Septuagint Quote From Gen 3:16

Greek Koine and Biblical and Medieval Greek
1

Hello All,

The text below is Gen 3:16 from the Septuagint:

καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ εἶπεν πληθύνων (multipling?) πληθυνῶ (multiply?) τὰς λύπας (suffering) σου καὶ τὸν στεναγμόν (groaning, moaning) σου ἐν λύπαις τέξῃ τέκνα καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή (turn away from) σου καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει (lord, rule) (Gen. 3:16 BGT)

  1. What’s the meaning of the repetition of: πληθύνων (multipling?) πληθυνῶ (multiply?)
  2. What’s do you believe is the nature of: ἡ ἀποστροφή (turn away from?) σου καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει (lord, rule).

Please try to exegete the greek meanings within the context of the curse of Gen.

Thanks for your help.

Tony

2

In this case it’s a direct translation of the Hebrew, which uses an infinitive absolute as an intensive, הַרְבָּ֤ה אַרְבֶּה֙.

3

αποστροφη is what throws me for a loop. Not “turn away from”, I’d guess, but more like how αποβλεπειν functions, turn to one thing away from everything else. (Related to απο taking the accusative in later Greek?)

4

The Hebrew is תְּשׁוּקָה, “desire, longing.”

καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή σου

I don’t see how it could be related to the use of the accusative in later Greek, it’s part of a compound here, and there is a complementary prepositional phrase acting as the predicate.

However, I think you’ve nailed the usage. An easy way to capture it in English is “recourse” or “return.” It gives an interesting hint in how the LXX translator conceptualized the idea.

5

Wow, here is the use of ἀποστρέφω from the TDNT, VII, 719 ἀποστρέφω (1) transitively; (a) as turning someone away from correct behavior or belief mislead, cause to go astray (LU 23.14) In Luke Jesus is accused of ‘leading the nation astray.’ The converse of this word is then used in 1 Pet 3:1 saying that a disobedient husband can be won over by the “pure conduct” (τῶν γυναικῶν ἀναστροφῆς) of the wife. So the wife can either be the curse of Gen 3:16 or the blessing of 1 Pet 3:1.

6

The TDNT is not going to be helpful here (in fact, methodologically, for lexical purposes, it’s about as useful as a doorstop). ἀποστροφή and ἀποστρέφω while from the same root are not the same word – one is a noun and the other is the verb, and each one has to be considered separately in its own usage. In 1st Pet 3:1, it’s a different word altogether, ἀναστροφῆς ἄνευ λόγου, and so not relevant.

7

Hi, while I’m in no way competent in Greek, I’d still like to offer my naive interpretation of this.

The repetition of ‘multiply’ is wordplay. A loose interpretation might be

“While YOU are in the process of multiplying [i.e. in labour], I shall multiply your labour pangs and your moaning.”

This of course is a painful echo of Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them saying “Grow and multiply and fill the Earth and LORD over it.”

Now however, the dynamic of the male-female relationship changes so that the woman joins the Earth and all the creatures upon it, to be ‘Lorded’ over by the man.

The PROS and APO form a juxtaposition that emphasizes this dynamic. Another loose translation:

“And when you come TOWARDS your man, even when you might wish to TURN AWAY, HE shall LORD you.” (with all the sexual connotation that contains)

And here we have the foundation of Patriarchy.