[B-Greek] Re: Luke on KATALUMA (Chuck Bumgardner)

Oun Kwon KwonO at upstate.edu
Mon Dec 29 18:59:41 EST 2003


Happy New Year to all.
 
This year has been bountiful one for me, thanks to e-mail list groups such
as this one and the bible translation group.  Sad is the fact that I just do
not find enough time to catch up these e-mails!
 
After going through the threads on KATALUMA, may I allow what I have
gleaned?  (There were discussions I posted this one before on the
bible-translation list.)
 
A problem we have here is with the English word "inn" (as it appears in KJV
and many other translations).  Of course, it did not have meaning in the
17th century same as we use it now (as those words such as inns, hotels or
motels where one looks for a 'room' and these all have 'public
accommodation' as the common denominator).
 
Use of the word 'room' is also problematic.  It sounds more like 'a room',
giving a false imagery to the modern reader of an 'inn' which has 'rooms'.
  
A common imagery (erroneous) from these is this:   "They could not find a
room in the inn; apparently all the rooms happened to be occupied.  They
were somehow offered a stable from someone and there they stayed.  The new
born baby was put in the manger." 
 
The text Luke 2:7 does not say that they did not find a vacancy for "a
room" in the "inn"; it does not clearly say that they moved into some other
place.  It does not say they moved to and stayed in a stable. (Using the
word 'manger' also reflexively brings up this idea.) 
 
Anachronistic cultural retrojection appears in the bible translations. 
Even interlinear literal renderings and the bible Gk dictionaries copy them.
  (Akin to use the word 'chalice' in place of 'cup' in the translation of
the Passover meal, etc.). 
 
When cleansed of all these, the verse Luke 2:7 may simply and cleanly
rendered:  "laid him in a food-trough for there was no place for them in the
lodging."   
 
Here, I like to point out that we should avoid use of 'because' in place of
'for'.  The for-clause just tells us the situation; not the reason why they
did not stay in the lodging ("inn), nor the reason why the newborn had to be
laid in a food trough.  I must say that the text is ambiguous about what was
the (unavailable) place for.   No place to lay the baby?   Certainly not a
'room' in a public accommodation.   As to "food-trough" it was probably in
an adjoining place serving as a stable (as mentioned by Waldo in the e-mail)
or was possibly brought in from a stable (I am not sure whether this would
be portable at all.).
 
In other words, KATALUMA should be understood as and translated to mean a
temporary quarter.  Not whatsoever as "inn". "Using the word 'inn' in any
modern translation for KATALUMA is a simply irresponsible as far as
translation job goes.   (Note: in my native Korean, there is a perfect
expression to match for the root meaning of KATALUMA.  Literally it means
"place to loosen (one's) body" as one would do at the end of a journey.) 
 
Note:  there was an article on the web site describing about the first
Christmas:  the season was the time of Festival of Tent.  To stay in
Bethlehem it was possible for them look for their relatives.  They were
provided of a tent (as the custom dictated in the festival), etc.
 
 
Oun J Kwon, M.D.
SUNY Uptate Med University
Syracuse, NY


>>> Charles J Bumgardner bumgardnerbunch at juno.com> 12/05/03 03:41PM >>

>> 
>>Looks like no one wanted to interact with this one.
>>KATALUMA does not bear the sense of "public
>>accommodations" (motel or inn) in the Gospels or NT.
>>It is used of a place for lodging or dining within
>>someone's personal residence (usually upstairs). 
>>
>>What appears to have happened is that Jesus was born
>>in one of the smaller rooms that would adjoin the
>>courtyard of a residence. Next to this room was
>>another room that probably functioned as a stable. The
>>feeding trough that would have been in that room was a
>>convenient place to lay Jesus. That Joseph and Mary
>>were not allowed in a relative's residence has no
>>merit in scripture. They just were not able to stay
>>upstairs in the KATALUMA, but there were other lodging
>>places within the same residence for them to stay.
>>
>>Waldo

>Hello, Mitch,

>I just rejoined the list after being away for a few years.  That is a
>very interesting insight -- I glanced at Luke 2:7 in BibleWorks and
>noticed that Young's Literal Translation does translate KATALUMA as
>"guest-chamber" there: "and she brought forth her son -- the first-
>born, and wrapped him up, and laid him down in the manger, 
>because there was not for them a place in the guest-chamber."

>Grace and peace,

>Pastor Chuck Bumgardner
 
 



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