ἔλεγχος in Hebrews 11:1

[John Reece]

In response to an e-mail message from a friend:

NA27 Text (Hebrews 11:1):

Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων.

Transliteration:

Estin de pistis elpizomenōn hypostasis, pragmatōn elegchos ou blepomenōn.

Translation (WEB)

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.

Analysis (Zerwick):

ἔλεγχος : proof.

From BDAG = A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature ― Third Edition ― revised and edited by Frederick William Danker, based on Walter Bauer's Griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Schriften des Neuen Testaments und der frühchristlichen Literatur, sixth edition, ed. Kurt Aland and Barbara Aland, with Viktor Reichmann and on previous English editions by W. F. Arndt, F. W. Gingrich, and F. W. Danker (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000).

ἔλεγχος, ου, ὁ (Pind., Pre-Socr. et al.; pap, LXX; PsSol tit. [no. 9]; TestJos 6:6; Philo [s. CBarrett, JTS n.s. 1, ’50, 9], Joseph., Just., Tat., Ath.)
1. the act of presenting evidence for the truth of something, proof, proving (Pla., Gorg. 471e; Demosth. 44, 15 τὸ πρᾶγμα τὸν ἔλεγχον δώσει; Epict. 3, 10, 11; POxy 237 VIII, 17; PStras 41, 6 ὁ ἔλ. δεικνύσει; Job 23:7, cp. vs. 4; Philo, Praem. 4 ἔ. τ. ἀληθείας; Jos., Bell. 1, 626; 628, C. Ap. 2, 17) ἔ. πραγμάτων οὐ βλεπομένων faith is a proving (or conviction about) unseen things=faith means to be sure about things unseen (in contrast to confidence in the temporal) Hb 11:1.
2. the act of charging a pers. with wrongdoing, accusation σύ μου ἔ. εἶ; will you accuse me? Hv 1, 1, 6 (other interpretations: complaint [Hab 2:1]: will you lodge a complaint against me?; conviction [BGU 1138, 13=Mitt-Wilck. II/2, 100, 13 (19/18 BC)]; Kaibel 814 of a monument that serves as a touchstone to identify either those well-disposed toward the dead or the impious; cp. TestJos 6:6).
3. expression of strong disapproval, reproof, censure, correction (Job 6:26; 13:6; Wsd 2:14; Philo, Rer. Div. Her. 76) 1 Cl 57:4f (Pr 1:25, 30); 2 Ti 3:16 v.l.—DELG s.v. ἐλέγχω. M-M. TW.

From The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1993), by Paul Ellingworth:

.... The choice in this context is between (a) the objective meaning of bringing to light (Jn. 3:20; Eph. 5:11, 13), demonstrating, proving (Wis. 1:9; Ep. Diog. 9:6; so here Calvin) or disproving (Ep. Diog. 2:9), hence of Job reasoning (13:6), pleading (16:22), and arguing (23:4; so here Vulgate); and (b) the subjective meaning "conviction" (so generally the Greek Fathers, Bleek, Riggenbach, Michel, and F. F. Bruce; cf. ἐλεγμός, 2 Tim 3:16). The meaning of (b) seems itself unclear: "faith is the state of being convinced," or "faith convinces one of (the reality of) what one does not see"? (a) can best be understood as "faith perceives" or "grasps evidence for (the reality of) what one does not see." Current translations generally take the same options as for ὑπόστασις, though the REB has the subjective "convinces us" without a note (similarly TEV and most CLTs, NIV, Phillips; "conviction," RSV, NAB, revised Segond note). TNT "if we have faith ... we come to know that the unseen things really exist" expresses the subjective option as strongly as possible (cf. BHD) "fest[damit] rechen"). On the objective side, AV "evidence" is followed by (N)JB "prove the existence of," revised Segond text "demonstration," ItCL, "(a means ... of knowing already"; similarly TOB (F. Bűchsel in TDNT 2. 476).

[ZackMartin]

Hi John

Thank you for posting this. It is interesting and useful information.

I suppose what I am trying to understand, is what might Heb 11:1 tell us about the biblical idea of the relationship between faith and reason? The fact that the KJV used the word "evidence" in connection with "faith" piqued my interest, since many would see "faith" and "evidence" as opposites. The faith-and-reason-as-opposites view could be summed up as "faith is what you have when you don't have evidence". Yet here the biblical text seems to be suggesting they are connected, even maybe that faith is a form of evidence.

I think Ellingworth's distinction between a "subjective" and "objective" understanding of ἔλεγχος is interesting. The subjective interpretation fits better the faith-and-reason-as-opposites viewpoint, while the objective view seems more to challenge it.

Thanks
Zack

[John Reece]

Hi John

Thank you for posting this. It is interesting and useful information.

I suppose what I am trying to understand, is what might Heb 11:1 tell us about the biblical idea of the relationship between faith and reason? The fact that the KJV used the word "evidence" in connection with "faith" piqued my interest, since many would see "faith" and "evidence" as opposites. The faith-and-reason-as-opposites view could be summed up as "faith is what you have when you don't have evidence". Yet here the biblical text seems to be suggesting they are connected, even maybe that faith is a form of evidence.

I think Ellingworth's distinction between a "subjective" and "objective" understanding of ἔλεγχος is interesting. The subjective interpretation fits better the faith-and-reason-as-opposites viewpoint, while the objective view seems more to challenge it.

Thanks
Zack