[B-Greek] Living water etc.
Steven Lo Vullo
slovullo at mac.com
Wed Feb 5 03:35:16 EST 2003
On Wednesday, February 5, 2003, at 12:51 AM, Translation Officer -
Bible Society of South Africa wrote:
> 1. In the "Teaching of the Twelve Apostles" (DIDAXH) I came across
> the following in the section on baptism:
>
> BAPTISATE [...] EN hUDATI ZWNTI. EAN DE MH EXHiS hUDWR ZWN, EIS ALLO
> hUDWR BAPTISON
>
> I thought that hUDWR ZWN meant "fresh water" (i.e. not salt like sea
> water) until I read Robert Kraft's translation, which has "running
> water". Is "fresh water" a possibility or not?
I think what is in view is a running stream or river. It's called
"living" water because it flows, i.e., is in motion (cf. Song 4.15; Jer
17.13; John 7.38; Rev 7.17). ALLO hUDWR would apparently be a lake,
pond, pool, or other body of water, or even a manmade pool or
baptistry. If neither is available, EKCEON EIS THN KEFALHN TRIS hUDWR
(7.3), i.e., use whatever water is at one's disposal--perhaps from a
jar or basin--to pour it out on the head of the one being baptized.
> 2. How would you translate KAI PAS PROFHTHS hORIZWN TRAPEZAN EN
> PNEUMATI OU FAGETAI AP' AUTHS (from the section on apostles and
> prophets)? I've got Kraft's translation, but I would like to know how
> some other great minds interpret this.
According to BDAG, hORIZWN here means "to order." So I would translate,
"And every prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit shall not eat of
it." What this actually means, I have no idea! I wonder if the future
is predictive or prohibitive. It seems to be prohibitive. Maybe we
could translate, "every prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit must
not eat from it."
=============
Steven R. Lo Vullo
Madison, WI
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list