FQONOS in Jas 4:5

Harold R. Holmyard III hholmyard at ont.com
Wed May 24 14:27:42 EDT 2000


Dear Carl,
     A gentleman named Virgil Newkirk in the Bible Translation discussion
group has been insisting that the word FQONOS, as a word in any context,
must have negative connotations. It seems that I have read commentators say
that as well, but others take the word positively at Jas 4:5. BAG's various
definitions at Jas 4:5 suggest they might have seen the possibility for a
positive or neutral sense for PROS FQONON, which they translate as
"jealously," based on other literature. In LSJ there is the note that the
word is often used of the jealousy of the gods. Was this always a bad kind
of jealousy, do you know, or could it ever be a positive kind?
     If the word cannot have a positive or neutral sense, that fact would
simplify the translation alternatives in Jas 4:5, because we could not
think in terms of a positive divine jealousy. Do you have any thoughts on
this? Again Jas 4:5 is:

H DOKEITE hOTI KENWS hH GRAFH LEGEI, PROS FQONON EPIPOQEI TO PNEUMA hO
KATWiKISEN EN hHMIN,

Thank you.

				Yours,
				Harold Holmyard







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