συντρίβω as "break" in Mark 14:3 raises issues, I think.

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ἑκηβόλος
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συντρίβω as "break" in Mark 14:3 raises issues, I think.

Post by ἑκηβόλος »

Having almost broken a bottle of olive oil this morning as I was bringing the shopping in, I realise and wonder something about the use of συντρίβω in Mark 14:3. It raises some issues of understanding and assumption:
ἦλθεν γυνὴ ἔχουσα ἀλάβαστρον μύρου νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτελοῦς· καὶ συντρίψασα τὸ ἀλάβαστρον, κατέχεεν αὐτοῦ κατὰ τῆς κεφαλῆς.
Taking συντρίβω to mean "break", and assuming that "breaking" was the way she got the oil out, and understanding the aorist to mean an action completed prior to the pouring, wouldn't there have been chips of alabaster in the oil that that Mary poured on Jesus head?

If there was instead a two-step process, such as like after the oil had been poured onto a cloth or into a dish, she then smashed the alabastron, that would only leave pieces of the shattered vessel on the floor (perhaps), rather than in the oil?

Reading a story describing the image of a woman smashing an alabastron into little pieces above Jesus head to get the oil out is not without issues that cause my eyebrows to rise. How much force would be required to break a vessel with her hands and wouldn't the shattered fragments cut her hands? Would breaking it into pieces in the air required a tool of some kind?

If συντρίβω was taken to be referring to the lid (stopper) and the vessel rubbing together (perhaps in a turning motion) as the alabastron was opened, then, that might be a less striking way of letting the contents flow out ("be poured down").

The obvious need in the story is for the oil contained in the vessel to get out, but breaking it might not be a viable way of getting it out to be used safely and conveniently.

Does the archaeological record of the Levant contain many smashed alabastrons?
τί δὲ ἀγαθὸν τῇ πομφόλυγι συνεστώσῃ ἢ κακὸν διαλυθείσῃ;

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jeidsath
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Re: συντρίβω as "break" in Mark 14:3 raises issues, I think.

Post by jeidsath »

See Harmer's Observations 26, in volume 4, pg. 189:

https://archive.org/stream/00533123.175 ... 7/mode/2up

Among his points:

1) An alabastar box/vessel would have had to have been sealed with wax or cement in order to contain perfume, and to prevent evaporation.

2) Harmer quotes Propertius to show a similar description of opening a sealed jar by "breaking" in Latin: "et fracto busta piare cado"

This expression seems to have confused Matthew and Luke, who likely dropped it. Perhaps of the three, only Mark had direct cultural experience, and had seen an alabastar.

***

I wonder, however, if συντρίψασα really has to take place before the action of the verb, rather than after?
“One might get one’s Greek from the very lips of Homer and Plato." "In which case they would certainly plough you for the Little-go. The German scholars have improved Greek so much.”

Joel Eidsath -- jeidsath@gmail.com

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Barry Hofstetter
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Re: συντρίβω as "break" in Mark 14:3 raises issues, I think.

Post by Barry Hofstetter »

Quickly checking a few commentaries, most of them suggest that these bottles often had a long neck that was fairly easily broken in order quickly to extract the contents, or that there was a seal which had to be broken.

Why would you question the priority of the action? It is an aorist participle. Logically one has to figure out how to open a jar of liquid before one pours out the contents. Or a candy bar wrapper. i had trouble tearing open a kit-kat wrapper the other day. Then I noticed there were actual instructions: pull back the flap and then tear... :lol:
N.E. Barry Hofstetter

Cuncta mortalia incerta...

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