07-10-2008, 04:06 PM
brantana Wrote:Dawid and Paul,
The Peshitta Gospels refer to Peter as "Shimon Keefa" whereas it appears that beginning with Acts the Peshitta refers to him as Petros... Unless I am missing something, I am not sure this agrees with either of the scenarios you reference in the posts above... His name actually was Shimon Keefa and he was referred to as such in earlier writings, even when written for Gentile audiences. So why the sudden change of Keefa to Petros in Acts (even Luqa uses Keefa)? I think this is a rather interesting question given the two different naming conventions used in the Peshitta. As always, I appreciate the thoughts anyone cares to share!
Shlama
Hi Brantana,
His name wasn't Shimon Keepa, his name was Shimon bar-Yonah. Keepa, and it's Greek cognate Petros, is a rather unflattering nickname given to him by our Lord. You will notice that Shimon never actually refers to himself as "Keepa", in Aramaic it does not sound very good at all. You will almost never find anyone in any Semitic language named after an inanimate, dumb object like a rock.
The answer to the question of why the sudden change is the same as in the case of the Hebrew Saul in Acts to the Latin Paul in the epistles. People then, like now, have different names they go by. It was very common to have both a Semitic and a Greek name, or even a Latin name, in those days. Just like it's common to have a Semitic and English name today.
Personally, I don't think Shimon really liked the "Keepa" moniker, again, it's not very flattering to call someone by that in Aramaic. I think Meshikha intended to be a bit humorous when He gave him that nickname.
Other people obviously called him by the name, but I really think it might have even been Shimon who insisted on switching to Petros if a nickname were going to be used at all.
It's not really a proper name, by "proper" I mean of course appropriate.
Examine Acts 10:5-6, for example. The only reason the angel said "Shimon who is called Keepa" is to distinguish between him and the Shimon the tanner, at whom's house Keepa was staying.