From: Steven Craig Miller (scmiller@www.plantnet.com)
Date: Mon Jan 10 2000 - 08:30:42 EST
<x-flowed>To: Joseph Brian Tucker,
<< EUQUS DE ELALHSEN [hO IHSOUS] AUTOIS LEGWN, QARSEITE, EGW EIMI MH
FOBEISQE. Does a translation of "take courage, it is I" obscure a better
translation of "Fear not, I am"? >>
The NRSV gives: << But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take
heart, it is I; do not be afraid." >>
IMO "it is I" sounds a little too formal. A more colloquial way of saying
this would be "it's me."
The translation "I am" here sounds absurd, for it sounds as if Jesus was
giving the conclusion to Descartes dictum "I think, therefor I am." I
seriously doubt that Jesus was trying to interject a metaphysical statement
in order to comfort his scared disciples. Of course, I guess the popular
idea here is that somehow "I am" alludes to Ex 3:14 and somehow the common
Greek words EGW EIMI are supposed to call to mind the divine name. This
seems to me to be based more on wishful thinking than on solid grammatical
(or even exegetical) analysis. It seems to me that it is a linguistic
fallacy to try to find a obscure "deeper meaning" when a simpler
explanation is all ready at hand.
-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller@www.plantnet.com
Disclaimer: "I'm just a simple house-husband (with no post-grad degree),
what do I know?"
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