SPIT OUT in Gal 4:14

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Fri Sep 3 07:20:14 EDT 1999


At 7:47 PM -0500 9/2/99, Dmitriy Reznik wrote:
>Dear friends,
>
>Maybe anybody could help me to translate Gal 4:14.
>KAI TON PEIRASMON UMWN EN TH SARKI MOU OUK EXOUQENHSATE OUDE EXEPTUSATE...
>I am interested how to understand EKPTUW in this context. Many versions
>just translate this word metaphorically: for example, as "to reject" (and
>that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or
>loathe...)But some lexicons insist on literal understanding "to spit out".
>They say it was a defence against evil spirits to spit having met a sick
>person. If it is right, I would like to know whether they just used to spit
>on the ground, or to that sick person's face, or anyhow else. I need to
>know it in order to choose a proper word for translating into Russian.
>Maybe anybody knows these things about usage of this Greek word and about
>this ancient custom?

This might be a matter of the social level at which the language is being
used, but I guess some caution is called for here, inasmuch as what some
might deem as superstition may be deemed as proper and natural ritual
behavior by another. My own guess is that in Gal 4:14 Paul is using this
word figuratively for "reject." It's interesting that this is the only
instance of the verb in the GNT. The brief discussion in Louw & Nida on
this:

34.37 EKPTUW: (a figurative extension of meaning of EKPTUW 'to spit out,'
not occurring in the NT) to reject, with the implication of a measure of
disdain - 'to reject, to have disdain for.' OUK EXOUQENHSATE OUDE
EKEPTUSATE 'you did not despise or reject (me)' Ga 4:14. In a number of
languages 'to reject' is expressed idiomatically as 'to throw away,' 'to
push away,' or 'to turn one's back toward.'

One certainly has to be careful about affirming literal rather than
metaphorical senses to verbs expressive of powerful feelings used in the
NT, as for instance SPLAGCNIZOMAI.


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
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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