Re. Rev. 8:11-APSINQOS; wormwood

From: Paul F. Evans (evans@mail.gld.com)
Date: Tue Jan 14 1997 - 22:23:55 EST


<html><html><head></head><BODY bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><p><font size=2 color="#000000" face="Arial">List,<br><br>In some reasearch in Lamentations, I came across this figurative expression which is use &nbsp;in Rev. 8:11 without explanation. It is APSINQOS, translated wormwood. &nbsp;My question is about the Greek side of this word. &nbsp;<br><br>Is this a the word used to translated the 8 or so Hebrew instances of &quot;wormwood&quot; &nbsp;(LAANAH) in the LXX? &nbsp;The only connection I can establish is OT, with the notion of talking wildly. &nbsp;J. A. Seiss in his &quot;Apocalypse,&quot; speaks of this as being an intoxicating herb that is capable of producing convulsions and paralysis. &nbsp;Leon Morris says that it is not poisonous. &nbsp;They are obviously speaking of different things! &nbsp;This doesn't tell me if, assuming there is a connection is with wild talking, whether it is induced by intoxication or poisoning or both are characteristic. &nbsp;For John it is obviously poisonous or is there a realit
y that stands behind it? &nbsp;In the OT it is used entirely firguratively, sometimes with heavy hints that it refers to some real plant or herb. &nbsp;Is the word used in extra-biblical Greek literature in a way that pinpoints, or clarifies its meaning? &nbsp;Scholars seem to assume that it is a herb, some that it was medicinal, others that the hebr was poisonous and others that it was not. &nbsp;All seem to agree that the figure dpends upon a supposed severe bitterness of taste. &nbsp;I am trying to determine if wormwood is entirely figurative and is idiomatically understood, or if it has foundation in some thing real. <br><br>I have no means of access to these soruces, and I know that some of you can do this is a few key strokes.<br><br>Paul F. Evans<br>Pastor<br>Thunder Swamp Pentecostal Holiness Church<br>MT. Olive NC<br><br>&quot;Endeavouring to make use of &nbsp;NT Greek in a real life ministry!&quot;<br><br>PS. &nbsp;Pardon the untidiness of this post, it's is part of the last-thing-before-I-go-bed-s
tuff-after-cramming-my-mind-full-all-day-long-while-taking-care-of-pastoral-duties routine!</p>
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