Ka’ari and oruxan
In EnglishLike a lion, or they pierced
Hebrew and Greek. Explained in a Kingdom Code essay.
Side by side
- Hebrewka’ari
Like a lion (Masoretic text).
- Greekoruxan
They dug, or they pierced (Septuagint).
How Kingdom Code explains it
The Masoretic Hebrew does not say “they pierced.” It says “like a lion at my hands and my feet,” a construction with no functioning verb, a phrase that breaks grammatically and produces no coherent image. The word is ka’ari, like a lion. The verb “pierced” belongs to the Septuagint, where the Greek oruxan means “they dug” or “they pierced.”
From “The Bible in Your Hand Is Not the Bible Jesus Read”, Substack, 23 Mar 2026
In the dictionary
- אֲרִיariH738
lion
Full entry
1) lion
1a) pictures or images of lions
- ὀρύσσωorussōG3736
to dig
Full entry
ὀρύσσω
[in LXX chiefly for חָפַר also for כָּרָה, etc. ;]
to dig: with accusative, ληνόν, Mat.21:33; ὁπολήνιον, Mrk.12:1; γῆν, Mat.25:18 (cf. δι-, ἐξ-ορύσσω).†
(AS)
Verses
- Psalms 21:17
- Psalm 22:16 (21:17 in the Septuagint)
For many dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked doers has beset me round: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Psalms 21:17, Septuagint
Psalm 22:16 in English Bibles