ελπις

Semantic Range, Lexicography, and other approaches to word meaning - in general, or for particular words.
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Alan Patterson
Posts: 158
Joined: September 3rd, 2011, 7:21 pm
Location: Emory University

ελπις

Post by Alan Patterson »

With reference to the semantic domain of ελπις, I have come across hope (I hope this will happen), expectation (the blessed hope), and some lexica give "reason for hope." My question deals with an aspect of expectation.

Titus 2.13 προσδεχομενοι την μακαριαν ελπιδα και επιφανειαν της δοξης του μεγαλου θεου και σωτηρος ημων Χριστου Ιησου,

1 Pt 1.3 Ευλογητος ο θεος και πατηρ του κυριου ημων Ιησου Χριστου, ο κατα το πολυ αυτου ελεος αναγεννησας ημας εις ελπιδα ζωσαν δι αναστασεως Ιησου Χριστου εκ νεκρων,

In these examples, and there are others, how are we to understand ελπις? It seems to me that the English word 'hope' will have to give way to another word entirely if it is to capture the sense of these two examples. There does not appear to be an element of "I hope this will happen" in ελπις in such examples as the two provided.

Has anyone done a study on ελπις in Classical Greek? I'm not suggesting tracing back its etymology, but its semantic range.

Alan Patterson (I hope my signature does not also show; if so, I will no longer sign my name... twice. If not, I'll try to figure out what I did wrong. Bear with me since I'm a neophyte.)
χαρις υμιν και ειρηνη,
Alan Patterson
Iver Larsen
Posts: 127
Joined: May 7th, 2011, 3:52 am

Re: ελπις

Post by Iver Larsen »

Yes, the modern English "hope" has become so vague that it hardly ever is a good representation of the Greek ἐλπίς. If you look up in the BDAG Greek lexicon you will find the following description: "the looking forward to someth. with some reason for confidence respecting fulfillment." The degree of confidence depends on the context and the reason for the expectation.
BADG will also tell you that ἐλπίς is commonly used in the extended sense of: ③ that for which one hopes. Under this section they list NT examples like Rom 8:24, Col 1:5, Tit 2.13, Heb 6:18.
BDAG also suggests that it can be used as: ② that which is the basis for hoping. I think this is a bit tricky, and it is not always easy to keep these two apart. If you expect a reward, the assuredness of that reward is also the basis for your expectation. There would be some word or expression in the context which would be the basis for the "hope" rather that ἐλπίς in itself being or referring to the basis for hope.
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