Luke 10:13 - Woe?

Jim West jwest at Highland.Net
Tue Aug 24 13:32:32 EDT 1999


At 12:55 PM 8/24/99 +0000, you wrote:
>Greetings
>
>OUAI SOI BHQSAIDA
>
>In an effort to capture the color and force of OUAI, the Scholars Version 
>of the Jesus Seminar translates OUAI SOI BHQSAIDA "Damn you, Bethsaida!" At 
>the expense of trying to be current, the use of "damn" loses, not the sense 
>of anger, but certainly the sense of the gravity and pain conveyed by the 
>original OUAI. As O. Betz notes such, "vulgarizing" destroys the orginal 
>thrust of Jesus' words. (_Theologische Literaturzeitung_ 119 (1994), no. 
>11, p. 989).
>

Betz is right.  The only thing such vulgarizing accomplishes is some sort of
shock treatment without purpose.

>What is the best understanding of OUAI and can someone provide another way 
>to capture the original color and force of the OUAI?

I would suggest something like "how tragic", or "what a horrid travesty".

best,

Jim

+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
email- jwest at highland.net
web page-  http://web.infoave.net/~jwest




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