From: Steven Craig Miller (scmiller@www.plantnet.com)
Date: Sun Mar 05 2000 - 11:59:18 EST
<x-flowed>Charles Skallerud,
SCM: << But as for Mt 1:20, depending on how one views the context, the
translation "while he was upset about these things" appears to make more
sense than the neutral translation "while he thought on these things" (KJV)
as if Joseph was merely an unfeeling stoic. >>
CS: << I see what you mean but neither the word nor the context preclude
the possibility that Joseph was serenely reflecting on the situation. He
doesn't have to be an unfeeling stoic to be calm. >>
Of course, but on the other hand neither the word nor the context preclude
the possibility that Joseph was upset over what had just happened. In fact,
I would suggest that being "upset" is simply the only normal human emotion
to have when being faced with a (soon to be ex-) girlfriend, who is
(thought to be) pregnant by someone else, and so being faced with an
unexpected breakup (divorce?) of one's engagement to be married. Joseph
would not be human if he wasn't upset at his circumstances. Given Joseph's
circumstances, as he understood them at that time, the translation "while
he was upset about these things" appears to do the most justice to
Matthew's text. How could it be possible that Joseph was not upset?
-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller@www.plantnet.com
FWIW: I'm neither a clergy-person, nor an academic (and I have no post-grad
degrees).
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