Other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a dative?

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Stephen Hughes
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Other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a dative?

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Acts 12:1 wrote:Ἀνεῖλεν δὲ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννου μαχαίρᾳ
Is anyone aware of other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a (presumably instrumental) dative?

The ἀναιρεῖν seems to me to be a word removed from the immediacy of the very act of slaying. The difference between it and φόνος or σφαγή, might be something like that one can εὐδοκεῖν ἀναιρέσει (Acts 12:1), but can ποιεῖν φόνον (Mark 15:7). Σαῦλος δὲ ἦν συνευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ. It being used with a presumably instrumental dative is a challenge to that presupposition.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
cwconrad
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Re: Other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a dative?

Post by cwconrad »

Stephen Hughes wrote:
Acts 12:1 wrote:Ἀνεῖλεν δὲ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννου μαχαίρᾳ
Is anyone aware of other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a (presumably instrumental) dative?

The ἀναιρεῖν seems to me to be a word removed from the immediacy of the very act of slaying. The difference between it and φόνος or σφαγή, might be something like that one can εὐδοκεῖν ἀναιρέσει (Acts 12:1), but can ποιεῖν φόνον (Mark 15:7). Σαῦλος δὲ ἦν συνευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ. It being used with a presumably instrumental dative is a challenge to that presupposition.
My initial (and mistaken, obviously) thought was that the verb in question was ἀναίρειν (lift up) and that this was comparable to Latin tollere which can mean "get rid of" in the sense of "taking out" or "removing from the (game)board." But no, it's ἀναιρεῖν. BDAG says:
2. to get rid of by execution, do away with, destroy, of pers. τινά someone, mostly of killing by violence, in battle, by execution, murder, or assassination
It's true that the GNT instances all seem to involve the ordering of violence to be carried out by another or others, I don't see why the means is for that reason out of place. According to the Marcan account, Herod ordered John the Baptist beheaded, but in Lk 9:9, he declares, Ἰωάννην ἐγὼ ἀπεκεφάλισα.
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Stirling Bartholomew
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Re: Other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a dative?

Post by Stirling Bartholomew »

Stephen Hughes wrote:
Acts 12:1 wrote:Ἀνεῖλεν δὲ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννου μαχαίρᾳ
Is anyone aware of other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a (presumably instrumental) dative?

The ἀναιρεῖν seems to me to be a word removed from the immediacy of the very act of slaying. The difference between it and φόνος or σφαγή, might be something like that one can εὐδοκεῖν ἀναιρέσει (Acts 12:1), but can ποιεῖν φόνον (Mark 15:7). Σαῦλος δὲ ἦν συνευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ. It being used with a presumably instrumental dative is a challenge to that presupposition.

Here are a few examples:

2Th. 2:8 καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος, ὃν ὁ κύριος [Ἰησοῦς] ἀνελεῖ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ,

Ex. 15:9 εἶπεν ὁ ἐχθρός Διώξας καταλήμψομαι,
μεριῶ σκῦλα, ἐμπλήσω ψυχήν μου,
ἀνελῶ τῇ μαχαίρῃ μου, κυριεύσει ἡ χείρ μου.

Josh. 10:12 καὶ πάσας τὰς πόλεις τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς αὐτῶν ἔλαβεν Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἀνεῖλεν αὐτοὺς ἐν στόματι ξίφους, καὶ ἐξωλέθρευσαν αὐτούς, ὃν τρόπον συνέταξεν Μωυσῆς ὁ παῖς κυρίου.

Judith 1:12 καὶ ἐθυμώθη Ναβουχοδονοσορ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην σφόδρα καὶ ὤμοσε κατὰ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ εἰ μὴν ἐκδικήσειν πάντα τὰ ὅρια τῆς Κιλικίας καὶ Δαμασκηνῆς καὶ Συρίας ἀνελεῖν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν γῇ Μωαβ καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Αμμων καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν Ιουδαίαν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ ὅρια τῶν δύο θαλασσῶν.

Judith 16:4 εἶπεν ἐμπρήσειν τὰ ὅριά μου
καὶ τοὺς νεανίσκους μου ἀνελεῖν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ
καὶ τὰ θηλάζοντά μου θήσειν εἰς ἔδαφος
καὶ τὰ νήπιά μου δώσειν εἰς προνομὴν
καὶ τὰς παρθένους μου σκυλεῦσαι.

Ode. 1:9 εἶπεν ὁ ἐχθρός Διώξας καταλήμψομαι,
μεριῶ σκῦλα, ἐμπλήσω ψυχήν μου,
ἀνελῶ τῇ μαχαίρῃ μου, κυριεύσει ἡ χείρ μου.

Is. 14:30 καὶ βοσκηθήσονται πτωχοὶ δι᾿ αὐτοῦ, πτωχοὶ δὲ ἄνδρες ἐπ᾿ εἰρήνης ἀναπαύσονται· ἀνελεῖ δὲ λιμῷ τὸ σπέρμα σου καὶ τὸ κατάλειμμά σου ἀνελεῖ.

Jer. 18:21 διὰ τοῦτο δὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν εἰς λιμὸν καὶ ἄθροισον αὐτοὺς εἰς χεῖρας μαχαίρας· γενέσθωσαν αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν ἄτεκνοι καὶ χῆραι, καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτῶν γενέσθωσαν ἀνῃρημένοι θανάτῳ καὶ οἱ νεανίσκοι αὐτῶν πεπτωκότες μαχαίρᾳ ἐν πολέμῳ.
C. Stirling Bartholomew
Stirling Bartholomew
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Re: Other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a dative?

Post by Stirling Bartholomew »

Stephen Hughes wrote:
Acts 12:1 wrote:Ἀνεῖλεν δὲ Ἰάκωβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν Ἰωάννου μαχαίρᾳ
Is anyone aware of other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a (presumably instrumental) dative?

The ἀναιρεῖν seems to me to be a word removed from the immediacy of the very act of slaying. The difference between it and φόνος or σφαγή, might be something like that one can εὐδοκεῖν ἀναιρέσει (Acts 12:1), but can ποιεῖν φόνον (Mark 15:7). Σαῦλος δὲ ἦν συνευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ. It being used with a presumably instrumental dative is a challenge to that presupposition.

Here are a few examples:

2Th. 2:8 καὶ τότε ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ὁ ἄνομος, ὃν ὁ κύριος [Ἰησοῦς] ἀνελεῖ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ καὶ καταργήσει τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ,

Ex. 15:9 εἶπεν ὁ ἐχθρός Διώξας καταλήμψομαι,
μεριῶ σκῦλα, ἐμπλήσω ψυχήν μου,
ἀνελῶ τῇ μαχαίρῃ μου, κυριεύσει ἡ χείρ μου.

Josh. 10:12 καὶ πάσας τὰς πόλεις τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς αὐτῶν ἔλαβεν Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἀνεῖλεν αὐτοὺς ἐν στόματι ξίφους, καὶ ἐξωλέθρευσαν αὐτούς, ὃν τρόπον συνέταξεν Μωυσῆς ὁ παῖς κυρίου.

Judith 1:12 καὶ ἐθυμώθη Ναβουχοδονοσορ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην σφόδρα καὶ ὤμοσε κατὰ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ εἰ μὴν ἐκδικήσειν πάντα τὰ ὅρια τῆς Κιλικίας καὶ Δαμασκηνῆς καὶ Συρίας ἀνελεῖν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν γῇ Μωαβ καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Αμμων καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν Ιουδαίαν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὰ ὅρια τῶν δύο θαλασσῶν.

Judith 16:4 εἶπεν ἐμπρήσειν τὰ ὅριά μου
καὶ τοὺς νεανίσκους μου ἀνελεῖν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ
καὶ τὰ θηλάζοντά μου θήσειν εἰς ἔδαφος
καὶ τὰ νήπιά μου δώσειν εἰς προνομὴν
καὶ τὰς παρθένους μου σκυλεῦσαι.

Ode. 1:9 εἶπεν ὁ ἐχθρός Διώξας καταλήμψομαι,
μεριῶ σκῦλα, ἐμπλήσω ψυχήν μου,
ἀνελῶ τῇ μαχαίρῃ μου, κυριεύσει ἡ χείρ μου.

Is. 14:30 καὶ βοσκηθήσονται πτωχοὶ δι᾿ αὐτοῦ, πτωχοὶ δὲ ἄνδρες ἐπ᾿ εἰρήνης ἀναπαύσονται· ἀνελεῖ δὲ λιμῷ τὸ σπέρμα σου καὶ τὸ κατάλειμμά σου ἀνελεῖ.

Jer. 18:21 διὰ τοῦτο δὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν εἰς λιμὸν καὶ ἄθροισον αὐτοὺς εἰς χεῖρας μαχαίρας· γενέσθωσαν αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν ἄτεκνοι καὶ χῆραι, καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτῶν γενέσθωσαν ἀνῃρημένοι θανάτῳ καὶ οἱ νεανίσκοι αὐτῶν πεπτωκότες μαχαίρᾳ ἐν πολέμῳ.
C. Stirling Bartholomew
Stephen Hughes
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Re: Other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a dative?

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Thanks for those examples.

There is always a tendency when dealing with a foreign language to level every term for a similar action or object to seeing it as literal, and supposing that they all have the same force and directness.

While not wanting to be too conclusive, I think there is still room in all those for distancing the conceptualisation of death away from the immediate act "murder", "kill", "slay", to something more remote, such as "do away with", "rid of". The last example shows it used in context with πίπτω, a nice euphemism for death.

I think I agree with Carl that knowing how someone was / would be killed doesn't affect the immediacy of it what is being suggested we should imagine or not. The two sentences, "I come and visit you." and "I'll come and visit you by bus." both have a similar degree of vagueness of reference compared with "I'll take the 7.00 a.m. x57 bus to your house on Thursday morning to visit you." In both of those first two cases, our minds are not left picturing the details of the trip, but rather left with a feeling of expectation for the visit.

I think ἀναιρεῖν too should leave us with fear, or a "wow, that's terrible" feeling. rather than a vivid image of the actual act in our minds. That seems to be intending to have a different emotional effect than πίπτειν, which is more serene and removed than other descriptions of death in battle could be.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
cwconrad
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Re: Other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a dative?

Post by cwconrad »

Stephen Hughes wrote:...
I think I agree with Carl that knowing how someone was / would be killed doesn't affect the immediacy of it what is being suggested we should imagine or not. The two sentences, "I come and visit you." and "I'll come and visit you by bus." both have a similar degree of vagueness of reference compared with "I'll take the 7.00 a.m. x57 bus to your house on Thursday morning to visit you." In both of those first two cases, our minds are not left picturing the details of the trip, but rather left with a feeling of expectation for the visit.

I think ἀναιρεῖν too should leave us with fear, or a "wow, that's terrible" feeling. rather than a vivid image of the actual act in our minds. That seems to be intending to have a different emotional effect than πίπτειν, which is more serene and removed than other descriptions of death in battle could be.
Some very standard expressions that don't indicate the "means" in American English have the same sort of "indirect" but nevertheless chilling implications. I'm thinking of "take out" or "remove" (very similar to ἀναιρεῖν, aren't they?), "an offer that you can't refuse", "a hit out on (X)".
οὔτοι ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς πάντα θεοὶ θνητοῖς ὑπέδειξαν,
ἀλλὰ χρόνῳ ζητέοντες ἐφευρίσκουσιν ἄμεινον. (Xenophanes, Fragment 16)

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
Shirley Rollinson
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Re: Other instances of ἀναιρεῖν with a dative?

Post by Shirley Rollinson »

He offed him :-)
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