[B-Greek] EGW EIMI ANHR in Acts 22:3
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Wed Nov 24 12:27:50 EST 2010
----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel Buck" <bucksburg at yahoo.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: 24. november 2010 02:56
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] EGW EIMI ANHR in Acts 22:3
> I've see EGW EIMI carrying the following different meanings in English:
> - It is I -
> - I am he -
> - I am -
>
> This last dissipates the intensity of the Greek, but is understandable in a
> popular language translation. What I'm trying to figure out, though, is just
> what Paul was trying ot convey with ANHR in EGW EIMI ANHR IOUDAIOS. Some of
> the
> more expanded or literal translations render it "I am indeed a Jew" but no
> modern translation seems to find a way of independently expressing the
> intensity
> behind the word ANHR--they all treat the word as if it were not even there.
> Even Shakespeare had Shylock state simply "I am a Jew" (as most English
> translations of Acts 22:3) when the English Bible of his day used a full nine
> English words to translate the four Greek ones.
>
> Are there other examples in Greek literature where ANHR is used to further
> intensify EGW EIMI? Any ideas on how to convey that into English--other than
> literally, of course?
>
> Daniel Buck
I cannot figure out why you think ANHR intensifies EGW EIMI. It is true that "I"
is somewhat stressed, but that is because he starts his defense, so the topic of
his defense is himself.
IOUDAIOS is an adjective - Jewish - rather than a noun - Jew. You can have a
Jewish country (CWRA), a Jewish land (GH), a Jewish man (ANHR, Acts 10:28,
13:6), a Jewish woman (Act 16:1), a Jewish chief priest (Acts 19:14), a Jewish
ANQRWPOS (Acts 21:39). Sometimes the adjective is used substantively, but it is
still an adjective. Luke prefers to have a noun with the adjective, and some of
these may be influenced by a Semitic expression. Paul was speaking Hebrew here
(ish yehudi).
You could translate it by "I am a Jewish man" as opposed to an Egyptian man or a
Greek man, but it is more natural in English just to say "I am a Jew". And if
there was focus on his Jewishness, the text should have been something like EGW
EIMI IOUDAIOS (ANHR). If contrastive, ANHR would probably not be present.
Compare also Acts 21:39 Ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος μέν εἰμι Ἰουδαῖος EGW ANQRWPOS MEN EIMI
IOUDAIOS
At least KJV does not here say: "I am indeed a person".
Iver Larsen
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