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Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

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<strong>Word</strong> <strong>Pictures</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> NT [Acts: Chapter 27]<br />

The papyri examples (Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_) all<br />

have <strong>the</strong> mean<strong>in</strong>g "capta<strong>in</strong>" ra<strong>the</strong>r than "owner."<br />

27:12 {Because <strong>the</strong> haven was not commodious to w<strong>in</strong>ter <strong>in</strong>}<br />

(\aneu<strong>the</strong>tou tou limenos huparchontos pros paracheimasian\).<br />

Genitive absolute aga<strong>in</strong> present tense of \huparch•\: "The harbour<br />

be<strong>in</strong>g unfit (\aneu<strong>the</strong>tou\, this compound not yet found elsewhere,<br />

simplex <strong>in</strong> Lu 9:62; 14:35; Heb 6:7) for w<strong>in</strong>ter<strong>in</strong>g"<br />

(\paracheimasia\, only here <strong>in</strong> N.T., but <strong>in</strong> Polybius and<br />

Diodorus, <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>scription A.D. 48, from \paracheimaz•\). {The<br />

more part advised} (\hoi pleiones e<strong>the</strong>nto boul•n\). Second aorist<br />

middle <strong>in</strong>dicative of \tith•mi\, ancient idiom with \boul•n\, to<br />

take counsel, give counsel. Lysias held a council of <strong>the</strong> officers<br />

of <strong>the</strong> ship on <strong>the</strong> issue raised by Paul. {If by any means <strong>the</strong>y<br />

could reach Phoenix and w<strong>in</strong>ter <strong>the</strong>re} (\ei p•s duna<strong>in</strong>to<br />

katant•santes eis Pho<strong>in</strong>ika paracheimasai\). The optative<br />

\duna<strong>in</strong>to\ (present middle of \dunamai\) here with \ei\ is a<br />

condition of <strong>the</strong> fourth class with <strong>the</strong> notion of purpose implied<br />

and <strong>in</strong>direct discourse (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1021). "We vote<br />

for go<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> chance that we may be able" (Page). Phoenix is<br />

<strong>the</strong> town of palms (Joh 12:13), <strong>the</strong> modern Lutro, <strong>the</strong> only town<br />

<strong>in</strong> Crete on <strong>the</strong> sou<strong>the</strong>rn coast with a harbour fit for w<strong>in</strong>ter<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

though <strong>Word</strong>sworth and Page argue for Ph<strong>in</strong>eka which suits Luke's<br />

description better. The verb \paracheimaz•\, to w<strong>in</strong>ter, is from<br />

\para\ and \cheim•n\ (see also 28:11). Used <strong>in</strong> several _Ko<strong>in</strong>•_<br />

writers. {Look<strong>in</strong>g nor<strong>the</strong>ast and sou<strong>the</strong>ast} (\bleponta kata liba<br />

kai kata ch•ron\). There are two ways of <strong>in</strong>terpret<strong>in</strong>g this<br />

language. \Lips\ means <strong>the</strong> southwest w<strong>in</strong>d and \ch•ros\ <strong>the</strong><br />

northwest w<strong>in</strong>d. But what is <strong>the</strong> effect of \kata\ with <strong>the</strong>se<br />

words? Does it mean "fac<strong>in</strong>g" <strong>the</strong> w<strong>in</strong>d? If so, we must read<br />

"look<strong>in</strong>g southwest and northwest." But \kata\ can mean down <strong>the</strong><br />

l<strong>in</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> w<strong>in</strong>d (<strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong> w<strong>in</strong>d is blow<strong>in</strong>g). If so, <strong>the</strong>n it is<br />

proper to translate "look<strong>in</strong>g nor<strong>the</strong>ast and sou<strong>the</strong>ast." This<br />

translation suits Lutro, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r suits Phoenike. Ramsay takes<br />

it to be Lutro, and suggests that sailors describe <strong>the</strong> harbour by<br />

<strong>the</strong> way it looks as <strong>the</strong>y go <strong>in</strong>to it (<strong>the</strong> subjectivity of <strong>the</strong><br />

sailors) and that Luke so speaks and means Lutro which faces<br />

nor<strong>the</strong>ast and sou<strong>the</strong>ast. On <strong>the</strong> whole Lutro has <strong>the</strong> best of <strong>the</strong><br />

argument.<br />

27:13 {When <strong>the</strong> south w<strong>in</strong>d blew softly} (\hupopneusantos notou\).<br />

Genitive absolute with aorist active participle of \hupopne•\,<br />

old verb to blow under, <strong>the</strong>n to blow gently, here only <strong>in</strong> N.T. "A<br />

http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC27.RWP.html (6 of 18) [28/08/2004 09:08:19 a.m.]

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