13 Tuesday Dec 2016
Posted in Greek, Greek Translation, Marcus Aurelius, Philosophy, Uncategorized
The previous section of this translation may be found here
I happened to have such a brother who always able to help me have proper concern for myself; and also to cheer me with respect and love.
That my children were not born stupid or deformed.
That I didn’t make more progress in rhetoric or poetry — other like concerns — because if I did I would have been consumed by them if I thought I was doing well.
Greek Text and Notes:
20 Saturday Dec 2014
Posted in Culture, Greek, New Testament Background
Tags
Concerning Sacrifices, Culture, Greek Text, Greek Translation, Lucian, Lucian of Samosata, New Testament Background, NT Background, Pagan
What about those Ethiopians: blessed and thrice happy, as some might says, as they remember joy of Zeus partying with them for 12 days straight – that time he took along all the other gods.
So nothing, so it seems, will the gods do without getting something back: they will selling any good thing to human beings. It is possible to purchase good health for a calf; become rich for four cows; to rule 100 cows; to safely return from Ilios to Pylos, 9 bulls; Aulos to Ilion? A virgin princess. Heccuba paid 12 cows and a robe to Athene tso that the city wouldn’t be destroyed.
It seems that a rooster, a crown or even frankincense will each buy something.
Greek Text and Notes:
18 Thursday Dec 2014
Posted in Greek, Lucian of Samosata
Tags
Concerning Sacrifices, Greek, Greek Text, Greek Translation, Lucian of Samosata, New Testament Background, NT Background
So, concerning their sacrifices – those practicing nonsense – and the festivals and proceedings of the gods; and the things they ask, and the things they pray, and what they know concerning them …one would need to be broken and depressed if he didn’t laugh at their stupidity.
Looking on the the things they do, there is much – I suppose – that before laughing with oneself, to first ask: Should he call them pious, or enemies to the gods and possessed by demons? What a wretch, base theory about the gods: that they need human fawning to be pleased and will become indignant if ignored!
But, think about the Aetolian suffering, and the lamentations of the Calydonians, and so much bloodshed and the end of Meleager. They say the grudge of Artemis caused all these things, because she wasn’t invited to the sacrifice by Oeneus. It really hit her hard, that grand animal slaughtered: Methinks I see her, in heaven, alone – all the other gods having already gone to Oeneus – and she’s pitching a fit because she had to stay behind during such a party.
Greek Text & Notes:
17 Wednesday Dec 2014
Posted in Greek, Lucian of Samosata, OT Background
Tags
Concerning Sacrifices, Greek Mythology, Greek Text, Greek Translation, Lucian of Samosata, New Testament Background
A Greek writer born about 120 A.D. at Samosata, on the Euphrates in Syria. He was well known for his critiques and satires. Seyferrt’s dictionary says of him:
In fact, there is scarcely a side of the literary and social life of the time that he does not attack in its weak points, confining himself, however, for the most part to demonstrating what ought not be, without showing how the existing evils were to be cured. To sit in judgment on the false culture and want of taste in his contemporaries, he was certainly fitted above all others; for, apart from a wide range of knowledge, he possessed keen observation, and an unusual measure of with and humour. He had moreover an extraordinary gift of invention, remarkable aptitude for vivid delineation of character, and a singular grace and elegance.
364. In William Tooke’s 1820 edition of Lucian, he writes of “Of Sacrifices”
Had some holy church-father of the second or third century been the author of this little treatise, I suppose that even the most orthodox believer would have had nothing to object against it. An impartial philosopher, on the other hand, seriously intent upon doing justice to human nature everywhere and in all respects, and who shall overlook nothing that can palliate their follies or extenuate their offences, might find somewhat to urge against this partial representation of the subject. What I advanced respecting the preceding tract on Mourning for the Dead holds good of this little lucianic diatribe. Our author presents himself not so much in the character of the philosopher, as in that of the advocate in behalf of sound reason against the gross superstitions of the populace. And from this point of view, as I am inclined to believe, what he advances on this subject can most correctly be judged. (391)
The piece is a thorough-going satire of both ancient religions and the people who participated in them. It is both sad & funny in equal measure. The translation will begin in the next post.
08 Monday Oct 2012
Posted in 1 Clement, 1 Peter, Ante-Nicene, Church History, Greek, New Testament Background, Repentance
Tags
1 Clement, 1 Peter, Ante-Nicene, Church History, Conditional Sentence, Daniel Wallace, Ezekiel, First Clement, Future More Vivid, Greek, Greek Text, New Testament Background, Peter, Repentance, Third Class Conditional, Translation
Οἱ λειτουργοὶ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου περὶ μετανοίας ἐλάλησαν, 2 καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ δεσπότης τῶν ἁπάντων περὶ μετανοίας ἐλάλησεν μετὰ ὄρκου· Ζῶ γὰρ ἐγώ, λέγει Κύριος, οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ άμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὴν μετάνοιαν· προστιθεὶς καὶ γνώμην ἀγαθήν. 3 + Μετανοὴσατε, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομιας ὑμῶν· εἶπον τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ μου· Ἐὰν ὦσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ἀπό τῆς γῆς ἓως τοῦ οῦρανοῦ, καί ἐὰν ὦσιν πυρρότεραι κόκκου καὶ μελανώτεραι σάκκου, καὶ ἐπιστραφῆτε πρός μὲ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας καὶ εἴπητε, πάτερ, ἐπακούσομαι ὑμῶν ὡς λαοῦ ἁγίου.
Translation: The servants of the grace of God spoke through the Holy Spirit concerning repentance. Yes, even the Master of All spoke of repentance – with an oath: As I live, declares the Lord, I do not desire the death of sinner as much as his repentance. He also adds the gracious judgment, “Repent house of Israel from all your lawless deeds. Say to the sons of my people, Even though your sins should reach from earth to heaven; even if they are redder than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth; even then if you should turn to me with a true heart and say Father! I will hear you as my holy people.
Οἱ λειτουργοὶ: The servants, ministering servants. The word has an interesting connotation. Liddle Scott explains the word means, “one who performed a λειτουργία”. The idea is one who has performed a public service, but often related to a religious event – like a priest in the temple:
I. at Athens, a liturgy, i. e. a public duty, which the richer citizens discharged at their own expense.—The ordinary liturgies (ἐγκύκλιοι) were the γυμνασιαρχία, χορηγία, and ἑστίασις: the extraordinary, such as the τριηραρχία, were reserved for special occasions.
II. generally, any service or ministration, help, NTest.
III. the public service of the gods, Arist.:— the service or ministry of priests, NTest.: hence our word liturgy.
The combination of “religious” and “public” sounds a bit odd for contemporary westerners who live in a word where “religious” is distinctly private.
Interestingly: the word is used of angels in Hebrews 1:7. The general proposition of this sentence is paralleled in 1 Peter 1:10-12, which discusses the Holy Spirit as the source of the servants message (synonym for servant used) and mentions angels desiring to understand the message. As noted below, not close enough to prove any dependence, but does contain an interesting parallel.
τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ: Of the grace of God.
The genitive chain translates easily. The entire phrase modifies the nature of the service performed. “Of God” refers to the source of the grace: Grace which originates with, comes from God. Wallace’s “genitive of production” would fit here: Grace produced by God.
“Of grace” is a bit more difficult to categorize: We could say that the servants are produced by the grace of God; that they are filled with the grace of God; that they dispense the grace of God.
διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου: through the Holy Spirit.
Three issues: the purpose of the preposition dia (through). Dia plus the genitive would mean either agency or means. Agency would be better, since the Holy Spirit is a person and not an inanimate means.
Second issue: is the anarthrous nominative definite, qualitative, indefinite? Wallace notes that a proper noun is definite without an article (Wallaces 245-6). “Holy Spirit” is a proper noun in the NT. Second, the objection of a preposition may be definite without the article (Wallace 247-8). Finally, the translation “through a holy spirit” makes no sense in Christian thinking.
Third issue: What is done through the agency of the Holy Spirit? The speaking: They spoke through the agency of the Holy Spirit. The NT parallel seems to be 1 Peter 1:10-12:
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 1 Peter 1:10–12 (ESV)
10 Περὶ ἧς σωτηρίας ἐξεζήτησαν καὶ ἐξηραύνησαν προφῆται οἱ περὶ τῆς εἰς ὑμᾶς χάριτος προφητεύσαντες, 11 ἐραυνῶντες εἰς τίνα ἢ ποῖον καιρὸν ἐδήλου τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ προμαρτυρόμενον τὰ εἰς Χριστὸν παθήματα καὶ τὰς μετὰ ταῦτα δόξας. 12 οἷς ἀπεκαλύφθη ὅτι οὐχ ἑαυτοῖς ὑμῖν δὲ διηκόνουν αὐτά, ἃ νῦν ἀνηγγέλη ὑμῖν διὰ τῶν εὐαγγελισαμένων ὑμᾶς [ἐν] πνεύματι ἁγίῳ ἀποσταλέντι ἀπʼ οὐρανοῦ, εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι. 1 Peter 1:10–12 (UBS4 w/Swanson)
The parallels are not linguistically close enough to conclude that Clement is quoting Peter. However, the basic concepts are similar; sufficiently so that one could imagine Clement knowing of and reworking Peter’s proposition for use in this instance.
περὶ μετανοίας: concerning repentance.
Peri + genitive = concerning.
ἐλάλησαν: they spoke. Aorist, third person plural, active.
The servants of the grace of God, made so by the agency of the Holy Spirit, spoke concerning repentance.
καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ δεσπότης τῶν ἁπάντων: Yes even the master of everything.
The particles in this sentence are interesting: It begins with a copulative Kai, normally translated “and”; following by a reflexive: himself; then a disjunctive de: but yet; followed by the subject: The master. Since the “de” is post positive, it must control and come first in the English translation. It is mildly disjunctive in that it introduces a new subject; yet it is also continuative in terms of the substance of the communication. The kai has the force of “even” when coupled to the reflexive. The combination of particles and the reflexive together with the exulted: Master of Everything create an emphatic opening.
περὶ μετανοίας ἐλάλησεν: concerning repentance he spoke
Parallel to the preceding clause.
μετὰ ὄρκου: with an oath.
While a noun with a preposition may be definite, it is not necessarily so. “With the oath” is possible; however, the oath is nowhere identified either inside or outside the text; and, “an oath” makes perfect sense.
Ζῶ γὰρ ἐγώ, λέγει Κύριος, οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ άμαρτωλοῦ: For/as I live, says the Lord; I do not desire the death of sinners.
This quotation is a near quotation of Ezekiel 33:11.
ὡς τὴν μετάνοιαν: Literally, as the repentance. Thus, “as much as”.
Holmes translates it “so much as his repentance [the sinner’s]. Grant has, “but his repentance”.
προστιθεὶς καὶ γνώμην ἀγαθήν: He even adds a good judgment. Lightfoot, He also added a merciful judgment. Grant, “this gracious decision”.
Present active participle, nominative, singular, masculine: he adds.
Μετανοὴσατε, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀνομιας ὑμῶν: Repent house of Israel from your lawlessness.
The source of this quotation is unclear. Grant gives the basis for a speculation that it is from a Pseudo-Ezekiel. The general sentiment could be found in numerous OT texts. Yet, if this is an actual quotation rather than a paraphrase of Clement, its source is unknown.
εἶπον τοῖς υἱοῖς τοῦ λαοῦ μου: Say to the sons of my people.
This addition makes it sound very much like a quotation as opposed to a personal summary of Clement.
Ἐὰν ὦσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ἀπό τῆς γῆς ἓως τοῦ οῦρανοῦ”: If they should be (subjunctive) the sins of you (pl = your sins) from the earth until the heaven.
First provision of a complex conditional sentence.
καί ἐὰν ὦσιν πυρρότεραι κόκκου καὶ μελανώτεραι σάκκου: And if they should be redder (comparative, red) of seed (literally; for “scarlet” see below) and blacker of sackcloth.
Second element of the conditional protasis.
The comparative plus the genitive to be translated: redder than … blacker than
Of seed:
By metonymy κ. was applied to the color (‘scarlet’) as well as to fabric treated with the dye (Dromo Com. [IV B.C.] Fgm. 1, 4 Kock [in Athen. 6, 240d]; PHolm 22, 1; Sir 45:10; Jos., Bell. 6, 390) scarlet (color) 1 Cl 8:3 (quot. of unknown orig.; here prob. of purple-dyed fabric [cp. Lam 4:5] because of the corresponding σάκκος).—DELG. M-M. TW.
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 554.
καὶ ἐπιστραφῆτε πρός μὲ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας: and if you should turn to me with your whole heart.
Third provision of the conditional.
καὶ εἴπητε, πάτερ: And if you should say, Father
Fourth provision of the conditional. This is the unusual aspect of the “quotation”. “Father” as an individual designation of a believer with respect to God seems to be an “innovation” of Jesus:
God is understood to be Father (in heaven) of the Jewish people, but only occasionally did they actually address God as Father.311 He is at times (not in address) identified as ‘our Father in heaven’.312 In the Matthean flow ‘our Father in heaven’ takes up into the address to God what has already been affirmed about God (see 5:16, 45; 6:1). ‘Heaven’ points to God’s transcendence, while ‘Father’ picks up the committed relationship in which God and those praying stand.[1]
And:
Invocation. πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, “our Father in heaven [i.e., who transcends all that is on earth].” Juxtaposed in this address are the contrasting phrases, “Father,” pointing to the intimate relationship between God and his children, and “in heaven,” pointing to his transcendent nature. Underlying the simple πάτηρ (as in Luke) in the probable Aramaic original, is the word אַבָּא˒abbā), a term of special affection and intimacy used by children in addressing their earthly fathers. Jesus’ use of ˒abbā is unique (Jeremias; Luz; Davies-Allison regard it as only “characteristic” and “distinctive,” 602). The phrase “Father in heaven” is one of the evangelist’s favorites (see on 5:48). The address provides the basis of the possibility of such a prayer: as Father, God is concerned for the needs of his children; as the One in heaven, he is all-powerful.
Donald A. Hagner, vol. 33A, Matthew 1–13, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1998), 147-48.
If we understand “Father” in prayer to be an innovation of Jesus, then the supposed source for Clement would be post Jesus.
ἐπακούσομαι ὑμῶν ὡς λαοῦ ἁγίου: I shall hear you as holy people/people of holiness.
This is another rough echo or allusion to First Peter:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9–10 (ESV)
Wallace would classify this as a “third class conditional”: Eav + subjunctive (protasis); any voice/mood (apadosis). Wallace notes that is difficult to say much about the meaning of this particular conditional beyond it being a general conditional statement. He notes that it generally means, “uncertain of fulfillment, but still likely”.
Hansen & Quinn categorize eav & subjunctive + future indicative (our sentence in First Clement) as “future more vivid”: “The protasis of the future more vivid conditional sentence makes an assumption about the future; the apodosis draws a conclusion based on that assumption” (Hansen & Quinn, 94).
+ Ezek. 33:11
+ ps-Ezek.?
311 The Hebrew of Sir. 51:10 may be an instance. It can be translated ‘I shall thank you, my God, my Father’, but it is probably to be vocalised to give ‘I shall thank you, O God of my father’ (see Fitzmyer, ‘Abba’, 26 n. 50). In 4Q372 1:16 Joseph addresses God as ‘my Father and my God’. In Sir. 23:1, 4 (Greek only), God is addressed as ‘O Lord, Father and Master/God of my life’; in Wis. 14:3, as ‘Father’ in relation to his providential care; in 3 Macc. 6:3, 8, as ‘Father’ in the midst of a prayer which begins, ‘King of great power, Almighty God Most High, governing all creation with mercy’. In 1 Ch. 29:10 (Greek) God is addressed as ‘Lord, God of Israel’ and ‘our Father from everlasting [τοῦ αἰῶνος] to everlasting’. Both the Palestinian and Babylonian recensions of the Šemoneh ʿEsreh address God as ‘our Father’.
312 M. Soṭa 9:15; cf. m. Yoma 8:9; m. ʾAb. 5:20; Tg. Yer. I Ex. 1:19; Tg. Yer. II Nu. 21:9; etc. Though they are linked with the names of rabbis who flourished in the latter part of the first century, the earliest reported instances of addressing God as ‘Father in heaven’ are in rather later documents (see Mek. Ex. 81a on 20:25; Seder Elij. R. 28:149).
[1] John Nolland, The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 2005), 286.
i.e. id est, that is
15 Saturday Sep 2012
Posted in 1 Clement, Biblical Counseling, Church History, Greek, Repentance
Tags
1 Clement, Biblical Counseling, Church History, Clement, First Clement, Greek, Greek Text, Greek Translation, Jonah, Noah, Prayer, Repentance, Translation
5 διέλθωμεν εἰς τὰς γενεὰς πάσας καὶ καταμάθωμεν ὅτι ἐν γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ μετανοίας τόπον ἔδωκεν ὁ δεσπότης τοῖς βουλομένοις ἐπιστραφῆναι ἐπ ̓ αὐτόν. 6 Νῶε ἐκήρυξεν μετάνοιαν, καὶ οἱ ὑπακούσαντες ἐσώθησαν. 7 Ἰωνᾶς Νινευΐταις καταστροφὴν ἐκήρυξεν, οἱ δὲ μετανοήσαντες ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν αὐτῶν ὲξιλάσαντο τὸν Θεὸν ἱκετεύσαντες καὶ ἔλαβον σωτηρίαν, καίπερ ἀλλότριοι τοῦ Θεοῦ ὂντες.
Notes: To encourage the repentance of the Corinthians, Clement reviews two biblical example of God granting repentance. The examples come from Noah and Jonah/Nineveh which are both interesting in light of the extreme sin of each instance. The word of repentance was “preached” to them. Those who “obeyed” and cried out in prayer to the Master were saved.
Clement’s argument is both encouraging and also contains a warning. The encouragement is that salvation is open to all who truly repent. However, catastrophe awaits those who refuse repentance. The one who stands over all is the Master.
Clement’s understanding of repentance is interesting: He avoids both failures of the professing church. First, there is no “easy believism”. Repentance is equated with “obedience” and sincerely beseeching prayer. There is no “sinner’s prayer”– now go your way repentance.
Second, he avoids penance or works as the basis of propitiation. There is nothing beyond prayer/petition and being an obedient one (which is paralleled in Hebrews to belief/faith). There are no works of reconciliation required or stated: those who prayed received salvation. The “obedience” in context is obedience to the preaching of repentance, those obedience is repentance.
Repentance obtains salvation. There is no hint of a limited salvation or degrees of perfection or purgatory or other levels –just salvation or not.
In terms of counseling technique: Clement calls for repentance and then immediately goes to biblical examples.
Translation:
Let us look through and consider the many generations where the Master gave a place for repentance. Noah preached repentance, and those who obeyed were saved. Jonah preached coming catastrophe to the people of Nineveh – even there, those repenting of their sins –those who in strong prayer sought and propitiated God received salvation – even though they were strangers to God.
Lightfoot:
5Let us review all the generations in turn, and learn how from generation to generation the Master hath given a place for repentance unto them that desire to turn to Him. 6Noah preached repentance, and they that obeyed were saved. 7Jonah preached destruction unto the men of Nineveh; but they, repenting of their sins, obtained pardon of God by their supplications and received salvation, albeit they were aliens from God.
Translation Notes:
Διέλθωμεν: let us proceed/go through.
εἰς τὰς γενεὰς πάσας: through all the generations.
The use of the preposition is not necessary with the verb:
Καὶ εἰσελθὼν διήρχετο τὴν Ἰεριχώ. Luke 19:1 (NA27)
He entered Jericho and was passing through.
Wallace notes, “Therefore, the use of a particular preposition with a particular case neverexactly parallels – either in category possibilities or in relative frequency of nuances – the use of a case without a preposition”(Wallace, 361-362).
καὶ καταμάθωμεν: and let us learn/observe.
Matthew 6:28, “consider [observe/learn from] the lilies of the field ….”
ὅτι ἐν γενεᾷ καὶ γενεᾷ: that in generation and generation.
The dative with the “in” here is the sphere, the time which something takes place. The phrase “generation and generation” means “each successive generation”. Lightfoot has “from generation to generation”.
Hoti functions as a causal conjunction: Wallace, 674. It give the reason for the looking and thinking: Observe that in each generation ….
μετανοίας τόπον ἔδωκεν ὁ δεσπότης: repentance, a place he gave, the Master, the Master gave a place of/for repentance.
Repentance is genitive, thus a place of repentance: a genitive of purpose (Wallace, 100-101). Wallace gives examples of such genitives which are translated in English with the preposition “for”: “sheep destined for slaughter” (Rom. 8:36).
Master is a very exactly word. BDAG has:
one who has legal control and authority over persons, such as subjects or slaves, lord, master
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 220. This is interesting in light of the fact that the subject here concerns repentance. A Master has no obligation to permit “repentance” of slaves. He is a position to exact punishment.
In this letter, Clement does routinely refer to the Lord as “The Master”. The rhetorical advantage is that both Clement and the Corinthians must submit to the Master (which is precisely their problem).
τοῖς βουλομένοις ἐπιστραφῆναι ἐπ ̓ αὐτόν: to those who desire to turn to him.
A substantive participle in the dative: to the desiring ones. The dative is a dative of advantage, dative of interest (Wallace notes the translation “for the benefit of”).
To turn is an aorist, passive infinitive. The infinitive is complementary to the participle “desire”. Wallace lists the verb boulomai as a “structural” clue to the complementary infinitive (Wallace, 598).
Epi + the accusative is spatial, “to, toward”.
Νῶε ἐκήρυξεν μετάνοιαν: Noah preached/proclaimed repentance.
Preached: aorist.
Repentance: accusative, the content of what he preached.
Clement plainly took Noah as a historical figure.
καὶ οἱ ὑπακούσαντες ἐσώθησαν: Those who obeyed were saved.
The obeying ones: substantive participle. This must be Noah’s immediate family – or perhaps some who died prior to the flood. There is no biblical record beyond the family.
Interesting that “obedience” is the response to preaching. In this, Clement is following Hebrews:
18 τίσιν δὲ ὤμοσεν μὴ εἰσελεύσεσθαι εἰς τὴν κατάπαυσιν αὐτοῦ εἰ μὴ τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν; 19 καὶ βλέπομεν ὅτι οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν εἰσελθεῖν διʼ ἀπιστίαν. Hebrews 3:18–19 (NA27)
18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:18–19 (ESV)
And also see the famous discussion of faith and works in James 2. Moreover, it must be noted that Paul saw no conflict between faith and obedience:
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, Romans 1:5 (ESV)
Ἰωνᾶς Νινευΐταις καταστροφὴν ἐκήρυξεν: Jonah to the Ninevehites catastrophe (Lightfoot, destruction) proclaimed/preached.
Clement, apparently had never read 19th century higher criticism, and like Jesus strangely used the least historically comfortable characters from the OT as illustrations: both Noah and Jonah (like Jesus).
οἱ δὲ μετανοήσαντες ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν αὐτῶν: but those repenting of their sins
The de, a disjunctive particle, emphasizes the turn of both the people of Nineveh and God – especially when it comes in contrast to the kai (and) in the sentence of Noah.
The substantive is again a participle – interesting that Clement is categorizing people by conduct – the repenters (aorist participle).
Upon the(ir) sins: I could find this precise phrase only here in Clement and in Xenophon:
ὃς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς διαφόρους ἐν τῇ πόλει ὥσπερ πατὴρ πρὸς παῖδας προσεφέρετο. ἐλοιδορεῖτο μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἐτίμα δʼ εἴ τι καλὸν πράττοιεν, παρίστατο δʼ εἴ τις συμφορὰ συμβαίνοι, ἐχθρὸν μὲν οὐδένα ἡγούμενος πολίτην, ἐπαινεῖν δὲ πάντας ἐθέλων, σῴζεσθαι δὲ πάντας κέρδος νομίζων, ζημίαν δὲ τιθεὶς ειʼ καὶ ὁ μικροῦ ἄξιος ἀπόλοιτο·
Xenophon, Xenophontis Opera Omnia, Vol. 5 (Medford, MA: Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1920).
Here was a man whose behaviour to his political opponents was that of a father to his children: though he would chide them for their errors he honoured them when they did a good deed, and stood by them when any disaster befell them, deeming no citizen an enemy, willing to praise all, counting the safety of all a gain, and reckoning the destruction even of a man of little worth as a loss.
Xenophon, Xenophon in Seven Volumes, 7, trans. E. C. Marchant and G. W. Bowersock (Medford, MA: Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA; William Heinemann, Ltd., London., 1925).
ὲξιλάσαντο τὸν Θεὸν: They propitiated (aorist, middle, indicative 3rd plural) God (accusative, direct object). Lightfoot, ‘they obtained pardon’. Robertson and Donald have, “propitiated God”.
The verb without the preposition is used in the NT and translated as propitiation: Hebrews 2:17. The noun is used in 1 John 2:2 & 4:10. See Dodd’s famous complaint concerning the translation and Morris’ response in The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross.
ἱκετεύσαντες: praying/beseeching.
The participle is in the accusative, being adverbial to the main verb ,propitiate: an accusative of manner. The noun is used in Hebrews 5:7 to reference the prayers of Jesus.
καὶ ἔλαβον σωτηρίαν: and they received salvation.
καίπερ ἀλλότριοι τοῦ Θεοῦ ὂντες: even though strangers to God.
08 Saturday Sep 2012
Posted in 1 Clement, 1 John, Ante-Nicene, Church History, Greek, Repentance
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1 Clement, 1 John, Ante-Nicene, Biblical Counseling, Church History, First Clement, Greek, Greek Grammar, Greek Text, Greek Translation, Repentance, Translation, Wallace
4 ἀτενίσωμεν εἰς τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ γνῶμεν ὡς ἔστιν τίμιον τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἠμετέραν σωτηρίαν ἐκχυθὲν παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ μετανοίας χάριν ὑπήνεγκεν.
Translation: Let us earnestly consider the blood of Christ, let us come to understood how precious this blood is to his Father, for it was poured out for our salvation that it might bring the grace of repentance to the whole world.
Comment: In chapter 7, Clement performs the necessary movement of all biblical counseling: There must be a movement from the presentation of the sin to a call to repentance. In the previous chapters, he set before them the sin of envy and its destructive effects. In this chapter he moves to repentance, which begins with the gentle admonition and recognition that a need for repentance is the common status of the Christian. He then raises matters which the Corinthians cannot gainsay: we must forsake sin and do that which God (the one who made us) requires.
In this sentence, he plays the trump card (if you will), the blood of Jesus which both saves us and draws out our repentance. Having raised the matter of repentance, Clement will then press the matter of repentance at great length.
Repentance is the key movement in all biblical counseling. Clement rightly anchors the call to repentance in the cross: That which saved us also draws out our repentance.
ἀτενίσωμεν εἰς τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ: Let us look intently at (fix our attention upon) the blood of Christ. A hortatory subjunctive (Wallace 463, et seq). Clement continues with a tone of encouragement as opposed to rebuke or correction.
The verb typically takes the accusative object and the preposition eis: Acts 1:10, 3:4 (see BDAG for additional references); the verb can also take the dative of person, see, e.g., Luke 4:20. The genitive, of blood, is possessive (see, e.g., Matt. 26:51, “his ear”) or the ablatival, genitive of source: the blood that comes from Jesus. Although it uses different verbs, the concept is similar to that expressed in Hebrews 3:1 (Consider Jesus) and 12:2 (looking to Jesus).
καὶ γνῶμεν ὡς ἔστιν τίμιον τῷ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ: and let us know/understand/come to know how precious it is to his Father.
The construction γνῶμεν ὡς ἔστιν τίμιον: Blass & Debrunner not the construction of a verb of opinion (they give one example of a verb of seeing, Acts 17:22) followed by hos an accusative, giving examples of 2 Cor. 10:2, Phil. 2:7 & 2 Thes. 3:15.
To the Father of him is a dative of interest.
ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἠμετέραν σωτηρίαν ἐκχυθὲν: Because for our salvation it was poured out.
Hoti functions as a causal conjunction: Wallace, 674. It give the reason for the looking and thinking: We should consider the blood – blood precious to the Father – because it was poured out for our salvation.
Dia + accusative: for the sake of (Wallace, 369).
Two separate subordinate structures are set up by the hoti dia, ὅτι διὰ, construction: the Hoti governs the entire subordination: the blood was precious because it obtained the grace of repentance for the whole world. The dia (poured out for our salvation) is subordinate to the primary subordination. The exact relationship between the two ideas is not clear in this construction. It likely was intended to as two separate parallel construction as was done by John in 1 John 2:2 (below) for our us and not only for us but also for the whole world. As it stands, the idea is a bit muddled.
παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ μετανοίας χάριν ὑπήνεγκεν: for the whole world, the grace of repentance, it carried off/brought to effect.
παντὶ τῷ κόσμῳ: The language “for the whole world” 1 John 2:2:
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1–2 (ESV)
μετανοίας χάριν: Grace is in the accusative as the direct object of the verb ὑπήνεγκεν. Repentance is the genitive of content: see, e.g., Col. 2:3 “the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”.
ὑπήνεγκεν: aorist, indicative, third singular: ὑποφέρω
06 Thursday Sep 2012
Posted in 1 Clement, Ante-Nicene, Biblical Counseling, Church History
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2 Διὸ ἀπολείπωμεν τὰς κενὰς καὶ ματαίας φροντίδας, καὶ ἔλθωμεν ἐπὶ τὸν εὐκλεῆ καὶ σεμνὸν τῆς παραδόσεως ἡμῶν κανόνα, 3 καὶ ἴδωμεν τί καλὸν καὶ τὶ τερπνὸν καὶ τί προσδεκτὸν ἐνώπιον τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς
Translation: Let us leave behind empty and vain ideas, and let us go to the renowned and revered rule of our tradition; let us see what is good and pleasing and acceptable to the One who made us.
Lightfoot: 2Wherefore let us forsake idle and vain thoughts; and let us conform to the glorious and venerable rule which hath been handed down to us; 3and let us see what is good and what is pleasant and what is acceptable in the sight of Him that made us.[1]
Comment: Clement continues in the manner of exhortation – not rebuke – by using a we-construction rather than “you”. He urges let us leave and let us go and let us see – even though there is no indication that Clement is wrong on any of the points in question. He is not lording over the other church. In fact, he does not seem to believe that he has such authority that he could command. Rather, he is seeking to bring the Corinthian church in compliance with the tradition of the Christian Church and into conformity with God the Creator. The content of the tradition begins in 7:4.
Translation notes:
Διὸ: Therefore: Since we are in the same contest with you, let us together ….
ἀπολείπωμεν: Let us leave behind; hortatory subjective.
In each NT usage, the verb has been used to a physical departure (but, cf. Jude 6, which is ambiguous). The tone of the section matches Philippians 3:14-16 (both the letting go and the moving toward, as is seen in 1 Clement 7:4, et seq), but the language does not precisely match. Thus, the style is similar, but there is no basis for seeing a quotation.
τὰς κενὰς καὶ ματαίας φροντίδας: (the) empty and vain thoughts.
Empty is used in connection with thoughts by Paul: see, e.g., Eph. 5:6, Col. 2:8. The precise phrase is nowhere used in the NT. The final word for thoughts is not used anywhere in the NT.
καὶ ἔλθωμεν: And let us go. Kai is used rather than de, apparently to emphasize a continuity of action: there is a movement from and a simultaneous movement toward.
ἐπὶ τὸν εὐκλεῆ καὶ σεμνὸν: toward/to the well renowned and honorable. Epi with the accusative indicates movement toward in this instance.
τῆς παραδόσεως ἡμῶν κανόνα: of the tradition of us (our) rule (canon). The precise function of the genitive here (of our tradition) is unclear: it may indicate source: it comes from our tradition; possession: it is our tradition’s canon. The purpose of the genitive seems to be: this is something above and beyond us – indeed it is what defines us: Since we are all Christians, this is our rule.
καὶ ἴδωμεν: and let us see.
τί καλὸν καὶ τὶ τερπνὸν καὶ τί προσδεκτὸν: What is good, and what is pleasing and what is acceptable. There is no explicitly stated verb “to be” in each clause; however, it is implied in the construction.
καλὸν: This could be any sort of good or beautiful.
Τερπνός: delightful, pleasant, pleasing. The combination appears in Psalm 133:1 (LXX 132:1): τί καλὸν ἢ τί τερπνὸν: How good and how pleasing/pleasant.
προσδεκτὸν: means completely satisfactory. It is used in Proverbs 11:20 (LXX):προσδεκτοὶ δὲ αὐτῷ πάντες ἄμωμοι ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν: but all those blameless in their ways are acceptable to the ruler (kurios). It is derived from the verb προσδέχομαι (prosdechomai): to receive in a friendly manner.
ἐνώπιον τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἡμᾶς: before the one who made us. God is not mentioned by name but by function: Clement uses a substantival participle The One Who Made. The aorist seems appropriate in that the making is seen as a completed event.
[1] Joseph Barber Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers (London: Macmillan and Co., 1891), 60.
22 Wednesday Aug 2012
Posted in 1 Clement, Ante-Nicene, Biblical Counseling, Discipleship, Greek, Preaching
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1 Clement, Ante-Nicene, Biblical Counseling, Brooks, Discipleship, First Clement, Greek, Greek Text, Preaching, Precious Remedies for Satan's Devices, Thomas Brooks, Translation
Τούτοις τοῖς ἀνδράσιν ὁσίως πολιτευσαμένοις συνηθροίσθη πολὺ πλῆθος ἐκλεκτῶν, οἵτινες πολλαῖς αἰκίαις καὶ βασάνοις, διὰ ζῆλος παθόντες, ὑπόδειγμα κάλλιστον ἐγένοντο ἐν ἡμῖν. 2 Διὰ ζῆλος διωχθεῖσαι γυναῖκες, Δαναΐδες καὶ Δίρκαι, αἰκίσματα δεινὰ καὶ ἀνόσια παθοῦσαι, ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς πίστεως βέβαιον δρόμον κατήντησαν καὶ ἔλαβον γέρας γενναῖον αἱ ἀσθενεῖς τῷ σώματι. ζῆλος ἀπηλλοτρίωσεν γαμετὰς ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἠλλοίωσεν τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀδάμ, Τοῦτο νῦν ὀστοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων μου καἰ σἀρξ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου. 4 ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις πόλεις μεγάλας κατέστρεψεν καὶ ἔθνη μεγάλα ἐξερίζωσεν.
Translation: To these holy men are joined a great many of the elect – those many who injustice and torture suffered because of wicked jealousy: they are the great example for us. Wicked jealousy caused even the women to be chased down and ruined – like the Danaids and Dircae – they suffered unspeakable and unholy torments! But, they held fast in faith to the end of their race and received the glorious reward, despite the weakness of the body. Oh, wicked jealousy has separated wives from husband; it mocked the saying of our father Adam, This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. Jealousy and strife have overturned great cites and utterly destroyed great nations.
Comment: Clement draws a contrast in his instruction and counsel: Wicked jealousy led to the torture and death of those Christians who are the greatest example to us.
There are two things here: First, Clement raises the example of imitation in connection with discipleship counseling. We are to become imitators of Christ and thus imitators of those who follow him most closely. Clement writes, these martyrs for the faith are the examples which we must imitate.
He then has placed his letter readers in a difficult spot: You are acting precisely in the manner of the greatest physical enemies of “the elect”. By acting contrary to the elect, they are denying their own election – which puts them outside of the church they are seeking to upset!
Having made his point in the first verse, he then gives additional details of the vicious assault upon the elect because of wicked jealousy. The repetition and detail create an emotional tone by which Clement seeks to get past their refusal to repent: the tactic is to demonstrate the wickedness of the sin so that the person will leave off the sin.
This is an important element in counseling. Often times a professed believer will not leave off a particular sin because the sin presents itself to the one sinning as not too bad – sometimes, the presentation is even as a positive good. Thomas Brooks speaks of this in Precious Remedies (device 2) as a “painting sin with virtues colors”. As a response to this deceit of sin, Brooks writes:
Remedy (3). To look on sin with that eye with which within a short time, we shall see it. Ah, souls! when you shall lie upon a dying bed, and stand before a judgment-seat, sin shall be unmasked, and its dress and robes shall then be taken off, and then it shall appear more vile, filthy, and terrible than hell itself; then, that which formerly appeared most sweet will appear most bitter, and that which appeared most beautiful will appear most ugly, and that which appeared most delightful will then appear most dreadful to the soul. Ah, the shame, the pain, the gall, the bitterness, the horror, the hell that the sight of sin, when its dress is taken off, will raise in poor souls! Sin will surely prove evil and bitter to the soul when its robes are taken off. A man may have the stone who feels no fit of it. Conscience will work at last, though for the present one may feel no fit of accusation. Laban showed himself at parting. Sin will be bitterness in the latter end, when it shall appear to the soul in its own filthy nature.
Clement is seeking to permit his readers to see their sin now for the evil which it truly is. When counseling, when preaching, it is often necessary and best to paint the true evil of sin. This is not a base emotional manipulation, because the description must be truthful. For example, when counseling a spouse regarding immorality, let them truly consider the outcome of their ways and the result of their divorce. Proverbs 5 & 7 (indeed all of Proverbs) uses this particular method of instruction. It is certainly not the only means of achieving the end of repentance, forgiveness and restoration, but does have its rightful place.
Clement plays this card to much effect in this section.
Translation Notes:
Τούτοις τοῖς ἀνδράσιν: To these men.
Τούτοις τοῖς: The demonstrative adjective this, this one; masculine, plural, dative. There are three demonstratives in Classical Greek: ekeinos, ‘ode, and ‘outos. Here, the demonstrative draws attention to the particular instances set forth in the preceding sections – but not necessarily present with the speaker at the time of speaking (Hansen & Quinn, 243). Hansen & Quinn note, “A noun modified by οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτοmust be accompanied by the article. The demonstrative usually proceeds the article. It may (rarely) follow the noun” (242).
The dative is controlled by the principle verb to join/bring together, indirect object.
ὁσίως πολιτευσαμένοις: conducting themselves in a holy manner/leading a holy life.
Πολιτευσαμένοις: An aorist middle/passive participle, dative plural (modifies “men” which was in the dative).
“πολιτεύω politeúō; fut. politeúsō, from polítēs (4177), citizen. To live as a free citizen. In the NT, a pass. deponent politeúomai, to be a citizen of a state, to live as a good citizen, to conduct oneself according to the laws and customs of a state. It generally means to live or to order one’s life and conduct in accordance with a certain rule. With an adv. in Phil. 1:27, to behave worthily of the gospel. With a dat. in Acts 23:1, to live worthily of or for God or according to His will” (Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, electronic ed. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000)).
Συνηθροίσθη: it was/there was joined together with. BDAG gives the following entry (definition 2):
to link w. others in a common experience, unite with, be joined to. Pass., w. act. sense w. dat. τοῖς ἀνδράσιν συνηθροίσθη πολὺ πλῆθος ἐκλεκτῶν 1 Cl 6:1.—DELG s.v. ἀθρόος. M-M.
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 964.
πολὺ πλῆθος ἐκλεκτῶν: full many, a great number of the elect.
The phrase πολὺ πλῆθος is followed by a genitive. This is a genitive of apposition: “The substantive [here, elect] in the genitive resrs to the same things as the substantive [an exceeding great number] to which it is related. The equation, however, is not exact. The genitive typically states a specific example that is a part of the larger category named by the head noun” (Wallace, 95). Here the head noun would be “a great many” the genitive explains: of the elect.
Examples of this phrase are quite common in Greek literature. It is found in Xenophon
τὸ δὲ πολὺ πλῆθος τῶν Τριβαλλῶν ἔφυγεν ὀπίσω ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμόν
Arrian, Flavii Arriani Anabasis Alexandri, ed. A. G. Roos (Medford, MA: in aedibus B. G. Teubneri, 1907), 4. As in 1 Clement the construction is followed by the genitive: a great number of the Triballoi. Likewise the phrase is followed by the genitive in Plutarch:
τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον εἰς πολὺ πλῆθος ἀριθμοῦ συνάγουσιν
Plutarch, vol. 3, Moralia, ed. Gregorius N. Bernardakis (Medford, MA: Teubner, 1891), 83. Many additional examples could be given.
οἵτινες: these [persons/people], those who. BDAG, definition 3:
Quite oft. ὅστις takes the place of the simple rel. ὅς, ἥ, ὅ; this occurs occasionally in ancient Gk. usage (s. Hdt. 4, 8, 1 al.; Thu. 6, 3, 1; Demosth. 38, 6; 17; Kühner-G. II 399f; Schwyzer II 643 lit.), but more freq. in later Gk. (W-S. §24, 14d; B-D-F §293; Mlt. 91f; Rdm.2 75; 77; 226; Psaltes, Grammatik [Byz.] 198; POxy 110, 3; PFay 108, 7 [both II A.D.]; Mayser II/3, 57. On the LXX s. Thackeray 192; TestJob 47:1; ParJer 7:8; Just., D. 88, 1; Tat. 41, 1), esp. in Luke’s writings: to explain a word or a thing εἰς πόλιν Δαυὶδ ἥτις καλεῖται Βηθλέεμ Lk 2:4 (Hdt. 2, 99 πόλιν ἥτις νῦν Μέμφις καλέεται).
William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 730.
πολλαῖς αἰκίαις καὶ βασάνοις: [these] many mistreated and tortured [the verb is a participle in the following phrase].
αἰκίαις: means extraordinary mistreatment/torture; for example:
The entire race was to be registered individually, not for the hard labor that has been briefly mentioned before, but to be tortured with the outrages that he had ordered, and at the end to be destroyed in the space of a single day
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), 3 Mac 4:14. The related verb αἰκίζομαιmeans to mistreat/torture. The NRSV translates the nominative based on the verb as “the torturers”. But, see,
αἰκία [ῑ], ἡ, Att. for the Ion. ἀεικείη (q.v.), injurious treatment, an affront, outrage, Aesch., etc.
2. in Prose mostly as law-phrase, αἰκίας δίκη an action for assault, less serious than that for ὕβρις, Plat., etc.
H.G. Liddell, A Lexicon: Abridged from Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996), 20.
διὰ ζῆλος παθόντες: because of zeal/through zeal (dia + genitive) suffering [the mistreatment and torture]. The delay in the verb places an emphasis on the basis for their suffering: It was jealousy which caused led to their suffering mistreatment.
ὑπόδειγμα κάλλιστον ἐγένοντο ἐν ἡμῖν: they became (aorist middle) the greatest/best/most illustrious example among us/for us.
The matter of example and imitation is a great element of discipleship.
Διὰ ζῆλος διωχθεῖσαι γυναῖκες, Δαναΐδες καὶ Δίρκαιbecause of jealousy women were persecuted like the Daniads and Dircae.
Of the references, Holmes writes, “In ancient mythology, the daughters of Danaus were given as prizes to the winners of a race; thus it is likely that this is a reference to Christian women being raped prior to being martyred. Dirce was tied to the horns of a bull and dragged to death.”
Lightfoot notes this as a corruption in the original text and suggests νεάνιδες παιδίσκαι, young women, slave girls.
αἰκίσματα δεινὰ καὶ ἀνόσια παθοῦσαι: suffering (aorist participle) terrible and unholy tortures. The word for “tortures” is related to αἰκίαις.
ἐπὶ τὸν τῆς πίστεως βέβαιον δρόμον κατήντησαν: over a period of time (epi + accusative, Wallace, 376) the stability of [their] faith the course destination they reached. Lightfoot: “safely reached the goal in the race of faith”.
καὶ ἔλαβον γέρας γενναῖον αἱ ἀσθενεῖς τῷ σώματι: and received the glorious reward despite the weakness in/of [their] bodies.
γέρας γενναῖον: compare τὸ γενναῖον τῆς πίστεως αὐτοῦ κλέος ἔλαβεν, of 1 Clement 5.6.
αἱ ἀσθενεῖς τῷ σώματι: they [being] weak in [their] bodies, that is, despite the weakness of their bodies.
ζῆλος ἀπηλλοτρίωσεν γαμετὰς ἀνδρῶν: jealousy estranged wives from their husbands.
This section seems to allude to Luke 12:52-53.
καὶ ἠλλοίωσεν τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀδάμ: and transformed the thing said (saying) of our father Adam.
ῥηθὲν: aorist passive participle, accusative, neuter, of εἶπον. Extra credit for anyone who can trace out the transformation from lego to eipon to rhethen.
Τοῦτο νῦν ὀστοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων μου καἰ σἀρξ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου: This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. A quotation from Genesis 2:23, LXX.
ζῆλος καὶ ἔρις πόλεις μεγάλας κατέστρεψεν: Jealousy and strife overturned great cities.
Possibly an allusion to Troy.
καὶ ἔθνη μεγάλα ἐξερίζωσεν: and great nations utterly destroyed (from a verb whose basic meaning is to uproot.
31 Tuesday Jul 2012
Posted in 1 Clement, 1 Samuel, Ante-Nicene, Biblical Counseling, Church History, Discipleship, Exodus, Greek, Numbers
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10 ζῆλος φυγεῖν ἠνάγκασεν Μωϋσῆν ἀπὸ προσώπου Φαραὼ βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁμοφύλου,. Τίς σε κατέστησεν κριτὴν ἢ δικαστὴν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν; μὴ ἀνελεῖν με σὺ θέλεις, ὅν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες ἐχθὲς τὀν Αἰγύπτιον; 11 διὰ ζῆλος Ἀαρὼν καὶ Μαριὰμ ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς ηὐλίσθησαν. 12 ζῆλος Δαθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρὼν ζῶντας κατήγαγεν εἰς ᾅδου, διὰ τὸ στασιάσαι αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸν θεράποντα τοῦ Θεοῦ Μωϋσῆν. 13 διὰ ζῆλος Δαυεὶδ φθόνον ἔσχεν οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ Σαοὺλ [βασιλέως Ἰσραὴλ] ἐδιώχθη
Notes:
Each of the instance of jealousy noted by Clement involve rebellion against godly authority. Moses was persecuted because a fellow Israelite did not want Moses to be leader: Who appointed you? Answer, God. Moses later faced rebellion from his own immediate family and from the other Israelites. David was envied by the Philistines and persecuted because of the jealousy of Saul.
Again, from a biblical counseling perspective we see that Clement first engages in sustained exposition of the Scripture to show the basis upon which he will later seek their repentance.
He demonstrates great faith in the Scripture’s effectiveness. He starts with no pleas to philosophy or psychology, but rather with the Scripture which he welds like a hammer against their pride. In addition, note that he spends time in Numbers: a book I have rarely seen treated in contemporary biblical counseling literature.
ζῆλος φυγεῖν ἠνάγκασεν Μωϋσῆν: Jealousy compelled Moses to flee. Winer comments on the use of the infinite with the finite that completes the meaning of the finite verb: “If, in such a case, the Inf. has its own subject differnet form that of the principle verb, such subject with all its attributives is put in the accusative (Acc. with Infin.)….” (Winer, 6th ed, Andover, 1874, 321). See Wallace, Accusative Subject of the Infinitive. Compelled is aorist; infinitive, present.
The jealousy in the story as developed does not seem to be Pharaoh’s but the jealousy of the fellow Israelite.
ἀπὸ προσώπου Φαραὼ βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου: From the presence (lit., face) of Pharaoh King of Egypt. The first genitive, face, is dictated by the preposition. Pharaoh is indeclinable. King is genitive of possession: the king’s face (see illustrations, Wallace, 82, Matt. 26:51). The final genitive, of Egypt is the genitive of apposition – genitive of definition. King is a category which is limited by “of Egypt”.
ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι: Wallace: ἐν τῷ+ infinitive: It is translating by + gerund: By hearing. However, the two instances of Wallace involve present tense verbs. Here, Clement uses an aorist infinitive. There is plainly a temporal ordering of events: Moses acts, Pharaoh hears, Pharaoh acts, Moses flees. Therefore, the translation must reflect that ordering: When he heard.
αὐτὸν: about him. The accusative of respect, Wallace, 203-204.
ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁμοφύλου: from the fellow tribesman.
Τίς σε κατέστησεν κριτὴν ἢ δικαστὴν ἐφʼ ἡμῶν;: Who appointed you a ruler or judge over us (ESV translation of Acts 7:27). The two words ruler and judge are near synonyms. The second word refers specifically to a judge in a trial who makes a decision. Epi + genitive: spatial, over: metaphorical here.
μὴ ἀνελεῖν με σὺ θέλεις: do you wish do away with me? The infinitive is complementary to the finite verb, and the object of the infinitive is in the accusative. The μὴ functions as an emphatic particle (otherwise it would read, “do you wish to not kill me”): Do you also, really want to kill me? Do you want to kill me, too? Interesting that the direct verb for kill is not present here. Louw and Nida note the nuance:
to get rid of someone by execution, often with legal or quasi-legal procedures—‘to kill, to execute, killing.’
Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, vol. 1, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 235.
ὅν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες ἐχθὲς τὀν Αἰγύπτιον;In the same manner that you did away with the Egyptian, yesterday? The relative pronoun clarifies the question about murder: Moses is not being accused of potential killing without reason: He had killed the Egyptian.
διὰ ζῆλος Ἀαρὼν καὶ Μαριὰμ ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς ηὐλίσθησαν: Because of jealousy, Aaron and Mariam were housed outside the camp. (Numbers 12:15 records only that Mariam was lodged outside the camp for seven days. The jealousy was of Aaron and Miriam toward Moses. It was based upon racism: Numbers 12:1. See John Piper’s comment in his sermon on marriage and racism, http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/racial-harmony-and-interracial-marriage )
ζῆλος Δαθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρὼν ζῶντας κατήγαγεν εἰς ᾅδου: Jealousy sent Dathan and Abiram alive into Hades. Alive is a present active participle modifying Dathan and Abiram; the participle makes the state of being alive more vivid. See, Numbers 16.
διὰ τὸ στασιάσαι αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸν θεράποντα τοῦ Θεοῦ Μωϋσῆν: because of the rebellion against Moses, the servant of God. “All infinitives governed by a preposition are articular.” Dia + article + infinitive: cause. Wallace, 610. Pros with the accusative: opposition, against. The structure of the object of the prepositional phrase emphasizes the status of Moses: It was not against just Moses. It was against the servant of God, Moses. Servant here carries the nuance of being a
διὰ ζῆλος Δαυεὶδ φθόνον ἔσχεν οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων: Because of jealousy, David was envied, not only by the other tribe/foreigners, i.e., Philistines.
ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ Σαοὺλ [βασιλέως Ἰσραὴλ] ἐδιώχθη: He was even pursued by Saul, the King of Israel. Hupo + genitive: by, ultimate agency: Saul was the one who set the pursuit into action. See 1 Samuel 18:7-9.
