From: Steven Cox (scox@ns1.chinaonline.com.cn.net)
Date: Fri Jan 02 1998 - 20:18:49 EST
At 13:40 98/01/02 -0700, Williams, Wes wrote:
>Why do most translations translate the anarthrous MONOGENHS hUIOS of
>Luke 7:12 as "only son"/ "only-begotten Son" if MONOGENHS means
>"unique"? Was not the occasion one of sadness because he was her only/
>only-begotten son and not due to a particular "uniqueness?"
I have to say that's what I was thinking. The
common use of MONOGENHS (Jephtha, Widow of Nain,
Jairus) is a literal "only child"
In DA Carson's "Exegetical Fallacies" the writer
(whom I have quite a bit of respect for) dismisses the
rendering "only begotten" on the basis of Heb11:7.
This fails to observe something Jonathan Robie said a
few days ago about "ask not what the context brings
to the word, but what the word brings to the context"
(that's not a verbatim quote, but words to that effect)
It seems to me that Carson is breaking this rule in
Heb11:7 by missing the probable shock value that the
use of MONOGENHS re Isaac (immediate reaction "what
about Ishmael?!!") has in the writer's polemic which
is against physical Abrahamic descent. In other words
a verse used to 'disprove' the "Jephtha" type meaning
might well rather be 'proof' of it.
But, the other argument that DA Carson uses is more
convincing = the use of MONOGENHS in the Psalms 22
and 34 where it is paralleled by YUCH. Therefore
Carson argues it means "unique soul".
21/22:20
RUSAI APO ROMFAIAS THN YUCHN MOU,
KAI EK CEIROS KUNOS THN MONOGENH MOU,
24/25:16
ELEHSON ME, OTI MONOGENHS KAI PTWCOS EIMI
34/35:17
APOKATASTHSON THN YUCHN MOU APO THS KAOURGIAS AUTWN,
APO LEONTWN THN MONOGENH MOU.
I'm obviously too blinkered by the familiar
Johannine uses because I find both Psalms very odd.
My questions -
(a) Is DA Carson right to draw this argument?
(b) is there any MSS evidence for MONOGENHS SOU in
either Psalm? (obvious question!)
(c) Anyone heard of any Patristic references to the
MONOGENHS in Psalm 22. There are no shortage of
Patristic references to v1 or v18 of course,
what meaning was attached to 20.
Regards
Steven
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