[B-Greek] misunderstanding and relevance Jn 2:18-22

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Wed Jan 16 16:00:22 EST 2008


On Jan 16, 2008, at 12:11 PM, Steve Runge wrote:

> My comments were directed primarily at the pair of demonstratives  
> that follow, not so much the one in hO NAOS hOUTOS. It is important  
> to note that the lexeme hIERON is not used in the reported speech,  
> just in the narrative proper (vv. 14, 15). If one accepts this  
> distinction as salient, then Jesus is the one that is choosing the  
> term, and not making a change from some previous term that hOI  
> IOUDAIOI had been using. They in fact adopt the term that Jesus  
> introduced: NAOS (cf. vv. 19, 20, 21. From a cognitive point of  
> view, I think that the writer is seeking to clue the reader into  
> the semantic confusion that hOI IOUDAIOI exhibit by using both  
> lexemes, making the distinction clear for the reader. The  
> participants only ever use the one lexeme.


This a side issue but I am not really certain what to make of hIERON/ 
NAOS in this context. L.Morris a long time ago wrote a paper on  
John's habit of using alternative terms with identical reference. The  
fact that hOI IOUDAIOI in Jn's narrative adopt the term NAOS but then  
go on to say it took 46 years to construct might suggest that  
narrator didn't intend to draw a distinction between hIERON and NAOS.  
On the other hand it might be a signal that hOI IOUDAIOI were  
confused. I could read it either way.

Your other comments will take some thinking about.

thank you,

Elizabeth Kline







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