[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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