MEROS in Col. 2:16

c stirling bartholomew cc.constantine at worldnet.att.net
Tue Jun 25 17:02:27 EDT 2002


on 6/25/02 6:06 AM, Rosangela Lira wrote:

> I would like to ask about MEROS in Col. 2:16. The text says: MH OUN TIS
> hUMAS KRINETW EN BRWSEI CAI EN POSEI H EN MEREI hEORTES. Although the
> common translation is "in respect of a feast day" or "with regard to a
> feast day", some argue in favor of "in part of a feast" or something
> similar. Walker notes since the words for festival, new moon, and Sabbath
> days have a genitive case ending and that "meros" (a noun and not a
> preposition as in: "with regards to {objects of the preposition}") is the
> object of the preposition EN ("in") this means that Paul was talking about
> some "portion of" the days.  He also notes that since the nouns are
> anarthrous, this implies that it was the "quality or nature [of the days]
> rather than the identity" of the days that was in question.
> Your help will be appreciated. Thanks.
> 
> Rosangela Lira 

COL. 2:16 MH OUN TIS hUMAS KRINETW EN BRWSEI KAI EN POSEI H EN MEREI hEORTHS
H NEOMHNIAS H SABBATWN:

 Rosangela,

This reading goes back in some form to Chrysostom who understood MEREI as
partial observance of some feast days (see. J. Calvin, Colossians).  Calvin
understand MEREI to mean making distinctions between days.

Both Chrysostom and Calvin seem overlook one key issue. The three components
hEORTHS H NEOMHNIAS H SABBATWN form a single constituent. I think HAW Meyer
has the right idea, MEREI here is a category marker. It defines hEORTHS H
NEOMHNIAS H SABBATWN as a single class of activities designated by three
representative elements.

Here are some LXX examples of hEORTHS H NEOMHNIAS H SABBATWN used as a
collective designation of "holy days."

1CHR. 23:31 KAI EPI PANTWN TWN ANAFEROMENWN hOLOKAUTWMATWN TWi KURIWi EN
TOIS SABBATOIS KAI EN TAIS NEOMHNIAIS KAI EN TAIS hEORTAIS KATA ARIQMON KATA
THN KRISIN EP' AUTOIS DIA PANTOS TWi KURIWi

2CHR. 2:3 KAI IDOU EGW hO hUIOS AUTOU OIKODOMW OIKON TWi ONOMATI KURIOU QEOU
MOU hAGIASAI AUTON AUTWi TOU QUMIAN APENANTI AUTOU QUMIAMA KAI PROQESIN DIA
PANTOS KAI TOU ANAFEREIN hOLOKAUTWMATA DIA PANTOS TO PRWI KAI TO DEILHS KAI
EN TOIS SABBATOIS KAI EN TAIS NOUMHNIAIS KAI EN TAIS hEORTAIS TOU KURIOU
QEOU hHMWN EIS TON AIWNA TOUTO EPI TON ISRAHL

2CHR. 31:3 KAI MERIS TOU BASILEWS EK TWN hUPARCONTWN AUTOU EIS TAS
hOLOKAUTWSEIS THN PRWINHN KAI THN DEILINHN KAI hOLOKAUTWSEIS EIS SABBATA KAI
EIS TAS NOUMHNIAS KAI EIS TAS hEORTAS TAS GEGRAMMENAS EN TWi NOMWi KURIOU

1ESDR. 5:51 KAI META TAUTA PROSFORAS ENDELECISMOU KAI QUSIAS SABBATWN KAI
NOUMHNIWN KAI hEORTWN PASWN hHGIASMENWN

NEH. 10:34 EIS ARTOUS TOU PROSWPOU KAI QUSIAN TOU ENDELECISMOU KAI EIS
hOLOKAUTWMA TOU ENDELECISMOU TWN SABBATWN TWN NOUMHNIWN EIS TAS hEORTAS KAI
EIS TA hAGIA KAI TA PERI hAMARTIAS EXILASASQAI PERI ISRAHL KAI EIS ERGA
OIKOU QEOU hHMWN 

Greetings

Clay

--  
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062





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