Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear Herman,

> 2006/4/7, Harold R. Holmyard III <hholmyard AT ont.com>:
>  
>
> > HH: I ran across an interesting phrase in Luke 1:51, which makes one
> > wonder what the Hebrew or Aramaic original was. Mary says that God
> > scattered "ones proud in the mind of their hearts." The word "mind"
> > is DIANOIA, which can also mean intention, purpose, thought,
> > attitude, or understanding, according to the dictionary that comes
> > with the UBS text. It is translated "imagination" by the KJV. So it
> > could have been a word like maHshavot ('thoughts'), as you have it
> > above.
> >    
>
> Why would there be a "Hebrew or Aramaic original"? No evidence for the
> suggestion that Luke was not an original Greek composition exists. I
> agree it is a very "Jewish" text, but Jewishness and language don't
> always have anything to do with each other. Luke's hebraistic style
> may just as well be inspired by the LXX.
>  

HH: I was talking about Mary's original words, not some presumed Hebrew 
or Aramaic original of Luke's Gospel. Albert wanted to assume that 
people spoke Aramaic or Hebrew at this time in Palestine, and I was 
going along with this idea. But it is quite likely that Albert is 
correct that people spoke Aramaic or Hebrew, and that Mary would have 
spoken this way.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard