From: Al & Patty Jacobson (abj@the-bridge.net)
Date: Wed Jan 31 2001 - 03:05:03 EST
As Steve Miller has ably argued, any claim to prove chiasmus in Matthew 6:7
by the syntax or grammar is simply arbitrary and against normal Greek
syntactical and grammatical usage. As to references to the "Semitic mind"
or "Semitic worldview" (in Hellenistic, pluralistic Palestine no less) or
"Hebrew thought patterns" one can probably prove just as much (or just as
little) by reference to the "American mind" or the "American worldview" or
"American thought patterns" in interpreting modern texts. After all, the
Hebrews, just like all Americans, thought alike. (I still haven't figured
out how can one have discovered the Semitic mind (or the Greek mind), yet
claim to be unable to recreate the "semantic pool" in or with which ancient
writers perceived the vocabulary with which Biblical Greek students are
dealing.) O well, in any case, we are returning once again to the argument
over the meaning and subject of the word hRHXWSIN (which has more of a
connotation "tear" or "rip" or even "break" "burst" than "bite").
Iver wrote:
>a reference from a fable does not carry a lot of weight, because all sorts
of
>unusual things can happen in a fable. And a pig attacking, biting and
tearing
>apart a dog is in my worldview - and I believe in the worldview of Jesus,
the
>Jews and Matthew - highly unusual. I honestly don't think Matthew (or the
>translator of Matthew's gospel, if it was translated from Hebrew) has read
>Aesop's fables. It is not a relevant context.
...
>On the other hand, turning and attacking you is more likely to be connected
with
>dogs than pigs. We need to remember that dogs in those days were not the
pets
>they are today in the Western world. They would often run around freely
without
>being fed, and because of hunger they could become quite ferocious. Pigs
were
>being cared for and fed.
Have you ever seen what a mad "domesticated" male pig (a boar) can do?
Probably any midwestern farm boy can tell you. It can be pretty scary.
They get awfully big as well as mean, especially when they're hungry and
when they are high on the male pig hormone, if you know what i mean. And
these are boars that are being cared for and fed. It wouldn't sound so much
like a fable to you perhaps if you had had those experiences.
On another note though, I really enjoy (I'm not being sarcastic now) the
comments by the trained linguists and translators. Its amazing to hear new
theories that have developed or to get a glimpse of how older theories (some
of which I had at one time been more familiar with) have developed since my
college days. And you all really have brought some tremendous insights to
the reading and translation of the New Testament. Thanks!
Allen Jacobson
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