[B-Greek] 1Tim2:12 - man or husband?

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Sun Apr 20 07:05:55 EDT 2008


On Apr 19, 2008, at 7:25 PM, b-greek at global4.freeserve.co.uk wrote:

> Hi everyone
>
> I've read a few authors who say that the use of the genitive singular
> ANDROS in this verse means that this should be translated as husband  
> (as
> opposed to simply "man").  The use of GUNAIKI therefore refers to wife
> (rather than simply "woman").  This then puts this passage in a
> different light than most common translations, as it is refering the
> relationship between a husband and wife, rather than between men and
> women in general.
>
> Can anyone comment on why the use of the genitive singular in this
> context leads to this conclusion (if indeed it does), and whether
> "husband" is a more suitable translation than "man" in this passage?

The use of the genitive singular has nothing to do with whether ANDROS  
means "male" or "husband"; its simply the expected case form of the  
complement for verbs of exercise of authority such as KRATEIN, ARCEIN,  
EXOUSIAZEIN.

For my part, I think that whether one understands ANDROS to mean  
"male" or "husband" has more to do with the assumptions one brings to  
bear upon this passage than it does with what the Greek text and  
context actually says. The context (1 Tim 2:8-15) would seem to focus  
on the different behaviors that are appropriate to men and women in  
the congregation rather than on marital relationships.

> If this topic has been addressed in the archives, please point me to  
> the
> appropriate one.  I am a group newbie and I did read that there was a
> search engine for the archives, but could not find it.  Please let me
> know how to access it.

It has been discussed ad nauseam, albeit not that recently. Here's  
what I drew in a Google search for AUQENTEIN in the BG Archives:
http://www.google.com/cse?cx=012625948438005725972:uzqrf4eolla&cof=FORID:0&q=AUQENTEIN
= http://tinyurl.com/4w5ahs

> Many thanks in advance
>
> Adrian

B-Greek protocol requires that posters to the list should identify  
themselves with a full name. I tried to send an off-list note about  
this, but your spam filter blocked it. I don't much care to fill in a  
registration form in order to communicate administrivia, which is why  
I've included this private message within the public response.


Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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