데살로니가후서 3:6, 11의 ἀτάκτως에 대한 문맥적 이해와 번역 재고

Abstract

This study is a proposal for translating the Greek ἀτάκτως (2Th 3:6, 11) to “idle and insubordinate” in light of contextual understanding. In the English-speaking world, many scholars have pointed out the limitations of translating ἀτάκτως simply into “idle”: for example, RSV and ESV translate this word into “idle”. Instead of rendering it into “idle”, however, NKJV translates it into “disorderly”, and NIV into “idle and disruptive”. I believe the Greek ἀτάκτως in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 11 contains two meanings: “idle” and “insubordinate”. In the context of this passage (2Th 3:6-15), those who behave ἀτάκτως have the attitude not only of refusing to follow the tradition received from Paul and his co-workers (so its translation is “insubordinate”: 3:6; cf. 2:15; 3:14), but also of being unwilling to work (so its translation is “idle”: 3:11; cf. 3:10). Furthermore, while not working, they became busybodies whose behavior is disruptive to the church. In an eschatological view, the misunderstanding of Christ’s return led them to refuse working and to create disorder in the community because they thought that the effort to build up treasure on earth would be unworthy at the end of time. The discussions about Christ’s return (1Th 4:13-5:11; 2Th 2:1-17) appear as a major subject in the Thessalonian letters, and this fact leads to the assumption that some of church members expected the eschatological events as imminent that they abandoned their jobs. They might have been the persons who were not willing to work and were disobedient to Paul’s apostolic teaching due to their misunderstanding and false teaching of the eschatological events. Because they also exerted bad influence on church members, church discipline was needed to correct them and to stabilize the church. Therefore, I believe the proper translation of ἀτάκτως is ‘idle and insubordinate’. In light of the translation of ἀτάκτως I have proposed, its adjective form, τοὺς ἀτάκτως in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (the substantival use of the adjective) should be translated into ‘those who are idle and insubordinate’; and its verbal form, ήτακτήσαμϵν in 2 Thessalonians 3:7 into ‘we were idle and disorderly’.