TR: batach → peitho (Trust/Persuasion)¶
The Chain¶
Hebrew OT LXX (Greek OT) Greek NT
─────────── ─────────────── ────────
בָּטַח (batach) → πείθω (peitho) → πείθω (peitho)
H982, 117x 61x as translation 55x in NT
"trust, rely on" of batach "persuade, trust, obey"
OT Usage (Hebrew)¶
| Strong's | Word | Occurrences | Primary Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| H982 | בָּטַח (batach) | 117 | trust, rely on, feel secure |
| H983 | בֶּטַח (betach) | 43 | security, safety (cognate noun/adverb) |
| H4009 | מִבְטָח (mibtach) | 15 | object of trust, confidence |
Key OT passages: - Pro 3:5 — "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" - 2 Ki 18:5 — "He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah" - Psa 4:5 — "Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD"
Library: H982-batach.md
LXX Bridge¶
| Hebrew | Greek Translation | Count | PMI Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| batach (H982) | πείθω (G3982) | 61x | 27.23 |
| batach (H982) | ἐλπίζω (G1679) | 45x | 25.20 |
| batach (H982) | ἐλπίς (G1680) | 8x | 9.64 |
| batach (H982) | βοηθός (G998) | 6x | 8.95 |
Semantic shift in translation: The Hebrew batach is straightforwardly about trust and security — leaning on something, feeling safe. The LXX translators chose peitho (a persuasion verb) as the primary rendering, revealing a Greek understanding that trust is the result of being persuaded. In Hebrew, batach is fundamentally relational and volitional (you choose to lean on someone); in Greek, peitho frames the same reality as the outcome of a cognitive process (you were convinced, therefore you trust). This is not a distortion but a lens shift — the perfect tense of peitho (pepoitha = "I have been persuaded" → "I trust") bridges the two concepts seamlessly.
NT Usage (Greek)¶
| Strong's | Word | Occurrences | Primary Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| G3982 | πείθω (peitho) | 55 | persuade, trust, have confidence, obey |
| G4006 | πεποίθησις (pepoithesis) | 6 | confidence, trust (noun from perfect stem) |
| G3988 | πεισμονή (peismone) | 1 | persuasion (Gal 5:8) |
Key NT passages: - 2 Cor 1:9 — "that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead" (echoes OT batach theology) - Phil 3:3-4 — "have no confidence in the flesh" (pepoithotes — perfect active, settled trust) - Heb 2:13 — "I will put my trust in him" (quoting Isa 12:2, direct LXX chain)
Library: G3982-peitho.md
Direct OT→NT Quotations¶
| NT Verse | Quotes OT | Shared Word | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heb 2:13 | Isa 12:2 | batach → peitho (pepoithos) | "I will put my trust in him" — direct LXX chain from batach to the perfect of peitho |
Continuity and Shifts¶
What stays the same across testaments: - The core concept of reliance on God as the foundation of right living - The distinction between proper trust (in God) and misplaced trust (in self, flesh, wealth, armies) - The connection between trust and security/confidence as its outcome
What shifts: - Hebrew batach is purely about trust/reliance; Greek peitho adds the active sense of "persuade" (absent in batach), giving the NT an extra dimension: one who trusts is one who has been persuaded - The NT expands the obedience dimension: peitho in the passive/middle means "obey" (Heb 13:17; Gal 5:7), connecting trust and obedience as two sides of the same coin — a connection less explicit in Hebrew, where batach (trust) and shama' (obey/hear) are separate roots - The Greek cognate family (pistis, pisteuo) enormously expands the trust/faith vocabulary in ways that trace back through peitho to the OT batach concept
Generated from: gather_trace_data.py, search_strongs.py (--lxx-map, --hebrew-source, --lookup, --lexicon) Last updated: 2026-04-29