EX hAIMATWN (John 1:13)

John Barach jbarach at telusplanet.net
Fri Jan 21 19:28:49 EST 2000


B-Greekers:

The plural hAIMATWN in John 1:13 has been the subject of some discussion
in the commentaries.  Recently, I was reading P. H. R. van Houwelingen's
recent commentary, _Johannes: Het evangelie van het Woord_ (Kampen: Kok,
1997).

He thinks John 1:13 is listing "three phases of the process of human
propagation" in reverse order:

     -- the intercourse between man and woman (literally:
        "bloods" [Dutch: bloedstromen], used to
        designate sexual intercourse as blood-contact.
     -- the sexual urge of two people (literally: "the will
        of the flesh," used to designate human libido.
     -- the masculine initiative for sexual intercourse
        (literally, "the will of the man," used to
        designate the man as the one who takes the 
        initiative within the marriage  (p. 50).

Van Houwelingen says that "detailed documentation" can be found in S.
van Tilborg's _Imaginative Love in John_ (Leiden, 1993) -- a book I
don't have (of course).

I'd appreciate your evaluation of this position (and/or substantiation,
especially if you've read the relevant section in Van Tilborg).

Regards,

John


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
John Barach (403) 317-1950
Pastor, Trinity Reformed Church (URCNA)
113 Stafford Blvd. N.
Lethbridge, AB
T1H 6E3



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