[B-Greek] Mark 12:38-40

knpraise at comcast.net knpraise at comcast.net
Wed Dec 31 07:58:29 EST 2008


If there is the translation of the text, the reading of the text and the interpretation of the reading of the translation of the text,  I think you make a great point at your conclusion of your post. 

John Smithson


-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: Paul O'Rear <paorear at microsoft.com> 

> Greetings B-Greekers and Happy New Year! 
> 
> 38 Καὶ ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ ἔλεγεν, Βλέπετε á 
> ¼€Ï€á½¸ τῶν γραμματέων τῶν θελόντων ἐν στολαá 
> ¿–Ï‚ περιπατεῖν καὶ ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς á 
> ¼€Î³Î¿ÏÎ±á¿–Ï‚ 39 καὶ πρωτοκαθεδρίας ἐν ταῖς 
> συναγωγαῖς καὶ πρωτοκλισίας ἐν τοῖς δ 
> είπνοις, 40 οἱ κατεσθίοντες τὰς οἰκίας τῶν 
> χηρῶν καὶ προφάσει μακρὰ προσευχόμενοι· οá 
> ½—τοι λήμψονται περισσότερον κρίμα. 
> 
> 38 KAI EN TH DIDACH AUTOU ELEGEN, BLEPETE APO TWN GRAMMATEWN TWN QELONTWN EN 
> STOLAIS PERIPATEIN KAI ASPASMOUS EN TAIS AGORAIS 39 KAI PRWTOKAQEDRIAS EN TAIS 
> SUNAGWGAIS KAI PRWTOKLISIAS EN TOIS DEIPNOIS 40 hOI KATESQIONTES TAS OIKIAS TWN 
> CHRWN KAI PROFASEI MAKRA PROSEUCOMENOI; hOUTOI LHMYONTAI PERISSOTERON KRIMA. 
> 
> Problem statement: 
> 
> TWN GRAMMATEWN TWN QELONTWN… 
> 
> Most translations appear to translate this passage as a round condemnation 
> against all scribes, but from what I can tell the grammar doesn’t really 
> support it. 
> 
> For example, 
> NIV: As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like 
> to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39 and have 
> the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 
> 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will 
> be punished most severely." 
> 
> NASB: In His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who like to walk 
> around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, 39 
> and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 40 who 
> devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers; these will 
> receive greater condemnation." 
> 
> RSV: And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about 
> in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places 39 and the best 
> seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour 
> widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the 
> greater condemnation." 
> 
> KJV: And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to 
> go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, 39 And the chief 
> seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: 40 Which devour 
> widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive 
> greater damnation. 
> 
> In all of these readings, the way the English comes off (at least to this native 
> speaker) is as if all scribes are guilty of these accusations. 
> 
> In addition, R.T. France’s NIGTC for The Gospel of Mark doesn’t even 
> consider that there may be an issue here, but merely describes the passage as a 
> “blanket attack on scribes as a class” and “while very much shorter than 
> the extended diatribe against scribes and Pharisees in Mt. 23 …, it is no less 
> violent and indiscriminate.” (p.489). 
> 
> However, from my reading of the Greek syntax, TWN GRAMMATEWN TWN QELONTWN … 
> would essentially be a restrictive attributive participle use. The challenge is 
> that there are many qualifiers tied to QELONTWN which make it then a bit awkward 
> to translate. 
> 
> The actual sense of the verse seems like it would read more like: 
> 
> Watch out for the [class of] scribes desiring [or, “that desire”]: 
> to walk around in robes, and 
> greetings in the market place, and 
> important seats in the synagogues, and 
> places of honor at banquets 
> 
> Implying a ‘sub-class’ of scribes rather than all scribes, followed by 
> another pair of attributive participles functioning like relative clauses, 
> taking these types of scribes as the reference – hOI KATESQIONTES and 
> PROSEUXOMENOI: 
> 
> The ones devouring widows’ houses and praying long prayers for show 
> or 
> who devour widows’ houses, and pray long prayers for show. 
> 
> While it’s possible that those bad set of characteristics may have applied to 
> most scribes at that time, I’m not sure that assumption is specifically 
> warranted from this text. 
> 
> In addition, this passage is set in a larger setting where Jesus had just had an 
> interaction with a scribe where they are both essentially in agreement (Mark 
> 12:28-34) and Jesus states, 
> 
> Οὐ μακρὰν εἶ ἀπὸ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ. 
> OU MAKRAN EI APO THS BASILEIAS TOU QEOU. 
> “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” 
> 
> It seems to me that Mark 12:38-40 may have been more intended as contrastive 
> with 12:28-34 rather than as a “blanket attack on scribes as a class.” In my 
> pseudo-translation above, I’m using ‘class’ to mean ‘sub-class’. 
> 
> Am I missing something? 
> 
> Thanks! 
> 
> Paul O’Rear 
> --- 
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