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the δοῦλος may be a "servant" but he may sell his own γυναῖκα as owned "chattel"


jkgayle

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As Matthew has Jesus tell the parable of the king forgiving the debts of his subject, who then refuses to forgive the debts of his fellow, the Greek phrase for the position of that king's subject is the following:

ὁ δοῦλος.

 

Many translators use the following English for that Greek:

 

the servant.

 

In this particular comparison story, in this one parable, there is the suggestion that the king is negotiating with this individual. "The servant" might not so much be a slave as he is a bondservant of sorts. Lots of translators reason this way for the his parable in particular and for the Greek New Testament in general. 

 

In this particular parable this fellow, the subject of the king, proposes selling his property. This chattel included his own woman, his own wife. The Greek phrase is

 

τὴν γυναῖκα.

 

What Matthew and his Jesus seem to be doing is flaunting the male dominant hierarchies. The Patriarchy gives way to a compassionate Jesus, who considers females and children, not only little boys but girls too, as of great great value in the greatest of kingdoms.

Edited by jkgayle
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