[B-Greek] Arthur Way and 1 Tim 2:15
Daniel Buck
bucksburg at yahoo.com
Thu Nov 18 14:12:07 EST 2010
Iver Larsen wrote:
<<One famous passage where all English versions that I know off (except Way and
an NLT and CEV footnote) have failed to understand the author is 1 Tim 2:15, and
they therefore present non-sensical translations. The reason for their failure
is the lack of awareness or recognition of metonymy (and synecdoche) which is
much more common in NT Greek than it is in English. Some commentators, like D.
Moo, have understood Paul, as quoted by the NET bible note: "“It is not through
active teaching and ruling activities that Christian women will be saved, but
through faithfulness to their proper role, exemplified in motherhood” (Moo, 71).
In this view τεκνογονία [TEKNOGONIA] is seen as a synecdoche in which
child-rearing and other activities of motherhood are involved."
Way translates: Yet through her motherhood shall woman be saved, if your women
swerve not from faith and love and self-consecration, coupled with virtuous
self-control.>>
The CEV footnote left no stone unturned: saved by having children: Or "brought
safely through childbirth" or "saved by the birth of a child" (that is, by the
birth of Jesus) or "saved by being good mothers."
Ironically, however, the Greek does not read "by the birth of A child", but "by
the birth of THE child." If Paul wanted to emphasize that it was motherhood in
general--or, even less specifically, just traditional womanly behavior (so not
to exclude motherless children from salvation)--how effectively could he expect
to communicate that by putting the article THS in front of TEKNOGONIAS?
Daniel Buck
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