Re: BAPTIZW

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Wed Sep 18 1996 - 08:46:19 EDT


At 5:28 PM -0500 9/17/96, DebsGaunt@aol.com wrote:
>Another little greek here. I need help with two uses of BAPTIZW in the LXX:
>Sir 34:25 and Isi 21:4. I can't make head nor tail of what it means in
>either place, and Bibleworks lexicon only has NT references. Any of you big
>greeks out there able to help me?

I'm looking at these only in terms of context, but the meaning seems
reasonably clear; I cite the texts just in case anyone else wants to offer
an opinion on them:

Sir 34:25 BAPTIZOMENOS APO TOU NEKROU KAI PALIN hAPTOMENOS AUTOU, TI
WFELHSEN EN TWi LOUTRWi AUTOU? "(If one is) washed from (contact with) the
corpse and again (is) in contact (with) it, what profit had he in his
bath?" Here BAPTIZW pretty clearly means "cleanse from pollution by
bathing."

Is 21.4 hH KARDIA MOU PLANATAI, KAI hH ANOMIA ME BAPTIZEI, hH PSUXH MOU
EFESTHKEN EIS FOBON. "My heart is in confusion, and unrighteousness bathes
me, my spirit has settled into fear." Here I would think that BAPTIZW must
have the figurative sense of "flood over," "engulf." The context clearly
indicates a repentant sinner's distress.

Hope this helps, cwc

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, USA 63130
(314) 935-4018
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwc@oui.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/



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