[B-Greek] Luke on KATALUMA

Polycarp66 at aol.com Polycarp66 at aol.com
Sun Dec 7 08:12:37 EST 2003


In a message dated 12/3/2003 1:06:35 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
mitchlarramore at yahoo.com writes:


> Luke 2:7 (I don't have my Greek Bible with me)
> 
> And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped
> him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger,
> because there was no place for them in the inn
> (KATALUMA).
> 
> The NET Bible note is:
> 
> 21tn The Greek word KATALUMA is flexible, and usage in
> the LXX and NT refers to a variety of places for
> lodging (see BAGD 414 s.v.). Most likely Joseph and
> Mary sought lodging in the public accommodations in
> the city of Bethlehem (see J. Nolland, Luke [WBC],
> 1:105), which would have been crude shelters for
> people and animals. However, it has been suggested by
> various scholars that Joseph and Mary were staying
> with relatives in Bethlehem (e.g., C. S. Keener, Bible
> Background Commentary, 194; B. Witherington, “Birth of
> Jesus,” DJG, 69-70); if that were so the term would
> refer to the guest room in the relatives’ house, which
> would have been filled beyond capacity with all the
> other relatives who had to journey to Bethlehem for
> the census.
> 
> However...
> In Luke 10:34, Luke describes the Good Samaritan as
> bringing the man to the "inn," where he uses a
> different word than KATALUMA. And in Mark 14, the word
> KATALUMA is used of the "dining room" where the last
> supper took place. So, why does the NET Bible note
> seem to imply that KATALUMA in Luke 2 is an inn
> (public accomodations) as opposed to the "guest room"
> of a relative's house?
> 
_________________

As you have noted, the word KATALUMA has a range of meaning in the LXX.  It 
occurs only thrice in the NT and I have found only 2 instance thereafter which 
are of little help in understanding the term.

Most instructive would probably be its usage in the LXX.  

There we find that it is used in regard to Moses in Ex 4.24 when God suddenly 
attacks him upon the road and he is saved by his wife Zipporah through the 
expedient of circumcising their son and touching the foreskin to Moses' feet.  
As a stop on the journey, this was presumably where they pitched a tent for the 
night or (as the Brits say) "slept rough."

In the Song of Moses in Ex 15.13 after the incident at the Sea, it is said

hWDHGHSAS . . . TON LAON SOU . . . EIS KATALUMA hAGION SOU.
You have led . . . your people . . . to your holy KATALUMA.

At this point all we can consider is that Israel was led into the wilderness 
of Sinai.

In 1 Sam 1.18 Hannah explains her mumbling to Eli and is given a benediction 
whereupon she EISHLQEN EIS TO KATALUMA  Since they did not dwell in the 
vicinity of Shiloh, these were presumably some temporary quarters -- whether tents 
or rented quarters.

In 1 Sam 9.22 Samuel brings Saul into a banquet hall (KATALUMA) of some sort 
where the prophetic guild was assembled and sets before him the choice cuts 
following which Samuel annoints him upon the next day whereupon Saul becomes 
mantic resulting in the saying "Is Saul also among the prophets?"  This seems a 
close resemblance to the last supper of Christ.

When David desires to build a house for God, the response is that He has not 
lived in a house from the time that He brought Israel out of Egypt but EN 
KATALUMATI KAI EN SKHNHi (2 Sam 7.6 -- similarly 1 Chron 17.5).

Initially surprising is 1Chron 28.13 where it speaks of KAI TWN KATALUMATWN 
TWN EFHMERWN TWN hIERWN KAI TWN LEVITWN within the temple itself.  This seems 
to be explained, however, by the fact that there was a rotation of service in 
which the service was conducted only for a time by each group (see Lk 1.7).

One interesting passage is Jer 14.8 where it speaks of AUTOXQWN EKKLINWN EIS 
KATALUMA.  Why this should be specifically applied to the "native" is 
something of a puzzle.  Nevertheless, it appears to have the implications of a 
temporary lodging for the night.

In Jer 32.24 the lion is even spoken of as having a KATALUMA. 

It would thus seem that KATALUMA signified any temporary quarters whether in 
a fixed structure, tent, or even without a structure.

gfsomsel



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