Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap fathers

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njd83
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Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap fathers

Post by njd83 » Sat Oct 22, 2016 1:34 pm

This is a post about the usage of the root word φάρμακος or pharmakos in the greek Old Testament cannon called the Septuagint (with Apocrapha); The New Testament; And in the Apostolic Fathers (not the whole early church fathers usage).
φάρμακος or pharmakos is a poisoner or a sorcerer or a druggist, potion user/maker

φαρμακεία or pharmakeia or use a drugs, sorcery, potions, spells, magic arts
from one of the best greek lexicons ever produced, the BDAG:
φάρμακος, ου, ὁ (LXX; other edd. ός; on the accent and differentiation fr. φαρμακός ‘scapegoat’ [Hipponax et al.] see L-S-J-M under both words, w. ref. to Herodian, Gr. I, 150; s. PKatz, TLZ 82, ’57, 112, The Text of the Septuagint ’73, 95; B-D-F §13; φάρ. is masc. Ex 7:11; fem. Mal 3:5; so also Orig., C. Cels. 5, 38, 38 w. μάγοι). In our lit. only masc.
one skilled in arcane uses of herbs or drugs, prob. poisoner. Hermas visions 3, 9, 7ab, but w. implication of the role described in 2 next:
one who does extraordinary things through occult means, sorcerer, magician (Ex 7:11; 9:11 al.; SibOr 3, 225) Rv 21:8 (s. φαρμακεύς); 22:15.—L-S-J-M s.v. fails to differentiate mng. in LXX pass. listed after a series of glosses.—For a vivid poetic description of a sorcerer’s procedures s. Horace, Epodes 5.—DELG s.v. φάρμακον C. M-M.
φαρμακεία, ας, ἡ (also-κία; X., Pla. et al.; Vett. Val., pap, LXX; En, AscIs; Philo, Spec. Leg. 3, 94; 98; Ar. 13, 7; Tat. 18, 1) sorcery, magic (φάρμακον; Polyb. 38, 16, 7; Ex 7:11, 22; 8:14; Isaiah 47:9, 12; Wisdom 12:4; 18:13; Enoch 7:1; Sibylline Oracles 5, 165) Revelation 18:23. Pl. magic arts 9:21 (v.l. φαρμάκων). In a list of vices Galatians 5:20; Barnabas 20:1 (AscIs 2:5 ἐπλήθυνεν [ἡ] φαρμακία καὶ ἡ μαγία καὶ ἡ μαντία … καὶ ἡ πορνία … ); pl. D 5:1.—B. 1495. DELG s.v. φάρμακον. M-M.
The root word (pharmakos) is used in 25 verses in the greek old testament called the Septuagint, which includes some extra books: Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, and Enoch. And 5 times in the new testament (Galatians(1) and Revelation(4)). And 5 times in the Apostolic Fathers. Its also used in the positive sense as "medicine" in some of these books. Some verses are referenced, not quoted.

The underlined words are the greek word "pharmakon/pharmakos"

Exodus 7:11, 22, 8:7, 18, 9:11
““ ‘You shall not preserve the lives of sorcerers.” (Exodus 22:18, LES)
“There shall not be found in you one who purifies his son and his daughter with fire, one who divines divinations, one who looks for an omen, and one who augurs with sorcery,” (Deuteronomy 18:10, LES)
“It happened when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, “Surely there is peace, Jehu?” Jehu said, “How is there peace while the immorality of Jezebel, your mother, and her many sorceries remain?”” (4 Kingdoms (2 Kings) 9:22, LES)
Psalm 58:6
“Do not strive for death in the wandering of your life, or invite destruction[ὄλεθρος, destruction, ruin] by the works of your hands, because God does not cause death or delight in the destruction[ἀπώλεια, destruction] of living ones. For he created all things to exist, and the generations of the world bring salvation, and there is no poison of destruction[ὄλεθρος, destruction, ruin] in them, and the kingdom of Hades is not on the earth; for righteousness is immortal. But the ungodly, by their hands and words, summoned it; considering it a friend, they pined away and made a covenant with it, because they were worthy to take part with it.” (Wisdom of Solomon 1:12–16, LES)
A second translation of this last one:

12 Court not death in the error of your life;
Neither draw upon yourselves destruction by the works of your hands:
13 Because God made not death;
Neither delighteth he when the living perish:
14 For he created all things that they might have being:
And the products of the world are healthsome,
And there is no poison of destruction in them:
Nor hath Hades royal dominion upon earth;
15 For righteousness is immortal,
〈But the gain of unrighteousness is death〉.
16 But the ungodly by their hands and words called him unto them:
Deeming him a friend they were consumed with love of him,
And they made a covenant with him,
Because they are worthy to be of his portion.
-Apocrypha of the Old Testament, Wisdom 1:12–16

Speaking of the conquest of Caanan:
“For also the old inhabitants of your holy land[Canaanites], hating them because of their hostile practices, works of sorceries and unholy rites, and merciless murderer of children, and a feast of eating the entrails of human flesh and blood from initiates from the midst of an orgy, and parents who are murderers of helpless souls, you wished to destroy[ἀπόλλυμι, destroy] them through the hands of our ancestors[Israel]; so that the land, most precious of all before you, might receive a worthy colony of the children of God.” (Wisdom of Solomon 12:3–7, LES)
Speaking of Moses before Pharaoh and the magicians:
“For although they disbelieved everything because of the sorcery, at the destruction[ὄλεθρος, destruction, ruin] of the firstborn, they acknowledged that this people was God’s son.” (Wisdom of Solomon 18:13, LES)
Speaking of the positive side, non-occultic use of the word as a medicine:
“A faithful friend is the medicine of life, and those who fear the Lord will find him.” (Sirach 6:16, LES)
“God hath created medicines out of the earth, And let not a discerning man reject them.” (Sirach 38:4, Apocrypha of the Old Testament)
Micah 5:12, Nahum 3:4,
““Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me,” says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:5, NASB95)
Isaiah 47:9
““Stand fast now in your spells And in your many sorceries With which you have labored from your youth; Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you may cause trembling. “You are wearied with your many counsels; Let now the astrologers, Those who prophesy by the stars, Those who predict by the new moons, Stand up and save you from what will come upon you. “Behold, they have become like stubble, Fire burns them; They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame; There will be no coal to warm by Nor a fire to sit before! “So have those become to you with whom you have labored, Who have trafficked with you from your youth; Each has wandered in his own way; There is none to save you.” (Isaiah 47:12–15, NASB95)
Jeremiah 34:7. Daniel 2:2, 27, 5:7-8.

Speaking of the angels who copulated with women before the flood:
“Then they took for themselves women, each of them choosing a woman for themselves. They began to go to them and defile them. And they taught them sorcery and enchantments and cutting of roots and explained herbs to them.” (Enoch 7:1, LES) (in another place in Enoch it talks about how the angels knew some of the secrets of the earth)
And that's just the old testament Septuagint
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19–21, NASB95)
“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20–21, NASB95)
Revelation 18:23.
““But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”” (Revelation 21:8, NASB95)
“Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.” (Revelation 22:15, NASB95)
Church Fathers:

In the positive, medicinal sense:
...with an undisturbed mind, breaking one bread, which is the medicine of immortality, the antidote that we should not die but live in Jesus Christ throughout all [ages/time]. -Ignatius to the Ephesians 20:2
Therefore I urge you (not I, but the love of Jesus Christ) only make use of Christian food, and abstain from the foreign plant, which is heresy. 2 These people, while seeming trustworthy, mingle Jesus Christ with themselves like those who produce a deadly drug with honeyed wine, which the ignorant one gladly takes hold of in evil pleasure, to his death. -Ignatius to the Trallians 6:1-2
5.1 But the way of death is this. First of all, it is filled with evil and cursing, murders, adulteries, expressions of lust, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, idolatries, acts of magic, use of potions, robberies, false witnessing, acts of hypocrisy, acts of duplicity, deceit, pride, malice, stubbornness, greediness, abusive language, jealousy, arrogance, haughtiness, boastfulness. 2 Persecutors of the good, hating the truth, loving the lie, not knowing the reward of righteousness, not joining the good or the righteous judgment, not caring for the good but for the evil, from whom gentleness and patience are far removed, loving what is worthless, pursuing reward, not having mercy on the poor, not toiling for the downtrodden, not knowing the one who made them, murderers of children, corrupters of the creatures of God, rejectors of the needy ones, oppressors of the afflicted, defenders of the rich, lawless judges of the poor, people steeped in sin. Be delivered, children, from all such as these. -Didache 5:1-2
20.1 But the way of the Black One is crooked and filled with cursing, for it is the way of eternal death with punishment, in which are the things which destroy their soul: idolatry, arrogance, ⌊arrogance in an influential position⌋, hypocrisy, acts of duplicity, adultery, murder, robbery, pride, transgression, deceit, malice, stubbornness, use of potions, magic, greediness, lack of fear of God; -Barnabas 20:1 (The Didache was probably a part condensation of the Apostle Barnabus' epistle)
The Shepherd of Hermas
7 Therefore I speak now to the leaders of the Church and to those ‘who take the chief seats.’ Be not like the sorcerers, for sorcerers carry their charms in boxes, but you carry your charms and poison[ἰός, poison] in your hearts. 8 You are hardened, and will not cleanse your hearts, and mix your wisdom together in a pure heart that you may find mercy by ‘the great King.’ Hermas - Similitudes 3.9.7ab
So the word is actually used a lot. But its hard to tell what word is there under the English translations.
Last edited by njd83 on Fri Dec 02, 2016 10:44 am, edited 7 times in total.

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Re: Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap father

Post by Paidion » Sat Oct 22, 2016 3:02 pm

"Poison" in Wisdom 1:12-18, eh?

I have come to believe that many of the drugs that doctors prescribe from the pharmacy, are poison.
They are the bane of many older people, and the so-called "side effects" of these drugs are sometimes disastrous.
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Re: Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap father

Post by njd83 » Sat Oct 22, 2016 4:38 pm

Paidion wrote:"Poison" in Wisdom 1:12-18, eh?

I have come to believe that many of the drugs that doctors prescribe from the pharmacy, are poison.
They are the bane of many older people, and the so-called "side effects" of these drugs are sometimes disastrous.
yeah. =(

There are obviously really good medicinal stuff that heals/helps people. Non-medicinally, think of hip-replacement. amazing. Or medicinally, anti-biotics (within reason). Or anti-viral. different cures out there, legitimate cures.

I think if you're treating the body/flesh soma/sarx, its fine if it actually works with no problems. but when someone tries to treat the soul/psuche, I think you run into problems maybe

But God can heal both the body and the soul, so those who stick to God's healing power are blessed if they receive it

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Re: Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap father

Post by Paidion » Sun Oct 23, 2016 3:25 pm

Well...as I see it, Biblically, "soul" means "self"—the WHOLE SELF that consists of body and mind.

I do not subscribe to the Greek concept of "soul" as an entity separate from the body that goes somewhere at death, or is re-incarnated in a different body (as Plato taught). Unfortunately the Greek concept has been imported into Christendom.

Some drugs affect mainly the body, and some drugs affect mainly the mind. Hyper-active children have been given mild narcotics that seem to help them to behave more normally. I don't know whether this is wise or not, but these drugs do seem to have a positive effect on such children.
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Re: Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap father

Post by njd83 » Sun Oct 23, 2016 3:31 pm

A good metaphoric reason to believe the man is spirit soul and body is the tabernacle, have you heard that reasoning?

Most holy place
holy place
outer court

Spirit
Soul
Body

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Re: Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap father

Post by Paidion » Sun Oct 23, 2016 6:10 pm

Are these not three ASPECTS of a single entity?
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Re: Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap father

Post by njd83 » Sun Oct 23, 2016 7:10 pm

Paidion wrote:Are these not three ASPECTS of a single entity?
Let start with: That's a really good question. One that i bet many people probably have had.

Probably we would need to define what you mean by 3 aspects of the same entity to figure out if it is or isn't defined by that description.

The Book Enoch (ch 22) talks about the soul of Abel coming into the 4th hollow under the earth where the dead bring their suit to the court of God or heaven about the wrong done to them, etc.

The 3 other hollow chambers are: for the righteous, and sinners in torment and sinners who were killed before their time. I believe Enoch is a valuable book because it seems to explain the underpinnings of the new testament, even Jesus' own words seem based on Enoch somewhat strongly.

It also seems the place of the righteous was taken up to heaven when Jesus died, since I guess they needed a perfect righteousness to enter heaven.

The Shepherd of Hermas also describes this idea, that the righteous dead needed the seal of Jesus to go up to heaven.

Also the Apocalypse of Peter talks about the souls of the dead in torment. Moses appears to Jesus, but he died on the Mount before entering Caanan. So Moses doesn't have flesh yet it seems.

Here's part of what the Shepherd has to say about this. Also an early-church approved book along with Apocalypse of Peter and Wisdom of Solomon. (see Muratorian Canon)
1 “EXPLAIN to me, Sir,” said I, “still more.” “What,” said he, “are you asking further?” “Why Sir,” said I, “did the stones come up from the deep and were put into the building of the tower, after they had borne these spirits?” 2 “They had need,” said he, “to come up through the water that they might be made alive, for ‘they could not’ otherwise ‘enter into the kingdom of God’ unless they put away the mortality of their former life. 3 So these also who had fallen asleep received the seal of the Son of God and “entered into the kingdom of God.’ For before,” said he, “a man bears the name of the Son of God, he is dead. But when he receives the seal he puts away mortality and receives life. 4 The seal, then, is the water. They go down then into the water dead, and come up alive. This seal, then, was preached to them also, and they made use of it ‘to enter into the kingdom of God.’” 5 “Why, Sir,” said I, “did the forty stones also come up with them from the deep, although they had received the seal already?” “Because,” said he, “these apostles and teachers, who preached the name of the Son of God, having fallen asleep in the power and faith of the Son of God, preached also to those who had fallen asleep before them, and themselves gave to them the seal of the preaching. 6 They went down therefore with them into the water and came up again, but the latter went down alive and came up alive, while the former, who had fallen asleep before, went down dead but came up alive. 7 Through them, therefore, they were made alive, and received the knowledge of the name of the Son of God. For this cause they also came up with them and were joined into the building of the tower, and were used together with them for the building without being hewn. For they had fallen asleep in righteousness and in great purity, only they had not received this seal. You have then the explanation of these things also.” “Yes, Sir,” said I, “I have.” -Shepherd - Parable 9 chapter 16
Uriel (Urael) the angel of God shall bring forth the souls of those sinners (every one according to his transgression: perhaps this clause should end the preceding paragraph: so Grébaut takes it) who perished in the flood, and of all that dwelt in all idols, in every molten image, in every (object of) love, and in pictures, and of those that dwelt on all hills and in stones and by the wayside, whom men called gods: they shall burn them with them (the objects in which they dwelt, or their worshippers?) in everlasting fire; and after that all of them with their dwelling-places are destroyed, they shall be punished eternally. - Apocalypse of Peter - Ethiopic - part
This quote from AoP matches up with what Enoch says about the unrighteous dead being tormented in one of the hollows in the earth waiting resurrection, and also aligns with what Jesus said about Lazarus and Dives.

Enoch chapter 22

1 And thence I went to another place, and he showed me in the west ‹another› great and high mountain [and] of hard rock.

2 And there were †four† hollow places in it, deep and very smooth: †three† of them were dark and one bright and there was a fountain of water in its midst. And I said: ‘†How† smooth are these hollow places, and deep and dark to view.’

3 Then Raphael answered, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said unto me: ‘These hollow places have been created for this very purpose, that the spirits of the souls of the dead should assemble therein, yea that all the souls of the children of men should assemble here. 4 And these places have been made to receive them till the day of their judgement and till their appointed period [till the period appointed], till the great judgement (comes) upon them.’

5 I saw the spirits of the children of men who were dead, and their voice went forth to heaven and made suit.

6 Then I asked Raphael the angel who was with me, and I said unto him: ‘This spirit—whose is it, whose voice goeth forth and maketh suit?’

7 And he answered me saying: ‘This is the spirit which went forth from Abel, whom his brother Cain slew, and he makes his suit against him till his seed is destroyed from the face of the earth, and his seed is annihilated from amongst the seed of men.’

8 Then I asked regarding it, and regarding all the hollow places: ‘Why is one separated from the other?’

9 And he answered me and said unto me: ‘These three have been made that the spirits of the dead might be separated. And such a division has been made 〈for〉 the spirits of the righteous, in which there is the bright spring of water.

10 And such has been made for sinners when they die and are buried in the earth and judgement has not been executed on them in their lifetime.

11 Here their spirits shall be set apart in this great pain till the great day of judgement and punishment and torment of those who curse for ever and retribution for their spirits. There He shall bind them for ever.

12 And such a division has been made for the spirits of those who make their suit, who make disclosures concerning their destruction, when they were slain in the days of the sinners.

13 Such has been made for the spirits of men who were not righteous but sinners, who were complete in transgression, and of the transgressors they shall be companions: but their spirits shall not be slain in the day of judgement nor shall they be raised from thence.’

14 Then I blessed the Lord of glory and said: ‘Blessed be my Lord, the Lord of righteousness, who ruleth for ever.’
It sounds different then what you've heard, but it matches up with a lot of other stuff and the bible.... so...

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Re: Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap father

Post by Paidion » Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:38 am

As I see it, those writers you quoted were highly influenced by the Greek concept of a person having a "soul" separate from the body. I don't think this concept was the concept of the New Testament writers. In the New Testament the "soul" simply meant the "self." Let's consider the following parable that our Lord told:

And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’" (Luke 12:16-20)

If everyone has a "soul" that is the "real person" inhabiting their body, but separate from their body, then in this parable, who was talking to the rich man's "soul"? The rich man said, "I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have ample goods...' " If the man's soul is the man himself, then who did the talking to that soul? Did two individuals inhabit his body, so that one could talk to the other? I think it is clear that the man was talking to his "self." Or as we would say it today, he was talking to himself. We might ask what God meant when He said, "This night your soul is required of you"? He meant the same thing. The man's self would be required of him that very night. In our day, we would probably say, "Tonight, your life is required of you." Indeed, lexicons include "life" as one of the definitions the Greek word "ψυχη." The man would lose his life, his self, his whole being, that night. He would no longer exist (until he was resurrected).

The apostle Paul didn't believe in the Greek concept of "soul." He indicated that if there were no resurrection of our whole being, there was nothing beyond this life. He wrote:

1 Corinthians 15:32 What do I gain if, with only human hope, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

We don't HAVE souls; we ARE souls. If we have souls (as in Greek philosophy) that go to heaven at death, then I see no purpose of the resurrection that Paul emphasized in 1 Corinthians 15? Wouldn't we be content to live forever in heaven as disembodied souls?
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Re: Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap father

Post by njd83 » Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:40 am

Well remember soul isn't self it's psuche

Translations don't perfectly bring full meaning or depth

Self is just an English word not an exact replacement for psuche

Most holy place is covered
Spirit us covered/unvisible

Holy place is covered
Soul is covered/unvisible

Outer court is visible
Flesh is visible

Didn't Jesus give up the ghost and travel to the lower parts of the earth?
and that, he went up, what is it except that he also went down first to the lower parts of the earth -Ephesians 4:9 ylt
His body was in Joseph of A.'s Tomb.

?
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Re: Pharmakos/φάρμακος usage in Septuagint, NT and Ap father

Post by Paidion » Mon Oct 24, 2016 7:43 pm

Well remember soul isn't self it's psuche
And what does that mean? "Soul" is a translation of "ψυχη", and if we think of "soul" in the Greek philosophical sense, then we are mistaken. The word "self" is a much better depiction of what "ψυχη" is all about.
Translations don't perfectly bring full meaning or depth
Exactly my point—especially if the translation itself is misunderstood, as is the case with "soul."
Self is just an English word not an exact replacement for psuche
Every English translation of any Greek word is "just and English word." The question is which English word better expresses the meaning of the Greek word.
Didn't Jesus give up the ghost and travel to the lower parts of the earth?
Remember that Jesus was a unique human being. Only He preëxisted as the Son of God. No other human being ever preëxisted.
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