Mt. 4:17
Steven Craig Miller
scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Sat Jan 29 17:03:38 EST 2000
To: David A Bielby,
<< I'm wondering if the phrase in Mt 4:17 "hO IHSOUS KHRUSSEIN KAI LEGEIN"
is idiomatic simply meaning Jesus began preaching...or should I look for
more significance here...perhaps reference to two separate styles of
communication....? >>
Hmm ... "two separate styles of communication"? As if the Matthean Jesus
could perhaps preach without speaking? That would be novel! Or perhaps the
novel part (since the two words are connected by KAI) was that the Matthean
Jesus actually said something while he preached?
I believe that most scholars would simply take LEGEIN as being redundant.
In fact the NRSV translates: "From the time Jesus began to proclaim ...",
simply dropping "and to say." Although not quite parallel, one can find a
redundant use of LEGW at Mt 3:2 and 10:7. But I wouldn't be surprised if
there are better examples, since this construction doesn't strike me as
unusual.
-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller at www.plantnet.com
FWIW: I'm neither a clergy-person, nor an academic (and I have no post-grad
degrees).
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