Rom 10:7 GreekvAramaic

*Who Shall Descend Into Sheol? Romans 10:6-8 - Greek vs Peshitta* *Greek Romans 10:6-8 (KJV literal of Greek):* > 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring Christ down from above: > 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead. > 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; *Peshitta Romans 10:6-8 (Murdock / Etheridge of Aramaic):* > 6 But the righteousness which is by faith thus speaketh, Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven, and bring down the Messiah? > 7 And who shall descend into the *deep of Sheol*, and bring up the Messiah from among the dead? > 8 But what saith it? The word is near thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith which we preach. One word difference that changes everything: Greek has "deep" - _abyssos_. Peshitta has "deep *of Sheol*" - _tehoma d-Sheol_. *The 2 Peter 2:4 test* Look at 2 Peter 2:4 where Greek really does say Tartarus: > Greek: _alla sirois zophou Tartarosas paredoken eis krisin teteremenous_ - but cast them down to Tartarus and delivered them into chains of darkness. > Peshitta 2 Pet 2:4: _ela ahtiton l-tehumata..._ - but cast them into the depths... No clarification. No "of Sheol." Just depths. Flattened. Like a translation that doesn't know what to do with Greek Tartarus, so it says depths. If Peshitta were always just translating Greek, Romans 10:7 would be the same - it would just say depths. But it doesn't. In Rom 10:7 Peshitta _adds_ the clarification - depths *of Sheol*. That is not flattened translation talk. That is original exactness. That tells you Rom 10:7 is original in Aramaic, and 2 Pet 2:4 is translation from Greek. When Aramaic translates Greek, it gets vague. When Greek translates Aramaic, it gets vague. The detailed one is original. *Is Paul quoting 1 Samuel?* No. It's inaccurate to say Paul is quoting Samuel. Paul takes the _idea_ found in Samuel and builds upon it. 1 Sam 2:6 says: Yehowah kills and makes alive, brings down to Sheol and brings up. That idea is in Paul's mind - the descending and ascending. But the near-quote does not begin until Paul says "What saith it?" Romans 10:8: _What saith it? The word is near thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart._ THAT is the quote of Deut 30:14. That is where Paul starts quoting. Everything before that - Who shall ascend into heaven? Who shall descend into Sheol? - is Paul's own midrashic setup, using Samuel's concept of descending to Sheol and ascending, fused with Deuteronomy's "who shall cross the sea." He does not say _avar_ - cross over - like Deut says. He says _neht_ - descend. He keeps the "who" from Samuel. Because David said if I descend into Sheol You are there - Psalm 139:8. Yehowah doesn't need to descend, He is omnipresent. So "who" shall descend? The Anointed of Yehowah. Yeshua died in body, lived in spirit - Peshitta is clear. Greek says was made alive in spirit, as if Yah needed to be made alive. Yah is life. So the full picture: - Deut gives Paul the frame: Don't say who will go to heaven / across the sea to bring Torah. - Samuel gives Paul the theology: God brings down to Sheol and brings up. - Paul builds: Don't say who will ascend to bring Christ down, or descend to deepest Sheol to bring Him up. No need. He already did. He descended to the bad side, the depths where spirits from flood are kept, preached, and ascended, so that all - heaven, earth, under earth - will confess. Greek softens Sheol to abyss, to Tartarus, to vague depths for Greek audience. Peshitta keeps temple language - _tehoma d-Sheol_ - deepest Sheol, the prison side, which in Biblical context is the only place that needs preaching. That is why Peshitta wins original contest here.