MS: וַיִּקְרְאוּ אֶל־יְהוָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אָנָּה יְהוָה אַל־נָא נֹאבְדָה בְּנֶפֶשׁ הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה וְאַל־תִּתֵּן עָלֵינוּ דָּם נָקִיא כִּי־אַתָּה יְהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר חָפַצְתָּ עָשִׂיתָ
LXX: Καὶ ἀνεβόησαν πρὸς Κύριον καὶ εἶπαν μηδαμῶς Κύριε μὴ ἀπολώμεθα ἕνεκεν τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου καὶ μὴ δῷς ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς αἷμα δίκαιον διότι σὺ Κύριε ὃν τρόπον ἐβούλου πεποίηκας
TJ: וְצַלִיאוּ קֳדָם יְיָ וַאֲמָרוּ קַבֵּיל בְּעוּתָנָא יְיָ לָא כְעַן נֵיבַד בְּחוֹבַת נְפַשׁ דְגַבְרָא הָדֵין וְלָא תִתֵּן עֲלָנָא חוֹבַת דַם זַכַּאי אֲרֵי אַתְּ יְיָ כְּמָא דְרַעֲוָא קֳדָמָךְ עֲבַדְתָּא
Verse Breakdown
MS: וַיִּקְרְאוּ אֶל־יְהוָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אָנָּה יְהוָה אַל־נָא נֹאבְדָה בְּנֶפֶשׁ הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה LXX: Καὶ ἀνεβόησαν πρὸς Κύριον καὶ εἶπαν μηδαμῶς Κύριε μὴ ἀπολώμεθα ἕνεκεν τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου TJ: וְצַלִיאוּ קֳדָם יְיָ וַאֲמָרוּ קַבֵּיל בְּעוּתָנָא יְיָ לָא כְעַן נֵיבַד בְּחוֹבַת נְפַשׁ דְגַבְרָא הָדֵין
MS: vayiqre’u ‘el-yehovah vayi’omeru ‘anah yehovah ‘al-na’ n’ovdah benepesh na’ish hazeh LXX: kai aneboesan pros kyrion kai eipan kedamos kurie me apolometha heneken ten psyches you anthropou toutou TJ: vetsli’u yeya va’amaru qabeyl be`utana’ yeya la’ ce`an neyvad bekhovat nepash degavra’ hadeyn
MS: And they cried out to the Lord, and said, “please, Lord, do not allow us to die for the soul of man, this one” LXX: And they cried out before the Lord, and said, “please, Lord, do not allow us to die on behalf of the soul of man, this one” TJ: And they cried out before the Lord, and said, “please, Lord, do not allow us to die on behalf of the soul of man, this one”
MS: וְאַל־תִּתֵּן עָלֵינוּ דָּם נָקִיא כִּי־אַתָּה יְהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר חָפַצְתָּ עָשִׂיתָ LXX: καὶ μὴ δῷς ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς αἷμα δίκαιον διότι σὺ Κύριε ὃν τρόπον ἐβούλου πεποίηκας TJ: וְלָא תִתֵּן עֲלָנָא חוֹבַת דַם זַכַּאי אֲרֵי אַתְּ יְיָ כְּמָא דְרַעֲוָא קֳדָמָךְ עֲבַדְתָּא
MS: ve’al-titen `aleynu dam naqi’ ci-’atah yehovah ca’asher khapatsta `asita LXX: kai me dois ef’ hemas haima dikaion dioti sy kyrie hon tropon eboulou pepoiekas TJ: vela’ titen `alana’ khovat dam zaca’y ‘arey ‘at yeya cema’ dera`ava’ qadamakh `avadta’
MS: And do not put upon us blood, innocent, for You, Lord, as which you desire, you do LXX: And do not put upon us blood, righteous, for you, Lord, that which you desire, you do TJ: And do not put upon us blood, innocent, for you, Lord, what which you desire before you, you do
Critical Reconstruction
Shortest Construction:
“And they cried out to the Lord, and said, ‘Please, Lord, do not allow us to die for the soul of man, this one. And do not put upon us blood, innocent, for You, Lord, as which you desire, you do.’”
Longest Construction:
“And they cried out before the Lord, and said, ‘Please, Lord, do not allow us to die on behalf of the soul of man, this one. And do not put upon us blood, innocent, for you, Lord, what which you desire before you, you do.’”
Overview:
This verse showed two changes, one in the LXX and one in the TJ. First, the LXX exchanges “innocent blood” for “righteous blood.” These are two different terms. Innocent is that which has not done something evil. Righteous is that which has done something good. This is only a small change, but does change the plead. The second change comes from the TJ, which adds the phrase, “before you” when referring to the Lord. This is a typical distancing of the TJ from individuals actually interacting with God. Instead, they interact with the presence from before the Lord.
1:14 – Nepesh/psychi vs ruakh/pnuema
1. Introduction
The Hebrew usages of Hb “nepesh” and Hb “ruakh” are nuanced but important for understanding the OT and NT ideas on a person or living thing. The OT usage of Hb “nepesh” and Hb “ruakh” will be tracked. Then, a short survey will be presented of the translation by LXX into Gr “psyche” and Gr “pneuma.” Finally, the usage of Gr “psyche” and Gr “pneuma” in the NT will be examined.
2. Lexical and Linguistic Background
The term Hb “nepesh” is defined by Strongs as a “breathing creature.” Gesenius further notes this term means breath, soul, or mind, and corresponds to Gr “psyche.” The Hb “nepesh” is used 757 times in the WLC Hebrew OT. The term Hb “ruakh” is defined by BDB Lexicon as “breath, wind, spirit.” According to Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, Hb “ruakh” is interchangeable with Hb “nepesh” when contextually meaning animal or breath. The term Hb “ruakh” is used 378 times in the WLC Hebrew OT.
3. Hb “nepesh” and Hb “ruakh” in the Bible
The terms Hb “nepesh” and Hb “ruakh,” though sometimes interchangeable, are used in different contexts throughout the Hb OT. The term Hb “nepesh” is used first in Genesis 1:20, “…Let the waters abound with an abundance of living [Hb “nepesh”] creatures…” Then again in Genesis 12:5, “…and the people [Hb “nepesh”] whom they had acquired in Haran…” And finally in Genesis 17:14, “…that person [Hb “nepesh”] shall be cut off from his people…” The majority of usage is outside of Genesis, but these examples help to illustrate the usage.
The term Hb “ruakh” is used first in Genesis 1:2, “…And the Spirit [Hb “ruakh”] of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” This term is used frequently paired with God, denoting the “Spirit of God.” The Hb “ruakh” is also used in Genesis 7:22, “All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit [Hb “ruakh”] of life.” Finally, Genesis 3:8 notes, “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool [lit. “wind,” Hb “ruakh”] of the day…” While the majority of verses lie outside of Genesis, these help to illustrate the usage of Hb “ruakh” throughout the Hb OT.
4. Transitional Developments in later literature (2 paragraphs)
The terms Hb “nepesh” and Hb “ruakh” are translated into the LXX often as the common terms, Gr “psyche” and Gr “pneuma,” respectively. The Gr “psyche” is used 732 times in LXX Greek OT, and the Gr “pneuma” is used 287 times in LXX Greek OT. In the above examples, the terms Hb “nepesh” and hb “ruakh” are translated as follows:
Genesis 1:20: Hb “nepesh” to Gr “psyche;” Genesis 12:5: Hb “nepesh” to Gr “psyche;” Genesis 17:14: Hb “nepesh” to Gr “psyche;” Genesis 1:2: Hb “ruakh” to Gr “pneuma;” Genesis 7:22: Hb “ruakh” to Gr “pnoe;” Genesis 3:8: Hb “ruakh” to Gr “deilinon.”
In the NT, the terms Gr “psyche” and Gr “pneuma” are used 105 and 385 times in the TR Greek NT, respectively. This clearly reflects a theological difference from the LXX Greek OT usage of the terms, flipping the term frequency. OT usages of Gr “psyche” and Gr “pneuma” are 732 and 287, respectively, while in the NT they are 105 and 385, respectively. The LXX Greek OT has clear favoring for Gr “psyche,” possibly reflecting the Hellenized culture, while the TR Greek NT usage favors Gr “pneuma,” likely due to the specific calling back of “Spirit of God,” as previously mentioned.
Sit with the Text
In the United States, I live in a very fast-paced, product-oriented culture. This often seeps into our time in the Word, as well. Often, more sounds better. I once heard a story of a famous pastor. One day, some people around him were discussing their morning devotions. They talked about how they had read a few chapters that morning. Eventually they asked the pastor what he read for his morning devotions. His reply? The entire book of Isaiah.
Now, Isaiah is a very dense book. For some, a morning spent reading the entirety of Isaiah could be an absolute joy and a refreshment to the soul. However, for the rest of us, I think we would be tempted to rush through the book. What do you think is better? Spending an hour throughout the sixty-six chapters of Isaiah, or an hour in your favorite chapter? This goes back to what I originally said. I believe the pastor was right in reading the amount that spoke to him. But it is also no secret that reading more simply sounds better than reading a few chapters each day. And yet, our challenge for this verse, Jonah 1:14, is to simply sit with the text. It is no secret that telling a pastor you read only one verse today might come with a heavy feeling of embarrassment. But, I can tell you a little time well spent with my wife is better for my heart than a lot of time rushed through half-heartedly. So let us sit with God’s Word for a minute, here.
The sailors, here, cry out to God, “would you have us to die for the blood of this one man?” What comes to your mind when they say that? For me, I see a lot of opposites between Jesus and Jonah. What Jonah did poorly, Jesus did right. The sailors essentially ask, “how are we responsible for this man’s sin? What is there left for us to do?” The sailors know Jonah is to blame for their situation, and they are ready to do what they need to. We will soon see that they throw Jonah overboard to save themselves. Yet when I read the Gospels, I see one man, Jesus, who plays the opposite role.
In the Gospels, Jesus does the opposite of Jonah. Jonah is responsible for the death this storm is about to bring on the sailors. They cry out to God, looking for a way out. In the Gospels, Jesus is anything but responsible for the situation the Jews, and the world, are in. Jesus challenges the religious leaders and their perception of God, and for that they kill Him. Jonah was thrown overboard, sacrificed in a sense, for the terror he himself brought to those around him, because of his rebellion. Jesus was hung up on a cross, sacrificed in a sense, for the terror the people brought upon themselves, because of their rebellion. Jonah’s “death,” the throwing overboard and swallowing by a large fish, was a perfect symbol of what was to come. And yet, Jesus is nothing like Jonah.
Jonah refuses to go to Nineveh because he hates them and wants to see God’s wrath rain down. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if there is any other way, do it. But regardless, I will do whatever you want.” Then He prays, as He dies, “Father, forgive them.” How could Jonah and Jesus be any more different in their personality? What if God sent a mere man to save us? A man like Jonah? A man who wanted to see the wrath of God fall on the pagan nations? My ancestry is in paganism. I am not a Jew. Before the Christianization of the western world, my ancestors were pagans. What, then? Did Jesus refuse to send the message? No, He died, was buried, and rose. And furthermore, He sent Apostles to the western world, like Paul, to transform Europe, my own ancestors.
To sit with a passage does not sound as noble as reading through an entire book. I admit, if I were to tell someone I read through one whole Bible verse, I would be ashamed. But what matters is not the length of reading, but the quality of reading. The quality of my time with my wife is far more important than the length. Often, more time is better. But only if the quality matches.
