Handout - Does adelphoi Mean ‘those who are from the same womb’?

[Resource Manager]

Does adelphoi Mean ‘those who are from the same womb’?

 

THE CLAIM

 

‘If we want the primary meaning we go back to the origin of the word. The word comes from the prefix a (= “connected together”) and from the word delphus which means “womb”. So it means those who are from the same womb.’¹

 

THE FACTS

 

If we want the primary meaning of a word we should look up the word in a standard lexicon.

 

SCHOLARLY COMMENTARY

 

The method Ian and Averil are recommending is a lexical fallacy known as the ‘root fallacy’:

 

'The "root fallacy" involves insisting that a word's true meaning is tied to its root meanings, or the parts of the word. But this is not how language works. If you use the word "butterfly," does it help you understand the meaning by breaking it down into "butter' and "fly;" if you use the word "pineapple," does it help to say this word is a combination of the words pine and apple? No. Some Greek words may actually be made up of parts that are closely related to the word's true meaning, but this is somewhat beside the point. The "root word" fallacy is more likely to lead us down unproductive paths in our word studies.'²

 

'As lexicographers have long noted, the root meaning of a word is not necessarily an accurate guide to the meaning of the word in later literature.'³

 

‘2. The Root Fallacy. This common error assumes that the root of a term and its cognates carries a basic meaning that is reflected in every subordinate use of the word(s).’⁴

 

‘Similarly, it is erroneous to take a compound word, break it into its component parts, and read the resultant meanings in that light. Louw states unequivocally, "It is a basic principle of modern semantic theory that we cannot progress from the form of a word to its meaning"(1982:29).’⁵

 

'Two well-known examples may help: ekklesia and parakletos. The first is often said to mean "the called out" believers, while in reality nowhere in extant Greek literature does ekklesia have this connotation. The other is the major title for the Holy Spirit in John 14-16 and contains the roots para ("beside") and kaleo ("call"). At one time the term did have a meaning similar to its root, "one called alongside to help," and was used in Hellenistic circles for a "helper" or "advocate". However, this is inadequate for John 14:16, 26; 15:26; and 16:7-8, 13 because that sense is never used in this context.'⁶

 

LEXICAL ENTRIES

 

Ian and Averil cite Vine several times.⁷ Here is the entry for adelphos in Vine:

 

‘adelphos (ἀδελφός, 80) denotes “a brother, or near kinsman”; in the plural, “a community based on identity of origin or life.” It is used of:— (1) male children of the same parents, Matt, 1:2; 14:3; (2) male descendants of the same parents, Acts 7:23, 26; Heb. 7:5; (3) male children of the same mother, Matt. 13:55; 1 Cor. 9:5; Gal. 1:19; (4) people of the same nationality, Acts 3:17, 22; Rom. 9:3. With “men” (aner, “male”), prefixed, it is used in addresses only, Acts 2:29, 37, etc.; (5) any man, a neighbor, Luke 10:29; Matt. 5:22; 7:3; (6) persons united by a common interest, Matt. 5:47; (7) persons united by a common calling, Rev. 22:9; (8) mankind, Matt. 25:40; Heb. 2:17; (9) the disciples, and so, by implication, all believers, Matt. 28:10; John 20:17; (10) believers, apart from sex, Matt. 23:8; Acts 1:15; Rom. 1:13; 1 Thess. 1:4; Rev. 19:10 (the word “sisters” is used of believers, only in 1 Tim. 5:2); (11) believers, with aner, “male,” prefixed, and with “or sister” added, 1 Cor. 7:14 (rv), 15; Jas. 2:15, male as distinct from female, Acts 1:16; 15:7, 13, but not 6:3.’⁸

 

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¹ ‘Reply 2’, pp. 68-69 (April 2009).

² The Holman Student Bible, p. 4 (2007).

³ Wallace, 'Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics', p. 363 (1997).

⁴ Osborne, 'The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation', pp. 84-85 (rev. ed. 2006).

⁵ Ibid., p. 85.

⁶ Ibid., p. 85.

⁷ Cited in ‘All One’, pp. 57, 95, 102 (March 2009).

⁸ Vine, Unger, & White, ‘Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words’, volume 2, p. 82 (1996 ed.).

[Resource Manager]

The source closest to their definition is Thayer. However, the text there is not in the definition of the word, but in the etymological description preceding the definition (Thayer gives ‘A brother’ as the primary meaning of the word⁹ ). Standard lexical entries follow:

 

‘...literally, male sibling with at least one parent in common (JN 1.41)...’¹⁰

 

‘a male from the same womb as the reference pers., brother...’¹¹

 

‘The brother in the narrower, literal sense is the physical brother, which can also include half-brothers (→ 3).’¹²

 

‘brother Gn 4,2...’13

 

‘a male having the same father and mother as the reference person—‘brother.’¹⁴

 

‘A. son of the same mother...’¹⁵

 

‘ἀδελφός , οῦ m brother; fellow believer; fellow countryman, fellowman’¹⁶

 

‘... brother, male sibling...’¹⁷

 

‘1. Physical Brotherhood.’¹⁸

 

‘A brother. Adelphós generally denotes a fellowship of life based on identity of origin, e.g., members of the same family...’¹⁹

 

The only definitions given which refer the word to individuals from the same womb specify males (‘male sibling with at least one parent in common’,²⁰ ‘a male from the same womb’,²¹ ‘a male having the same father and mother as the reference person—‘brother’,²² ‘son of the same mother’²³). Even Vine (which Ian and Averil used elsewhere in their book²⁴), defines the primary meaning as ‘male children of the same parents, Matt, 1:2; 14:3; (2) male descendants of the same parents, Acts 7:23, 26; Heb. 7:5; (3) male children of the same mother’.²⁵

 

This is the primary meaning of the word adelphos, and the lexicon entries quoted above (including Vine), show that this is also the primary meaning of the plural adelphoi.

 

The plural adelphoi certainly has a secondary meaning with reference to brothers and sisters in Christ, and this is overwhelmingly the meaning in Paul’s writings. However, that meaning is still secondary.

 

Ian and Averil provided no evidence for their definition other than a personal application of the root fallacy, and readers will note

that standard lexicons say otherwise.

(Jonathan Burke, 2009)

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⁹ Thayer, ‘A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Being Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti Translated, Revised, and Enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer, corrected edition’, p. 10 (1886).

¹⁰ Friberg, Friberg, & Miller ‘Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament’, volume 4, p. 34 (2000).

¹¹ Arndt, Danker, & Bauer, ‘A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature’, p. 18 (3^rd ed., 2000).

¹² Balz & Schneider, ‘Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament. Translation of: Exegetisches Worterbuch zum Neuen Testamen’, volume 1, pp.28-30 (1990-c1993).

¹³ Lust, Eynikel, & Hauspie, ‘A Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint’ (electronic rev. ed. 2003).

¹⁴ Louw & Nida, ‘Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains’, volume 1, pp. 117-118 (2^nd ed. 1989).

¹⁵ Liddell, Scott, & Jones, ‘A Greek-English Lexicon’, p.20 (rev. and augm. throughout, electronic ed., 9^th ed. with supplement, 1996).

¹⁶ Newman, ‘Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament’, p. 3 (1993).

¹⁷ Swanson, ‘Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament)’, DBLG 81, #5 (2^nd ed. 2001).

¹⁸ Kittel, Bromiley, & Friedrich, ‘Theological dictionary of the New Testament’, volume 1, pp. 144-146 (1964-c1976).

¹⁹ Zodhiates, ‘The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament’, G80 (electronic ed., 2000).

²⁰ Friberg, Friberg, & Miller ‘Analytical lexicon of the Greek New Testament’, volume 4, p. 34 (2000).

²¹ Arndt, Danker, & Bauer, ‘A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature’, p. 18 (3rd ed., 2000).

²² Louw & Nida, ‘Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains’, volume 1, p. 117 (2^nd ed. 1989).

²³ Liddell, Scott, & Jones, ‘A Greek-English Lexicon’, p.20 (rev. and augm. throughout, electronic ed., 9^th ed. with supplement, 1996).

²⁴ Cited in ‘All One’, pp. 57, 95, 102 (March 2009).

²⁵ Vine, Unger, & White, ‘Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words’, volume 2, p. 82 (1996 ed.).

 

Handout_adelphos.pdf