The phrase, “in the eyes/sight [of ‘x’]” in Hebrew
is בְּעֵינֵ֣י; the
Greek equivalents being εναντιον, ενωπιον, and εναντι. Whenever this term is used, it refers to the reality
that the commentator is speaking about (i.e., what is intrinsic within a
person or a thing from the speaker’s or author’s perspective); not what is
imputed to a person/thing from an alien source.
The Hebrew locution
appears 166 times in 161 verses in the Old Testament alone. Here are just some
of the verses in the OT:
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. (Gen
6:8)
And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight
because of his son. (Gen 21:11)
And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight
of the Lord, and the Lord slew him . . . And the thing which he [Onan] did
displeased the Lord: wherefore he slew him also. (Gen 38:7, 10)
But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy,
and gave him favour in the sight of the keper of the prison. (Gen 39:21)
And they said, Thou hast saved our lives: let us
find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants. (Gen
47:25)
And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of
the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in
the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. (Exo 11:3)
And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto
me, Bring up this people and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with
me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in
my sight . . . And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that
thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
(Exo 33:12, 17)
When thou shalt beget children, and children's
children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt
yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of anything, and shall do
evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger. (Deut 4:25)
Though shalt not eat it; that it may go well with
thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right
in the sight of the Lord . . . Observe and hear all these words which I command
thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee forever,
when thou doesth that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God.
(Deut 12:25, 28)
For I know that after my death, ye will utterly
corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and
evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight
of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands. (Deut
31:29)
Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David remain
in my service, for he has found favour in my sight." (1 Sam 16:22)
And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and
behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was
accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's
servants. (1 Sam 18:5)
Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the
Lord to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the
sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the
sword of the children of Ammon. (2 Sam 12:9)
Because David did that which was right in the eyes
of the Lord, and turned not aside from anything that he commanded him all the
days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite . . . And Asa
did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his Father . . .
And he [Nadab] did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his
father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin . . . And he [Baasha]
did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in
his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. (1 Kgs 15:5, 11, 26, 34)
Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast
been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and
people for thy life. (Isa 43:4)
And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the
womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not
gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be
my strength. (Isa 49:5)
Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. yet ye
say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Everyone that doeth evil is good
in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them, or, Where is the God of
judgment? (Mal 2:17 [notice how Malachi condemns the "legal fiction"
of the Israelites, declaring something to be "good" in the sight of
God when it is evil--this flies in the face of Luther's simul justus et
peccator concept])
Notice also that, in
addition to reflecting what it intrinsic within a person or a thing (except Mal
2:17 which, as noted above, is a condemnation of legal fiction), God Himself comments
on the worth of human works in his eyes, even granting people divine mercy (as
in the case of Noah in Gen 6:8)! All
these concepts are alien to most theologies enunciated by many Evangelical
critics of the LDS Church!
With such an Old
Testament background, when one examines the instances the Greek terms εναντιον, ενωπιον, and εναντι appears in the New Testament, they add further weight against the case of Sola
Fide theologies when used to describe the intrinsic righteousness
of a person and their good works:
And they [Elizabeth and Zacharias] were both
righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the
Lord blameless. (Luke 1:6)
And they said unto them, What things? And they said
unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and
word before God and all the people. (Luke 24:19)
And delivered him [Joseph of Egypt] delivered him
out of his afflictions, and have him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh
king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. (Acts
7:10)
Who [the Israelites under Joshua] found favour
before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. (Acts 7:46)
And when he [Cornelius] looked on him, he was
afraid, and said, What is it Lord? And he [the angel] said unto him, Thy
prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. (Acts 10:4)
For not the hearers of the law are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified. (Rom 2:13)
Be watchful, and strenghten the things which
remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before
God. (Rev 3:2)
As with many doctrines, the Bible is not on the side of the Evangelical but the Latter-day Saint!
As an aside, I should note that some may bring up
Rom 4:2 that speaks of Abraham not being justified by “works”; however, when
one reads the context, the “works” are works gone outside God’s grace and with
a view to receiving a pay check (the Greek term is μισθος which means “wages”);
the text is speaking against strict legalism. Furthermore, when one examines
the life of Abraham, it refutes the eisegesis of Gen 15:6 and Rom 4:1-4 that
many Reformed apologists engage in (see this post on Abraham's justification).
