Re: ANDRES ADELPHOI

From: Cindy Smith (cms@dragon.com)
Date: Sat Sep 05 1998 - 13:21:22 EDT


Sorry to be asking so many questions, but I just got my
Hermeneutika/BibleWorks 3.5 CD the other day and am fabulously
impressed and immensely enjoying it.

At any rate, Acts 23:1 as Paul addressing the council, no doubt
comprised exclusively of men, and he addressing them, ANDRES ADELPHOI.
This is translated simply "Brothers" in the NRSV, which makes sense.
ADELPHOI is masculine but properly means "brothers and sisters" in the
plural, just as ANTHROPOI means "people" and not "men" (i.e.,
specifically male human beings). The same is expression is used in:

        Acts 1:16; 2:29; 2:37; 7:2; 13:15; 13:26; 13:38; 15:7; 15:13;
                22:1; 23:1; 23:6; and 28:17

Elsewhere, ADELPHOI by itself can be translated "brothers and
sisters" or perhaps "siblings."

Interestingly, Mark 3:32 uses the expression

        hOI ADELFOI SOU [KAI hAI ADELPHAI SOU]

Of this passage, Metzger says:

        A majority of the Committee considered it probable that the
        words KAI hAI ADELFAI SOU were omitted from most witnesses
        either (a) accidentally through an oversight in transcription
        (the eye of the scribe passing from SOU to SOU), or
        (b) deliberately because neither in ver. 31 nor ver. 34 (nor
        in the parallel passages) are the sisters mentioned. Had the
        words been interpolated, the addition would probably have been
        made already in ver. 31. Nevertheless, in view of the weight
        of attestation for the shorter text, it was thought best to
        enclose the disputed words within square brackets.

        [The shorter text preserved in the Alexandrian and Caesarean
        text-types should be adopted; the longer reading, perhaps of
        Western origin, crept into the text through mechanical
        expansion. From a historical point of view, it is extremely
        unlikely that Jesus' sisters would have joined in publicly
        seeking to check him in his ministry. B.M.M.]

The last sentence of Metzger notwithstanding, it seems to me that
ADELPHOI in this passage means "brothers and sisters" and hAI ADELPHAI
is an unnecessary addition.

A use of brothers by itself (without ANDRES) to apparently mean
specifically male brothers (not sisters) is Matthew 13:55 and 22:25;
Mark 12:20; Luke 20:29. Also Acts 23:5. Followed immediately in 23:6
with ANDRES ADELPHOI.

Cases where ADELPHOI is best translated "brothers and sisters" :

        Matthew 23:8 All disciples are brothers and sisters

        John 2:12 It seems like likely that, in attending a wedding,
                   Jesus would be accompanied by his mother as well
                   as both his brothers and sisters.

        John 7:3; 7:5; 7:10 Could be either.

        Acts 3:17 In 3:12, Peter is addressing ANDRES ISRAHLITAI

        Acts 6:3 The Twelve have called together the community
                        of disciples -- disciples could be either
                        male or female or both.

        Acts 9:30 NRSV translates "believers." Could easily be
                        translated "brothers and sisters."

        Acts 11:1 Apostles and "brothers and sisters."

        Acts 11:12 ADELFOI here seems to refer to the six
                        ADELPHOI who accompanied Peter from Joppa
                        in 10:23 and may mean "brothers and sisters."
                        After all, the apostles were often accompanied
                        by women disciples.

        Acts 15:23 brothers and sisters

        Acts 17:10 There's strong evidence that women disciples
                        were often prominent leaders in the early
                        Christian communities and may have been among
                        the brothers and sisters who sent Paul and
                        Silas to Beroea.

        Acts 17:14 same

        Acts 18:27 Luke obviously makes a distinction in Acts in
                        general between ADELPHOI and ANDRES ADELPHOI;
                        here, again, it is simply ADELFOI.

        Acts 21:17 brothers and sisters. Don't you think all the
                        members of the Christian community in
                        Jerusalem, male and female, would have greeted
                        them?

        Acts 28:15 brothers and sisters. Notice in 28:17
                        immediately following ANDRES ADELPHOI to the
                        local leaders of the Jews.

        Romans 1:13 Brothers and sisters (NRSV).

        Romans 7:1 Brothers and sisters.

        Brothers and sisters:

                Romans 8:12; 10:1; 11:25; 12:1; 15:14; 15:30; 16:17

                1 Corinthians 1:10-11; 1:26; 2:1; 3:1; 4:6; 7:24;
                7:29; 10:1; 11:33; 12:1; 14:6; 14:20; 14:26; 14:39;
                15:1; 15:31; 15:50; 15:58; 16:15; 16:20.

                2 Corinthians 1:8; 8:1; 8:23; 11:9; 13:11.

                Galatians 1:2; 1:11; 3:15; 4:12; 4:28; 4:31; 5:11;
                5:13; 6:1; 6:18.

                Philippians 1:12; 3:1; 3:13; 3:17; 4:1; 4:8; 4:21.

                1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2:1; 2:9; 2:14; 2:17; 3:7; 4:1;
                4:10; 4:13; 5:1; 5:4; 5:12; 5:14; 5:25.

                2 Thessalonians 1:3; 2:1; 2:13; 2:15; 3:1; 3:6; 3:13.

                1 Titus 6:2.

                2 Titus 4:21.

                1 Timothy 6:2.

                2 Timothy 4:21.

                Hebrews 3:1; 3:12; 10:19; 13:22.

                James 1:2; 1:16; 1:19; 2:1; 2:5; 2:14; 3:1; 3:10;
                3:12; 4:11; 5:7; 5:9; 5:10; 5:12; 5:19.

                2 Peter 1:10.

                1 John 3:13.

                Revelation 6:11.

        Brothers:

                1 Corinthians 9:5

Cindy Smith
                                          Spawn of a Jewish Carpenter
GO AGAINST THE FLOW! \\ _\\\_ _///_ //
>IXOYE=('> <`)= _<< A Real Live Catholic in Georgia
cms@dragon.com // /// \\\ \\
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