[B-Greek] question
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Tue Mar 9 06:56:46 EST 2010
While I agree with Carl that OIKOUMENH in standard Koine Greek usage means "the inhabited world" and that in many cases it refers to the Roman Empire (BAGD 561), in the text cited it is a term suited to the Son's reign. Yet here it is not referring to the earth. When the writer of Hebrews speaks of the present world he uses a different term (KOSMOS, 4:3; 9:26; 10:5; 11:7, 38). The language he uses here is drawn from Exodus, where OIKOUMENH refers to the promised land, which in Heb 4:1-11 is a description of the world to come. So in the text:
Heb. 1:6 ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει·
καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ.
[hOTAN DE PALIN EISAGAGHi TON PRWTOTOKON EIS THN OIKOUMENHN, LEGEI·
KAI PROSKUNHSATWSAN AUTWi PANTES AGGELOI QEOU. ]
OIKOUMENH is referring what the writer of Hebrews says he is talking about in this section, "the world to come" in 2:5 Οὐ γὰρ ἀγγέλοις ὑπέταξεν τὴν οἰκουμένην τὴν μέλλουσαν, περὶ ἧς λαλοῦμεν. OU GAR IGLOOS hUPETAXEN THN OIKOUMENHN THN MELLOUSAN PERI hHS LALOUMEN. Christ's entrance into the KOSMOS in his incarnation entailed being made "lower than the angels (2:7,9), but, as Lane argued, his entrance into the heavenly world (1:6) meant exaltation above the angels. So, 1:6 is referring to the moment of "coronation" when Jesus was presented in heaven "sat down at the right hand" of God and not to the moment of incarnation. So, given all the references to angels, God, spirits and the rest in this scene, one could do worse that translate "heavenly world" or "the world above."
Yancy Smith, PhD
yancywsmith at sbcglobal.net
Y.W.Smith at tcu.edu
yancy at wbtc.com
5636 Wedgworth Road
Fort Worth, TX 76133
817-361-7565
On Mar 9, 2010, at 3:53 AM, Carl Conrad wrote:
> On Mar 9, 2010, at 2:33 AM, ray marion wrote:
>> Hebrews 1:6 has the word "oikoumevnv", I would translate this word as home
>> or house. Does anyone agree. Please reply.
>> Written by: Ray
>
> Text: Heb. 1:6 ὅταν δὲ πάλιν εἰσαγάγῃ τὸν πρωτότοκον εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην, λέγει·
> καὶ προσκυνησάτωσαν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι θεοῦ.
> [hOTAN DE PALIN EISAGAGHi TON PRWTOTOKON EIS THN OIKOUMENHN, LEGEI·
> KAI PROSKUNHSATWSAN AUTWi PANTES AGGELOI QEOU. ]
>
> I don't agree. OIKOUMENH in standard Koine Greek usage means "the inhabited world" --
> the human realm. It is a participle of the verb OIKEW "inhabit," "make one's dwelling" and
> pretty clearly originally was understood with a noun GH "land," "earth."
>
>
> Carl W. Conrad
> Department of Classics, Washington University (Retired)
>
>
>
> ---
> B-Greek home page: http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek
> B-Greek mailing list
> B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/b-greek
More information about the B-Greek
mailing list