Kata Markon

["Jeffrey B. Gibson" <jgibson000 AT home.com>]

Libyad817 AT aol.com wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Does anyone know an exact etymology of EXEPNEUSEN in this verse - which is
> usually translated "Gave up the ghost", but my Greek NT gives it as
> "expired"? And, surprisingly, Strong's has left it blank, both for 15:37 and
> 15:39. [15:37  -  "And Jesus having uttered a cry loud expired"; 15:39  -  "
> . . . having cried out he expired . . . "]
>
> Strong's Greek #s that come closest I could find were #1852 and #1853,
> Exupnizo, to waken, awake out of sleep; and Exupnos for awake, out of sleep.
> Am I complete off-base about this?
>
> Why or how would that be equated with death on the Cross? Gave up the ghost
> has always seemed to me to be a very ambiguous image or statement, certainly
> not an unequivocal Death. And expired could just as well mean breathing out
> rather than dying. Does the 'cry' have something to do with
> breathing/expiring too, given its repetition here?
>
> Any enlightenment would be most appreciated.
>

I think you should note that using etymology, let alone Strong, to understand 
how
a word was used by Mark is a very dangerous enterprise. It rarely takes into
account the idea that words change meanings over time, that etymology is NOT a
good guide to meaning of a word especially if centuries separate the usage you
are looking at from the point in time of a word's origin, and that the 
meaning of
a word must to a large extent be derived from its context.

In any case, I think you would be wise to have a look at some better tools 
than
you are using now. Consult, for instance, LSJ which is now online at the 
Perseus
site.


http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/resolveform

Yours,

Jeffrey Gibson
--
Jeffrey B. Gibson, D.Phil. (Oxon.)
7423 N. Sheridan Road #2A
Chicago, Illinois 60626
e-mail jgibson000 AT home.com