Saturday, July 04, 2020

Hebrews 11:5-6 (Enoch Pleased God Well)

Hebrews 11:4-5 (Greek, THGNT): Πίστει Ἐνὼχ μετετέθη τοῦ μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον καὶ οὐχ ηὑρίσκετο διότι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεός· πρὸ γὰρ τῆς μεταθέσεως μεμαρτύρηται εὐηρεστηκέναι τῷ θεῷ· 6 χωρὶς δὲ πίστεως ἀδύνατον εὐαρεστῆσαι· πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ τὸν προσερχόμενον τῷ θεῷ ὅτι ἔστιν καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης γίνεται.

Genesis 5:24 (LXX): καὶ εὐηρέστησεν Ενωχ τῷ θεῷ καὶ οὐχ ηὑρίσκετο ὅτι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεός

Robertson's WP: "That he had been well-pleasing unto God (ευαρεστηκενα τω θεω). Perfect active infinitive of ευαρεστεω, late compound from ευαρεστος (well-pleasing), in N.T. only in Heb 11:5f.; 13:16 . With dative case θεω. Quoted here from Ge 5:22,24. The word is common of a servant pleasing his master."

See https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/euaresteo

For LXX occurrences of this word, see Genesis 5:22, 24; 6:9; 17:1; 24:40; 39:4; 48:15; Exodus 21:8; Judges 10:16; Psalm 26:3; 35:14; 56:13; 116:9.

Genesis 5:22 (Brenton): "And Enoch was well-pleasing to God after his begetting Mathusala, two hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters."

5:24 (Brenton): "And Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and was not found, because God translated him."

To see how euaresteo functions thematically in the Epistle to Hebrews, vide David A. desilva, Perseverance in Gratitude: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Epistle "to the Hebrews," Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000, pages 389-392.

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