It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Hebrew and Greek tumbler, but I recently learned that the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) used a more precisely “virginal” Greek word to translate a Hebrew word which in modern times attracted less virginal aspersions. It may be as edifying to others as it is to me to know that. Casting doubt on the miraculous virgin birth of our Lord is a relatively recent (in my lifetime) scholarly heresy.

Theology Thursday Romans 7:7 In this deeply personal passage of Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul uses a simple quote from the Ten Commandments to explain the contrast between law and grace. The passage is written in the first person, almost as a confession of Paul’s own sin and sinfulness. He uses the law as a metaphorical mirror that shows us our sinfulness and makes our need for grace glaringly obvious. The partial quote “Ουκ επιθυμησεις” in the Greek and לא תהמד in Hebrew is identical in Exodus 20:17 and Deuteronomy 5:21, usually translated “You shall not covet.” The Greek is a simple translation of the Hebrew, both in the Septuagint and in Romans 7:7. Coveting is an old fashioned verb and an unfamiliar concept in 21st century affluent society. It seems whole advertising strategies are essentially based on getting the viewer to covet the advertised item. The commandment lists a few examples and ends with the very comprehensive “or anything that is your neighbor’s”. Coveting could be defined as the opposite of being content with what we have. These days it is difficult to consider it a sin even though it is prominently featured in the Ten Commandments. Does even one day go by without us coveting our neighbor’s car or house or children or flowers or relationships or achievements or health? We would be wise to reflect on this passage and use this command as a mirror to show us our own sin and desperate need for grace. Once we fully understand Paul’s points, we can declare with him, “Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25a)

July 29, 2021 Theology Thursday: The Good Shepherd Recently I played a number of flute duets in church. They all shared a common theme of sheep and shepherds, the best known being Bach’s “Sheep May Safely Graze”. This got me thinking about pastoral scriptures and I just had to look into it. When Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd...” (John 10:11) it is difficult to miss the probable allusion to Old Testament passages involving shepherds and sheep, especially Psalms 23 and 80. In English the two words are obviously related, but not so clearly in Hebrew or Greek. Shepherding is an English verb of tending and caring, from which shepherds get their name. Psalm 23 begins, “The Lord is my Shepherd...” The Hebrew word is רָעָה (Strong’s 7462). The Greek (LXX 22:1) is ποιμήν (Strong’s 4166) the same root as in John 10:11, where the word for sheep is πρόβατον (Strong’s 4263). The NETS translates Psalm 22:1, “The Lord shepherds me...” Psalm 80 begins, “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,...” The Hebrew word used is the same as in Psalm 23, as is the Greek of the Septuagint (LXX 79:2). The NETS rendering is “you who shepherd”. Hebrew uses two main words for sheep, שֶׂה (Strong’s 7716) used in Psalm 119:176 and the more common צֹאן (Strong’s 6629 - 247x) used in 16 Psalms including 49:14, 144:13 and the well known Isaiah 53:6. Neither are limited to sheep but can also mean other small herd animals. Both Hebrew words for sheep are typically translated in the Septuagint by the Greek word πρόβατον, more narrowly describing only sheep.

Theology Thursday: Jesus Quotes Psalms Among the most cryptic Psalms Jesus quotes is Psalm 110:1 (LXX 109:1) “The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Jesus introduces this Psalm to challenge the Pharisees regarding Messiah (Matt. 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42-43). Luke quotes the LXX almost exactly (missing only an article ὁ). Matthew and Mark change the final phrase to “put thy enemies under thy feet.” Luke’s quote of the LXX is considered a “correct translation of the Hebrew.”39 The variation quoted in Matthew and Mark is attributed to “the influence of the analogous passage Ps. 8:7.”40 The Greek phrase κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου is quoted exactly from the LXX by all three gospels with no noun for the implicit “hand” - literally “on my right” (NETS41). “Jesus points out David must have known Psalm 110:1 referred to Messiah (Matt. 22:43).”42 After Jesus is arrested he uses a similar “right hand” quote (Matt. 26:64, Mk. 14:62, Lk. 22:69), perhaps alluding to the previous exchange. Gentry says, “Jesus combines Psalm 110 and Daniel 7:13 to portray the Messiah as the ruler coming to reign over the earth in a universal, worldwide, everlasting kingdom.”43 Footnotes: 39 Moyise & Menken, The Psalms in the New Testament, 74. 40 Ibid. 41 Jobes, Discovering the Septuagint, 199, 200. 42 Chou, The Hermeneutics of the Biblical Writers, 124. 43 Peter J. Gentry, How to Read and Understand the Biblical Prophets (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017), 468.

Theology Thursday 06/10/21 (paper excerpt) Jesus concludes the parable of the wicked vineyard tenants by quoting Psalm 118:22-23 (RSV), “The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” Both Matthew 21:42 and Mark 12:10-11 present this long quote word for word as it appears in the Septuagint (LXX 117:22-23). Luke 20:17 includes only verse 22, but also verbatim from the LXX. Nowhere else does Jesus “quote an OT passage to conclude a parable.”37 Therefore this quote becomes significant to anyone seeking to discern Jesus’ hermeneutic, especially timed as it is after the triumphal entry and the cleansing of the temple, giving it a distinctly Messianic flavor. The LXX Greek word used for “stone” is λίθος rather than the better known words in its semantic field such as πετρος or κηφᾶς (from Aramaic), possibly because it better reflects the building material flavor from the Hebrew ןבא. In Matthew and Luke Jesus explains the quote by implying that he himself is this stone which can be deadly to those who dash themselves against it or upon whom it falls. The stone metaphor would have been familiar to first-century Jews as “an open-ended challenge: it is the cornerstone for those who believe, but the stumbling stone for those who do not, whether Jew or Gentile.”38 In all three synoptic gospels, the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees correctly perceive that the parable with its concluding Psalm quote applies to them and they are infuriated.

Theology Thursday October Virtue: Confidence “Ecce ego vobiscum sum—Behold I am with you. —MATT. 28:20” These are among the most comforting words ever spoken by our Lord and Savior. We can be confident that we are never alone as we walk through any kind of troubles and trials. The sentence begins with ‘behold’ which is tells us to pay attention because this is important. The word μετά (‘sum’ in Latin) commonly used for ‘with’ is easy to understand. The excerpt continues, “always, even to the end of the age.” The Greek phrase translated ‘always’ is παρας τας ἡμέρας literally ‘all the days’. I find it especially comforting to know that Jesus is with me each and every day. This assurance helps me build confidence, our October Virtue and strengthens my faith. I can be sure Jesus is with me every day because He said so! Any time we read Jesus saying ‘I am’ (ἐγώ εἰμί) we can hear an echo of the personal name of God through the scriptures, which reminds us that this verse in Matthew is not the first time we have heard the promise that God is with us. It is covenantal language. One of those instances I stumbled upon recently is Judges 6:16, “Surely I will be with thee.” (Spoken to Gideon.) Two others I looked up by tracking the Hebrew Word עִם (translated ’with’) are Genesis 26:3 (to Isaac) and Genesis 28:15 (to Jacob). Phrases are more difficult to follow than nouns and verbs, but the concept of ‘God with us’ is a thread woven throughout scripture from Genesis to Revelation. As we approach Advent it is a perfect meditation on the many ways God says and shows His presence in our lives. Excerpt From Cultivating Virtue Anonymous https://books.apple.com/us/book/cultivating-virtue/id1236178852 This material may be protected by copyright.

Theology Thursday: Cursed ἐπικατάρατος אָרַר Sometimes I wonder how many of us suspect that our country is cursed because of extended and expanding ungodliness. In my lifetime God and God’s written Word have been systematically and gradually stamped out of schools, businesses, government and a large percentage of churches. This summer the Democratic National Convention removed ‘one nation under God’ from their Pledge of Allegiance on national TV. Perhaps that was merely a formality signifying that much of our nation no longer values God. In that alone our nation resembles the nation of Israel in the many times when the Israelites turned their backs on God. That should give us pause if we are familiar with those occasions in history. There are practical consequences to defiantly disobeying God. The Old Testament is littered with phrases concerning blessing and cursing. The Hebrew word for cursed (Strongs 779) אָרַר appears 52 times, including a series of curses in Gen. 3:14-17 resulting from Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden. Psalm 119:21 summarizes the cause of cursedness as straying from God’s commandments. Psalm 119:21 ‘Thou didst rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from thy commandments;’ (RSV) Fortunately for everyone, protection from the curse is available and God has offered recovery in Christ. The Greek word is ἐπικατάρατος (Strong’s 1944) and appears only 3 times in the New Testament. It is the Greek word used to translate the Hebrew אָרַר in Psalm 119, if you are using Psalm 119 to map Hebrew words into Greek, as I have been. Galatians 3:10 ‘For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who doesn't continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them."’ :13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree," So the obvious solution to our predicament is to acknowledge what Jesus did for us in death and resurrection. I can think of nothing to do but pray for our nation to return to God. It seems appropriate to me that the ‘Virtue’ for the month of September is Prayer. Let’s spend as much of this month in prayer as possible! “Oportet semper oras et non deficere—We must always pray, and not faint. —LUKE 18:1” Excerpt From Cultivating Virtue Anonymous https://books.apple.com/us/book/cultivating-virtue/id1236178852 This material may be protected by copyright.