Article February 26, 1938 Issue

Bible Notes

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female" (Gal. 3:28)—The Greek words "ouk eni," here thrice rendered "there is neither," form an idiomatic phrase which is taken to mean "there is (or can be) no room for" (Souter: Greek Lexicon, p. 84). Consequently we find that Moffatt renders: "There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman;" and the American Revised Version: "There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free;" while Weymouth (fifth edition) has: "There cannot be Jew and Greek, slave and free man, male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus." Then Goodspeed has: "There is no room for 'Jew' and 'Greek'; there is no room for 'slave' and 'freeman'; there is no room for 'male' and 'female'; for in union with Christ Jesus you are all one."

"Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29)—It may be recalled that it was announced to Abraham that in him "all families of the earth" were to be blessed (Gen. 12:3), while later an heir was promised to him (Gen. 15:4). His seed was to have part in an "everlasting covenant" (Gen. 17:7). A literal translation of Galatians 3:29 would refer to "heirs according to promise," but most translators supply the definite article—"the promise." Thus Moffatt has: "You are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the promise, you are heirs."

"Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:6)—The word "Abba" is simply the regular Aramaic term for "father." Thayer contends that "through frequent use in prayer" it "gradually acquired the nature of a most sacred proper name to which the Greek-speaking Jews added the appellative from their own tongue" (Greek Lexicon, p. 1); in other words, "ho pater" (literally "the father"). In the Syriac, or Eastern Aramaic version of this passage we find the words: "Abba, abbun," literally, "Father, our Father" (cf. Jennings: Syriac Lexicon, p. 13; and Murdock's Syriac New Testament).

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