"Syntactical Chiasmus"
Steven Craig Miller
stevencraigmiller at home.com
Mon Jan 29 09:47:36 EST 2001
To: Iver Larsen,
<< The Matthew 7:6 is generally accepted as a Hebrew chiasm, partly because
hRHXWSIN refers to tearing apart, a word that fits wild dogs better than
domesticated pigs. >>
But why assume that it was a cute little domesticated pig? Why not assume
that it was a wild boar? I'm not a farmer, and I know nothing about the
raising of pigs, but I have been told that even domesticated pig can be
dangerous and life-threatening to humans. Furthermore, the basic meaning of
RHGNUMI is "break asunder" (LSMJ). And while BDAG states that it can also
mean "tear in pieces," BDAG also cites a passage from Aesop where this verb
is used of a swine. I see no reason to justify the the action discribed in
the verb hRHXWSIN fits dogs better than pigs. And why assume that the dogs
are "wild," but not the pigs?
-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
stevencraigmiller at home.com
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