[b-greek] Re: Matthew 15:24

From: L. J. Swain (larry.swain@wmich.edu)
Date: Tue Dec 18 2001 - 11:39:00 EST




Steven Lo Vullo wrote:
>
> On Monday, December 17, 2001, at 02:17 PM, 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.
>
> I guess I'm not sure about the fundamental difference you perceive
> between "except" and "only" as they appear in the English translations.


Clay, Carl, and Steven,

Thanks for your comments, they are much appreciated. The fundamental
difference I perceive is one of degree and emphasis. To my ear, and
perhaps in this I am unique, to say "I don't want anything except that"
is delimiting, but it is far more exclusionary to sy "I want ONLY
that". Thus, I wonder if the ETs have not placed too much exclusionary
force on the EI MH. To illustrate, Carl's citation of 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."

If we look at both of these citations, there is no justification for the
exclusionary force. In fact in the second citation, the exclusion is
carried by MONOIS, not by the EI MH. As Louw and Nida indicate, EI MH
is an "exception" marker, not an "exclusionary" one. Thus, in 15:24,
the EI MH seems to me to carry the force of the exception, or delimiting
to whom he was sent, rather than being exclusionary. Perhaps Clay is
right and I'm looking for too nuanced an English translation, but to me
"only" is NOT equivalent to "except".


> I assume the ETs you mention translated as they did because of the
> awkward English represented by "I was not sent except to." When making
> the transfer from the negative in Greek to the corresponding and more
> natural positive in English, "except" must be changed to "only."

That depends on your translation practice. There is an understood
object here, "OUK APESTALHN", "I was not sent (to anyone) except...." So
if we make it a positive, I was sent to noone except...." or "I was
sent to the lost sheep...." and leave off the EI MH altogether. Is
there truly justification to make the EI MH carry that strong an
exclusionary force. I've checked Goodwin and Gulick, Smyth, L&N thanks
to Carl, as well as the lexica and I'm not finding that "only" is a
good, well attested alternative.


It
> seems to me this is good idiomatic English, whereas a strict
> word-to-word translation is not. But I fail to see the substantive
> difference between saying "I was not sent EXCEPT to the lost sheep of
> the house of Israel," and "I was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of the
> house of Israel," since both statements clearly exclude all but the
> "lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Yes and no. As indicated above, the first clause defines or delimits
those to whom he is sent. The second clause with ONLY not only defines
but EXPLICITLY (rather than implicitly) excludes anything and anyone
else. As I stated, this is a difference of degree, but an important
difference.

Larry Swain

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