[B-Greek] Hebrews 1:8

George F. Somsel gfsomsel at juno.com
Wed Jun 30 00:40:26 EDT 2004


On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 03:46:15 +0000 (UTC) Dan Parker
<stoixein at sdf.lonestar.org> writes:
> > On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 11:59:51 +1000 Mark Saward 
> <msaward at bigpond.net.au>
> > writes:
> > > Hi,
> > > 
> > > In the Jehovah's Witnesses translation, the New World 
> Translation 
> > > (of which I have heard numerous criticisms), they translate the 
> start 
> > > of Hebrews 1:8 as:
> > > 
> 
> George said:
> > ______________
> > I find this translation a bit tendentious.  First, with regard to 
> their
> > "with reference to":  If this were the intent then one would tend 
> to
> > expect PERI rather than PROS DE TON hUION which we have here. 
> > Furthermore, it would be interesting to see what they did with 1.7 
> where
> > it reads KAI PROS MEN TOUS AGGELOUS LEGEI . . . since 1.8 is the
> > continuation of the MEN . . . DE clause.  This is clearly stating 
> that he
> > is speaking to the ones mentioned, not concerning them.  
> > gfsomsel
> 
> Dear George,
> You might be interested in the entry in BDAG for PROS, specifically 
> at
> Hebrews 1:7:
> 
>     3. e. to indicate a connection by marking a point of reference
>     , _with reference/regard to a. with reference to_ ... Heb 1:7
> 
> 
> You asked about verse 7.  Here is 7 and 8 together.
> 
>     7 Also, with reference to the angels he says: 
>    "And he makes his angels spirits, and his public 
>    servants a flame of fire." 8 But with reference to the Son: 
>    "God is your throne forever and ever, and [the] scepter 
>    of your kingdom is the scepter of uprightness.
> 
____________

I don't find the idea that PROS in 1.7 or 1.8 should be translated as
"concerning" even though it would potentially seem more natural in 1.7. 
LEGEI . . . PROS seems to always be "he said to . . ." rather than "he
said concerning . . ."  When PROS in used in the sense of "regarding" it
seems to have a direct object which is inanimate as in Mk 12.12 // Lk
20.19 or Lk 12.41.  In each instance PARABOLHN is the object of EIPEN --
thus EIPEN PARABOLHN PROS, he spoke a parable concerning.  In Heb 1.7 and
and 1.8, however, the object is not an inanimate thing such as PARABOLHN
but TOUS AGGELOUS and TON hUION.

george
gfsomsel



More information about the B-Greek mailing list