[B-Greek] SATAN in LXX
Albert Pietersma
albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Sat Jan 8 10:50:35 EST 2011
Dear Jeff,
Sorry, Jeff. I did not mean to distort your original question. It was
Sarah who injected the notion of exegetical interest (which by
definition would pertain to the Greek rather than the Hebrew). In
answer to Ken, I deliberately used Sarah's term and spoke of
EXEGETICAL interest, which is not to say that a transcription of the
source text lacks interest. And that takes us back to your original
question: Why?
Of course transcriptions are of interest, but the reason for them
("what was in the mind of the translator") can only be deduced from
the text the translator has left us. I'd love to be able to construct
an explanatory theory, but if I did it could only be based on
speculation----unless the phenomenon of transcription be made part of
an explanatory theory based on textual-linguistic makeup (cf. the
interlinear paradigm). The best I can do in the case of 3 Rgns 11:14
is to suggest that since the translator transcribes rather than
translates, he makes the source take precedence over the target text.
But that, I am afraid, ain't saying much.
The spirit is willing but the evidence is weak :-)
Al
On Jan 8, 2011, at 9:00 AM, Jeff Smelser wrote:
> Al,
> you comment:
>
> "Of NO exegetical interest from a Greek perspective is the verse
> that started this thread, namely, 3 Reigns (1 Kgs) 11:14 where the
> Greek twice has σαταν, though MT has but a single occurrence of
> שטן. It is of no exegetical interest because the translator
> doesn't translate. Why he withholds his understanding of this Hebrew
> word is not possible to say. Of interest is certainly that he
> transcribes his source exactly. Nothing is added. The reader might
> thus read it either as a previously mentioned name or as an
> indefinite epithet."
>
> This is exactly my point and my question. My interest is not at all
> exegetical. I'm simply wondering why, what was in the mind of the
> translator, that would lead him to transliterate in this particular
> passage. Were this sentence right here that I am writing right now
> being translated into Chinese, it is inconceivable that the word
> "inconceivable" would be merely transliterated. So that's my
> question: why do we see the transliteration at 3 Ki. 11:14? And
> maybe there's no answer. But I had hoped someone might have a clue,
> or a theory, that would be at least interesting.
>
> Thanks for the response. I was especially hoping to hear from you.
>
> Jeff
>
> On 1/7/2011 11:50 PM, Albert Pietersma wrote:
>> What the Greek translators did with Hebrew שטן must be seen in
>> larger perspective than either Job or a couple of other
>> references. In MT the word occurs 29 times, both as a noun and as a
>> verb. The noun has four Greek equivalents and the verb has two. In
>> number it can be either singular or plural, arthrous or anarthrous.
>> Exegetically, therefore, there is a good deal of information to
>> study.
>> Of NO exegetical interest from a Greek perspective is the verse
>> that started this thread, namely, 3 Reigns (1 Kgs) 11:14 where the
>> Greek twice has σαταν, though MT has but a single occurrence of
>> שטן. It is of no exegetical interest because the translator
>> doesn't translate. Why he withholds his understanding of this
>> Hebrew word is not possible to say. Of interest is certainly that
>> he transcribes his source exactly. Nothing is added. The reader
>> might thus read it either as a previously mentioned name or as an
>> indefinite epithet.
>> Al
>>
>> On Jan 7, 2011, at 10:00 PM, Sarah J. Blake wrote:
>>
>>> I am intrigued by this discussion, as these matters come up in my
>>> exegesis/teaching/preaching frequently. If there are any writings
>>> about these distinctions in wording that anyone could point me to,
>>> I would greatly appreciate the references. (I will check
>>> Exegetical Dictionary, Theological Wordbook, etc. but would
>>> appreciate sources for further study.)
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Sarah J. Blake
>>> Personal correspondence: sjblake at growingstrong.org
>>> http://www.growingstrong.org
>>>
>>> Shop for items you need and support Sarah's site: http://amzn.to/bZHlZg
>>>
>>> ---
>>> B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
>>> B-Greek mailing list
>>> B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
>>> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
>>>
>>
>> —
>> Albert Pietersma PhD
>> 21 Cross Street,
>> Weston ON Canada M9N 2B8
>> Email: albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
>> Homepage: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm
>>
>>
>>
>> -----
>> No virus found in this message.
>> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
>> Version: 10.0.1191 / Virus Database: 1435/3365 - Release Date:
>> 01/07/11
>>
>>
>>
>
—
Albert Pietersma PhD
21 Cross Street,
Weston ON Canada M9N 2B8
Email: albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Homepage: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list