Two words translated "receive"

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Tue Dec 22 09:04:34 EST 1998


At 2:04 PM -0800 12/21/98, Tom Geiger wrote:
>Hi once again,
>
>I have been attempting to obtain input on the correct definition of
>two Greek words, both of which are typically translated "receive".
>These words are DECOMAI and LAMBANW.
>
>Previously, I was told that the former means to receive subjectively
>while the latter means to receive "into manifestation".  IOW, DECOMAI
>is to receive with no visible evidence of the reception.
>
>Any assistance in a better understanding of these two words is
>appreciated.

My own sense (utterly unscientific gleaning from years of reading) is that
there is very little difference between these two verbs, or if there is,
it's pretty much the distinction between German GREIFEN and BEKOMMEN or
English GRAB and GET. There are, of course, other words as well for these
notions, but LAMBANW is more active in its perception of the action, as
"get one's grubby paws on (as one had hoped to do)" while DECOMAI
emphasizes more the reception than the HOW of acquisition. And while
LAMBANW could be used of violent seizure from an unwilling yielder, my
sense is that DECOMAI generally implies reception from a willing
relinquisher.

Yet one really needs to be sensitive to the context. As I recall, when
Platonic texts talk about the fees exacted by Sophists from students, both
verbs are used, but even DECOMAI is used there in a way that suggests that
Sophists teach more with an eye to being paid than to giving
instruction--the implication being, I would think, that the students
readily pay their tuition fees but are nevertheless actually being
victimized by the Sophists.

In sum, I think that there is an essential difference between the sense of
the two verbs, and yet I think that they not infrequently overlap in usage.

Here's Louw and Nida (from Accordance):

18.1 LAMBANW ; DECOMAI : to take hold of something or someone, with or
without force - 'to take hold of, to grasp, to grab.'
31.51 DECOMAI : to readily receive information and to regard it as true -
'to receive readily, to accept, to believe.' hOI hOTAN AKOUSWSIN META CARAS
DECONTAI TON LOGON  'those who hear the message receive it gladly' Lk 8:13;
AKOUSANDES DE hOI EN IEROSOLUMOIS APOSTOLOI hOTI DEDEKTAI hH SAMAREIA TON
LOGON TOU QEOU  'the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria
had received the word of God' Ac 8:14; EUAGGELION hETERON hO OUK EDEXASQE
KALWS ANECESQE  'you tolerate a gospel different from what you received'
2Cor 11:4.

34.53 PROSLAMBANOMAI; PARALAMBANW ;APOLAMBANW ; DECOMAI ; ANADECOMAI ;
APODECOMAI; EPIDECOMAI ; EISDECOMAI ; hUPODECOMAI; PROSDECOMAI; PARADECOMAI
: to accept the presence of a person with friendliness - 'to welcome, to
receive, to accept, to have as a guest.'10
57.125 DECOMAI ; LAMBANW ; LHMYIS, EWS  f: to receive or accept an object
or benefit for which the initiative rests with the giver, but the focus of
attention in the transfer is upon the receiver - 'to receive, receiving, to
accept.'31
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad at yancey.main.nc.us
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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