[B-Greek] (Heb 2:16)

CWestf5155 at aol.com CWestf5155 at aol.com
Tue Oct 21 16:01:35 EDT 2003


In a message dated 10/21/2003 12:37:35 PM Mountain Standard Time, 
KENBFRAZIER at aol.com writes:
Can someone give some insight on how the KJV translates EPILAMBANETAI (in Heb 
2:16)  as "...took not on (him the nature of)..."  instead of  "...does not 
give aid to..." as every other translation?  I am particularly curious as to 
how one word can be translated with such a vastly different meaning.
Ellingworth has a good discussion on this in his commentary on pp. 177-78.   

In summary, the early translation and interpretation of EPILAMBANETAI by the 
Greek and Latin fathers was constrained by the discussion of the two-natures 
christology.  They came up with this because LAMBANW and ANALAMBANW are used to 
refer to Christ's taking human nature.  The root meaning of EPILAMBANW is 
"take hold of , grasp, catch" but is used in the OT of God grasping in order to 
help.  In Heb. 2:16, Chrysostom and others spoke of divine nature catching hold 
of the human nature as it tried to run away.

In 1551, Castellio translated it in Latin to mean "brings aid to" and that 
interpretation became the majority view, since there is no parallel for 
EPILAMBANETAI meaning "assumed (human nature)".



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