Palm Sunday and Hosanna

#palmsunday #gospels #biblestudy #easter  #textualvariation #matthew #luke #mark #john

The #Gospel passages about #jesus ' s entry into #jerusalem on what is now known as #PalmSunday are ones that do show textual variation however the description of the events ALL AGREE on the MAJOR points.

The disciples were sent to pick an female donkey and her colt.

People were throwing down clothes and greenery cut branches onto the road.

The event was prophesied by #Zechariah (9:9)

People were calling out #Hosanna and Blessed Be eulogeemenos  in greek

Mark records blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Blessed is the realm of our father david that is coming Hosanna in the highest

Matthew said Hosanna to the son of David blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord  hosanna in the highest

Luke
blessed is the king who comes in the name of the lord
peace in heaven and glory in the highest

John
hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord  even the king of israel

Simplest explanation the crowd was calling out ALL of these things!

A note about the #Palms

Only John mentions palms the others just mention leafy branches or cut greenery but this is not a problem since perhaps a variety of plants were strew along the road depending on what plants were nearby and Matthew and John may be walking at opposite ends of the procession and saw and heard slightly different things?

A note about #Hosanna  this word originally meant save / help and the full hebrew / aramaic form is according to my web search hosh(i)a - na'. Greek had no SH sound but did have a san syllable cluster or perhaps the double nn was simply a local dialect variant?

Finally a short poem. If you want to read a better poem read Chesterton!

Not on a path of gold but green
he rode into Jerusalem

Not on a tank or royal steed
but as the prophet decreed
borne on a lowly females back

not on a path of gold but green
he rode into jerusalem

hosanna hosanna blessed
blessed be praise be kingdom come
prophet teacher prince so blessed
now sing in praise though silent are some

not on a path of gold but green
he rode into jerusalem !

He didn't use a chariot or horse or camel but a female donkey and her son.

This is like using a workers ute (pickup truck for americans) rather than an open limo!

Anyway enjoy Palm Sunday Praise the Lord and if you have to shop cos you're working and want to avoid the Thursday evening rush don't overdo it on the chocolate and hot cross buns or other Easter specialities!

comparative irony

How one verse serves as Irony and a great example of Adverbs used to create a comparision too!

#biblestudy #greeknewtestament #whatjesussaid

#Matthew 10: 24 - 25

not is student over the teacher nor slave over the master his

enough for student that (Note subjunctive in Greek geneetai) becomes as the teacher his and the slave as the master his

two simple comparisons

then

if the housemaster Beelzeboul is called / named (as) how much more  the householders / the residents in the houses / oikakos  his

RSV adds maligned

we know from other verses some people accused Jesus of having mastery over demons because he was a sorcerer or magician

the servants and students will be maligned like the master

these two verses also give me an excuse to discuss mallon

NOTICE WELL 

mala mallon malista 

much more most 

could also be translated as 

very rather especially 

basic adverb comparative form and superlative form

If a = such and such than how much more B = such and such

note rather than using a suffix an adverbial construction is used here and the verb implied

you could just use mallon by itself but the use of posos plus mallon makes the whole verse much stronger and expressive and adds an ironic twist !

mallon is an overlooked but very useful word you will encounter in both new testament and classical greek

Persecution Complex

#biblestudy #whatjesussaid #gospel #greeknewtestament

Matthew 10: 16 - 23
There are a lot of American and other Christians who sadly use these verses to justify claims they are being persecuted ... WHEN THEY ARE NOT.

Chances are if you're reading this in English and have access to the Internet you live in a country where the only "persecution" you have to worry about is a court case and a fine for libel?

Be cautious about people
for  hey will give you over into the councils
 (Note Plural from in greek  this is not just the Jewish Synhedrin but councils in general)
and in their synagogues they will flog / whip you
and to / before  leaders and also kings you will be taken / lead
(akheesesthe is a future passive from agoo
remember aspiration as a passive marker so the stem of agoo becomes kh
and the kh is the sound in Kin not sKin !)
for / because of me to witness to them and to the (pagan non jewish) nations

When(ever) and they deliver you not worry how or what to say!

it will be given to you in that hour what you will say
 it will be you speaking
but the spirit of the father of you the talking in you ?

note alla emphasizing that the spirit will inspire and give your speech

betray brother a brother into death and father a child and raise up against / ( rebel violently )  children against parents  and kill them

epanasteesontai from epanistami

Something like the situations during the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe or the Russian and Chinese revolutions and the great persecutions under the Roman empire

you might also want to read about the Donatists and Arians?

and you will be hated by all for the name of me
he who endures to end this one will be saved
when(ever) and they pursue / hunt you in the city flee into the other.

The persecution perhaps we should worry about is the denial of refugee status to those forced to flee their countries to others.

truly for i say to you not will have completely finished (going thru)  the cities of israel until comes the son of man

perhaps what we should worry about is not whether or not you can boycott certain people or causes without being sued but actual PHYSICAL violence towards you?

As I said at the start if you  have your own laptop to access to a public library  you are probably at little risk of physical persecution but please do spare a thought or more if possible  for those who genuinely are?

Serpents and Doves

#matthew10:16
One of those verses that probably  do have multiple levels of meaning so lets stick to the simplest one?

See! I send you (on a mission) as sheep in midst wolves!
Become therefore prudent as the snakes and pure as the doves.

I know some people think the reference to wise serpents refers to ancient cults but look at ehich words used ?
Phronimos not spiritual wisdom or occult knowledge but a word that translates into Latin as Prudent having common sense and practical wisdom.
Snakes hunt bird eggs and peristera which refers to pigeons and doves were kept for fertilizer eggs and meat. Doves originally nested in cliffs to get away from snakes.
Irony?
The Doves are described as akeraios pure and innocent cos they are unmixed undiluted ...akeraios derives fron the root of the verb kerannumi.
Learn the virtues of both predators and prey ?

yo and behold idou

IDOU

#idou #ecce #behold #greeknewtestament
the next section of Matthew begins with a word that appears frequently in the New Testament .
Translated into Latin as ECCE IDOU and related forms like ide idete are actually VERBS even if they seem to be  used more like Adverbs!

IDOU is the Second Aorist Imperative Middle of horaoo - see but horaoo uses a stem of - (e) id from * wide cognate with Latin video.

When you see these forms used you are being called to not just see but to pay attention and learn and these secondary meanings have lead to this word being translated as

Look See Listen Behold LO

If you're  doing a full colloquial version you might even venture to use YO! or whatever the equivalent in local slang ?

Just dont go so far you in your efforts to make the Bible more modern you end up weakening the meaning.