[B-Greek] 1 Corinthians 7:27 *LELUSAI* APO GUNAIKOS?

Jonathan Robie jwrobie at mindspring.com
Fri Jul 18 07:55:09 EDT 2008


I'm trying to understand the meaning of λέλυσαι ἀπὸ γυναικός; (LELUSAI 
APO GUNAIKOS) in 1 Corinthians 7:27. Does the phrase λέλυσαι ἀπὸ 
γυναικός (LHLUSAI APO GUNAIKOS) mean "released from a woman", as in 
divorced, or just "free of a woman"? Translations go both ways. In other 
words, is a previous state of marriage presumed?

Here's the context:

1 Corinthians 7:26
Νομίζω οὖν τοῦτο καλὸν ὑπάρχειν διὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην,
ὅτι καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ τὸ οὕτως εἶναι.
27 δέδεσαι γυναικί;
μὴ ζήτει λύσιν
λέλυσαι ἀπὸ γυναικός;
μὴ ζήτει γυναῖκα.
28 ἐὰν δὲ καὶ γαμήσῃς,
οὐχ ἥμαρτες
καὶ ἐὰν γήμῃ ἡ παρθένος,
οὐχ ἥμαρτεν.
θλῖψιν δὲ τῇ σαρκὶ ἕξουσιν οἱ τοιοῦτοι,
ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομα

1 Corinthians 7:26
NOMIZW OUN TOUTO KALON hUPARCEIN DIA THN ENESTWSAN ANAGKHN,
hOTI KALON ANQRWPWi TO hOUTWS EINAI.
27 dEDESAI GUNAIKI;
MH ZHTEI LUSIN
LELUSAI APO GUNAIKOS;
MH ZHTEI GUNAIKA.
28 EAN DE KAI GAMHSHiS,
OUC hHMARTES
KAI EAN GHMHi hH PARQENOS,
OUC hHMARTEN.
QLIYIN DE THi SARKI hEXOUSIN hOI TOIOUTOI,
EGW DE hUMWN FEIDOMAI.


BDAG has a note in the entry for LUW for 1 Corinthians 7:27. Honestly, I 
don't completely grasp it:
> a previous state of being 'bound' need not be assumed, cp Chion, Ep. 
> 7,3 LHLUMENWS=[speak] in an unrestrained manner.See also Simplicius in 
> Epict. p. 129, 3: 'one who does not found a family is EULUTOS', i.e. 
> free). The pf. pass. ptc. 1Mg12:1 is the negation of DEDEMAI, i.e. 
> unbound. On 1Sm 6:2 s. comm. by WBauer. EK instead of APO.: L. TINA EK 
> TWN hAMARTWN free someone from sins.

I think that LELUSAI is perfect, and that Danker is saying this perfect 
form may reflect the current state without reference to a definite past 
state of having been bound, giving examples of perfects that can be 
taken this way. Did I get his point? So it sounds like Danker, at least, 
would not see this as a clear reference to people who have been married, 
but no longer are?

Jonathan



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