[B-Greek] XWRIS hMARTIAS in Heb. 4:15

Bob Bruce Bob.Bruce at jesusfilm.org
Thu Oct 9 21:16:44 EDT 2003


 

	In an article by Dr. Wallace, I have a question about the phrase XWRIS hMARTIAS in Hebrews 4:15, commonly translated "yet without sin." The "yet" is often in italics. Daniel Wallace wrote an article on this verse as it pertains to the impeccability of Christ. ->

	http://www.bible.org/docs/soapbox/heb415.htm 

	In it he made the following comments based on his particular scheme for evaluating 3 phrases & their relative subordination. Below is that paragraph followed by what a friend said regarding Dr. Wallace's interpretation of XWRIS hMARTIAS. Is it valid to effectively translate that phrase as "except for sin" rather than "without sin?"

	Thx, 

	Bob 

	Dr. Wallace said -> 
	So what? If we take this third view, then XWRIS hMARTIAS ("without sin") qualifies hO MOIOTHTA ("just as we are")—that is, Jesus was tempted just as we are apart from sin. The one way in which his temptations were different was the sin factor. **This certainly seems to speak of distinction in the process rather than result.** It seems, on the surface at least, a bit unnatural to translate the text, as so many do, 'yet without sin.' One would expect DE or ALLA (conjunctions) or perhaps even MONOS (adjective). There is no disjunctive force here (though there certainly may be on the larger contextual level, requiring the use of a disjunctive in English). And the author of Hebrews writes Greek extremely well: that is, he does not normally employ asyndeton (lack of conjunction) except for solemnity (as in classical usage—see Blass-Debrunner-Funk).

	Someone made the following commentary on this paragraph: 

	"...I find no precedent anywhere for translating XWRIS hMARTIAS as “except for sin,” and that is essentially what Dr. Wallace is doing here.

	...Dr. Wallace is keenly aware of these dangers and we must give him credit for this, and for the fact that he is not being dogmatic but being honest in telling us that he is currently in the process of exploration. Others are neither so honest nor so humble. ..."




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