[B-Greek] ANTI in Heb. 12:2 = local metaphor?

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Tue Jun 5 16:23:35 EDT 2007


On Jun 5, 2007, at 3:56 PM, Webb wrote:

> .IHSOUN, hOS ANTI THS PROKEIMENHS AUTWi CARAS hUPEMEINEN STAURON  
> (Heb. 12:2)
>
> I'm not very happy with "For the joy set before him", and the like,  
> because
> it just doesn't seem to be what ANTI means. On the other hand,  
> "instead of
> the joy that lay before him" seems peculiar for the author to say.  
> I have to
> say that what comes to my imagination when I read this sentence is  
> something
> to the effect that Jesus metaphorically stands on one side of the  
> cross, and
> his joy lies opposite him on the other side, and to get there he  
> has to
> cross (sic) the cross. Reading the sentence that way, the  
> implication would
> be that Jesus, in order to get to the joy that lies on the opposite  
> side of
> the cross from him, endures the cross.
>
> I see that HH made some comments on this verse recently, among  
> which is
> this:
>
> The fact that Jesus is given as the supreme example [of endurance]  
> suggests
> that he also ran a race with a goal set before him.
>
> I wonder if they had steeplechase-like races in the ancient  
> Mediterranean
> world-in which case maybe the author could be seeing Jesus' joy  
> facing him
> on the other side of the hazard of the cross in his race.
>
>
>
> Thoughts, anyone?

I see nothing to fault in understanding ANTI here in sense 4 of the  
BDAG entry: "indicating the reason for someth., because of, for the  
purpose of, ANTI TOUTOU for this reason Eph 5:31. W. attraction of  
the rel.ANQ’ hWN  in return for which=because (Soph., Ant. 1068; X.,  
An. 1, 3, 4; OGI 90, 35 [196 BC]; PLeid D I, 21; LXX; AscIs 2:14;  
Jos., Ant. 17, 201; SibOr 5, 68; B-D-F §294, 4) Lk 1:20; 19:44; Ac  
12:23; 2 Th 2:10."

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad2 at mac.com
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/





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