[B-Greek] Mark 7:18-19
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Mon Nov 2 02:32:16 EST 2009
In his Commentary on the Gospel of Mark 11.12, Origen says:
"For if 'what enters into the mouth doe not defile a person, but
what comes out of the mouth,'and especially when, according to Mark,
the Savior said these things 'making all meats clean,'"
Εἰ γὰρ οὐ τὸ εἰσερχόμενον εἰς τὸ
στόμα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὸ
ἐξερχόμενον ἐκ τοῦ στόματος, καὶ
μάλιστα ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ κατὰ τὸν
Μᾶρκον ταῦτα ἔλεγεν ὁ σωτὴρ
«καθαρίζων πάντα τὰ βρώματα»,
EI GAR OU TO EISERCOMENON EIS TO STOMA KOINOI TON ANQRWPON ALLA TO
EXERCOMENON EK TOU STOMATOS, KAI MALISTA EPEI KAI EN TWi KATA TON
MARKON TAUTA ELEGEN hO SWTHR "KAQARIZWN PANTA TA BRWMATA"
... which seemed clear an natural enough for him.
Origen clearly links KAQARIZWN with ELEGEN hO SWTHR. However, the
meaning of the phrase, as Origen takes it, is that it is a comment on
the force and real meaning of Jesus' words. I assume he interpreted
the καθαρίζων as adverbial. Origen seems to view Jesus'
statements as having performative action, in the act of saying this he
"purified all foods." But I think it is instructive and not
anachronistic to compare Mark with Paul, who has a similar attitude in
1 Cor. 8:8. If Mark knew Paul, he may well have picked up an attitude
or two from Paul. They were alive in the same movement during the same
decades. What is anachronistic about that? Paul expressed himself with
considerable irony here. My suggestion that Mark is expressing himself
in sly, ironic, potty humor. He uses KAQARIZWN the audience expects
καθαρίζοντα KAQARIZONTA. Was it a good joke? I don't know,
looking at ancient joke books will confirm that humor is culturally
conditioned.
Yancy Smith, PhD
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Y.W.Smith at tcu.edu
yancy at wbtc.com
5636 Wedgworth Road
Fort Worth, TX 76133
817-361-7565
On Nov 2, 2009, at 12:31 AM, Oun Kwon wrote:
> Hi Mark,
>
> Is it then possible not only to buy KAQARZWN but also to find its
> subject as AFEDRWN (masc.)?
> Cf. www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/Mark7.19ShortNote.pdf .
>
> I do not see any narrative support for an idea of 'abolishing the
> dietary law' here. Bringing in Pauline comments into the discussion of
> this Gospel text seems anachronistic to me.
>
> I have a few references yet to ingest and digest: (1)
> http://ntgateway.com/weblog/2006/01/did-jesus-declare-all-foods-clean.html
> and (2) Black, "An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts" (p. 159)
>
> Oun Kwon.
>
> On Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 5:35 PM, Mark Lightman
> <lightmanmark at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> I don't know anything about humor or irony, but
>> I fully accept your contention that Markos is being
>> funny here. The joke is that you would expect
>> the masculine accusative: καΙ εις τον αφεδρωνα
>> εκπορευεται καθαριζοντα KAI EIS TON AFEDRWNA
>> EKPOREUETAI KAQARIZONTA "and it goes out into
>> the toilet which disposes of all foods." By shifting
>> unexpectedly to the nominative, Mark uses a little good natured
>> bathroom humor to make a serious point about
>> Christian freedom.
>>
>> Mark L
>> Φωσφορος
>>
>>
> ---
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