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Re: Mark 4:3: a sower/the sower?

At 6:16 PM +0100 6/16/97, J.D.F.=van=Halsema%BW_KG%TheoFilos@esau.th.vu.nl
wrote:
>In Mark 4:3 (parr) it says:
>
>"EXHLQEN O SPEIRWN SPEIRAI"
>
>Question: how can I be sure this has to be translated by "a sower went out to
>sow" (RSV). What about: "the sower went out to sow"?
>If the second possibility is incorrect I would like to know in which way I
>can put that into Greek.

It is important to remember that the article in Greek does NOT function
exactly like the article in English. Just because there is an article
present in the Greek text does NOT mean there should be one in an English
translation (though you are likely to get some responses from readers with
little experience who will argue that it does). [And your question implies
that you do remember this.]

The presence of the article in this context may be a literary device used
to bring about a desired effect. Using the article on the first mention of
the sower would give the impression that Jesus was starting in the middle
of the story. This could be a very useful implication for drawing interest
(either at the time the parable was told, if Jesus told it in Greek, or at
the time it was read in the early church). If I remember right, it's a
device used in several of the parables.

>Of course this has exegetical implications. If it is "a sower" we are dealing
>with a "Gleichnis" (Bultmann): something that can be repeated several times.
>If we translate "the sower", we are dealing with a parabel (Bultmann): a
>unique event occurring only once.

I would be very cautious about basing this kind of exegetical conclusion on
the presence or absence of the article in the English translation. I DON'T
think "a sower" implies that the event portrayed in the parable can be
repeated while "the sower" implies that it can't. Why couldn't "*the*
sower" sow again on other occasions?


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Micheal W. Palmer				   mwpalmer@earthlink.net
Religion & Philosophy
Meredith College

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