re: Mark 7:4

From: Jonathan Robie (Jonathan.Robie@SoftwareAG-USA.com)
Date: Tue May 02 2000 - 16:28:29 EDT


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<b>I went over to Perseus to see how this word is used in non-theological contexts (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/lexindex?lookup=bapti/zw&lang=greek&formentry=0). Both their glosses and their examples are interesting. Consider the following glosses: dip, plunge, (passive) to be drowned, (of ships) sink or disable them, flooded, to be drenched, soaked in wine. If we were to look just at the glosses, the force of this word does seem more related to dunking and drenching than to washing.<br>
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Now consider some of these example:<br>
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</b>ophlêmasi bebaptismenoi, <i>over head and ears</i> in debt (Plu.<i>Galb.</i>21)<br>
ebaptisan tên polin <i>flooded</i> the city, metaph., of the crowds who flocked into Jerusalem at the time of the siege, J.<i>BJ</i>4.3.3<br>
hôs ek tou bebaptisthai anapneousi Hp.<i>Epid.</i>5.63; <i>to be drenched<br>
</i>gnous baptizomenon to meirakion seeing that he was <i>getting into deep water,</i> <font color="#0000FF"><u>Plat. Euthyd. 277d</u></font>; <br>
b. eis anaisthêsian kai hupnon J.<i>AJ</i>10.9.4<br>
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The illustrative examples chosen by LSJ don't seem to be talking primarily about washing. Personally, I like the notion that getting baptized is getting yourself into deep water ;-&gt;<br>
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Jonathan<br>
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