Re: Matt 24:34 - hN GENEA

From: Polycarp66@aol.com
Date: Sun Jan 30 2000 - 04:51:00 EST


In a message dated 1/28/2000 9:11:20 PM Central Daylight Time,
RHutchin@aol.com writes:

<< Matthew 24:34 reads:
 
 AMHN LEGW hUMIN hOTI OU MH PARELQHi hH GENEA hAUTH hEWS AN PANTA TAUTA
GENHTAI
 
 Commentaries approach hH GENEA in different ways. To some, it refers to the
 generation to which the disciples of Jesus belonged because He was speaking
 to them at the time (with the destruction of Jerusalem in view) or it refers
 to whatever generation would see PANTA TAUTA (e.g., Hendricksen says it
 refers to all Jews). A.T. Robertson (Word Pictures) seems to skirt the issue
 
 Are these ALL nice opinions, each of which is equally supportable by the
 text, or is there something about the words, grammar, or structure of the
 Greek text that points the reader to one conclusion and away from any other?
 
 Can one adamantly say that the verse must mean such and such and cannot mean
 anything else? Might one conclude that the verse (and Jesus' intent) is to
 be mystical and that the verse is not decipherable except, perhaps, within
 some broader context (whatever that turns out to be)?
>>
One possibility is to not understand GENEA in a temporal sense. Cf.,
Louw-Nida

10.4 GENEA(b), -AS f: an ethnic group exhibiting cultural similarities -
‘people of the same kind.’ hOI hUIOI TOU AIWNOS TOUTOU FRONIMWNTEROI hUPER
TOUS hUIOS TOU FWTOS EIS THN GENEAN THN hEAUTWN EISIN ‘the people of this
world are more prudent in dealing with these of their own kind than are the
people who belong to the light’ or ‘...in dealing with people like
themselves...’ Lk 16.8. Compare GENEA(a) ‘those of the same time’ (11.4).

Louw, Johannes P. and Nida, Eugene A., Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament based on Semantic Domains, (New York: United Bible Societies) 1988,
1989.

IMO this passage must have been composed after 70 A.D. since the early church
saw fit to put these words in its master's mouth so that a temporal sense
could also have been intended. This is, however, outside the purview of
b-greek.

gfsomsel

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