[B-Greek] PARARREW's root word (in Hebrews 2:1)?

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Tue Feb 5 06:04:47 EST 2008


Westcott notes the nautical imagery in his Hebrews commentary -- "The idea is not that of simple forgetfulness, but of being swept along past the sure anchorage which is within reach" (p. 37).  Lane in the WBC notes

"The peril against which the community is asked to guard is that of drifting off course (μήποτε παραρυῶμεν). If it is proper to recognize (with Teodorico, RevistB 6 [1958] 33–39) a nautical overtone in προσέχειν, “to hold a ship toward port, or to fasten the anchors to the sea bed,” the image of a drifting ship, carried by the current beyond a fixed point, furnished a vivid metaphor for the failure to keep a firm grip on the truth through carelessness and lack of concern. In Prov 3:21 (LXX) παραρρεῖν signifies to lose sight of advice and wisdom. The writer warns his readers that they are in danger of losing sight of the reality of Christian salvation" (p. 37).






On the other hand, Moffatt in his ICC commentary notes

"The verb may have lost its figurative meaning, and may have been simply an equivalent for “going wrong,” like “labi” in Latin (cp. Cicero, De Officiis, i. 6, “labi autem, errare … malum et turpe ducimus”). Anyhow προσέχειν must not be taken in a nautical sense ( = moor), in order to round off the “drift away” of παραρέω, a term which carries a sombre significance here ( = παραπίπτειν, 6:8); μήποτε παραρυῶμεν, τουτέστι μὴ ἀπολώμεθα, μὴ ἐκπέσωμεν (Chrysostom)" (p. 18).

Yet Ellingworth in the NIGTC references the image

"Παραρέω** is the spelling in most NT manuscripts, rather than the older παραρρέω (LSJ; MHT 2.102, 192f.) The verb is used in a similar way in Pr. 3:21, in a passage quoted in Heb. 12:5f.: υἱέ μὴ παραρρυῇς. In neither case does παραρέω have an object, so the meaning is more probably “drift away” than “let (wisdom, or Christian truth) slip away” from the persons addressed. Neither in Pr. 3:21 nor in Heb. 2:1 is there any suggestion of a ship drifting past the entrance to a harbour. This image is found in Philo (Gig. 13; Quaest. in Ex. 2.13), but without παραρέω. (The examples quoted in LSJ are predominantly psychological, suggesting that the metaphor of flowing was dead or dying.) Barclay’s translation “shipwreck” thus seems unfounded. The meaning overlaps with ἀμελέω in v. 3, and ὑστερέω in 4:1. Chrysostom, quoted in Riggenbach, paraphrases as
 ἀπολώμεθα ... ἐκπέσωμεν, but these terms are blunter than the author’s actual language at this point in the discussion. See I. H. Marshall 1969.134; Ballarini 1978.362; Mugridge; Oberholzer" (pp. 136-37). 


Attridge in Hermeneia seems to favor the nautical usage


"In the call to greater attention, lest the addressees “slip away” (παραρυῶμεν), the language is rare and the image vague. The verb, the basic meaning of which is “flow beside,” appears twice in the LXX, meaning “flow” or “slip away.” There may be a hint of a nautical metaphor, according to which the addressees ought not, as ships, slip by the goal of their voyage, the safe harbor of salvation. If there is a specific metaphor involved, it is not fully developed. What the language certainly suggests is that Christians by neglecting their heritage may miss the opportunity to be part of that “unshakeable kingdom” that Christ inaugurates (12:28*) and may remain instead in a state of constant flux" (p. 64).


I tend to agree, however, with Moffatt that the figure has lost the nautical reference.   In LSJ  many other usages are noted which have no relationship to nautical themes.


παραρρέω [PARARREW], aor. -ερρύην [-ERRUHN] (v. infr.): pf. -ερρύηκα [-ERRUHKA] (v. infr.):—flow beside, by, or past, τὴν Νίνον [THN NINON] Hdt.2.150; τὰς Πλαταιάς [TAS PLATAIAS] Str.9.2.31; παρὰ πόλιν [PARA POLIN] Hdt.6.20, etc.: abs., Hp.Aër.6: prov., ὕδωρ παραρρέει [hUDWR PRARREEI], of those who promise to spare no effort, Cratin.60, cf. Lib.Ep.109.2.

II. slip off or out, εἴ τί μοι τόξων .. παρερρύηκεν [EI TI MOI TOCWN … PARERRUHKEN] S.Ph.653; ὅτῳ μὴ παραρρυείη [ἡ χιών] [[OTWi MH PARARRUEIH [hH XIWN] ]] whom it did not slip off, X.An.4.4.11: metaph., πολλὰ ὑμῖν παρέρρει [POLLA hUMIN PARERREI] many points escaped you, Pl.Lg.781a; φιλοσοφίαν καὶ ῥητορικὴν παρερρυηκυίας [FILOSOFIAN KAI hRHTORIKHN PARERRUHKUIAS] having disappeared from memory, Gp.Prooem.4.

2. of persons, π. τῶν φρενῶν slip away from one’s senses, Eup.357.6; abs., drift from course, err, υἱὲ μὴ παραρρυῇς [hUIE MH PARARRUHiS] LxxPr.3.21; μήποτε παραρρυῶμεν [MHPOTE PARARRUWMEN] Ep.Hebr.2.1.

III. run off, Arist.Pr.866a9; π. παρὰ (v.l. πρὸς) τὴν ἀρτηρίαν [P. PARA (v.l. PROS) THN ARTHRIAN] slip into the windpipe, Id.PA664b29.

2. slip in unawares or by stealth, λόγοι παρερρυήκασι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ψευδεῖς [LOGOI PARERRUHKASI PROS hHMAS YEUDEIS] D.13.16; παραρρυεὶς ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸν νεών [PARARRUEIS ANQRWPOS EIS TON NEWN] Plu.2.969e; ὅθεν παρερρύηκεν ὁ τοιοῦτος λόγος [hOQEN PARERRUHKEN hO TOIOUTOS LOGOS] Theon Prog.6; εἴ τι ἐν τῷ τῆς ποιήσεως δρόμῳ παραρρυὲν λάθῃ [EI TI EN TWi THS POIHSEWS DRWMWi PARARRUEN LAQHi] any irregularity which slips in, Luc.Hes.5.

IV. φωναὶ σαθραὶ καὶ παρερρυηκυῖαι [FWNAI SAQRAI KAI PARERRUHKUIAI] cracked and unsteady, Arist.Aud.804a32.




Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996). A Greek-English lexicon. "With a revised supplement, 1996." (Rev. and augm. throughout) (1322). Oxford;  New York: Clarendon Press;  Oxford University Press.
















While the nautical image is interesting, I think too much indicates
that to understand it in that one sense would be selecting one usage
from the midst of a number of competing usages to understand it.





 
george
gfsomsel 
… search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death.
 
 - Jan Hus
_________

----- Original Message ----
From: Elizabeth Kline <kline_dekooning at earthlink.net>
To: greek B-Greek <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 3, 2008 5:42:15 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] PARARREW's root word (in Hebrews 2:1)?



On 
Feb 
3, 
2008, 
at 
1:18 
PM, 
Elizabeth 
Kline 
wrote:

> 
Another 
issue 
is 
the 
live/dead 
metaphor 
question 
which 
is 
somewhat  
> 
related 
to 
your 
question. 
Since 
we 
find 
the 
metaphor 
weakened 
long  
> 
before 
the 
GNT 
I 
would 
be 
inclined 
to 
agree 
with 
Ellingworth 
and  
> 
Spicq 
(Heb.Comm.) 
that 
this 
is 
a 
dead 
metaphor 
in 
Heb 
2:1 
contra  
> 
B.F.Westcott 
and 
others.
>
> 
LSJ:1996, 
p1322 
"slip 
off 
or 
out" 
Soph. 
Ph. 
653
>
> 
EI 
MOI 
TI 
TOXWN 
TWND' 
APHMELHMENON
> 
PARERRUHKEN, 
hWS 
LIPW 
MH 
TWi 
LABEIN.
>
> 
See 
also 
LSJ:1996 
supp. 
p240 
"drift 
from 
course, 
err."
>
> 
The 
word 
is 
also 
found 
in 
LXX 
PRO. 
3:21 
and 
IS. 
44:4
>
> 
PRO. 
3:21 
hUIE 
MH 
PARARRUHiS 
THRHSON 
DE 
EMHN 
BOULHN 
KAI 
ENNOIAN
>
> 
IS. 
44:4 
KAI 
ANATELOUSIN 
hWSEI 
CORTOS 
ANA 
MESON 
hUDATOS 
KAI 
hWS  
> 
ITEA 
EPI 
PARARREON 
hUDWR
>
> 
The 
Isa. 
44:4 
appears 
at 
first 
glance 
to 
support 
the 
live 
metaphor  
> 
reading 
whereas 
for 
PRO. 
3:21 
LEH 
gives 
"to 
be 
careless, 
to 
neglect"

HEB. 
2:1 
DIA 
TOUTO 
DEI 
PERISSOTERWS 
PROSECEIN 
hHMAS 
TOIS 
AKOUSQEISIN,  
MHPOTE 
PARARUWMEN.

C.Koester:2001 
(Hebrews 
AB 
p205) 
argues 
that 
PROSECEIN 
ane 
PARARUWMEN  
combine 
to 
create 
a 
nautical 
metaphor 
since 
"PROSECEIN 
was 
sometimes  
used 
for 
holding 
a 
ship 
on 
course 
toward 
port 
(LSJ,1512)". 
PROSECEIN  
appears 
to 
be 
used 
frequently 
in 
a 
cognitive 
sense 
in 
the 
GNT 
(LN  
31.47, 
Danker 
(BDAG) 
879-880). 
One 
might 
argue 
that 
behind 
the  
cognitive 
sense 
there 
was 
a 
nautical 
metaphor 
lurking 
somewhere 
in  
the 
shadows. 
I 
don't 
expect 
the 
nautical 
metaphor 
will 
disappear 
from  
the 
sermon 
notes 
any 
time 
soon.



Elizabeth 
Kline




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