Luke 2:14 eudokia

FRED HALTOM (haltom@cbcag.edu)
Tue, 19 Nov 1996 11:39:00 -0500

Tue 19 Nov 96 Stephen C. Carlson wrote:
>The Greek for this doesn't seem to match the Gideon Bible in my hotel
>room, which says "Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth,
>peace, goodwill toward men". My Greek text says:
>
>Luke 2:14 (GNT) doksa en uyistois qew kai epi ghs eirhnh en anqrwpois
eudokias.
>
>I translate this as "Glory be to the most high God, and peace to men
>of good will". Am I missing something here?

EUDOKIA is another word that is in Jewish and early
Christian literature, translating the Hebrew RASON meaning God's good
pleasure, his gracious will, activity, and election. The LXX
influence is definite here. Classical Greek uses the noun EUDOKHSIS.
EUDOKIA is used nine times in the NT.

The Lk 2:14 use of the genitive has been taken as a descriptive
genitive by some, but the acclamation of the angels' song is not a
wish for mankind to be characterized by good will, as if mankind
somehow approved of or contributed to this event. Rather, we are
dealing with an objective genitive - God's sovereign and gracious
will, "Peace on earth among men of (God's) good will."

At least, that's how I see it. Peace!

Fred Haltom
Associate Prof of Christian Ministries
Central Bible College
haltom@cbcag.edu