[B-Greek] METEWRIZOMAI
Mike Sangrey
msangrey at BlueFeltHat.org
Wed Aug 6 20:53:45 EDT 2003
On Wed, 2003-08-06 at 12:32, farley wrote:
> Dear friends:
> In Lk. 12:29, Christ gives the command MH METEWRIZECQE.
>
> One lexicon, though defining the verb as literally meaning "to
> raise up", says that it cannot mean anything else in this context
> than "do not to be anxious", which is indeed how most translations
> render it (eg. NKJV, "do not have an anxious mind"). Douay renders
> it more literally as "be not lifted up on high".
>
> I note that the verb is used in Ps. 130:1 (LXX), where the
> English renders the Greek verb also as "lifted up". The other
> English translations of this psalm (based presumably on the
> Hebrew), render it as "proud, haughty".
<snip>
> Any thoughts?
Luke 12:29:
KAI hUMEIS MH ZHTEITE TI FAGHTE KAI TI PIHTE, KAI MH METEWRIZESQE
Interestingly, my Liddel and Scott mentions: "to buoy up with false
hopes" under METEWRIZW. That appears to fit PS 130:1 (LXX, 131:1
English) quite well. It also fits here quite well, but let me explain
why. Also, METEWRIZOMAI being middle-passive doesn't really change the
meaning too much; it just changes where one views the action taking place.
Luke 12:29 begins with KAI. The NET Bible footnote says "Here KAI has
been translated as `so' to indicate a conclusion drawn from the previous
illustrations." The plural "illustrations" caught my eye and I rather
concur with the NET that vs 29 and following offer Jesus' concluding
remarks to what Jesus has been saying. If we understand 29 and
following to conclude 12:13 through vs 28--that is, to conclude TWO
parables--then vs 29 comprises two parts. And viewing this as two parts
appears to me to help answer your question.
1. MH ZHTEITE TI FAGHTE KAI TI PIHTE,
Again, I like the NET's rendering, though it's needlessly wordy
in English: "do not be overly concerned about what you will eat
and what you will drink." It's the "overly concerned" which
strikes me as accurately capturing the sense.
However, that sets up an awkward redundancy with what's next IF
we take METEWRIZOMAI to be "don't be anxious." It then says
something like: "Don't be overly concerned, and oh yes, also
don't be anxious." That meaning of the sentence is awkward.
Also, note the `comma' break--at least in W&H and the UBS text I
have.
2. KAI MY METEWRIZESQE
However, if we think of this as "Don't be buoyed up by false
hopes," and we think of this as concluding the first parable,
then it ties the entire section together quite nicely.
The first parable says we're not to put false hopes on bigger
barns. The second parable says we're not to strive after food
and drink since God even feeds the birds. And then there's this
conclusion which says essentially the same thing in a nice,
tight, little way; the way a good conclusion should.
The fact that the respective references to the parables are flipped in
the conclusion is not all that unusual, either. In fact, I'd suggest
that to be the normal (ie. expected) word order to the semitic mind;
though the English mind doesn't expect multi-part conclusions in flipped
order.
So, in order accurately to understand the original, but in English, I
would translate vs 29 as:
So then, don't get lifted up by false hopes and don't be overly
concerned about what to eat and to drink.
Interesting question. I'm quite busy right now, but that reached up and
yanked me into BGreek <smile>. Thanks.
--
Mike Sangrey
msangrey at BlueFeltHat.org
Landisburg, Pa.
"The first one last wins."
"A net of highly cohesive details reveals the truth."
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