωδίας προσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἐξαγαγεῗν με ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν λαῶν καὶ εἰσδέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν χωρῶν ἐν αἷς διεσκορπίσθητε ἐν αὐταῗς καὶ ἁγιασθήσομαι ἐν ὑμῗν κατ᾽ ὀφθαλμοὺς τῶν λαῶν	ἐν ὀσμῇ εὐωδίας προσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἐξαγαγεῖν με ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν λαῶν καὶ εἰσδέχεσθαι ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν χωρῶν, ἐν αἷς διεσκορπίσθητε ἐν αὐταῖς, καὶ ἁγιασθήσομαι ἐν ὑμῖν κατ’ ὀφθαλμοὺς τῶν λαῶν
Ezekiel 20:41 (NETS)	Ezekiel 20:41 (English Elpenor)
In an odor of fragrance I will accept you, when I bring you out from the peoples and take you in from the countries, those in which you were scattered, and I will be hallowed among you in the eyes of the peoples.	I will accept you with a sweet-smelling savour, when I bring you out from the nations, and take you out of the countries wherein ye have been dispersed; and I will be sanctified among you in the sight of the nations.

2 Samuel 7:14 (Tanakh)	2 Samuel 7:14 (KJV)	2 Samuel 7:14 (NET)
I will be to him for a father, and he shall be to Me for a son; if he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;	I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:	I will become his father and he will become my son. When he sins, I will correct him with the rod of men and with wounds inflicted by human beings.

2 Samuel 7:14 (Septuagint BLB)	2 Kings 7:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν καὶ ἐὰν ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀδικία αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐλέγξω αὐτὸν ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἐν ἁφαῗς υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων	ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτῷ εἰς πατέρα, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται μοι εἰς υἱόν· καὶ ἐὰν ἔλθῃ ἡ ἀδικία αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλέγξω αὐτὸν ἐν ράβδῳ ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἐν ἁφαῖς υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων
2 Reigns 7:14 (NETS)	2 Kings 7:14 (English Elpenor)
I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to me, and if his injustice comes, then I will punish him with a rod of men and with attacks of sons of men,	I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And when he happens to transgress, then will I chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the sons of men.

Isaiah 43:6 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 43:6 (KJV)	Isaiah 43:6 (NET)
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;	I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;	I will say to the north, ‘Hand them over!’ and to the south, ‘Don’t hold any back!’ Bring my sons from distant lands, and my daughters from the remote regions of the earth,

Isaiah 43:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 43:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐρῶ τῷ βορρᾷ ἄγε καὶ τῷ λιβί μὴ κώλυε ἄγε τοὺς υἱούς μου ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας μου ἀπ᾽ ἄκρων τῆς γῆς	ἐρῶ τῷ Βορρᾷ· ἄγε, καὶ τῷ Λιβί· μὴ κώλυε, ἄγε τοὺς υἱούς μου ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας μου ἀπ᾿ ἄκρων τῆς γῆς
Isaiah 43:6 (NETS)	Isaiah 43:6 (English Elpenor)
I will say to the north, “Bring them,” and to the southwest, “Do not hinder; bring my sons from a land far away and my daughters from the ends of the earth–	I will say to the north, Bring; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from the [land] afar off, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

Matthew 7:9, 10 (NET)	Matthew 7:9, 10 (KJV)
Is there anyone among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?	Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Matthew 7:9 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 7:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 7:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἢ τίς \|ἐστιν\| ἐξ ὑμῶν ἄνθρωπος, ὃν αἰτήσει ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἄρτον, μὴ λίθον ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ	η τις εστιν εξ υμων ανθρωπος ον εαν αιτηση ο υιος αυτου αρτον μη λιθον επιδωσει αυτω	η τις εστιν εξ υμων ανθρωπος ον εαν αιτηση ο υιος αυτου αρτον μη λιθον επιδωσει αυτω

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

Matthew 7:10 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 7:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 7:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἢ καὶ ἰχθὺν αἰτήσει, μὴ ὄφιν ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ	και εαν ιχθυν αιτηση μη οφιν επιδωσει αυτω	και εαν ιχθυν αιτηση μη οφιν επιδωσει αυτω

Matthew 17:2 (NET)	Matthew 17:2 (KJV)
And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.	And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Matthew 17:2 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 17:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 17:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς	και μετεμορφωθη εμπροσθεν αυτων και ελαμψεν το προσωπον αυτου ως ο ηλιος τα δε ιματια αυτου εγενετο λευκα ως το φως	και μετεμορφωθη εμπροσθεν αυτων και ελαμψεν το προσωπον αυτου ως ο ηλιος τα δε ιματια αυτου εγενοντο λευκα ως το φως

Mark 9:5, 6 (NET)	Mark 9:5, 6 (KJV)
So Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”	And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Mark 9:5 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 9:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 9:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῷ Ἰησοῦ· ραββί, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι, καὶ ποιήσωμεν τρεῖς σκηνάς, σοὶ μίαν καὶ Μωϋσεῖ μίαν καὶ Ἠλίᾳ μίαν	και αποκριθεις ο πετρος λεγει τω ιησου ραββι καλον εστιν ημας ωδε ειναι και ποιησωμεν σκηνας τρεις σοι μιαν και μωσει μιαν και ηλια μιαν	και αποκριθεις ο πετρος λεγει τω ιησου ραββι καλον εστιν ημας ωδε ειναι και ποιησωμεν σκηνας τρεις σοι μιαν και μωσει μιαν και ηλια μιαν

(For they were afraid, and he did not know what to say.)

For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

Mark 9:6 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 9:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 9:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
οὐ γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἀποκριθῇ, ἔκφοβοι γὰρ ἐγένοντο	ου γαρ ηδει τι λαληση ησαν γαρ εκφοβοι	ου γαρ ηδει τι λαλησει ησαν γαρ εκφοβοι

2 Corinthians 6:17 (NET)	2 Corinthians 6:17 (KJV)
Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you,	Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2 Corinthians 6:17 (NET Parallel Greek)	2 Corinthians 6:17 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	2 Corinthians 6:17 (Byzantine Majority Text)
διὸ ἐξέλθατε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν καὶ ἀφορίσθητε, λέγει κύριος, καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε· καγὼ εἰσδέξομαι ὑμᾶς	διο εξελθετε εκ μεσου αυτων και αφορισθητε λεγει κυριος και ακαθαρτου μη απτεσθε καγω εισδεξομαι υμας	διο εξελθετε εκ μεσου αυτων και αφορισθητε λεγει κυριος και ακαθαρτου μη απτεσθε καγω εισδεξομαι υμας

Matthew 7:21 (NET)	Matthew 7:21 (KJV)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.	Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 7:21 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 7:21 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 7:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι· κύριε κύριε, εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς	ου πας ο λεγων μοι κυριε κυριε εισελευσεται εις την βασιλειαν των ουρανων αλλ ο ποιων το θελημα του πατρος μου του εν ουρανοις	ου πας ο λεγων μοι κυριε κυριε εισελευσεται εις την βασιλειαν των ουρανων αλλ ο ποιων το θελημα του πατρος μου του εν ουρανοις

Christianity, Part 3

Back to Christianity, Part 4

Back to Christianity, Part 7

Back to Christianity, Part 8

Back to The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 11

Back to Nothing True, Part 2

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 10

¹ Acts 4:19 (ESV)

² Philippians 2:13 (ESV) Table

³ John 12:32 (ESV)

⁴ Verbal Moods from Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), Resources for Learning New Testament Greek

⁵ Matthew 28:18 (ESV) Table

⁶ John 6:44a (ESV) Table

⁷ Romans 8:3, 4 (ESV)

⁸ Matthew 25:41b (ESV)

⁹ Romans 7:25b (ESV) Table

¹⁰ Matthew 25:41a (ESV)

¹¹ Matthew 25:32b (ESV) Table

¹² Romans 7:25b (ESV)

¹³ Romans 7:21b-24 (ESV)

¹⁴ Romans 7:25a (ESV) Table

¹⁵ Romans 2:16 (ESV)

¹⁶ Matthew 12:34 (ESV)

¹⁷ Romans 3:10b (ESV)

¹⁸ Romans 3:11b (ESV)

¹⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αἰτήσει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εαν αιτηση (KJV: if…ask).

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

²¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αἰτήσει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αιτηση (KJV: ask).

²² The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had the singular ἐγένετο here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had the plural εγενοντο.

²³ Matthew 17:2 (ESV)

²⁴ Matthew 25:44b (ESV) Table

²⁵ In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ Moses was spelled Μωϋσεῖ, and μωσει in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

²⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀποκριθῇ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had λαληση and Byzantine Majority Text had λαλησει.

²⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐγένοντο here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ησαν.

²⁸ Mark 9:5, 6 (ESV)

²⁹ John 10:27, 28 (ESV)

³⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐξέλθατε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εξελθετε.

³¹ 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18 (ESV)

³² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article τοῖς preceding heaven. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

³³ Galatians 5:16 (ESV)

Christianity, Part 1

Posted on November 9, 2022 by admin

It’s not possible to “distinguish the mind of Christ from the ordinary religious mind” without broaching the subject of Christianity, yet I’ve hesitated to do so directly. Recently, however, I quoted For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all¹ with no comment whatsoever. I didn’t need to comment. I’ve studied the Greek enough now that I no longer pay any attention to the English translation.

Later, I had to go back and link show mercy to them all to a discussion of “the subjunctive mood…in a purpose or result clause” in Greek. While I appreciate that the Greek word is ἐλεήσῃ (“he may show”) not ἐλεήσει (“he will show”), the meaning is that He will show mercy to all. Or, if I want to be more mindful of the aorist tense, it looks to a moment when God will have shown mercy to all as an actual, factual moment in time.

In English, however, he may show mercy to them all means: 1) that God has permission to show mercy to them all; or something equally meaningless, 2) He might show mercy to them all or He might not. So I began to wonder: What is the point of translating the New Testament from Greek into English for the benefit and approval of those who already know the Greek, rather than for the enlightenment and edification of those who do not?

I recalled another instance where the NET translators did render aorist subjunctive verbs as if they were future indicative verbs: every knee will bow (κάμψῃ)…and every tongue confess (ἐξομολογήσηται), rather than every knee [may] bow…and every tongue [may] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Romans 11:32 (NET Parallel Greek)	Philippians 2:9-11 (NET Parallel Greek)
συνέκλεισεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τοὺς πάντας εἰς ἀπείθειαν, ἵνα τοὺς πάντας ἐλεήσῃ	διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται ὅτι κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός
Romans 11:32 (NET)	Philippians 2:9-11 (NET)
For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.	As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Now both of these passages seem to be describing essentially the same thing. I can even hear the former as a cause of the latter. But I remember when I understood the latter as a demonstration of brute force, much like when Voldemort forced Harry Potter to bow before he attempted to murder him in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Divorced from its context the idea that God will show mercy to all hardly seems controversial. But in context the mercy shown to all is nothing less than salvation: So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.²

Jesus said (John 15:7-11 ESV):

If you abide (μείνητε, a form of μένω) in me, and my words abide (μείνῃ, another form of μένω) in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples [Table]. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide (μείνατε, another form of μένω) in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide (μενεῖτε, another form of μένω) in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide (μένω) in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be³ in you, and that your joy may be full.

It would be wonderful if Christianity were synonymous with abiding in Christ and his words abiding in us, but Christianity means many other things. Comedian Bill Burr had a church quip that became an internet meme and can elicit at least a chuckle even from churchgoers:

God’s everywhere, but I gotta go down to (church) to see him? And he’s mad at me down there, and I owe you money?

To the ordinary religious mind the lands and buildings, the administrative hierarchies and religious rituals, the rules and regulations of Christianity may seem more real and tangible than abiding in Christ and his words abiding in us. For my purposes in these essays abiding in Christ and his words abiding in us is the real and tangible while all other aspects of Christianity are human abstractions, peripheral, when they are not inimical, to abiding in Christ and his words abiding in us.

Fair or not Paul gets a lot of the blame or a lot of the credit for Christianity. So his letter to the Romans seems like a good place to start (Romans 2:1-16 ESV):

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things [Romans 1:18-32]. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed [Table].

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury [Table]. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality [Table].

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified [Table]. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law [Table]. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

I want to focus a moment, acknowledging that this might should be thought of as a continuation of Paul’s rhetorical question, another thing his reader might not be knowing: Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance [b]ut because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed?⁴

Who has this hard and impenitent heart? Those who are in the flesh cannot please God,⁵ Paul wrote. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again,’⁶ Jesus told Nicodemus. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.⁷

Paul explained why [t]hose who are in the flesh cannot please God: For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.⁸ He had already come to the following conclusion about himself: So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.⁹

With this as background I want to turn my attention to Jesus’ words about that day when, according to [Paul’s] gospel (εὐαγγέλιον), God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.¹⁰ He said (Matthew 25:31-46 ESV):

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people (αὐτοὺς, a form of αὐτός; literally: themselves) one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats [Table]. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me’ [Table]. Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ [Table] And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ [Table] Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

So, what kind of people are all the nations gathered before the throne of the Son of Man? My religious mind has imagined that they are the righteous on Jesus’ right and the wicked on his left. The trouble with that idea is that There is no one righteous.¹¹ I turn again to Paul (Romans 3:10-18 ESV):

“None is righteous, no, not one [Table]; no one understands; no one seeks for God [Table]. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one” [Table] [Table]. “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips” [Table]. “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness” [Table]. “Their feet are swift to shed blood [Table]; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known” [Table]. “There is no fear of God before their eyes” [Table].

If none is righteous, who could or should receive this amazing grace of Jesus? Jesus said that his Father made that decision: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws (ἑλκύσῃ, a form of ἑλκύω) him.¹² So now I can imagine that some of the people gathered before the throne of the Son of Man are those God the Father chose not to draw to Jesus, while others are those He chose to draw. And those He chose to draw would be more like Paul: I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.¹³

Of course, Jesus promised that after He died as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world,¹⁴ He will draw all…to [Himself]: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.¹⁵ So now, if Jesus’ words abide in me I am compelled to imagine that everyone gathered before the throne of the Son of Man has been drawn to Jesus, that everyone standing there is more like Paul: I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.¹⁶

Jesus had already hinted at this outcome: It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—¹⁷ But here, my Christianity wants to argue and debate. So here I must decide Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen (ἀκούειν, a form of ἀκούω) to [my Christianity] rather than to God.¹⁸

A table comparing John 15:11 in the NET and KJV follows:

John 15:11 (NET)	John 15:11 (KJV)
I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.	These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

NET Parallel Greek Text	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ὑμῖν ᾖ καὶ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ	ταυτα λελαληκα υμιν ινα η χαρα η εμη εν υμιν μεινη και η χαρα υμων πληρωθη	ταυτα λελαληκα υμιν ινα η χαρα η εμη εν υμιν μεινη και η χαρα υμων πληρωθη

Christianity, Part 2

Back to Wonders and False Wonders, Part 3

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 10

¹ Romans 11:32 (NET)

² Romans 9:16 (ESV) Table

³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ᾖ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεινη (KJV: might remain).

⁴ Romans 2:4, 5 (ESV) Table

⁵ Romans 8:8 (ESV)

⁶ John 3:7 (ESV)

⁷ John 3:6 (ESV)

⁸ Romans 8:7 (ESV)

⁹ Romans 7:25b (ESV) Table

¹⁰ Romans 2:16 (ESV)

¹¹ Romans 3:10a (NET)

¹² John 6:44a (ESV) Table

¹³ Romans 7:25b (ESV)

¹⁴ 1 John 2:2 (NET)

¹⁵ John 12:32 (ESV)

¹⁶ Romans 7:25b (ESV)

¹⁷ John 6:45 (ESV) Table

¹⁸ Acts 4:19b (ESV)

Hannah’s Prayer, Part 1

Posted on May 20, 2019 by admin

I want to consider Hannah’s prayer in four English translations, two from the Hebrew of the Masoretic text^[1] and two from the Greek of the Septuagint:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
1 Samuel 2:1, 2 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 2:1, 2 (NET)	1 Reigns 2:1, 2 (NETS)	1 Kings 1:28b–2:2 (Elpenor English)
			…and she [Anna] said,
And Hannah prayed, and said: my heart exulteth in HaShem, my horn is exalted in HaShem; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy salvation.	Hannah prayed, “My heart has rejoiced in the Lord; my horn has been raised high because of the Lord. I have loudly denounced my enemies. Indeed I rejoice in your deliverance.	And she [Hanna] said, “My heart was made firm in the Lord; my horn was exalted in my god; my mouth was made wide against enemies, I was glad in your deliverance,	My heart is established in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, I have rejoiced in thy salvation.
There is none holy as HaShem, for there is none beside Thee; neither is there any rock like our G-d.	No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one other than you! There is no rock like our God!	because there is none holy like the Lord, and there is none righteous like our God; there is none holy besides you.	For there is none holy as the Lord, and there is none righteous as our God; there is none holy besides thee.

The difference in verse 2 is subtle but beginning to form a pattern:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
1 Samuel 2:2 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 2:2 (NET)	1 Reigns 2:2 (NETS)	1 Kings 2:2 (Elpenor English)
There is none holy as HaShem,	No one is holy like the Lord!	because there is none holy like the Lord,	For there is none holy as the Lord,
for there is none beside Thee;	There is no one other than you!	there is none holy besides you.	there is none holy besides thee.
neither is there any rock like our G-d.	There is no rock like our God!	and there is none righteous like our God;	and there is none righteous as our God;

I altered the order of the clauses in the Septuagint for better comparison but could have altered the Masoretic text instead. Where the translation from the Masoretic text reads for there is none beside Thee, the Septuagint reads there is none holy besides thee. Likewise where the Masoretic text reads There is no rock like our God, the Septuagint reads and there is none righteous like our God. Was holy added by the rabbis or removed by the Masoretes? Was rock or righteous the original word?

An article titled “Salvation from What?” on Judaism 101 online reads:

Salvation from sin is unnecessary in Judaism, because Judaism does not believe that mankind is inherently evil or sinful or in need of Divine Intervention in order to escape eternal damnation. In fact, Judaism does not even believe in eternal damnation.
Judaism recognizes that people have sinful impulses, but Judaism also recognizes that people have an inclination to do good and to be good, and that people are able to choose whether to follow the evil inclination or the good inclination.
It is within our ability to be righteous.

So how could Hannah pray there is none holy besides thee or there is none righteous like our God? Admittedly, the latter might have been equivocated as comparison, God is more righteous than any human being’s “ability” to be righteous. But once someone decided to alter the Scripture, it might as well be a clean sweep. I sincerely doubt the rabbis who translated the Septuagint made this change. I haven’t accounted for the possibility, however, that some^[2] attempted to write Christian doctrines back into the Old Testament scriptures.

The translations of 1 Samuel 2:9 followed this same pattern: the wicked are made speechless in the darkness, for it is not by one’s own strength that one (e.g., the wicked one) prevails^[3] in the Masoretic text, while in the Septuagint, he blesses the years of the righteous, for by strength cannot man (e.g., the righteous man) prevail. Again, how could Hannah pray such a thing given that “It is within our ability to be righteous.”

It prompted me to reconsider There is no one righteous, not even one.^[4] This, according to a footnote (14) in the NET, was a quote from Psalm 14:1.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 14:1 (Tanakh)	Psalm 14:1 (NET)	Psalm 13:1 (NETS)	Psalm 13:1 (Elpenor English)
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.	Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.	The fool said in his heart, “There is no God.” They caused corruption and were abominable in their practices, there is no one practicing kindness; there is not even one.	The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They have corrupted [themselves], and become abominable in their devices; there is none that does goodness, there is not even so much as one.

There is no one righteous, not even one is at best an allusion to, or conclusion based on, the Psalm. The Hebrew word translated good (Tanakh) or what is right (NET) was טוב (ṭôb). God saw all that he had made – and it was very good (ṭôb).^[5] In the Septuagint (Table6 below) טוב (ṭôb) was translated χρηστότητα (a form of χρηστότης). Notice therefore the kindness (χρηστότητα, a form of χρηστότης) and harshness of God – harshness^[6] toward those who have fallen, but God’s^[7] kindness^[8] (χρηστότης) toward you, provided you continue in his kindness (χρηστότητι, another form of χρηστότης); otherwise you also will be cut off.^[9] Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy,^[10] kindness (χρηστότητα, a form χρηστότης), humility, gentleness, and patience,^[11] bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord^[12] has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.^[13]

While I have no quarrel with Paul if he translated טוב (ṭôb) or understood χρηστότητα as δίκαιος, it is difficult to think of it as a quotation.

Romans 3:10b (NET Parallel Greek)	Psalm 14:1b (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:1b (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς	οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός	οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός
Romans 3:10b (NET)	Psalm 13:1b (NETS)	Psalm 13:1b (English Elpenor)
There is no one righteous, not even one,	there is no one practicing kindness; there is not even one.	there is none that does goodness, there is not even so much as one.

What is unavoidable when approached this way is that Paul applied to all what David clearly applied only to atheists: The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Was Paul recalling and summarizing Hannah’s prayer (see Table4 below) from the Septuagint?

Romans 3:10b (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Samuel 2:2b (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 2:2b (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς	καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἅγιος πλὴν σοῦ	καὶ οὐκ ἔστι δίκαιος ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· οὐκ ἔστιν ἅγιος πλήν σου
Romans 3:10b (NET)	1 Reigns 2:2b (NETS)	1 Kings 2:2b (English Elpenor)
There is no one righteous, not even one,	and there is none righteous like our God; there is none holy besides you.	and there is none righteous as our God; there is none holy besides thee.

David’s psalm continued:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 14:2 (Tanakh)	Psalm 14:2 (NET)	Psalm 13:2 (NETS)	Psalm 13:2 (Elpenor English)
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.	The Lord looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God.	The Lord peered down from the sky on the sons of men to see if there was any who had understanding or who sought after God.	The Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there were any that understood, or sought after god.

Paul concluded, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.^[14]

Romans 3:11 (NET Parallel Greek)	Psalm 14:2b (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:2b (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἔστιν \|ὁ\| συνίων, οὐκ ἔστιν \|ὁ\| ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν	εἰ ἔστιν συνίων ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν	εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν
Romans 3:11 (NET)	Psalm 13:2b (NETS)	Psalm 13:2b (English Elpenor)
there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.	if there was any who had understanding or who sought after God.	if there were any that understood, or sought after god.

Paul’s conclusion was certainly in agreement with the next verse of David’s psalm:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 14:3 (Tanakh)	Psalm 14:3 (NET)	Psalm 13:3 (NETS)	Psalm 13:3 (Elpenor English)
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.	Everyone rejects God; they are all morally corrupt. None of them does what is right, not even one!	All turned away, as well they became useless; there is no one practicing kindness; there is not even one.	They are all gone out of the way, they are together become good for nothing, there is none that does good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.

Here is a comparison of the NET parallel Greek of Paul’s quotation with the Greek of the Septuagint along with English translations.

Romans 3:12-18 (NET Parallel Greek)	Psalm 14:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:2b (Septuagint Elpenor)
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν· οὐκ ἔστιν \|ὁ\| ποιῶν χρηστότητα, [οὐκ ἔστιν] ἕως ἑνός τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν, ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν	πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν ταῗς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει ὀξεῗς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῗς ὁδοῗς αὐτῶν καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν	πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὑτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν· ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν, ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει, ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα, σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν· οὐκ ἔστι φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν
Romans 3:12-18 (NET) Table	Psalm 13:3 (NETS)	Psalm 13:2b (English Elpenor)
All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one. Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.	All turned away, as well they became useless; there is no one practicing kindness; there is not even one.	They are all gone out of the way, they are together become good for nothing, there is none that does good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.

I’m coming up empty for any reason why the rabbis who translated the Septuagint would have added this to David’s psalm. I have a clue why the Masoretes might have removed it. Though the Elpenor version of the Septuagint included the extended text in the English translation, the parallel Greek was marked by an asterisk and removed to the bottom of the column. If I skip from—They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one—directly to—Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD^[15]—it is much easier to assume that all does not mean all. Surely God’s people are exempt from all who have gone aside. But then, who exactly are God’s people?

Are they those who seek to have a righteousness of their own derived from the law by striving to obey the law in their own strength, by their own ability (because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing^[16])? Or are they those who call on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:5-13), those who are born from above (John 3:1-7), those who are led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-17)?

Is the Bible a “book of rules” or a story which demonstrates, among other things, how God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh?^[17] For there is none holy as the Lord, and there is none righteous as our God; there is none holy besides thee, Hannah prayed according to the Septuagint. Why do you call me good? Jesus asked the wealthy ruler. No one is good except God alone.^[18]

Is the finding of God’s observation—that There is no one righteous, not even one—the hyperbole of a scold, an angry admonition for me to try harder to keep the law? Or is it the factual basis for me to do something completely different? Do not be amazed—Jesus said to the teacher of Israel—that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’^[19]

Tables comparing 1 Samuel 2:1; 2:2; Psalm 14:1; Genesis 1:31; Psalm 14:2; 14:3 and 14:4 in the Tanakh and NET, and tables comparing 1 Samuel (Kings, Reigns) 2:1; 2:2; Psalm 14:1 (13:1); Genesis 1:31; Psalm 14:2 (13:2); 14:3 (13:3) and 14:4 (13:4) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow. Following those are tables comparing Romans 11:22 and Colossians 3:12, 13 in the NET and KJV.

1 Samuel 2:1 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 2:1 (NET)
And Hannah prayed, and said: my heart exulteth in HaShem, my horn is exalted in HaShem; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy salvation.	Hannah prayed, “My heart has rejoiced in the Lord; my horn has been raised high because of the Lord. I have loudly denounced my enemies. Indeed I rejoice in your deliverance.

1 Samuel 2:1 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 2:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ἐστερεώθη ἡ καρδία μου ἐν κυρίῳ ὑψώθη κέρας μου ἐν θεῷ μου ἐπλατύνθη ἐπὶ ἐχθροὺς τὸ στόμα μου εὐφράνθην ἐν σωτηρίᾳ σου	ΕΣΤΕΡΕΩΘΗ ἡ καρδία μου ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὑψώθη κέρας μου ἐν Θεῷ μου· ἐπλατύνθη ἐπ᾿ ἐχθρούς μου τὸ στόμα μου, εὐφράνθην ἐν σωτηρίᾳ σου
1 Reigns 2:1 (NETS)	1 Kings 2:1 (English Elpenor)
And she said, “My heart was made firm in the Lord; my horn was exalted in my god; my mouth was made wide against enemies, I was glad in your deliverance,	My heart is established in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, I have rejoiced in thy salvation.

1 Samuel 2:2 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 2:2 (NET)
There is none holy as HaShem, for there is none beside Thee; neither is there any rock like our G-d.	No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one other than you! There is no rock like our God!

1 Samuel 2:2 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 2:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἅγιος ὡς κύριος καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἅγιος πλὴν σοῦ	ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἅγιος ὡς Κύριος, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι δίκαιος ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· οὐκ ἔστιν ἅγιος πλήν σου
1 Reigns 2:2 (NETS)	1 Kings 2:2 (English Elpenor)
because there is none holy like the Lord, and there is none righteous like our God; there is none holy besides you.	For there is none holy as the Lord, and there is none righteous as our God; there is none holy besides thee.

Psalm 14:1 (Tanakh)	Psalm 14:1 (NET)
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.	Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right.

Psalm 14:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν θεός διέφθειραν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός	ΕΙΠΕΝ ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· οὐκ ἔστι Θεός. διεφθάρησαν καὶ ἐβδελύχθησαν ἐν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός
Psalm 13:1 (NETS)	Psalm 13:1 (English Elpenor)
The fool said in his heart, “There is no God.” They caused corruption and were abominable in their practices, there is no one practicing kindness; there is not even one.	The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They have corrupted [themselves], and become abominable in their devices; there is none that does goodness, there is not even so much as one.

Genesis 1:31 (Tanakh)	Genesis 1:31 (NET)
And G-d saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.	God saw all that he had made – and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 1:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδεν ὁ θεὸς τὰ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν καὶ ἰδοὺ καλὰ λίαν καὶ ἐγένετο ἑσπέρα καὶ ἐγένετο πρωί ἡμέρα ἕκτη	καὶ εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησε, καὶ ἰδοὺ καλὰ λίαν. καὶ ἐγένετο ἑσπέρα καὶ ἐγένετο πρωΐ, ἡμέρα ἕκτη
Genesis 1:31 (NETS)	Genesis 1:31 (English Elpenor)
And God saw all the things that he had made, and see, they were exceedingly good. And it came to be evening, and it came to be morning, a sixth day.	And God saw all the things that he had made, and, behold, they were very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Psalm 14:2 (Tanakh)	Psalm 14:2 (NET)
The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.	The Lord looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God.

Psalm 14:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
κύριος ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ ἰδεῗν εἰ ἔστιν συνίων ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν	Κύριος ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν
Psalm 13:2 (NETS)	Psalm 13:2 (English Elpenor)
The Lord peered down from the sky on the sons of men to see if there was any who had understanding or who sought after God.	The Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there were any that understood, or sought after god.

Psalm 14:3 (Tanakh)	Psalm 14:3 (NET)
They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.	Everyone rejects God; they are all morally corrupt. None of them does what is right, not even one!

Psalm 14:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν ταῗς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει ὀξεῗς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῗς ὁδοῗς αὐτῶν καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν	πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὑτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν· ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν, ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει, ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα, σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν· οὐκ ἔστι φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν
Psalm 13:3 (NETS)	Psalm 13:3 (English Elpenor)
All turned away, as well they became useless; there is no one practicing kindness; there is not even one.	They are all gone out of the way, they are together become good for nothing, there is none that does good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes.

Psalm 14:4 (Tanakh)	Psalm 14:4 (NET)
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.	All those who behave wickedly do not understand – those who devour my people as if they were eating bread, and do not call out to the Lord.

Psalm 14:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐχὶ γνώσονται πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν οἱ κατεσθίοντες τὸν λαόν μου βρώσει ἄρτου τὸν κύριον οὐκ ἐπεκαλέσαντο	οὐχὶ γνώσονται πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν; οἱ ἐσθίοντες τὸν λαόν μου βρώσει ἄρτου τὸν Κύριον οὐκ ἐπεκαλέσαντο
Psalm 13:4 (NETS)	Psalm 13:4 (English Elpenor)
Shall they never learn, all those who practice lawlessness? Those who eat up my people like eating bread do not call upon the Lord.	Will not all the workers of iniquity know, who eat up my people as they would eat bread? they have not called upon the Lord.

Romans 11:22 (NET)	Romans 11:22 (KJV)
Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God – harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.	Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἴδε οὖν χρηστότητα καὶ ἀποτομίαν θεοῦ· ἐπὶ μὲν τοὺς πεσόντας ἀποτομία, ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ χρηστότης θεοῦ, ἐὰν ἐπιμένῃς τῇ χρηστότητι, ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ ἐκκοπήσῃ	ιδε ουν χρηστοτητα και αποτομιαν θεου επι μεν τους πεσοντας αποτομιαν επι δε σε χρηστοτητα εαν επιμεινης τη χρηστοτητι επει και συ εκκοπηση	ιδε ουν χρηστοτητα και αποτομιαν θεου επι μεν τους πεσοντας αποτομιαν επι δε σε χρηστοτητα εαν επιμεινης τη χρηστοτητι επει και συ εκκοπηση

Colossians 3:12, 13 (NET)	Colossians 3:12, 13 (KJV)
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,	Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐνδύσασθε οὖν, ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ τοῦ θεοῦ ἅγιοι καὶ ἠγαπημένοι, σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ χρηστότητα ταπεινοφροσύνην πραΰτητα μακροθυμίαν	ενδυσασθε ουν ως εκλεκτοι του θεου αγιοι και ηγαπημενοι σπλαγχνα οικτιρμων χρηστοτητα ταπεινοφροσυνην πραοτητα μακροθυμιαν	ενδυσασθε ουν ως εκλεκτοι του θεου αγιοι και ηγαπημενοι σπλαγχνα οικτιρμου χρηστοτητα ταπεινοφροσυνην πραοτητα μακροθυμιαν

bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων καὶ χαριζόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς ἐάν τις πρός τινα ἔχῃ μομφήν· καθὼς καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐχαρίσατο ὑμῖν, οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς	ανεχομενοι αλληλων και χαριζομενοι εαυτοις εαν τις προς τινα εχη μομφην καθως και ο χριστος εχαρισατο υμιν ουτως και υμεις	ανεχομενοι αλληλων και χαριζομενοι εαυτοις εαν τις προς τινα εχη μομφην καθως και ο χριστος εχαρισατο υμιν ουτως και υμεις

Hannah’s Prayer, Part 2

Back to Who Am I? Part 10

Back to Paul”s OT Quotes – Romans 3:10-18

Back to Christianity, Part 1

Back to Christianity, Part 7

^[1] Here are three opinions of the Masoretic text: 1) What is the Masoretic Text? 2) The Masoretic Text: The traditional–sometimes imperfect–Jewish version of the Torah text. 3) The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Should the original Hebrew Bible text be modified based on information obtained from the Dead Sea Scrolls?^[2] Jim Searcy, for instance, asserted that “Origen wrote his Hexapla” as opposed to compiling it from extant manuscripts.

^[3] 1 Samuel 2:9 (NET)

^[4] Romans 3:10b (NET)

^[5] Genesis 1:31a (NET) טוב

^[6] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀποτομία here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αποτομιαν (KJV: severity).

^[7] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had θεοῦ here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

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

^[9] Romans 11:22 (NET)

^[10] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the plural οικτιρμων (KJV: mercies) here, where the NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular οἰκτιρμοῦ.

^[11] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ patience was spelled πραΰτητα, and πραοτητα (KJV: longsuffering) in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

^[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had κύριος here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had χριστος (KJV: Christ).

^[13] Colossians 3:12, 13 (NET)

^[14] Romans 3:11 (NET)

^[15] Psalm 14:4 (Tanakh)

^[16] Galatians 2:21 (NET)

^[17] Romans 8:3 (NET) Table

^[18] Luke 18:19b (NET)

^[19] John 3:7 (NET)

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 10

Posted on October 25, 2017 by admin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’ll return to Leviticus 18 in another essay.

Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Back to To Make Holy, Part 3

Back to Who Am I? Part 8

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 12

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 6

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 13

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 14

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 3

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 15

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 5

Back to The Children of Promise, Part 1

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind

^[1] Genesis 3:17 (NET)

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

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

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

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

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

^[7] Genesis 6:11 (NET)

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

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

^[10] Proverbs 22:6 (NET)

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

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

^[13] Genesis 9:6 (NET)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

^[22] Genesis 6:14 (NET)

^[23] Genesis 6:22 (NET)

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

^[25] Hebrews 11:7 (NET)

^[26] Genesis 6:8 (NET)

^[27] Genesis 6:9 (KJV)

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

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

^[30] John 3:7 (NET)

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

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

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

^[34] Romans 13:10 (NET)

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

Paul’s OT Quotes – Romans 3:10-18

Posted on August 25, 2012 by admin

Paul

Blue Letter Bible (Septuagint)

NET Bible (Greek parallel text)

There is no one righteous, not even one

Romans 3:10 (NET)

οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός

Psalm 14:1 Table

ουκ εστιν δικαιος ουδε εις

Romans 3:10

there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.

Romans 3:11 (NET)

ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστιν συνίων ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν

Psalm 14:2 Table

ουκ εστιν συνιων ουκ εστιν εκζητων τον θεον

Romans 3:11

All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.

Romans 3:12 (NET)

πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός

Psalm 14:3 Table

παντες εξεκλιναν αμα ηχρεωθησαν ουκ εστιν ποιων χρηστοτητα ουκ εστιν εως ενος

Romans 3:12

In Item #1 Paul replaced ποιῶν χρηστότητα (does goodness) with δικαιος (righteous) [See Addendum below]. The longer phrase οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός (there is not so much as one) is also found at the end of verse 12, but was replaced in verse 10 with ουδε εις (not even one).

In Item #2 David wrote that The Lord looked down from heaven upon the sons of men ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστιν συνίων (to see if there were any that understood) ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν (or sought after God) [See Addendum below]. Paul, taking his cue from the conclusion in Psalm 14:3, wrote ουκ εστιν συνιων (there is no one who understands) ουκ εστιν εκζητων τον θεον (there is no one who seeks God).

Item #3 is word for word identical (except for accent marks). It also demonstrates a kind of equivalence in Paul’s mind between ποιῶν χρηστότητα (does goodness, shows kindness [NET] in Psalm 14:1 and 3) with δικαιος (righteous, in Romans 3:10) [See Addendum below].

Paul

Blue Letter Bible (Septuagint)

NET Bible (Greek parallel text)

Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.

Romans 3:13 (NET)

τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν

Psalm 5:9

ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν

Psalm 140:3

ταφος ανεωγμενος ο λαρυγξ αυτων ταις γλωσσαις αυτων εδολιουσανιος ασπιδων υπο τα χειλη αυτων

Romans 3:13

Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

Romans 3:14 (NET)

οὗ ἀρᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ γέμει καὶ πικρίας

Psalm 10:7

ων το στομα αρας και πικριας γεμει

Romans 3:14

Item #4 combines two verses from different Psalms but the quotation is identical in Romans (except for accent marks). [Or he continued to quote from Psalm 14:3 (13:3) in the Septuagint or the Hebrew from which the Septuagint was translated: see Addendum below.]

In Item #5 the Septuagint began with οὗ (whose, singular). The parallel Greek text began with ων (whose, plural). Paul dropped αὐτοῦ (his) since he had switched to the plural form. Except for word order the quotation is the same after that. [Or he continued to quote from Psalm 14:3 (13:3) in the Septuagint or the Hebrew from which the Septuagint was translated: see Addendum below.]

Paul

Blue Letter Bible (Septuagint)

NET Bible (Greek parallel text)

Their feet are swift to shed blood,

Romans 3:15 (NET)

οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν ταχινοὶ [swift] ἐκχέαι αἷμα

Isaiah 59:7

οξεις οι ποδες αυτων εκχεαι αιμα

Romans 3:15

ruin and misery are in their paths,

Romans 3:16 (NET)

σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν

Isaiah 59:7

συντριμμα και ταλαιπωρια εν ταις οδοις αυτων

Romans 3:16

and the way of peace they have not known.

Romans 3:17 (NET)

καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασιν

Isaiah 59:8

και οδον ειρηνης ουκ εγνωσαν

Romans 3:17

In Item #6 the Septuagint read, And their feet run to wickedness, swift to shed blood.¹ Paul abbreviated it and began with οξεις (swift) rather than ταχινοὶ. He dropped the conjunction δὲ (and), and the phrase ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν (run to wickedness). [Or he continued to quote from Psalm 14:3 (13:3) in the Septuagint or the Hebrew from which the Septuagint was translated: see Addendum below.]

Item #7 is identical (except for accent marks). [Or he continued to quote from Psalm 14:3 (13:3) in the Septuagint or the Hebrew from which the Septuagint was translated: see Addendum below.]

Item #8 is identical except that Paul used εγνωσαν, a form of γινώσκω, for known rather than οἴδασιν, a form of εἴδω. They did not understand (εγνωσαν) that [Jesus] was telling them about his Father,² John informed his readers in his Gospel account. You are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing (οιδασιν) it!³ Jesus told the Pharisees in Luke’s Gospel account. I’m not sure how much, or if any, emphasis should be made of that change. [Or Paul may have continued to quote from Psalm 14:3 (13:3) in the Septuagint or the Hebrew from which the Septuagint was translated: see Addendum below.]

[For Romans 3:18 see Addendum below.

Addendum: March 31, 2021
The Greek of Paul’s quotation (NET note 14) from Psalm 14:1 is contrasted to the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint below:

Romans 3:10b (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 14:1b (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:1b (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς	οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός [Table]	οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός
Romans 3:10b (NET)	Psalm 13:1b (NETS)	Psalm 13:1b (English Elpenor)
There is no one righteous, not even one;	there is no one practicing kindness; there is not even one.	there is none that does goodness, there is not even so much as one.

There is more here than I was willing or able to see before. Paul was certainly looking at the Septuagint or the Hebrew from which the Septuagint was translated.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 14:1b (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 14:1b (NET)	Genesis 13:1b (NETS) Table	Genesis 13:1b (English Elpenor)
there is none that doeth good (טֽוֹב).	none of them does what is right (ṭôḇ, טוב).	there is no one practicing kindness (χρηστότητα); there is not even one.	there is none that does goodness (χρηστότητα), there is not even so much as one.

The phrase there is not even one (NETS), there is not even so much as one (English Elpenor), acknowledged by Paul as not even one (NET) is missing from the Masoretic text. The translation of טֽוֹב (ṭôḇ) good in the Tanakh is completely acceptable. The first two occurrences of טֽוֹב follow:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 1:4a (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 1:4a (NET)	Genesis 1:4a (NETS) Table	Genesis 1:4a (English Elpenor)
And G-d saw the light, that it was good (ט֑וֹב);	God saw that the light was good (ṭôḇ, טוב),	And God saw the light, that it was good (καλόν).	And God saw the light that it was good (καλόν),

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 1:10c (Tanakh) Table	Genesis 1:10c (NET)	Genesis 1:10c (NETS) Table	Genesis 1:10c (English Elpenor)
and G-d saw that it was good (טֽוֹב).	God saw that it was good (ṭôḇ, טוב).	And God saw that it was good (καλόν).	and God saw that it was good (καλόν).

I’ll call this the mechanical translation, not to demean it. On the contrary, when I began this study I was pedantic enough to favor the mechanical translation over all others. This study has broadened my thinking some. Notice the translators of the NET didn’t choose the mechanical translation good. Their translation right reveals an awareness of Paul’s righteous, even as it answers the question: what is good? The answer right alludes to the law: God’s law is good; obey his law.

The translators of the Septuagint chose καλόν (a form of καλός) for טֽוֹב (ṭôḇ) in Genesis. This is the “beautiful good” I’ve considered before in the New Testament. But they didn’t choose the mechanical translation in Psalm 14:1b either.

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint seem to have answered the same question: What is the beautiful good? Their answer χρηστότης also reflects their attitude toward the law: “gentleness, goodness, kindness, generosity, uprightness.”

Paul, I think, took this opportunity to answer a different question: Why is there none that doeth good? There is no one righteous, not even one (οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς). That answer makes this more of an allusion to, than a quotation of, Psalm 14:1b.

The Greek of Paul’s quotation (NET note 14) from Psalm 14:2 is contrasted to the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint below:

Romans 3:11 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 14:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἔστιν \|ὁ\| συνίων, οὐκ ἔστιν \|ὁ\| ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν	τοῦ ἰδεῗν εἰ ἔστιν συνίων ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν [Table]	τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν
Romans 3:11 (NET)	Psalm 13:2 (NETS)	Psalm 13:2 (English Elpenor)
there is no one who understands;, there is no one who seeks God.	to see if there was any who had understanding or who sought after God.	to see if there were any that understood, or sought after god.

The Greek of Paul’s quotation (NET note 14) from Psalm 14:3a is compared to the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint below:

Romans 3:12 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 14:3a (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:3a (Septuagint Elpenor)
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν· οὐκ ἔστιν \|ὁ\| ποιῶν χρηστότητα, [οὐκ ἔστιν] ἕως ἑνός.	πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός [Table]	πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός
Romans 3:12 (NET)	Psalm 13:3 (NETS)	Psalm 13:3a (English Elpenor)
All have turned away;, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.”	All turned away, as well they became useless; there is no one practicing kindness; there is not even one.	They are all gone out of the way, they are together become good for nothing, there is none that does good, no not one.

The Greek of Paul’s quotation from Psalm 14:3b (13:3b) is compared to the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint below:

Romans 3:13 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 14:3b (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:3b (Septuagint Elpenor)
τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν, ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν	τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν ταῗς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν [Table]	τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὑτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν· ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν
Romans 3:13 (NET)	Psalm 13:3b (NETS)	Psalm 13:3b (English Elpenor)
“Their throats are open graves;, they deceive with their tongues;, the poison of asps is under their lips.”		Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

NET note 16 claimed that this was a quotation from Psalms 5:9 and 140:3.

Romans 3:13 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 5:9b (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 5:10b (Septuagint Elpenor)
τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν, ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν	τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν ταῗς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν	τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν
	Psalm 140:3b (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 139:4b (Septuagint Elpenor)
	ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν	ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν
Romans 3:13 (NET)	Psalm 5:10b (NETS)	Psalm 5:10b (English Elpenor)
“Their throats are open graves;, they deceive with their tongues;, the poison of asps is under their lips.”	their throat is an opened grave; with their tongues they would practice deceit.	their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit.
	Psalm 139:4b (NETS)	Psalm 139:4b (English Elpenor)
	venom of vipers is under their lips.	the poison of asps is under their lips.

The Greek of Paul’s quotation from Psalm 14:3c (13:3c) is compared to the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint below:

Romans 3:14 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 14:3c (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:3c (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει	ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει [Table]	ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει
Romans 3:14 (NET)	Psalm 13:3c (NETS)	Psalm 13:3c (English Elpenor)
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”		whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;

NET note 18 claimed that this was a quotation from Psalm 10:7.

Romans 3:14 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 10:7a (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 9:28a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει	οὗ ἀρᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ γέμει καὶ πικρίας	οὗ ἀρᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ γέμει καὶ πικρίας
Romans 3:14 (NET)	Psalm 9:28a (NETS)	Psalm 9:28a (English Elpenor)
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”	him whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness	Whose mouth is full of cursing, and bitterness,

The Greek of Paul’s quotation from Psalm 14:3d (13:3d) is compared to the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint below:

Romans 3:15 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 14:3d (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:3d (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα	ὀξεῗς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα [Table]	ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα
Romans 3:15 (NET)	Psalm 13:3d (NETS)	Psalm 13:3d (English Elpenor)
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;,		their feet are swift to shed blood:

NET note 19 claimed that this was a quotation from Isaiah 59:7.

Romans 3:15 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Isaiah 59:7a (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 59:7a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα	οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα	οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσι, ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα
Romans 3:15 (NET)	Isaiah 59:7a (NETS)	Isaiah 59:7a (English Elpenor)
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;,	And their feet run to evil, swift to shed blood,	And their feet run to wickedness, swift to shed blood;

The Greek of Paul’s quotation from Psalm 14:3e (13:3e) is compared to the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint below:

Romans 3:16 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 14:3e (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:3e (Septuagint Elpenor)
σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν	σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῗς ὁδοῗς αὐτῶν [Table]	σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν
Romans 3:16 (NET)	Psalm 13:3e (NETS)	Psalm 13:3e (English Elpenor)
ruin and misery are in their paths,		destruction and misery are in their ways;

NET note 19 claimed that this was a quotation from Isaiah 59:7.

Romans 3:16 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Isaiah 59:7c (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 59:7c (Septuagint Elpenor)
σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν	σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῗς ὁδοῗς αὐτῶν	σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν
Romans 3:16 (NET)	Isaiah 59:7c (NETS)	Isaiah 59:7c (English Elpenor)
ruin and misery are in their paths,	destruction and wretchedness are in their ways.	destruction and misery are in their ways;

The Greek of Paul’s quotation from Psalm 14:3f (13:3f) is compared to the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint below:

Romans 3:17 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 14:3f (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:3f (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν	καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν [Table]	καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν
Romans 3:17 (NET)	Psalm 13:3f (NETS)	Psalm 13:3f (English Elpenor)
and the way of peace they have not known.”		and the way of peace they have not known:

NET note 19 claimed that this was a quotation from Isaiah 59:8.

Romans 3:17 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Isaiah 59:8a (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 59:8a (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν	καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασιν	καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασι
Romans 3:17 (NET)	Isaiah 59:8a (NETS)	Isaiah 59:8a (English Elpenor)
and the way of peace they have not known.”	And a way of peace they do not know,	and the way of peace they know not,

The Greek of Paul’s quotation from Psalm 14:3g (13:3g) is compared to the BLB and Elpenor Septuagint below:

Romans 3:18 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 14:3g (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 13:3g (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν	οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν [Table]	οὐκ ἔστι φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν
Romans 3:18 (NET)	Psalm 13:3g (NETS)	Psalm 13:3g (English Elpenor)
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”		there is no fear of God before their eyes.

NET note 20 claimed that this was a quotation from Psalm 36:1.

Romans 3:18 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Psalm 36:1b (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 35:2b (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν	οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ	οὐκ ἔστι φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ
Romans 3:18 (NET)	Psalm 35:2b (NETS)	Psalm 35:2b (English Elpenor)
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”	there is no fear of the divine before his eyes,	there is no fear of God before their eyes.

Tables comparing Psalm 5:9; 140:3; 10:7; Isaiah 59:7; 59:8 and Psalm 36:1 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Psalm 5:9 (5:10); 140:3 (139:4); 10:7 (9:28); Isaiah 59:7; 59:8 and Psalm 36:1 (35:1, 2) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing Luke 11:44 in the KJV and NET follow.

Psalm 5:9 (Tanakh)	Psalm 5:9 (KJV)	Psalm 5:9 (NET)
For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.	For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.	For they do not speak the truth; their stomachs are like the place of destruction, their throats like an open grave, their tongues like a steep slope leading into it.

Psalm 5:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 5:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν ἀλήθεια ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ματαία τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν ταῗς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν	ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν ἀλήθεια, ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ματαία· τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν
Psalm 5:10 (NETS)	Psalm 5:10 (English Elpenor)
Because there is no truth in their mouth, their heart is vain; their throat is an opened grave; with their tongues they would practice deceit.	For there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is vain; their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit.

Psalm 140:3 (Tanakh)	Psalm 140:3 (KJV)	Psalm 140:3 (NET)
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.	They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.	Their tongues wound like a serpent; a viper’s venom is behind their lips. (Selah)

Psalm 140:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 139:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἠκόνησαν γλῶσσαν αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ ὄφεως ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν διάψαλμα	ἠκόνησαν γλῶσσαν αὐτῶν ὡσεὶ ὄφεως, ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν (διάψαλμα)
Psalm 139:4 (NETS)	Psalm 139:4 (English Elpenor)
They made their tongue sharp as a snake’s; venom of vipers is under their lips. Interlude on strings	They have sharpened their tongue as [the tongue] of a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips. Pause.

Psalm 10:7 (Tanakh)	Psalm 10:7 (KJV)	Psalm 10:7 (NET)
His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.	His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.	His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words; his tongue injures and destroys.

Psalm 10:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 9:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὗ ἀρᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ γέμει καὶ πικρίας καὶ δόλου ὑπὸ τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦ κόπος καὶ πόνος	οὗ ἀρᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ γέμει καὶ πικρίας καὶ δόλου, ὑπὸ τὴν γλῶσσαν αὐτοῦ κόπος καὶ πόνος
Psalm 9:28 (NETS)	Psalm 9:28 (English Elpenor)
him whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness and deceit; under his tongue are grief and hardship.	Whose mouth is full of cursing, and bitterness, and fraud: under his tongue are trouble and pain.

Isaiah 59:7 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 59:7 (KJV)	Isaiah 59:7 (NET)
Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.	Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.	They are eager to do evil, quick to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful; they crush and destroy.

Isaiah 59:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 59:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτῶν διαλογισμοὶ ἀφρόνων σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῗς ὁδοῗς αὐτῶν	οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσι, ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα· καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτῶν διαλογισμοὶ ἀφρόνων, σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν
Isaiah 59:7 (NETS)	Isaiah 59:7 (English Elpenor)
And their feet run to evil, swift to shed blood, and their reasonings are reasonings of fools; destruction and wretchedness are in their ways.	And their feet run to wickedness, swift to shed blood; their thoughts also are thoughts of murder; destruction and misery are in their ways;

Isaiah 59:8 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 59:8 (KJV)	Isaiah 59:8 (NET)
The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.	The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.	They are unfamiliar with peace; their deeds are unjust. They use deceitful methods, and whoever deals with them is unfamiliar with peace.

Isaiah 59:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 59:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασιν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν κρίσις ἐν ταῗς ὁδοῗς αὐτῶν αἱ γὰρ τρίβοι αὐτῶν διεστραμμέναι ἃς διοδεύουσιν καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν εἰρήνην	καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κρίσις ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν· αἱ γὰρ τρίβοι αὐτῶν διεστραμμέναι, ἃς διοδεύουσι, καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν εἰρήνην
Isaiah 59:8 (NETS)	Isaiah 59:8 (English Elpenor)
And a way of peace they do not know, and there is no judgment in their ways, for their paths, through which they travel, are crooked, and they do not no peace.	and the way of peace they know not, neither is there judgment in their ways; for their paths by which they go are crooked, and they know not peace.

Psalm 36:1 (Tanakh)	Psalm 36:1 (KJV)	Psalm 36:1 (NET)
The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.	The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.	For the music director, an oracle, written by the Lord’s servant David. An evil man is rebellious to the core. He does not fear God,

Psalm 36:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 35:1, 2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰς τὸ τέλος τῷ δούλῳ κυρίου τῷ Δαυιδ φησὶν ὁ παράνομος τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ	Εἰς τὸ τέλος· τῷ δούλῳ Κυρίου τῷ Δαυΐδ – 2 ΦΗΣΙΝ ὁ παράνομος τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὐκ ἔστι φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ
Psalm 35:1, 2 (NETS)	Psalm 35:1, 2 (English Elpenor)
Regarding completion. Pertaining to the slave of the Lord, to Dauid. (2) Says the transgressor of the law in himself, in order to sin: there is no fear of the divine before his eyes,	[For the end, by David the servant of the Lord.] 2 The transgressor, that he may sin, says within himself, [that] there is no fear of God before his eyes.

Luke 11:44 (NET)	Luke 11:44 (KJV)
Woe to you! You are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it!”	Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἐστὲ ὡς τὰ μνημεῖα τὰ ἄδηλα, καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι [οἱ] περιπατοῦντες ἐπάνω οὐκ οἴδασιν	ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι εστε ως τα μνημεια τα αδηλα και οι ανθρωποι οι περιπατουντες επανω ουκ οιδασιν	ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι εστε ως τα μνημεια τα αδηλα και οι ανθρωποι περιπατουντες επανω ουκ οιδασιν