[B-Greek] KATABOLH SPERMATOS/WN (was "Translating Hebrews 11:11")
Carl Conrad
cwconrad2 at mac.com
Thu Apr 30 09:02:40 EDT 2009
On Apr 30, 2009, at 1:17 AM, Iver Larsen wrote:
>
> But if I can be given parallel constructions to EIS KATABOLHN
> SPERMATOS from Hellenistic sources, I
> am very willing to reconsider. I do not dispute that the reference
> includes conception, but it is
> more than that. It also includes the birth (a concept made explicit
> by some later mss) and the fact
> that Isaac again had children and so on.
For Iver and any others who want to look at evidence for the phrase as
a "technical term," I have looked up some of the citations referred to
in the BDAG article on KATABOLH; there were several others from
Plutarch, Resp. Ath., etc. I've cited the larger Greek context and
have only transliterated the focal phraseology in each of these
passages.
Here is #2 of the BDAG entry on KATABOLH:
2. κ., a t.t. for the sowing of seed, used of begetting
(τοῦ σπέρματος [εἰς γῆν ἢ μήτραν M. Ant.
4, 36]: Plut., Mor. 320b σπορὰ κ. καταβολή of the
procreation of Romulus by Ares and Silvia; 905e; Ps.-Lucian, Amor. 19;
Galen, Aphorism. 4, 1, XVII/2, 653 K.; cp. Philo, Op. M. 132; Epict.
1, 13, 3; Herm. Wr. 9, 6; Ath., R. 17 p. 69, 6 σπερμάτων
καταβολήν; s. Field, Notes 232). If this mng. is correct for
Hb 11:11, there is prob. some error in the text, since this expression
could not be used of Sarah, but only of Abraham (e.g. αὐτῇ
Σάρρᾳ=‘together w. Sarah’ is read by W-H. margin;
Riggenbach; Michel; B-D-F §194, 1. This use of the dat. is found in
Thu., X. et al., also Diod. S. 20, 76, 1; Appian, Samn. 7 §2;
Polyaenus 6, 18, 2; 7, 15, 3; 8, 28; Theod. Prodr. 6, 148 H. αὐτῇ
Ῥοδάνῃ). Windisch, Hdb. ad loc. and s. αἷμα 1a.—MBlack,
An Aramaic Approach3, ’67, 83–89.—DELG s.v. βάλλω. M-M.
EDNT. TW.
And here are a few of the cited passasges from Hellensitic authors:
M. Antoninus Aurelius 4. 36 36.1. Θεώρει διηνεκῶς
πάντα κατὰ μεταβολὴν γινόμενα καὶ
ἐθίζου ἐννοεῖν, ὅτι οὐδὲν οὕτως
φιλεῖ ἡ τῶν ὅλων φύσις ὡς τὸ τὰ
ὄντα μεταβάλλειν καὶ ποιεῖν νέα
ὅμοια. σπέρμα γὰρ τρόπον τινὰ πᾶν
τὸ ὂν τοῦ ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐσομένου, σὺ δὲ
μόνα σπέρματα φαντάζῃ τὰ εἰς γῆν ἢ
μήτραν καταβαλλόμενα, τοῦτο δὲ λίαν
ἰδιωτικόν. (N.B. SPERMATA TA EIS GHN H MHTRAN KATABALLOMENA)
Ps.-Lucian Amor 19 ὁ δὲ τῇ δεξιᾷ τὸ πρόσωπον
ἀνατρίψας ἡσυχῇ 2 καὶ μικρὸν
ἐπισχὼν ἄρχεται τῇδέ πῃ, Σέ,
δέσποινα, 3 τῶν ὑπὲρ σοῦ λόγων,
Ἀφροδίτη, σὲ βοηθὸν αἱ ἐμαὶ 4
δεήσεις καλοῦσιν· ἅπαντι μὲν γὰρ
ἔργῳ κἂν βραχὺ 5 τῆς ἰδίας πειθοῦς
ἐπιστάξῃς, τελειότατόν ἐστιν, οἱ
δ’ 6 ἐρωτικοὶ λόγοι περιττῶς σοῦ
δέονται· σὺ γὰρ αὐτῶν 7 γνησιωτάτη
μήτηρ. ἴθι δὴ γυναιξὶν συνήγορος ἡ 8
θήλεια, χάρισαι δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀνδράσι
μένειν ἄρρεσιν, 9 ὡς ἐγεννήθησαν.
ἔγωγ’ οὖν εὐθὺς ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ λόγου
10 τὴν προμήτορα καὶ πάσης γενέσεως
πρωτόρριζον ὧν 11 ἀξιῶ μάρτυρα
ἐπικαλοῦμαι, λέγω δὲ τὴν ἱερὰν τῶν
12 ὅλων φύσιν, ἣ τὰ πρῶτα πηξαμένη
στοιχεῖα τοῦ 13 κόσμου γῆν ἀέρα πῦρ
ὕδωρ τῇ πρὸς ἄλληλα τούτων 14
ἐπικράσει πᾶν ἐζῳογόνησεν ἔμψυχον.
ἐπισταμένη δ’ 15 ὅτι θνητῆς ἐσμὲν
ὕλης δημιούργημα καὶ βραχὺς 16
χρόνος ὁ τοῦ ζῆν ἑκάστῳ
καθείμαρται, τὴν ἑτέρου 17 φθορὰν
ἄλλου γένεσιν ἐμηχανήσατο καὶ τῷ
θνῄσκοντι 18 τὸ τικτόμενον
ἀντεμέτρησεν, ἵνα ταῖς παρ’
ἀλλήλων 19 διαδοχαῖς εἰς τὸν ἀεὶ
χρόνον ζῶμεν. ἐπεὶ δ’ ἦν ἄπορον 20
ἐξ ἑνός τι γεννᾶσθαι, διπλῆν ἐν
ἑκάστῳ φύσιν 21 ἐμηχανήσατο· τοῖς
μὲν γὰρ ἄρρεσιν ἰδίας καταβολὰς 22
σπερμάτων χαρισαμένη, τὸ θῆλυ δ’
ὥσπερ γονῆς τι 23 δοχεῖον [ἀγγεῖον]
ἀποφήνασα, κοινὸν οὖν ἀμφοτέρῳ
γένει πόθον ἐγκερασαμένη
συνέζευξεν ἀλλήλοις, 25 θεσμὸν
ἀνάγκης ὅσιον καταγράψασα μένειν
ἐπὶ τῆς 26 ἰδίας φύσεως ἑκάτερον,
καὶ μήτε τὸ θῆλυ παρὰ 27 φύσιν
ἀρρενοῦσθαι μήτε τἄρρεν ἀπρεπῶς
μαλακίζεσθαι. διὰ τοῦθ’ αἱ σὺν
γυναιξὶν ἀνδρῶν ὁμιλίαι 29 μέχρι
δεῦρο τὸν ἀνθρώπινον βίον
ἀθανάτοις διαδοχαῖς φυλάττουσιν·
οὐδεὶς δ’ ἀνὴρ ἀπ’ ἀνδρὸς αὐχεῖ 31
γενέσθαι. δυοῖν δ’ ὀνομάτοιν
σεβασμίοιν πᾶσαι τιμαὶ 32 μένουσιν
ἐξ ἴσου πατρὶ μητέρα προσκυνούντων.
(N.B. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἄρρεσιν ἰδίας
καταβολὰς 22 σπερμάτων χαρισαμένη TOIS
MEN GAR ARRESIN IDIAS KATABOLAS SPERMATWN CARISAMENH).
Philo, Op. M. 132 τὰ δὲ τῆς νοτίδος οὐκ
ἐώσης ἀφαυαινομένην κατὰ τρύφη
μικρὰ καὶ μεγάλα θρύπτεσθαι. μία
μὲν αἰτία ἥδε, 2 λεκτέον δὲ καὶ
ἑτέραν στοχαζομένην ὥσπερ σκοποῦ
τῆς ἀληθείας· οὐδὲν 3 τῶν γηγενῶν
ἄνευ ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας συνίστασθαι
πέφυκε· μηνύουσι δ’ αἱ 4 καταβολαὶ
τῶν σπερμάτων, ἅπερ ἢ ὑγρά ἐστιν,
ὡς τὰ τῶν ζῴων, ἢ 5 οὐκ ἄνευ
ὑγρότητος βλαστάνει, τοιαῦτα δὲ τὰ
τῶν φυτῶν ἐστιν· ἐξ οὗ 6 δῆλον ὅτι
ἀνάγκη τὴν λεχθεῖσαν ὑγρὰν οὐσίαν
μέρος εἶναι γῆς τῆς 7 πάντα
τικτούσης, καθάπερ ταῖς γυναιξὶ τὴν
φορὰν τῶν καταμηνίων· (N. B. οὐδὲν 3
τῶν γηγενῶν ἄνευ ὑγρᾶς οὐσίας
συνίστασθαι πέφυκε· μηνύουσι δ’ αἱ 4
καταβολαὶ τῶν σπερμάτων, ἅπερ ἢ
ὑγρά ἐστιν, ὡς τὰ τῶν ζῴων OUDEN TWN GEGENWN
hUGRAIS OUSIAS SUNISTASQAI PEFUKE; MHNUOUSI D' hAI KATABOLAI TWN
SPERMATWN, hAPER H hUGRA ESTIN, hWS TA TWN ZWWN ... "
Epict. 1, 13, 3 Πυθομένου δέ τινος, πῶς
ἔστιν ἐσθίειν ἀρεστῶς 2 θεοῖς, Εἰ
δικαίως ἔστιν, ἔφη, καὶ εὐγνωμόνως
καὶ ἴσως 3 ἐγκρατῶς καὶ κοσμίως, οὐκ
ἔστι καὶ ἀρεστῶς τοῖς θεοῖς; .2.ὅταν
δὲ θερμὸν αἰτήσαντός σου μὴ
ὑπακούσῃ ὁ παῖς ἢ 2 ὑπακούσας
χλιαρώτερον ἐνέγκῃ ἢ μηδ’ εὑρεθῇ
ἐν τῇ 3 οἰκίᾳ, τὸ μὴ χαλεπαίνειν
μηδὲ ῥήγνυσθαι οὐκ ἔστιν .3ἀρεστὸν
τοῖς θεοῖς; { — } Πῶς οὖν τις
ἀνάσχηται τῶν 2 τοιούτων; { — }
Ἀνδράποδον, οὐκ ἀνέξῃ τοῦ ἀδελφ οῦ
τοῦ 3 σαυτοῦ, ὃς ἔχει τὸν Δία
πρόγονον, ὥσπερ υἱὸς ἐκ τῶν 4 αὐτῶν
σπερμάτων γέγονεν καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς
ἄνωθεν καταβολῆς, ἀλλ’ εἰ ἔν τινι
τοιαύτῃ χώρᾳ κατετάγης
ὑπερεχούσῃ, εὐθὺς τύραννον
καταστήσεις σεαυτόν; οὐ μεμνήσῃ τί
εἶ καὶ τίνων ἄρχεις; ὅτι συγγενῶν,
ὅτι ἀδελφῶν .5 φύσει, ὅτι τοῦ Διὸς
ἀπογόνων; { — } Ἀλλ’ ὠνὴν αὐτῶν 2
ἔχω, ἐκεῖνοι δ’ ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἔχουσιν.
{ — } Ὁρᾷς ποῦ βλέπεις; 3 ὅτι εἰς τὴν
γῆν, ὅτι εἰς τὸ βάραθρον, ὅτι εἰς
τοὺς ταλαιπώρους τούτους νόμους
τοὺς τῶν νεκρῶν, εἰς δὲ 5 τοὺς τῶν
θεῶν οὐ βλέπεις; (N.B. ὥσπερ υἱὸς ἐκ
τῶν 4 αὐτῶν σπερμάτων γέγονεν καὶ
τῆς αὐτῆς ἄνωθεν καταβολῆς hWSPER hUIOS EK
TWN AUTWN SPERMATWN GEGONEN KAI THS AUTHS ANWQEN KATABOLHS),
The other texts cited by BDAG for SPERMATWN KATABOLH, should anyone
care to look them up, are Plurarch, Moralia 320b, Plutarch, Moralia
905e, Galen, Aphorism 4, 1, XV((/2, 653K, Hermetica 9, 6 and Ath. R.
17 p. 69, 6. If that last is Aristotle's Constitution of Athens, then
we'd have to call it early Hellenistic, but I still think it would be
relevant.
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
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