From: Jeffrey B. Gibson (jgibson000@mailhost.chi.ameritech.net)
Date: Fri Apr 07 2000 - 22:27:46 EDT
Joseph Brian Tucker wrote:
> Greetings
>
> Does QEOSEBHS mean a 'gentile sympathizer of Judaism' or just a 'pious or
> devout Jew?' L. Robert feels that it is 'pious or devout Jew.' Robert, NIS.
> Paris, 1964, pp. 39-45.
Actually it is not an either or situation. Luke uses it with the sense of "a Gentile
sympathizer -- one who has attached himself to the synagogue and renounced
polytheism". But Josephus and certain inscriptions (i.e., one at Miletus) show that
it sometimes bore the meaning "Jew". Other data indicates that it was simply "those
Gentiles friendly to Jews".
For a review of the range of meanings, consult the series of articles that appeared
under the title "God-fearers: Did They Exist?" in Biblical Archaeology Review,
Sept.-Oct. 1986, 44-63. These include "The God-Fearers: A Literary and Theological
Invention" by Robert S. MacLennan and A. Thomas Kraabel; "Jews and God-Fearers in the
Holy City of Aphrodite" by Robert F. Tannenbaum; and "The Omnipresence of the
God-Fearers" by Louis H. Feldman." There is also a study by Jerome Murphy O'Connor
entitled "Lots of Godfearers?" in Review Biblique 1992. And classical references are
examined by Feldman in "Jewish Sympathizers in Classical Literature and
Inscriptions", TAPhA 81 [1950] 200-208.
>
> Is 'God-fearer' a proper translation of FOBOUMENOI TON QHON (Acts 10:1-2;
> 10:22; 13:16; 13:26)?
Yes, I would say so.
> If they are synonomous, then why the shift to
> SEBOMENOI TON QEON (13:50; 16:14; 18:6-7)?
Here you'll want to consult J. Fitzmyer's commentary on Acts, p. 449.
Yours,
Jeffrey Gibson
-- Jeffrey B. Gibson 7423 N. Sheridan Road #2A Chicago, Illinois 60626 e-mail jgibson000@ameritech.net--- B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-329W@franklin.oit.unc.edu To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu
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