Pt1-04-SOME RARE WORDS

SOME RARE WORDS AN interesting excursion into New Testament language may be made in the field of rare words upon which light has been thrown by discoveries among the papyri and inscriptions. Some examples of these will now be given.

Allotrioepiscopos appears in 1 Peter 4:15 only, "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters". Various meanings have been given to the word translated "busybody in other men’s matters", but synonymous words used in the papyri support the Authorised Version. By etymology, the word suggests "acting as an overseer in other folk’s affairs". Some Christians were regarded as social nuisances. The writer in The Expositor’s Greek Testament says: "The word was apparently coined to express the idea of the itinerant philosopher of whatever sect current among the unphilosophic. Epictetus defends the true Cynic against this very calumny." As the word includes reference to "others", it has been suggested that the enemies of the Cross used it against Christians as a sneer at the sentence, "He saved others".

Andrapodistes, found in 1 Timothy 1:10 only, is translated "men-stealers". It occurs in a list of lawbreakers. Formed from a verb "to kidnap", its etymology, says the Vocabulary of the New Testament, by Moulton and Milligan, is a "reminder of the principle which made quadruped and human chattels differ only in the number of their legs". Andrapoda is formed after the analogy of tetrapoda, four-legged.

Asteios is found in Acts 7:20 and Hebrews 11:2-3. In both passages the adjective is applied to Moses; in the former being translated "fair", in the latter "proper". It is the epithet applied to the child Moses in the Septuagint. By etymology the word means "of the town", and hence the derived meaning "polite" was common. But its connection with the city was forgotten, and it came to be used in the sense of "fine" or "elegant".

Glossokomon in John 12:6; John 13:29, is rendered "bag". Judas was a thief, and had the bag. The original meaning of this word was "a receptacle for the tongues or mouthpieces of flutes". Glossa meant a tongue; compare our words "glossary" and "epiglottis". But in the vernacular the original meaning gave place to that of money-box. Judas evidently had a small box, in which the coins were kept.

Goes appears in 2 Timothy 3:13 only, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived". The root idea in the word translated "seducers" is to "cry aloud", to "wail". It was used of enchanters because they whined incantations with their spells. Perhaps in this passage there is an allusion to the Egyptian magicians, Jannes and Jambres. In an inscription the term seems to imply the supposed existence of a god called "The Wizard"

Epoptes is used in 2 Peter 1:16 only, and is translated "eyewitness ". "We were eyewitnesses of His majesty," says Peter, referring to the transfiguration. In the Septuagint the term is applied to God, who sees all. In the inscriptions the word was used of spectators, especially of those who had been initiated into the secrets of the sacred mysteries. This fact may give added point to the reference to "cunningly devised fables".

Katastema is translated "behaviour" in Titus 2:3, the only place where it occurs in the New Testament: "The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness." Souter gives its meaning: a person’s "outward bearing, including gait, posture, expression of countenance, dress, etc., involving the idea of calmness and composure; demeanour, deportment". A passage in the inscriptions in which the word occurs is translated, "They cultivated the due mean, the best of courses".

Neokoros, which is used in Acts 19:35 only, is translated "Worshipper". Ephesus is said to be a worshipper of the great goddess Diana. Some scholars say that the term is derived from two words giving the meaning "temple-sweeper", and Classic Greek writers used it in that sense. But it came to be used of a temple-warden, and the inscriptions give instances wherein it is applied to a functionary of a temple and also of a synagogue. The earliest trace of Ephesus as Temple-Warden is said to be on a coin of A.D. 65. A note in the Expositor’s Greek Testament says: "The title ’Warden of the Temple of Ephesus’ was a boast of the city, just as other cities boasted of the same title in relation to other deities. It would seem that the title at Ephesus was generally used in connection with the imperial cultus; in the period of this narrative, Ephesus could claim the title as Warden of one Temple of this cultus, and later on she enjoyed the title of dis, tris neokoros (twice, thrice Temple-Warden), as the number of temples in the imperial cultus increased. But there is ample justification from inscriptions for the mention of the title in the verse before us in connection with the Artemis worship."

Pera is the word in Matthew 10:10, translated in the A.V. "scrip". Jesus said, "Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey". This is a good rendering, when we observe that the archaic word "scrip" was used of a beggar’s or traveller’s wallet, the term being related to "scrap"--that which was carried within it. Shakespeare wrote:

Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back,
Wherein he puts alms for oblivion."

(Troilus and Cressida III. 3: 1454)

Deissmann says: "The meaning of the ’wallet’ (A.V. ’scrip’) has seldom been questioned, because it seems so obvious: most commentators probably think of it as a travelling-bag, or, more precisely defined, as a bread-bag. The word in the original Greek Pera is capable of either meaning, according to circumstances. In the context ’travelling-bag’ would do very well; ’bread-bag’ not so well, being superfluous after the mention of ’bread’, and tautology seems out of place in these brief, pointed commands given by Jesus. But there is a special meaning, suggested by one of the monuments, which suits the context at least as well as the more general sense of ’bag’ or ’travelling-bag’. The monument in question was erected in the Roman Imperial period at Kefr-Hauar in Syria by a person who calls himself, in the Greek inscription, a ’Slave’ of the Syrian goddess. ’Sent by the lady’, as he says himself, this heathen apostle tells of the journeys on which he went begging for the ’lady’, and boasts triumphantly that ’each journey brought in seventy bags’. The word here employed is Pera. Of course it has nothing to do with well-filled provision--bags for the journey: it clearly means the beggar’s collecting-bag. The same special meaning makes excellent sense in our text, particularly in St. Matthew’s version: there is to be no earning, and also no begging of money. With this possible explanation of the word the divine simplicity of Jesus stands out afresh against the background suggested by the heathen inscription. While Christianity was still young the beggar-priest was making his rounds in the land of Syria on behalf of the national goddess. The caravan conveying the pious robber’s booty to the shrine lengthens as he passes from village to village, and assuredly the lady will not forget her slave. In the same age and country One who had not where to lay His head sent forth His apostles, saying: ’Freely ye have received, freely give. Get you no gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses: no wallet for your journey.’"

Prostatis is found in Romans 16:2 only, where the Authorised Version says of Phoebe: "She hath been a succourer of many." This feminine form is evidently used as the equivalent of prostates, which like the Latin patronus meant "a legal representative of foreigners". The title was used of a citizen of Athens, who looked after foreigners and those without civil rights, and also in Imperial times of an office-bearer in a heathen religious association. Phoebe was probably a woman of wealth who could render valuable services to the Christian community.

Prosphagion appears in John 21:5 only, where Jesus says to the disciples who were fishing, "Children, have you any meat?" The word was used of any relish eaten with bread, chiefly of fish. The Revised Version makes the sentence, "Have you anything to eat?" and there is some support for this in textual evidence. But probably the meaning is, "Have you taken any fish?" and a negative answer is anticipated. Having said this, Jesus directed the disciples to cast the net on the right side, and a great catch resulted.