From: David Moore (dvdmoore@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us)
Date: Mon Aug 14 1995 - 16:01:37 EDT
Larry Hurtado wrote:
>Working now on a short piece on Phil. 2:5-11, and required to produce my
>own translation, I'm wondering if others can help me in considering a
>novel, and possibly totally off-base translation option for v. 7--"en
>homoiomati anthropon geneomenos". There are good reasons for the more
>common understanding, as "homoiomati" referring to a "likeness" of the
>human Jesus to other humans. I'm wondering taking "en homoiomati
>anthropon" as modifying "genomenos" (taking "geneomenos" as = "born" as
>e.g., in Gal. 4:6). That is, could "en homoimati anthropon" mean "being
>born in human manner/fashion"??
There seem to be two questions that are key to Larry Hurtado's
proposed interpretation. One is whether GENOMENOS may be understood here
as meaning "born." This appears possible, either from the standpoint that
GINOMAI is often used in place of GENNAW to mean born, or from the
standpoint that single consonants are often found as variant spellings for
doubled consonants so that the word in Phil. 2:7 could be GENNOMENOS
spelled, rather, GENOMENOS (See, for instance, LXX, Ecl. 3:15 where MSS B
and S have GENOMENON and A has GENNWMENON).
The other question is whether EN hOMOIOMATI ANQRWPWN may be
understood as an adverbial phrase modifying the verbal sense of the
participle GENOMENOS (="born"). This latter question depends on the
normal usages of the word hOMOIWMA. But the usages we have for this word
do not seem to support it's use in reference to verbs, but, rather, always
in direct reference to nouns. In cases where hOMOIWMA is used without any
referent noun present, the noun is understood, or articular hOMOIWMA
serves in a substantival capacity itself (e.g. Rom. 6:5). It is
unlikely, in light of the above, that hOMOIOMATI in Phil. 2:7 could be
used in such a strong adverbial sense.
To sum up, IMO, any interpretation that would ascribe an adverbial
meaning to hOMOIWMA should be ruled out. GENOMENOS, however, could be
understood in the sense of "born," and possibly should be so construed in
order to avoid tautology with the followin g clause.
Regards,
David L. Moore Southeastern Spanish District
Miami, Florida of the Assemblies of God
dvdmoore@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us Department of Education
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