[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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