[B-Greek] APWSATO PROEGNW functional antonyms in ROM. 11:2 ?

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Thu Dec 6 00:28:25 EST 2007


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elizabeth Kline" <kline_dekooning at earthlink.net>
To: "greek B-Greek" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 6. december 2007 00:54
Subject: [B-Greek] APWSATO PROEGNW functional antonyms in ROM. 11:2 ?


> ROM. 11:1 LEGW OUN, MH APWSATO hO QEOS TON LAON AUTOU; MH GENOITO:
> KAI GAR EGW ISRAHLITHS EIMI, EK SPERMATOS ABRAAM, FULHS BENIAMIN.  2
> OUK APWSATO hO QEOS TON LAON AUTOU hON PROEGNW. H OUK OIDATE EN HLIAi
> TI LEGEI hH GRAFH, hWS ENTUGCANEI TWi QEWi KATA TOU ISRAHL;
>
> T.Shreiner Rom. BECNT p.580 "... PROEGNW clearly functions as the
> antonym of APWSATO. The later verb means 'rejected' and thus the
> former means 'selected.'"

The way to zero in on the meaning of PROEGNW can hardly be to start off with the assumption that it 
is an antonym for APWSATO, but should be based on usage of this word elsewhere. In my understanding 
of the Biblical and Jewish context of "knowing" somebody, it has more to do with a close 
relationship than with simple intellectual knowledge. So, I would understand PROEGNW to mean that 
God has had a close (but turbulent) relationship with hO LAOS AUTOU (his people - the Jewish nation) 
for a very long time already, and he is not just going to turn his back on them or completely reject 
them og give up on them - APWQEW, even if the majority of them have rejected him.
Yes, somebody might think that God ought to give up after having tried so many times with little 
success, but Paul is saying no, and he offers at least two reasons. First, Paul himself is an 
example of an antagonist that God did not give up on. The second reason is that Elijah once gave up 
on them, but in spite of that, God didn't (1 Kings 19)
Most English versions give the literal translation "foreknew" which I don't understand the meaning 
of. REB seems to be close when it says: "God has not rejected the people *he acknowledged of old as 
his own.*" I can see that this is not far from "chose" as some other versions have it, but I don't 
think "select" is quite the right sense for this word in this context.

Iver Larsen




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