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Idiom and Translation: Some Aspects of the Son of Man Problem

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2009

Maurice Casey
Maurice Casey
Affiliation:
(Department of Theology, Nottingham University, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, England)
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Extract

The Gospel expression ό υίὸς τοῦ άνθρώπου has been a major Christological title for centuries. There is however widespread agreement that it is a translation of the Aramaic term and this is a normal expression for ‘man’. One way of viewing the Son of man problem is to suppose that we must account for the transition from in the teaching of Jesus to the title ό υίὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου in the Gospels.

Type
Articles
Information
New Testament Studies , Volume 41 , Issue 2 , April 1995 , pp. 164 - 182
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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References

1 For an efficient Forschungsbericht of this approach up to 1980, Müller, M., Der Ausdruck ‘Menschensohn’ in den Evangelien. Voraussetzungen und Bedeutung (ATD 17; Leiden: Brill, 1984) 219–32;Google Scholar cf. further Müller, M., ‘The Expression “the Son of Man” as Used by Jesus’, StTh 38 (1984) 47–64.Google Scholar

2 Lietzmann, H., Der Menschensohn. Ein Beitrag zur neutestamentlichen Theologie (Freiburg i.B./Leipzig: Mohr [Siebeck], 1896) 38, 95, 87.Google Scholar

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4 Discussion of a ‘Son of Man Concept’ cannot be offered here. In particular, a proper response, including discussion of the original text of the Similitudes of Enoch, is required by Collins, J. J., ‘The Son of Man in First Century Judaism’, NTS 38 (1992) 448–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar Collins’ comments are too dependent on Knibb's ET of the Ge‘ez translation (probably of the Greek translation) of the long lost text. Consequently, I have not seen reasons to alter my view of the main points of Casey, P. M., ‘The Use of the Term “Son of Man” in the Similitudes of Enoch’, JSJ 7 (1976) 11–29.Google Scholar Cf. Müller, M., ‘Über den Ausdruck “Menschensohn” in den Evangelien’, StTh 31 (1977) 65–82;Google Scholar id., Ausdruck 10–88.

5 G. Vermes, ‘The Use of in Jewish Aramaic’, App. E. in Black, M., An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts (Oxford: OUP, 3rd ed. 1967) 310–28;Google Scholar reprinted in Vermes, G., Post-Biblical Jewish Studies (Leiden: Brill, 1975) 147–65.Google Scholar Cf. Vermes, G., Jesus the Jew (London: Collins, 1973) 160–6;Google ScholarVermes, G., ‘The Present State of the “Son of Man” Debate’, JJS 29 (1978) 123–34;CrossRefGoogle ScholarVermes, G., ‘The “Son of Man” Debate’, JSNT 1 (1978) 19–32.Google Scholar

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12 See the works cited supra, n. 5.

13 Vermes, ‘Use’, 327.

14 Cf. further Casey, ‘General, Generic and Indefinite’, 22–3.

15 Cf. further Casey, ‘General, Generic and Indefinite’, 25–6.

16 See further Casey, ‘Use of the Term .

17 Davies, W. D. and Allison, D. C., The Gospel according to Saint Matthew (ICC. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1988–) 2.48.Google Scholar

18 Hooker, M. D., The Gospel according to Saint Mark (London: A. & C. Black, 1991) 92.Google Scholar

19 For detailed discussion, Casey, ‘Jackals’.

20 Hare, , Son of Man; likewise Ross, ‘Son of Man’, 190–3;Google ScholarKümmel, W. G., ‘Jesus der Menschensohn?’, Sitzungsberichte der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft an der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main 20/3 (Stuttgart: Steiner, 1984) 147–88, at 158–9,Google Scholar on which see Casey, ‘Method’, 19–21.

21 Hare, , Son of Man, 249–50;Google Scholar A. Y. Collins, ‘Origin’, at 399 n. 35; id., ‘Daniel 7 and Jesus’, at 14; id., ‘Daniel 7 and the Historical Jesus’, at 190; Ross, ‘Son of Man’, 191.

22 Nida, E. A., ‘Rhetoric and Translating’, in Übersetzungswissenschaft. Ergebnisse und Perspektiven (Festschrift f¨r Wilss, W.; ed. Arntz, R. und Thome, G.; Tübinger Beiträge zur Linguistik 354; Tübingen: Narr, 1990) 121–8.Google Scholar

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31 For more detailed discussion of the articles, including responses to other criticisms, Casey, Son of Man, 230–1; ‘Jackals’, 14–15; ‘General, Generic and Indefinite’, 31–4; ‘Method’, 40–1.

32 A. Y. Collins, ‘Origins’, 399 n. 35.

33 Tov, ‘Septuagint’, 180.

34 These arguments are not seriously affected by the problems of establishing the original text of the LXX and of its Hebrew Vorlage. Pietersma has noted that P.Bod.24 represents a stage of LXX Psalms with fewer articles, but this is not true of its renderings of : Pietersma, A., ‘Articulation in the Greek Psalms: the Evidence of Papyrus Bodmer xxiv’, Tradition of the Text. Studies Offered to Dominique Barthélemy in Celebration of His 70th Birthday (ed. Norton, G. J. and Pisano, S.; OBO 109; Friburg: Universität/Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1991) 184–202.Google Scholar

35 Hare, , Son of Man, 249;Google ScholarRoss, , ‘Son of Man’, 191–2.Google Scholar A similar assumption appears to underlie the imprecise remarks of Caragounis, Son of Man 27, 29, 248–9: cf. Casey, , ‘Method’, 33–42.Google Scholar

36 For recent research, Schmidt, H., ed., Interferenz in der Translation (Übersetzungswissenschaftliche Beiträge 12; Leipzig: Enzyklopädie, 1989).Google Scholar

37 Neubert, A., Text and Translation (Übersetzungswissenschaftliche Beiträge 8; Leipzig: Enzyklopädie, 1985) 56;Google Scholar cf. id., ‘Interference between Languages and between Texts’, Interferenz (ed. Schmidt) 56–64.

38 Svejcer, A. D., ‘Literal Translation as a Product of Interference’, Interferenz (ed. Schmidt) 39–44.Google Scholar

39 Dodd, C. H., The Bible and the Greeks (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1935) ch. 2.Google Scholar

40 These figures are taken from Hatch, E. and Redpath, H. A., A Concordance to the Septuagint (3 vols.; 1897–1906; reprinted, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987),Google Scholar and checked with BHS and Rahlfs, A., Septuaginta (2 vols.; Stuttgart: Würtembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935).Google Scholar

41 Hare, , Son of Man, 249.Google Scholar

42 Casey, , Son of Man, 231.Google Scholar

43 Hare, , Son of Man, 23–4.Google Scholar

44 Cf. Casey, , Son of Man, 231Google Scholar; ‘Jackals’, 22 n. 31.

45 Hare, , Son of Man, 24; Ross, ‘Son of Man’, 192; Collins, ‘Daniel 7 and the Historical Jesus’, 190.Google Scholar

46 Ross, ,‘Son of Man’, 192.Google Scholar

47 Hare, , Son of Man, 25; similarly, Ross, ‘Son of Man’, 191.Google Scholar

48 Casey, , Son of Man, esp. 165,177, 178, 182, 185, 190.Google Scholar

49 Casey, , Son of Man, 213–17.Google Scholar

50 For reconstruction of a very difficult saying, with remarks on method, Casey, P. M., ‘The Original Aramaic Form of Jesus' Interpretation of the Cup’, JThS NS 41 (1990) 1–12.Google Scholar

51 Hare, , Son of Man, 21–6.Google Scholar

52 Most are already presented in Casey, ‘Son of Man Problem’, at 152–4: the rest are scattered throughout the works cited in n. 5 supra. See especially Son of Man, 233–8, with Table 5.

53 This is a feature of my presentation of this theory, and is an important difference from that of Vermes, presupposed e.g. in the presentation of John 9.35 as an example of this idiom by Müller, M., ‘Have You Faith in the Son of Man?’ NTS 37 (1991) 291–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

54 This theory must be complemented by a proper explanation of the development of New Testament Christology. I have supplied this in From Jewish Prophet to Gentile God.

55 This point is criticised by Moloney, F. J., ‘The End of the Son of Man?’, Downside Review 98 (1980) 280–90,CrossRefGoogle Scholar at 287:1 responded in ‘General, Generic and Indefinite’, 50–1.

56 Hooker, Mark, 92.