Didache

Greek Koine and Biblical and Medieval Greek
1

I’m away from home this week, but on my father-in-law’s shelf was a translation of the Apostolic Fathers. The author — who was several years ago my introduction to the Apostolic Fathers through a different text — suggests that Didache is certainly within a decade of 70 A.D. So I thought that it would be a good opportunity to translate something from the 1st century. Also, it’s very easy Greek.

Corrections are welcome. I’m trying to use the most direct and idiomatic English.

http://www.ccel.org/l/lake/fathers/didache.htm

ΔΙΔΑΧΗ ΤΩΝ ΔΩΔΕΚΑ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ
Teaching of the twelve apostles

Διδαχὴ κυρίου διὰ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τοῖς ἔθνεσιν.
The Teaching of the Lord to the nations, transmitted through the twelve apostles.

I.

Ὁδοὶ δύο εἰσί, μία τῆς ζωῆς καὶ μία τοῦ θανάτου, διαφορὰ δὲ πολλὴ μεταξὺ τῶν δύο ὁδῶν.
There are two roads, one of life and one of death, and a great difference between the two roads.

Ἡ μὲν οὖν τῆς ζωῆς ἐστιν αὕτη· πρῶτον ἀγαπησεις τὸν θεὸν τὸν ποιήσαντά σε, δεύτερον τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· πάντα δὲ ὅσα ἐὰν θελήσῃς μὴ γίνεσθαί σοι, καὶ σὺ ἄλλῳ μὴ ποίει.
This is the road of life: First, love the God that made you. Second, love those close to you, the same as you love yourself. All the things that you don’t want to happen to you, don’t do to someone else.

Τούτων δὲ τῶν λόγων ἡ διδαχή ἐστιν αὕτη· εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμῖν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ὑμῶν, νηστεύετε δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκότων ὑμᾶς· ποία γὰρ χάρις, ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς; οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν; ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς μισοῦντας ὑμᾶς, καὶ οὐχ ἕξετε ἐχθρόν.
This is the teaching behind the words: Speak pleasantly to the ones hating on you, pray on behalf of your enemies, and deprive yourself for the ones trying to get you. Is it a favor if you love those loving you? Don’t even the wogs do that? Love the ones hating you, and do not have enemies.

ἀπέχου τῶν σαρκικῶν καὶ σωματικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν· ἐὰν τίς σοι δῷ ῥάπισμα εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην, καὶ ἔσῃ τέλειος· ἐὰν ἀγγαρεύσῃ σέ τις μίλιον ἕν, ὕπαγε μετ’ αυτοῦ δύο· ἐὰν ἄρῃ τις τὸ ἱμάτιόν σου, δὸς αὐτῳ καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα· ἐὰν λάβῃ τις ἀπὸ σοῦ τὸ σόν, μὴ ἀπαίτει· οὐδὲ γὰρ δύνασαι.
Get rid of the desires of flesh and body: If someone hits your face on the right, turn the other side to him too. Do you want to be complete? If someone drafts you to serve a mile, go with him two. If someone takes your jacket, give him your shirt. If someone takes what’s yours from you, don’t ask for it back. Nothing is in your power.

παντὶ τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου καὶ μὴ ἀπαίτεν· πᾶσι γὰρ θέλει δίδοσθαι ὁ πατὴρ ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων χαρισμάτων. μακάριος ὁ διδοὺς κατὰ τὴν ἐντολήν· ἀθῷος γάρ ἐστιν. οὐαὶ τῷ λαμβάνοντι τις, ἀθῷος ἔσται· ὁ δὲ μὴ χρείαν ἔχων ἔχων δώσει δίκην, ἱνατί ἔλαε καὶ εἰς τί· ἐν συνοωῇ δὲ γενόμενος ἐξετασθήσεται περὶ ὧν ἔπραξε, καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσεται ἐκεῖθεν, μέχρις οὗ ἀποδῷ τὸν ἔσχατον κοδράντην.
Everything asked of you give and don’t ask for it back. It was all stuff given by the father out of his own generosity. Happy is the one forced to give — he is unburdened. It’s just sad to be the one taking something — he’s going to be unburdened of it. Whoever doesn’t have stuff has the innocence he will be given. Why was he grasping*** and for what? When he’s met up with,*** all of his capital gains will be assessed, and he won’t go on until he’s been stripped of his last cent.

ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τούτου δὲ εἰρηται· Ἱδρωσάτω ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη σου εἰς τὰς χεῖρας σου, μέχρις ἂν γνῷς τίνι δῷς.
But about this was said: Let your generosity sweat out into your hands, until you know whom to give it to.

(*** uncertain, but compare Mt. 5:21-26)

2

Chapter II

Δευτέρα δὲ ἐντολὴ τῆς διδαχῆς·
The second command from teachings:

οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ παιδοφθορήσεις, οὐ πορνεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ μαγεύσεις, οὐ φαρμακεύσεις, οὐ φονεύσεις τ́κνον ἐν φθορᾷ, οὐδὲ γεννηθὲν ἀποκτενεῖς, οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις τὰ τοῦ πλησίον.
No murdering, no cheating, no child-rape, no prostitution, no stealing, no superstition, no pills, no infanticide, no abortion, no desiring the stuff of the people close to you.

οὐκ ἐπιορκήσεις, οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις, οὐ κακολογήσεις, οὐ μνησικακήσεις.
No going back on your word, no perjury, no cursing, no grudges.

οὐκ ἔσῃ διγνώμων οὐδὲ δίγλωσσος· παγὶς γὰρ θανάτου ἡ διγλωσσία.
You will not be of split-opinions, nor say two contradictory things. Saying two contradictory things is the trap of death.

οὐκ ἔσται ὁ λόγος σου ψευδής, οὐ κενός, ἀλλὰ μεμεστωμένος πράξει.
Your speech will not lie, it won’t be worthless, but it will come across mellow.

οὐκ ἔσῃ πλεονέκτης οὐδὲ ἅρπαξ οὐδὲ ὑποκριτὴς οὐδὲ κακοήθης οὐδὲ ὑπερήφανος. οὐ λήψῃ βουλὴν πονηρὰν κατὰ τοῦ πλησίον σου.
You will not be greedy, nor a robber, nor a play-actor, nor an evil person, nor a snob. No having evil plans against those close to you.

οὐ μισήσεις πάντα ἄνθρώπον, ἀλλὰ οὓς μὲν ἐλέγξεις, περὶ δὲ ὧν προσεύξῃ, οὓς δὲ ἀγαπήσεις ὑπὲρ τὴν ψυχήν σου.
No hating everyone, instead reprove them — but pray for these ones, loving them to the extent of your soul.

3

ὁ δὲ μὴ χρείαν ἔχων ἔχων δώσει δίκην, ἱνατί ἔλαε καὶ εἰς τί…

I think that this should be:

The one without need, having punishment to give out, why was he grasping, and for what?..

4

A fairly decent translation so far. Here’s the full text with Greek. https://sites.google.com/site/briansgreekscripture/50-120-ad---the-didache

I notice that in the Didache only the Father is still God. Filtering through this text, it seems fairly obvious to me that Jesus was at this time not yet seen as God, at least not by this particular community . Or else, I suppose, the writer(s) of the Didache did not consider the earthshaking revelation about the Θεοανθρωπος significant enough to warrant any mention or even a hint.

Another curiosity is that Jesus is referred to as Ἰησοῦ τοῦ παιδός σου in Chapters 9 and in 10 . We can of course either take this as a diminutive form of υἱός (which the GNT never saddles Jesus with) or else translate it as “servant” (rightly). Notice that both Jesus and David are in the same league, so to speak, in this regard :

  1. Περὶ δὲ τῆς εὐχαριστίας, οὕτως εὐχαριστήσατε· 2. πρῶτον περὶ τοῦ ποτηρίον· Εὐχαριστοῦμεν σοι, πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁγίας ἀμπέλον > Δαυεὶδ τοῦ > παιδός σου> · σοὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. 3. περὶ δὲ τοῦ κλάσμος· Εὐχαριστοῦμέν σοι, πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ γνώσεως, ἧς ἐγνώρισας ἡμῖν διὰ > Ἰησοῦ τοῦ > παιδός σου> . σοὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.

Clearly, these early “Christians” are still not trinitarians by any stretch of the imagination.

5

I was reading through the Didachi again, just now –

  1. Οὐκ ἀρεῖς τὴν χεῖρα σου > ἀπὸ τοῦ > υἱοῦ > σου ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς > θυγατρός > σου> , ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ νεότητος διδάξεις τὸν φόβον τοῦ θεοῦ. 10. οὐκ ἐπιτάξεις > δούλῳ > σου ἢ > παιδίσκῃ> , τοῖς ἐπὶ τὸν αὐτὸν θεὸν ἐλπίζουσιν, ἐν πικρίᾳ σου, μήποτε οὐ μὴ φοβηθήσονται τὸν ἐπ’ ἀμφοτέροις θεόν· οὐ γὰρ ἔρχεται κατὰ πρόσωπον καλέσαι, ἀλλ’ ἐφ’ οὓς τὸ πνεῦμα ἡτοίμασεν. 11. ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ δοῦλοι ὑποταγήσεσθε τοῖς κυρίοις ὑμῶν ὡς τύπτῳ θεοῦ ἐν αἰσχύνῃ καὶ φόβῳ.

Notice above the word for “son” is υἱοῦ, which the Didache does not use of Jesus. Notice also the contrast between υἱοῦ (son) - θυγατρός (daughter) versus slave (δούλῳ) - handmaid (παιδίσκῃ, feminine of παιδός earlier applied to Jesus). Matthew 12:17 - 18 is instructive in this regard, isn’t it ?

ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος Ἰδοὺ > ὁ παῖς μου > ὃν ᾑρέτισα, ὁ ἀγαπητός μου ὃν εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου· θήσω τὸ Πνεῦμά μου ἐπ’ αὐτόν, καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπαγγελεῖ.

Compare with Didachi Chapter 9:

  1. Περὶ δὲ τῆς εὐχαριστίας, οὕτως εὐχαριστήσατε· 2. πρῶτον περὶ τοῦ ποτηρίον· Εὐχαριστοῦμεν σοι, πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁγίας ἀμπέλον Δαυεὶδ τοῦ παιδός σου· σοὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. 3. περὶ δὲ τοῦ κλάσμος· Εὐχαριστοῦμέν σοι, πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ γνώσεως, ἧς ἐγνώρισας ἡμῖν διὰ Ἰησοῦ > τοῦ παιδός σου> . σοὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.

I also notice that the Didachi refers to Jesus as the “son of David” rather than the “son of God.” The language is very restrained, almost overly cautious . Chapter 10,

Ὡσαννὰ > τῷ θεῷ Δαείδ> . εἴ τις ἅγιός ἐστιν, ἐρχέθω· εἴ τις οὐκ ἔστι, μετανοείτω· μαρὰν ἀθά· ἀμήν. 7. τοῖς δὲ προφήταις ἐπιτρέπετε εὐχαριστεῖν ὅσα θέλουσιν.

But of the AntiChrist it has no qualms about addressing him as the [pretend] son of God.

  1. αὐξανούσης γὰρ τῆς ἀνομίας μισήσουσιν ἀλλήλους καὶ διώξουσι καὶ παραδώσουσι, καὶ τότε φανήσεται ὁ κοσμοπλανὴς ὡς > υἱὸσ θεοῦ> ,

So this document apparently knows Jesus to be υἱὸσ θεοῦ [by implication by it’s contrasting Jesus against the pretend “son of God,” the “Deceiver”], but refrains from using this title in reference to Jesus. I wonder why. Why the great reserve in the titles attributed to Jesus ? Is it because heresies of a Divine Jesus were already beginning to spread at this time, prompting overly careful language so as not to encourage the budding apostasy?

6

υἱός (which the GNT never saddles Jesus with)

What?

7

Here’s what I wrote:

Another curiosity is that Jesus is referred to as Ἰησοῦ τοῦ > παιδός > σου in Chapters 9 and in 10 . We can of course either > take this as a diminutive form of υἱός (which the GNT never saddles Jesus with) or else translate it as "servant> " (rightly). Notice that both Jesus and David are in the same league, so to speak, in this regard .

In other words , I’m saying the GNT never calls Jesus “Son of God” using the word παιδός , as in τοῦ παιδός θεοῦ. It always refers to him as υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ , θεοῦ υἱὸς, etc. So that is why παιδός here (as in Ἰησοῦ τοῦ παιδός σου) is properly translated as “servant” rather than as “Son.”

hope this clears things up for you,

8

It always refers to him as υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ , θεοῦ υἱὸς, etc.

The GNT never calls Jesus “παιδός σου?”

9

I did not say that. Recall in an earlier post I alluded to Matthew 12:17 - 18 (where an OT prophecy from Isaiah is invoked ) in which God refers to Jesus as ὁ παῖς μου. However παῖς in this context means “servant” not “son.” So what I’m saying is that the GNT never calls Jesus “son” by using the word παῖς, it tends to use υἱὸς instead. So those who translate Ἰησοῦ τοῦ παιδός σου from the Didachi as “Jesus Christ your son” are improperly translating it.

Let’s cut to the chase… How would you translate the following, from the Didachi ? –

  1. Περὶ δὲ τῆς εὐχαριστίας, οὕτως εὐχαριστήσατε· 2. πρῶτον περὶ τοῦ ποτηρίον· Εὐχαριστοῦμεν σοι, πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁγίας ἀμπέλον Δαυεὶδ τοῦ παιδός σου· σοὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. 3. περὶ δὲ τοῦ κλάσμος· Εὐχαριστοῦμέν σοι, πάτερ ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ γνώσεως, ἧς ἐγνώρισας ἡμῖν διὰ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ παιδός σου. σοὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας.
10

Sorry, but I have no continued interest in this thread.