After writing in Hebrews 4:2 that the readers had the gospel preached to
them as the Israelites in the wilderness did, but that the message (hO
LOGOS) did not profit them, since faith was not involved - and then
warns his readers not to miss God's voice - in 4:12 he makes his
oft-quoted statement about hO LOGOS TOU QEOU being living and active,
etc. In 4:13 he continues by writing that all things are laid bare
before God's eyes, etc. ... PROS hON hHMIN hO LOGOS. This last phrase in
4:13 is said to be idiomatic, meaning "with whom we have to do" (NASB)
or "to whom we must give account" (NIV). But is there perhaps a "double
meaning" intended by the author here, i.e., not just the idiomatic
meaning whereby LOGOS means an "account" or a "reckoning" to God that we
must give, but also perhaps a literally-translated meaning referring
back to the LOGOS that they had received and to which they were being
warned to pay heed - i.e., translate it as "to Him [from whom] to us is
[this] LOGOS" or (more smoothly) "but all things are naked and laid bare
to (or "by" - instrumental dative) His eyes - to Him whose LOGOS [was
given] to us."
Any thoughts?
"Eric Weiss"
eweiss@gte.net