[B-Greek] 2 Cor 12:7 beatings or diseases

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Fri Jan 9 19:02:32 EST 2009


There is a certain amount of deduction involved in stating that this "thorn in the flesh" is a reference to problems with his eyes (incidentally, the word does signify a "thorn" or "splinter").  This deduction involves the reference to his Damascus Road experience and subsequent temporary blindness as recorded in Acts as well as his reference to his large writing in his letter to the Galatians.  So far this may be somewhat suggestive of a POSSIBILITY, but certainly falls short of any proof.  In fact, though I have some material to add for consideration, I would not claim conclusiveness for it either.  The phrase SKOLOY THi SARKI which he uses seems to possibly reference Num 33.55 in the LXX

ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀπολέσητε τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν, καὶ ἔσται οὓς ἐὰν καταλίπητε ἐξ αὐτῶν, ** σκόλοπες ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμῶν ** καὶ βολίδες ἐν ταῖς πλευραῖς ὑμῶν καὶ ἐχθρεύσουσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἐφ̓ ἣν ὑμεῖς κατοικήσετε, 
 
EAN DE MH APOLESHTE TOUS KATOIKOUNTAS EPI THS GHS APO PROSWPOU hUMWN, KAI ESTAI hOUS EAN KATALIPHTE EC AUTWN, ** SKOLOPES EN TOIS OFQALMOIS hUMWN ** KAI BOLIDES EN TAIS PLEURAIS hUMWN KAI EXQREUSOUSIN EPI THS GHS, EF' hHN hUMEIS KATOIKHSETE.

Yet, even though Paul ** may ** be referencing this passage, does this mean that he is truly saying that he is having problems with his eyes?  The LXX passage refers to the result of not dispossessing the former inhabitants of the land and the reference to "thorns in the eyes" may be purely figurative.  It is possible that Paul may be referring to his failure to either change the minds of certain opponents or to root them out of the church and thus a reference to the rest of the passage to which he ** may ** be referring. 

 george
gfsomsel 


… search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death.


- Jan Hus
_________ 




________________________________
From: Mitch Larramore <mitchlarramore at yahoo.com>
To: B Greek <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, January 9, 2009 12:27:22 PM
Subject: [B-Greek] 2 Cor 12:7 beatings or diseases

KAI THi hUPERBOLHi TWN APOKALUYEWN DIO hINA MH hUPERAIRWMAI EDOQH MOI SKOLOY THi SARKI AGGELOS SATANA hINA ME KOLAFIZHi hINA MH hUPERAIRWMAI 

So many commentaries offer numerous suggestions as to what the thorn in the flesh was. Many seem to think it was his poor eyesight or malaria. However, does not this passage simply state that the SKOLOY was the AGGELOS SATANA? And further, that this AGGELOS was authorized to KOLAFIZHi Paul, namely, to 'beat' him in some sense. My question really then is why do commentaries move from the thorn representing an angel beating Paul to the thorn representing some eye disease, or some other malady? (I don't see how KOLAFIZHi could mean 'eye disease.')

Mitch Larramore
Sugar Land, Texas


      
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