Word Study

NT 400

10/7/04

Introduction

word study - most abused area, numerous volumes, encyclopedias
role of language
language hierarchy

1. phones

2. phonemes

3. morphemes

4. words

5. phrases/clauses

6. sentences

7. paragraphs

8. discourse

meaning found on every level
words found in the middle
cannot study words in isolation, specific utterances/contexts
dictionaries give all the senses
mistake – isolating word study
redundancy – said multiple times in different ways to get meaning across

Diachronic perspective

Fee – vertical dimension of words
how did a word develop through time?
meanings go out of fashion and new meanings arise
i.e. “nice” – used to mean ignorant
if show that a meaning is no longer relevant, then that is important
etymology – study of word origins, interesting for sermons but very tempting to hold on to
ekklhsia – tempting to say “called out”, but Paul is referring to word that is already in use for congregations/assemblies
Melchizedek – Hebrews and Philo agree that name means “king of righteousness”, Canaanite view is “zedek is my king” but what does that matter since Hebrews and Philo understood it as the former.
television – Latin (tele, visio) – to see from afar… do I think that? no. I know what a television is.
overall, be available to the fact that older understanding may not apply

Synchronic perspective

Fee – horizontal dimension
spider’s web – everything means something in terms of something else
bat / cat – differ because “ba” and “ca” are different in relation to one another, therefore there are different understandings
some we cannot even hear – “paper” – puff of air for first syllable but not the second. Korean word would be different if you switched the ‘puff’ syllable
grammar – verb tenses in how they relate to others
link between sign and thing or form and meaning – largely arbitrary (also discussed by Augustine).
words evoke a sense – how to divide the world up
example – snow, Eskimos have many many words for snow.

Word Relationships

paradigmatic relationship

what words can substitute for each other?
“I ate a hamburger for lunch” – class of words that refer to edible things
“I ate a Volvo for lunch” – this wouldn’t make sense
domains for ideas
understanding a word includes knowing the class of the word

syntagmatic

what words go together with each other? ßà
“I ate a hamburger for lunch” – hamburger goes with lunch
prepositions make a difference, to give a specific sense – “I went out” “I went in”

particular word can have multiple senses

“runs” – kids run, car runs, eggs run, water runs
sentence will give the sense – “my child is running away”
speaking a non-native language exposes the complexity in this
illegitimate totality transfer – importing all the possible meanings of a word into usage (danger with Amplified Bible)
example – “my child is running” – we wouldn’t think of a well-oiled machine and all other meanings
words usually have the minimal sense due to redundancy of languages
dictionaries – useful for seeing development of word, meaning comes through usage
technical terms - summarize an entire debate quickly (for Paul – works of the law)

words overlap with other words

“run” / “walk” – share sense of movement, also other overlaps
semantic domain - larger set that include words

danger of confusing meaning of words with concepts

word does not equal the concept
Paul uses “faith” but other passages use other words for the same concept

Example – fronew

Twice in verse 2, verse 5 – go further

Concordance

shows up frequently in Philippians

1:7
2:2,2,5
3:15,19
4:2,10,10

26 times in the NT total – most in Paul’s letters (Pauline word)
what is the range of meanings?
does Paul have a particular concern?

Lexicon – Bauer

see frhn – one’s mind
Hom+ - from the time of Homer on
widely used in Paul’s context – large amount of use shows no need to do a history study, eliminate diachronic perspective
bold (x) numbers – distinct senses of the word by judgment of the lexicographer
NT passages are in bold
(1) to have an opinion with regard to something – think, form/hold an opinion, judge
examples listed for each sense
(2) – foll. by the acc (followed by the Accusative)
(a) sub-senses
Question - is there another layer on top of the lexicons that compare judgments by the lexicons? for example, fronew – what is the difference between Bauer and other lexicons?

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains Bauer organized by word

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains – Louw, Nida, Smith, Munson
grouped by domains – (geographical, learn, know, communication, etc)
clusters of words
fronew - four senses
big numbers – semantic domains
shows relationship with other word – “be haughty” – to think highly
domain 1 – Psychology
domain 2 – 30 Think with subdomains (A-G)
domain 3 – 31 Hold a View, Believe, Trust with subdomains (A-J)

31.1 other words given that are used in a similar way

domain 4 – 87 Status

Translation Flow

translating – move from semantic domain in one language (sense) to the semantic domain in another language (sense)
low level (word) to high level (domain) in one language then find high level (domain) in another then go to low level (word) in the other
overlaps in ways of categorizing

Method

use lexicons
make judgment based on findings

Philippians 2:5

en umin – personal (in you) or community (among you)
touto – points backwards, to be of one mind, communal emphasis
o kai en Cristw Ihsou –
parallel setup

personal – think in yourself as Christ thought in himself
community – which attitude you should adapt as those who are in Christ (belong to Christ)
not either or because those in Christ are being worked on by the same Spirit

use of “in Christ Jesus” – how is that used
parallel in Phil 4:2 – “to think in the Lord” – shows not personal, “among you”
parallel in Rom 15:5 – “that you think the same thing among yourselves according to Christ Jesus” kata Criston Ihsoun – following after Christ Jesus
strong argument in favor of community
hgoumenoi – in same domain – clustered and used in chap 2 and chap 3
make case – shape community to find identity in Christ in a specific way, adopt an attitude, manner of living that is in coherence with Christ

Follow-up Questions

what does it occur with?
are there conjunctions of ideas?
are there other words that get at the same idea?

How is this practical?

some churches provide “study leaves” for pastors
note a lot of things and then make decision for congregation on a specific day, time and place (specific word)
make intelligent use of tools

Workflow

note word
use concordance
read areas
look at lexicon
ask decent questions
word / ideas / Paul modeled / Jesus modeled – how does this function of writing?

Philippians 2:1-13

2:1 (therefore) points back to 1:27-30
mission – sign to opposition (opposing), shining like stars (attraction)
context – example of humility not as much an example of Christology
be humble – towards unity (later, without complaining)
Paul is not trying to argue theology but to show implications of how it plays out in the community
difference – Athanasius would make very specific references in a treatise of theology. Is that what Paul is doing here? most likely the answer is “no”.

Significant Concepts / Words

“hymn” – characterizes the community of Christ – how is this setting in the middle of an moral exhortation?
emptying – was Jesus of the same essence of God? did he divest himself of that status?
or is Jesus like Adam but instead he didn’t choose for the exalted status but slavery instead

MARGINS – other use of scripture

Isaiah 45 – Jesus fits in the role of Israel’s God

Questions to ask of a text (interpretation)

some exegesis try to get behind a text (history) – pre-Pauline Christology
how does it function in the text
in front of the text – how should we think about God?
we must distinguish which level we are on
limitations of trying to get behind this text