Last time I said that the Greek word the Septuagint chose does not primarily mean “many-colored,” and that I would spend this whole post proving it.
Time to pay up.
Because here is the thing about ποικίλος. It is not a small word. It is not a technical term for a dye pattern. It is one of those Greek words with a semantic range so wide it takes you from a leopard’s hide to a tabernacle curtain to a philosopher’s mind to the wisdom of God Himself, and it does that without ever once changing its meaning. It just keeps applying the same idea to bigger and bigger things.
That idea is not color.
Let’s dig in.
Wow! Immediately as I read through this post I was thinking of "the manifold" wisdom of God ,
in Eph.3:10. Manifold being πολυποίκιλος. This is the capstone of revelation to me for the word
study . This is two words ...πολύς (many, much, great) and ποικίλος (varies in character, DIVERSE, manifold). This is about THE church (which is His spiritual body today) ... and God's great reconcilliation ( ἀποκαταλλάσσω) that has been made and revealed by Paul.
Eph.3: 8 KJV- ¶Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the MANIFOLD (ποικίλος)wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
God BLESS ! Great word study! Who knew that this word ties back to Joseph's coat! Love this! Thank you. 🙌💖🙏
Peter does this twice in one letter and I think on purpose. The trials in 1:6 are poikilois. The grace in 4:10 is poikiles. Same adjective, once for what arrives and once for what meets it.
Which is your point about range rather than colour, working pastorally. He is not telling exiles that grace is plentiful. He is telling them it is as many-sided as the thing they are in, so whatever shape the trouble turns up in there is a matching shape of it waiting. The leopard-hide word turns out to be exactly the one he needs for that.
Wow! Immediately as I read through this post I was thinking of "the manifold" wisdom of God ,
in Eph.3:10. Manifold being πολυποίκιλος. This is the capstone of revelation to me for the word
study . This is two words ...πολύς (many, much, great) and ποικίλος (varies in character, DIVERSE, manifold). This is about THE church (which is His spiritual body today) ... and God's great reconcilliation ( ἀποκαταλλάσσω) that has been made and revealed by Paul.
Eph.3: 8 KJV- ¶Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the MANIFOLD (ποικίλος)wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
God BLESS ! Great word study! Who knew that this word ties back to Joseph's coat! Love this! Thank you. 🙌💖🙏
My pleasure!
In the process of reading this…will get back
Peter does this twice in one letter and I think on purpose. The trials in 1:6 are poikilois. The grace in 4:10 is poikiles. Same adjective, once for what arrives and once for what meets it.
Which is your point about range rather than colour, working pastorally. He is not telling exiles that grace is plentiful. He is telling them it is as many-sided as the thing they are in, so whatever shape the trouble turns up in there is a matching shape of it waiting. The leopard-hide word turns out to be exactly the one he needs for that.
Thank you for unveiling to us the manifold grace of God through the LXX.
It's my pleasure, Phillip.