[B-Greek] Sirach 38:1-8

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Wed Oct 22 09:00:58 EDT 2003


Once again, your best source of instruction on this list has to be Al
Pietersma, who will perhaps advise you when he has time. I'll give you my
guesses, for what they're worth, probably less than your own guesses.

At 8:11 AM -0400 10/22/03, Chet Creider wrote:
>It is a little embarrassing posting this query because it displays such
>vast areas of ignorance, but I would appreciate references to any
>literature discussing these lines of Sirach or any other help anyone can
>offer.  Each verse in Rahlfs is not particularly difficult on its own,
>but the sequence of verses and the referents of various pronouns and
>understood subjects seem very awkward.  Has the Hebrew for this section
>been found?  If so, does it help? (In his prologue, Sirach's grandson
>(?) implies that making the translation was difficult for him.)
>
>Some specific questions:
>(1) what is the antecedent of AUTOU in 7 (TON PONON AUTOU)?

My own guess is that it's most likely ANQRWPOIS in verse 6, "human beings"
being converted into the generic "humanity" (ANQRWPOS).

>(2) who is the subject of EQERAPEUSEN in 7?

It could be KURIOS,or perhaps it could be the IATROS who is the central
focus in these verses.

>(3) QAUMASIOIS in 6 is available as an antecedent for AUTOIS and TOUTOIS
>in 7, but if 7 were placed after 4, FARMAKA/AUTOIS in 4 would not only
>also be suitable but the matter of the subject of 7 would not be so
>difficult.  Does this sort of thing happen occasionally (transposition
>of a verse by a copyist?)?

I think that even without transposition one might see FARMAKA as the
antecedent of AUTOIS and TOUTOIS in verse 7: the drugs are among the
marvels given by the Lord for which humanity may glorify Him.

>(4) (this is a cultural question and perhaps not appropriate for this
>group) What sorts of cultural objects are the wood/stick and water of
>verse 5?

I took the XULON and hUDWR of a tree and its sap used for pharmaceutical
purposes; although XULON may be used for wood, I think it's more basically
the living tree. I would assume that what's referred to is sap or oil used
for medicinal purposes.

But that's all guesswork.
-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/



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