Helped or Holpen?

Again, to answer a question,” Why do the words holpen and helped both appear in the Bible?”  Holpen, according to modern dictionaries (and bibles) is simply an archaic version of helped.  According to these sources, holpen = helped.  Yet, the KJV translators chose to use both, in one sentence, communicating to the reader there is a difference and the distinction adds further revelation: “…both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down.”

Holpen is used only 5 times in the Bible: Ps. 83:8; Ps. 86:17; Isaiah 31:3; Dan. 11:34; Luke 1:54.

Inflection:

Holpen is actually an Old English word—rooted in German.   It is inflected (the base word is Holp), and it is weakly inflected as Holpe; strongly inflected as Holpen.

An inflected word is simply a word that has typically been modified by adding -e or -en (in German), and by adding -ed (in English).   The inflection reveals tense and mood (and voice).   

For example: Help is inflected to helped, to reveal past tense.  The adding of the suffix -ed is typical and common, therefore it is considered a weak inflection.

Bottom Line:

Helped- English, weak inflection : commonly used, reveals a past tense.

Holpen - Germanic, strong inflection: reveals something extraordinary, reveals a past participle (joins with a form of to be or to have), and mood.

Notes:

If the student looks at all cases of holpen in the Bible, at least one peculiar thing stands out: every time holpen is used, it is coupled with auxiliary (helping) verbs.  These helping verbs set up the main verb (much like inflections) to indicate tense, mood, and voice.  Curious isn’t it?  Clearly holpen is not exactly the same as helped.   

Futhermore, when we look at help in the OED, we see holp (e), (en); and holpen is defined as strong, pa.,and pple.

-strong - Strong Inflection (reveals something special, extraordinary, perhaps divine intervention).

-pa - passive voice.  The object (receiver) is reflecting on the work on itself, by another.

-pple - past participle.  Can form ‘perfect’ tenses depending on the tense of the aux. verb.  When joined with ‘to be’ it forms the passive voice.

Examples:

The Bible uses holpen, instead of helped, to reveal something extraordinary, something remarkable.  (More spectacular than helped.)   Let’s see:

1. Ps. 83:8 -“Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.”

Strong inflected holpen is used, instead of helped; but what’s so spectacular about this?

Assur is the primary city of Assyria (the hated brutal Assyrians).  Assur is the name of their god- the god of war.  These great and powerful enemies were confederate with Israel’s neighbors —that’s significant, very significant!

• Present perfect tense.

2. Ps 86:17 - “Show me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.”

Here the object is describing the work on it, by another.   And, perhaps more to the point, as opposed to those that hate me, let them be ‘wowed’ by the way the LORD has succored me.

• Present perfect tense.

3. Isaiah 31:3 - “…both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down…”

Notice helpeth has no helping verb; holpen is set up and is consistent with the aux. verb is.  

Holpen is a strong inflection, but that means it’s also passive voice (confusing?!)  The object (those that were holpen) reflect on the work of the subject (the LORD).

That helpeth - active (responsible for the verb)

Is holpen - passive (received the work, perhaps miraculously) - Doesn’t matter in this case, for when the LORD stretches out his hand all shall fail.

• Passive voice (however, helped is past tense)

4. Daniel 11:34 - “Now when they fall, they shall be holpen with a little help…”

Here the strong inflection is compared to the weak help: revealing there is a difference between be holpen and be helped.

• Passive voice.

5. Luke 1:54 - “He hath holpen his servant Israel…”   

Mary’s song of praise.  What word would be stronger than helped as she expresses God’s work in Israel? Holpen fits, holpen is stronger.  It’s spectacular!

•  Present perfect tense.

Keep Holpen

Sorry if this is too deep, I tried my best to make sense of it. I am not an expert, but rather a student exercising faith with some research work— I would enjoy comments and constructive criticism.  However, if it causes you to study, instead of simply reading, I say good for you!  Regardless, we should keep holpen and any of these supposed archaic words.  We should try to understand what the Bible is actually revealing!  Seek to understand, instead of dismissing and jumping to an easy to read (but less definitive) version.