ἐν αἰνίγματι

αἴνιγμα

dark saying: neut dat sg

αἴνιγμα

dark saying: neut dat sg

αἴνιγμα, ατος, τό (Pind., Aeschyl. et al.; LXX, Philo; Jos., C. Ap. 1, 114f; SibOr 3, 812)

① lit. that which requires special acumen to understand because it is expressed in puzzling fashion, riddle PtK 4 p. 15, 31. This sense is preferred by some for 1 Cor 13:12: βλέπομεν διʼ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι (ἔν αἰν. as Athen. 452a; REB: puzzling reflections; NRSV dimly [= indistinctly] but mg. in a riddle). Hugedé may offer the better explanation (see 2 below, at end).

② indirect mode of communication. In the context of mirror imagery ἀ. signifies indirect image, and ἐν αἰνίγματι functions as an idiom meaning indirectly. βλέπομεν διʼ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι then gives the sense we see by reflection as in a mirror with emphasis on anticipation of direct personal encounter (cp. Num 12:8 of direct as opp. to oblique communication; Plut., Mor. 382a αἴ. τοῦ θείου refers to inanimate or incorporeal things such as numerals as ‘mirrors’ or ‘models’ for understanding divine matters. Cp. Mor. 12d of Pythagorean maxims, which communicate αἰνίγμασιν=speak in circumlocutions, i.e. ‘ambiguously’ or with ‘double sense’; 370f contrasts Plato’s earlier presentations διʼ αἰνιγμῶν οὐδὲ συμβολικῶς w. his later use of κύρια ὀνόματα ‘plain terms’. On the mirror imagery cp. Mor. 672e.—αἴνιγμα=intimation: Sallust. c. 6 p. 12, 10).—NHugedé, La Métaphore du miroire dans 1 et 2 Cor ’57; other lit. s.v. ἀγάπη 1aα and ἔσοπτρον.—DELG s.v. αἶνος. TW. Sv.

αἰνίγματα, αἴνιγμα

dark saying: neut nom /voc /acc pl

αἰνίγματι, αἴνιγμα

dark saying: neut dat sg

αἰνίγματε, αἴνιγμα

dark saying: neut nom /voc /acc dual

αἰνίγματα, αἴνιγμα

dark saying: neut nom /voc /acc pl

αἰνίγματι, αἴνιγμα

dark saying: neut dat sg

αἰνίγματε, αἴνιγμα

dark saying: neut nom /voc /acc dual

αἴνιγμα, ατος, τό,

A dark saying, riddle, Pi.Fr. 177, A.Pr. 610, etc., cf. LXX De.28.37 : freq. in pl., ἐξ αἰνιγμάτων in riddles, darkly, A.Ag. 1112, 1183;

δι' αἰνιγμάτων Aeschin.3.121

(v.l.), etc. ;

ἐν αἰνίγματι 1 Ep.Cor.13.12

; αἴ. προβάλλειν, ξυντιθέναι, πλέκειν to make a riddle, Pl.Chrm. 162b, Ap. 27a, Plu.2.988a; opp. διειπεῖν, εἰδέναι, S.OT 393, 1525;

μαθεῖν E.Ph.48

.

II taunt, Aristaenet.1.27.

III ambush ([place name] Theban), Palaeph.4.

βλέπω fut. βλέψω; 3 pl. fut. βλέψονται Is 29:18; 1 aor. ἔβλεψα (s. βλέμμα; Pind.+ ‘see’: on the use of βλέπω and ὁράω s. Reinhold 97ff. Esp. oft. in Hermas [70 times]).

① to perceive w. the eye, see

ⓐ w. acc. of what is seen: beam, splinter Mt 7:3; Lk 6:41f—Mt 11:4; 13:17; 24:2; Mk 8:23f; Lk 10:23f; Ac 2:33; 9:8f; Rv 1:11f; 5:3f; 22:8. Large buildings Mk 13:2 (cp. Choliamb. in Ps.-Callisth. 1, 46a, 8 lines 4, 8, 19: ὁρᾷς τὰ τείχη ταῦθʼ; … τὰ θεμέλια ταῦτα … ὁρᾷς ἐκείνους τοὺς οἴκους;); a woman Lk 7:44; light (Artem. 5, 20 τὸ φῶς ἔβλεπεν; 5, 77) 8:16, cp. 11:33; Jesus J 1:29; B 5:10; signs Ac 8:6; B 4:14; a vision Ac 12:9; nakedness Rv 16:15; the beast 17:8; smoke 18:9, 18.— Seeing contrasted w. hoping Ro 8:24f. Of angels βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρός (expr. fr. oriental court life = have access constantly, 2 Km 14:24; cp. 4 Km 25:19) Mt 18:10 (s. πρόσωπον 1bα). Pass. πάντων βλεπομένων since everything is seen 1 Cl 28:1. W. acc. and ptc. instead of a dependent clause (SIG1104, 42; UPZ 68, 6 [152 B.C.] βλέπω Μενέδημον κατατρέχοντά με=that M. runs after me; 1 Macc 12:29; Jos., Ant. 20, 219); τὸν ὄχλον συνθλίβοντά σε that the crowd is pressing around you Mk 5:31. τὸν λίθον ἠρμένον that the stone was taken away J 20:1; cp. Mt 15:31; Lk 24:12; J 20:5; 21:9. τὸν πατέρα ποιοῦντα 5:19; sim. 21:20; Ac 4:14; Hb 2:9. ὑπὲρ ὸ̔ βλέπει με beyond what he sees in me 2 Cor 12:6.

ⓑ abs.: Mt 13:16; Ro 11:10 (Ps 68:24); Rv 9:20. τὰ βλεπόμενα (Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 406 D.; Wsd 13:7; 17:6) what can be seen 2 Cor 4:18. Look on, watch (Jos., Bell. 1, 596. Ant. 3, 95 βλεπόντων αὐτῶν while they looked on, before their eyes) Ac 1:9; 1 Cl 25:4.

ⓒ w. prep. phrase: ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ who sees in secret Mt 6:4, 6; cp. vs. 18 (s. 4 Macc 15:18). In imagery διʼ ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι 1 Cor 13:12.

ⓓ βλέπων βλέπω see w. open eyes Mt 13:14 (Is 6:9). βλέπων οὐ βλέπει though he looks he does not see 13:13; Lk 8:10 (the theme is transcultural, cp. Aeschyl., Prom. 447f; Soph. O.T. 413; Ps.-Demosth. 25, 89; Polyb. 12, 24, 6; Lucian, D. Mar. 4, 3; Lucretius 2:14 o pectora caeca! qualibus in tenebris vitae ‘O blind hearts! In what darkness of life … ’; s. ἀκούω).

② to have the faculty of sight, be able to see, in contrast to being blind (Trag.; Antiphon 4, 4, 2; X., Mem. 1, 3, 4; Aelian, VH 6, 12; SIG 1168, 78 blind man βλέπων ἀμφοῖν ἐξῆλθε; POxy 39, 9 [52 A.D.] ὀλίγον βλέπων=of weak sight; Ex 4:11; 23:8; 1 Km 3:2; Ps. 113:14; al.) Mt 12:22; 15:31; Lk 7:21; J 9:7, 15, 25; Ac 9:9; Rv 3:18. ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ μὴ β. (Ps 68:24, cp. 9:32; Sus 9; B-D-F §400, 2) eyes unable to see Ro 11:8 (Dt 29:3); Hs 6, 2, 1. θεοὶ … δυνάμενοι μήτε βλέψαι μήτε ἀκοῦσαι AcPl Ha 1, 20 (cp. Ps 113:14).—Fig. of grasp of transcendent matters (cp. Diog. L. 6, 53 with reference to Pla.: β. with the eyes of the νοῦς) J 9:39.

③ to take in the sight of someth., look at, observe εἰς w. acc. (Anaxandrides Com. [IV B.C.] 34, 9 K. εἰς τοὺς καλούς; Ael. Aristid. 28, 126 K.=49 p. 531f D.; Aelian, VH 14, 42; Herodian 3, 11, 3; Jdth 9:9; Pr 16:25; Sir 40:29; 4 Macc l5:18) Lk 9:62; J 13:22 (εἰς ἀλλήλους as Proverb. Aesopi 49 P.) Ac 1:11 v.l. (Ps.-Apollod., Epit. 5, 22 and PGM 13, 833 εἰς τ. οὐρανὸν β.); 3:4. W. dat. [ὁ δὲ λέων ….ἔβλ]επεν τῷ Παύλῳ| καὶ ὁ Παῦλο[ς τῷ λέοντι] the lion looked at Paul and Paul [at the lion] AcPl Ha 4, 36. W. acc. look at a woman (cp. Synes., Calvitii encomium 23, 86b ὅστις ἀδίκοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρᾷ τὴν τοῦ γείτονος) Mt 5:28 (ὅστις ἄν ἐμβλέψῃ γυναικί Just., A I, 15, 1). See magic rites D 3:4. βιβλίον look into a book Rv 5:3f.

④ to pay esp. close attention to someth., notice, mark someth.: w. acc. 2 Cor 10:7 (impv.). W. εἴς τι (Polyb. 3, 64, 10 εἰς τ. παρουσίαν) εἰς πρόσωπον β. look at someone’s face = regard someone’s opinion in the sense of being afraid of what someone might think Mt 22:16; Mk 12:14.

⑤ be ready to learn about someth. that is needed or is hazardous, watch, look to, beware of, Mk 13:9; Phil 3:2 (GKilpatrick, PKahle memorial vol. ’68, 146–48: look at, consider); 2J 8. Followed by μή, μήποτε, μήπως and aor. subj. (Pythag., Ep. 4; Epict. 2, 11, 22; 3, 20, 16; PLond III, 964, 9 p. 212 [II/III A.D.] βλέπε μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ οὐδέν; PLips 106, 17 [I B.C.]) beware, look out Mt 24:4; Mk 13:5; Lk 21:8; Ac 13:40; 1 Cor 8:9; 10:12; Gal 5:15; Hb 12:25, or fut. indic. Col 2:8. W. ἀπό τινος (BGU 1079, 2426 [41 A.D.]=CPJ 152, 24ff βλέπε σατὸν [=σαυτὸν] ἀπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων; APF 4, 1908, 568) beware of the leaven of the Pharisees Mk 8:15; of the scribes 12:38.

⑥ to process information by giving thought, direct one’s attention to someth., consider, note (Jos., Bell. 7, 351, Ant. 20, 57).

ⓐ abs. βλέπετε keep your eyes open Mk 13:33.

ⓑ w. acc. (2 Ch 10:16) 1 Cor 1:26; 10:18; on Phil 3:2 s. 5; Col 2:5; 4:17. βλέπων τ. ἐντολήν w. regard to the commandment B 10:11a.

ⓒ w. indir. question foll. Mk 4:24; Lk 8:18; 1 Cor 3:10; Eph 5:15; 1 Cl 56:16; B 10:11b.—W. ἵνα foll. 1 Cor 16:10.

⑦ to develop awareness of someth., perceive, feel

ⓐ by the senses: a strong wind Mt 14:30.

ⓑ of inner awareness discover, find a law Ro 7:23 (cp. PFay 111, 16 ἐὰν βλέπῃς τὴν τιμὴν [price] παντὸς ἀγόρασον). W. acc. and ptc. 2 Cl 20:1; B 1:3. W. ὅτι foll. (BGU 815, 4; EpArist 113) 2 Cor 7:8; Hb 3:19; Js 2:22.

⑧ to be oriented in a particular direction, looking to, in the direction of, facing (rather freq. and w. var. preps.; w. κατά and acc. Ezk 11:1; 40:6 al.; JosAs 5:2 θυρίδα … βλέπουσαν κατὰ ἀνατολάς ‘a window looking out toward the east’) Ac 27:12 (s. λίψ and s. Field, Notes 144).—FHahn, Sehen u. Glauben im J: OCullmann Festschr., ’72, 125–41; FThordarson, SymbOsl 46, ’71, 108–30.—B. 1042. DELG. M-M. TW. Sv.

ἔσοπτρον, ου, τό (Pind., N. 7, 14 [20]; Anacreontea 7, 3; 22, 5 Pr.; Plut., Mor. 139e; Epict. 2, 14, 21; 3, 22, 51; Proclus on Plato, Timaeus 33b Diehl II p. 80, 20; CPR I, 27, 10 [190 A.D.]; ins s. New Docs 4, 149f; POxy 978; 1449, 19 ἔσοπτρον ἀργυροῦν; Wsd 7:26; Sir 12:11; TestJob 33:8; Philo, Migr. Abr. 98; Jos., Ant. 12, 81; ὁρᾶσθαι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῷ ἐ. Theoph. Ant. 1, 2 [p. 60, 23]) mirror κατανοεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον ἐν ἐ. look at one’s face in a mirror Js 1:23. διʼ ἐσόπτρου βλέπειν ἐν αἰνίγματι see indirectly in a mirror (because one sees not the thing itself, but its mirror-image; cp. Herm. Wr. 17) 1 Cor 13:12. On this s. Straub 44–46; RSeeberg: D. Reformation 10, 1911, 137–39; Rtzst., Hist. Mon. 238–55; HAchelis, Bonwetsch Festschr. 1918, 56ff; PCorssen, ZNW 19, 1920, 2–10; SBassett, 1 Cor 13:12: JBL 47, 1928, 232ff; JBehm, D. Bildwort v. Spiegel 1 Cor 13:12: RSeeberg Festschr. I 1929, 315–42; WKnox, St. Paul and the Church of the Gentiles ’39, 121 n. 4; APerry, ET 58, ’46/47, 279; NHugedé, La Métaphore du miroir dans 1 et 2 Cor. ’57; FDanker, CTM 30, ’60, 428f. S. the lit. on 1 Cor 13 s.v. ἀγάπη 1aα, esp. HRiesenfeld, ConNeot 5. At Ox 1081, 43 [……]ρω must certainly be read ἐσόπτρῳ after the Coptic (s. WTill, TU 60/5 [’55] 223).—New Docs 4, 149f. DELG s.v. ὄπωπα. M-M. TW. Spicq.