08_Biblica_2_AM_C_Swetnam_Layout 1 30/01/13 13:18 Pagina 602 602 JAMES SWETNAM word “hear” in the phrase toi/j avkou,sasin is effective hearing, i.e., obe- dience, and not just physical hearing. Another view based on the reading sugkekerasme,nouj is that the words toij avkou,sasin refer not to anyone of the desert generation but to the Chris- / tian author and addressees of the epistle 5. But if the words refer to the Chris- tians, it is not clear what point the author is trying to make; it is rather banal to say that the desert generation should have had faith as the Christians do. And even if he is making such a banal point, it is not clear why he has used such an elaborate way to say it, using the verb sugkera,nnumi 6. Another view, based on the reading sugkekerasme,nouj, is that the words toij avkou,sasin should be construed as a dative of advantage, “for the ben- / efit of those who had heard”. This interpretation, however, relies on a tex- tual variant that lacks strong support in the manuscript tradition 7. The identity of those referred to by the words toi/j avkou,sasin, is of secondary importance, since the main point would be to emphasize for the Christian addressees the importance of individual responsibility 8. But in the discussions of the possible persons referred to by the words toi/j akousasin one group of persons prominent in the epistle has been ignored. v, II. Another Suggested Interpretation Four elements regarding 4,2 need explaining with regard to a basic un- derstanding of the words “those who (had) heard” (toi/j avkou,sasin): 1) the identity of “those who (had) heard”; 2) the nature of “the word heard” (o` logoj th/j avkoh/j); 3) the precise force of the phrase mh. sugkekerasme,nouj , th/ pistei; 4) the meaning in the context of kai. ga,r evsmen euvhggelisme,noi , kaqaper kavkei/noi. , 1) “Those who (had) heard” must refer to a group other than the group referred to by the word avkou,santej in 3,16, i.e., the desert generation, all of whom rebelled 9. That is, they “heard” in the sense only of becoming aware of the message, not in the sense of also obeying what they had heard. For the avkou,santej of 3,16 did not believe whereas the avkou,santej of 4,2, by implication, did. At first glance, given the fact that the immediately preceding verse im- plies that no one of the desert generation believed, the avkou,santej of 4,2 This view is advanced by ATTRIDGE, Hebrews, 125-126. 5 “This is the least unsatisfactory interpretation, but the possibility of prim- 6 itive corruption is not to be ruled out …” (ELLINGWORTH, Hebrews, 243). ELLINGWORTH, Hebrews, 243. Ellingworth himself does not hold this view. 7 Cf. SPICQ, L’Épître aux Hébreux, 81. 8 For the sake of the argument the minority who did believe is ignored by 9 the author of Hebrews, as explained above. © Gregorian Biblical Press 2012 - Tutti i diritti riservati