Mat. 23:16-22 Compositional variations using the structure.

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Stephen Hughes
Posts: 3323
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Mat. 23:16-22 Compositional variations using the structure.

Post by Stephen Hughes »

I'm not quite clear what the intention behind creating this sub-forum was, so in the absence of what is, let me use this example to demonstrate what I think it could become.
Matthew 23:16-22 wrote:16 Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοί, οἱ λέγοντες, Ὃς ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῷ ναῷ, οὐδέν ἐστιν· ὃς δ’ ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῷ χρυσῷ τοῦ ναοῦ, ὀφείλει. 17 Μωροὶ καὶ τυφλοί· τίς γὰρ μείζων ἐστίν, ὁ χρυσός, ἢ ὁ ναὸς ὁ ἁγιάζων τὸν χρυσόν; 18 Καί, Ὃς ἐὰν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ, οὐδέν ἐστιν· ὃς δ’ ἂν ὀμόσῃ ἐν τῷ δώρῳ τῷ ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ, ὀφείλει. 19 Μωροὶ καὶ τυφλοί· τί γὰρ μεῖζον, τὸ δῶρον, ἢ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ἁγιάζον τὸ δῶρον; 20 Ὁ οὖν ὀμόσας ἐν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ ὀμνύει ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ· 21 καὶ ὁ ὀμόσας ἐν τῷ ναῷ ὀμνύει ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ κατοικήσαντι αὐτόν· 22 καὶ ὁ ὀμόσας ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ὀμνύει ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ καθημένῳ ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ.
1. Substitution of ὀμνύειν (+dat. marked by ἐν) "swear by" by ἀξιοῦν (+acc. of what is thought worthy, +gen. of what it is worthy of) "deem worthy of". In this case, I will use τιμή "respect", "honour". And οὐδέν ἐστιν / ὀφείλει with οὐ πρέπον ἐστίν / πρέπον ἐστιν.
  • 16 Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοί, οἱ λέγοντες, Ὃς ἂν τιμῆς ἀξιοῖ τὸν ναόν, οὐ πρέπον ἐστίν· ὃς δ’ ἂν τιμῆς ἀξιοῖ τὸν χρυσὸν τοῦ ναοῦ, πρέπον ἐστίν. 17 Μωροὶ καὶ τυφλοί· τίς γὰρ μείζων ἐστίν, ὁ χρυσός, ἢ ὁ ναὸς ὁ ἁγιάζων τὸν χρυσόν; 18 Καί, Ὃς ἐὰν τιμῆς ἀξιοῖ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, οὐ πρέπον ἐστίν· ὃς δ’ ἂν ἀξιοῖ τὸ δῶρον τὸ ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ, πρέπον ἐστίν. 19 Μωροὶ καὶ τυφλοί· τί γὰρ μεῖζον, τὸ δῶρον, ἢ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ ἁγιάζον τὸ δῶρον; 20 Ὁ οὖν τιμῆς ἀξιῶν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ τιμῆς ἀξιοῖ αὐτὸ καὶ πᾶντα τὰ ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ· 21 καὶ ὁ τιμῆς ἀξιῶν τὸν ναὸν τιμῆς ἀξιοῖ αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν κατοικήσαντα αὐτόν· 22 καὶ ὁ τιμῆς ἀξιῶν τὸν οὐρανὸν τιμῆς ἀξιοῖ τὸν θρόνον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὸν καθημένον ἐπάνω αὐτοῦ.
2. Based on Romans 13:14 and Revelations 6:4 - substitution of the verb ὀμνύειν (+dat. marked by ἐν) "swear by" with φοβεῖσθαι "fear", and the nouns ὁ ναός "the temple" / ὁ χρυσός τοῦ ναοῦ "the gold of the temple" with ὁ τοξότης "the archer" / τὸ τόξον "the bow" and The explanatory ἁγιάζειν "set apart for special use" with φορεῖν "carry".
  • 16 Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, ὁδηγοὶ τυφλοί, οἱ λέγοντες, Ὃς ἂν φοβῆται τὸν τοξότην, οὐ πρέπον ἐστίν· ὃς δ’ ἂν φοβῆται τὸ τόξον τοῦ τοξότου, πρέπον ἐστίν. 17 Μωροὶ καὶ τυφλοί· τίς γὰρ φοβερότερός ἐστιν, τὸ τόξον, ἢ ὁ τοξότης ὁ φορῶν τὸ τόξον; 18 Καί, Ὃς ἐὰν φοβῆται τὸν λέoντα, οὐ πρέπον ἐστίν· ὃς δ’ ἂν φοβῆται τoὺς ὀδόντας τοὺς ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ, πρέπον ἐστίν. 19 Μωροὶ καὶ τυφλοί· τίς γὰρ φοβερότερος, ὁ ὀδούς, ἢ ὁ λέων ὁ δάκνων ἐν αὐτῷ; 20 Ὁ οὖν φοβοῦμενος τὸν λέοντα φοβεῖται αὐτὸν καὶ τoὺς ὀδόντας αὐτοῦ πάντας· 21 καὶ ὁ φοβοῦμενος τὸν τοξότην φοβεῖται αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ μεταχειριζόμενον ὑπὸ αὐτοῦ· 22 καὶ ὁ φοβοῦμενος τὰ ἐπικίνδυνα φοβεῖται τὸν κίνδυνον καὶ τὰ συμβάντα ἀπὸ αὐτοῦ.
As a simple exercise, others could try substituting ὁ βασιλεύς "the king" / τὸ σκῆπτρον "the sceptre" and ὁ κατακλυσμός "the flood" / μέγα ῥεῦμα "strong current" for those other fears.
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
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