TIP OF THE DAY 93: Odds and ends - Deixis
I am adding these posts to the previous tip list L/V 10 Tip of the Day
QUESTION: What is deixis?
ANSWER: From Perplexity
Deixis is a linguistic concept referring to words or phrases whose meaning depends on the context in which they are used. These expressions point to specific people, places, times, or parts of discourse relative to the speaker or writer. In Biblical studies, understanding deixis is crucial for proper interpretation of texts.
Here are the main types of deixis with Biblical examples:
Personal Deixis
Personal deixis refers to expressions that indicate the participants in a communicative act.
Examples:
"I am the Lord your God" (Exodus 20:2) - "I" refers to God as the speaker.
"You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3) - "You" refers to the Israelites as the addressees.
Spatial Deixis
Spatial deixis involves words that indicate location relative to the speaker.
Examples:
"Get out of your country... to a land that I will show you" (Genesis 12:1) - "your country" refers to Abram's current location, while "a land" points to a new, unspecified location.
"Here I am" (Genesis 22:1) - "Here" indicates Abraham's current position.
Temporal Deixis
Temporal deixis refers to expressions that indicate time relative to the moment of speaking.
Examples:
"Now the Lord said to Abram" (Genesis 12:1) - "Now" indicates the time of God's speech to Abram.
"Today, if you hear his voice" (Psalm 95:7) - "Today" refers to the present moment of the reader or hearer.
Discourse Deixis
Discourse deixis involves references to portions of the discourse itself.
Examples:
"This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah" (Matthew 1:1) - "This" refers to the following text.
"As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face'" (Mark 1:2) - "As it is written" refers to a previous text.
Social Deixis
Social deixis encodes social distinctions and relationships between participants.
Examples:
"My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28) - Thomas's use of "Lord" and "God" indicates his recognition of Jesus's divine status.
"Rabbi" (John 1:38) - The disciples' use of this title for Jesus indicates respect and acknowledgment of his role as a teacher.
Understanding deixis in Biblical texts helps readers grasp the full meaning of passages by considering the context of the speaker, time, place, and social relationships involved. It's particularly important when interpreting pronouns, demonstratives, and time or place adverbs in Scripture.1
QUESTION: In the New Testament what are examples of ambiguity caused by the various types of deixis?
ANSWER: From Perplexity
Here are some examples of ambiguity in the New Testament caused by different types of deixis:
1. Person deixis:
In Romans 8:26-27, it's ambiguous whether "he" refers to the Spirit or to God the Father: "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."
2. Spatial deixis:
In John 1:38, "Where are you staying?" uses spatial deixis but the exact location is ambiguous.
3. Temporal deixis:
In Mark 13:30, "this generation" is temporally ambiguous: "Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place."
4. Discourse deixis:
In 1 Corinthians 7:6, "this" is ambiguous: "Now as a concession, not a command, I say this."
5. Social deixis:
In Philemon 1:16, the social relationship between Philemon and Onesimus is ambiguous: "no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother"
6. Demonstrative pronouns:
In 1 John 5:20, "This" is ambiguous and could refer to Jesus Christ or to God: "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."
These examples show how deixis can create interpretive ambiguities in the original Greek text that translators and interpreters must wrestle with. The ambiguity is often preserved in English translations as well.2
1 and and
2 and and and https://www.logosbiblestudy.com/articles/2017/9/10/ambiguity-in-the-old-testament and and and and https://www.logos.com/grow/bsm-inspired-ambiguities-new-testament-greek/
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."