[B-Greek] Eph 1:15 Provisional Translation

Steve Puluka steve at puluka.com
Sat Apr 23 07:43:02 EDT 2005


 >> David Bielby wrote:
 >>
 >>> Ephesians 1:15- DIA TOUTO KAGW AKOUSAS THN KAQ UMAS PISTIN EN TW
 >>>  KURIW IHSOU KAI THN AGAPHN THN EIS PANTAS TOUS AGIOUS
 >>>
 >>> I have a provisional translation as this. Eph 1:15   "So when I
 >>> heard about your confidence in the master Jesus and affection for
 >>> all his devoted followers,"
 >>>
 >> Jim West wrote: "master" i like.  "Lord" is pretty much empty of
 >> meaning to we moderns.
 >
 > Carl W.Conrad wrote:
 >
 > I agree that "Lord" carries fundamentally the sense of a proper name.
 > On the other hand, "master" probably has connotations that aren't
 > appropriate (that would be an interesting focus of discussion in
 > itself, I rather think); I'm not altogether serious, but I wonder
 > about "boss" or "chief" or "commander."
 >

I'm swimming against the tide here, but I see Master and Lord as two
distinct concepts.  In liturgical Greek we consistently use three
honorific titles for the trinity in a multitude of prayers.  They are
KURIE, DESPOTA, and AGIW.  We typically English these are Lord, Master
and Holy One.  DESPOTA is also the term of address for a bishop.

I would argue that these terms when used as a title type of reference 
should be consistently translated across the board and remain distinct 
from each other.  If KURIE becomes master that what is DESPOTA?  What if 
they both occur in the same passage? There is certainly  a lot of 
semantic overlap between master and lord and the terms could be used 
synonomously for variety.  But even in that case I think the variety 
should be preserved in the translation.

-- 
Steve Puluka
Masters Student, SS Cyril & Methodius Seminary
Cantor, Holy Ghost Church, Mckees Rocks PA
http://www.puluka.com




More information about the B-Greek mailing list