follow up

Jim West jwest at Highland.Net
Thu Jul 2 13:33:02 EDT 1998


At 01:19 PM 7/2/98 -0400, you wrote:
>At 12:49 PM 7/2/98 -0400, Jim West wrote:
> 
>>anyone have any notion as to what the Aramaic word may have been if this
>>Matthean text is an ipsissima?
> 
>Hmmmm what methodology is used to determine that?

A whole string of historical-critical criterion that are best left aside
here (as the discussion of same generally evokes hostile reaction).

> *If* there is an Aramaic
>original for Matthew,

I am not talking about an Aramaic Matthew or anything of the kind- I am
talking about the word the Historical Jesus used (if it was, indeed, he who
spoke this little saying).

> which is not certain, then we don't have it. So how
>do you determine what word was used in a postulated original that we do not
>possess? 

I think you misunderstood my question.  Again, I am not talking about
Matthew, I am talking about Jesus.

>I guess the possibilities would be (1) to supply the equivalent
>word from the later Syriac manuscripts (since Syriac and Aramaic are
>similar), or (2) to try to find an Aramaic word that means the same thing.
>

But that wouldn't help much- in fact it would be a mere Targum on the Greek
text. 

>The first method would make sense if we felt that the Syriac manuscripts
>were more reliable than the Greek, e.g. if it could be shown that there is
>an Aramaic original and that the Syriac more closely reflects that original
>than the earlier Greek manuscripts. Even then, a good answer would depend
>on solid expertise in Syriac, which is not widespread.
>
>The second method makes no more sense than doing an English translation and
>using the English word to explain the original Greek.
>
>So I guess I really don't know how we can know the answer to your question.
>

My question, again, is not about Matthew, some supposed Aramaic Matthew, or
anything of the kind.  I am wondering (aloud) if anyone on list has a notion
as to what the possible range of Aramaic words may have been which Jesus may
have chosen- which was then later translated into Greek.

>Jonathan

Best,

Jim

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
Pastor, Petros Baptist Church
Adjunct Professor of Bible,
Quartz Hill School of Theology

jwest at highland.net




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