Prince of
Peace Divided Households
Below is
a rough translation and some preliminary comments on Luke 12:49-56, the gospel
reading for the thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost. There is a long
philosophical ramble at the end that you may not want to read on the pain of
death by boredom. As usual, your comments are welcomed.
49 Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ τί θέλω εἰ ἤδη ἀνήφθη.
I came to cast fire against the
earth, and what do I wish if already it has been kindled?
ἦλθον: AAI 1s, ἔρχομαι, 1) to come
βαλεῖν: AAInf, βάλλω, 1) to throw or let go of a thing without caring where
it falls 1a) to scatter, to throw, cast into
θέλω: PAI 1s, θέλω, 1) to will, have in mind, intend
ἀνήφθη: API 3s, ἀνάπτω, 1) to light up,
kindle
1. Like many prepositions, the preposition ἐπὶ can mean
many things, including upon, on, at, by, before, over, against, to,
across (www.greekbible.com).
While ἐπὶ is not an uncommon preposition, it shows up unusually often in
this pericope (10x). I am going to try to use the same word – against – throughout this pericope,
assuming that Luke is repeating it with purpose. However, in this verse
ἐπὶ is followed by an accusative. In vv. 52-53 it is sometimes followed
by the dative case, which might imply a different word would be better.
2. Compare the phrase ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν here with
ἐν τῇ γῇ in v. 51. V. 49 has the preposition ἐπὶ with the
accusative; v.51 has the preposition ἐν with the dative. Those slight
differences should be reflected in the translation somehow. I suggest “fire against the earth” and “peace
in the earth.” More below on v.51.
3. There are some key decisions facing the translator for this
verse. Compare the KJV and the NIV to see how radically different this verse
can be, depending on those choices.
KJV: I am come to
send fire on the earth; and what will
I, if it be already kindled?
NIV: I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I
wish it were already kindled!
a) One has to decide how to translate the τί - whether as
‘how’ (KJV) or ‘what’ (KJV), whether introducing a question (KJV) or an exclamation
(NIV).
b) One has to decide how to translate the εἰ - whether as ‘if’
(KJV) or negligible (NIV). The difference between εἰ and ἐάν seems important
here.
c) One has to decide how to translate the verb ἀνήφθη. It is an
aorist passive indicative. The KJV translates it as a simple past tense (be
kindled), but the NIV translates it as a subjunctive, making (were kindled).
In the end it seems to me that the KJV is actually more
consistent with the Greek than the NIV or NRSV in this phrase. They may be
following the earlier work of Greek bible editors, who chose to put a period
and not a question mark here. The NIV is easier to read, because I’m not sure
what the KJV means by “what will I?”
50 βάπτισμα δὲ ἔχω βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ πῶς συνέχομαι ἕως ὅτου τελεσθῇ.
Yet I have a baptism to be
baptized [with], and how I am constrained until when it may be completed.
ἔχω: PAI 1s, ἔχω, 1) to have, i.e. to hold
βαπτισθῆναι: APInf, βαπτίζω, 1) to dip repeatedly,
to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk) 2) to cleanse by dipping or
submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self,
bathe
συνέχομαι: PPI, 1s, συνέχω, 1) to hold
together 1a) any whole, lest it fall to pieces or something fall away
from it 2) to hold together with constraint, to compress
τελεσθῇ: APSubj, 3s, τελέω, 1) to bring to a close, to finish, to
end 1a) passed, finished 2) to perform, execute, complete, fulfil,
(so that the thing done corresponds to what has been said, the order,
command etc.)
1. I have to wonder if the juxtaposition of
‘fire’ in v.49 with ‘baptism’ (which literally means dipping in water) in v.50
is significant. Could it be a contrast (making the δὲ of v.50 “but”) “I came to bring fire, but I have to be immersed in
water...”? Could it be two ways of cleansing, via fire and via water?
2. The phrase “I have a baptism to be
baptized [with]” is awkward. “Baptism” (βάπτισμα)
is accusative, making it the direct object of the verb ἔχω. But, then
“to be baptized” βαπτισθῆναι is a passive infinitive, which could follow ἔχω as
“I have to be baptized” if there weren’t already an accusative (a baptism) in
the way. So, it seems best to add “with” to the infinitive, “to be baptized
with.”
3. It is interesting that τελεσθῇ (“it may be completed”) is in
the subjunctive mood, not the indicative, making the completion of Jesus’
baptism conditional.
51 δοκεῖτε ὅτι εἰρήνην παρεγενόμην δοῦναι ἐν τῇ γῇ; οὐχί, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀλλ'
ἢ διαμερισμόν.
Do you suppose that I arrived to
give peace in the earth? No, I say to
you, but the division.
δοκεῖτε : PAI, 2pl, δοκέω,
1) to be of opinion, think, suppose
παρεγενόμην: AMI 1s, παραγίνομαι, 1) to be
present, to come near, approach 2) to come forth, make one's public
appearance
δοῦναι : AAInf, δίδωμι, 1) to
give 2) to give something to someone 2a) of one's own accord to
give one something, to his advantage 2a1) to bestow a gift 2b) to
grant, give to one asking, let have 2c) to supply, furnish, necessary
things
λέγω: PAI 1s, λέγω, 1) to say, to speak
1. I am translating παρεγενόμην as “I arrived” to distinguish it
from “I came” (ἦλθον) in v.49. It is a different verb and it is in the middle,
not active voice.
2. Likewise, v.49 has “to cast” (βαλεῖν) and v.51 has “to give”
(δοῦναι).
As much as I’d like to contrast the claim “I came to cast
fire against the earth” (49) and the supposition that “I arrived to give peace
in the earth” (51), Luke’s word choices seem to steer away from that.
3. It is also worth noting that we usually think of Jesus as
bringing peace and not fire or division.
52ἔσονται γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν πέντε ἐν ἑνὶ οἴκῳ διαμεμερισμένοι, τρεῖς ἐπὶ δυσὶν καὶ δύο ἐπὶ τρισίν,
For from the now five will be in
one house having been divided, three against two and two against three.
ἔσονται: FMI, 3pl, εἰμί, 1) to be, to exist, to happen, to be
present
διαμεμερισμένοι: PerfPassPart, nmpl, διαμερίζω, 1) to cleave
asunder, cut in pieces 2) to be divided into opposing parts, to be at
variance, in dissension 3) to distribute
1. While the baptism with which Jesus is to be baptized is yet
to be completed (v.50), the “now” (νῦν) suggests that already the division that
Jesus brings is taking place.
2. Since nothing in Luke 12 suggests that the attendants to
Jesus’ words are having these household divisions, this seems to be a text
reflecting a certain sitz im leben of
Luke’s community. By the time Luke was writing – a half a century after the
ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus – these kinds of divisions may have
been more evident. I think vv.4-12 of this chapter have the same kind of
‘layered experience’ feel to them.
53 διαμερισθήσονται πατὴρ ἐπὶ υἱῷ καὶ υἱὸς ἐπὶ πατρί, μήτηρ ἐπὶ τὴν
θυγατέρα καὶ θυγάτηρ ἐπὶ τὴν μητέρα, πενθερὰ ἐπὶ τὴν νύμφην αὐτῆς
καὶ νύμφη ἐπὶ τὴν πενθεράν.
A father will be divided against a
son, and a son against a father, a mother against the daughter and a daughter
against the mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a
daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law.
διαμερισθήσονται : FPI, 3pl, διαμερίζω, 1) to cleave
asunder, cut in pieces 2) to be divided into opposing parts, to be at
variance, in dissension 3) to distribute
1. I am trying to be very deliberate in showing where Luke has
an indefinite article (a) or a definite article (the) and even, in the case of
the daughter-in-law, a possessive pronoun (her). I don’t know the significance
of those differences, just that they are there.
2. It is also curious that the males following ἐπὶ are in
the dative case, while the females are in the accusative case. In v.52 above,
the numbers following the ἐπὶ are in the dative case. Is this just a
thing, or is there significance here?
54 Ἔλεγεν δὲ καὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις, Οταν ἴδητε [τὴν] νεφέλην ἀνατέλλουσαν ἐπὶ
δυσμῶν, εὐθέως λέγετε ὅτι Ὄμβρος ἔρχεται, καὶ γίνεται οὕτως:
Yet he said also to the crowds,
“When you may see [the] a cloud rising against west, immediately you say “A shower
is coming,” and it happens.
Ἔλεγεν: IAI 3s, λέγω, 1) to say, to
speak
ἴδητε: AASubj 2p, ὁράω, 1) to see with
the eyes 2) to see with the mind, to perceive, know
ἀνατέλλουσαν: PAPart asf, ἀνατέλλω, 1)
rise 1a) to cause to rise
λέγετε: PAI 2p, λέγω, 1) to say, to
speak
ἔρχεται: PMI 3s, ἔρχομαι, 1) to come
γίνεται: PMI 3s, γίνομαι, 1) to become,
i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being
1. It is interesting to try to picture this scene. V.1 shows
that there was a huge crowd, but says that Jesus began to speak first to his
disciples. In v.13, someone from the crowd calls out a request to Jesus which
begins another teaching. In v.22, Jesus again speaks ‘to his disciples’. In
v.32, he speaks to his ‘little flock’ (which seems odd compared to the
‘thousands’ in v.1). In v.41, Peter poses a question distinguishing between
‘us’ and ‘everyone.’ Now, Jesus speaks ‘also to the crowds.’
2. Mine is the only translation in the world that says ‘rising
against west’ and not ‘rising in the west.’ I am trying to keep consistent with
my translation of ἐπὶ as ‘against’ even though in this case it might be
unwarranted. But, see note 3.
3. The word for west (δυσμῶν, for some reason often plural like
it is here) is sometimes used to signify something larger than a compass point.
Just like the word for east (ἀνατολή)
in the birth narrative could be translated that the Magi saw a star ‘at its
rising,’ and just like the word for south (νότον) in the next verse can also
signify the ‘south wind,’ so the word for west (δυσμῶν) can signify the sunset
or the end of the day. thebible.org has this note: “acc. to the reading
of T WH Tr mrg. ἐπὶ δυσμῶν may possibly be understood of time.”
55καὶ ὅταν νότον πνέοντα, λέγετε ὅτι Καύσων ἔσται, καὶ γίνεται.
And when [you may see] a south
wind blowing, you say “It will be hot,” and it happens.
πνέοντα: PAPart asm, πνέω, 1) to breathe,
to blow 1a) of the wind
λέγετε: PAI 2p, λέγω, 1) to say, to
speak
ἔσται: FMI 3s, εἰμί, 1) to be, to
exist, to happen, to be present
γίνεται: PMI 3s, γίνομαι, 1) to become,
i.e. to come into existence, begin to be, receive being
1. The noun νότον (south or south wind) is in the
accusative case and the word πνέοντα is a preposition, not a verb. What I think
that means is that the verb ἴδητε (you
may see) from v.54 is still at play, so I inserted it in brackets.
2. This pattern of saying “a
shower approaches” or “it will be hot” followed by ‘and it happens’
sounds strangely like the rhythm of the creation story in Genesis 1, where
repeatedly God says ‘let there be ...” and, behold “there was ....” Maybe this
ability to ‘read the signs’ is, in some small way, the ability to perceive the
way of God.
56ὑποκριταί, τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οἴδατε δοκιμάζειν,
τὸν καιρὸν δὲ τοῦτον πῶς οὐκ οἴδατε δοκιμάζειν;
Hypocrites, the face of the earth
and the heaven you know to examine, but this time how do you not know to
examine?
οἴδατε: PerfAI 2p, ὁράω, 1) to see with
the eyes 2) to see with the mind, to perceive, know
δοκιμάζειν: PAInf, δοκιμάζω, 1) to test,
examine, prove, scrutinize
οἴδατε: PerfAI 2p, ὁράω, 1) to see with
the eyes 2) to see with the mind, to perceive, know
δοκιμάζειν: PAInf, δοκιμάζω, 1) to test,
examine, prove, scrutinize
1. There is a bit of a space v. time issue here. The crowd knows
to examine space – the face of the earth and the sky - and see what change will
take place. But, hypocritically, the crowd does not know how to examine time
and see what is at hand.
2. It feels odd for Jesus to be using the word “Hypocrites!” when
speaking generally to the crowd and not specifically to religious leaders or
people who are trying to trap him in a religious conundrum. Below is a
comparison of the uses of the plural term in the gospels. There are no uses in
John, one in Mark, four in Luke, and fifteen in Matthew.
Time and
Space
I don’t
want to get all philosophically nerdy or anything, but this idea that change
takes place at the intersection between space and time is a big deal in the
history of philosophy. For example, when Immanuel Kant writes his “2nd
analogy” in The Critique of Pure Reason,
he distinguishes between two types of observations. When examining a house, one
makes numerous observations of the parts – the gables, the door, the siding,
etc. – in random order. But, when examining a moving ship, the order of what one sees in time – the
distant, then closer, then still closer observations – makes a difference.
These ‘alterations’ in appearances are what we connect, in Kant’s language, in
our ‘synthetic faculty of imagination.’ All of that is to say that the whole
activity of seeing and perceiving patterns, seeing and knowing where what ones
sees is going, is a pivotal human capacity, both in the history of philosophy
but also for Jesus in Luke’s gospel. And, if my suggestion earlier about the
‘saying’ and ‘it happens’ pattern really does reflect God’s way of creativity
in Genesis 1 (v.55, n.2), this pattern of
seeing and perceiving is indicative of how we “know” God’s way in the world.
Hypocrisy is, I would argue, relying on God’s way in the world in some respects
(anticipating weather, for example), but being blind to it in others – like the
justice issues that follow in vv.57-59.
Hypocrites
Mt 6:2
|
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet
before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward.
|
Mt 6:5
|
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites
are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners
of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They
have their reward.
|
Mt 6:16
|
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to
fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
|
Mt 7:5
|
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;
and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's
eye.
|
Mt 15:7
|
Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
|
Mt 16:3
|
And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky
is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the
sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
|
Mt 22:18
|
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye
hypocrites?
|
Mt 23:13
|
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
|
Mt 23:14
|
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour
widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall
receive the greater damnation.
|
Mt 23:15
|
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass
sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold
more the child of hell than yourselves.
|
Mt 23:23
|
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay
tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of
the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to
leave the other undone.
|
Mt 23:25
|
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make
clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of
extortion and excess.
|
Mt 23:27
|
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are
like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are
within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
|
Mt 23:29
|
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye
build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,
|
Mt 24:51
|
And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
|
Mk 7:6
|
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you
hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
|
Lk 6:42
|
Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the
mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is
in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine
own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy
brother's eye.
|
Lk 11:44
|
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as
graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware
of them.
|
Lk 12:56
|
Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the
earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
|
Lk 13:15
|
The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not
each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and
lead him away to watering?
|
Thank you! I've struggled a while to make sense of the "hypocrites!" verse, and the idea of time and space as observational points--and of the willingness to rely on God for some but not all--was great. Not boring at all!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm in the Washington, DC area, and today there's a big celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Hava A Dream" speech. The parallel between that speech and the binding and loosing you illuminate here seems particularly appropriate to the day.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate your "hypocrites" interpretation. It gives a little different spin than the usual modern understanding. Thanks for the work you do each week.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sharon.
DeleteWe may be used to the 'Christian' meaning of baptism. BlueLetter Bible (using dated resources) adds 'overwhelmed' as a meaning of baptism:
ReplyDeletemetaphorically, to overwhelm, as ἰδιώτας ταῖς ἐισφοραῖς, Diodorus 1, 73; ὀφλήμασι, Plutarch, Galba 21; τῇ συμφορᾷ βεβαπτισμένος, Heliodorus Aeth. 2, 3; and alone, to inflict great and abounding calamities on one: ἐβάπτισαν τὴν πόλιν, Josephus, b. j. 4, 3, 3; ἡ ἀνομία με βαπτίζει, Isaiah 21:4 Sept. hence, βαπτίζεσθαι βάπτισμα (cf. Winers Grammar, 225 (211); [Buttmann, 148 (129)]; cf. λούεσθαι τὸ λουτρόν, Aelian de nat. an. 3, 42), to be overwhelmed with calamities, of those who must bear them...
If we take that perspective, we walk away from water alone and see things like 'baptized with fire' in a different context?
I'm sorry about that 2013 comment - it was obviously meant for a different post, and I have no idea how it got here!
ReplyDeleteBut thanks for *this* post - I could have used a little more discussion about Jesus' "baptism" yet to come, because he'd already been baptized. And when we are "baptized by fire," that's when we get the Holy Spirit, which Jesus had and was a part of already.
Adding the 'with' to baptism makes it a reflexive act that Jesus undergoes. What if like the fire it is about bringing a baptism (a cleansing or overwhelming) to bear on the world.
ReplyDeleteOr a shakeup
ReplyDelete