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Delimiting the boundary of the region of a mountain
1. Delimiting the boundary of the region of a mountain
How can one
"define" a
"mountain"?
The ancient Greek word (smooth breathing) "ὄρος" ≈ "mountain".
The ancient Greek word (rough breathing) "ὅρος" ≈ "boundary, definition".
The ancient Greek words (and sounds) merged in modern Greek as
"όρος" (O-ros) ≈ "mountain, definition, boundary".
In ancient Greek, there was (in Attic Greek) a rough or smooth breathing difference that disappeared by the time of the
GNT (Greek New Testament). These distinctions have been continued by scholars and sometimes the importance of the differences appears to be exaggerated.
Let us look at the two meanings of the same word and then investigate the times that Jesus uses the word to see if anything interesting is discovered.
2. Defining a definition
The ancient Greek word (
rough breathing)
"ὅρος" ≈ "boundary, definition" and is the source of the English word
"horizon".
Aristotle often emphasizes the importance of
"definitions" in identifying bad logic. Of course, Aristotle then defines what he means by a
"definition".
English: A definition is a phrase indicating the essence of something. (Loeb#391, p. 281)
Greek: Ἔστι δ´ ὅρος μὲν λόγος ὁ τὸ τί ἦν εἶναι σημαίνων, [Topica, 101b-102a]
"λόγος" ≈ "rational explanation, word".
"σημαίνω" ≈ "to indicate" and is the source, through French, of the English word "semantics".
The aspirated rough breathing comes through in Latin and into English in the sound of the letter "
h". Aristotle used this word for "
definition" many times. This was only used for a while in the first century BC and discontinued but persists in ancient Greek notations to this day.
3. Mountains of Oreo cookies
The ancient Greek word (
smooth breathing)
"ὄρος" ≈ "mountain".
Ancient Greek appears to have had no word for hill. They lived in a very mountainous area. Note that the English often uses
"hills" where the Greek uses
"mountains". The English state named
"Montana" is from the Spanish word
"montaña" ≈ "mountain" which is from the Latin word
"montanus" ≈ "mountain".
The origin of the name "
Oreo" in "
Oreo cookie" is unknown.
One idea (there are others) is that it came from the Greek word for
"mountain".
Aristotle uses the word for
"mountain" often in his work on
Meteorology.
English: From Pyrene (this is a mountain range towards the equinoctial sunset in Celtice) there flow the Istrus and the Tartessus (Loeb#397, p. 97)
Greek: ἐκ δὲ τῆς Πυρήνης (τοῦτο δ' ἐστὶν ὄρος πρὸς δυσμὴν ἰσημερινὴν ἐν τῇ Κελτικῇ) ῥέουσιν ὅ τε Ἴστρος καὶ ὁ Ταρτησσός. [350b]
Aristotle mentions the
Pyrenees mountains and the
Celts as a general Greek name for what is today Spain and France. The Latin name for the Celts was the Gauls.
4. Play on words
5. Aristotle: Sophistic Refutations
At the time of Aristotle, the words for
"definition" and
"mountain" were still somewhat distinct. This, however, does not prohibit their similarity from being used as a play on words. In the following passage in Sophistic Refutations, Aristotle uses as an example the Greek words for
"definition" and
"mountain".
English: For what turns on the division of words is not really ambiguous (for the expression when divided differently is not the same) unless indeed ὄρος and ὄρος, pronounced according to the breathing, constitute a single word with different meanings. (Loeb#100, p. 105)
Greek: οὐ γὰρ ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος γίνεται, διαιρούμενος, εἴπερ μὴ 〈ὡς〉 καὶ τὸ "ὄρος", [καὶ] "ὅρος" τῇ προσῳδίᾳ λεχθέν, σημαίνει ἕτερον. Aristotle: Sophistic Refutations [178a]
The ancient Greek word
"προσῳδία" ≈ "song with accompaniment, tone or pitch of a word, diacritic mark" and comes from two Greek words.
"πρός" ≈ "to, towards".
"ᾠδή" ≈ "song, ode" and is the source of the English word "ode".
6. Aristotle: Sophistic Refutations
Aristotle continues. At the time, the spoken words were not the same as the written words that appear to be the same. This distinction was in Attic Greek but had disappeared by the time of the
GNT.
English: (In written language a word is the same when it is written with the same letters and in the same manner, though people now put in additional signs, but the words when spoken are not the same.) (Loeb#100, p. 105)
Greek: Ἀλλ´ ἐν μὲν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις τὸ αὐτὸ 〈τὸ〉 ὄνομα, ὅταν ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν στοιχείων γεγραμμένον ᾖ καὶ ὡσαύτως (κἀκεῖ δ´ ἤδη παράσημα ποιοῦνται), τὰ δὲ φθεγγόμενα οὐ ταὐτά. Aristotle: Sophistic Refutations [178a]
7. Aristotle: Sophistic Refutations
There are parts of the tone or pitch of a word that do not appear to make a difference in most people understanding what is being said.
English: for it does not seem ever, or seems very seldom, to alter the significance of the word whether it is pronounced with a lower or higher pitch. (Loeb#100, p. 42)
Greek: Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῶν παρὰ τὴν προσῳδίαν· οὐ γὰρ ἄλλο δοκεῖ σημαίνειν ἀνιέμενος καὶ ἐπιτεινόμενος ὁ λόγος, ἐπ´ οὐδενὸς ἢ οὐκ ἐπὶ πολλῶν. Aristotle: Sophistic Refutations [169b]
The Greek for "
significance" is that of "
meaning" or "
semantics".
Aristotle is concerned with using similarities of words to deceive or mislead in logical or dialectic arguments that are not valid.
8. New Testament Greek: B. G. McClean
In his book,
New Testament Greek: An Introduction (2011, Cambridge University Press), (then) Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at Knox College, University of Toronto, B. H. McLean explains some of the rough and smooth breathing issues in the
GNT.
The system of pronunciation developed by Erasmus is known as the Erasmian pronunciation system. It gives the same values to Greek letters as their corresponding Latin equivalents. It is also based on the non-linguistic principle that each letter should be pronounced differently. (p. 3)
According to the Erasmian system of pronunciation, a rough breathing mark adds an "h" sound (i.e., aspiration) to the pronunciation. (p. 17)
Using the Latin-based Erasmian system of pronunciation makes it hard to "
hear" play on words in the Greek.
9. Greek alphabet
The Greeks used the alphabet from the Phoneticians as did the Hebrews.
The Greeks added vowels to the alphabet.
The Greeks dropped letters that, to them, had the same sound.
The "c" (sound of "k") was dropped while "k" (sound of "k") was kept. The Roman hard "c" and "k" were redundant. Later, the hard "c" softened as in "Kaiser" becoming "Caesar". Likewise, the qoppa (sound of "k") was dropped.
The digamma (sound of "f" or "v") was dropped while phi (sound of "f") was kept.
The digamma was kept for it's numerical value of six. The most famous and only digamma in the
GNT is the six in 666 as (lowercase) «
χξϚ» or (uppercase) «
ΧΞϜ».
10. New Testament Greek: B. G. McClean
Note that any play on word meanings would ignore any such artificial aspiration, such as
"mountain" and
"definition".
(smooth breathing) "ὄρος" ≈ "mountain".
(rough breathing) "ὅρος" ≈ "boundary, definition".
Note: The meaning is not determined by the breathing marks. The breathing marks were added to fit the decided meaning.
The rough breathing mark was used to indicate aspiration in Attic (Athenian) Greek ... The other main dialects of Greek, namely Ionic, Doric, and Aeolic, never employed aspiration. In fact, all aspiration in Greek died out prior to the first century AD. Therefore, there is no good reason to continue using these breathing marks in modern editions of the Greek New Testament. (p. 20-21)
From a historical perspective, it is clear that the addition of breathing marks to the Greek New Testament does [sic] is artificial. (p. 21)
11. Matthew 17:1 Disambiguation
Matthew 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, [kjv]
και μεθ ημερας εξ παραλαμβανει ο ιησους τον πετρον και ιακωβον και ιωαννην τον αδελφον αυτου και αναφερει αυτους εις ορος υψηλον κατ ιδιαν [gnt]
If the context cannot by itself be used to determine whether the word refers to a
"mountain" or a (flat)
"region" or
"coast", some context needs to be added to make the passage clear. Consider the following.
... brought them to a region by themselves.
... brought them to a mountain by themselves.
Which meaning is to be used? Now add a disambiguating word.
... brought them to a high region by themselves.
... brought them to a high mountain by themselves.
Which one of the meanings now fit? Which does not fit? What implications does this have for those who make a theological distinction about the
"mountain" being "
high"?
The
KJV (King James Version) translates as "
apart" the Greek word that means "
by themselves".
12. Matthew 17:1
KJV: And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
Greek: και μεθ ημερας εξ παραλαμβανει ο ιησους τον πετρον και ιακωβον και ιωαννην τον αδελφον αυτου και αναφερει αυτους εις ορος υψηλον κατ ιδιαν
13. Usage - mountain
*G3735 *64 ὄρος (or'-os) : probably from an obsolete oro (to rise or "rear"; perhaps akin to G142; compare G3733); a mountain (as lifting itself above the plain): -hill, mount(-ain).
 |
Words: ορει=11 ορεσιν=4 ορεων ορη=7 ορος=29 ορους=12
|
(smooth breathing) "ὄρος" ≈ "mountain".
(rough breathing) "ὅρος" ≈ "boundary, definition".
14. Jesus speaks
Let us investigate the use of the word for
"mountain" or
"definition" in the
GNT in Matthew as spoken by Jesus and not, for example, as used in the connecting commentary by Matthew.
The verses about "
moving"
this "mountain" and "
moving"
this "mountain" into the "
sea" appear to refer to Rome and Constantine in the fourth century (empires as
"mountains") and, perhaps, Jerome late in the fourth century (words and doctrine as
"definitions").
15. Matthew Move a mountain
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. [kjv]
ο δε λεγει αυτοις δια την ολιγοπιστιαν υμων αμην γαρ λεγω υμιν εαν εχητε πιστιν ως κοκκον σιναπεως ερειτε τω ορει τουτω μεταβα ενθεν εκει και μεταβησεται και ουδεν αδυνατησει υμιν [gnt]
If Rome is considered a
"mountain", as in an "
empire", then
Constantine, through
"faith", did "
move" the
"mountain" of
Rome to
Constantinople.
Less than 200 years later, Western Roman Empire (Rome) fell into the sea.
In 1452, the Eastern Roman Empire (Constantinople) was conquered.
16. Latin Vulgate conjecture
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. [kjv]
Consider the play on words between
"mountain" and
"definition" in Greek.
Late in the fourth century,
Jerome translated what was to be called the
Latin Vulgate. The
definitions of many words of the "
doctrine" or "
teaching" were "
moved" to be something other than what appears to have been meant in the Greek. The woman "
encrypted" or "
baked" false doctrine (leaven) with true doctrine (wheat flour) until it was
all mixed together but appeared as true doctrine.
The moving of this mountain (i.e., many definitions) did put that present and future church in a position to do what might have been considered "
impossible" before that time.
17. Matthew 21:21 Mountain into the sea
Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. [kjv]
αποκριθεις δε ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις αμην λεγω υμιν εαν εχητε πιστιν και μη διακριθητε ου μονον το της συκης ποιησετε αλλα καν τω ορει τουτω ειπητε αρθητι και βληθητι εις την θαλασσαν γενησεται [gnt]
If
Constantine (and Rome) did not divide, as
"through division" or
"discernment", translated
"doubt" in the
KJV, into east and west, that entire
"mountain" could have been moved into the
"sea".
18. Matthew 24:15
Jesus uses the word
"mountains" in the Olivet Discourse where Jesus talks about "
all of it" and the "
end of times". Here is the verse before.
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) [kjv]
οταν ουν ιδητε το βδελυγμα της ερημωσεως το ρηθεν δια δανιηλ του προφητου εστος εν τοπω αγιω ο αναγινωσκων νοειτω [gnt]
It does appear that those who want to understand this need to "
read". It appears that this "
understanding" is for practical purpose and not for the purpose, say, of "
salvation".
The Greek for "
see" is that of "
seeing" with "
understanding". Both Jesus (after) and Daniel (before) both talk about something that happened during the "
silent years".
The next verse contains the word
"mountain".
19. Matthew 24:16-17 Mountains
Matthew 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: [kjv]
τοτε οι εν τη ιουδαια φευγετωσαν εις τα ορη [gnt]
24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: [kjv]
ο επι του δωματος μη καταβατω αραι τα εκ της οικιας αυτου [gnt]
This verse sequence is part of the Olivet Discourse where Jesus talks about "
all of it" and the "
end of times" and appears to refer to an actual
"mountain". It is not clear how one would flee to a
"definition".
The ancient Greek word "εις" ≈ "into" (more active and dynamic).
The ancient Greek word "επί" ≈ "on" (more passive and static)
It is unclear how one would flee "
into" the "
mountains" rather than "
on" the "
mountains" (some Greek manuscripts)
What is often attributed to Koine Greek idioms appears to be a bias as to what the translators (and Greek scholars) want the text to say - often made worse by changes in the English language over time.
20. Matthew 24:15
KJV: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Greek: οταν ουν ιδητε το βδελυγμα της ερημωσεως το ρηθεν δια δανιηλ του προφητου εστος εν τοπω αγιω ο αναγινωσκων νοειτω
21. Matthew 24:16
KJV: Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Greek: τοτε οι εν τη ιουδαια φευγετωσαν επι εις τα ορη
22. Matthew 24:17
KJV: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Greek: ο επι του δωματος μη καταβαινετω καταβατω αραι τι τα εκ της οικιας αυτου
23. Matthew 5:13-16 Context
In this context, we are only interested only in the
"mountain". The English uses
"hill".
pigs
 |
 Matthew 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. [kjv]
|
fish
 |
 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. [kjv]
|
birds
 |
 5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. [kjv]
|
sheep
 |
 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. [kjv]
|
These ideas will be in the summary of the houses built on rock and sand at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.
Words in these verses may be
code words, have
double meanings, be
play on words, etc. The Greek words may have been changed (mistranslated), omitted, etc. [top-down view]
24. Sheep as walking before
Sheep have a tendency to "
walk before" or "
wander away". The ancient Greek word
"πρόβατα" ≈ "sheep" and has two parts.
The ancient Greek word "πρός" ≈ "to, towards"and is the related to English words that start with "pro".
The ancient Greek word"βαίνω" ≈ "walk"and is the source of English words such as "acrobat" (one who walks end to end).
What musical instrument is played by two sheep?
A two-baa. That was woolly bad. Ewe heard it here first.
25. Planets as wandering stars
Matthew 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. [kjv]
πολλοι γαρ ελευσονται επι τω ονοματι μου λεγοντες εγω ειμι ο χριστος και πολλους πλανησουσιν [gnt]
How does a "
sheep" know if it has gone or is going "
astray"?
The ancient Greek word
"πλάνη" ≈ "wandering, roaming" and, figuratively,
"going astray" or
"in error". as in wandering off-target. The English word
"planet" comes from this Greek word as a shortened form of
"wandering star" since planets were considered wandering stars. The modern Greek word
"πλανήτης" (pla-NEE-tees) ≈ "planet".
Discuss: Consider the billions of people throughout the ages. Are the "
many" a few insurrectionists from the first century or so who led a few thousand followers?
26. Matthew 18:12 Sheep and mountains
Matthew 18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? [kjv]
τι υμιν δοκει εαν γενηται τινι ανθρωπω εκατον προβατα και πλανηθη εν εξ αυτων ουχι αφησει τα ενενηκοντα εννεα επι τα ορη και πορευθεις ζητει το πλανωμενον [gnt]
100=99+1
|
The Greek says "
man" and not "
shepherd". In the parables, Jesus uses (and then explains) the code word "
man" to refer to "
Jesus as God".
The Greek says
"on/onto" the
"mountains".
Why is the "
hundred" important? Might it somehow relate to the Roman "
centurions"?
Are the
99 in danger when the "
man" "
leaves"? The Greek for "
leave" is that of "
let go" or "
forgive".
How does Jesus reinforces the "
ninety and nine" to
avoid the "
one cookie rule"?
27. Matthew 18:6 Offending little ones
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. [kjv]
ος δ αν σκανδαλιση ενα των μικρων τουτων των πιστευοντων εις εμε συμφερει αυτω ινα κρεμασθη μυλος ονικος περι τον τραχηλον αυτου και καταποντισθη εν τω πελαγει της θαλασσης [gnt]
Which meaning fits the best?
offend, offended (attacks or annoys or bothers)
stumbling block (someone else set it up, tripped up)
ensnare, entrap (verbal or physical, get caught in it)
misinterpret, misunderstand (verbal, self-deception), misrepresent
Many today associate this verse with "
child abuse". However, the word for "
little ones" can have a double meaning of new believers in Christ. Does this increase the responsibility of pastors, teachers, etc.? In what way?
Note that the "
depth of the sea" is, in Greek, the "
sea of the sea".
28. Matthew 10:42
Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. [kjv]
και ος αν ποτιση ενα των μικρων τουτων ποτηριον ψυχρου μονον εις ονομα μαθητου αμην λεγω υμιν ου μη απολεση τον μισθον αυτου [gnt]
Jesus uses the idea of "
little ones" to refer to believers of all ages.
The
"water" is inferred in the Greek as "
cold water" from
"cold" and the word "
drink".
What exactly does this verse mean?
What does a
"cup" of
"cold", perhaps water, mean?
Is giving a "
little one" a "
cup" of
"cold", perhaps water, good or bad?
29. End of page
