[B-Greek] hOI MEN OUN APODEXAMENOI (Acts 2:41)

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Sat Dec 27 15:45:41 EST 2008


 οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀποδεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθησαν καὶ προσετέθησαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ψυχαὶ ὡσεὶ τρισχίλιαι. 
 
hOI MEN OUN APODECAMENOI TON LOGON AUTOU EBAPTISQHSAN KAI PROSETEQHSAN EN THi hHMERAi EKEINHi YUXAI hOSEI TRISXILIAI

Normally μὲν [MEN] is used with particles such as δὲ [DE] to indicate a contrast.  As BDAG notes 

ⓓμέν[MEN] followed by καί[KAI] is not customary (Ael. Aristid.31, 19 K.=11 p. 133 D.; IAsMinSW325, 10ff μὲν …καί[MEN … KAI]; POxy1153, 14 [I a.d.] two armbands ἓν μὲν σανδύκινον καὶ ἓν πορφυροῦν[hEN MEN SANDUKINON KAI hEN PROFUROUN]; TestJob40:7f; ApcMos15) Mk 4:4ff; Lk 8:5ff; MPol2:4. 
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature. (3rd ed.) (s.v. μέν 630). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
 
As you may note, it doesn't give much guidance regarding this, but I do have the Martyrdom of Polycarp.  There it reads
 
  
ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἱ εἰς τὰ θηρία κατακριθέντες ὑπέμειναν δεινὰς κολάσεις, κήρυκας μὲν ὑποστρωννύμενοι καὶ ἄλλαις ποικίλων βασάνων ἰδέαις κολαφιζόμενοι ἵνα, εἰ δυνηθείη, διὰ τῆς ἐπιμόνου κολάσεως εἰς ἄρνησιν αὐτοὺς τρέψῃ· πολλὰ γὰρ ἐμηχανᾶτο κατʼ αὐτῶν ὁ διάβολος.
 
hOMOIWS DE KAI hOI EIS TA QHRIA KATAKRIQENTES hUPEMEINAN DEINAS KOLASEIS, KHRUKAS MEN hUPOSTRWNNUMENOI KAI ALLAIS POIKILWN BASANW IDEAIS KOLAFIZOMENOI hINA, EI DUNHQEIH, DIA THS EPIMONOU KOLASEWS EIS ARNHSIN AUTOUS TREYHi; POLLA GAR EMHXANATO KAT' AUTWN hO DIABOLOS.
 
Holmes, M. W. (1999). The Apostolic Fathers : Greek texts and English translations (Updated ed.) (228). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.
 
When used in this connection it appears to be additive rather than adversative.  It is not "on the one hand … but."  It is rather "X and Y."

 george
gfsomsel 


… search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death.


- Jan Hus
_________ 




________________________________
From: Ted & Robin Shoemaker <shoes6 at juno.com>
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 3:11:00 PM
Subject: [B-Greek] hOI MEN OUN APODEXAMENOI (Acts 2:41)

Greetings.

Acts 2:41 reads, in part:
hOI MEN OUN APODEXAMENOI TON LOGON AUTOU EBAPTISQHSAN. . . . 

(English: "The ones who received his word were baptized . . . .")

I'm trying to figure out MEN.  (My grasp of Greek particles in general is slippery.)  My best understanding is:
MEN emphasizes the word(s) it is near.  In spoken English we might say an emphasized word louder; in written English we use underlines and bold type; in written Koine Greek we use MEN.

In this passage, then, MEN highlights the fact that those who received the message -- as distinct from those who did not -- were the ones baptized.

Is this a satisfactory handling of the text?

Thank you for all answers.

Ted Shoemaker

Some people don't care if you go forwards or backwards, or sit still.  They just want to be the squeaky wheel.
  

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