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"Against" in 1 Cor 6:18

Posted: January 18th, 2018, 1:34 pm
by Dmitriy Reznik
Dear experts,

I have a question on 1 Cor 6:18:
φεύγετε τὴν πορνείαν πᾶν ἁμάρτημα ὃ ἐὰν ποιήσῃ ἄνθρωπος ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ δὲ πορνεύων εἰς τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα ἁμαρτάνει

I wonder why all translations that I found understand εἰς as "against". Wouldn't it be more natural to understand it as "in" with meaning "with"? I know that normally εἰς means direction toward something, but I also remember that there are enough exceptions.

Please advise.

Thanks,
Dmitriy Reznik

Re: "Against" in 1 Cor 6:18

Posted: January 18th, 2018, 2:54 pm
by Barry Hofstetter
εἰς of course is used with an extremely wide range of usage and careful attention has to be paid to the context. With verbs that imply hostility, such as attacking, insulting and so forth "against" is the sense. ἁμαρτάνω is considered one such verb.

ⓒ of actions or feelings directed in someone’s direction in hostile or friendly sense (Thu. 1, 38; 66; 130; X., Cyr. 1, 3, 5; Paus. 7, 9, 3; 7, 10, 2; Aelian, VH 11, 10).
α. in a hostile sense (Arrian, Anab. 1, 1, 4; PEleph 1, 9 [311/310 B.C.] κακοτεχνεῖν εἰς Δημητρίαν; UPZ 170b, 47 [127 B.C.]): ἁμαρτάνειν εἴς τινα (Herodian 7, 9, 11; EpJer 12; Jdth 5:20; 11:10) sin against someone Lk 15:18, 21. βλασφημεῖν εἴς τινα (Bel 8 Theod.; Just., D. 122, 2) defame someone Mk 3:29; Lk 12:10; 22:65; θαρρεῖν εἴς τινα 2 Cor 10:1. ψεύδεσθαι εἴς τινα (Sus 55; 59 Theod.) Col 3:9. Also w. nouns and adj. (Paus. 7, 8, 4; PFay 12, 7 [c. 103 B.C.] ἀδικήματα εἴς με; En 97:7 μνημόσυνον εἰς ὑμᾶς κακόν) Ac 6:11; 23:30; Ro 8:7.


Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 290). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Re: "Against" in 1 Cor 6:18

Posted: January 18th, 2018, 3:00 pm
by Jonathan Robie
Dmitriy Reznik wrote: January 18th, 2018, 1:34 pmI have a question on 1 Cor 6:18:
φεύγετε τὴν πορνείαν πᾶν ἁμάρτημα ὃ ἐὰν ποιήσῃ ἄνθρωπος ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ δὲ πορνεύων εἰς τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα ἁμαρτάνει

I wonder why all translations that I found understand εἰς as "against". Wouldn't it be more natural to understand it as "in" with meaning "with"? I know that normally εἰς means direction toward something, but I also remember that there are enough exceptions.
If he meant '"in" with meaning "with"', I think he would have said ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ σώματι. And that's the natural opposite - see 2 Cor 12:2 εἴτε ἐν σώματι οὐκ οἶδα · εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος οὐκ οἶδα. But he doesn't say that, and I think that's intentional.

Prepositions are funny across languages, I don't really know how many of the 'exceptions' are just mismatches between Greek and English/German. Here, I do think εἰς is intended, and it's rather like an accusative of respect, he sins with respect to his own body, and in target/trajector imagery, there's a clear sense of direction. "Sins with respect to his own body" is strange English, so is "sins toward his own body", but "sins against his own body" works well in English (though it loses the directionality of the Greek preposition).

As Barry points out, the verb makes a big difference in choice of preposition.

Re: "Against" in 1 Cor 6:18

Posted: January 18th, 2018, 3:00 pm
by Jonathan Robie
Dmitriy Reznik wrote: January 18th, 2018, 1:34 pm Dear experts,
Now Mike Aubrey needs to weigh in too ;->

Re: "Against" in 1 Cor 6:18

Posted: January 18th, 2018, 3:14 pm
by MAubrey
Jonathan Robie wrote: January 18th, 2018, 3:00 pm
Dmitriy Reznik wrote: January 18th, 2018, 1:34 pm Dear experts,
Now Mike Aubrey needs to weigh in too ;->
I'd say Barry has a solid handle on it. ;)

I'd add to this...
Barry Hofstetter wrote: January 18th, 2018, 2:54 pm εἰς of course is used with an extremely wide range of usage and careful attention has to be paid to the context. With verbs that imply hostility, such as attacking, insulting and so forth "against" is the sense. ἁμαρτάνω is considered one such verb.
The verb contributes the 'force' or 'hostility' and είς contributes the directionality and motion (i.e. 'toward').

Re: "Against" in 1 Cor 6:18

Posted: January 18th, 2018, 3:23 pm
by Dmitriy Reznik
Thank you all for your answers. I really appreciate it.

Regards,
Dmitriy Reznik