Acts 17:11 greek verse study only

[Steve Petersen]

Wonder if the Septuagint uses this word and where?

You will find references in Jewish writings which support the notion that salvation is based on the merits of someone else, not yourself.

 

[brinny]

#2104 used 3 times in 3 verses. Luke 19:12, 1 Corin 1:26 and here. It is formed by the prefix #2095 and root word #1074 literally meaning "well-bred/born", which most versions render as "noble".

The word appears in Luke 19:12 about the story of a certain nobleman going out to look for a kingdom.

ISA) Acts 17:11 These yet were more well-bred/noble/eu-genesteroi <2104> of the ones in Thessalonica, who-any receive the word with all passion/eagerness the according to day, examining the Writings if it may be having these thusly.

NKJV) Luke 19:12 Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman/eu-genhV <2104> went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

I decided to put up the wiki definition and it indeed appears to closely resemble the english meaning of that greek word. Thoughts?

Nobility - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary.

The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be largely honorary (e.g. precedence), and vary from country to country and era to era. Traditionally membership in the nobility has been regulated or acknowledged by the government.

another perspective on the word would be "noble":

behaving in an honest and brave way that other people admire; a noble and courageous leader; character.

Acts 17:11:
"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

This is referring to their character, and not to their "status" in life.

 

[Berean777]

I'd like to start out by looking at the word "received" in this verse:

"they received the word" The word received in this verse is from the gk word dechomai and it's to receive teaching, instruction, to receive favourably, to embrace, make one's own, to learn

dechomai is a middle voice usage of a primary verb and represents the subject as acting either upon him/herself or in his/her own interest i.e. to receive subjectively unto oneself.

They - the Bereans - each one of them separately and individually - were eager, willing, and ready to receive unto themselves the word. I just think it makes it more meaningful to see that the Bereans were a group but yet they were a group of individuals and that each one took upon themselves to search. Each one investigated; each one inquired into; each one scrutinized the scriptures to make the word each one's own!

"whether those things were so" = "Therefore many believed"

This is quite a complicated phrase to interpret, it requires a grammar comprehension of the objective and subject Genitives.

Special Notes about Objective and Subjective Genitives

1. The Objective Genitive names the Direct Object of the action contained in another noun.
   
   
2. Certain adjectives commonly take an Objective Genitive because the meaning of the adjective is related to a verb’s action.
   
   
3. The Subjective Genitive names the Subject of the action contained in another noun.

they received the word
All readiness of mind
The scriptures

The Berean's (subjects) received the word (object), points to a possessive genitive "they received", which implies they took it upon themselves to own the scriptures and therefore had internalised the Torah (the word).

"All readiness of mind" is to the special “action” noun (all readiness) is that of being the subject of the action implied or stated in the special noun in relation to the subject the Berean's.

The scriptures (Torah) is the objective Genitive

Acts 17:11-12
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

The Berean's owned the Torah (possessive subjective genitive) and we're all too willing in readiness (special action noun) to search (verb) the scriptures (objective genitive)

In short the Berean's made themselves subjects to the Torah by revealing its truths that points squarely at who the Messiah is and therefore vindicates all along to what Paul was preaching. Remembering that the New Testament writings were not considered authoritative to these Jews of Berea.