[B-Greek] Jude 1, DE

Ben Crick ben.crick at argonet.co.uk
Fri Apr 16 18:18:15 EDT 2004


On Fri 16 Apr 2004 (22:25:33 +0200), dirkzwager at pandora.be wrote:
> DE means "and", "but" or "for", to put it simple.
> In my feeling of the Greek language (but that is subjective !) the way
> Jude writes this sentence makes it probable that DE should be rendered
> with "but". Probably the contrasting position of DOULOS and ADELFOS
> gives me the feeling.
> Are there others who are feeling the same way?
> 
> The consequence would be that Jude, probably the brother of Jesus,
> humbly, does not like to present himself as the brother of Jesus, but
> has no problems to be called the brother of James.
> 
> [I do not want to discuss the identity of Jude here , but the rendering
> of DE could have consequences, if Jude would be the brother of Jesus]

 Arie:
 Clement of Alexandria agrees with you (as quoted by Bigg in the ICC, p323).
 Bigg says "The sense is, 'Jude, the slave, I dare not say the brother, of
 Jesus Christ, but certainly the brother of James'" (ibid).

 Brother of James, certainly; but not servant of James!  On the other hand,
 DOULOS CRISTOU/QEOU is a common self-description of NT writers. Compare
 Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1;
 and Revelation 1:1.

 But IMHO there is no compelling reason to make DE an adversative DE; that
 sense would seem to require ALLA. DE is a copula, a syndeton, buttoning two
 phrases together. It remains ambiguous.

 ERRWSQE

 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF                                 ZFC Yb
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