[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



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