Rev 14:11 - EIS AIWNAS AIWNWN

Ben Crick ben.crick at argonet.co.uk
Fri Jan 19 13:15:21 EST 2001


On Fri 19 Jan 2001 (16:05:59 +0100), d.roe at t-online.de wrote:
>  ... I now have an enquiry of a more general nature re an AIWN-AIWN
> construction.
> 
> I wonder whether the expression means simply "age of ages" or "ages of
> ages" (an age or ages superior to all other ages) in the same sense as
> "BASILEUS BASILEWN" or "KURIOS KURIWN"; and thus, while not denying
> eternity, not describing eternity specifically.

 Dear David,

 AIWN seems to translate the Hebrew `oWLaM (age, eternity) in such LXX
 passages as:
 Psalm 40 [41]:14   EULOGHTOS KURIOS hO QEOS ISRAHL APO TOU AIWNOS KAI EIS TON
                    AIWNA: GENOITO, GENOITO
 Psalm 89 [90]:2,   KURIE, KATAFUGH EGENHQHS hUMIN EN GENEAi KAI GENEAi
 Psalm 102 [103]:17 TO DE ELEOS TOU KURIOU APO TOU AIWNOS KAI hEWS TOU AIWNOS
                    EPI TOUS FOBOUMENOUS AUTON
 Psalm 105 [106]:48 EULOGHTOS KURIOS hO QEOS ISRAHL, APO TOU AIWNOS KAI hEWS
 TOU AIWNOS

 Psalm 41:14 in the Massoretic Text has MeHa`oWLaM W:`aD Ha`oWLaM "from the Age
 to the Age", or "From everlasting to everlasting".
 Psalm 90:2 MT has Me`oWLaM 'aD-`oWLaM (the same without the prefixed definite
 article Ha-).
 Psalm 103:17 MT has Me`oWLam W:`aD-`oWLaM (the same plus the prefixed
 conjunction W:, "and").
 Psalm 106:48 MT has MiN-Ha`oWLaM W:`aD Ha`oWLaM (the same with MiN instead of
 the prefixed Me-, "from").

 Compare Romans 16:27, hWi hH DOXA EIS TOUS AIWNAS, AMHN
 and Galatians 1:5,    hWi hH DOXA EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN, AMHN
 and Philippians 4:20  TWi DE QEWi KAI PATRI hHMWN hH DOXA EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN
                       AIWNWN, AMHN
 and 1 Timothy 1:17    TWi DE BASILEI TWN AIWNWN, AFQARTWi AORATWi MONWi QEWi,
                       TIMH KAI DOXA EIS TOUW AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN, AMHN
 and 2 Timothy 4:18    hWi hH DOXA EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN, AMHN
 and Hebrews 13:21     hWi hH DOXA EIS TOUS AIWNAS [TWN AIWNWN], AMHN
 and 1 Peter 4:11      hWi ESTIN hH DOXA KAI TO KRATOS EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN
                       AIWNWN, AMHN
 and 1 Peter 5:11      AUTWi TO KRATOS EIS TOUS AIWNAS, AMHN

 and also in Revelation 1:6, 18; 4:9, 10; 5:13; 7:12; 10:6; 11:15; 14:11;
 15:7; 19:3, 20:10; and 22:5.

 And finally, Prayer of Manasseh 1:15 and 1 Esdras 4:38 LXX.

 It seems that this formula is a Doxology taken from the doxology found at the
 end of each of the first four of the five "Books" of the Psalms. The Fifth
 Book of the Psalms hardly needs another Doxology to follow Psalm 150!

 ERRWSQE
 Ben

-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
 <ben.crick at argonet.co.uk>
 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
 http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm






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