[B-Greek] 1Cor. 11:4 "something on his head"

Carl Conrad cwconrad2 at mac.com
Sat Sep 5 05:45:30 EDT 2009


On Sep 4, 2009, at 10:14 AM, Lawrence Carmichael wrote:

> English translations insert the idea of "something" into the text.   
> One commentator said it was "understood"'  Is there any reason "KATA  
> KEPHALES ECHON" can't be translated "having his head down"?


Yes, there is. KEFALHS is genitive; it cannot be the object of ECWN;  
as a genitive it is governed by the preposition KATA.
To be the object of ECWN , the word KEFALH would have to be in the  
accusative case. Moreover, there's no instance of KATA used  
independently as an adverb

KATA with the genitive, when it does not mean "against," means "down  
FROM."

Text:
1Cor. 11:4 πᾶς ἀνὴρ προσευχόμενος ἢ  
προφητεύων κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἔχων  
καταισχύνει τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ.
  1Cor. 11:4 PAS ANHR PROSEUCOMENOS H PROFHTEUWN KATA KEFALHS ECWN  
KATAISCUNEI THN KEFALHN AUTOU.

Here's the relevant entry from BDAG:

1. marker of extension or orientation in space or specific area
	a. of location that is relatively lower,  down from someth. (Hom. et  
al.; LXX; Ath. 1, 4 κ. κόρρης προπηλακίζειν [KORRHS  
PRPHLAKIZEIN] =t o smack on one side of the head) ὁρμᾶν κ.  
τοῦ κρημνοῦ [hORMAN KATA TOU KRHMNOU] rush down (from) the  
bank (cp. Polyb. 38, 16, 7 κ. τῶν κρημνῶν ῥίπτειν;  
[TWN KRHMNWN hRIPTEIN]  Jos., Bell. 1, 313) Mt 8:32; Mk 5:13; Lk 8:33.  
κ. κεφαλῆς ἔχειν [KATA KEFALHS ECEIN] have someth. on  
one’s head (lit. hanging down fr. the head, as a veil. Cp. Plut.,  
Mor. 200f ἐβάδιζε κ. τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔχων τὸ  
ἱμάτιον [EBADIZE KATA THS KEFALHS ECWN TO hIMATION].; Mitt- 
Wilck. I/2, 499, 5 of a mummy ἔχων τάβλαν κ. τοῦ  
τραχήλου [ECWN TABLAN KATA TOU TRACHLOU]) 1 Cor 11:4.

And here's the relevant entry from Louw & Nida:

49.16 κατακαλύπτομαι [KATAKALUPTOMAI]; κατὰ  
κεφαλῆς ἔχω [KATA KEFALHS ECW] [(an idiom, literally ‘to  
have down on the head’): to wear a covering over one’s head —  
‘to have one’s head covered, to cover one’s head.’
κατακαλύπτομαι: εἰ γὰρ οὐ  
κατακαλύπτεται γυνή [KATAKALUPTOMAI: EI GAR OU  
KATAKALUPTETAI GUNH]  ‘for if a woman does not have her head  
covered’ 1Cor 11:6.
κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἔχω [: πᾶς ἀνὴρ  
προσευχόμενος ἢ προφητεύων κατὰ  
κεφαλῆς ἔχων [PAS ANHR PROSEUCOMENOS H PROFHTEUWN KATA  
KEFALHS ECWN] ‘any man who prays or prophesies with his head  
covered’ 1Cor 11:4

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)






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