Acts 2:22-24

Jonathan Robie (jwrobie@mindspring.com)
Sun, 10 Nov 1996 08:42:27 -0500

I have several questions about Acts 2:22-24. First, a question about style
(which pertains to the whole context, not just these verses). I haven't read
any Greek rhetoric in the original, but I assume that this is more or less
the style of classical Greek rhetoric, since it sounds like something I
could imagine in a Cecil B. DeMille movie (in the original Greek versions
of his movies, before they were dubbed). Am I right here? But this is Peter
addressing a bunch of Jews. Why would he choose a classical Greek rhetorical
style? Is there a parallel in the Jewish tradition? To what extent does this
match the style that would be expected of a Jew addressing other Jews? If it
doesn't match, why not?

Acts 2:22 (GNT) Andres Israhlitai, akousate tous logous toutous: Ihsoun ton
Nazwraion, andra apodedeigmenon apo tou qeou eis umas dunamesi kai terasi
kai shmeiois ois epoihsen di autou o qeos en mesw umwn kaqws autoi oidate,
23 touton th wrismenh boulh kai prognwsei tou qeou ekdoton dia ceiros anomwn
prosphxantes aneilate, 24 on o qeos anesthsen lusas tas wdinas tou qanatou,
kaqoti ouk hn dunaton krateisqai auton up autou.

Acts 2:22 (NASU) "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene,
a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God
performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know--23 this
[Man], delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God,
you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put [Him] to death. 24
"But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it
was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

More questions:

In verse 22, why is Ihsoun accusative in the phrase "Ihsoun ton Nazwraion"?
I expected that to be a direct object of something, and I made my way all
the way to the end of verse 24 without encountering a subject to match it.

In verse 22, "dunamesi kai terasi kai shmeiois", I assume this is an
instrumental dative? (I'm still struggling with these categories.) If this
is an instrumental dative, is there any virtue in classifying it with a more
detailed subcategory?

In verse 23, can anyone help me parse "touton th wrismenh boulh kai
prognwsei tou qeou"? I think I'm missing the force of the dative in "th
wrismenh" and the meaning of the combination "th wrismenh boulh".

Thanks!

Jonathan

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Jonathan Robie
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