[b-greek] Modern Greek/KJV

From: Steven Craig Miller (scmiller@plantnet.com)
Date: Wed Dec 20 2000 - 08:19:19 EST


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FWIW ... I had a number of Greek students (= they were from Greece or their
parents were from Greece and they spoke Modern Greek) take classical Greek
with me (those many years ago). And while occasionally it appeared to me
that they had things slightly easier than the rest of us non-Greeks, they
often appeared to struggle right along with us. I wonder if any of those
who teach Greek (either NT or classical) has had any experience teaching
Greek to those who know Modern Greek? What is your impression of such students?

I don't have an example from Shakespeare, but I do have one from the KJV.
(I guess we all have dozens of examples from the KJV, but I've come across
a new one -- at least new to me.) At 1 Corinthians 13:12a the KJV gives:
"For now we see through a glass, darkly ..." The image which this passage
always conjured up in my mind was the image of looking through smoked-glass
were the images one's sees from the other side of this glass would appear
to be dark, clouded, and indistinct. But both the Greek word and the
English word "glass" mean "mirror." So that one is not seeing through a
glass to an image on the other side of the glass, rather one is seeing a
refection in the mirror.

I'll note that in addition Danker translates: DI' ESOPTROU BLEPEIN EN
AINIGMATI as "see indirectly in a mirror" and Danker adds the following
explanation "because one sees not the thing itself, but its mirror-image"
(BDAG). Much of this appeared in the second edition too. But see also
Danker's articles: CTM 31[1960]:428-429; & CBQ 26[1964]:248; as well as
those by Gill at CBQ 25[1963]:427-429 and by Bassett at JBL
47[1928]:232-236. If anyone knows of any commentaries which have either
accepted this translation of AINIGMA as meaning "indirectly" or has
explicitly rejected such a notion, I would appreciate being informed about
this.

[[ The citation of CTM 30, '60, 428f in both BDAG (3rd edition) and BAGD
(2nd edition) under the entry ESOPTRON is incorrect. The volume number
should be 31. ]]

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller@plantnet.com



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