Matt 6:12,14: OFEILHMA, PARAPTWMA

Jonathan Robie (jwrobie@mindspring.com)
Fri, 25 Jul 1997 06:42:55 -0400

In English, "trespasses" and "transgressions" sound very theological and
religious to me, and especially for PARAPTWMA, my NT lexica seem to suggest
that kind of undertone. But LSJ gives a more secular, everyday meaning to
these terms:

para-pt™ma, atos, to, false step, slip, blunder, Plb.9.10.6, Phld.
Herc.1251.14 (pl.), Longin.36.2.

2. defeat, D.S.19.100.

3. transgression, trespass, LXX Ez.14.13,al., Ev.Matt.6.14, Ep.Gal.6.1,
al.

4. error in amount of payments, PTeb.5.91 (ii B.C.).

opheil-ma, atos, to, that which is owed, debt, Thuc. 2.40, etc.; apotinein
o. Plat. Laws 717b; apodoteon Aristot. Nic. Eth. 1165a3: also in Inscrr.,
IG12.57.14, SIG306.38 (Tegea, iv B. C.), au=SIG 1108.11 (Callatis, iii/ii B.
C.), etc.; and Pap., PHib.1.42.10 (iii B. C.), etc.; cf. ophl™ma.

Would it be fair to say that PARAPTWMA applies to any failing, whether or
not it is sinful (in the sense of transgressing one of God's commands)?

Jonathan

***************************************************************************
Jonathan Robie jwrobie@mindspring.com http://www.mindspring.com/~jwrobie
POET Software, 3207 Gibson Road, Durham, N.C., 27703 http://www.poet.com
***************************************************************************