Re: Hebrew 13:4

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Thu Nov 18 1999 - 11:50:25 EST


At 10:24 AM -0600 11/18/99, David Scherer wrote:
>The first clause of this verse is usually translate as a jussive, "Let
>marriage be honorable in all...." Why is the preferable to translating it
>as a simple declarative by supplying a copula, "Marriage is honorable in
>all..."?

Gk: TIMIOS hO GAMOS EN PASIN KAI hH KOITH AMIANTOS, PORNOUS GAR KAI MOICOUS
KRINEI hO QEOS.

Certainly one might understand ESTI as well as ESTW (or ESTWSAN), but
AMIANTOS actually does have something of an obligatory implication rather
than being quite the equivalent of a participle. But the explanation with
its verb printed in the future tense (so the editors seem to think: it's
accented KRINEI=, with a circumflex) provides a reason in terms of the
observance here promoted, so that TIMIOS hO GAMOS is not simply a statement
but strong advice: "Marriage is something to be kept honorable among all
and sexual relations should be undefiled; after all, God will condemn the
sexually impure and adulterers."

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu

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