Koine and Biblical and Medieval Greek • Re: ἢ in LXX Psalm 1:4

I thought that this might just be something to do with the poetry here, and looked at how ἀλλ' ἤ gets used elsewhere. A quick scan through Genesis and the early books of the LXX shows it mostly being used in the "standard" way, to mean "unless" or "except". However, here is the same "but instead" or "but rather" as the Psalm, showing up in 1 Kings (1 Samuel):

1 Ki 10:19 (1 Sam) καὶ ὑμεῖς σήμερον ἐξουθενήκατε τὸν θεόν, ὃς αὐτός ἐστιν ὑμῶν σωτὴρ ἐκ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ὑμῶν καὶ θλίψεων ὑμῶν, καὶ εἴπατε Οὐχί, ἀλλ’ ἢ ὅτι βασιλέα στήσεις ἐφ’ ἡμῶν

In the New Testament, I see ἀλλ’ ἢ twice. Paul uses it the "standard" way:

2Cor 1:13 οὐ γὰρ ἄλλα γράφομεν ὑμῖν ἀλλ’ ἢ ἃ ἀναγινώσκετε ἢ καὶ ἐπιγινώσκετε

And which way does Jesus mean by it?

Luke 12:51 δοκεῖτε ὅτι εἰρήνην παρεγενόμην δοῦναι ἐν τῇ γῇ; οὐχί, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀλλ’ ἢ διαμερισμόν.

1. "Do you believe that I came by to hand out Peace on Earth? I'm telling you, No way, until (I first bring) division."

2. "Do you believe that I came by to hand out Peace on Earth? I'm telling you No way, but instead division."

The usual translation is number 2. But the other makes quite a bit of sense and is closer both to Paul's use and the more "standard" use in the LXX and wider Greek. Here's an example from Genesis of exactly the same:

Gen 21:26 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Αβιμελεχ Οὐκ ἔγνων, τίς ἐποίησεν τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο, οὐδὲ σύ μοι ἀπήγγειλας, οὐδὲ ἐγὼ ἤκουσα ἀλλ’ ἢ σήμερον.

"...nor did I hear it until (I first heard it) today."

Statistics: Posted by jeidsath — Sat May 18, 2024 2:50 pm

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