[B-Greek] Hebrews 1:3

Maurice A. O'Sullivan mauros at iol.ie
Thu Aug 19 10:36:24 EDT 2004


At 03:45 19/08/2004, Ron Macy wrote:

>I am trying to find any discussion on the word used for brightness
>(apaugasma) in Hebrews 1:3.

Ron:
Here is an excerpt from:
Ellingworth, P., & Nida, E. A. (1994], c1983). A handbook on the Letter to 
the Hebrews. Originally published: Translator's handbook on the Letter to 
the Hebrews. c1983. UBS handbook series; Helps for translators (Page 8). 
New York: United Bible Societies.

In particular, I would urge you to take to heart the third paragraph --- 
Western artists down the centuries have solved their technical problems of 
displaying the " glory of God " and its "wonderfulness" in one particular 
way which has saturated our language ( and our subconscious )

 >> This verse is full of picture language. Here, as in similar passages, 
the translator needs to ask a number of important questions: (a) How far 
was each metaphor still ‘live’   for the writer’ (b) What is its literal 
meaning’ (c) Does our language use the same metaphor with the same meaning’ 
(d) If not, does it have a different metaphor with the same meaning’ (e) If 
not, how can I translate the metaphor literally’

The brightness of God’s glory was probably a live metaphor for the writer: 
glory is often associated with light and less often with weight. The word 
translated brightness may mean either ‘radiance’ (Knox, Phps, Brc; compare 
KJV ‘brightness’; JB, NAB ‘radiant light’; NEB ‘effulgence’; Translator’s 
New Testament [TNT] ‘radiates’) or ‘reflection’ (NAB; compare RSV). FrCL 
includes both meanings: ‘He reflects the splendor of the divine glory.’ The 
same word is used in Wisdom 7.26, where the same meanings are also possible 
(see NEB text and note).

In a number of languages it is difficult to speak about ‘reflecting the 
brightness of God’s glory.’ In the first place ‘glory’ is often related to 
‘wonderfulness’ and not to the concept of being ‘shiny’ or of ‘brightness.’ 
As a result it is very difficult to use some term which is based upon the 
concept of light being ‘reflected.’ Therefore, it may be best to translate 
'He reflects the brightness of God’s glory' as ‘He shows how wonderful God 
is’ or ‘How wonderful God is can be seen in how wonderful he is.’<<

As regards >> glory is often associated with light and less often with 
weigh <<, this marks a contrast between the NT and the OT ( you will  have 
noticed that in the LXX APAUGASMA  occurs only in one book,Wisdom, written 
in Greek. In the OT ? ), weight is what counts -- such words as "kavaed" [ 
the verb with meanings of "be heavy, weighty, honoured "  ] of which the 
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament remarks:

 >> Over against the transience of human and earthly glory stands the 
unchanging beauty of the manifest God (Ps 145:5). In this sense the noun 
k'bôd takes on its most unusual and distinctive meaning. Forty-five times 
this form of the root relates to a visible manifestation of God and 
whenever 'the glory of God' is mentioned this usage must be taken account 
of. Its force is so compelling that it remolds the meaning of DOXA from an 
opinion of men in the Greek classics to something absolutely objective in 
the LXX and NT.


P.S
Have you consulted the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament on 
APAUGASMA ?
That gives three synonyms:
a) "effulgence",
b) "reflection",
c)"image"

and adds:
 >> The word is a later one. In the LXX it is used of the relation of 
wisdom to the eternal light (a), in Philo of its relation to the world (b), 
of that of man to God (a), and of the human spirit to the divine logos (a). 
We read of Christ in Hb. 1:3: [ Greek snipped ] Both meanings would be 
possible according to usage and context, yet patristic consensus favours 
the interpretation that Christ is the effulgence of the divine doxa, as 
sunshine is of the sun or light of light.<<

So maybe it's not entirely the fault of the artists <g>

Hope this is of help.




Maurice A. O'Sullivan
[Bray, Ireland]

"Apply yourself wholly to the text; apply the text wholly to yourself."
- Johann Albrecht Bengel



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