From: Maurice A. O'Sullivan (mauros@iol.ie)
Date: Mon Aug 03 1998 - 15:58:15 EDT
At 11:58 03/08/98 +0000, jwest@Highland.Net wrote:
>Most English translations of Matthew 7:28 translate the Greek word
>exeplhssonto by "and they were amazed". Properly, however, an English
>translation using the word "amazed" would require the Greek word qaumazw,
>which means "to be amazed, to be delighted". The Greek word that the
>writer of the Gospel uses, ekplhssw in its lexical form, means "to be
>overwhelmed, overcome with fright, horror".
Which lexicon?
I see that the middle L & S. provides:
" to drive out of one's senses, to amaze, astound,"
and the big LSJ expands on this with:
'generally, of any sudden, overwhelming passion'
BAG goes for:
2. pass. be amazed, overwhelmed w. fright (Dio Chrys. 80[30], 12) Mt 19:25;
Mk 10:26;
..........or wonder (Dio Chrys. 71[21], 14; Dit., Syll.3 1168, 46 [IV bc];
Jos., Ant. 8, 168; 17, 110; 142) Mt 13:54; Mk 6:2; 7:37; Lk 2:48 (perh. joy);
.......W. the reason given: at someth. or someone (X., Cyr. 1, 4, 27 ejpiv
tw`/ kavllei; Dio Chrys. 29[46], 1; Aelian, V. H. 12, 41) Mt 7:28;
.
>It is my contention that the crowd hearing the "sermon on the mount" was not
>amazed in a positive sense, but appaled, disgusted, horrified, by the things
>Jesus had said.
There are 13 occurrences in the N.T, all of which, as in the LXX, are
passive in form -- as noted in the EDNT ( ed. Balz, Schneider ),
Mt. 7:28
Mt. 13:54
Mt. 19:25
Mt. 22:33
Mk. 1:22
Mk. 6:2
Mk. 7:37
Mk. 10:26
Mk. 11:18
Lk. 2:48
Lk. 4:32
Lk. 9:43
Acts 13:12
The EDNT notes that in Mt. it always appears in association with Jesus'
teaching.
The only exception to the general meaning of " be besides oneself, be
overwhelmed, be astonished ", it is stressed, is Mt. 19:25 (par. Mk. 10:26)
which is rendered as:
"they were very frightened".
As against the RSV, NRSV ( 'astounded' ), the NJB , NAB ( 'astonished' ),
maybe the EDNT is right to opt for 'frightened' --- it is all in the ear of
the weathy listener ?
But surely _this_ is the pericope deserving " appaled [sic], disgusted,
horrified"., rather than thet the message of the Sermon on the Mount.?
Additionally, Harrington ( "Gospel of Matthew" Sacra Pagina series,
Collegville, 1991) makes the point that 7:28b taken with 29, " has the
effect of distancing Jesus' teaching from that of 'their scribes' " --so
the 'astonishment' of the audience _is_ surely the right reading here?
Regards,
Maurice
Maurice A. O'Sullivan
[Bray, Ireland]
mauros@iol.ie
" With computers we can now mistinterpret Scripture at speeds never before
possible"
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