These are not the droids you're looking for.
Today I saw a comment on 1 Timothy 3:2 "Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife ..." (ESV)
He wrote: "In the Greek it literaly [sic] means 'one woman man.'"
I've heard this before, but is it true?
Well, no, not really, especially not in the way it's implied. The implication is that "man" & "woman" are more "literal" translations than "husband" & "wife."
But, "woman" & "wife" and "man" & "husband" are the same Greek words* (gynē & anēr respectively). So, the context would have to guide the use of woman or wife and man or husband.
Literally, it's anēr (man/husband) of one gynē (woman/wife), but the context in this instance would pretty soundly give you "husband" of one "wife."
I think the "man of one woman" bit is an unfounded way to try to say that a man really needs to be into his woman. I agree with that sentiment, but one cannot appeal to the original language to get there as a superior translation.*My apologies for using the sloogey transliterated bit, but my blog doesn't seem to like the Greek font. But, if yours can read it, the Greek words are γυνή & ἀνήρ for woman/wife & man/husband respectively.
Labels: Bible, exegesis, vocabulary
posted by GUNNY @ 15:11
4 comments
4 Comments:
I think the Greek words, alone, in this verse may not decisively argue the commentator's point, but that the concept of a married man restricting his desires/affections toward the opposite sex, to his wife, is Biblically valid.
As I stated in the post, I agree with the sentiment, but I would go elsewhere for the biblical support.
"the concept of a married man restricting his desires/affections toward the opposite sex to his wife"
Thanks for the good verbiage.
The commentary and discussion I have seen around this verse has concerned itself with the issues of divorce and polygamy. Specifically, which of these is being discussed in the text?
Thanks Gunny. This was helpful (as in it saved me from making a wrong statement) in something I wrote today for my forthcoming book. In my world this was conspicuously providential.
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