[B-Greek] translation of Mark 5:7

Curtis Hinson curtis at curtishinson.com
Thu Oct 27 08:02:16 EDT 2005


Greetings Dan,

You could consider trying out some more colloquial, dynamic English 
translations to see how that goes.  Using the hypens does not reflect 
the way the sentences occur to the Greek-speaking mind, which are as 
fluent, fluid contructions.  I doubt they do much to enhance your 
understanding of the Greek either.

___....TI EMOI KAI SOI IHSOU UIE TOU QEOU TOU UYISTOU
He cried out loudly, "What do you want from me, Jesus, son of the God 
most high?

(A historic or narrative present.)  I like your use of "implore", that 
captures the text very well.  Now regarding your question, TI EMOI KAI 
SOI, this is a common Semitism in Judeo-Greek (Jewish Koine).  "What of 
you and me" would be a so-called "literal" way to look at it, which 
itself is a translation, mah liy walakh.  It IS a colloquial expression 
though and there is no point in translating it "literally" into 
English.  I would render it as, "What do you want with me?" or "What 
have you got to do with me?" or something to that effect. 

(One thought: is UIE TOU QEOU UYISTOU a divine circumlocution by the 
demon?  How might that sound in Aramaic or Hebrew?  Is the name/power 
game (as in Mesopotamian culture) going on between the demon and Jesus?  
I wrote something on this text once, I might send it over to you later.)

Bless the Name
Curtis Hinson
http://curtishinson.com

Daveat168 at aol.com wrote the following on 10/26/2005 7:21 PM:

><< KAI KRACAS FWNH MEGALH LEGEI ...
>And crying-out to-sound great he-says ...
>
>TI ___ EMOI KAI SOI IHSOU UIE TOU QEOU TOU UYISTOU
>What ... to-me and to-you Jesus son of-the most-high God!
>he goes on to say ... I implore you, by God, don't torture me!
>
>My question is, how to translate the first part of what the demoniac says to
>Jesus.
>
>Are the words ... TI ___ EMOI KAI SOI ... a colloquial expression?
>Many bibles translate ... TI ___ EMOI KAI SOI ... as "What have I to do with
>you"
>To me, I think this paraphrase is not accurate.
>
>It seems to me that the expession ... TI EMOI KAI SOI ... is missing a verb
>but that the verb is implied and supposedly obvious.
>
>Is this a text ellipsis? - I don't think so.
>Was the text purposely written this way? - I think it was.
>If I am correct, what would be a good candidate for the missing verb?
>
>Dan Gleason
>
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>Dear Friend,
>   I have been working on the Latin for my project, and Like you, I have discovered that verbs are frequently omitted.  Usually the omitted verb is either obvious from context, or a form of 'esse' = 'to be', often in the impersonal form, 'there is/are/was/were'.
>If we take your puzzling phrase, and insert the impersonal verb, we get: 
>What [is there] to-me and to-you Jesus son of-the most-high God!
>or:
>What [is there] [between] me and you Jesus son of-the most-high God!
>or:
>What have we to do with thee.........
>
>
>  
>




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