Idiom

[grogers]

Is ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς in Matthew 12:40 an idiom for εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων in Mark 9:31?

[Jonathan Robie]

Is ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς in Matthew 12:40 an idiom for εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων in Mark 9:31?

I don't understand the question. Here's the verse:

ὥσπερ γὰρ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας, οὕτως ἔσται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας.

Jonah was in the belly of the κήτους for three days and three nights. That's compared to Jesus being in the heart of the earth for three days and nights. This seems to refer to the time between the crucifixion and the resurrection.

ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῆς γῆς doesn't seem to be a common expression before the New Testament period.

The corresponding period in Mark 9:31 seems to be covered by the phrase καὶ ἀποκτανθεὶς τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστήσεται.

ἐδίδασκε γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποκτανθεὶς τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστήσεται.

So there's a sequence here:

1. ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων
2. καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν
3. καὶ ἀποκτανθεὶς τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀναστήσεται

And step 3 corresponds to the phrase in Matthew.

[grogers]

The reason I was curious was because Jesus uses both statements to refer to a single set of events.

[Stephen Carlson]

“idiom”: no. They mean different things.