[B-Greek] 1Tim 2:8-9 praying

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Sat Mar 24 01:40:37 EST 2007


On Mar 23, 2007, at 8:30 PM, Robert Bliss wrote:

> 2:8 BOULOMAI OUN PROSEUCESQAI TOUS ANDRAS EN PANTI TOPWi EPAIRONTAS  
> hOSIOUS
> CEIRAS CWRIS ORGHS KAI DIALOGISMOU
>
> 2:9 hWSAUTWS KAI GUNAIKAS EN KATASTOLHi KOSMIWi META AIDOUS KAI  
> SWFROSUNHS
> KOSMEIN hEAUTAS MH EN PLEGMASIN KAI CRUSIWi H MARGARITAIS H hIMATISMWi
> POLUTELEI
>
> 2:10 ALL hO PREPEI GUNAIXIN EPAGGELLOMENAIS QEOSEBEIAN DI ERGWN AGAQWN
>
> In a discussion I'm having some thought that PROSEUCESQAI (present  
> middle
> infinitive) should also be assumed in verse 9, so that Paul is  
> telling men
> to pray lifting up holy hands and the women to pray becoming  
> apparel. This
> comes from Young's Literal Translation. A. T.  Robertson says that  
> some also
> think that PROSEUCESQAI should be supplied in verse 9, which he  
> thinks is
> possible, but doesn't think it should be so in this passage. The  
> thought is
> that Paul is telling both men and women how they should pray.
>
> Others thought that BOULOMAI (I wish, desire) should be the verb  
> assumed in
> both passages.  Thus PROSEUCESQAI TOUS ANDRAS is a dependent clause  
> becoming
> the first direct object of BOULOMAI and GUNAIKAS along with the
> infinitive KOSMEIN
> forms another dependent clause as the second direct object of the  
> verb. To
> put it in a simple translation, "I desire the men to pray and  
> likewise (I
> desire) women to adorn." So it seems that Paul is giving two  
> different sets
> of direction to men and women.

Although Marshall (ICC PastEp pp446-447) appears to lean in favor of  
an understood PROSEUCOMENAS in the instructions to the women, he  
notes that in other paranetic lists that treat men and women in  
different sections the content of the injunctions does not carry over  
from one section to the next. However the text he cites to support  
this seems to undermine the idea. In 1pet 2:18-3:6 the two paranetic  
sections begin:

1PET. 2:18 hOI OIKETAI hUPOTASSOMENOI EN PANTI FOBWi TOIS DESPOTAIS ...

1PET. 3:1 hOMOIWS [hAI] GUNAIKES, hUPOTASSOMENAI TOIS IDIOIS  
ANDRASIN ...

There is a similarity of content if not an identity. Certainly more  
similarity than would be found in 1Tim 2:8-9 text if only BOULOMAI is  
understood in the section addressed to women.

Mounce (PastEp WBC) adopts the BOULOMAI only option without any  
discussion of the alternatives.

Its getting late. Perhaps some more thoughts on this later.

Elizabeth Kline






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