DIA in Rom 14:20 and BDAG

Steven Craig Miller scmiller at plantnet.com
Thu Dec 28 19:46:16 EST 2000


To: Iver Larsen,

<< BDAG translates the same phrase as "eat with offense (to the scruples of 
another)".  >>

This pre-dates Danker, BAG (1st English edition, 1957) gives the same gloss.

<< Bauer translates DIA PROSKOMMATOS ESQIEIN as "mit Anstoss, mit Bedenken 
essen" which in English means something like "to eat while taking offence 
at, with scruples". Bauer apparently understands the passage to say that it 
is the one who eats who feels the scruples or takes offence at the action. 
This is the interpretation prevalent in German and Scandinavian Biblical 
scholarship as exemplified in the various published Bibles in those 
languages. >>

IMO in understanding the crux of the issue between these two 
interpretations, one should focus on PROSKOMMA and not DIA, since IMO both 
interpretations can see DIA as a "DIA of attendant circumstances." I think 
that BDAG weakly indicates both these possibilities in its entry under 
PROSKOMMA. It translates DIA PROSKOMMATOS ESQIEIN as "eat and stumble in 
the process." Then it suggests that "Some would put this under 2," but 
unfortunately, it doesn't make clear what is meant.

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller at plantnet.com





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