[B-Greek] PEIRAZW--"Dare"? (Acts 24:6)

Mark Lightman lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Fri Dec 7 11:15:02 EST 2007


Certainly PEIRAZW with the infinitive CAN mean "to attempt
  without success," and it DOES mean this in e.g. Acts 9:29
  (Paul tried without success to be joined to the Disciples)
  but Webb's point is that it does not HAVE to mean this, if
  the context suggests he actually profaned the Temple.  I'm
  not sure if PEIRAZW with the infinitive can mean "I dare"
  in the same sense as TOLMAW.  If so, I would go with that,
  but with just a quick look I could not find any examples of 
  this.  As far as "he tempted (God or the Temple) BY 
  profaning it," I'm not sure the bare infinitive would 
  compliment PEIRAZW in this sense; it seems like
  you would expect a participle.  But I think Webb is on
  to something.  I'm not sure why Tertullus would be
  making the point that Paul failed to profane the 
  Temple.  If anyone can find an instance of 
  PEIRAZW with the infinitive meaning "I dare" or 
  "I tempt by X," I would agree with Webb.  Even if not, I
  still think it is possible it means that here.  Context is for me 
  the deciding factor. 
   
  Mark L.
   
  "Did Achilles know that some of his dipthongs were spurious?"

"Jeffrey B. Gibson" <jgibson000 at comcast.net> wrote:
  

Webb Mealy wrote:

> hOS [PAULOS] KAI TO hIERON EPEIRASEN BEBHLWSAI, hON KAI EKRATHSAMEN (Acts
> 24:6)
>
>
>
> When I read the words EPEIRASEN BEBHLWSAI here, the impression I get is,
>
>
>
> “He even dared to profane the Temple, but we caught him”.
>
>
>
> I’m rather surprised that no other translation in front of me reads it this
> way. I guess the assumptions behind this rendering are:
>
>
>
> 1. They were accusing Paul of having brought Gentiles into the Temple
> precincts reserved for Jews—which, if true, was not an attempt, but an
> actual desecration.
>
> 2. I tend to think that TO hIERON EPEIRASEN BEBHLWSAI can read as “he
> tempted the Temple by profaning it”, the Temple being metonymous for God.
>
>
>
> Comments?
>

When PEIRAZW/EKPEIRAZW is used with an infinitive it means "try/attempt to do
X".

Jeffrey
--
Jeffrey B. Gibson, D.Phil. (Oxon)
1500 W. Pratt Blvd.
Chicago, Illinois
e-mail jgibson000 at comcast.net


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