ANDRES ADELPHOI

Edgar Krentz ekrentz at lstc.edu
Tue Sep 8 04:07:33 EDT 1998


>At any rate, Acts 23:1 as Paul addressing the council, no doubt
>comprised exclusively of men, and he addressing them, ANDRES ADELPHOI.
>This is translated simply "Brothers" in the NRSV, which makes sense.
>ADELPHOI is masculine but properly means "brothers and sisters" in the
>plural, just as ANTHROPOI means "people" and not "men" (i.e.,
>specifically male human beings).  The same is expression is used in:
>
>	Acts 1:16; 2:29; 2:37; 7:2; 13:15; 13:26; 13:38; 15:7; 15:13;
>		22:1; 23:1; 23:6; and 28:17
>
>Elsewhere, ADELPHOI by itself can be translated "brothers and
>sisters" or perhaps "siblings."

Re Acts 23:1, a note to supplement what Edward Hobbs wrote.

I am working without ancient Greek texts at hand, but my memory tells me
that it was a regular form of address in Athens to begin a speech to the
assembly or to a law court with the phrase ANDRES AQHNAIOI.

So in Acts 23 Luke may simply be using that polite, formal form of address.
See also Acts 17:22.

At least that's a possibility.



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Edgar Krentz
Acting Dean, Fall Quarter 1998
Professor of New Testament Emeritus
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 E. 55th Street
Chicago, IL 60615  USA
773-256-0752
e-mail: ekrentz at lstc.edu (Office)
        emkrentz at mcs.net (Home)
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