Malformed Equivalence in Matthew 23:2
WARNING: You are entering a Greek Geek zone. Proceed with caution or consider escaping to the comfort of YouTube.
There are several interesting features of Matthew 23:2 that I believe are misrepresented by most of the translations that I have seen in English. I’ve listed them below with a few of my observations.
1. The syntax of the verse
The locative adjunct “on Moses’ seat” is placed at the very beginning of the statement.
Why does the locative come first? And how do we represent that in translation?
2. The syntax of the genitive phrase
The genitive Μωϋσέως modifying a noun occurs fifteen times in the New Testament.
- 11 times: noun followed by Μωϋσέως (Mrk 12:26; Luk 2:22, 24:4; Jhn 7:23; Act 13:28, 15:1, 15:5, 28:23; Heb 10:28; Rev 15:3
- 4 times Μωϋσέως before the noun (Mat 23:2; Jhn 9:28; 1 Cor 9:9; Jud 1:9
The position of Μωϋσέως in this phrase is intentional. What does it mean and how do we represent that in translation?
3. The tense and aspect of ἐκάθισαν
- Prototypical aorist
Jesus is drawing attention to an event in the past: “The S & P sat on Moses’ seat.”
- Gnomic aorist1
Jesus is merely acknowledging an existential state: “The S & P sit on Moses’ seat.”
Assuming this is gnomic aorist, it is a rare example in the New Testament. How do we represent this unusual usage in English?
All FE and DE translations seem to mishandle these three features. But the issues at stake seem essential to me. An FE translation should reflect atypical syntax and unusual verb tenses. And a DE translation should understand these marked usages and be able to reproduce their effects in natural ways in the receptor language.
Related posts:
Rich at Better Bibles: Do we think in words?, No harm, no foul?
John at Ancient Hebrew: Do we think in words? A Reply, How do you render jilted love in language strong as an arm with its veins popping out? On translating Matthew 23:1-10 (Round Two)
JK Gayle at Aristotle’s Feminist Subject: Listening into Translation, ABCs of DE
ElShaddai at He is sufficient: A three-legged survey of Bible translations
Lingamish: Excuse me, I think you’re in my chair
1: Following Wallace GGBB, p. 562. Most English versions follow this route.
JK Gayle sent this in…
David,
Although I could barely pull myself away from youtube, your Greek piqued my interest. Don’t know if you’re interested, but the heretical Willis Barnstone may offer some cool answers with his malformed translation:
1. Barnstone translates the fronted locative in Matt 23:2 as
“On the seat of Mosheh sit the scholars and Prushim.”
He footnotes the locative phrase with the following answer as to why the locative comes first:
“Moses represents the covenant of Sinai that is transcended by the New Covenant. The Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat, identifying these wicked scholars with the Jewish Bible and its old law and commandments now superceded by Matthew’s sermons and good news, although elsewhere in the Torah is cited as the authenticating source of Yeshua as the promised messiah, who is dignified by his Davidic sonship as in Matthew 1.1.”
Barnstone clearly takes Matthew’s language here to mean that the Pharisees and scholars sit somewhere not desirable for any New Covenant member: On Moses’s seat. (e.g., ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας).
2. Where Μωϋσέως comes before the noun in the genitive phrase, Barnstone translates it as above for Matt 23:2 and as follows for Jhn 9:28 (and he’s still not published anything but the gospels and Rev):
“Mosheh’s students”
As with Matt 23:2, Barnstone gives a footnote in Jhn 9:28, just so readers won’t misunderstand the translator’s read of the Greek. He calls “Mosheh’s students”:
“A reference to the superiority of Yeshua’s teaching over that of Moses and, by extension, of the New Covenant over the Jewish Bible.”
Elsewhere (i.e., in Mrk 12:26; Luk 2:22, 24:44; Jhn 7:23; & Rev 15:13), when the noun is followed by Μωϋσέως, Barnstone translates this way:
“of Mosheh” and he offers no footnote to make clear his interpretation that there is any contrast in position of Yeshua (i.e., Jesus) over Mosheh (i.e., Moses.
3. On the question of which aorist to go with in ἐκάθισαν, have you looked at it’s other two instances across the DE and FE translations? See Acts 13:14 and Rev 20:4. As Barnstone hasn’t published a translation of Acts yet, I’ll give his rendering of the latter:
καὶ εἶδον θρόνους καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐπ’ αὐτούς καὶ κρίμα ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς
Then I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given the power to judge.
Does that make his translation DE, FE, or ME (i.e., Malformed E)?
The belief that The Messiah – Yahushuah – usually known as ‘Jesus’ came to abolish the Law of Moses is not new. It is however VERY incorrect.
Note His own words in Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah and the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. ”
He also gives us a stern warning about teaching against the Torah and teaching others to disregard it in Matthew 5:19.
Yahushuah was spoken of throughout all of Scripture beginning in Genesis 3:15. Note Luke 24:27 and 44.
After the resurrection, we see how Shaul ( Paul ) explains our redemption and how this relates to the Torah.
For we reckon that a man is declared rihgt by belief without works of the Torah – Romans 3:27
Do we then nullify the Torah by our belief ? Certainly not !
On the contrary we establish the Torah.
Yahushuah’s presence in our lives as our Messiah will not chase the Torah out, it will bring us to love and obey th eTorah. all the Torah and the Prophets point to the Living One – yahushuah – He is the Word – Torah – in the flesh.
Several places make mention of a law doen away with, and quickly fading. Especially found in Galations,this speaks of the Levitical System of sacrafice. Yahushuah Himself being our sacrafice – we no longer sacrafice animals for our lawlessness. The TORAH itself is still to be obeyed.
Yahushuah said that if we love Him we will keep His commands. He also tells us about how to enter into life. Luke 18:17-27
We must believe in HIM fo rour deliverance.
And, we have a word from the Holy Spirit on who HIS people truly are –
And the dragon was enraged with the woman and went to make war withthe remnant of her seed, those guarding ht ecommands of YHWH and possessing the witness of Yahushuah the Messiah. Revelation – 12:17
What commands ?
Yahushuah just told us some of them in Luke 18. The truth is that TORAH is still to be obeyed today. We see this later in the prophecy.
Blessed are those doing His commands that authority may be thiers unto the tree of life and to enter in through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14
Years of anti-Semitic and anti-Torah teaching has filled the church with faulty doctrine. YHWH our Fether still tells us to obey His Torah today.
The TORAH is truth – Psalm 119:142 – it is also the Holy Spirit – 1 John 5:6
YHWH is ONE as Father Yahushuah Spirit and TORAH
Obeying the commands helps us to know that we know HIM – 1 John 2:3-6
This is also how we know we love the children of Light
1 John 5:2
Not that our obedience has cleansed us – His Blood has cleansed us – Revelation 7:14
Obedience to the TORAH is a sign that we are HIS people
Note His responce to the TORAH-LESS or lawless ones in Matthew 7:21-23.
All this I say not to scare you, only to inform you. The Anti-Torah spirit that is in the Earth in htese days will be destroyed – 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
The truth we must love is YAHUSHUAH – TORAH
HE IS ONE
I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life – noone comes to the Father but by Me – YAHUSHUAH
Please contact me with any commenst or questions: rdl13951@yahoo.com
May YAHUAH Be Glorified
Blessed is he who comes in the Name of YAHUAH !