Texts in Conversation
The Greek Septuagint translation of Leviticus 24 pronounces death on anyone who names the name of God in blasphemy. 2 Timothy echoes this langauge, calling everyone who names the name of God to turn away from evil.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
LXX Leviticus 24:16
Septuagint
15 Now speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘Any person whoever curses God will bear guilt. 16 And the one who names the Name of the Lord, let him be put to death; let all the assembly of Israel stone him with stones. Whether a resident alien, whether a native of Israel, when he names the Name of the Lord, to death let him die. 17 And any person who strikes down the life of a person and he dies, to death let him die
2 Timothy 2:19
New Testament
18 They have strayed from the truth by saying that the resurrection has already occurred, and they are undermining some people’s faith. 19 However, God’s solid foundation remains standing, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.” 20 Now in a wealthy home there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also ones made of wood and of clay, and some are for honorable use, but others for ignoble use.
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Notes and References
“... Less well known but still important is the use of Leviticus 24:16 at Matthew 26:66; Mark 14:64; John 10:33; 19:7; and 2 Timothy 2:19. ... There is a notable difference between the Hebrew and the Septuagint text of Leviticus 24:16, namely that the latter seems to be talking about actually saying the divine name of God, whereas the former is talking about blaspheming that name, but Leviticus does not expand on what constitutes blasphemy. Is it “taking the Lord’s name in vain”? Is it using God’s name in some sort of curse? Is it claiming to be God and therefore defaming the actual deity? It seems clear from Leviticus 24:10–23 that we are dealing with legal cases involving a blasphemer. ...”
Witherington, Ben, III
Torah Old and New: Exegesis, Intertextuality, and Hermeneutics
(pp. 241-242) Fortress Press, 2018
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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