John 9:22
| 91 | Gathered Away Strongs NT #656 ἀποσυνάγωγος (aposunagógos). This is another NT coined term. Broken down we have:
The literal meaning therefore would be "gathered away", or "assembled away." In various instances in the New Testament, where unconventional concepts of "The Whole" or "The Beyond" are discussed, scholars have observed the creation or adaptation of words to articulate these ideas within the linguistic framework of Koine Greek. This phenomenon is evident in the formation of neologisms or specialized vocabulary to express theological or philosophical concepts unique to early NT thought. These innovative word formations served to convey nuanced meanings and distinguish their teachings from prevailing cultural or religious norms of the time. Examples include terms like this one, "ἀποσυνάγωγος" (aposynagōgos) in John 9:22, which has been interpreted to mean someone "expelled from the synagogue." But such a concept does not need a new word. Ancient Greek had readily available language to convey such an idea:
But John opts to create a new word: aposunagógos "gathered away." Why? With the Whole of darkness and the Whole of the Eternal One in mind, we can deduce that it meant gathered away from the whole of the dark one. The writers of the NT undoubtably understood the mysteries of the Hebrew texts and therefore understood in particular the meaning behind the Hebrew word אָסַף asaph meaning "gather, take away, remove" and its use in terms of those such as Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob/Israel of whom it was written, "And he is breathing out, and he is dying, and he is being gathered toward his people." |