[B-Greek] 1 Cor 7:27: "loosed" (was "No subject")
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Wed Aug 4 09:59:44 EDT 2004
At 6:16 AM -0700 8/4/04, Mitch Larramore wrote:
>--- "Carl W. Conrad" <cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu>
>wrote:
>
>> At 6:37 PM -0700 8/2/04, Paul Battjes wrote:
>> >I am seeking clarification of the greek word for
>> "loosed" used in 1 Cor.
>> >7:27. Does it have 2 meanings used in the same
>> verse. Does the 2nd
>> >usage refer to divorcees or singles who have never
>> married or widows.?
>> >
>> >Thanks for you help.
>> >
>> >Paul Battjes
>> >Canada
>>
>> This question is tangential to B-Greek's proper
>> scope since it is more a
>> translation question rather than a question
>> concerning the Greek text of
>> the passage in question; but it can be answered in
>> B-Greek terms. First,
>Dr. Conrad wrote...
>
>> let's cite the Greek text:
>>
>> DEDESAI GUNAIKI, MH ZHTEI LUSIN; LELUSAI APO
>> GUNAIKOS, MH ZHTEI
>> GUNAIKA.
>
>LUSIN in the first advice means
>> "disattachment" or "divorce."
>> LELUSAI APO GUNAIKOS could be understood in terms of
>> one who HAS BEEN
>> DIVORCED FROM A WIFE, but I think it's really more
>> general in focus,
>> indicating a person/man is currently in a state of
>> disassociation from a
>> wife, whether divorced or never married.
>
>
>Sir, if I understand you correctly, you are saying
>that the first LUW (LUSIN) means, in this particular
>case, divorced, and immediately following this LUW is
>another LUW (LELUSAI)
>but with a different sense. The second LUW does not
>contemplate one in a "divorced" state but one in a
>"single" state. Is this correct? The NET Bible you
>quoted seemed to take it the other way.
Mitch, thanks for the opportunity to clarify this. I was thinking on the
fly about this when I wrote my original response. I do think that LUSIN in
the second clause means "dissolution of attachment" (= "divorce"). I think
however that in the third clause LELUSAI APO GUNAIKOS could be interpreted
either as a passive ("you have been disattached" (= "divorced") from a
woman/wife") or as a middle. But the middle of the perfect indicative here
could be understood, it seems to me, in either of two ways: (a) you have
detached yourself (gotten yourself divorced) or (b) you have kept yourself
unattached (single). While I wouldn't argue at length with those who prefer
to understand it as (a), I personally think that NET has the understanding
rightly conveyed: the antithesis is that of attachment/non-attachment, and
I think that non-attachment does not necessarily imply prior
attachment--that LELUSAI really probably means in this context "you have
kept yourself free from a wife/woman."
--
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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