[B-Greek] Jn 20:22 ENEFUSHSEN
Maurice A. O'Sullivan
mauros at iol.ie
Mon Nov 17 08:01:05 EST 2003
At 08:34 17/11/2003, Mike Watson wrote:
>Since EMFUSAW is used once in the GNT
>I'm hoping someone with a new BAGD give me an expanded explanation of the
>word.
I see Carl ( with his customary early-morning speed <g> ) has given you
what you were looking for.
Of no great interest to English speakers, but of considerable interest for
other languages is the note in Louw-Nida:
>> The process of breathing on someone may have very important symbolic
implications. In some instances this can be related to a blessing, as in Jn
20.22, but in some languages the act of breathing on a person almost
inevitably suggests some harmful influence, often connected with the use of
black magic. It may therefore be important to select some less specific
term so as to avoid a symbolic meaning which would considerably distort the
significance of this one passage in which EMFUSAW occurs in the NT. <<
As to your concern about an implied object:
>> He breathed on them and said is literally "he breathed on and said to
them." It is possible for "them" to be at the same time the object of
"breathed on" and the indirect object of "said." Therefore, in
restructuring into English, it is necessary either to express "them" twice
(RSV "he breathed on them, and said to them"), or to introduce "them" as
the object of "breathed on" and leave it implicit after "said," as in TEV. <<
[ Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993], c1980). A handbook on the Gospel of
John. Originally published: A translator's handbook on the Gospel of John,
c1980. Helps for translators; UBS handbook series (Jn 20:22). New York:
United Bible Societies.]
As you say, this is a hapax in the N.T but there are several occurrences
in the LXX. Apart from the obvious parallel with Gn. 2:7 [and also with
Wis. 15:11:
"because he failed to know the one who formed him and inspired him with an
active soul and breathed into him a living spirit.(RSV) ] , Ezekiel, in
his famous "bones" passage uses it at 37:9.
Lust, J., et al. has a note on the use of this verb at Na. 2:1(.2 in the
Hebrew ):
>>breathing (into your face) imitating the sound of MT disperser
[ Lust, J., Eynikel, E., & Hauspie, K. (2003). A Greek-English Lexicon of
the Septuagint : Revised Edition. Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart. ]
The Hebrew verb is ( forgive the phonetic rendition,) FOOTZ, but because
its occurrence here is as a Hiphil participle, it is written MFOOTZ -- so
that this is an interesting confirmation of the L-N note about symbolic
implications, as well as the translator's urge to render the same sound.
Regards
Maurice
Maurice A. O'Sullivan [ Bray, Ireland ]
mauros at iol.ie
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