[B-Greek] ASQENESTERWi SKEUEI in 1 Peter 3:7 (was "Re: Gal 4.4"
Harold Holmyard
hholmyard3 at earthlink.net
Wed Jul 22 11:46:49 EDT 2009
Carl,
> The text in question is 1 Peter 3:7:
> Οἱ ἄνδρες ὁμοίως, συνοικοῦντες κατὰ
> γνῶσιν ὡς ἀσθενεστέρῳ σκεύει τῷ
> γυναικείῳ, ἀπονέμοντες τιμὴν ὡς
> καὶ συγκληρονόμοις χάριτος ζωῆς εἰς
> τὸ μὴ ἐγκόπτεσθαι τὰς προσευχὰς
> ὑμῶν.
> [hOI ANDRES hOMOIWS, SUNOIKOUNTES KATA GNWSIN hWS ASQENESTERWi SKEUEI
> TWi GUNAIKEIWi, APONEMONTES TIMHN hWS SUGKLHRONOMOIS ZWHS EIS TO MH
> EGKOPTESQAI TAS PROSEUCAS hUMWN.]
>
> I would understand hWS ASQENESTERWi SKEUEI TWi GUNAIKEIWi as
> construing with hOMOIWS, SUNOIKOUNTES, and APONEMONTES TIMHN as
> construing with hWS SUGKLHRONOMOIS ZWHS. On that understanding honor
> is not given because of the "greater infirmity/weakness" but because
> wives are "co-heirs of life."
>
> Mark said that he had done considerable research into the usage of the
> adjective ASQENHS at the Perseus site and had been particularly
> impressed by the association of "vulnerability" with the adjective.
> That makes perfectly good sense, but it is a leap, it seems to me, to
> attribute a positive value to vulnerability. The vulnerable need
> protection, of course, but how is vulnerability something to be valued
> in and of itself? Is that really what this text is saying?
>
HH: My pastor preached on this text on Sunday, noting that one of the
worst things men can say to a woman in tears over something is: "What is
wrong with you," or worse, "What is your problem?" It involves a failure
to recognize that women were created differently than men, and tears may
be the appropriate response from a woman in that situation. (He added
than 90% of the time "you," the husband, is the problem in such cases).
So we live knowledgeably with our wives and show them honor by
recognizing their different make-up. The pastor suggested that the fact
that the man asks the woman for marriage shows her basically weaker
position. The phrase "fellow heir of the grace of life" suggests
equality, but there is this God-ordained difference, this relative
weakness, that must be taken into account. If it is handled as a
legitimate difference, and not as a defect, we act knowledgeably and
honorably towards her.
Yours,
Harold Holmyard
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