Re: Mic 5:2, ARCH, Jn 1:1

From: GregStffrd@aol.com
Date: Fri Feb 13 1998 - 01:06:59 EST


Wes Williams said:

<< I suggest that Prov 8:22 is a better scriptural example of an "absolute"
 beginning rather than Gen 1:1, wouldn't you? This beginning is before the
 creation of heavens and earth.
>>

Wes,

Your parallel of Micah 5:(1)2 with Proverbs 8:22-23 is interesting. It also
coincides with Figure 1 on page 167 of my book. Again, the "beginning" may
refer to a time period prior to the creation of the physical heavens and
earth. Indeed, it must, for it was "in the beginning" that God created the
heavens and the earth; the text does not say, "God created the heavens and the
earth at the start of time [or `at the start of the beginning']." Thus, I
believe Figure 1 represents the full import of the use of ARKHi in the Bible,
when used in reference to creation. The "beginning" is a period of time
beginning with the LOGOS (cf. Prov. 8:22-23; Micah 5:[1]2; and also Rev. 3:14)
and ending with humankind (Matt. 19:4; Mark 10:6; 2 Pet. 3:4)

Of course, Paul gave the LXX of Micah 5:(1)2 as follows:

> KAI SU BHQLEEM OIKOS EFRAQA ... EK SOU MOI EXELEUSETAI, TOU EINAI EIS
> ARCONTA TOU ISRAHL, KAI EXODOU AUTOU AP' ARCHS EX hHMERWN AIWNOS.>>

My edition of Rahlfs has EXODOI. This is why I kept from commenting on this
passage in my book, for I could not be certain that ARKHS does not simply
refer to some indefinite period in the past, as does the Hebrew mqdm mymy
'olm. While the use of ARKHi in Genesis 1:1 seems to refer to some fixed
period of time during which such and such took palce. The underlying Hebrew is
not the same, and so the meaning intended by the same Greek word may also be
different. But there are very important similarities between Genesis 1 and
Proverbs 8 (LXX). Perhaps could explore these a bit further...

Greg Stafford
University of Wisconsin



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