[B-Greek] LXX Amos 3:5, Matthew 10:29 Grammar, Topic, Context, and Verbal Irony

Albert Pietersma albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Thu Nov 19 18:25:48 EST 2009


Note, however, that the citation from Amos 3:5 does not have a  
negative. The answer is therefore not: "The bird will fall  
nevertheless." Rather, the question is: "Will a bird fall on the  
ground without a fowler?" which might be answered by: No, of course  
not! Why would it?
No irony here; just an illustration that nothing happens without a  
cause.
Al
On Nov 19, 2009, at 5:41 PM, Yancy Smith wrote:

> Dear list,
>
> One of the difficulties of a strictly grammatical/linguistic  
> approach to reading the Greek NT is how to account for context and  
> recognize verbal irony. For example, οὐχὶ δύο  
> στρουθία ἀσσαρίου πωλεῖται; καὶ ἓν  
> ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐ πεσεῖται ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν  
> ἄνευ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν. OUCI DUO STROUQIA  
> ASSARIOU PWLEITAI hEN EX AUTWN OU PESEITAI EPI THN GHN ANEU TOU  
> PATROS hUMWN. The NRSV reads, fairly literally, “Are not two  
> sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the  
> ground apart from your Father.” The last part of the verse is  
> sometimes called “cryptic” (Matthew vol. 2, I.C.C. Allison and  
> Davies). So, the meaning in terms of theology has been a topic of  
> much discussion. (I.e., is it speaking of “apart from the will,  
> knowledge, care, or comforting presence” of God?) Theology aside,  
> the topic is also obscured by the oblique language. Does “PESEITAI  
> EPI THN GHN” refer to the “death” of a little bird? I would  
> like to suggest Matthew’s Jesus engages in a bit of Scriptural- 
> verbal irony. That is, a Scripture quote or allusion is accompanied  
> by an attitude distinct from the original. In the LXX Amos 3:5 has  
> εἰ πεσεῖται ὄρνεον ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν  
> ἄνευ ἰξευτοῦ;  EI PESEITAI ORNEON EPI THN GHN ANEU  
> IXEUTON. “Will not a bird fall to the ground without the bird  
> catcher!?” Matthew apparently quotes the prophetic saying with a  
> bit of irony. For translators, irony is difficult to spot.  
> Commentator’s miss the verbal similarity to Amos or fail to give it  
> any significance. In Matthew’s version, Jesus changes the text and  
> puts “Father” in the place of “birdcatcher.” The PAGIS is EPI  
> THN GHN. So, I wonder if the language about a bird falling to the  
> ground is an extension of the image of the sparrows that are sold in  
> the marketplace for a pittance. I suppose they would be thought to  
> have been caught by fowlers and that the phrase “πεσεῖται  
> ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν” is an idiomatic reference to being  
> “caught” by the bird catcher. Is this an idiomatic use of  
> “fall” like that of the Lucan story of the Good Samaritan, who  
> “fell among theives” λῃσταῖς περιέπεσεν,  
> which might be translated, “Some robbers surrounded him and caught  
> him.” Is it similar to “fall into a trap/danger.”  
> πιπτειν εἰς νόσον καὶ ἔσχατον  
> κίνδυνον PIPTEIN EIS NOSON KAI ESCATON KINDUNON “fall into  
> sickness and extreme peril” Acts of Paul 4:15 where no literal  
> falling is involved? A much closer verbal parallel is 1 Tim 3:6-7  
> μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς  
> κρίμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου. 7 δεῖ δὲ  
> καὶ μαρτυρίαν καλὴν ἔχειν ἀπὸ τῶν  
> ἔξωθεν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν  
> ἐμπέσῃ καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου. MH  
> NEOPHUTON hINA MH TUFWQEIS EIS KRIMA EMPESESHi TOU DIABOLOU 7 DEI DE  
> KAI MARTURIAN KALHN ECEIN APO TVN EXOQEN Hina One “falls” into  
> judgment, disgrace, and a snare.
> The context in Matthew is about being prepared for capture and  
> martyrdom, i.e. when God permits even one follower of Christ to be  
> captured and suffer martyrdom it is part of his plan to bring  
> witnesses before “rulers and Gentiles,” but the follower of Jesus  
> is always under God’s watchful care.
>
> Comments? Rebuttals?
>
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> Yancy Smith
>
> Yancy W. Smith, PhD
>
> World Bible Translation Center
>
> 4028 Daley Ave., Suite 201
>
> Fort Worth, TX 76180
>
> p 817-595-1664
>
> f 817580-7013
>
> <mailto:brian at wbtc.org> yancy at wbtc.org
>
>
>
> Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind  
> of battle.
>
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>
> ---
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—
Albert Pietersma PhD
21 Cross Street,
Weston ON Canada M9N 2B8
Email: albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Homepage: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm




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