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  • From: "Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] "Mind" in Hebrew and Aramaic
  • Date: Mon, 3 Apr 2006 13:13:42 -0500

Dear Albert,

> Hebrew words for mind include (without taking time for a search):

yetser maHshavot ('organ for thoughts' 1or2Chronicles)
Heshbon ('calculation', 'ability to think' DIALOGISMOS BenSira 9,15,
I happen to have a copies at hand at the moment)
da`at ('knowing', especially in contexts refering to the
ability to know, Qumran serex ha-YaHad column 1. Cf. madda`,
modern for 'science'.)
hon (see Even Shoshan milon/DICTIONARY [not Bible concordance] for
rabbinic uses)
tvuna, bina ('understanding, discernement',
again, in contexts where the ability is in focus rather than the
results or quality, e.g. BenSira 15:15, 44:3)
ra`yonot ('thoughts')
maHshavot ('thoughts')
and of course,
lev//levav 'heart' in contexts of thinking.
sexel 'understanding', in contexts where the ability to think is in
focus, led to a medieval development of a technical term that is
'mind, mental' today in modern Hebrew.
OK. So there are more words that can mean mind in Hebrew than just lev. But it seems to me that (a) none of these words reference the mind very specifically and (b) the overwhelming predominance of references in the OT to the mind per se use lev. However, in Greek, there are a number of words that much more directly refer to the mind than does kardia (i.e. nous, dianoia, psuche). Hence, a Greek speaker might not see so clearly, if they read "heart, soul, and might", that the mind was involved; whereas to a Hebrew speaker it would be more obvious. My explanation for the addition to Mark 12:30, therefore, is that it represents an attempt to clarify the text for Greek speakers.

But this is all complicated by the fact that 1st century Palestinian Jews were probably speaking Aramaic. An examination of OT Aramaic certainly leaves one with the impression that the word lev was used to mean "mind" most, if not all, of the time. But, as has been pointed out, OT Aramaic only represents a very small subset of Aramaic. Furthermore, the Peshitta of Mark 12:30 distinguisheds heart from mind, and I am informed that the word for mind there is ra`yon, "thought", as in the list above. So the question becomes, was this kind of development of the shema` in which "heart" and "mind" were distinguished something that was (or might have been) already present in Rabbinic discussions about this verse, or is it more likely a concession on the part of Mark to his Greek-speaking audience? Any further suggestions?


HH: Someone has pointed out that Palestine was a multi-lingual context. Isaiah centuries earlier had spoken of "Galilee of the Gentiles," and the Seleucid rulers had striven to inculcate the love of things Greek. The NT is Greek. I see no difficulty in assuming that Jesus knew Greek and was familiar with the LXX. Nor do I have difficulty imagining that he spoke in more than one language and may have preached in Greek at times.

HH: The LXX command not to hate the neighbor with the mind (DIANOIA) replaces the Hebrew LBB ("heart") (Lev. 19:17). The LXX uses DIANOIA about fundamental issues of loyalty to Yahweh (Deut 29:17), again replacing LBB. It even uses DIANOIA to replace LBB when speaking of the commands to love the Lord and serve Him with all one's mind (LBB in Hebrew) and all one's soul (Josh 22:5). So anyone familiar with the LXX might use DIANOIA of love towards the Lord.

HH: Even if Jesus were speaking Aramaic on this occasion, he might conceivably have been motivated to insert this idea of mind into a citation of Deut 6:5. Jesus had been challenging his hearers with parables that required them to use their minds (Ml 12:1-12). Then His enemies tried to catch him in his words (Mk 12:13) with a theological challenge (Ml 12:14-17) and puzzle (Mk 12:18-26). They were asking deep questions in this very incident (Mk 12:28-34). Next Jesus gave a theological brain-teaser of his own (Mk 12:35-37). So in the context Jesus may have added the word "mind" to Deut 6:5 in Mk 12:30 to clarify the need for mental sharpness as one strove to love the Lord.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard






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