MHDEN AGAN Nothing in Excess

Happy New Year 2014 

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Blessed are the Peacemakers

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 9

Blessed (are) the peacemakers for they sons of God will be called.

μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοὶ , ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται.

Note well that the verse says peace MAKERS not just keepers but makers!

Εἰρήνη PEACE and ποιοὶ makers from the verb ποιέω

The name Irene is derived from the word for peace.

I do wonder why huios was used rather than paidos. This is one of the signs that indicate Matthew's first language was Hebrew or Aramaic.

Κληθήσονται is the future passive of καλέω call summon name.

Why κλη as a stem in the passive. Greek has a feature called metathesis and an tendency to avoid triple consonant patterns especially involving aspirated consonants like th.

What can we do to create peace for ourselves and others? 

Hedylus and Future Optative Example

Athenaeus 111. 473a quotes one of Hedylus' Epigrams which I'm sharing because it has a fine example of the Future Optative and a lovely well expressed idea which tells us something about how Hedylus viewed his own style.

Εὕροιμ̕ ἂν λεπτὸν καὶ τι μελιχρὸν ἔπος.

Literally

 I shall find subtle and a sweet song.

Note ἂν plus the optative I will try... I probably will find … I wish want it to become real ….

Don't forget the convention of placing the breathing sign over the next vowel if its an eu.

The pronunciation was probably heuroim an lepton kai ti melikhron epos.

 Heuro not euro!

And the Angels SPOKE

THE ANGELS SPOKE

One Christmas cliché is a choir of angels hovering over the Stable at Bethlehem or the shepherds out in the fields and their herds but this didn't happen.

Read Luke Chapter 2 carefully.

Luke tells us that first a messenger of the Lord appeared glowing περιλαμψεν in the night bringing the Shepherds a message about a very special child and where to find him … then …

πλῆθος στρατιᾶς οὐρανίου pleeethos stratias ouraniou

a large undefined number of heavenly troops appeared

why did the shepherds think or perceive the angels looked like an army or warriors?

Did something or someone have to be chased away from Bethlehem that night?

Luke also says that the heavenly host were praising god αἰνέω a Greek verb translated into Latin as Laudo and here I think is how the idea of singing angels started with so many Psalms and later Hymns using the phrase Praise God?

Luke then states the angels were speaking praise not singing using λέγω

Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας

A literal translation from the Greek

Glory in highest to God and upon earth peace at this time or perhaps its adverbial moreover especially now to men good will

But then again the Speech of Angels is Music to mere mortals !

Enjoy Christmas 

and the angels spoke 2

Merry Xmas to my readers 

this is the greek text of the Angels message 

transliterated in our ABc for beginners 

see the angels spoke one for an explanation of why I translated the second en as  an adverbial now 

Metousia 2013 Xmas Card

This is a png file with print resolution free to download

enjoy and share

The Aphrodisias Graces

This is the oldest image I could find online. Oldest in being the oldest surviving image. We know from pausanias there were older paintings and sculptures but none have survived. Aphrodisias is a city of Asia Minor now Turkey.

Editorial note bumping this for upcoming IWD

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 8

#Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 8

Blessed (are) the pure in (the) heart for they God will see.

μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται.

A simple straightforward verse expressing a beautiful idea.

The dative form of καρδία means no preposition ἐν is necessary in  Greek.

Ὄψονται is indeed the future form of horaoo ὁραω despite its p stem.

Its one of those irregular verbs you need to learn more details of so please consult your dictionary and grammar for full details.

Ὁραω is the present but in other tenses the stem is op – οπ – or heo when the augment is added leading to ἑόρακα. 

My next post for Christmas Eve will be about Luke Chapter 2 and the Angels

and there will a xmas ecard watch out for it !

Matthew chapter 5 verse 7 MERCY

(sorry this is late had computer problems ) 

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 7

Blessed (are) the merciful for they will receive mercy.

μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται.

Read also Matthew 18: 33 and James 2:13

Quite straightforward but do note the link between showing and being shown mercy.

Ἔλεος the stem of ἐλεήμων merciful and the verb ἐλεέω be merciful show mercy is not just an attitude but an action ἐλεος is pity mercy and compassion or as James puts it faith AND works.

Read the parable in Matthew 18: 33

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 6 hunger and thirst

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 6

Blessed (are) those who hunger and those who thirst

for righteousness for they will be satisfied

μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην,

ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται.

Luke 6:21 has those who thirst now you will be however it is a plural you so perhaps this minor difference could be explained by Luke's informant perhaps being someone standing further away from Jesus who didn't hear or remember all of the Sermon? 

πεινάω hunger and διψάω thirst two new contract verbs this time with A stems and yes διψάω is a present form not future.

The σύνη suffix is usually translated as – ness. Δικαιοσύνη comes from Δικαιος.

Χορτάζω to feed until full to be full to be satisfied.

Note the future passive.

Desire can be a good thing if focused on an ethical goal?

This has been your Sunday Bible Study Aid. Looking for something more secular?

Midweek I'm running a post series on the 3 Grace Classical theme and how its been used in Art over the centuries. 

Maillol's 3 Graces

One favorite theme in Western art that dates back to Classical Greek culture and  is still used by modern artists is  that of the 3 Graces.

Here's a beautiful example by Aristide Maillol that demonstrated how the art of ancient Greece inspires us today.