[B-Greek] ARRABWN engagement ring

Bryant J. Williams III bjwvmw at com-pair.net
Mon Feb 12 22:07:07 EST 2007


George,

I wonder, then, since the passages of Genesis 38 are not referring to an
"engagement ring," but  are referring to the "signet ring" that refers to
the identity of the holder of the ring as one who has authority? This would
be true since it is a "staff and ring" that are handed over to show
ownership and identity.

Rev. Bryant J. Williams III

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George F Somsel" <gfsomsel at yahoo.com>
To: "Mitch Larramore" <mitchlarramore at yahoo.com>; "B Greek"
<b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 6:00 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] ARRABWN engagement ring


> Mitch,
>
> When I began checking this, I first checked in BDAG.  There I found that
it is a Semitic loan word -- ("RfBoWN in Hebrew.  I then checked in the
massoretic text of the OT and in the LXX.  I found the Hebrew word used 3
times in Genesis -- 38.17, 18, 20 and ARRABWN was used in the same places in
the LXX.  While it is possible that it might have been used to translate
another word as well, this seems not to have been the case.  In NT ARRABWN
is also used 3 times -- 2 Cor 1.22; 5.5 and Eph 1.14.  Surprisingly, it is
used already by Aristotle in his Politics though not in the sense of
"wedding ring" and about a century earlier by the orator Isaeus.  It is also
used by other Greek writers such as Plutarch, but again, not in the sense of
"wedding ring."  It further passed into Latin and French.  In the Genesis
passage in which it is used it signifies the objects which Judah gave Tamar
as a pledge when he thought she was a prostitute.
>
>
> george
> gfsomsel
> _________
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Mitch Larramore <mitchlarramore at yahoo.com>
> To: B Greek <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Monday, February 12, 2007 7:44:19 PM
> Subject: [B-Greek] ARRABWN engagement ring
>
>
> I've checked the archives and found the answer to the
> following question...for the most part. It was asked
> by someone if ARRABWN meant an engagement ring, and
> someone cited its use as such a ring, but only in
> Modern Greek. I note that ARRABWN is also listed as
> meaning a 'pledge' in ancient Greek. So, I just wanted
> to see if someone has ever bothered to determine
> (confirm?) the first time this word was in fact used
> for the engagement ring (or the entire engagement
> ceremony). Since ARRABWN can be used of a pledge in
> ancient Greek, it would seem like a word that could
> have been used of an engagement ring. I guess my
> question boils down to two elements:
>
> 1. what's the first attested reading of ARRABWN as
> 'engagement ring'?
>
> 2. is ARRABWN, when used of a pledge, ever found in
> ancient Greek in the context of an engagement ceremony?
>
> Mitch Larramore
> Sugar Land, Texas
>
>
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
________
> Don't pick lemons.
> See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.
> http://autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
> B-Greek mailing list
> B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
>
>
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
> http://new.mail.yahoo.com
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
> B-Greek mailing list
> B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
>
> For your security this Message has been checked for Viruses as a courtesy
of Com-Pair Services!
>
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.17.36/681 - Release Date: 2/11/07
6:50 PM
>
>


For your security this Message has been checked for Viruses as a courtesy of Com-Pair Services!




More information about the B-Greek mailing list