[B-Greek] EN TWi EQNEI MOU Acts 26:4--what nation?
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Tue Dec 11 02:22:30 EST 2007
I think that is an excellent question, and especially interesting for translators. Comments below:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Webb Mealy" <webb at selftest.net>
To: "'Biblical Greek'" <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 11. december 2007 07:46
Subject: [B-Greek] EN TWi EQNEI MOU Acts 26:4--what nation?
EN TWi EQNEI MOU EN TE hIEROSOLUMOIS (Acts 26:4)
Surely the expression EN TWi EQNEI MOU here means among the Jewish people,
as opposed, for example, to among the Cicilians? I wasn’t surprised to find
that Lattimore, not an expert on matters of Judaism or New Testament
studies, translated the phrase,
“both in my own country and in Jerusalem”,
presumably being influenced by the information in Acts that Paul was born in
Tarsus (Acts 22:3). But I can’t imagine a Jew saying TO EQNOS
MOU—particularly to another Jew, even a “half-Jew” like Agrippa—and meaning
anything other than the people of Israel. Right?? But then again, no less a
translation than TEV renders it, “at first in my own country and then in
Jerusalem”.
__________________________________
Iver: Paul is quoted as using the phrase TO EQNOS MOU three times in his various defense speeches.
Act 24:17: EIS TO EQNOS MOU PAREGENOMHN - I came to my own people (group)
Act 26:4: EN TWi EQNEI MOU EN TE hIEROSOLUMOIS - among my own people (and) in Jerusalem
Act 28:19 OUC hWS TOU EQNOUS MOU ECWN TI KATHGOREIN - not that I have anything to accuse my own
people of
I agree that the phrase refers in all cases to Paul's own people group, the Jews.
Why did NIV, TEV, NCV and CEV then translate is as "in my own country"? It is hard to say, but TEV
added a few words not in the text:
"at first in my own country and then in Jerusalem." They apparently took the two expressions EN TWi
EQNEI MOU and EN hIEROSOLUMOIS as contrastive and separate both in time and space.
However, the Greek TE usually has an "overlapping" rather than contrastive sense, and there is
nothing against taking the two expressions as complementing each other so he is talking about his
own people, the Jews, in Jerusalem where he from he was a young man (or big boy) studied in a Torah
school under Gamaliel. This fits best with his comment that the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem who are
now accusing him, have known him and his conduct from his youth.
Iver Larsen
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