[B-Greek] Construing 1 Peter 3:7 (was "ASQENESTERWi SKEUEI in 1 Peter 3:7")
Yancy Smith
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Wed Jul 29 17:23:29 EDT 2009
Iver writes:
<snip>
It is also easy to supply the wives as the implicit dative object for
APONEMONTES, and the second hWS clause naturally gives the reason for treating
the wife with honour/value. This is where Peter goes against secular culture
just as Paul has declared that in Christ there is no value difference between
man/husband and woman/wife. Because they both have an equal share in the "life
of grace", the man must not (ab)use the wife. That such an admonition to value
her is necessary is precisely because it is against the normal cultural
practices at the time.
<snip>
I deeply appreciate Iver's construal of the Greek text here, and think it is on target. I am not so sure that the text offers a situation in which "there is no value difference" between the man and the woman in the writer's eyes. Viewed in the context of 3:1-6, it is quite conventional. The male-female differ as strong-to-weak, dominant-submissive. In terms of type of communication, 1 Pet. 3:1-6 engages in a Platonic-Neopythagorean tradition of instruction directed to wives. It includes the common Greco-Roman demand that women be submissive to their husbands addressed to Christian wives. The exhortation does differ from the pagan conception of submission in that it from encourages the wife to maintain her own distinct religion. In this way she does not completely conform to the customs of her husband. The intent is missionary and ZARRA is used as an example of obedience and marital harmony (Like some of the Rabbis, e.g. Akiva, Peter ignores context of the citation of Gen 18:12-13 where ZARRA mocks Abraham). Just as ZARRA was understood by another first century writer (Philo) as one who led Abraham to God, she is the model for those who live in mixed Christian--Pagan homes.
The exhortation in 3:7 is a application of a Greco-Roman concern for husbands to live wisely and with kindness toward their wives. This kind of concern is also evident in Roman Stoics like Musionius Rufus and in Plutarch. Just as this text urges the subordination of wives, so these philosophers (sometimes thought to be egalitarian!) urge the subordination of wives. That gods or God might step in and vindicate an abused woman at times is also part of the general cultural background (thus my previous snippets from Euripides). In other words, any uniqueness that this text exhibits in the Greco-Roman environment in regard to the husbands valuation of the wife is a uniqueness shared by other groups. It would be the content of the notion of the "grace of life" that would set Christianity apart from its context.
Yancy W. Smith, PhD
World Bible Translation Center
4028 Daley Ave., Suite 201
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yancy at wbtc.org
Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
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