From: Iver Larsen (alice-iver_larsen@wycliffe.org)
Date: Mon Dec 04 2000 - 06:03:28 EST
> Others argue that hH GENEA hAUTH refers to a particular race, for example,
> the Jewish race (and that the Jewish race will not pass). But I am getting a
> little away from your original question.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> Mark Wilson
>
A study of the word GENEA as used by Jesus shows that the semantic range of GENEA has
little overlap with the modern English term "generation". It has more in common with
the verb "generate". GENEA in and by itself does not have the time element of
referring to what is contemporary. In some contexts the time element is present, in
others it is not. The common meaning in the NT, as I understand it, is "a group of
people with a common characteristic." It is derived from the more basic sense of "a
group of people generated from a common source or person." (Confer genealogy.) This
extension of meaning is similar to the Hebrew idiom "son of ..." indicating "having
the characteristics of ...". Often Jesus used the phrase hH GENEA hAUTH (or the
Hebrew equivalent) as an indirect rebuke of a certain group of his audience, such as
the Pharisees or Scribes. The context will indicate the common characteristic, which
is often lack of faith in him. When some of the modern English versions translate
GENEA as "people" in some contexts, it is based on such an understanding of the word.
When the demonstrative precedes the noun, it indicates a contrast between "this"
group and some other group. (The example quoted by Carl in Mark 2:20 is one such
example of the contrastive use of the demonstrative - on THAT day as opposed to on
THIS day.) Whenever the phrase hH GENEA hAUTH is ascribed to Jesus, the demonstrative
always follows the noun, and this indicates that the focus is not on contrasting THIS
group with another group, but on describing this GROUP in some way. In Matt 24:34 the
demonstrative hAUTH indicates a group already known to the audience, or as it has
been said, a group "near in thought".
This leads to an alternative interpretation of Matt 24:34, which I have come to
prefer after fairly extensive studies of the phrase in the NT. Since Matthew 24:3
makes it clear that this discourse of Jesus was spoken to the disciples in private,
the group of disciples would be the audience "near in thought". Because the discourse
concerns future happenings that would span a time to the end of the world, it seems
reasonable to enlarge the audience from the few disciples present at the time to the
disciples of Jesus through all time, that is, all those who are waiting for the
coming (return) of the Son of Man. I find it interesting that Matthew uses the term
"elect" four times, three of which are in this context (24:22,24,31). This helps to
identify the group "near in thought". Therefore, I think it is possible to understand
"this group of people" as referring to the disciples of Jesus through time. I believe
this is supported by the following verse, which tells us more about what the "passing
away" is supposed to mean. It does not mean "die", but "cease to exist." Although
heaven and earth will one day pass away, the words of Jesus will not pass away. The
implication of this to me is that there will always be - as long as heaven and earth
exists - disciples of Jesus who will make sure that his words will not pass away.
I hope I am not wondering too far into theology by this. My main point is to suggest
that "generation" is not an accurate translation of the meaning of GENEA into modern
English. The tradition goes back to Vulgate "generatio", but it is quite possible
that this word had a much wider meaning than modern "generation". It also appears
from the KJV translation that the word "generation" 400 years ago had a wider area of
meaning than it has today.
Iver Larsen
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