Hebrews 12:21

“And so fearful was the sight that Moses said: I am terrified and trembling.”
Hebrews 12:21 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

Andκαίsoοὕτωfearfulφοβερὸνwasἦνthe sightτὸ φανταζόμενονthatMosesΜωϋσῆςsaid:εἶπενI amεἰμιterrifiedἜκφοβόςandκαὶtrembling.ἔντρομος

Allusion · Deuteronomy 9:19

Go to Deuteronomy 9:19

“I am terrified” (ekphobos eimi) are the words of Moses in the Septuagint of Deuteronomy 9:19, when he feared the anger of YHWH after the golden calf.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

Words of the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the OT (Deuteronomy 9:19 in the Septuagint numbering; Swete's text, CC BY-SA 4.0):

ἜκφοβόςEkphobosG1630ἔκφοβόςekphobosLXX“terrified”

Hebrews 12:21, word by word

fearfulφοβερὸνphoberon

fearful, terrifying

Fearful, terrifying: something that causes fear.

Where else “phoberon” appears

wasἦνēn

To be: says who or what something is.

Where else “ēn” appears

the sightφανταζόμενονphantazomenon

appear

Appear, become visible; "what was seen".

Where else “phantazomenon” appears

MosesΜωϋσῆςMōysēs

Moses

Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt and received God's law.

Where else “Mōysēs” appears

saidεἶπενeipen

say

To express something in words to others.

Where else “eipen” appears

terrifiedἜκφοβόςEkphobos

terrified

Terrified, full of fear.

Where else “Ekphobos” appears

tremblingἔντρομοςentromos

trembling

Trembling with fear.

Where else “entromos” appears

Translation note

This recalls Deuteronomy 9:19.

The context

20for they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it will be stoned.

21 · This verse (above)

22But you have drawn near to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels in festal gathering,

Read all of Hebrews 12

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