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Translation and Notes: 1 Clement 15: Deceitful Lips

08 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by memoirandremains in 1 Clement, Church History, Greek, New Testament Background

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

1 Clement, 1 Clement 14, 1 Clement translation, Biblical Counseling, First Clement, Isaiah 29:13, nahum, peace, Proverbs 13:15, Psalm 1:2, Psalm 31, Psalm 6:2, Psalm 78

The previous post in this series is found here:

https://memoirandremains.wordpress.com/2013/07/22/translation-and-notes-1-clement-14-2-the-pattern-of-teaching-and-the-pattern-of-the-quotation/

1 Clement 15:

Therefore, let us be joined with the pious who seek peace – not with hypocrites only pretend to want peace. For it says somewhere

This people honors me with their lips

But their heart is far from me.

And again,

With their mouth they praise

But in their heart they always curse.

And again it says,

They loved Him with their mouths;

But their tongue lied to him.

Their heart was not upright within them;

Neither did they keep the His covenant.

Therefore, let their deceitful lips be silent

-those who condemn the righteous.

And again

May the Lord utterly destroy the deceitful lips

Tongues that speak great things

Those who say,

We will magnify our tongue

Our lips are our ours!

Who is lord over us?

Yet, because of the wretchedness of the poor

And the groaning of the beggar

Now I shall arise, says the Lord.

I will place him in safety,

I will act boldly for him.

 

Comment:

Clement here unleashes a series of Biblical texts from the prophets and Psalms which demonstrate God’s hatred of the usurper and hypocrite. He begins with calls to peace but ends with a warning: God will act on behalf of the one who is persecuted.

            3       May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,

      the tongue that makes great boasts,

            4       those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,

      our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

 

            5       “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,

      I will now arise,” says the LORD;

      “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” Psalm 12:3–5 (ESV)

 

 I heard Wayne Mack give this counseling advice: Where someone refuses to take good, Scriptural counsel, I let them go but warn them that “the way of the transgressor is hard.”

15 Good understanding giveth favour:

but the way of transgressors is hard. Proverbs 13:15 (AV)

Providing a true warning is in no way unloving; though, it may not be pleasant.

 

Greek Text and Translation Notes:

 

1 Τοίνυν κολληθῶμεν τοῖς μετʼ εὐσεβείας εἰρηνεύουσιν, καὶ μὴ τοῖς μεθʼ ὑποκρίσεως βουλομένοις εἰρήνην. 2 *  λέγει γάρ που· Οὗτος ὁ λαὸς τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ·, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἄπεστιν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ. 3 *  καὶ πάλιν· Τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν εὐλογοῦσιν, τῇ δὲ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν κατηρῶντο. 4 *  καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Ἠγάπησαν αὐτὸν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῶν ἐψεύσαντο αὐτόν, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῖα μετʼ αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐπιστώθησαν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ αὐτοῦ. 5 *  διὰ τοῦτο ἄλαλα γενηθήτω τὰ χείλη· τὰ δόλια τὰ λαλοῦντα κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου ἀνομίαν. καὶ πάλιν· Ἐξολεθρεύσαι κύριος πάντα τὰ χείλη· τὰ δόλια,1 γλῶσσαν μεγαλορήμονα, τοὺς εἰπόντας· Τὴν γλῶσσαν ἡμῶν μεγαλυνοῦμεν, τὰ χείλη· ἡμῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν ἐστιν· τίς ἡμῶν κύριός ἐστιν; 6 ἀπὸ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας τῶν πτωχῶν καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ τῶν πενήτων νῦν ἀναστήσομαι, λέγει κύριος· θήσομαι ἐν σωτηρίῳ, 7 παρρησιάσομαι ἐν αὐτῷ.

 

Τοίνυν κολληθῶμεν τοῖς μετʼ εὐσεβείας εἰρηνεύουσιν

Therefore, let us be joined with those pious peace-makers

Τοίνυν: therefore (toi: Emphatic particle; nun: now)

κολληθῶμεν: Aorist, passive hortatory subjunctive

τοῖς… εἰρηνεύουσιν: Articular, substantive participle. By using a participle, Clement puts the emphasis on their action of making/being/pursuing peace

Meta: The preposition controls the entire clause and thus requires the dative.

καὶ μὴ τοῖς μεθʼ ὑποκρίσεως βουλομένοις εἰρήνην.

            And not with those hypocrites who claim to want peace.

καὶ μὴ: The kai (and) draws a parallel between the two halves of the sentence. The “and” is thus ambiguous or awkward in English.

τοῖς μεθʼ ὑποκρίσεως βουλομένοις εἰρήνην: with those hypocritically desiring peace.

λέγει γάρ που· Οὗτος ὁ λαὸς τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ

For he/it says somewhere, “These people by their lips honor me”

λέγει γάρ που: This speech formula sounds similar to the formulas used in Hebrews.[1] 

Οὗτος ὁ λαὸς: This particular people.

τοῖς χείλεσίν: Dative of means.

τιμᾷ: Present active third person singular

ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἄπεστιν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ

But their heart is far away from me

Isaiah 29:13.

De creates a contrast with the previous clause and thus explains the hypocrisy.

Πόρρω: adverb, far.

ἄπεστιν, apeimi rather than the LXX’s apechein. Little change in meaning.

 

καὶ πάλιν· Τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν εὐλογοῦσιν

And, again, By means of their mouth they bless

LXX, Ps. 61:5

Τῷ στόματι: By means of their mouth: dative of means.

τῇ δὲ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν κατηρῶντο

But with their hearts they curse

Dative of means.

The imperfect κατηρῶντο  is interesting because it contrasts with the present tense, “they bless”. It should be taken as an iterative imperfect, they started and kept going in their cursing, i.e., it is in their nature.

καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Ἠγάπησαν αὐτὸν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν

And again it says, They loved  him with their mouth

LXX, Psalm 77:36-37: “Under severe punishment, they repented and searched for God, remembering that he was their redeemer and source of security (vv 33–35), their Rock. But the turning to God was not genuine (v 36); it was done out of necessity and not out of steadfast loyalty and consistency of commitment to Yahweh (v 37)” (Marvin E. Tate, Psalms 51–100, vol. 20, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 291).

καὶ πάλιν λέγει: Quotation formula from Romans 15:10.

Ἠγάπησαν αὐτὸν : In the context of the Psalm “him” is God. The Hebrew has they deceived/flattered (NASB 95/ESV), וַיְפַתּ֥וּהוּ.    The meaning is not that distinct, in that they loved only with their mouth, i.e., it was a false profession of love.

καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῶν ἐψεύσαντο αὐτόν

and by means of their tongue, they lied to him.

ἐψεύσαντο: aorist.

 

ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῖα μετʼ αὐτοῦ

But their heart was not right/upright with him

De draws the contrast.

εὐθύς, εῖα: when used with “heart”, it means upright, proper: Acts 8:21.

μετʼ αὐτοῦ:  “With him” is awkward in English. “Towards God”. (The New Fowlers states that “towards” is more formal in AmE. Although both toward and towards are acceptable.)

οὐδὲ ἐπιστώθησαν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ αὐτοῦ

Neither were they faithful to the covenant with Him/His covenant.

 

διὰ τοῦτο ἄλαλα γενηθήτω τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια

Because of this, unable to speak them him be the lips the deceitful ones

LXX Psalm 30:19

διὰ τοῦτο: idiom: Because of this, on account of this.

ἄλαλα: Dumb, unable to speak.

Γενηθήτω: Third person singular: ‘his lips’

τὰ χείλη: accusative as the direct object of the verb. The article is used to indicate possession (without the use of a pronoun), Wallace, 215, “The article is sometimes used where possession is implied.”

 

τὰ λαλοῦντα κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου ἀνομία

The lawless ones speaking against the righteous

τὰ … ἀνομία:  It is also like speaking a great deal in one breath: Those speaking-against-the-righteous lawless one.

κατὰ τοῦ: kata with the genitive: against.

 

καὶ πάλιν· Ἐξολεθρεύσαι κύριος πάντα τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια

And again, May the Lord utterly destroy all deceitful lips

LXX Pslam 11:4-5

Ἐξολεθρεύσαι: an aorist optative. Tense shows aspect: destroy once and for all.

γλῶσσαν μεγαλορήμονα, τοὺς εἰπόντας

(the) boastful tongue, those saying ….

Tongue is definite because it is a generic noun.

τοὺς εἰπόντας: participle with  article: Those speaking. The participle is aorist, but the translation is present, due to idiom.

 

Τὴν γλῶσσαν ἡμῶν μεγαλυνοῦμεν:

The tongue of us we will exalt

τὰ χείλη  ἡμῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν ἐστιν

The lips of us are with us

Our lips are our own.

τίς ἡμῶν κύριός ἐστιν;

Who is our Lord?

Who is Lord over us?

Implied answer: No one.

Genitive of subordination (Wallace, 103).

 

ἀπὸ τῆς ταλαιπωρίας τῶν πτωχῶν

From the wretchedness of the poor

Apo + genitive can used to indicate cause: Because of ….

Of the poor: the wretchedness which belongs to the poor. Alternative: the wretched poor, attributive genitive.

 

καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ τῶν πενήτων

and the groaning of the beggars

ἀναστήσομαι λέγει κύριος

I shall arise! Says the Lord

The king stands to act.

θήσομαι ἐν σωτηρίῳ,

I shall place him/put him salvation/safety

Soterios is a technical term for “salvation” but also is used more broadly for health or safety.  The “him” is the poor/needly one who cries out to the Lord.

παρρησιάσομαι ἐν αὐτῷ

I shall act boldly for him.

 


[1]

In the same line with these passages are commonly ranged certain others, in which Scripture seems to be adduced with a subjectless λέγει or φησί, the authoritative subject—whether the divinely given Word or God Himself—being taken for granted.

Benjamin B. Warfield, The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, Volume 1: Revelation and Inspiration (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008), 285.

Translation and Notes, 1 Clement 14.2 (The pattern of teaching and the pattern of the quotation)

22 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by memoirandremains in 1 Clement, Biblical Counseling, Humility, Preaching, Proverbs, Psalms

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Tags

1 Clement, 1 Clement 14, 1 Clement translation, Biblical Counseling, First Clement, nahum, peace, Poetry, Proverbs 2:21-22, Psalm 37, Teaching

The previous post in this series is found here: https://memoirandremains.wordpress.com/2013/07/09/translation-and-notes-1-clement-14-1-let-us-do-kindness/

For it is written

The kind shall live in the land and the innocent shall remain upon it. But the lawless will be utterly destroyed from the land.

And again it says,

I saw the ungodly –raised up, towering like the cedars of Lebanon! Then, I passed by; I looked, yet he was not. I searched everywhere for him, but found him not.

Protect innocence; observe righteousness: a future remains for the man of peace.

 

Comment:

As good counselor, Clement lays out the consequence for both warring and peace. For those who seek peace, there will be a future. They will “live in the land.”  For those who bring disorder, “the ungodly”, there will be utter destruction.

The pattern of demonstrating the consequence, whether good or ill, of decisions is the pattern of wisdom literature.  Biblical counselors should not merely use the conclusions of Scripture, but should also use the pattern of presentation.  When Clement used narrative, he briefly recounted the narratives and then drew a conclusion.  In this instance, using wisdom literature, he presents his counsel in the same pattern as his original.

Many people have a particular idiom of thought and then try to stuff all their presentation in that idiom. Young men fresh out of seminary are often drawn to Paul’s propositional argument. While such a structure is valid; such a structure is not the only appropriate structure.  To force everything into the same mold it is to (1) misrepresent the original; and (2) ignore your audience.

For example, when the poetry of a prophet is stuffed into an analytical framework, the beauty and mystery of the original is lost.  The prophet/poet does not draw out images merely to make a emphatic statement: God will judge! Or, God will restore! Certainly that is true, but it is not everything.

When Nahum writes,  the Lord will “pursue his enemies into darkness” (Nahum 1:8), he does not merely mean that God can see in the dark. Rather he means to convey the utter horror of the enemy who realizes that he cannot hide. When the criminal runs, he dashes into a dark alley and dives behind a dumpster. The camera comes in close. In the poor light of a dim overhead bulb we see the shivering and fear as the he realizes there is no escape.  When teaching (where in a sermon to a congregation or to an individual in counseling) a line from a prophet, the goal must be convey both the proposition – you cannot escape God – and the recognition of that truth – you must know a shiver of fear.

Too often the teacher transforms the poetry into proposition. In so doing, he radically misrepresents the original. By stripping out the beauty, he makes the prophet sound long-winded. The audience will begin to think, “Why didn’t Amos just say, God will judge you! Didn’t he waste a lot of words by going on for three paragraphs?”

It also cheats the hearer. First, the teacher simply hides the text from the audience by misrepresenting the text. Second, he it cheats the audience, because some people will be more sensitive to poetry or narrative than to proposition and argument. To reduce everything to argument is to cheat everyone.

The same takes place with wisdom. The pointedness of wisdom literature is to drop the point of a proposition squarely in the conscience. It must come in so sharply that is seen as self-evident. Of course, the godly will remain and the wicked will be destroyed!

Since the proposition is so plain, merely stating and restating the proposition will have little effect. Therefore, the emphasis in teaching wisdom will (most often) be upon heeding.

Look at how Clement makes his argument (in chapter 14):

Therefore, it is just and holy, men and brothers, that we should be obedient to God – rather than follow leaders of a loathsome jealousy in their arrogance and chaos.  For we will not suffer common harm, but rather endure profound danger if we recklessly surrender ourselves to the will of mere men – men who hurl you out into strife and rebellion, separating you from everything good. Rather, let us do kindness to them, according to the compassion and sweetness of the One who made us.

For it is written

The kind shall live in the land and the innocent shall remain upon it. But the lawless will be utterly destroyed from the land.

And again it says,

I saw the ungodly –raised up, towering like the cedars of Lebanon! Then, I passed by; I looked, yet he was not. I searched everywhere for him, but found him not.

Protect innocence; observe righteousness: a future remains for the man of peace.

Clement’s understanding of Scripture is also interesting. He considers it beyond cavil that what Scripture says is true and authoritative.  Having made his argument he sets it beyond question by quoting Scripture.

 

Comment on Clement’s Quotations

He first quotes Proverbs 2:21(-22):

Proverbs 2:21–22 (ESV)

21  For the upright will inhabit the land,

and those with integrity will remain in it,

22  but the wicked will be cut off from the land,

and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

 

Proverbs 2:21–22 (LXX)

21 χρηστοὶ ἔσονται οἰκήτορες γῆς, ἄκακοι δὲ ὑπολειφθήσονται ἐν αὐτῇ, ὅτι εὐθεῖς κατασκηνώσουσι γῆν, καὶ ὅσιοι ὑπολειφθήσονται ἐν αὐτῇ, 22 ὁδοὶ ἀσεβῶν ἐκ γῆς ὀλοῦνται, οἱ δὲ παράνομοι ἐξωσθήσονται ἀπ̓ αὐτῆς.

 

In the first two clauses he differs from Ralfs in the final prepositional phrase:  Clement substitutes (? Is he working from a different original) epi + genitive for en + dative.  The difference in meaning is negligible in this instance.

Clement does not quote verse 22, although the concept is present in his next quotation:

Psalm 37:35–37 (ESV)

35  I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,

spreading himself like a green laurel tree.

36  But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;

though I sought him, he could not be found.

37  Mark the blameless and behold the upright,

for there is a future for the man of peace.

 

Psalm 36:35–37 (LXX)

35 εἶδον ἀσεβῆ ὑπερυψούμενον καὶ ἐπαιρόμενον ὡς τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου, 36 καὶ παρῆλθον, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν, καὶ ἐζήτησα αὐτόν, καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ὁ τόπος αὐτοῦ. 37 φύλασσε ἀκακίαν καὶ ἰδὲ εὐθύτητα, ὅτι ἔστιν ἐγκατάλειμμα ἀνθρώπῳ εἰρηνικῷ,

Clement here also shows some minor variations.

In verse 36, Clement uses ekzeteo rather than zeteo. The difference is that Clement uses what is often a more emphatic form of the verb; although, the meaning is substantially the same.

In addition, LXX has, “I sought him, but [and] it was not found the place of him [his place]”; while Clement has “I sought the place of him, but [and] not I found [I didn’t find (it)].”  The difference in writing does not change the essential meaning.

I do not know whether Clement altered his text; worked from a different text; or quoted from memory.

 

Greek Text:

1 Clement 14.2

4 *  γέγραπται γάρ· Χρηστοὶ ἔσονται οἰκήτορες γῆς, ἄκακοι δὲ ὑπολειφθήσονται ἐπʼ αὐτῆς· οἱ δὲ παρανομοῦντες ἐξολεθρευθήσονται ἀπʼ αὐτῆς. 5 *  καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Εἶδον ἀσεβῆ ὑπερυψούμενον καὶ ἐπαιρόμενον ὡς τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου· καὶ παρῆλθον, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν, καὶ ἐξεζήτησα τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐχ εὗρον. φύλασσε ἀκακίαν καὶ ἴδε εὐθύτητα, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἐγκατάλειμμα ἀνθρώπῳ εἰρηνικῷ

 

γέγραπται γάρ

For it is has been written

This is an introductory formula for Scriptural quotation: Matthew 4:6, 26:31; Luke 4:10; Acts 1:20, et cetera. It is used in Plutarch’s “Ceasar” at 65.1: γέγραπται γὰρ ὑπὲρ πραγμάτων μεγάλων καὶ σοὶ διαφερόντων.

Χρηστοὶ ἔσονται οἰκήτορες γῆς

The kind, they shall be those who inhabit the earth

Gh, earth,  is anarthrous and definite as a generic noun.

ἄκακοι δὲ ὑπολειφθήσονται ἐπʼ αὐτῆς

Even the innocent they shall be left upon it.

 οἱ δὲ παρανομοῦντες ἐξολεθρευθήσονται ἀπʼ αὐτῆς

But the law breakers they shall be completely destroyed from it.

οἱ παρανομοῦντες: substantive, articular participle. The participle emphasizes the action: they are destroyed because they are law breakers.

ἐξολεθρεύω:  an emphatic form of destruction: utterly destroyed.

καὶ πάλιν λέγει: And again it says [Scripture]

Scripture has been written and yet it presently speaks. No need to overstate the case.

Εἶδον ἀσεβῆ ὑπερυψούμενον:

I saw the ungodly lifted up high/exalted/praised.

ὑπερυψούμενον: complementary participle. It completes the idea of “seeing”.

καὶ ἐπαιρόμενον ὡς τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου: and lifted up as the cedars of Lebanon.

The participle matches is ahendiadys: two nouns expressing a single idea. The effect is emphatic. The emphasis is completed with the simile, “as the cedars of Lebanon.” The ungodly were supremely exalted.  This makes the disappearance more pointed.

καὶ παρῆλθον, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν: I passed by, and behold, he [the ungodly] was not.

καὶ ἐξεζήτησα τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ: and I thoroughly sought the place of him (his place)

The parallel aorist verbs emphasize the thorough nature of the search and its completion: He is certain the ungodly cannot be found.

καὶ οὐχ εὗρον.: and I did not find [him]

The kai (and) places the passing and searching  in conjunction with not-finding. It was all part of a singular [although not instantaneous] event.

φύλασσε ἀκακίαν: guard/protect innocence.

Φύλασσε: present imperative: guard. Thus, some emphasis on continually guarding.

ἀκακίαν:  adjective which recalls the “the innocent” who shall remain in the land.

καὶ ἴδε εὐθύτητα: and see uprightness

ἴδε: With a moral object, “observe”: Not merely ‘see’ but also a direction to be upright.

εὐθύτητα: “the scepter of uprightness,” Hebrews 1:8.

ὅτι ἐστὶν ἐγκατάλειμμα: because there is a remnant

Here hoti introduces the dependent causal clause (Wallace, 460).

ἀνθρώπῳ εἰρηνικῷ: for the peaceful man

 A dative of interest. This is an example of the fourth attributive position of the adjective (Wallace, 310-311).

 

 

Translation and Notes: 1 Clement 14.1 (Let us do kindness …)

09 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by memoirandremains in 1 Clement, Church History, Greek, New Testament Background

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

1 Clement, 1 Clement 14, 1 Clement translation, Apostolic Fathers, Apostolic Fathers Translation, First Clement, Greek Translation, New Testament Background, NT Background

(The previous post in this series can be found here: https://memoirandremains.wordpress.com/2013/06/18/translation-and-notes-1-clement-13-walk-humbly/)

Translation:

Therefore, it is just and holy, men and brothers, that we should be obedient to God – rather than follow leaders of a loathsome jealousy in their arrogance and chaos.  For we will not suffer common harm, but rather endure profound danger if we recklessly surrender ourselves to the will of mere men – men who hurl you out into strife and rebellion, separating you from everything good. Rather, let us do kindness to them, according to the compassion and sweetness of the One who made us.

 

Greek Text:

XIV. Δίκαιον οὖν καὶ ὅσιον, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ὑπηκόους ἡμᾶς μᾶλλον γενέσθαι τῷ Θεῷ ἢ τοῖς ἐν ἀλαζονείᾳ καὶ ἀκαταστασίᾳ μυσεροῦ ζήλους ἀρχηγοῖς ἐξακολουθεῖν. 2 βλάβην γὰρ οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν, μᾶλλον δὲ κίνδυνον ὑποίσομεν μέγαν, ἐὰν ῥιψοκινδύνως ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς τοῖς θελήμασιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οἵτινες ἐξακοντίζουσιν εἰς ἔριν καὶ στάσεις εἰς τὸ ἀπαλλοτριῶσαι ἡμᾶς τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος. 3 χρηστευσώμεθα αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν καὶ γλυκύτητα τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς.

 

Translation Notes:

Δίκαιον οὖν καὶ ὅσιον, Therefore, just and holy

The clause contains an ellipsis: the verb “to be” is implied but not stated.  Therefore it is just and holy

ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί: men, brothers

Vocative.

ὑπηκόους ἡμᾶς μᾶλλον γενέσθαι τῷ Θεῷ: obedient for us more/especially so to be to God – for us to be particularly obedient to God.

Obedience is accusative as an adjective modifying the direct object (us) of the verb “to be”.  The dative is the dative of the indirect object: we are obedient to God. The infinitive is complementary.  

ἢ τοῖς ἐν ἀλαζονείᾳ καὶ ἀκαταστασίᾳ or to those [leaders who] in boasting and disorder

ἢ τοῖς: or to those [leaders].  

The article will be matched by “leaders” after the intervening adjectival phrase.  The “those [leaders]” is the indirect object and parallels “God” in the previous clause. Note that the adjectives are singular; the pronoun plural.  The adjectives are thus abstracted.

ἐν:  This phrase presents some difficulties in translation. If we omit this phrase, first, it will help to determine a translation. Therefore, the discussion of the translation will follow the translation of the clause, μυσεροῦ ζήλους ἀρχηγοῖς ἐξακολουθεῖν.

ἀλαζονείᾳ: pretense, arrogance, boasting – a thoroughly negative word: James 4:16; 1 John 2:16

ἀκαταστασίᾳ: disorder. The word is used twice in Paul’s letter to Corinth, 1 Cor. 14:33 & 2 Cor. 12:20: “For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, hostility, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder”  (ESV).  “Jealousy” is also used by Clement in the next phrase; however, this is not a clear allusion – even though the ideas are similar.

 

μυσεροῦ ζήλους ἀρχηγοῖς ἐξακολουθεῖν: to follow leaders of loathsome jealousy;

This entire clause present some difficulties due to the variability of usage and the mix of cases.

μυσεροῦ: Not used in the NT, “of loathsome”. This potentially modifies rulers: loathsome rulers (attributive genitive). It could modify “jealousy” “loathsome jealousy”.

Ζήλους: jealousy, genitive.

ἐξακολουθεῖν: to follow. Complementary infinitive, parallels “to be” in the previous clause.

 

The “en” of the preceding phrase, of itself presents some possibilities of translation:  First, the preposition + dative describes the agency used by the agent (those) (see, Wallace 373).   Second, it could be a general adjectival reference. Third, this may be the ‘dative of rule,” that is, they are such according to the particular standard. Fourth, it may be a dative of manner, “with”.

The genitive phrase, “of loathsome jealousy” – this could modify either “disorder” or “leaders”.

The difficulty of the translation can be seen in the slight variations of the translators.  Lightfoot translates the “en” phrase as an agency used by the leaders.

rather than follow those who in arrogance and unruliness have set themselves up as leaders in abominable jealousy

Joseph Barber Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers (London: Macmillan and Co., 1891), 63. This seems ambiguous:  the phrase “in abominable jealousy” comes along awkwardly at the end as a limping adjectival phrase

Lake:

rather than to follow those who in pride and unruliness are the instigators of an abominable jealousy.

Pope Clement I, Pope Clement I, et al., The Apostolic Fathers, ed. Pope Clement I et al., vol. 1, The Loeb Classical Library (London: Heinemann, 1912–1913), 31. Lake takes “pride and unruliness” to describe at least the sphere in which the leaders are operating. Their leadership is “an abominable jealousy.”

Brannan:

rather than to follow those instigators of loathsome jealousy in arrogance and insurrection.

Rick Brannan, trans., The Apostolic Fathers in English (Logos Bible Software, 2012).  The dative describe the sphere of action. The accusative jealousy is an adjective (accusative of manner

 

The dative is the sphere of activity.

Holmes:

Rather than follow those who in arrogance and unruliness have set themselves up as leaders in abominable jealousy

Holmes follows largely after Lightfoot.

Grant & Osborne:

Rather than follow those arrogant and unruly instigators of a detestable jealousy.

They take arrogant and unruly as adjectives describing the leaders and place the whole in the sphere of detestable jealousy.

The leaders are leaders of a “loathsome jealousy”. They operate by means of arrogance and disorder.

βλάβην γὰρ οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν: For it is not just receiving harm

βλάβην: means harm. However, due to the contrast in the next phrase, “great danger”, the implication is “mere harm”, “insignificant harm”.

τὴν τυχοῦσαν: the [harm] received, that is, “common” [context dependent].

 

μᾶλλον δὲ κίνδυνον ὑποίσομεν μέγαν:  but rather great danger we shall endure

ὑποίσομεν: we shall endure.

 

ἐὰν ῥιψοκινδύνως ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς: if we rashly surrender ourselves

Third class conditional sentence, “ean” + subjunctive:  This specifies what is (likely) to occur in the future, if something happens. The triggering future event is uncertain, but the connection to the outcome is not.

ῥιψοκινδύνως: Rashly, foolhardy. Not used in NT.

ἐπιδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς: we hand over ourselves. The verb is subjunctive: hand over, yield control over, surrender. The pronoun is reflexive.

τοῖς θελήμασιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων: to the will of men

The dative is the dative of indirect object.

The genitive “of men” is adjectival (producer: men produce the will/desire). The use of “men” is to highlight the distinction with God.

οἵτινες ἐξακοντίζουσιν εἰς ἔριν καὶ στάσεις: those who will hurl [you] out to anger and rebellion

οἵτινες: relative pronoun, nominative plural.

ἐξακοντίζουσιν: very emphatic verb; not very common in the literature. Once in the Apostolic Fathers; never in NT. Xenophon uses it to describe the “hurling” of soldiers in battle, “καὶ ἐξηκόντιζον τοῖς παλτοῖς,” they hurled their spears.

στάσεις: means riot, revolt, rebellion – the crime of Barabbas, Mark 15:7.

εἰς τὸ ἀπαλλοτριῶσαι ἡμᾶς τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος: to estrange you from having good.

Eis + articular infinitive (Wallace, 611): εἰς τὸ ἀπαλλοτριῶσαι. For the purpose of (or with the result).

χρηστευσώμεθα αὐτοῖς: let us [hortatory subjunctive] to them

Note that Clement responds to evil with love.

κατὰ τὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν καὶ γλυκύτητα: according to the compassion and sweetness

Kata plus accusative: according to the standard of.

τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς: the maker of us

The participle is substantival: the one who made us. The genitive is source/producer: God produces the compassion – he is the source of the compassion.

Lightfoot and Grant translate “them” as “one-another” – which is not tenable here. First, it is the wrong word. Second, it is the wrong idea. Holmes rightly identifies “them” as the leaders of the schism.

 

 

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