Re: Luke's Semitic Style

From: Jack Kilmon (jkilmon@historian.net)
Date: Mon May 17 1999 - 12:07:00 EDT


I think the wrench in the gears comes from the consensus that Luke was
a gentile. An examination of Lukan style displays many Aramaisms. I
think the Ockham's sharpie here is that Luke was competent in Aramaic
and used Aramaic source material. This is perfectly understandable
if Luke was from Syrian Antioch. His use of exclusive Aramaic idiom in
his translation can only come from being competent WITH the Aramaic
idiom, IMHO.

Jack

Jim West wrote:
>
> At 08:41 AM 5/17/99 -0500, you wrote:
> >
> >After so many years of study there still seems to be no consensus on the
> >origin of the heavily Semiticized style which is especially
> >prominent in certain sections of Luke-Acts. It would seem that the
> >explanation would have to lie in either (or, perhaps, both) 1) Luke's
> >conscious imitation of LXX Biblical style,
>
> Chapters 1-2 of Luke seem to be especially LXX-like in their style. The
> only way we can say whether this is because Luke imitates the LXX or because
> Luke is himself a semite. The second option would seem most peculiar,
> really, given the fact that Luke is portrayed as the only Gentile writer of
> the NT documents.
> I have always believed that Luke intentionally imitated the LXX as a means
> of linking the "promise" of the OT with the "fulfillment" of the Christ
> event. It is, after all, when Jesus is born that the heavily septuagintized
> chapters leave off.
>
> The rest of Luke seems a bit more semitic than Mark- but certainly not more
> so than Matthew. Why? I think Luke is dependent on sources here- and close
> attention being paid one will notice that the most semitic elements occur
> where Lk has not made use of Mark. I take this as an indication that Q was
> a semitic source. And that Luke's special material (called by us old guys
> "L") was also semitic in origin.
>
> > or 2) an Aramaic and/or Hebrew
> >source(s). Is the question insoluble? Does any one on the list have any
> >insights into this question?
>
> I dont think it is solvable. We can hypothesize, but until we can ask Luke
> what he did, we will never know.
>
> >
> >Jim Ware
>
> Best,
>
> Jim
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Jim West, ThD
> email- jwest@highland.net
> web page- http://web.infoave.net/~jwest
>
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek
> You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: jkilmon@historian.net
> To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-329W@franklin.oit.unc.edu
> To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu

-- 
______________________________________________

taybutheh d'maran yeshua masheecha am kulkon

Jack Kilmon jkilmon@historian.net

http://www.historian.net

--- B-Greek home page: http://sunsite.unc.edu/bgreek You are currently subscribed to b-greek as: [cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu] To unsubscribe, forward this message to leave-b-greek-329W@franklin.oit.unc.edu To subscribe, send a message to subscribe-b-greek@franklin.oit.unc.edu



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:40:26 EDT