[B-Greek] woman's veil ANTI
Amos Bender
bendersa at earthlink.net
Mon Jun 21 20:36:05 EDT 2004
Amos Bender
bendersa at earthlink.net
Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.
Dear Friends at B Greek,
I have been extensively studying Paul's teaching about women being covered as in 1 Cor 11:3-16. Since Paul in finishing his teaching then added "her hair is given to her for (ANTI) a covering (veil)", I feel it is quite important to learn what the Greek word ANTI might really here mean. Although the older Strong's Greek Lexicon says the word "ANTI" in rare situations can mean "in addition to", the newer Strong's Lexicon does not give that meaning at all. I would appreciate some help on this Greek word. In reading the below if I am wrong in some of my concepts about this Greek word, please correct me.
Concerning what I have already learned about the word ANTI, it appears to most often mean, opposition, conflict, this against that, exchange and replacement. Many times in the Greek Septuagint, ANTI is translated into the terms "instead of", "in the room of" and "in the place of". This shocked me. Many times it also is translated into the word "for" with the meaning of direct exchange as this being given for that. Statistics of this are given later. Note, although ANTI lesser times is translated as because, even therein it holds some meaning of exchange, such as in one thing being done because of another, and thus in response and exchange for it. ANTI in being translated as "because" also relates to the meaning of against, as one thing is being judged against another and thus being done because of and against it.
Our English words for and because can very properly pertain to describing purpose and usage, such as in the term "this fire is for and because of heat". Yet when the word Greek ANTI, is translated into the word for or because it appears even then ANTI is rarely speaking of purpose or usage, but rather is speaking of a direct reaction or exchange. Yet it is likely that a sideline meaning of ANTI could include purpose and usage. Any thoughts on this aspect? Thus Paul's quote "her hair is given to her for (ANTI) a covering (veil)" need not merely be saying her hair is given to her for the purpose of a covering (veil), but rather could be speaking of a particular association or conflict between woman's long hair and a veil.
The fact that our English word anti which means opposition as in antigovernment, is believed to derive from the Greek word ANTI, very much also indicates that ANTI normally pertains to opposition and disagreement. Although I have found ANTI to mostly mean opposition, exchange and replacement, yet I also found a few verses where "ANTI" is used as a prefix in Greek words meaning alikeness. It appears this is done in the context of speaking of something being made against another thing as being made against and from that pattern. Hebrews 9:24 and 1 Peter 3:21 use the word ANTITUPA(ON), which word means a copy or figure of another thing. The Septuagint Apocrypha similarly uses the word ANTIGRAF* in speaking of a copy of a writing. Although the word ANTI in speaking of a copy does not hold the meaning of conflict and opposition, yet even in that usage it significantly has the meaning of instead and against, as a copy is had instead of the original and made against it. The word against can mean opposition but can also mean a basis and footing for.
Another relevant Scripture is John 1:16 which reads, "And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for (ANTI) grace". Although ANTI as in this Scripture could mean grace and favor in direct exchange for the same, yet it also might pertain to an addition of grace being poured out upon and against the existing grace, and thus here significantly include the meaning of agreement, addition, and combination. Although here a sideline meaning of ANTI seems to include the aspect of agreement, addition, and combination, yet it appears this occurrence with the word ANTI is rare as the older Strong's Lexicon states.
Now I was wondering if any one could tell me of other Greek Scriptures where the word ANTI might mean oneness, addition, and combination, rather than mean exchange, replacement, or opposition. To understand the word ANTI is very important in understanding Paul's statement, "for her hair is given to her ANTI a covering (veil PERIBOLAIOU)". It makes a lot of difference if Paul was saying woman's long hair is given to her instead of and in opposition to a veil, or was saying her long hair is given to her in agreement with and in addition to a veil. Some translations rather then reading "for a covering" read "instead of a covering".
Note, if the word ANTI is used very rarely in the Greek Scriptures to denote alikeness, although it is used hundreds of times in the Greek Scriptures in speaking of opposition and direct exchange and replacement and thus normally means such, this very much must be considered in examining Paul's statement "for her hair is given to her ANTI a covering (veil PERIBOLAIOU)". According to my study in the Greek New Testament, most often when ANTI is used as a prefix in a word, the resulting Greek word pertains to strife, conflict, and argument. (Strong's Enhanced Lexicon words G473-500)
Could Paul have appropriately used the word ANTITUPA(ON) or some other Greek word, rather than the word ANTI, if he meant to teach that a woman's long hair is given to her in addition to and with correspondence to a veil (PERIBOLAIOU), and thus was expecting both to be employed in special worship? ANTI seems to be a strange and unfitting word to use to try to teach that both long hair and a veil are expected since ANTI in itself most always is used in speaking of direct exchange, replacement, or opposition.
I also would like to know how the words ANT and ANQ relate to ANTI. The Logos Bible program searches for these three words as though they were all the same word. Is their some special connection in their Greek spelling that makes them largely the same word? Yet when each word is searched alone, some notable differences do reveal themselves. The word ANTI appears 170 times in the Septuagint. Out of these 170 times about 1/2 of the time it is translated as "for" as in direct exchange (this for that), and about 1/3 of the time it is translated as "instead of or in the room of", while much lesser times it is also translated as "because". Yet the word ANT (which appears around 100 times in the Septuagint) is basically always translated as "instead", while the word ANQ (which appears around 100 times in the Septuagint) is basically always translated as "because". It appears the word ANTI might be sort of a blend between the words ANQ and ANT. Note, this is comparing the Septuagint with the KJV.
I was raised in a conservative religious society where women's long hair, which Paul spoke of as being a glory and covering to woman, not only is masked and veiled in special worship but basically all the time, and seemingly all because of 1 Cor 11:3-16. In this religious setting it appears woman's long hair really is more of a nuisance and curse to woman than a glory to her, as it generally is never visible anyway, but yet must be keep very long, and which bulky hair then must be kept untangled, clean, dry, and yet hidden as though it were some kind of evil, and which all takes significant effort.
I now am wondering if Paul in this Scripture was even requesting that women be veiled in worship. I am wondering if Paul rather was speaking of longer hair being a needed and appropriate covering for women in public worship, while therewith at the end of his teaching condemning the ancient secluding veil which was worn by women in ancient heathen religions. Note, some issues beyond the word ANTI point to this possibility. I in studying the word ANTI as in the phrase "her hair is given to her ANTI a covering (veil)" was totally shocked in learning how the Septuagint most often and so often uses it in the sense of replacement and exchange, and shocked to see how ANTI means opposition insomuch that our English word anti as in antigovernment even derives from it. Any help concerning the word ANTI, or any relevant Greek text in this Scripture would be much appreciated. Note, I do not want to argue what Paul meant in this Scripture on this site, but I do wish to rightly perceive the word ANTI and wish to rightly understand this Scripture. 1470
God Bless
Amos Bender
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