[B-Greek] hAPTOMAI - touch vs. take hold of
Jeff Smelser
jeffsmelser at ntgreek.net
Sat Jan 15 14:04:17 EST 2005
Jeff Smelser here,
KAI IDOU LEPROS PROSELQWN PROSEKUNEI AUTWi LEGWN, KURIE, EAN QELHiS DUNASAI
ME KAQARISAI. KAI EKTEINAS THN CEIRA hHYATO AUTOU LEGWN, QELW KAQARISQHTI.
(Mt. 8:2-3a)
Why in such passages as Mt. 8:3, Mk. 1:41, Lk. 5:13 do we suppose hAPTOMAI
is "touch" rather than "take hold of"? Might it be equally arguable that
Jesus "took hold of" the leper, that the gesture associated with the miracle
was a strong one rather than a delicate one? See also Mt. 8:15, Mt. 9:20f,
etc.
Or is it sufficiently clear from non-biblical Greek that "touching" rather
than "taking hold of" was associated with divine blessing, as per BDAG on
hAPTW, paragraph 2c?
(Of course, in Mt. 9:29 and 20:34, "touched their eyes" makes much more
sense than "took hold of their eyes"!)
Jeff Smelser
www.ntgreek.net
www.centrevillechurchofchrist.org
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