[b-greek] Re: Acts 13:32-33 the Prophet

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Thu Nov 08 2001 - 05:06:16 EST


At 8:33 PM +0100 11/7/01, Iver Larsen wrote:
>> Just one quick thought (it's midnight here, have just come home
>> after a late
>> night, and can't give this more time now), but why not take hHMIN as in
>> apposition to TOIS TEKNOIS, rather than closely with ANASTHSAS? This was
>> the way I construed before reading on in your message to look at the
>> interesting parallel passages you cite, and I acknowledge I
>> haven't weighed
>> their full significance for this text. (I do note that NIV, at
>> least, takes hHMIN as being in apposition.) The hOTI DE ANESTHSEN AUTON
>EK
>> NEKRWN KTL of v34 suggests to me on first reading that here it is raising
>from the dead
>> that is in mind (and verse 35, too, does nothing to contradict this
>> understanding of the text), rather than the 'sending forth' sense seen
>> elsewhere; but I don't offer hOTI KTL as being conclusive, since the
>> citation of Psalm 2:7 in 33b, hUIOS MOU EI SU, EGW SHMERON GEGENNHKA SE,
>> could be taken as in parallel to the 'send forth' sense. How are
>> you taking that clause? Regards,
>
>Yes, I am aware of how most translations have interpreted it, and the main
>reason for my post is to disagree with this common notion. Both are
>grammatically possible, but I have presented my reasons for preferring one
>to the other.
>You are quite right that v. 34-37 has the topic of resurrection and for this
>Luke uses either ANESTHSEN AUTON EK NEKRWN as in v. 34 or hO QEOS HGEIREN in
>v. 37.
>V. 30-31 also has the topic of resurrection with the expression hO QEOS
>HGEIREN AUTON EK NEKRWN.
>
>But as I have said earlier, Paul like others with a Semitic background
>naturally goes in circles, so there is no problem in seeing v. 32-33 as
>having a different topic from the resurrection. The overall topic of the
>speech is to prove from the Scriptures that Jesus was indeed the promised
>Messiah, and therefore the promise from Deut is important.
>I take 33b (Ps 2:7) to refer to the incarnation of Jesus, that is God
>sending forth or raising up for the sons of the forefathers Jesus as that
>promised Prophet.
>It is the fronted hHMIN together with the use of ANISTHMI that makes me lean
>towards the interpretation I have suggested, in view of the parallels.
>ANISTHMI is a common Greek verb and not a technical term for resurrection,
>so it needs a phrase like EK NEKRWN to take this specific sense. That phrase
>is missing in v. 33, and in addition the hHMIN is present. If hHMIN were to
>be in apposition to TOIS TEKNOIS AUTWN it should have preceded it, not
>followed it.

I have two comments here after doing a quick search on ANISTHMI/ANISTAMAI
in the 3d sg. in GNT:

(1) Although I was initially in doubt, I think now that Iver is quite right
in understanding ANESTHSAS here of "raising up" in the sense of raising up
a leader rather than of resurrection; I think that the two-fold direct
citation of the passage from Deuteronomy strongly supports this.

(2) Nevertheless, with regard to the diction, I think Iver has overstated
the differentiation between ANISTHMI/ANISTAMAI and EGEIRW/EGEIROMAI (it was
the realization that HGERQH is essentially equivalent to ANESTH as an
intransitive 3d sg. aorist for resurrection that initiated my investigation
of -QH- voice forms). Both verbs are used frequently for resurrection as
well as for other kinds of "raising/risings up." For ANISTHMI/ANISTAMAI I
get the following figures and texts in 3d sg. instances:

ANISTHMI causative
(a) of resurrection (4x: Acts 2:24, 32; 9:41; 13:34; in only two of these
is there an explicit indication of "from death" but the sense in context is
clear)
(b) in other senses (3x: Mt 22:24, 3:22; Acts 7:37)
ANISTAMAI intransitive
(a) ANESTH with reference to resurrection (7x: Mk 5:42, 9:27; Lk 8:55, 9:8,
19; Acts 9:34; 1 Th 4:14; in only one of these is there an explicit
indication of "from death" but the sense in context is clear)
(b) ANESTH in other senses (8x: Mk 3:26, Lk 4:16, 10:25; Jn 11:31; Acts
5:36, 37, 7:18, 26:30)
--

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
Most months: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad@ioa.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/

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