[B-Greek] Romans 1:14 OFEILETHS

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Wed Jun 30 09:14:41 EDT 2004


At 6:25 PM -0500 6/29/04, David Bielby wrote:
>Two quick questions:  Are there any implications or possible alternatives to
>the translation of OFEILETHS in Romans 1:14 (other than to tranlate it as 'I
>am obligated' or a similar sense?  More broadly when I wish to check the
>option chosen by some translators, what resources focused on Romans are best
>to purchase.  Specifically GNT exegetical commentaries, would any of you be
>able to recommend a 'five star' commentary on Romans in the GNT text for a
>little Greek Pastor whose primary goal is to preach the gospel?

I'll leave the other question of resources to others equipped with better
or more accessible library resources. But the word OFEILETHS is indeed
interesting. The text in question is Rom 1:14 hELLHSIN TE KAI BARBAROIS,
SOFOIS TE KAI ANOHTOIS OFEILETHS EIMI.

It was probably Friedrich Nietzsche in The Genealogy of Morals who first or
at least most incisively called attention to the semantic associations
between financial and moral obligations, and the BDAG entry on OFEILETHS
cited below amply demonstrates that OFEILETHS may run the semantic gamut
from referring to one who has borrowed an obol or a talent--to one who has
incurred a debt of gratitude for favors rendered--to one who is liable for
negligent or deliberate wrongdoing, either in view of the law or in view of
another/other person(s) or in view of God--and hence may mean "sinner."

Of course it is true that in Rom 1;14 OFEILETHS EIMI is essentially
equivlent to OFEILW, "I am obliged, I owe it (to Greeks as well as
non-Greeks, sages as well as fools)." On the other hand, the Paul's usage
of the agent noun and copula rather than the verb of obligation suggests
emphasis upon himself as one who bears that obligation rather than upon the
obligation he bears. So we could reasonably suggest, "I am charged with a
duty ..." and I think we might reasonably infer such a sense as "I am
answerable to God if I should fail to carry out this mission ..." Surely
that is consistent with what he asserts elsewhere of his understanding of
his apostolate. And I'm inclined to think that any discussion beyond that
gets more into translation strategies and beyond understanding what the
Greek says or implies.

OFEILETHS, OU, hO (OFEILW Soph. et al.; BGU 954, 22; En 6:3 EGW MONOS
OFEILETHS hAMARTIAS MEGALHS? TestJob 11:12).
	1. one who is in debt in a monetary sense, debtor (Pla., Leg. 5,
736d; Plut. et al.) w. the amount of the debt given in the gen. OFEILETHS
MURIWN TALANTWN who owed ten thousand talents Mt 18:24 (s. TALANTON).
	2. one who is under obligation in a moral or social sense, one
under obligation, one liable for, ext. of 1.
	a. debtor PANTES OFEILETAI ESMEN hAMARTIAS we are all debtors in
the matter of sin Pol 6:1.
	b. one who is obligated  to do someth. OFEILETHN EINAI be under
obligation w. gen. or dat. of pers. or thing to whom (which) one is
obligated (B-D-F §190, 1; Rob. 537 al.): w. gen. of pers. obligated to
someone Ro 15:27. W. dat. of pers. 1:14; 8:12. That which one is obligated
to do stands in the gen. OFEILETAI ESMEN OU THi SARKI TOU KATA SARKA ZHN we
are under obligation but not to the flesh, to live according to its demands
Ro 8:12 (s. B-D-F §400, 2; Rob. 1076). The simple inf. (Soph., Aj. 590) is
found instead of the articular inf. in the gen.: OFEILETHS ESTIN hOLON TON
NOMON POIHSAI Gal 5:3.
	c. one who is guilty of a misdeed, one who is culpable, at fault
	a. in relation to pers., w. gen. of the one against whom the
misdeed was committed AFHKAMEN TOIS OFEILETAIS hHMWN we have forgiven our
debtors, i. e., those who are guilty of sin against us Mt 6:12; cp. D 8:2.
{p. 743}
	b. in relation to God, sinner (cp. Lk 13:4 w. vs. 2 hAMARTWLOI)
abs. hOTI AUTOI OFEILETAI EGENONTO PARA PANTAS TOUS ANQRWPOUS that they
were sinners to a greater degree than all the other people Lk 13:4.-Betz,
SM p. 400 n. 479 (lit). DELG s.v. ojfei÷lw. M-M. TW.
-- 

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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