I've been up reading for about the last hour and a half, mostly from texts that are over 2,000 years old. This morning I was reading about:
People resent having to pay taxes, but they'll do it anyway
The joy of having good, loyal dogs, with some history of their parentage and distinct appearances
The sort of trouble you have when you go unto in unfamiliar city and are trying to find your way around for the first time
Watching a parade go by on a holiday
Trying to back down gracefully from a contest that you've been put up for but you know you have no chance to win. (Without looking like a coward in public)
II.
Calvus-
Matt 18 runs like this:
1 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus saying Who then is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens? 2 And calling a paidion he stood him in their midst 3 And said Amen I say to you, unless you turn and become as ta paidia, in now way will you enter unto the kingdom of the heavens. 4 Consequently (oun) whoever would lower himself as to paidion, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens. 5 And if any would receive one paidion such as this in my name, he receives me.
Do you think that slave might be a better translation than child for this passage? Is there supposed to be an ambiguity there? The LSJ entry for pais says 1) in relation to Descent child (with special reference to the father) 2) in relation to Age child, boy or girl, and 3) in relation to Condition, slave. The entry for the diminutive form (paidion) doesn't differentiate those usages, but has "young slave" as a possible translation.
It appears to me to make more sense to interpret Jesus' command as an injunction to become as servants/slaves more than to become "as children." What do you think?
III.
James is mostly very happy to have me back. He loves being outside at Grandma's house and in her various gardens. There are three tomato (tomayo) plants that he is busy harvesting whether red, orange, or green, and then throwing through their stands. (Ba-ball hoops.) He can't get into the netting around her blueberries, but he climbs under the blackberry nets and picks anything ripe. (This one's ready, Daddy. I'm'a eat it. This one is not ready.) But the best part of Grandma's garden is the grapevine, full of purple concord clusters. I think that short of my wife there's nothing more beautiful than a cluster of ripe grapes. James appears to agree.
Good thought! I'm not entirely sure what would be best here. From a quick glance, it doesn't look like the paidion form is used as "slave" anywhere else in the NT, but pais definitely is.
ReplyDeleteWhether it's child or slave, the focus is definitely that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven are those who are willing to change social classes, not so much those who are "innocent like children" (which doesn't make much sense anyway...I think the Silasaursus Rex is already maliciously avoiding naps). Just before this passage, Christ has modeled this form of humility - his glory is revealed in the transfiguration in 17:1-13, but that glory is interpreted on both sides with talk of the cross (16:21-28; 17:22).
If I had to choose, I'd probably still translate it child though. If you argue for slave, you would either have to argue that 18:6-7; 10-14; and 19:13-15 are also referring to slaves, or you would have to explain why there is a shift in referent. But again, the focus is the actual downward social motion, not a sentimental childlike innocence.
All of this also brings up the interesting topic of the ancient's view of children (which you know much more about than I do). As Paul says, "heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves." I wonder if pais is used something like the way slaveholders used the derogatory term "boy."
To make things much clearer, there's also this passage from The Gospel of Thomas:
ReplyDeleteJesus saw some babies nursing. He said to his disciples, "These nursing babies are like those who enter the (Father's) kingdom."
They said to him, "Then shall we enter the (Father's) kingdom as babies?"
Jesus said to them, "When you make the two into one, and when you make the inner like the outer and the outer like the inner, and the upper like the lower, and when you make male and female into a single one, so that the male will not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an eye, a hand in place of a hand, a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image, then you will enter [the kingdom]."
Calvus, excellent work, particularly pulling up Thomas!
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