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  • From: Bob MacDonald <bobmacdonald AT shaw.ca>
  • To: 'Corpus-paul' <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: DIAQHKH and BRYT
  • Date: Sat, 25 May 2002 10:05:16 -0700


Troels Hansen wrote:

>>Only in Gal 3,15 and Heb 9,15-17 is the sense of DIAQHKH unquestionably
that of a 'letztwillige Verfügung', that sense that the Greek 'DIAQHKH' can
have whereas the Hebrew 'BRYT' cannot.... <<snip>>Did he at all know his
Hebrew? Or was he so thoroughly hellenized that the difference between
'BRYT' and 'DIAQHKH' somehow escaped his attention? ... Did Paul and the
author of Heb. really speak Hebrew?<<

Recently my son-in-law wrote me about Hebrews usage of testament and
covenant - taking his queues from lexicons such as you have cited:

"7:22 1st mention of covenant (Gk diatheke). Essential to recognise two
different meanings:

(1) treaty, alliance, covenant
(2) will, testament.

The word in Hebrew that corresponds to (1) above is b`reeth, from the verb
baru, which means "to bind". The Hebrew word does NOT have connotation (2).
Therefore inferences can be made in the Greek text of the epistle that could
not be made in Hebrew..."
----------------------------------------------

As you indicate: BYRT has not the meaning of last will and testament, a
meaning demanded by the author of Hebrews to make his point about our
inheritance (as Paul does frequently) and about the change in law that
results on a death (which Paul also sets up as a metaphor in Romans 7).

Why is it that no covenant in TNK (apart from Noah perhaps if we exclude the
death of all flesh) is without blood? - implying at least symbolically a
death - and an inheritance through the promise. Perhaps the lexicon is too
restricted in its meanings.

From another point of view, the author of Hebrews uses the Septuagint
frequently if not exclusively. Is there a "semantic surplus" in the
Septuagint, from which the author of Hebrews takes all his citations of TNK?
Would this have been common currency in the 1st century CE? 200 years or so
to develop the 'surplus'.

just some ideas from one who is not an expert in languages

Bob

mailto::BobMacDonald AT shaw.ca
+ + + Victoria, B.C., Canada + + +

Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes that make havoc of the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in flower. (Song 2.15)
http://bobmacdonald.gx.ca





  • DIAQHKH and BRYT, Troels Hansen, 05/24/2002
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • RE: DIAQHKH and BRYT, Bob MacDonald, 05/25/2002

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