ἐντρέπω -- Black or White

So this word can apparently mean "up"...or "down", "black"...or "white", or more to the point, "shame" or "respect" ("honor" may be even more on point). The actual underlying meaning is "to turn", but I would like to know if anyone can provide a rationale for why it means one or the other, or to put it another way, one thing or its opposite.

See 2 Thes. 3:14 & Mt. 21:37 for examples of usage.

Please, I really hope the answer isn't "context"...that tired old dog just doesn't hunt. If you insist, though, be prepared to explain which context you are referring to.

Logic puzzle or landmine--either, neither, or both?

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Comments

elnwood

Note the active and passive uses of the verb.

If it is active (i.e. 1 Cor 4:14), the person "turns" in shame. The passive sense, that a person was made to turn, can mean either someone "put that person to shame" (2 Th 3:14) or that the person shames himself with respect to someone else, i.e. shows deference or respect to someone (Mt 21:37).

Rich DeRuiter

So this word can apparently mean "up"...or "down", "black"...or "white"

Where do you see this as a possible definition. I've looked at my lexicons (including BDAG). I also looked at all the NT uses, nothing suggests up/down or black/white.

The actual underlying meaning is "to turn", but I would like to know if anyone can provide a rationale for why it means one or the other, or to put it another way, one thing or its opposite.

There is something in Liddel & Scott that points to Homeric usage that may mean to turn toward someone (in certain grammatical constructions), but I don't see anything that would suggest opposites. But even if it meant one thing in Homer's day, it does not mean that it meant that in the Greek of Paul's day (some 800-900 years later!).

or more to the point, "shame" or "respect"

This is the only NT usage I was able to find. I can't find any rationale beyond context to determine which to choose. Grammatically these examples (and others in the NT) don't appear (to me at least) to help us decide. I'm not sure what other criteria one might use. About the only thing I see (and I don't have any backing for this beyond my own observations of NT usage), is that when entrepo is used regarding someone toward themselves, it means 'shame' and when it used regarding someone toward someone else it means 'respect.' Why I coudn't tell you. Languages sometimes use "fuzzy logic."