Trying to understand a comment about the relationship between Achan and Ananias

Graham Criddle
Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,490
edited November 21 in English Forum

Various commentaries make the point that the same word is used in Joshua 7:1 (LXX) as in Acts 5:2 - such as:

Achan’s act of taking from the devoted thing, as imputed to the children of Israel, is by the LXX described by the same word, ἐνοσφίσαντο, kept back, as that which designates the sin of Ananias (Acts 5:2).

George F. Genung, Joshua (The American Baptist Publication Society, 1931), 38.

Acts 5:2 has:

καὶ ἐνοσφίσατο ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς

Eberhard Nestle et al., The Greek New Testament, 27th ed. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1993), Ac 5:2.

but the word in the LXX is different:

καὶ ἐνοσφίσαντο ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀναθέματος

Septuaginta: With Morphology, electronic ed. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1979), Jos 7:1.

Running BWS Guides on each of them show that the lemma is different:

image



Can anyone shed any light on this?

I am sure I am missing something but I don't know what!

Thanks, Graham

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Comments

  • David Thomas
    David Thomas Member Posts: 3,247 ✭✭✭

    Can anyone shed any light on this?

    Is this not the same root, but the Judges passage is MIDDLE voice (keep for oneself) and the Acts passage is ACTIVE voice (to keep)

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  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,490

    Is this not the same root

    Potentially (and here I'm aware my knowledge of Greek is limited) but while I know how to use Logos to determine the root of a lemma in the NT, it doesn't seem to work the same way for a word in the LXX.

    And the respective analytical lexicons seem to suggest they are different words

    image

  • David Thomas
    David Thomas Member Posts: 3,247 ✭✭✭

    The nature of ANALYTICAL lexicons is that they reveal forms, rather than lemmas.

    nosphizomai is the middle voice of the lemma (acitve) nosphizo. Notice BDAG references Josh 7 in the entry for nosphizo

    νοσφίζω (νόσφι ‘apart’; Hom. et al.) in our lit. only mid.; 1 aor. ἐνοσφισάμην to put aside for oneself, keep back, of engagement in a type of skimming operation (X., Cyr. 4, 2, 42: Cyrus urges restraint in appropriation of treasure; Polyb. 10, 16, 6: Roman soldiers resist temptation to take booty for themselves without equitable distribution; Plut., Lucull. 517 [37, 2], Aristid. 320 [4, 3]; Jos., Ant. 4, 274; SIG 993, 21; PRyl 116, 10; 2 Macc 4:32) ἀπό τινος some of someth. (PSI 442, 4 [III B.C.]; Josh 7:1.—ἔκ τινος Athen. 6, 23a; Philo, Mos. 1, 253) ἐνοσφίσατο ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς (Ananias) kept back some of the proceeds (not a case of embezzlement) Ac 5:2f (cp. Josh 7:1, 19–26. Diod S 5, 34, 3: lot-holders who hold back [νοσφίζεσθαι] some of their crops, which have been declared common property [κοινοποιεῖσθαι], are subject to the death penalty among the Vaccaei, a Celtic tribe). μηδὲν ὅλως ν. εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν πονηράν keep back or reserve nothing at all for the satisfaction of one’s base desire Hs 9, 25, 2. Abs. (ins [I A.D.]: ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ 1, 1928, p. 18 ln. 13; PPetr III, 56 [b], 10; 12) Tit 2:10.—DELG s.v. νόσφι. M-M. Spicq.

    William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 679.

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  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 32,490

    Thanks Dave - and, yes, the BDAG reference is helpful

    So I guess my questions has moved on to whether there is any way I could start with the Acts 5:2 word and run a search in Logos to find the matching word in Joshua 7:1

    Thoughts?