Re: Verses which need to be read in the Grk

From: One of the McKays (music@fl.net.au)
Date: Thu Dec 31 1998 - 01:06:01 EST

There are many passages which are so much more interesting with a little
Greek knowledge. There are also many which can be completely screwed up with
**a little** Greek knowledge. Anybody remember their first year Greek
gaffes?

I have been memorising Bible passages [after earlier days of memorising
verses] **in English,** BTW! and have begun with 2 John, Philemon and now 1
Peter.

Here are a few interesting things I have found that the person reading in
English would not have noticed.

2 John 1-3 is usually translated something like this:
The Elder to a chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not
only I, but also all who know the truth, because of the truth which lives in
us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy and peace will be with us from
God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, in truth and love.

But in the Greek [he said, in his parsonic best!] the first sentence ends
with MEQ hHMWN ESTAI EIS TON AIWNA. Then the next sentence begins ESTAI MEQ
hHMWN ... It is not really possible to reproduce this in elegant English.

Another thing you find in 2 John [and many other places in the NT] is that
sometimes it is hard to know if the correct text is hHMWN or hUMWN. The most
elementary knowledge of Greek reveals how close "you" plural] and "we" are
in Greek. You can see why there is uncertainty.

One nice little quirk is found at the end of 2 John. Although Greek does use
the idiom "face to face" PROSWPON PROS PROSWPON [e.g. 1 Cor 13:12] in 2 John
he says he hopes to come to you and talk STOMA PROS STOMA.

In Philemon, I get a kick out of the number of times Paul uses SPLAGXNA. We
sing a song in our church called "Refresh my heart, Lord" and I like to sing
"Refresh my guts, Lord!"

It is also interesting to explore verse 6 and the many possibilities of its
meaning. What does Paul mean by KOINWNIA here? He sometimes uses it for
"sharing," sometimes for "making a monetary contribution" and sometimes it
refers to "participation" in Christ's sufferings.

In Philemon, it is interesting to see how long Paul delays before he
actually mentions Onesimus by name. In English translations, he often gets
mentioned early in verse 10, but in the Greek text, his name is left right
to the very end.

In my version I memorise I have put it like this:
Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you
ought to do, yet I appeal to you on the basis of love.
I Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus, appeal to you
for my son ... who became my son while I was in chains: I mean **Onesimus**
[your rascal runaway slave!]

Don't know if you want a Hebrew one, but I only discovered yesterday that
Psalm 127:1 & 3 is a pun on BONIM [builders] and BANIM [sons].
David McKay
music@fl.net.au 

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