[B-Greek] Titus 1:12-13

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Wed Dec 9 14:31:12 EST 2009


On Dec 9, 2009, at 6:16 AM, yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net wrote:

> Can the reel Paul, or, in this case, the writer of the letter to  
> Titus, tell a joke? Can he pose a conundrum? Can he speak with  
> irony? He says:
>
> 	εἶπέν τις ἐξ αὐτῶν ἴδιος αὐτῶν  
> προφήτης·
> 	Κρῆτες ἀεὶ ψεῦσται, κακὰ θηρία,  
> γαστέρες ἀργαί.
> 	ἡ μαρτυρία αὕτη ἐστὶν ἀληθής. δι᾿  
> ἣν αἰτίαν ἔλεγχε αὐτοὺς ἀποτόμως,  
> ἵνα ὑγιαίνωσιν ἐν τῇ πίστει,
> 	EIPEN TIS EX AUTWN IDIOS AUTWN PROFHTHS—
> 	KRHTES AEI YEUSTAI, KAKA QHRIA, GASTERES ARGAI.
> 	hH MARTURIA hAUTH ESTIN ALHQHS. DI hHN AITIAN ELEGCE AUTOUS  
> APOTOMWS, hHINA hUGIAINWSIN EN THi PISTEI


There is another potential indication of irony here which has been  
noted frequently (Mounce Past. Ep. WBC 398, Marshal   Past. Ep.ICC  
p201-202) . The expression KAKA QHRIA probably refers to wild beasts.  
According to Pliny Nat. Hist. 8.83 and Plutarch Mor. 86c Crete was  
known for its lack of wild beasts. In Tit. 1:12-13 KAKA QHRIA might be  
understood to suggest that hOI KRHTES were in some sense the wild  
beasts of Crete.

Plutarch Mor. 86b-c
.
  86.B.1  Ὁρῶ μὲν ὅτι τὸν πραότατον, ὦ  
Κορνήλιε Ποῦλχερ, πολιτείας ᾕρησαι  
τρόπον, ἐν ᾧ μάλιστα τοῖς κοινοῖς  
ὠφέλιμος ὢν ἀλυπότατον ἰδίᾳ τοῖς  
ἐν- 86.C.1 τυγχάνουσι παρέχεις σεαυτόν.  
ἐπεὶ δὲ χώραν μὲν ἄθηρον ὥσπερ  
ἱστοροῦσι τὴν Κρήτην εὑρεῖν ἔστι,  
πολιτεία δὲ μήτε φθόνον ἐνηνοχυῖα  
μήτε ζῆλον ἢ φιλονεικίαν, ἔχθρας  
γονιμώτατα πάθη, μέχρι νῦν 86.C.5 οὐ  
γέγονεν (ἀλλ' εἰ μηδὲν ἄλλο, ταῖς  
ἔχθραις αἱ φιλίαι συμπλέκουσιν  
ἡμᾶς· ὃ καὶ Χίλων ὁ σοφὸς νοήσας  
τὸν εἰπόντα μηδένα ἔχειν ἐχθρὸν  
ἠρώτησεν εἰ μηδὲ φίλον ἔχει), δοκεῖ  
μοι τά τ' ἄλλα περὶ ἐχθρῶν τῷ  
πολιτικῷ διεσκέφθαι προσήκειν καὶ  
τοῦ 86.C.10 Ξενοφῶντος ἀκηκοέναι μὴ  
παρέργως εἰπόντος ὅτι τοῦ νοῦν  
ἔχοντός ἐστι καὶ “ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχθρῶν  
ὠφε- λεῖσθαι.” ἅπερ οὖν εἰς τοῦτο  
πρῴην εἰπεῖν μοι παρέστη, συναγαγὼν  
ὁμοῦ τι τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὀνόμασιν  
ἀπέσταλκά σοι, φεισάμενος ὡς ἐνῆν  
μάλιστα τῶν   86.C.15 ἐν τοῖς Πολιτικοῖς  
Παραγγέλμασι γεγραμμένων, 86.D.1 ἐπεὶ  
κἀκεῖνο τὸ βιβλίον ὁρῶ σε πρόχειρον  
ἔχοντα πολλάκις.
.
86.B.1 hORW MEN hOTI TON PRAOTATON, W KORNHLIE POULCER, POLITEIAS  
hHiRHSAI TROPON, EN hWi MALISTA TOIS KOINOIS WFELIMOS WN ALUPOTATON  
IDIAi TOIS EN- 86.C.1 TUGCANOUSI PARECEIS SEAUTON. EPEI DE CWRAN MEN  
AQHRON hWSPER hISTOROUSI THN KRHTHN hEUREIN ESTI, POLITEIA DE MHTE  
FQONON ENHNOCUIA MHTE ZHLON H FILONEIKIAN, ECQRAS GONIMWTATA PAQH,  
MECRI NUN 86.C.5 OU GEGONEN (ALL' EI MHDEN ALLO, TAIS ECQRAIS hAI  
FILIAI SUMPLEKOUSIN hHMAS· hO KAI CILWN hO SOFOS NOHSAS TON EIPONTA  
MHDENA ECEIN ECQRON HRWTHSEN EI MHDE FILON ECEI), DOKEI MOI TA T' ALLA  
PERI ECQRWN TWi POLITIKWi DIESKEFQAI PROSHKEIN KAI TOU 86.C.10  
XENOFWNTOS AKHKOENAI MH PARERGWS EIPONTOS hOTI TOU NOUN ECONTOS ESTI  
KAI “APO TWN ECQRWN WFE- LEISQAI.” hAPER OUN EIS TOUTO PRWiHN  
EIPEIN MOI PARESTH, SUNAGAGWN hOMOU TI TOIS AUTOIS ONOMASIN APESTALKA  
SOI, FEISAMENOS hWS ENHN MALISTA TWN 86.C.15 EN TOIS POLITIKOIS  
PARAGGELMASI GEGRAMMENWN, 86.D.1 EPEI KA)KEINO TO BIBLION hORW SE  
PROCEIRON ECONTA POLLAKIS.
.



Elizabeth Kline







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