From: Jonathan Robie (jonathan@texcel.no)
Date: Wed Jul 08 1998 - 07:40:04 EDT
At 11:44 PM 7/7/98 EDT, AgapeLove9@aol.com wrote:
>I found this Translation's footnote on "Marshal" persuading. Please give
>feedback as to whether LOGOS could have a reference to "putting in order"
>"marshalling" rather than to a spoken word, which is the unquestioning
>assumption of many. Isn't this similar to those lego (LEGW) blocks implying
>"assembling?"
I don't think that "unquestioning assumption" is the best description here.
The word LOGOS is probably one of those words that has been studied very
carefully by many people, both in religious and secular literature, and I
think the people who studied the word did not come up with the meaning
"Marshall". I think that whoever came up with your translation thought
about what the relationship between God's creative power and Jesus, and
"Marshall" is a word that embodies his particular interpretation - he read
this meaning into LOGOS, it is not a core meaning of LOGOS.
The best starting point for studying word meaning is usually to look at the
standard New Testament Greek lexicons - Bauer Arndt Gingrich Danker, Louw &
Nida. For a broader look, see what Liddell-Scott-Jones has to say - it
covers classical. Then there are theologically oriented essays in works
like Spicq or the TDNT. All of these works have one thing in common: they
study the literature in which the word occurs, looking for clues about its
usage.
The quote you give fails to show that your translator has done that.
Instead, he tells us things that LOGOS "has been likened to", gives a
theological analysis, discusses the derivation, and chooses a translation
that matches his theology.
>The original meaning of LEGW was 'to lay, arrange or put together'. The
>arrangement or putting together of thoughts result in speech, hence the
>verbal meaning. However, as the LOGOS put together the entire universe under
>his Father's direction, this original meaning of LOGOS would seem to be the
>primary one intended here, rather than any form of communication at that
>time. He was the Great Marshal, marshalling all the resources that his
>Father had placed at his disposal. THis orderly arrangement is clearly seen
>in the creation of the earth as described in Genesis 1. <snip> So the LOGOS
>marshalled and put in order the matter created by his Father, who is
>therefore uniquely the Creator.
It would be a lot more convincing if he could show some examples of LOGOS
where it clearly has the meaning "Marshall".
Jonathan
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