TIP OF THE DAY 48: Ambiguity: Semantic roles, lexical ambiguity
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QUESTION: What types of ambiguity may be created by semantic roles?
ANSWER: from Perplexity which strays beyond the bounds of the question:
Based on the search results and the query, I can provide information about types of ambiguity created by semantic roles in Koine Greek:
1. Circumstantial (Adverbial) Participles:
These are a significant source of ambiguity in New Testament Greek. They are inherently imprecise in conveying ideas such as time, manner, cause, purpose, condition, or concession. For example:
- The participle πορευθέντες (poreuthentes, "going") in Matthew 28:19 can be interpreted as:
- "As you go, make disciples..."
- "Go and make disciples..."
This ambiguity leads to different translations and interpretations of Jesus' instructions.
2. Lexical Ambiguity:
This occurs when a word has multiple possible meanings. Examples include:
- λόγος (logos): Can mean "word," "reason," or "principle" depending on context.
- κύκλος (kyklos): Can refer to a circle, a cycle of events, or even a social group.
3. Syntactical Ambiguity:
The flexible word order in Greek can lead to different interpretations. For example:
- "Ο λύκος κυνηγά το ελάφι" (The wolf chases the deer) can be rephrased as "Το ελάφι κυνηγά ο λύκος" (The deer, the wolf chases) without changing the meaning, but potentially altering the emphasis.
4. Semantic Role Ambiguity:
This can occur when it's unclear which semantic role a particular word or phrase is playing in a sentence. For instance, with the verb δίδωμι (didōmi, "to give"), there can be ambiguity about which elements in the sentence are fulfilling the roles of Agent, Patient, and Recipient.
5. Gender-Related Ambiguity:
Some words can be ambiguous in their gender implications. For example:
- ἄνθρωπος (anthropos) can refer to a human being in general (including both sexes) or specifically to a male, as opposed to a female (γυνή, gynē).
6. Referential Ambiguity:
This occurs when it's unclear which specific entity a word is referring to. For example, in pronouncements where multiple people or objects are mentioned, it may not be clear which one a pronoun is referring back to.
These types of ambiguities highlight the importance of context in interpreting Koine Greek texts and the need for careful analysis to ensure accurate understanding of ancient texts.[1]
QUESTION: Provide examples of circumstantial (adverbial) participles leading to ambiguity?
ANSWER: From Perplexity
Based on the search results and the query, I can provide 5 examples of circumstantial (adverbial) participles from the New Testament that lead to ambiguity:
1. Matthew 28:19 - πορευθέντες (poreuthentes, "going")
- "Therefore, going, make disciples of all nations."
- Ambiguity: This can be interpreted as either "As you go, make disciples..." or "Go and make disciples..."
2. John 8:20 - διδάσκων (didaskōn, "teaching")
- "He spoke these words in the treasury, teaching in the temple."
- Ambiguity: The participle could indicate time (while teaching), manner (by teaching), or even purpose (in order to teach).
3. Acts 9:26 - μὴ πιστεύοντες (mē pisteuontes, "not believing")
- "And they feared him, not believing that he was a disciple."
- Ambiguity: This could indicate cause ("because they did not believe") or concession ("although they did not believe").
4. Galatians 2:3 - Ἕλλην ὤν (Hellēn ōn, "being a Greek")
- "But not even Titus, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised."
- Ambiguity: This could be interpreted as concessive ("although he was a Greek") or causal ("because he was a Greek").
5. John 7:38 - ὁ πιστεύων (ho pisteuōn, "the one believing")
- "He who believes in me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
- Ambiguity: The participle could be interpreted as conditional ("if anyone believes") or as a simple subject ("the one who believes").
These examples demonstrate how circumstantial participles in New Testament Greek can lead to multiple possible interpretations, requiring careful analysis of context to determine the most likely meaning. The inherent imprecision of these participles allows for various nuances in translation and interpretation[2].
QUESTION: Provide examples of lexical ambiguity.
ANSWER: From Perplexity
Based on the search results and the query, I can provide 5 examples of lexical ambiguity from the New Testament with references:
1. Hebrews 9:15-17 - διαθήκης (diathēkēs)
This word can mean both "covenant" and "will/testament". Different translations handle this ambiguity differently:
- NASB consistently uses "covenant"
- ESV switches between "covenant" and "will" to capture different senses of the word
2. John 3:3 - ἄνωθεν (anōthen)
This word can mean both "again" and "from above". Jesus uses it when speaking to Nicodemus:
"Unless one is born ἄνωθεν, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
This leads to Nicodemus' confusion, as he interprets it as "again" while Jesus likely meant "from above".
3. Acts 17:18 - σπερμολόγος (spermologos)
This word is translated as "idle babbler" in many versions, but it literally means "seed picker" and can refer to someone who picks up scraps of knowledge.
"What would this idle babbler wish to say?"
4. Romans 5:7 - δίκαιος (dikaios)
This word can mean both "righteous" and "just", leading to different interpretations of the verse:
"For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die."
5. 1 Corinthians 7:36 - παρθένος (parthenos)
This word typically means "virgin" but can also mean "unmarried daughter". This leads to different interpretations of Paul's advice:
"If any man thinks he is acting improperly toward his virgin..."
Some interpret this as advice about a man's fiancée, others as advice about a father's daughter.
These examples demonstrate how lexical ambiguity in the Greek text can lead to different interpretations and translations, highlighting the complexity of New Testament exegesis.[3]
QUESTION: List other examples like σπερμολόγος (spermologos) where words are used idiomatically.
ANSWER: From Perplexity
Let me provide a list of idiomatic expressions from the New Testament Greek where the literal meaning and the translated meaning diverge:
1. σπλαγχνίζομαι (splanchnizomai)
- Literal meaning: "to be moved in one's bowels"
- Translated as: "to have compassion" or "to be moved with pity"
- Example: Matthew 9:36
2. πρόσωπον λαμβάνω (prosopon lambano)
- Literal meaning: "to receive the face"
- Translated as: "to show favoritism" or "to be partial"
- Example: Galatians 2:6
3. καρδία σκληρά (kardia sklera)
- Literal meaning: "hard heart"
- Translated as: "stubbornness" or "obstinacy"
- Example: Mark 10:5
4. περιπατέω (peripateo)
- Literal meaning: "to walk around"
- Often translated as: "to live" or "to conduct oneself"
- Example: Ephesians 4:1
5. ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός (ophthalmos poneros)
- Literal meaning: "evil eye"
- Translated as: "envy" or "jealousy"
- Example: Mark 7:22
6. κοιλία (koilia)
- Literal meaning: "belly" or "womb"
- Sometimes translated as "heart" (as the seat of emotions)
- Example: John 7:38
7. ἐσθίω καὶ πίνω (esthio kai pino)
- Literal meaning: "to eat and drink"
- Often translated as: "to live normally" or "to associate with"
- Example: Matthew 11:19
8. ἀνακλίνω (anaklino)
- Literal meaning: "to recline"
- Often translated as: "to sit at table" or "to dine"
- Example: Luke 12:37
9. κόλπος (kolpos)
- Literal meaning: "bosom" or "chest"
- Sometimes translated as: "intimate presence" or "close relationship"
- Example: John 1:18
10. σάρκα καὶ αἷμα (sarka kai haima)
- Literal meaning: "flesh and blood"
- Translated as: "human beings" or "human nature"
- Example: Matthew 16:17
11. προσωπολημψία (prosōpolēmpsia)
- Literal meaning: "receiving of face"
- Translated as: "partiality" or "favoritism"
- Example: Romans 2:11
12. σπλαγχνίζομαι (splanchnizomai)
- Literal meaning: "to be moved in one's bowels/innards"
- Translated as: "to have compassion" or "to feel pity"
- Example: Matthew 9:36
13. ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ (en tē kardia)
- Literal meaning: "in the heart"
- Often translated as: "in the mind" or "to oneself"
- Example: Luke 3:15
14. ἀνοίγω τὸ στόμα (anoigō to stoma)
- Literal meaning: "to open the mouth"
- Often translated as: "to begin to speak" or simply "to speak"
- Example: Matthew 5:2
15. πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον (prosōpon pros prosōpon)
- Literal meaning: "face to face"
- Translated as: "in person" or "directly"
- Example: 1 Corinthians 13:12
16. ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός (ek koilias mētros)
- Literal meaning: "from mother's belly"
- Translated as: "from birth" or "since birth"
- Example: Galatians 1:15
17. καρπὸς τῶν χειλέων (karpos tōn cheileōn)
- Literal meaning: "fruit of the lips"
- Translated as: "praise" or "words of praise"
- Example: Hebrews 13:15
These idiomatic expressions demonstrate how literal translations can often miss the intended meaning in Koine Greek. Translators must interpret these phrases within their cultural and linguistic context to convey the intended meaning accurately in the target language.[4]
[1] https://www.vaia.com/en-us/explanations/greek/greek-rhetoric/greek-ambiguity/ and https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Philosophy/A_Guide_to_Good_Reasoning:_Cultivating_Intellectual_Virtues_(Wilson)/02:_Part_Two-_Clarifying_Arguments/2.03:_Chapter_Five_-_Specifying and https://www.logos.com/grow/bsm-inspired-ambiguities-new-testament-greek/ and https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Linguistics/Analyzing_Meaning_-_An_Introduction_to_Semantics_and_Pragmatics_(Kroeger)/05:_Word_Senses/5.03:_Lexical_ambiguity and https://www.bible-researcher.com/anthropos.html and https://koine-greek.com/2009/04/16/verbs-semantic-roles-and-exegesis/
[2] http://www.ibiblio.org/bgreek/project/funk-grammar/pre-alpha/lesson-58.html and https://www.logos.com/grow/bsm-inspired-ambiguities-new-testament-greek/ and https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/15/10/45/151045222934690539884533925309107979522/siljot2005_1_04.pdf
[3] https://bibleforthebaka.com/issues-in-translation-ambiguity/ and https://www.logosbiblestudy.com/articles/2017/9/10/ambiguity-in-the-old-testament and https://www.logos.com/grow/bsm-inspired-ambiguities-new-testament-greek/ and https://www.jesus-resurrection.info/word-meanings.html and https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Ambiguity
[4] https://www.kencollins.com/bible/bible-t4.htm and https://www.patternsofevidence.com/2023/03/17/a-closer-look-at-word-for-word-bible-translation/ and https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/stewart_don/faq/bible-translations/question3-key-issues-with-translating-the-bible.cfm and https://www.mrgreekgeek.com/2021/08/17/greek-new-testament-idioms/ and https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/on-words-meaning-inspiration-and-translation-a-brief-response-to-bill-mounce/ and http://paroikosmissionarykid.blogspot.com/2013/03/translating-idioms-guest-essay-by.html
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