[B-Greek] Jn 2:4 TI EMOI KAI SOI, GUNAI
David McKay
david.mckay at ozemail.com.au
Thu Mar 31 23:53:05 EST 2005
There is an interesting exchange on this passage in Interpretation Journal
volume 1 no 3 and volume 1 no 4. I think this was published in 1947. [I've
only got printouts with some details lacking.] The first one contains an
article by R B Woodworth in which he says that the bible translators have
got it wrong, and he is about to show Moffatt, Weymouth, Goodspeed and
others how it should be rendered.
I was persuaded by his arguments, until I read Edgar J. Goodspeed's stinging
reply!
Woodworth contends that Jesus means "That's no concern of ours" and was not
rebuking Mary. Goodspeed says that Woodworth has not followed himself the
advice he gives to the venerable translators he takes issue with. For one
thing, he only managed to correctly reproduce 3 of the 8 he discussed!
Goodspeed's own rendering is "Do not try to direct me." Note that he leaves
out a rendering of GUNAI, for fear that its harshness in English would
mislead the modern reader.
Goodspeed says that every time this phrase is used, whether in the LXX or
NT, it is expressing protest, warning or hostility. He says that he used "Do
not try to direct me" for this passage, partly because of what followed in
the story in John 2.
David McKay
www.davidmckay.info
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