[B-Greek] KAQWS GEGRAPTAI
Carl Conrad
cwconrad2 at mac.com
Sat Jun 11 20:54:47 EDT 2005
I have to confess that I don't find this suggestion at all compelling
either. I am fascinated by
the literary art of Mark the evangelist, but this is really NOT the
forum for discussion of that and
I would hope that we will not go any further down this line. We need
to stick to the text in
question and the immediate context.
As for IDOU, I'm not quite sure I'd even call it an imperative so
much as an interjection, like
French voici and voila\ which likewise originate as imperatives. The
IDOU is perfectly
natural in its place, is in the LXX text and is found in similar LXX
texts 1092x.
On Jun 11, 2005, at 3:05 PM, George F Somsel wrote:
> On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 12:43:30 -0400 Richard Richmond
> <rickr2889 at yahoo.com> writes:
> >
> > ====================================================================
> > IDOU EGW APOSTELLO TON AGGELON MOU PRO PROSWPOU SOU
> > Mark's use of the imperative here, direct address (as I argue) is
> > due
> > to the fact that the document - except for the part designations
> > (Chorus, Leader, first,and second actors etc.) has the exact form of
> >
> > a trilogy of plays like those entered in competition at Greek
> > Theaters during the period. This is not the forum to discuss this so
> >
> > I will address the issue from the point of the Greek text.
> >
> > Mark is aware of the passages associated with his direct address in
> >
> > the Exodus text, in Malachi and in Isaiah (all are presented here).
> >
> > I am sure he has them in mind but his structure indicates that he
> > intends to use the statement about sending his messenger as though
> > he
> > were announcing the beginning of a play or advance of his document
> > to
> > a intended recipient. Performed or in written form, his document
> > will
> > be sent to the angel of each of the other churches. Angel being the
> >
> > one who can read and write.The same use of AGGELON can be found in
> >
> > the opening chapter of Revelation.
> >
> > He refers to his written message as his angel (messenger) which he
> > is
> > sending or (being performed in play format) PROSWPOU before the face
> >
> > of his reader or audience. PROSWPOU is a clue to the nature of the
> >
> > document. It is the exact word for the mask the actors would wear in
> >
> > the play. We can verify Mark’s understanding of this word by the
> > fact that he makes use of the antonym in a powerful way in his text;
> >
> > that being OPISW. This word was used in Greek Theater to indicate
> > the
> > face behind the mask. The text in question when seen as direct
> > address functions effectively either in text or play form, On the
> > one
> > hand it would be before the face of the reader in the community on
> >
> > the other hand it will be before the face of his audience.
> >
> ======================================================================
> ==
> This is not the first time that I have encountered a suggestion of
> dramatic composition in regard to some writing of the NT. Such has
> also been suggested for the Apocalypse. I believe, if my
> recollection is accurate that it has even been suggested for Isaiah
> in the OT. I haven't found these suggestions to be particularly
> compelling. The fact that Mk uses both PROSWPON and OPISW don't
> require the conclusion that this is a dramatic composition or that
> he is using the words in the sense in which they were used in
> drama. In Mk OPISW occurs in six passages.
>
> 1. ERXETAI hO ISXUROTEROS MOU OPISW MOU used by Jn Bpt. of Christ
> in 1.7
> 2. DEUTE OPISW MOU in the Markan acct of Simon & Andrew in 1.17
> 3. KAI AFENTES . . . APHLQON OPISW AUTOU in the continuation of the
> above 1.20
> 4. EPETIMHSEN PETRWi KAI LEGEI, hUPAGE OPISW MOU, SATANA Does this
> need comment? 8.33
> 5. EI TIS QELEI OPISW MOU AKOLOUQEIN . . . a statement of Christ
> regarding the prerequisites of discipleship 8.34
> 6. KAI hO EIS TON AGRON MH EPISTREYATW EIS TA OPISW a warning to
> not return to recover property in the cataclism -- 13.16.
>
> None of these usages corresponds to the dramatic use of OPISW. I
> would therefore contend that neither should PROSWPOU.
>
> george
> gfsomsel
> ___________
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at ioa.com or cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/
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