[b-greek] Re: Matthew 15:24

From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Mon Dec 17 2001 - 19:31:50 EST


At 3:17 PM -0500 12/17/01, L. J. Swain wrote:
>In Matthew's episode of the Syro-Phoenician woman, Jesus says:
>
>"OUK APESTALHN EI MH EIS TA PROBATA TA APOLWLOTA OIKOU ISRAHL"
>
>My question is the "EI MH", I've looked in several grammars to confirm
>my understanding that EI MH is best translated as "except" or "if not",
>thus the above statement is "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of
>the house of Israel." But I've noted that the NASB, NIV, and RSV all
>translate "I was sent ONLY to the....." and it is the use of that "only"
>which is my sticking point. Unless I've missed something about the
>nature of "EI MH" and its nuance, "only" seems to me to be making Jesus
>say something stronger than what Matthew has him say. I note that the
>Vulgate also has good ol' "nisi" for "EI MH", which for me confirms the
>issue.
>
>So B-Greekers, what have I missed?

I think, Larry, what you've missed is that "except" is effectively
equivalent to "only" or "but only."

Here's L&N:

89.131 EI MH: a marker of contrast by designating an exception - 'except
that, but, however, instead, but only.'hO OUK ESTIN ALLO: EI MH TINES EISIN
hOI TARASSONTES hUMAS 'not that there is another (gospel), except that
there are some who trouble you' Ga 1:7; hO OUK EXON HN AUTWi FAGEIN OUDE
TOIS MET' AUTOU, EI MH TOIS hIEREUSIN MONOIS 'it was not lawful for him or
the ones with him to eat, but instead, for the priests only' Mt 12:4.

As for whether this is appropriate to Matthew's "Jewish Christianity" or
not, that lies outside the proper realm of B-Greek discussion, but you
might look at Anthony Saldarini's _Matthew's Christian-Jewish Community_,
esp. pp. 73-74.
--

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
Most months: 1647 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad@ioa.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/

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