ελπις
Posted: September 3rd, 2011, 8:23 pm
With reference to the semantic domain of ελπις, I have come across hope (I hope this will happen), expectation (the blessed hope), and some lexica give "reason for hope." My question deals with an aspect of expectation.
Titus 2.13 προσδεχομενοι την μακαριαν ελπιδα και επιφανειαν της δοξης του μεγαλου θεου και σωτηρος ημων Χριστου Ιησου,
1 Pt 1.3 Ευλογητος ο θεος και πατηρ του κυριου ημων Ιησου Χριστου, ο κατα το πολυ αυτου ελεος αναγεννησας ημας εις ελπιδα ζωσαν δι αναστασεως Ιησου Χριστου εκ νεκρων,
In these examples, and there are others, how are we to understand ελπις? It seems to me that the English word 'hope' will have to give way to another word entirely if it is to capture the sense of these two examples. There does not appear to be an element of "I hope this will happen" in ελπις in such examples as the two provided.
Has anyone done a study on ελπις in Classical Greek? I'm not suggesting tracing back its etymology, but its semantic range.
Alan Patterson (I hope my signature does not also show; if so, I will no longer sign my name... twice. If not, I'll try to figure out what I did wrong. Bear with me since I'm a neophyte.)
Titus 2.13 προσδεχομενοι την μακαριαν ελπιδα και επιφανειαν της δοξης του μεγαλου θεου και σωτηρος ημων Χριστου Ιησου,
1 Pt 1.3 Ευλογητος ο θεος και πατηρ του κυριου ημων Ιησου Χριστου, ο κατα το πολυ αυτου ελεος αναγεννησας ημας εις ελπιδα ζωσαν δι αναστασεως Ιησου Χριστου εκ νεκρων,
In these examples, and there are others, how are we to understand ελπις? It seems to me that the English word 'hope' will have to give way to another word entirely if it is to capture the sense of these two examples. There does not appear to be an element of "I hope this will happen" in ελπις in such examples as the two provided.
Has anyone done a study on ελπις in Classical Greek? I'm not suggesting tracing back its etymology, but its semantic range.
Alan Patterson (I hope my signature does not also show; if so, I will no longer sign my name... twice. If not, I'll try to figure out what I did wrong. Bear with me since I'm a neophyte.)