[B-Greek] KAQWS
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at ioa.com
Fri Jun 10 21:22:12 EDT 2005
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 17:46:38 -0700 (PDT)
Forwarded for: Richard Richmond <rickr2889 at yahoo.com>
ARCH TOU EUAGGELIOU IHSOU CRISTOU hUIOU QEOU KAQWS GEGRAPTAI EN TWi
HSA TWi PROFHTHi IDOU APOSTELLW TON AGGELON MOU PRO PROSWPOU SOU hOS
KATASKEUASEI THN hODON SOU
Most translators present the text as though KAQWS were intended to
introducea quotation. My position is that it is not so intended but
rather compares the good news about Jesus Christ Son of God with the
good news found in the prophesy of Isaiah.
Beginning, the gospel of Jesus Christ as it stands written in Isaiah
the prophet
These are the reasons I translate KAQWS opening lines of Mark as I
did in the earlier post. My evidence comes only from the text of Mark
itself. I learned long ago that one must look at grammar first and
foremost in the document in question. In manuscript work you first
have to recreate and record the alphabet of the document as it
appears in the hand of the writer before you can begin to work with
the text. How anyone else in any other document forms letters or
positions words and phrases is of no use whatever. You also have to
catalog the various forms and habits used by the scribe. Likewise in
a broader scope one must concentrate on the grammar of the writer
within the context of his work. It is precisely that sort of frame of
reference out of which I discuss Mark’s use of the compound
conjunction KAQWS and also of emphatic words and phrases.
I can demonstrate his methods over the course of his document not
just in one instance with one verse. I would argue that how
conjunctions are used elsewhere in the New Testament have little
bearing on how Mark uses them.
I am saying that within the Gospel of Mark there is no other use
for KAQWS than to compare one thing with another. See
for yourself:
Mar 4:33
KAI TOIAUTAIS PARABOLAIS POLLAIS ELALEI AUTOIS TON LOGON KAQWS
HDUNANTO AKOUEIN
Mar 9:13
ALLA LEGW hUMIN hOTI KAI HLIAS ELHLUQEN KAI EPOIHSAN AUTWi hOSA
HQELON KAQWS GEGRAPTAI EP AUTON
Mar 11:6
hOI DE EIPAN AUTOIS KAQWS EIPEN hO IHSOUS KAI AFHKAN AUTOUS
Mar 14:16
KAI EXHLQON hOI MAQHTAI KAI HLQON EIS THN POLIN KAI hEURON KAQWS
EIPEN AUTOIS KAI hHTOIMASAN TO PASCA
Mar 14:21
hOTI hO MEN hUIOS TOU ANQRWPOU hUPAGEI KAQWS GEGRAPTAI PERI AUTOU
OUAI DE TWi ANQRWPWi EKEINWi DI hOU hO hUIOS TOU ANQRWPOU PARADIDOTAI
KALON AUTWi EI OUK EGENNHQH hO ANQRWPOS EKEINOS
Mar 15:8
KAI ANABAS hO OCLOS HRXATO AITEISQAI KAQWS EPOIEI AUTOIS
Mar 16:7
ALLA hUPAGETE EIPATE TOIS MAQHTAIS AUTOU KAI TWi PETRWi hOTI
PROAGEI hUMAS EIS THN GALILAIAN EKEI AUTON OYESQE KAQWS EIPEN hUMIN
What sort of argument stands up against the internal evidence of the
text of Mark? I can’t think of any that might cause me to think
differently on this issue and over many years I have tried.
Now there does happen to be a instance where the same prophet is
actually quoted in Mark.
Most translators present the text as though KAQWS were intended to
introduce
a quotation in the opening lines of Mark. My position is that it is
not so intended but rather compares the good news about Jesus Christ
Son of God with the good news found in the prophesy of Isaiah.
Lets look at a text where Mark actually does cite a passage from Isaiah:
hO DE EIPEN AUTOIS KALWS EPROFHTEUSEN HSA PERI hUMWN TWN
hUPOKRITWN
And he said to them well prophesied Isaiah concerning
you the hypocrites,
hWS GEGRAPTAI hOTI hOUTOS hO LAOS TOIS CEILESIN ME TIMAi hH
DE KARDIA
as it has been written [that] this people with the lips honors me but
the heart
AUTWN PORRW APECEI AP EMOU
Of them is far away from me
As you see, when the writer is actually introducing a quotation he
uses hWS.
To go further into that issue one can say that for Mark, the first
part of the compound conjunction KAQWS or kata signals the
progression from the first item of comparison to the second item.
When there is no first item, there is not compound comparative
conjunction. Again this conclusion bears out when one examines the
other occurrences of KAQWS in Mark. I do not want to minimize your
right to believe otherwise conserning the text, I merely want to
present my case and let the evidence speak for itself. I want to say
thank you to all who have participated in this disc ussion concerning
the opening lines of the Gospel of Mark.
Rev. Rick Richmond
26652 Osmun,
Madison Heights MI 48701
Rickr2889 at yahoo.com
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