[b-greek] hO WN as title in GNT & LXX

From: c stirling bartholomew (cc.constantine@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Wed Apr 17 2002 - 14:22:54 EDT


Iver Larsen's comment about hO WN in the thread about Jn 8:58, a comment
which I misunderstood at first, spurred me on to do some looking at the use
of hO WN in GNT & LXX.


*M.J. Harris:

The expression hO WN derives from Ex. 3:14-15 and is the Greek equivalent of
the sacred tetragrammaton . . . "

"The only unambiguous titular uses of hO WN in the NT are found in
Revelation . . . "

The first statement from Harris isn't going to generate much interest, but
the second statement is worth some investigation. I will assume here that to
function as a title, hO WN should stand alone and not be limited by some
other constituent. Perhaps this isn't a valid assumption but lets look at
the evidence with that thought in mind.

Some general questions and observations about hO WN. Is it always used in
the nominative? I assumed it was, so I went in search of some counter
examples. Here is one candidate from 4MAC. 5:24, judge for yourself if is a
viable one:

4MAC. 5:24 KAI DIKAIOSUNHN PAIDEUEI hWSTE DIA PANTWN TWN HQWN ISONOMEIN KAI
EUSEBEIAN EKDIDASKEI hWSTE MONON TON ONTA QEON SEBEIN MEGALOPREPWS

What about Pauline use of the expression? Well there are two potential
examples, one the hotly contested Rom 9:5 (see *M.J. Harris, pp. 143-172).
The other one from 2COR. 11:31.

ROM. 9:5 hWN hOI PATERES KAI EX hWN hO CRISTOS TO KATA SARKA, hO WN EPI
PANTWN QEOS EULOGHTOS EIS TOUS AIWNAS, AMHN.

2COR. 11:31 hO QEOS KAI PATHR TOU KURIOU IHSOU OIDEN, hO WN EULOGHTOS EIS
TOUS AIWNAS, hOTI OU YEUDOMAI.

**hO WN in the John's Gospel & the Apocalypse**

Johannine use (**Gospel & Apocalypse) raises some very intriguing issues.
The Gospel's use of hO WN is a mixed bag.

JOHN 12:17 EMARTUREI OUN hO OCLOS hO WN MET' AUTOU hOTE TON LAZARON EFWNHSEN
EK TOU MNHMEIOU KAI HGEIREN AUTON EK NEKRWN.

Here we see hO WN used to limit hO OCLOS and is limited by MET' AUTOU.
Clearly not a title.

JOHN 18:37 EIPEN OUN AUTWi hO PILATOS: OUKOUN BASILEUS EI SU; APEKRIQH hO
IHSOUS: SU LEGEIS hOTI BASILEUS EIMI. EGW EIS TOUTO GEGENNHMAI KAI EIS TOUTO
ELHLUQA EIS TON KOSMON, hINA MARTURHSW THi ALHQEIAi: PAS hO WN EK THS
ALHQEIAS AKOUEI MOU THS FWNHS.

Here we see hO WN used as an indefinite, clearly not a title.

JOHN 8:47 hO WN EK TOU QEOU TA hRHMATA TOU QEOU AKOUEI: DIA TOUTO hUMEIS OUK
AKOUETE, hOTI EK TOU QEOU OUK ESTE.

Not sure if this hO WN is a reference to Jesus or an indefinite, but I
think we might take TOU QEOU as an equivalent of APO QEOU or perhaps PARA
TOU QEOU (see Jn 6:46 below). In that case it would be a reference to Jesus.
But is it a title? Don't know.

JOHN 3:31 hO ANWQEN ERCOMENOS EPANW PANTWN ESTIN: hO WN EK THS GHS EK THS
GHS ESTIN KAI EK THS GHS LALEI. hO EK TOU OURANOU ERCOMENOS [EPANW PANTWN
ESTIN]:

Who is the referent of hO WN EK THS GHS? Looks like a contrast to hO
ANWQEN ERCOMENOS, doesn't it?
    
JOHN 6:46 OUC hOTI TON PATERA hEWRAKEN TIS EI MH hO WN PARA TOU QEOU, hOUTOS
hEWRAKEN TON PATERA.

Is this a title? Don't think so, it is limited by PARA TOU QEOU.

JOHN 1:18 QEON OUDEIS hEWRAKEN PWPOTE: MONOGENHS QEOS hO WN EIS TON KOLPON
TOU PATROS EKEINOS EXHGHSATO.

Is this a title? Don't think so, it is limited by EIS TON KOLPON TOU PATROS.

**hO WN in the Apocalypse**

The hO WN in the Apocalypse, (Rev. 1:4, 1:8, 4:8,11:17, 16:5) is clearly
different than the use in the Gospel. You never find hO WN limited by some
other constituent in the Apocalypse. In John's Gospel it is always limited.

Conclusion:

I agree with M.J. Harris,

"The only unambiguous titular uses of hO WN in the NT are found in
Revelation . . . "

--
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062

*Jesus as God, M.J. Harris, P158.

**Remember we don't argue about authorship issues on this list. If I want to
assume common authorship of the Gospel & Apocalypse, that is my prerogative.


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