Send
Close Add comments:
(status displays here)
Got it! This site "creationpie.com" uses cookies. You consent to this by clicking on "Got it!" or by continuing to use this website. Note: This appears on each machine/browser from which this site is accessed.
An actor as a hypocrite is not real
1. An actor as a hypocrite is not real
Many times Jesus appears to rebuke the Pharisees as "
hypocrites", in the modern sense, because the apply rules to others but not to themselves, reflexively. On closer inspection, and using the definition of "
hypocrite" at the time, this is not quite what is happening.
The ancient Greek word
"ὑποκριτής" ≈ "actor, pretender" and comes from
"ὑποκρίνομαι" ≈ "answer, interpret, play a part as an actor" and comes from two Greek words.
"ῠ̔πο" ≈ "under" as in English words starting with "hypo".
"κρῑ́νω" ≈ "separate".
The meaning went from "
separate" to "
answer" to "
answer" an actor on stage to "
play a part" as in "
acting" or "
pretending".
The modern definition of "
hypocrite" appears to come from a misinterpretation of what Jesus says in Matthew 7:3-5 (plank or splinter in the eye).
When Jesus says "
You hypocrites", instead of the modern sense, it might be better read as "
You actors" as in "
You pretenders" or "
Get real" or "
Get in touch with reality" or "
Get in touch with the truth". Substituting "
actors" or "
pretenders" might make for a better translation than "
hypocrites".
2. Matthew 23:25
Matthew 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. [kjv]
ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι καθαριζετε το εξωθεν του ποτηριου και της παροψιδος εσωθεν δε γεμουσιν εξ αρπαγης και ακρασιας [gnt]
On careful analysis, the religious establishment does not appear to be hypocritical when Jesus uses the term "
hypocrites" (and that is not what the word meant then).
The religious establishment believed what they were doing and saying. However it was not in touch with reality since it ignored the "
Love your neighbor"
When Jesus does describe hypocritical behavior on the part of the religious establishment, he does
not use the word "
hypocrite" as that was not the general meaning then.
3. Matthew 23:25
KJV: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Greek: ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι καθαριζετε το εξωθεν του ποτηριου και της παροψιδος εσωθεν δε γεμουσιν εξ αρπαγης και ακρασιας
Latin: vae vobis scribae et Pharisaei hypocritae quia mundatis quod de foris est calicis et parapsidis intus autem pleni sunt rapina et inmunditia
Wessex: Wa eow bokeres. & farisei liceteras. for-þam ge claensiað þt wið-utan þas calices & disscas. & ge synt innan fule reaflakes & unclaennysse.
Tyndale: Wo be to you scribes and pharises ypocrites which make clene ye vtter syde of the cuppe and of the platter: but within they are full of brybery and excesse.
Luther: Wehe euch, Schriftgelehrte und Pharisäer, ihr Heuchler, die ihr die Becher und Schüsseln auswendig reinlich haltet, inwendig aber ist's voll Raubes und Fraßes.
Matthew 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. [kjv]
ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι καθαριζετε το εξωθεν του ποτηριου και της παροψιδος εσωθεν δε γεμουσιν εξ αρπαγης και ακρασιας [gnt]
… liceteras… claensiað … [wes]
… ypocrites … clene … [ty]
The Old English word
"licettere" ≈ "pretender, fake" but later acquired the perceived
GNT (Greek New Testament) meaning and was eventually replaced by the Middle English word
"ypocrites" ≈ "hypocrite" with the subtle change in meaning made more firm.
4. Matthew 23:25-26
Matthew 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. [kjv]
ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι καθαριζετε το εξωθεν του ποτηριου και της παροψιδος εσωθεν δε γεμουσιν εξ αρπαγης και ακρασιας [gnt]
23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. [kjv]
φαρισαιε τυφλε καθαρισον πρωτον το εντος του ποτηριου και της παροψιδος ινα γενηται και το εκτος αυτου καθαρον [gnt]
The word "
hypocrite", in Greek, appears to mean, literally, "
above criticism" or "
above judgment", and one often hears this explanation. This is not the definition in ancient times.
5. Matthew 23:26
KJV: Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Greek: φαρισαιε τυφλε καθαρισον πρωτον το εντος του ποτηριου και της παροψιδος ινα γενηται και το εκτος αυτων αυτου καθαρον
Latin: Pharisaee caece munda prius quod intus est calicis et parapsidis ut fiat et id quod de foris est mundum
Wessex: Eala þu blinde fariseus. claense aerest þt wið-innan ys. calices & discas (sic) þt hit sye claene þaet wið-uten ys.
6. Practical matter
I have tried taking this verse literally by washing the inside of a bowl but not the outside, which still might have flour (the flower of the wheat) on it. According to this verse, the outside is clean, but that bowl has never passed inspection by the spouse. So much for a literal interpretation.
7. Modern hypocrisy: Do as I say
Let us first look at the modern definition of "
hypocrite" which comes, in part, from the way Jesus uses the word in the
GNT.
Whenever someone says, "
Do as I say, not as I do" they are applying a rule to others but not to them-self. That is, the rule, to them, is not a reflexive rule. In such a case, one might call the person a "
hypocrite" using the modern sense of the word.
8. Modern hypocrisy: Do as I say
To not be a "
hypocrite", in the modern sense of the word, one needs to apply the rule to "
everyone", including "
self", reflexively.
9. Strong's concordance: good and bad aspects
James Strong (1822-1894) was an American biblical scholar who is known for his concordance and dictionary (1890) of Hebrew and Greek words in the
KJV (King James Version). Each word was given a prefix ("
H" for Hebrew, "
G" for Greek, omitted when obvious) and number to identify that word.
10. Strongs - hypocrite
Let us look at the Strong's definitions for "
hypocrite".
- *G5273 *17 ὑποκριτής (hoop-ok-ree-tace') : from G5271; an actor under an assumed character (stage-player), i.e. (figuratively) a dissembler ("hypocrite":--hypocrite.
- υποκριται *13
- Matthew 6:2 ... before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues ...
- Matthew 6:5 ... not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray ...
- Matthew 6:16 ... be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure ...
- Matthew 15:7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of ...
- Matthew 22:18 ... Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
- Matthew 23:13 ... scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom ...
- Matthew 23:15 ... scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea ...
- Matthew 23:23 ... scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint ...
- Matthew 23:25 ... scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside ...
- Matthew 23:27 ... scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited ...
- Matthew 23:29 ... scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs ...
- Luke 12:56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and ...
- Luke 13:15 ... him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one ...
- υποκριτα *2
- Matthew 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of ...
- Luke 6:42 ... that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam ...
- υποκριτων *2
- Matthew 24:51 ... him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping ...
- Mark 7:6 ... prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This ...
11. Usage - hypocrite
12. Actors
In GNT (and ancient Greek) times, a "hypocrite" was an actor on a stage. An actor on a stage "acts" out a story that may or may not reflect reality. The truth of which Jesus speaks is the truth of reality, not of some formal logical system.
Notice in the Strong's definition above that the first definition is the definition of the word in GNT times.
If you study the above Strong's definitions closely, something interesting becomes apparent.
Notice that the modern definition of "hypocrite" is added at the end as if that were an actual meaning of the time. It could mean that, but the more broad definition of "actor" might provide more insight.
13. Get real
When Jesus says "You hypocrites", instead of the modern sense, it might be better read as "You actors" as in "You pretenders" or "Get real" or "Get in touch with reality" or "Get in touch with the truth".
Substituting "actors" or "pretenders" might make for a better translation than "hypocrites".
A 1980's or 1990's word often used was that of "poser" as "impostor" or as someone "posing" as something else.
14. Verses
Matthew 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. [kjv]
ουαι υμιν γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι καθαριζετε το εξωθεν του ποτηριου και της παροψιδος εσωθεν δε γεμουσιν εξ αρπαγης και ακρασιας [gnt]
23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. [kjv]
φαρισαιε τυφλε καθαρισον πρωτον το εντος του ποτηριου και της παροψιδος ινα γενηται και το εκτος αυτου καθαρον [gnt]
Read the verses about cleaning the cup. How should one apply the modern sense of the word "
hypocrite"?
Are the Pharisees saying one thing and doing another?
The Pharisees appear to be saying that one should make the outside of the cup clean and that is exactly what they are doing. Is that hypocritical in the modern sense?
Jesus is saying, "
Get in touch with the truth". First clean the inside, which is the part that is important, and then the outside will take care of itself.
15. Hypocritical behavior not called hypocritical
There are verses in the
GNT where Jesus describes actions as hypocritical. The word "
hypocrite" is not used because that word had a different meaning at the time.
As an example, in Matthew 23:1-4 (and following), Jesus describes the actions of the religious establishment as what we would call "
hypocritical". He does not use that word "
hypocrite". That word had a different meaning.
16. Hippocratic oath
Note that the "
Hippocratic oath" is not related to the word for "
hypocrite".
 |
Details are left as a future topic.
|
17. End of page
