Sunday 7 October 2018

Clean or Pure ? A Short Note on Katharos

#katharos #gospelofluke #greeknewtestament

KATHAROS 
and its various related nouns and verbs means both purify and cleanse in GREEK

This creates a dilemma for translators

Which to use?

I'm currently (re)reading Luke Chapter 5 and have gotten to verse 13 in which Jesus says to the Leper

"I will Be Clean" in the RSV

The Greek is two Simple Verbs THELOO KATHARISTTHEETI

Theloo is the shortened post classical  form of ethelooo

I want this event to happen

Then An Aorist  Passive Imperative

It will happen to you the cleansing from disease

Remember this was a era without antibiotics and whether this man had Hansens or some other form of skin disease or cancer the only treatments available were bathing bandages and various ointments based on herbs or minerals and whether the cause was a fungus virus or bacteria the patient was often isolated. His condition was so serious he was described as "fully leprous" and how he got through the crowds to Jesus is not stated. Perhaps the crowds parted fearing infection as the man approached Jesus.

Not a word here about sin just a simple act of healing.

This is probably why the RSV uses CLEAN.






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