[B-Greek] Question about Acts 17:25

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Sat Feb 23 08:56:41 EST 2008


On Feb 23, 2008, at 7:38 AM, Chad Bonawitz wrote:

> I am just studying Greek on my own and ran into a question I can't  
> figure
> out when studying Acts 17:25 where the word therapeuo is translated as
> "worshiped" - I noticed that EVERY other place in the N.T. it is  
> translated
> as "healing", "healed", "heal", "cure", "cured" except for this one  
> place -
> Why is this? What is the meaning of this translation in this  
> passage? Thank
> You - Chad

Acts 17:25 οὐδὲ ὑπὸ χειρῶν ἀνθρωπίνων  
θεραπεύεται προσδεόμενός τινος,  
αὐτὸς διδοὺς πᾶσι ζωὴν καὶ πνοὴν  
καὶ τὰ πάντα·
OUDE hUPO CEIRWN ANQRWPINWN QERAPEUETAI PROSDEOMENOS TINOS, AUTOS  
DIDOUS PASI ZWHN KAI PNOHN KAI TA PANTA;

The word QERAPEUW means essentially "tend to the needs of, be of  
service to, take care of."
I would question "worshipped" as a translation in Acts 17:25, where  
the sense seems not so much to be votive adoration but rather  
attendance to needs.

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






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