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Sunday, October 19, 2008

Matthew 1:12-13


12 Μετἀ δε την μετοικεσίαν Βαβυλώνος Ιεχονίας εγέννησεν τον Σαλαθιήλ,
Σαλαθιήλ, δε εγέννησεν τον Ζοροβαβέλ,


13 Ζοροβαβέλ δε εγέννησεν τον Αβιούδ,
Αβιούδ δε εγέννησεν τον Ελιακίμ,
Ελιακίμ δε εγέννησεν τον Αζώρ


The very first word - μετά - is another preposition. Like a number of prepositions, it can be followed by a different noun case, with resulting variations in meaning.

When μετἀ is followed by a noun in the genitive case, it means something more like 'with, among, in company with'.

μετά των αγγέλων
with the angels

But when μετά is followed by a noun in the accusative, as it is here, it means something like 'after', or 'behind'. So we have a temporal meaning:

μετά δε την μετοικεσία Βαβυλώνος
and after the carrying-away of Babylon

(I've translated 'δε' as 'and', and changed its position to be first in the phrase.)

Then we return to the straightforward listing of begats, although--once again--some of the names are difficult:

Jechoniah fathered Shealtiel,
Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel fathered Abiud,
Abiud fathered Eliakim,
Eliakim fathered Azor


In this translation, I've omitted translated the 'δε' in each line, and omitted the definite article before names (i.e., 'Shealtiel' and not 'the Shealtiel').

Χαίρετε!

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