[B-Greek] Epikataratos in Gal. 3:13

Polycarp66 at aol.com Polycarp66 at aol.com
Tue Dec 2 23:47:13 EST 2003


In a message dated 12/2/2003 10:34:03 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
laurenceschell at yahoo.co.uk writes:
GENOMENOS hUPER hHMWN KATARA GEGRAPTAI GAR EPIKATARATOS PAS hO KREMAMENOS EPI 
XULOU

In the LXX, the quoted passage from Deut. 21:23 reads: KEKATHRAMENOS hUPO 
QEOU PAS KREMAMENOS EP XULOU.

My question is whether Paul intended the meaning of "cursed" in Galatians 
3:13? 

__________________

I'm not sure I understand your question.  Paul says "cursed" so I would 
assume that is what he meant.  Are you perhaps asking how this agrees with the MT 
and LXX of Dt 21.23?  If so, QiL:LaT )e:LoHiYM signifies the object of a curse 
from God (see Brown, Driver, Briggs, Hebrew-English Lexicon s.v. Q:LeLaH).  
Cf. Jer 24.9 where it says of the exiles 

W:LiQ:LaLaH B.:CoL_HaM.:QoMoWT )a:$eR_)aD.iYH"M $aM 
and they shall be a 'curse' in every place where I banish them"

This is obviously not meant to intend that they will bring a curse upon the 
localities where they are exiled, but rather that they shall be the OBJECT of a 
curse in all places.  

Though Paul engages in a bit of exegesis that might seem questionable to us 
today since our methods of exegesis are somewhat different from that of the 
Jewish Rabbis, I don't think failure to understand what the Hebrew meant was a 
problem to him.   Thus, I would say "Yes, Paul meant 'cursed.'"

gfsomsel



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