choose the better portion

μερίς, ίδος, ἡ (s. μερίζω and three next entries; Antiphon, Thu.+; ins, pap, LXX, TestSol; TestJob 38:2; 41:5; Test12Patr; Philo; Jos., Ant. 11, 292, Vi. 36; Just.).

① a portion of a whole that has been divided, part (Pla., Soph. p. 266a; Demetr.: 722 Fgm. 1, 14 Jac.; Diod S 15, 31, 2; 15, 64, 1 [where comparison with 15, 63, 4 τέτταρα μέρη … ἡ πρώτη μερίς shows that it is not necessary to assume that there is a difference in the meanings of these word-forms]. In ins and pap oft.=district: OGI 177, 9; 179, 8; PPetr III, 32 recto, 3 τῆς Θεμίστου μερίδος; BGU 975, 6 [45 A.D.]; PTebt 302, 4; 315, 13; Diod S 1, 54, 3; Josh 18:6). The wording of Ac 16:12 v.l in describing Philippi ἥτις ἐστὶν πρώτη τῆς μερίδος Μακεδονίας πόλις (vv.ll., among others, πρ. τῆς μερ. τῆς Μακ.; πρ. τῆς Μακ.) is difficult because of τῆς μερίδος.The transl. leading city of the district of Macedonia (e.g. Beyer, Steinmann, Bauernfeind, NRSV) is tolerable only through lack of a better one. As far as the form is concerned, the article is lacking w. πρώτη, and as far as subject matter goes, Philippi was not the capital city (which πρώτη means in such a context: Ps.-Scylax, Peripl. 35 [BFabricius 1878]; schol. on Pind., O. 8, 1h; cp. 6, 144g; Eunap. 7; 96; Procop., Aedif. 5, 4, 18 μητρόπολις … οὕτω πόλιν τ. πρώτην τοῦ ἔθνους καλοῦσι Ῥωμαῖοι) either of the province of Macedonia or of any of its districts. The Nestle text follows Blass, who favored the conjecture of Johannes Clericus (LeClerc), and reads πρώτη[ς] μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας of the first district of Macedonia, w. ref. to the fact that the Romans (Livy 45, 29) divided Macedonia into four μερίδες=districts in 167 B.C. (so also Hoennicke, Preuschen, Wlh., Zahn; Field, Notes 124; EHaupt, Gefangenschaftsbriefe⁷ 1902, 83f; Belser; Zürcher Bibel ’31; Haenchen ad loc; RBorger, TRu 52, ’87, 37f. On the textual variants, s. Metzger, Textual Commentary ad loc. S. also AClark and JLarsen s.v. κεφαλή 2b, end.—If the restoration of the apparently damaged text should result in a wording that would make it possible for πρώτη to refer to the progress of a journey, we might compare Arrian, Anab. 4, 23, 3 ἡ πρώτη καθʼ ὁδὸν πόλις; Appian, Bell. Civ. 2, 35 §137 Ariminum ἐστὶν Ἰταλίας πρώτη [i.e., πόλις] μετὰ τὴν Γαλατίαν=the first city in Italy after [leaving] Gaul; Ps.-Scylax §67: from Thessaly the πρώτη πόλις Μακεδονίας is Ἡράκλειον.—Linguistically πρ. πόλ. can, of course, be understood of time as well, and can mean the first city in connection with which someth. happens [Diod S 12, 67, 2 Acanthus was the first city, πρ. πόλ., to revolt from Athens]).

② share, portion (Demosth. 43, 82; Plut., Ages. 17, 5; Lucian, De Merc. Cond. 26; Vett. Val. 345, 16; SIG 1013, 4; BGU 996 III, 1; PLond III, 880, 18ff p. 9 [113 B.C.]; POxy 1482, 21; LXX) τὴν ἀγαθὴν μ. ἐκλέγεσθαι choose the better portion Lk 10:42 (fig., of food? Cp. Mft., transl., ‘Mary has chosen the best dish’, and s. Gen 43:34; 1 Km 9:23, but against him TGillieson, ET 59, ’47/48, 111f. For other reff. Field, Notes 63f; HAlmqvist, Plutarch u. d. NT ’46, 65). μ. κυρίου the Lord’s portion 1 Cl 29:2 (Dt 32:9); cp. 30:1. τίς μερὶς πιστῷ μετὰ ἀπίστου; what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? (i.e., with ref. to the same thing; on μετά s. below) 2 Cor 6:15. Sim. μετὰ μοιχῶν τὴν μερίδα σου ἐτίθεις you cast your lot w. adulterers 1 Cl 35:8 (Ps 49:18). οὐκ ἔστιν σοι μ. οὐδὲ κλῆρος ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ you have neither share nor lot in this matter Ac 8:21 (cp. Dt 12:12 οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ μ. οὐδὲ κλῆρος μεθʼ ὑμῶν.—μ. καὶ κλῆρος also TestSol 14:5 and Philo, Plant. 60.—μ. ἐν as 2 Km 20:1; TestJob 38:2 ἐν γῇ καὶ σποδῷ). ἡ μερὶς τοῦ κλήρου τῶν ἁγίων a share in the inheritance of the saints / holy ones (cp. 1QS 11:7f) Col 1:12.—DELG s.v. μείρομαι II p. 679. M-M. TW.

1 to choose.

tiene dos sabores a escoger there are two flavors to choose from

tener mucho donde escoger to have plenty of choice, to be spoiled for choice (British)

tenemos que escoger entre tres candidatos we have to choose between three candidates

María escoge los maduros Mary chooses the ripe ones.

Ella escogió bailar She chose dancing.

2 to make a choice, to take a choice, to choose.

María escogió Mary made a choice.

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Conjugation model [ PROTEGER], like link=proteger proteger

► verbo transitivo

1 to choose, pick out, select

■ escogió un libro del montón she chose a book from the pile

■ escogió entre cuatro libros he chose between four books

■ lo escogió para/por marido she chose him as her husband

\

a escoger to choose from

■ hay cuatro premios a escoger there are four prizes to choose from

no hay donde escoger they are all just as bad

tener donde escoger to have a good choice

* * *

* * *

VT to choose, pick; [por votación] to elect

VI to choose

* * *

verbo transitivo to choose

* * *

= choose, click off, cull, opt (for), pick out, select, single out, pick and mix, mix and match, elect, pick, take + Posesivo + pick, go for.

Ex. A library is no longer constrained to choose either a classified or a dictionary catalogue.

Ex. We may some day click off arguments on a machine with the same assurance that we now enter sales on a cash register.

Ex. The contents of an extract will often be culled from the results, conclusions or recommendations, i.e. the concluding segments, of the document.

Ex. However, in 1983, Forest Press decided to opt for the concept of continuous revision.

Ex. This process proceeds by examining in turn every one of a large set of items, and by picking out those which have certain specified characteristics.

Ex. An extract is one o more portions of a document selected to represent the whole document.

Ex. Conference proceedings are singled out for special attention because they are an important category of material in relation to abstracting and indexing publications.

Ex. Modular courses are already in place from which a student can pick and mix.

Ex. It is possible to mix and match from copyright law, patent law and trade secret and contract law, and the choice of avenue offering the best protection will depend upon many variables.

Ex. This Act defined the right of workers to organize and to elect representatives.

Ex. The network itself is assumed to be unreliable; any portion of the network could disappear at any moment ( pick your favorite catastrophe -- these days backhoes cutting cables are more of a threat than bombs).

Ex. We can offer them both and let our users take their pick.

Ex. If flexibility is required, it may be better to go for a general-purpose data base management system.

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* escoger al azar = pick at + random.

* escoger aleatoriamente = pick at + random.

* escoger con cuidado = pick and choose.

* escoger con esmero = pick and choose.

* escoger cuidadosamente = handpick.

* escoger las palabras = choose + Posesivo + words (carefully), pick + Posesivo + words (carefully).

* escoger una opción = choose + setting, take up + option.

* ser exigente al escoger = pick and choose.

* * *

verbo transitivo to choose

* * *

* * *

escoger [E6 ]

to choose

escogió las mejores flores para hacer el ramo he picked out o chose o selected the best flowers to make the bouquet

escoge el libro que quieras pick o choose whichever book you want

escoge los dos o tres mejores pick out o choose the best two or three

no hay mucho donde escoger there isn't a great deal of choice, there isn't much to choose from

tuve que escoger entre los dos I had to choose between the two of them

me escogieron de entre 90 candidatos I was chosen o selected from among 90 applicants

fue escogido para representar a su clase he was chosen o picked to represent his class

tuvo mucho cuidado al escoger sus palabras he picked o chose his words very carefully

* * *

◊ escoge que quieras pick o choose whichever (one) you want;

* * *

♦ vt

to choose;

escoge una carta pick a card;

de (entre) cien candidatos lo escogieron a él out of a hundred candidates they chose o selected him;

escogemos la mejor fruta para nuestros clientes we select the best fruit for our customers;

tiene dos sabores a escoger there are two flavours to choose from;

tener mucho donde escoger to have plenty of choice, Br to be spoilt for choice;

tenemos poco donde escoger we don't have much to choose from

♦ vi

to choose ( entre between);

tenemos que escoger entre tres candidatos we have to choose between three candidates

* * *

v/t choose, select

* * *

escoger {15} vt

elegir, seleccionar: to choose, to select

* * *

escoger vb to choose [pt. chose; pp. chosen]