[B-Greek] EX hENOS [hAIMATOS], Acts 17:26

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Mon Nov 12 09:33:36 EST 2007


Obviously, you are using the Byzantine Majority textform which reads  
   
  εποιησεν τε εξ ενος αιματος παν εθνος ανθρωπων κατοικειν επι παν το προσωπον της γης ορισας προστεταγμενους καιρους και τας οροθεσιας της κατοικιας αυτων 
  
EPOIHSEN TE EC 
  
The Critical Text reads
   
  ἐποίησέν τε ἐξ ἑνὸς πᾶν ἔθνος ἀνθρώπων κατοικεῖν ἐπὶ παντὸς προσώπου τῆς γῆς, ὁρίσας προστεταγμένους καιροὺς καὶ τὰς ὁροθεσίας τῆς κατοικίας αὐτῶν 
  
EPOIHSEN TE EC hENOS PAN EQNOS ANQRWPWN KATOIKEIN EPI PANTOS PROSOPOU THS GHS, hORISAS PROSTETAGMENOUS KAIROUS KAI TAS hOROQESIAS THS KATOIKIAS AUTWN
  Metzger notes in his _Textual Commentary_ regarding this
   
17.26     ἐξ ἑνός EC hENOS {B}

  The Western text, with the support of a wide range of early versions and patristic witnesses, adds αἵματος after ἑνός hENOS. This reading passed into the Textus Receptus and lies behind the AV In support of the longer text is the palaeographical consideration that αἵματος hAIMATOS may have been accidentally omitted because it ends in the same letters as the preceding ἑνός hENOS. It is also possible, though perhaps not probable, that someone deliberately deleted the word, since it appears to contradict the statement in Genesis that God made man from dust — not blood (Gn 2.7). Likewise, there is some force in the consideration that αἵματος hAIMATOS is not a very natural gloss on ἑνός hENOS — for that one would have expected ἀνθρώπου ANQRWPOU or something similar.

  On the other hand, a majority of the Committee was impressed by the external evidence supporting the shorter text, and judged that αἵματος hAIMATOS was a typical expansion so characteristic of the Western reviser.
   
  Metzger, B. M., & United Bible Societies. (1994). A textual commentary on the Greek New Testament, second edition a companion volume to the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament (4th rev. ed.) (404). London; New York: United Bible Societies.
   
  The greater support seems to be for the reading of the Critical Text as cited by Tischendorff
  εξ ενος EC ENOS sine additam cum אAB 13. 14* 27. 29. 40. 61. 96. escr vg 

  Novum Testamentum graece. 1869-94 (C. v. Tischendorf, C. R. Gregory & E. Abbot, Ed.) (2:154). Lipsiae: Giesecke & Devrient.
   
  Text critical questions aside, however, my initial impression before I had even bothered to look at the full text was to think of the use of εἷς, μία, ἕν in the Apocalypse.  In several places it is used simply as a work-around for the lack of an indefinite article in Greek.  I cite but one example from Re 9.13
   
Καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἤκουσα ἑνὸς ἀετοῦ πετομένου ἐν μεσουρανήματι λέγοντος φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· οὐαὶ οὐαὶ οὐαὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐκ τῶν λοιπῶν φωνῶν τῆς σάλπιγγος τῶν τριῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν
 μελλόντων σαλπίζειν.
   
  KAI EIDON, KAI HKOUSA hENOS AETOU PETOMENOU EN MESOURANHMATI LEGONTOS FWNHi MEGALHi OUAI OUAI TOUS KATOIKOUNTAS EPI THS GHS EK TWN LOIPWN FWNWN THS SALPIGGOS TWN TRIWN AGGELWN TWN MELLONTWN SALPIZEIN
  
Here the intent is not to use ἑνὸς hENOS strictly as a number.  It would seem that in the Byz Maj textform this is NOT what was intended.  I think it would definitely be emphasizing "ONE blood", i.e. a sense more in keeping with LSJ's entry under αἷμα hAIMA
   
  III. blood relationship, kin, αἷ. τε καὶ γένος Od.8.583; αἵματός εἰς ἀγαθοῖο 4.611; οὶ σῆς ἐξ αἵματός εἰσι γενέθλης Il.19.111; τὸ αἷ. τινος his blood or origin, Pi.N.11.34; αἷ. ἐμφύλιον incestuous kinship, S.OT1406; τοὺς πρὸς αἵματος Id.Aj.1305, cf. Arist.Pol.1262a11; μητρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἐν αἵματι akin to her by blood,
 A.Eu.606, cf. Th.141; ἀφ᾽ αἵματος ὑμετέρου S.OC245; of the Hyperboreans, πολυχρονιώτατον αἶ. Call.Fr.67.7 Pf., Del.282.
   
  Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996). A Greek-English lexicon. "With a revised supplement, 1996." (Rev. and augm. throughout) (38). Oxford; New York: Clarendon Press; Oxford University Press.
   
  The sense would then be to emphasize the common ancestry of all mankind.
   
  george
gfsomsel
   
  Therefore, O faithful Christian, search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death. 
___________

Webb Mealy <webb at selftest.net> wrote:
  I wonder if EX hENOS hAIMATOS (the Western reading) can mean "from the blood
of one man", rather than "from one blood". Any comments? Would it have to
have read, EX hAIMATOS hENOS ?



Webb Mealy

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george
gfsomsel

Therefore, O faithful Christian, search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death.

 - Jan Hus
_________
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