[B-Greek] Re: Mt 11:19 the works and the wisdom

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Fri Aug 15 11:15:14 EDT 2003


At 2:34 PM +0200 8/15/03, Wieland Willker wrote:
>Matthew 11:19
>KAI EDIKAIWQH H SOFIA APO TWN ERGWN AUTHS.
>
>Carl W. Conrad wrote:
>[APO as "away from"]
>> I simply don't believe that APO can carry that sense.
>
>
>But compare:
>
>Romans 6:7
>O GAR APOQANWN DEDIKAIWTAI APO THS AMARTIAS.
>
>Galatians 5:4
>KATHRGHQHTE APO CRISTOU,
>
>Romans 7:6
>NUNI DE KATHRGHQHMEN APO TOU NOMOU

I would contend that in every one of these cases the verb is one of
removal. Even if the verb in your text in is DIKAIOW, as in Rom 6:7, yet
the sense of DIKAIOW in Mt 11;19 is different: KAI EDIKAIWQH H SOFIA APO
TWN ERGWN AUTHS. I don't think that EDIKAIWQH in Mt 11:19 means "has been
removed" but rather must mean "has been validated (as a consequence of ...)"

L&N:

37.138 DIKAIOW: to cause to be released from the control of some state or
situation involving moral issues - 'to release, to set free.' O GAR
APOQANWN DEDIKAIWTAI APO THS AMARTIAS 'for when a person dies (to sin), he
is released from (the power of) sin' Ro 6:7.

88.16 DIKAIOW: to demonstrate that something is morally right - 'to show to
be right, to prove to be right.'

>APO is meant as a separation: "Wisdom is justified away from her
>works/products." This is meant as: The finest products of wisdom are
>Jesus and John. Now the Jews have managed (by their justifications,
>verses 18-19a) to separate wisdom from their products (Jesus and John).
>Is this possible?

And so I would persist in my view that APO can't carry that sense here. If
you mean it to say "Wisdom has been REMOVED from her works," I think a
different verb would be used, But here you evidently want APO to bear the
sense of CWRIS as in  Rom 3:28 LOGIZOMEQA GAR DIKAIOUSQAI PISTEI ANQRWPON
CWRIS ERGWN NOMOU.
So I think that the sense you are seeking in Mt 11:19 requires either a
different verb or a different preposition.
-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/



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