[b-greek] Re: ELEHSON [Matt 15:22 et al]

From: George Blaisdell (maqhth@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Aug 09 2001 - 12:57:15 EDT


> George Blaisdell wrote:
> >What is the origin of ELEEW?

> Back again to B-Greek once more from the lumberjacking or wherever, George?
> And still eager to play etymological games?

I've still got about 6 cords to cut and split to make it through this
winter, Carl, and like you, I am not the pup I used to be once, so I am
working on the increase in virtue that is entailed in the performance of
the same tasks... :-) Getting the hay in to feed livestock was in fact
much more virtuous than I expected this last year - A hundred pounds is
somehow more than that these days! For a fairly recent pic of this
paragon of virtuous increase [sans increase in output] see:

http://www.eburg.com/~dalmatia/GeorgeTent12-00.jpg

And like you as well, I do still enjoy language! And the origins of
terms.

> ELEOS as a Greek word meaning "compassion" or "pity" is already found as
> early as Homer; a scholiast on Sophocles' Oedipus at Colonus says that
> ELEOS was even worshipped as a deity in Athens.

Well, that takes care of that! Thank-you!

My old abbreviated back of the book lex is really bare bones, yet I am
surprised that he [Zodhiates] missed the God ELEOS - [Any relation to
hELIOS?] - in this word's origins. I never did much study of Greek
Mythology, so have not heard of ELEOS... What kind of god was he?

> No doubt ELEEW and the noun ELEOS in Greek came to represent a distinct
> Hebraic conception, but this root (probably #ELES-) is essentially Greek
> and bears no relationship whatsoever to Hebrew ELOHIM.

Is this the word that was classically used to denote when a Greek God
would look down upon a mortal and see his pitiful struggles that were
approvable by that god, and would then 'take pity on him' [ELEEW] and help
him out with fair winds, increased strength, etc? [That seems to
foreshadow the later Christian idea of askesis, understood as an appeal to
God for pity by the pitiable.]

Thanks again, Carl - Good to 'hear' your voice again.

George Blaisdell
 


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