Declension of foreign names --- Judith 2:24

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JoHerrera
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Declension of foreign names --- Judith 2:24

Post by JoHerrera »

Judith 2:24 mentions a brook called Abrona: "ἐπὶ τοῦ χειμάρρου Αβρωνα". As I understand it Abrona is here in the genitive, but not inflected (asa foreign name). Most translators and commentators nevertheless calls the brook Abron, and sometimes one sees Abronas. Neither of these, as far as I could see, is a possible nominative form of Abrona, and neither exists as a variant in LXX. What is behind this mystery?
Barry Hofstetter
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Re: Declension of foreign names --- Judith 2:24

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

I was hoping one of our LXX mavens would pick this up, but "oh well." As it is, the name seems unattested elsewhere, and what you are seeing is people's best guess as to how to represent it in English.
N.E. Barry Hofstetter, M.A., Th.M.
Ph.D. Student U of FL
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
καὶ σὺ τὸ σὸν ποιήσεις κἀγὼ τὸ ἐμόν. ἆρον τὸ σὸν καὶ ὕπαγε.
Jonathan Robie
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Re: Declension of foreign names --- Judith 2:24

Post by Jonathan Robie »

The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible confirms what Barry said, adding that other manuscripts use different names.
Abron ay′bruhn (Αβρωνα; some MSS Χεβρων or Χευρων). A river of uncertain location mentioned in Jdt. 2:24 (KJV, “Arbonai”). Some identify it with the HABOR, a tributary of the EUPHRATES (2 Ki. 17:6; 18:11; cf. 1 Chr. 5:26); others point to the town of ABDON (Josh. 21:30; 1 Chr. 6:74). The Greek may be a misunderstanding of the Hebrew phrase ʿēber hannāhār, “beyond the river,” read as a proper name.
E. S. KALLAND


Silva, M., & Tenney, M. C. (2009). In The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible, A-C (Revised, Full-Color Edition, Vol. 1, p. 31). Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Corporation.
ἐξίσταντο δὲ πάντες καὶ διηποροῦντο, ἄλλος πρὸς ἄλλον λέγοντες, τί θέλει τοῦτο εἶναι;
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Ken M. Penner
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Re: Declension of foreign names --- Judith 2:24

Post by Ken M. Penner »

JoHerrera wrote: November 22nd, 2019, 2:01 pm Judith 2:24 mentions a brook called Abrona: "ἐπὶ τοῦ χειμάρρου Αβρωνα". As I understand it Abrona is here in the genitive, but not inflected (asa foreign name). Most translators and commentators nevertheless calls the brook Abron, and sometimes one sees Abronas. Neither of these, as far as I could see, is a possible nominative form of Abrona, and neither exists as a variant in LXX. What is behind this mystery?
Two possibilities:
1. It's an indeclinable Aramaic word, and the final A sound reflects the Aramaic emphatic state, like μαμωνᾶ. "The Abron" would sound like Abrona.
2. Abrona is the genitive form of the Greek first declension masculine Abronas, like Satana is the genitive of Satanas (also Στεφανᾶ Ἅννα Μεννὰ). Just as Greek Satanas represents Hebrew Satan, so Greek Abronas could represent Hebrew Abron. What's the proper English for Στεφανᾶ? Stephan or Stephanas?
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
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Stirling Bartholomew
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Re: Declension of foreign names --- Judith 2:24

Post by Stirling Bartholomew »

The Judith 2:24 Αβρωνα is w/o breathing marks. For what its worth ... probably nothing.
Plutarch [spurious?] lives_ten_orators

ἔσχε δὲ τρεῖς παῖδας ἐκ Καλλιστοῦς τῆς Ἅβρωνος μὲν θυγατρός, Καλλίου δὲ τοῦ Ἅβρωνος Βατῆθεν ἀδελφῆς, τοῦ ταμιεύσαντος στρατιωτικῶν ἐπὶ Χαιρώνδου ἄρχοντος· περὶ δὲ τῆς κηδείας ταύτης λέγει ὁ Δείναρχος ἐν τῷ κατὰ Πιστίου. κατέλιπε δὲ παῖδας Ἅβρωνα Λυκοῦργον Λυκόφρονα· ὧν ὁ Ἅβρων καὶ ὁ Λυκοῦργος ἄπαιδες μετήλλαξαν· ἀλλ' ὅ γ' Ἅβρων καὶ πολιτευσάμενος ἐπιφανῶς μετήλλαξε, Λυκόφρων δὲ γήμας Καλλιστομάχην Φιλίππου Αἰξωνέως ἐγέννησε Καλλιστώ.
C. Stirling Bartholomew
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