Sunday, December 15, 2024

Eric D. Svendsen on the use of αμανηνησις in the LXX

  

OT Parallels

 

The nominal form of ανάμνησις in the LXX is rare in comparison to such words as μνημόσυνον. Moreover, many of the instances of ανάμνησις are obscure as to their precise meaning. Lev 24:5-8 reads:

 

Take fine flour and bake twelve loaves of bread, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf. Set them in two rows, six in each row, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. Along each row put some pure incense as a memorial (ανάμνησις ) portion to represent the bread and to be an offering made to the LORD by fire. This bread is to be set out before the LORD regularly, Sabbath after Sabbath, on behalf of the Israelites, as a lasting covenant.

 

Although on the surface ανάμνησις (אַזְכָּרָה ['azkarah]) seems to be referring to the bread as a

"memorial," it need not be taken this way. The μνημοσυνον (אַזְכָּרָה) (memorial offering) of Lev 2:2, 9, and 6:15 "is that part of the offering which was burnt probably in order to bring to God's mind the total offering and the offerer" [italics in original]. This may very well be the case in Lev 24:7. The memorial offering is a "perpetual reminder of the covenant" whereby Israel appeals to Yahweh to maintain his covenant faithfulness. In other words, these sacrifices provide God with a "reminder" of his covenant people. This same God-ward άνάμνησις is found in Num 10:9-10:

 

When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies. Also at your times of rejoicing-your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals-you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.

 

What the NIV has translated as "remembered" (v. 9) and "memorial" (v. 10) in this passage is (respectively) the verbal and nominal forms of αναημνεις (זָכַר, זִכָּרוֹן [zâkar, zikron]). It is clear that v. 9 refers to a God-ward ανάμνησις (man remembered by God). The reference in v. 10 is less certain; does it refer to God remembering man or man remembering God? Perhaps it is a combination of both. Nevertheless, as Brown notes, "the expression 'before the Lord' coupled with the context of the previous verse suggests that the remembering here too has a God-ward reference which indeed is primary, although the man-ward reference is implicit."

 

The idea of ανάμνησις as "reminder" is seen even more clearly in other OT passages. The LXX heading of Ps 37 (38) is one such instance: Ψαλμός τω Δαυιδ, είς ανάμνησιν περί σαββάτου ("a Psalm of David for a reminder concerning the Sabbath"). Here it is unlikely that David means to establish a memorial to the Sabbath. Instead, he seems to be introducing a psalm as a reminder to keep future Sabbaths. In other words, αναμνησιν serves as a "reminder" of some future action. Likewise in the heading of Ps 69 (70): Eis Tò τέλος, τώ Δαυιδ είς ανάμνησιν, είς τό σώσαί με κύριον ("For the end, by David, for a reminder, in order that the Lord might save me"). Here εις αναμνησιν likely means "for a reminder [to God]." In this case it is a reminder to God to save David. Other passages that carry this same idea of reminding God to act include Pss 24 (25):6-7; 73 (74):2; 118 (119):49; 131 (132):1; and Exod 32:12-14 where God is called upon to "remember" his covenant mercies (though in each case μνημονεύω is used instead of άνάμνησις). (Eric D. Svensen, The Table of the Lord: An Examination of the Setting of the Lord's Supper in the New Testament and Its Significance as an Expression of Community [rev ed.; Atlanta: New Testament Restoration Foundation, 1996, 1997], 56-57)

 

 

 

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