b-greek] DIAKON-
Paul Toseland
toseland at blueyonder.co.uk
Thu Sep 26 16:10:34 EDT 2002
On Sep 2002 11:17:54 -0700 (PDT) , Waldo wrote:
>The standard defintion I see on this is generally:
>to serve or to wait on tables
>Is there any etymological significance to waiting on
>TABLES? Or, is the idea simply to serve others
>regardless if they are at a table waiting to eat?
>I can see DIAKON- commonly describing what a
>table-waiter would do (serve others), but WHY this
>example (wait on tables) and not some other example
>(wait to assist someone with some task)?
I can't comment on the etymology of this word group.
However, a thorough study by J. N. Collins has shown
that the group belongs to the semantic domain of
mediation. A DIAKONOS is a go-between, or sometimes
a conduit or medium through which sometning passes.
Clearly a waiter at table is one instance of a
go-between; he 'meciates' between the kitchen (or the
chef) and the diners.
in religious contexts, DIAKONOS is used of prophets,
priests, diviners etc. The verb DIAKONEW can be sued,
for example, of the delivery of a letter (Chariton,
De Chaerea et Callirhoe 8.8.5; cf. 2 Cor 3:3). The
basic idea of DIAKONIA 'mediatory agency'; so I think
that DIAKONIA PNEUMATOS, 2 Cor 3:8, has the sense,
'the agency that mediates the Spirit'.
I'm afraid I still have neither L&N nor BDAG, so I look
forward to hearing from someone who has!
Paul Toseland
Bristol
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