Analysis of Isa 45:7

[nightmare sasuke]

I was talking to my friend and told him that God indeed did create evil and uses evil to bring about his will. He was shocked. I showed him Isa 45:7. He implied that the Hebrew word meant something like turmoil. I decided to look to the septuigent and see what they thought the Hebrew word meant. I did a brief analysis of what I found and I decided to post it (if you have any comments or suggestions, post them please):

ISAIAH 45:7 IN THE SEPTUIGANT

Isa 45:7  ἐγὼ ὁ κατασκευάσας φῶς καὶ ποιήσας σκότος, ὁ ποιῶν εἰρήνην καὶ κτίζων κακά· ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα πάντα.

My literal word for word translation:

I the constructing light and making darkness the making peace and create evils I Lord the God the doing these all.

My rendering into sensible english:

I [am] the [one] constructing light and [the one] making darkness, the [one] making peace and creating evil; I the Lord God [am] the [one] doing these all.

The Apostolic Bible rendering (Septuagint interlinear):

I [am] the one carefully preparing light, and I made darkness; the one making peace, and [the one] creating [the] bad [things]. I [am the] Lord God, the one doing all these [things].

Concordant Literal Version Hebrew rendering:

Former of light and Creator of darkness, Maker of good and Creator of evil. I, Yahweh Elohim, made all of these things.

The Greek word translated evil:

G2556
κακός
kakos
kak-os'
Apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically such; whereas G4190 properly refers to effects), that is, (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious: - bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked.

2556 kakos {kak-os'}

apparently a primary word; TDNT - 3:469,391; adj

AV - evil 40, evil things 3, harm 2, that which is evil + 3458 2,
     wicked 1, ill 1, bad 1, noisome 1; 51

1) of a bad nature
   1a) not such as it ought to be
2) of a mode of thinking, feeling, acting
   2a) base, wrong, wicked
3) troublesome, injurious, pernicious, destructive, baneful

Examples of κακός used in the Scriptures

Mar 7:21  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil [kakos] thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,â€?
…
Mat 21:41  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked [kakos] men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
…
Luk 16:25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil [kakos] things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
…
1Co 10:6  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil [kakos] things, as they also lusted.

In my opinion, the word-translated evil meant exactly what the English word implies: evil. It is obvious by the Greek rendering of the word.

[Sonia]

I agree!      Nice study!
Sonia

[shibboleth]

When a calamity hits the world, church preachers usually say that God had nothing to do with it. But, I got to thinking about the OT and how many times God caused different calamities. He had EVERYTHING to do with it. He caused them to happen because He had a purpose and plan for calamities.

In Gen:6 God causes Noah to build an ark and says "I am about to destroy them with the earth."
In Exodus 6:1 God tells Moses; " Now you shall see what I will do to Pharoh; for under compulsion he shall let them go, and under compulsion he shall drive them out of his land."
In Exodus chapters 7-11 God sends plagues on the Egyptians to force Phoroh to release the Israelite people.
In Exodus14:25 God causes the Egyptians chariot wheels to fall off so they would drown in the sea.
These are just a few examples I thought of but the Bible is full of them. How can people read the Word of God without seeing that he doesn't allow things to happen, He CAUSES things to happen. There are no accidents in the world. Everything is according to Gods desires, wants, pland and purposes.
So many people believe {reluctantly} that God caused many of the tragic events in the Bible, yet He doesn't cause any tragic situations today.
Go figure. It makes no sense to me.