Taking a Stab at it!
LingaLinga was looking for some thoughts on 1 Cor 13.4-7. He asked these questions:
I’d be interested to hear from students of Greek what they think about the grammar of 1 Cor. 13:4-7:
- Should these be a series of predicate adjectives or are they active verbs?
- How would you translate Ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ?
- Is it appropriate to read 1 Corinthians 13 at marriage ceremonies?
- Can you find thirteen commandments in 1 Cor. 13:4-7?
I’m not sure how we would translate these in English as active verbs, at least the first two. Maybe, Love waits, but that doesn’t hit the meaning exactly. The challenge of μακροθυμεῖ for me is that any translation I could think of to accurately express μακροθυμεῖ would destroy the pithy statements of the Greek. Looking at the usage of the word, it seems that the subject is (generally speaking, I don’t think love delays fits here, which is the third meaning) either:
“μακροθυμεῖ for something still in the future”
or
“μακροθυμεῖ toward someone whose rather obstinately uncooperative.”
Considering the cotext of the passage in the letter as a whole has a whole lot to do with strife among groups in the church and potentially also between the church and Paul, the second meaning seems most likely to me.
I don’t know, Love tolerates? Maybe not. Something that hits the meaning well, but I doubt anyone would understand would be: Love is longanimous.
What in the world does that mean?
longanimous – showing patient and unruffled self-control and restraint under adversity; slow to retaliate or express resentment; “seemly and forbearing…yet strong enough to resist aggression”; “was longanimous in the face of suffering”
It fits the intent really well. Ya gotta love the thesaurus.
But not exactly pithy.
What a terrible clause to translate!
Love sticks it out under pressure.
Love keeps its cool.
I don’t know LingaLinga. I’m stuck too! I can’t even get past question #2…
What about “love does not lose heart?”
Bryan
April 10, 2008 at 12:53 am
I wish I could edit comments.
I think “does not lose heart” covers the first usage pretty well:
“μακροθυμεῖ for something still in the future”
Obviously, not losing heart assumes a future hope. I’m not sure that it covers the second:
“μακροθυμεῖ toward someone whose rather obstinately uncooperative.”
Possibly in the hope that said person will cooperate later, but that places it back under the first usage. Hmm.
Perhaps, one wouldn’t “lose heart” in dealing with the obstinate person. *shrugs*
Bryan
April 10, 2008 at 1:01 am
My preference for μακροθυμεῖ is “waits out storms.”
Carl W. Conrad
April 10, 2008 at 7:43 am
Suzanne suggests “love is long in both nostrils at once”. See my comment which offers a serious analysis of this suggestion.
Peter Kirk
April 10, 2008 at 8:00 am
I enjoyed Suzanne’s post – quite entertaining! Its interesting that the Hebrew translates it that way – and I was unaware of the connection with Psalm 103 & Exodus 34.
Mike
April 10, 2008 at 9:26 am
Great stuff. My brain is mush so I don’t have anything to add…
lingalinga
April 10, 2008 at 11:04 am
ἡ ἀγάπη
μακροθυμεῖ
χρηστεύεται
Love
passions with distance
pays it forward
ἡ ἀγάπη
οὐ ζηλοῖ
Love
rivals not
ἡ ἀγάπη
οὐ περπερεύεται
οὐ φυσιοῦται
οὐκ ἀσχημονεῖ
οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς
οὐ παροξύνεται
οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν
οὐ χαίρει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀδικίᾳ
συγχαίρει δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ
πάντα στέγει
πάντα πιστεύει
πάντα ἐλπίζει
πάντα ὑπομένει
Love
braggadociously brags not
postures not
dishonors not
seeks not for self
jabs not
states no evil
thrills not at the injustices
thrills with the unveilings
protects each one
believes each one
expects each one
stays with each one
ἡ ἀγάπη
οὐδέποτε πίπτει
Love
falls never
J. K. Gayle
April 10, 2008 at 11:24 am
Kurk, that is creative, provocative, and entertaining to read!
Mike
April 10, 2008 at 12:56 pm
My latest suggestion at BBB for verse 4 is
Peter Kirk
April 10, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Is that mixing metaphors?
Mike
April 10, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Not mixing. Just adding spice. I like Carl’s best. Now to live it.
lingalinga
April 10, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I hope its nutmeg.
Mike
April 10, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I hope it’s thyme.
Peter Kirk
April 10, 2008 at 5:04 pm
I think Suzanne now has a serious good rendering: “Love is slow to anger”.
Peter Kirk
April 10, 2008 at 5:11 pm
[...] about how to translate the first clause in 1 Corinthians 13:4. Those involved include Lingalinga, Mike and Suzanne, first here and now [...]
Gentle Wisdom » Love takes a long thyme
April 10, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I think its impossible to maintain the pithiness and still translate the meaning as fully as possible.
Kurk’s and yours are the most creative and clever.
But Suzanne’s is probably the most accurate.
Mike
April 10, 2008 at 7:30 pm