[B-Greek] Titus 2:4 Titus and the young women / Cyropaedia and the satraps.

Steven Cox stevencox_backonbgreek at yahoo.co.uk
Sun Nov 1 23:12:24 EST 2009


Dear BGreekers
This post contains 2 questions. 

1. About the transitive use of SWFRONIZHI without a transitive object AUTON in Cyropaedia XIII:8:16, where Xenophon records that the practice established by Cyrus for an annual inspection of the satraps:

XVIII 8:16 year by year a man makes the circuit of the
provinces with an army,
HWS HN MEN TIS TWN SATRAPWN EPIKOURIAS DEHTAI, EPIKOURHI [ ],
if one of the satraps needs help, help [him].
HN DE TIS [TWN SATRAPWN?] UBRIZHI, SWFRONIZHI [ ], 
if one [of the satraps?] is proud, chasten [him]
HN DE TIS E DASMWN FORAS AMELHI H TWN ENOIKWN FULAKHS H 'OPWS H CWRA ENERGOS HI H ALLO TI TWN TETAGMENWN PARALIPEI,...
if any one is careless about seeing taxes paid or protecting the inhabitants then to take measures...

Question : in Titus 2:4. INA SWFRONIZWSIN TAS NEAS we have a clear object, but in Cyropaedia we find the the phase EN DE TIS 'UBRIZEI, SWFRONIZHI is it correct to say an AUTON is assumed? That the TIS [TWN SATRAPWN] is clearly the object so AUTON would be redundant here. 
http://old.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0203&query=section%3D%231347



2. Second question. My own reply about Titus 2:4 to a Latinist friend below

I just received an email from a Latinist friend who wants to know if 1 Tim 2:4 can be read as follows:

2:1 you (Titus) speak what is in accord with sound doctrine:
2:2 PRESBUTAS (acc pl) - NHFALIOUS EINAI
2:3 PRESBUTIDAS (acc pl)  INA SWFRONIZWSIN.  [period/full stop]
2:4 TAS NEAS (acc pl).
2:6 TOUS NEWTEROUS (acc pl).

The idea that Titus should directly chasten/recall the young women seems to come from the idea that the Vulgate can be read in that way:
2:2 Senes...

2:3 Anus... ut prudentiam doceant. [period/full stop]

2:4 Adulescentulas...

2:6 Iuvenes...

My Latin isn't good enough to make a judgement on whether 'ut
prudentiam doceant' can be intransitive in 1Tim2:4 Vulgate, but then my
Latinist friend's question is about the Greek, so this is the answer I
intend to send. I'd welcome critique/disagreement.



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Dear ______

A).  INA SWFRONIZWSIN
Although 'teach' in Latin might well be intransitive (at least in the sense that the object is not stated, though the nature of 'teach' is inherently transitive) the ending IZEIN is usually transitive when added to an adjectival stem - SWFROS + IZEIN 'make wise'. Looking through the 44 uses of SWFRONIZEIN on Perseus they all appear to be transitive and take an accusative object. I have not checked TLG.
http://old.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/vor?lookup=swfroni%2Fzw&lang=greek&group=bilevel

There is one reading which sticks out which might be considered intransitive grammatically 
and a fair parallel to 1Tim2:4 in Cyropaedia XIII:8:16, where Xenophon records that 
EN DE TIS [TWN SATRAPWN] 'UBRIZEI, SWFRONIZEI.

as they affirm, or not: year by year a man makes the circuit of the provinces with an army, to help any satrap that may need help, *IF ONE [OF THE SATRAPS] GROWS PROUD, HUMBLE [HIM], and to adjust matters if any one is careless about seeing the taxes paid or protecting the inhabitants,

However I think this example from Xenophon in flow of "if anyone... do this... if anyone... do that." has a clear transitive context = emphasizing the various duties of the officer on his annual tour of duty supervising the satraps, so Cyropaedia XIII:8:16 wouldn't provide much precedent for the idea that INA SOFRONIZWSIN TAS NEAS in Titus 2:4 could be broken to read  INA SOFRONIZWSIN [period/full stop intransitive]. Then Titus to teach TAS NEAS directly.


B). Cultural issues.
I think you're looking for a symmetry  2:2 PRESBUTAS  2:3 PRESBUTIDAS 2:4 TAS NEAS 2:6 TOUS NEWTEROUS ... which is based on modern cultural norms: 

old men
old women
young women
young men

That's fine with modern social standards, and a modern church elder would speak directly to the young wives. But Titus is in the first century. It's acceptable for Titus to speak directly 2:2 PRESBUTAS  2:3 PRESBUTIDAS 2:6 TOUS NEWTEROUS ...but Titus would not necessarily be counselling the young wives about their marriages, which is why 2:4 TAS NEAS is 'indented' if you like in the below example:

2:2 PRESBUTAS  
2:3 PRESBUTIDAS WSAUTWS
--------------------2:4 INA SWFRONIZWSIN TAS NEAS 
2:6 TOUS NEWTEROUS WSAUTWS.

My reading is that the 'likewise' WSAUTWS is marking 3 areas where Titus can directly do what Paul requires of him in 2:1, but in 2:4 Titus is being to told to have the older women transmit Paul's requirements. Presumably because Paul either doesn't think a male (Titus) should be doing that in a middle Eastern society or because Paul thinks the older women will do it better (or both). Hence no WSAUTWS after TAS NEAS, confirming an 'indent' to leave the young women to the example of the old women, while Titus can speak to young men directly.

Steven
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