[B-Greek] KATECHW in Isaiah 40:22 (LXX)

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Sat Mar 15 21:46:42 EDT 2008


On Mar 15, 2008, at 9:31 PM, Hugh Donohoe Jr. wrote:

> Reading today in the Septuagint I came across Isaiah
> 40:22. I was checking my translations with Brenton's
> and Moises Silva's in the NETS. Here is the verse:
>
> hO KATECHWN TON GURON THS GHS KAI hOI ENOIKOUNTES EN
> AUTHi hWS AKRIDES hO STHSAS hWS KAMARAN TON OURANON
> KAI DIATEINAS hWS SKHNHN KATOIKEIN
>
> Brenton translated the first phrase "It is he that
> comprehends the circle of the earth...
>
> Silva has more understandably "It is he that holds the
> circle of the earth...
>
> KATECHW has many meanings as the listing from LSJM
> below shows. Both Silva and Brenton translate KATECHW
> differently than the Hebrew (yashab) which has a "sit"
> or "dwell" idea. Most English translations of this
> verb go with a sits or enthroned idea. I have said all
> this to ask, can anyone explain Benton's translation
> of KATECHW.

Brenton's translation of KATECW? Probably sense II.8 "master,  
understand" -- this is a common Stoic usage of KATECW.

>
>
> Here is the LSJM entry:
>
> I. trans. to hold fast, Hes.
> 2. to hold back, withhold, Hom.:-to check, restrain,
> control, bridle, Hdt., Att.:-Pass. to be held down, to
> be bound, kept under, Hdt.
> 3. to detain, Id., Xen.:-Pass. to be detained, to
> stay, stop, tarry, Hdt., Soph.
> II. to have in possession, possess, occupy, Trag.
> 2. of sound, to fill, avlalhtw/| pedi,on kate,cousi
> Il.; kÅ strato,pedon dusfhmi,aij to fill it with his
> grievous cries, Soph.
> 3. biota.n k. to continue a life, Id.
> 4. to occupy, be spread over, cover, nu.x kate,cV
> ouvrano,n Od.; h`me,ra ka,tesce gai/an Aesch.:-in
> Med., kate,sceto pro,swpa covered her face, Od.
> 5. of the grave, to confine, cover, Hom.
> 6. of conditions and the like, to hold down,
> overpower, oppress, afflict, Od., Soph.:-of
> circumstances, to occupy or engage one, Hdt.
> 7. to occupy, in right of conquest, Id., Soph., etc.
> 8. to master, understand, Plat.
> 9. in Pass., of persons, to be possessed, inspired,
> Xen., Plat.
> III. to follow close upon, press hard, Lat. urgere,
> Xen.
> IV. to bring a ship to land, bring it in or to, Hdt.
> B. intr.:
> 1. (sub. e`auto,n) to control oneself, Soph.,
> Plat.:-to hold, stop, cease, of the wind, Ar.
> 2. to come from the high sea to shore, put in, h.
> Hom., Hdt., Att.
> 3. to prevail, o` lo,goj kate,cei the report prevails,
> is rife, Thuc.; seismoi. kat. earthquakes prevail, are
> frequent, Id.
> 4. to have the upper hand, Theogn., Arist.
> C. Med. to keep back for oneself, embezzle, Hdt.
> 2. to cover oneself, v. supr. A. 11. 4.
> 3. to hold, contain, Polyb.
> II. the aor. med. is also used like a Pass., to be
> stopped, to stop, Od.:- katasco,menoj subdued, Pind.

The Greek didn't come through properly in this pasted material.

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






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