[B-Greek] KATABOLH SPERMATOS/WN (was "Translating Hebrews 11:11")

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Thu Apr 30 16:04:36 EDT 2009


In my oriiginal post I was simply trying to offer ;the text of some of  
the citations offered by BDAG in support of the sense "sowing seed"  
for KATABOLH SPERMATOS. It didn't occur to me but should have to take  
a look at LSJ. Now I've done so:

LSJ s.v. KATABALLW:

One of the special uses cited is:
throw down seed, sow, Men. Georg.37, cf. καταβλητέον; κ.  
τὸ σπέρμα, of the male, Epicur.Nat.908.1:—Pass., Placit. 
5.7.4, Sor.1.33, Ocell.4.14: metaph., σπέρμα κ. τοιούτων  
πραγμάτων D.24.154; κ. φάτιν ὡς . . spread abroad a  
rumour, Hdt.1.122, cf.E.HF758(lyr.).

That's the verb; here's the LSJ entry for the noun KATABOLH:

καταβολ-ή, ἡ,
throwing down: hence, sowing, Corp.Herm.9.6; esp. of begetting, κ.  
σπέρματος, σπερμάτων, Philol.13, Luc.Am.19, cf.  
Ep.Hebr.11.11, Arr.Epict.1.13.3; ἡ Ῥωμύλου σπορὰ  
καὶ κ. Plu.2.320b.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
On Apr 30, 2009, at 9:02 AM, Carl Conrad wrote:

>
> 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.


More information about the B-Greek mailing list