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 in Rev. 8:11 without explanation. It is APSINQOS, translated wormwood. My question is about the Greek side of this word. <br><br>Is this a the word used to translated the 8 or so Hebrew instances of "wormwood" (LAANAH) in the LXX? The only connection I can establish is OT, with the notion of talking wildly. J. A. Seiss in his "Apocalypse," speaks of this as being an intoxicating herb that is capable of producing convulsions and paralysis. Leon Morris says that it is not poisonous. They are obviously speaking of different things! 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. For John it is obviously poisonous or is there a realit
y that stands behind it? In the OT it is used entirely firguratively, sometimes with heavy hints that it refers to some real plant or herb. Is the word used in extra-biblical Greek literature in a way that pinpoints, or clarifies its meaning? 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. All seem to agree that the figure dpends upon a supposed severe bitterness of taste. 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>"Endeavouring to make use of NT Greek in a real life ministry!"<br><br>PS. 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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