[B-Greek] John 7:15 re GRAMMATA

Dan Gleason dan-bgreek at hotmail.com
Tue Nov 1 13:04:33 EST 2005


John 7:15 re GRAMMATA

Thomas J. Kraus wrote:
Dear Colleagues, I am writing a brief study about the phrase PWS hOUTOS 
GRAMMATA  OIDEN MH MEMAQHKWS (how does this one know letters without having 
learned  [them]) in reference to (il)literacy in late antiquity (as I once 
did for Acts  4:13 on the basis of formulae in documentary papyri).

Dr Carl Conrad answered: what the Greek text itself says doesn't really seem 
to be in dispute.

DG: I looked at the greek text for this verse today and I am having a 
problem with the last part of it. Is the following a correct translation? 
...

Jn 7:15 ... Therefore the Jews were marveling, saying ...

PWS hOUTOS GRAMMATA OIDEN MH MEMAQHKWS.
How does this man know LETTERS not having known them.

Re the word GRAMMATA,  a greek lexicon says
"to write, with reference to the form of the letters, to delineate (or form) 
letters on a tablet, parchment, paper, or other material."

Is the text referring to Hebrew Letters or Greek Letters (or both) which in 
turn points to some kind of special teaching (a formula or superstition like 
letters equaling numbers).

My translation takes into consideration John 7:31 where some in the crowd 
were saying about his teaching that "The Christ" (xristos) would do more 
SIGNS (shmeia) than Jesus.

Dan Gleason

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