TO EQOS TOU NOMOU

c stirling bartholomew cc.constantine at worldnet.att.net
Sat Sep 21 15:41:29 EDT 2002


on 9/20/02 8:43 PM, virgilsalvage1 translated and forwarded:

> Clay,
> 
> As you answered Francisco Orozco regarding TO ERGON TOU NOMOU, along the
> same lines, what could you say of the phrase TO EQOS TOU NOMOU which is
> found in Lk 2:27 according to D05, where NA27/USB4 reads: TO EIQISMENON TOU
> NOMOU? What content does each of these expressions refer? Are they decrees
> of law, of behavioral patterns associated with the Law or of the Law
> itself? Thanks in advance,
> 
> Sylvie Chabert d'Hyères

Sylvie,

I don't quite understand your question. Something got lost in translation. I
will make a few observations on KATA TO EQOS TOU NOMOU in Lk 2:27. For
Luke's use of KATA TO EQOS you should study the following:

LUKE 1:9 KATA TO EQOS THS hIERATEIAS ELACE TOU QUMIASAI EISELQWN EIS TON
NAON TOU KURIOU, 
LUKE 2:42 KAI hOTE EGENETO ETWN DWDEKA, ANABAINONTWN AUTWN KATA TO EQOS THS
hEORTHS 
LUKE 22:39 KAI EXELQWN EPOREUQH KATA TO EQOS EIS TO OROS TWN ELAIWN,
HKOLOUQHSAN DE AUTWi KAI hOI MAQHTAI.
ACTS 26:3 MALISTA GNWSTHN ONTA SE PANTWN TWN KATA IOUDAIOUS EQWN TE KAI
ZHTHMATWN, DIO DEOMAI MAKROQUMWS AKOUSAI MOU.

See also Bell & Dragon in Theodotian:

DAN. 14:15 hOI DE hIEREIS HLQON THN NUKTA KATA TO EQOS AUTWN KAI hAI
GUNAIKES KAI TA TEKNA AUTWN KAI KATEFAGON PANTA KAI EXEPION


EQOS is a Lukan word which only appears twice outside of Luke-Acts
Luke 1:9 Luke 2:42 Luke 22:39 John 19:40 Acts 6:14 Acts 15:1 Acts 16:21 Acts
21:21 Acts 25:16 Acts 26:3 Acts 28:17 Heb. 10:25. For this reason Codex
Bezae's reading in Lk 2:27 is easy to understand as conforming the text to
Luke's observed habits. So we should probably accept EIQISMENON as original
since scribes tend to level out idiosyncrasies and Luke has numerous hapax.

I don't see any semantic difference between the two textual alternatives.
Perhaps I am over looking something obvious. Both expressions indicate that
Mary and Joseph were doing what was customary and lawful.

greetings, Clay



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





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