The meaning of silence in Koine Greek.
Posted: August 16th, 2016, 1:31 am
Within the context of a culture, persons are left to intuit the meaning of silence. In a dead language, without any more than a general understanding of the culture it is something that we need to work at. This forum is ongoing and broad-ranging discussion on the Greek language of the Biblical texts and to a lesser degree texts of other periods, but what about the absense of language. Silence - whether pausation, anacoluthon, or the inability or refusal to speak - is a form verbal communication, and it is beneficial to know what interspersing silence within speech meant to an audience. I don't have a specific question to kick-start a conversation, but I have a few thoughts.
In the dialogues between Jesus and other religious figures, it is the others who are unable or unwilling to reply.
There is both motivation and differentiation in the following sentence:
In Acts 21:14 silence comes as a result of a conscious decision not to continue persuation:
Any thoughts?
In the dialogues between Jesus and other religious figures, it is the others who are unable or unwilling to reply.
What is appropriate to intuit?Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ἔξεστιν τοῖς σάββασιν ἀγαθοποιῆσαι, ἢ κακοποιῆσαι; Ψυχὴν σῶσαι, ἢ ἀποκτεῖναι; Οἱ δὲ ἐσιώπων.
There is both motivation and differentiation in the following sentence:
Fear is said to be the reason for not speaking, and silence is conrasted with speaking (not saying).Acts 18:9 wrote:Μὴ φοβοῦ, ἀλλὰ λάλει καὶ μὴ σιωπήσῃς
In Acts 21:14 silence comes as a result of a conscious decision not to continue persuation:
In a context, where someone has something more to say, but refrains from saying it, one one the motivations is astonishment:Acts 21:14 wrote:Μὴ πειθομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ, ἡσυχάσαμεν εἰπόντες, Τὸ θέλημα τοῦ κυρίου γενέσθω.
From the reactions of Pilate and the Jewish high priest, keeping silent when examined on trial annoyed the people who were doing the questioning. It is not clearly stated that that was the intention of keeping silent though.Luke 18:39 wrote:καὶ θαυμάσαντες ἐπὶ τῇ ἀποκρίσει αὐτοῦ, ἐσίγησαν.
Any thoughts?