[B-Greek] Luke 17: 20-21

Elizabeth Kline kline_dekooning at earthlink.net
Wed Sep 16 16:15:53 EDT 2009


On Sep 16, 2009, at 1:23 AM, Iver Larsen wrote:

> A third person may say: "Why do you talk about "within you"? All other
> occurrences of ENTOS in the LXX and the GNT are followed by a  
> singular noun, but
> here we have the plural "you-all". It seems to be the same principle  
> as with EN.
> If EN is followed by hUMIN, it often means "among you-all". Because  
> it is
> plural, the form is ambiguous as to the meaning "in" and "among".  
> The choice
> depends on context, and in this context, ENTOS has to be "in their  
> midst" since
> it could not be (with)in the Pharisees.
>
> Since Jesus represents the Kingdom of God, but in a way they could  
> not observe
> as they had expected, that Kingdom has arrived and is in their  
> midst, if only
> they could see it.
>
>> Can appeal to grammar resolve the issue? Or is it a matter of one's  
>> exegesis
>> (or eisegesis).
>>
>> Roger Hutchinson
>>
>> PS: Given the recent discussion about GAR, we find it here where it  
>> seems to
>> introduce a contrast.
>
> No, GAR never introduces a contrast. It is explanatory and  
> elaborates on why
> they should not look "here or there" in the future. It is already  
> present in
> their midst.

Iver is right.
.
Luke 17:20 Ἐπερωτηθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν  
Φαρισαίων πότε ἔρχεται ἡ βασιλεία  
τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς καὶ  
εἶπεν· οὐκ ἔρχεται ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ  
θεοῦ μετὰ παρατηρήσεως,  21 οὐδὲ  
ἐροῦσιν· ἰδοὺ ὧδε ἤ· ἐκεῖ, ἰδοὺ  
γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν  
ἐστιν.
.
LUKE 17:20 EPERWTHQEIS DE hUPO TWN FARISAIWN POTE ERCETAI hH BASILEIA  
TOU QEOU APEKRIQH AUTOIS KAI EIPEN· OUK ERCETAI hH BASILEIA TOU QEOU  
META PARATHRHSEWS, 21 OUDE EROUSIN· IDOU hWDE H· EKEI, IDOU GAR hH  
BASILEIA TOU QEOU ENTOS hUMWN ESTIN.
Neither grammar nor lexical semantics is going to resolve the this age  
old controversy. The meaning here is 95% inferential. Reconstructing  
the "cognitive environment"[1] of Jesus' intended audience is the  
difficult task at hand. Biblical studies in the "Age of Aquarius" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Aquarius 
  has seen a strong resurgence of Gnostic readings of Jesus (e.g.,  
E.Pagels, B.Ehrman) and this is one of the favorite texts often with  
comparisons to Gsp.Thomas  log. 3, 113, 51.
.
On the other hand, G.R. Beasley-Murray [2] points out that the meaning  
of ENTOS hUMWN is constrained (limited) by the two negative assertions  
in the immediate context. The focus constituent in the first negative  
assertion is META PARATHRHSEWS.  The lexically difficult PARATHRHSEWS  
has generated nearly as much discussion as ENTOS hUMWN. Beasley-Murray  
(p.100) considers it "virtually synonymous" (detailed qualifications)  
with the second negative assertion OUDE EROUSIN· IDOU hWDE H· EKEI  
(cf. Mk 13:21, Matt. 24:23). He assigns META PARATHRHSEWS a  
temporal(??) significance. His argument for this is interesting  
reading if somewhat less than convincing.
.
On the the use of ENTOS hUMWN in Lk 17:20  Beasley-Murray (pp.  
101-102) cites the Old Syriac reading "among" (bainathkon = "among  
you").
.
Ex. 17:7 καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ  
τόπου ἐκείνου πειρασμὸς καὶ  
λοιδόρησις διὰ τὴν λοιδορίαν τῶν  
υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ διὰ τὸ πειράζειν  
κύριον λέγοντας εἰ ἔστιν κύριος ἐν  
ἡμῖν ἢ οὔ
.
EX. 17:7 KAI EPWNOMASEN TO ONOMA TOU TOPOU EKEINOU PEIRASMOS KAI  
LOIDORHSIS DIA THN LOIDORIAN TWN hUIWN ISRAHL KAI DIA TO PEIRAZEIN  
KURION LEGONTAS EI ESTIN KURIOS EN hHMIN H OU
.

Note also where  Exodus 17:7 hebrew ‏בקרבנו beqirbneu is  
rendered in the LXX (old greek) by EN hHMIN where Aquila has ENTOS  
hEMON and Symmachus EN MESO hEMON.



Elizabeth Kline

[1] "cognitive environment" E.A. Gutt  Translation and Relevance.
.

[2] Jesus and the Kingdom of God By George Raymond Beasley-Murray pp.  
97-103
(a google search string: "E. Percy has insisted" will take you to page  
98.)




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