[B-Greek] Coat of what?

Bart Torbert Bart.Torbert at ihsenergy.com
Tue Jan 13 12:59:33 EST 2004






I am starting to get the sense that there was a certain style of fancy
dress (multi-colored, long sleeves, long length, etc.) among the Hebrews
that Joseph was given and his brothers had to settle for "homespun".  The
problem is that the terminology used for such a garmet gets "lost in
translation."  Imagine trying to translate the fashion term "bell-bottomed
jeans" into Greek/Hebrew.   You would likely end up with people thinking
that Joseph was wearing some sort of weird musical instrument.

I guess the way I would handle the issue would be to use what Eric Weiss
posted from Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan "a long colorful coat."  This gives both the
notion of brightly colored and of a long, formal style.

Bart Torbert
bart.torbert at ihsenergy.com


                                                                           
             ben.crick at argonet                                             
             .co.uk (Ben and                                               
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                                       Re: [B-Greek] Coat of what?         
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On Tue 13 Jan 2004 (08:19:43), bart.torbert at ihsenergy.com wrote:
> In Genesis 37:3 in the King James we get the notion that Joseph was
> given a "coat of mnay colors".  But other translations give all sorts
> of other readings.  We have a coat with long sleeves, there is a coat
> that reaches to the soles of the feet,, etc.
>
> How is this verse rendered in the LXX and what is the strictest sense
> of the phrasing.

 Dear Bart,

 This "coat of many colours" is a foreigh loan word K:ToNeT PaSSiYM,
 rendered
 in the LXX as CITWNA POIKILON (Brenton). The same word [CITWN] is used in
 2 Samuel 13:18 (2 Kings 13:18 LXX), with the adjective KARPWTOS "A
 variegated
 robe" (Brenton again); Hebrew K:ToNeT PaSSiYM. The word PaS may indicate
 the
 palms or the soles of the feet; so K:ToNeT PaSSiYM could indicate a
 garment
 reaching down to the feet, and with sleeves reaching to the palms of the
 hands. The NRSV renders it "a long robe with sleeves". So also in Genesis
 37:23 and 31. The basic meaning of CITWN in NT Greek is a tunic or a shirt
 (see BDAG). POIKILOS implies "of many kinds or aspects" (BDAG again).

 If you have access to a library, see WF Albright, /The Archeology of
 Palestine/, Pelican Books, 1949, p 209. It depicts a 20" frieze from the
 Beni
 Hassan tomb painting, circa 1890 BC. This shows a group of itinerant
 Semitic
 tinkers (men, women and children) visiting Egypt with their goats and
 donkeys
 (compare Genesis 43:24). They are carrying weapons for protection, a lyre
 for
 entertainment, and the tools of their trade. The men are dressed in long
 "coats of many colours", whereas the Egyptians in the picture are dressed
 in
 short white kilts.

 ERRWSQE

 Ben
--
 Revd Ben Crick BA CF, and Mrs Joanna (Goodwin) Crick  ZFC Yb
 <ben.crick at NOSPAM.argonet.co.uk>
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