Westminster Shorter Catechism in Greek
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Translating the WSC into Greek is a little side project I’ve undertaken. Usually, I can get at least one question done per week. Composing in a language is essential to mastery, and it forces me to ruminate on the Catechism.
I had to establish some parameters for myself, in order to do justice to the work as a catechism:
1. Begin each question with a question word.
2. Use, as much as possible, biblical words. Louw-Nida is my primary lexicon, with BDAG, Lampe, and LSJ supporting. NT Greek gets first priority; Septuagint second.
3. Use biblical syntax, spelling and expressions. This sometimes deviates from “good” Attic prose.
4. Be brief as possible.
[Note: I did not know how to adjust size and font on this forum. The Greek displays better in Gentium or Palatino Linotype and in a larger font.:
Westminster Μικροτέρα Χατήχησις
1. Ἐπερώτημα: τί ἐστιν τὸ ἀρχιτέλος ἀνθρώπου;
Ἀπόκρισις: τὸ ἀρχιτέλος ανθρώπου ἐστὶν θεὸν δοξάζειν καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμπίμπλασθαι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
2. Ε: τίνα κανόνα τοῦ αὐτὸν δοξάζειν καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμπίμπλασθαι ἡμίν Θεός δέδωκεν;
Α: Θεοῦ ὁ λόγος ὁ εν ταῖς τῆς παλαιᾶς καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης γραφαῖς κατεχόμενος ἐστιν ὁ μόνος κανών τοῦ αὐτὸν δοξάζειν καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμπίμπλασθαι.
3. Ε: τίνα μάλιστα διδασκεῖ αἱ γραφαί;
Α: αἱ γραφαὶ μάλιστα διδασκεῖ τε τὰ ανθρώπους δεῖ πιστεύειν περὶ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ θεός ἐκζητεῖ τῶν ανθρῶπων.
4. Ε: τί ἐστιν θεός;
Α: Θεός ἐστιν πνεῦμα ἄπειρον αί̈διον καὶ ἀμετάθετον ἐν τῇ οὐσίᾳ αὐτοῦ σοφίᾳ δύναμει ἁγιάσμῳ δικαιοσύνῃ ἀγαθωσύνῃ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.
5. Ε: εἴσιν θεοὶ ὑπὲρ ἕνα;
Α. μενοῦνγέ εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς ὁ ζῶν καὶ ἀληθής.
6. Ε: πόσαι ὑπόστασαι ἐν τὸ θειὸν εἰσιν;
Α: τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ ὑπόστασαι ἐν τὸ θειὸν, ὁ μὲν Πάτηρ, ὁ δὲ υἷος, τὸ δὲ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, και αὔται τρεῖς εἰσιν εῖς θεός, ὁμοούσιαι, ἴσαι δυνάμει καὶ δόξῃ.
7. Ε: τίνα τἀ τοῦ θεοῦ δόγματα;
Α: τοὶς δόγματοις πάντα τὰ γινόμενα ὁ θεὸς προορίζει κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θελήματος βουλὴν εἰς τὸ τελεῖν τὴν ἀίδιον τελείωσιν αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὸ δοξάζειν αὐτόν.
8. Ε: ἐν τίνι τελειοῖ τὰ δόγματα ὁ θεός;
Α: ὁ θεὸς τελειοῖ τὰ δόγματα ἐν τοῖς τε τῆς κτίσεως καὶ τῆς προνοίας.
9. Ε: τί ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τῆς κτίσεως;
Α: τὸ ἔργον τῆς κτίσεώς έστιν ἡ ποίησις πάντων ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξ οὐδενὸς, ἐν τῷ τῆς δυνάμει λόγῳ, ἡμερῶν ἑξ, καὶ γὲ παντελής.
10. Ε: πῶς ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον;
Α: ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὡς καὶ ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ, κατʼ εἰκόνα ἑαυτοῦ, ἐν τῇ γνώσει δικαιοσύνῃ ἁγιοσύνῃ καὶ ὡς τῶν ζῴων ἄρχοντα.
I had to establish some parameters for myself, in order to do justice to the work as a catechism:
1. Begin each question with a question word.
2. Use, as much as possible, biblical words. Louw-Nida is my primary lexicon, with BDAG, Lampe, and LSJ supporting. NT Greek gets first priority; Septuagint second.
3. Use biblical syntax, spelling and expressions. This sometimes deviates from “good” Attic prose.
4. Be brief as possible.
[Note: I did not know how to adjust size and font on this forum. The Greek displays better in Gentium or Palatino Linotype and in a larger font.:
Westminster Μικροτέρα Χατήχησις
1. Ἐπερώτημα: τί ἐστιν τὸ ἀρχιτέλος ἀνθρώπου;
Ἀπόκρισις: τὸ ἀρχιτέλος ανθρώπου ἐστὶν θεὸν δοξάζειν καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμπίμπλασθαι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
2. Ε: τίνα κανόνα τοῦ αὐτὸν δοξάζειν καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμπίμπλασθαι ἡμίν Θεός δέδωκεν;
Α: Θεοῦ ὁ λόγος ὁ εν ταῖς τῆς παλαιᾶς καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης γραφαῖς κατεχόμενος ἐστιν ὁ μόνος κανών τοῦ αὐτὸν δοξάζειν καὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμπίμπλασθαι.
3. Ε: τίνα μάλιστα διδασκεῖ αἱ γραφαί;
Α: αἱ γραφαὶ μάλιστα διδασκεῖ τε τὰ ανθρώπους δεῖ πιστεύειν περὶ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ θεός ἐκζητεῖ τῶν ανθρῶπων.
4. Ε: τί ἐστιν θεός;
Α: Θεός ἐστιν πνεῦμα ἄπειρον αί̈διον καὶ ἀμετάθετον ἐν τῇ οὐσίᾳ αὐτοῦ σοφίᾳ δύναμει ἁγιάσμῳ δικαιοσύνῃ ἀγαθωσύνῃ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.
5. Ε: εἴσιν θεοὶ ὑπὲρ ἕνα;
Α. μενοῦνγέ εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς ὁ ζῶν καὶ ἀληθής.
6. Ε: πόσαι ὑπόστασαι ἐν τὸ θειὸν εἰσιν;
Α: τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ ὑπόστασαι ἐν τὸ θειὸν, ὁ μὲν Πάτηρ, ὁ δὲ υἷος, τὸ δὲ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, και αὔται τρεῖς εἰσιν εῖς θεός, ὁμοούσιαι, ἴσαι δυνάμει καὶ δόξῃ.
7. Ε: τίνα τἀ τοῦ θεοῦ δόγματα;
Α: τοὶς δόγματοις πάντα τὰ γινόμενα ὁ θεὸς προορίζει κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θελήματος βουλὴν εἰς τὸ τελεῖν τὴν ἀίδιον τελείωσιν αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὸ δοξάζειν αὐτόν.
8. Ε: ἐν τίνι τελειοῖ τὰ δόγματα ὁ θεός;
Α: ὁ θεὸς τελειοῖ τὰ δόγματα ἐν τοῖς τε τῆς κτίσεως καὶ τῆς προνοίας.
9. Ε: τί ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τῆς κτίσεως;
Α: τὸ ἔργον τῆς κτίσεώς έστιν ἡ ποίησις πάντων ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξ οὐδενὸς, ἐν τῷ τῆς δυνάμει λόγῳ, ἡμερῶν ἑξ, καὶ γὲ παντελής.
10. Ε: πῶς ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον;
Α: ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ὡς καὶ ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ, κατʼ εἰκόνα ἑαυτοῦ, ἐν τῇ γνώσει δικαιοσύνῃ ἁγιοσύνῃ καὶ ὡς τῶν ζῴων ἄρχοντα.
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Not that translating the WCF into Greek isn’t cool and a neat use of time…
What is being said here?
οὐ παιδιὰ δὲ ἄλλως ταῦτά ἐστιν οὐδὲ περιείργασται
ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἀετίων, ἀλλὰ δηλοῖ τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου
καὶ τὸν ἐς τὰ πολεμικὰ ἔρωτα, καὶ ὅτι ἅμα καὶ Ῥωξάνης
ἤρα καὶ τῶν ὅπλων οὐκ ἐπελέληστο.
What is being said here?
οὐ παιδιὰ δὲ ἄλλως ταῦτά ἐστιν οὐδὲ περιείργασται
ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἀετίων, ἀλλὰ δηλοῖ τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου
καὶ τὸν ἐς τὰ πολεμικὰ ἔρωτα, καὶ ὅτι ἅμα καὶ Ῥωξάνης
ἤρα καὶ τῶν ὅπλων οὐκ ἐπελέληστο.
It’s not really my kind of Greek, but I can give a paraphrase:
Aetion isn’t wasting his time by these things, but he is showing that Alexander has another love, War, and when he takes up Roxanne, he hasn’t forgotten about his armor (οπλα, Greek war gear, from which we get “hoplite”).
Aetion isn’t wasting his time by these things, but he is showing that Alexander has another love, War, and when he takes up Roxanne, he hasn’t forgotten about his armor (οπλα, Greek war gear, from which we get “hoplite”).
My Blog: http://dearreaderblog.com
Cor meum tibi offero Domine prompte et sincere. ~ John Calvin
I’m curious how you came across that passage. Reading Lucian in Greek?
My Blog: http://dearreaderblog.com
Cor meum tibi offero Domine prompte et sincere. ~ John Calvin
Charlie, how are you getting the greek font on SI? Are you copying and pasting, or is there some trick I don’t know?
"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells
[Charlie] I’m curious how you came across that passage. Reading Lucian in Greek?Uhm, I wish.
So you render “περιείργασται” as “wasting time”?
You could also read that text as saying that the details Aetion painted “are not superfluous.” If it’s a personal subject, then it’s the idea that he is wasting effort, or perhaps even being a busybody. If it’s impersonal, the things are themselves superfluous. In any case, the idea is unprofitable or unnecesary effort.
Σωκράτης ἀδικεῖ καὶ περιεργάζεται ζητῶν τά τε ὑπὸ γῆς καὶ οὐράνια
This line from Plato’s Apology says, “Socrates is a lawbreaker and one who wastes his time investigating things under earth and in the heavens.”
περιεργάζοντο δοκέοντες πρῶτοι ἀνθρώπων γεγονέναι
A little bit different twist is here in Herodotus. The Egyptians think that they were the first of all people. Herodotus thinks this is impossible on geological grounds, supposing that the entire Delta land mass only recently came into being. They must have migrated into Egypt from elsewhere. So, as one translation puts it, their claim to primacy is an idle notion.
Jay C.,
I downloaded a unicode Greek keyboard. I then created a keyboard shortcut that lets me cycle through my different language keyboards. http://www.logos.com/support/downloads/keyboards
Σωκράτης ἀδικεῖ καὶ περιεργάζεται ζητῶν τά τε ὑπὸ γῆς καὶ οὐράνια
This line from Plato’s Apology says, “Socrates is a lawbreaker and one who wastes his time investigating things under earth and in the heavens.”
περιεργάζοντο δοκέοντες πρῶτοι ἀνθρώπων γεγονέναι
A little bit different twist is here in Herodotus. The Egyptians think that they were the first of all people. Herodotus thinks this is impossible on geological grounds, supposing that the entire Delta land mass only recently came into being. They must have migrated into Egypt from elsewhere. So, as one translation puts it, their claim to primacy is an idle notion.
Jay C.,
I downloaded a unicode Greek keyboard. I then created a keyboard shortcut that lets me cycle through my different language keyboards. http://www.logos.com/support/downloads/keyboards
My Blog: http://dearreaderblog.com
Cor meum tibi offero Domine prompte et sincere. ~ John Calvin
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