Acts 12:20

[Paul Younan]

Shlama Akhay,

In the Greek translation of Acts 12:20, we read with astonishment: <!-- s:whatthat: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/whatsthat.gif" alt=":whatthat:" title="Whats That" /><!-- s:whatthat: -->

Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king's chamberlain, they were asking for peace (Gr. Eirene), because their country was fed by the king's country.

??? <!-- s:eh: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/eh.gif" alt=":eh:" title="Eh" /><!-- s:eh: --> ???

In the original Aramaic text of the Peshitta, we read:

Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king's chamberlain, they were asking for [font=Estrangelo (V1.1)]0ny4[/font] (Ar. Shayna), because their country was fed by the king's country.

Now "Shayna" can mean "peace~tranquility" in Aramaic, and that it in fact the majority meaning. However, look at the entry for "Shayna" in the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon:

$yn#2 N $yn)
1 Syr cultivated land
2 Syr favorable conditions
3 Syr peace
4 Syr %d$aynA)% tame
5 Syr love of peace
LS2 773
LS2 v: $aynA)
abs. voc: $iyn

Now Tyre and Sidon were seaport trade towns that had a certain level of political independence, but were dependant on inland sources for food.

Zorba made a critical mistranslation here. The people of Tyre and Sidon weren't asking for "peace" with the King of Judea, for they already had that peace since the passage tells us that the provision of their country were supplied by his kingdom - and impossible supposition if the two were at war.

What makes far more sense contextually is that they were pleading their case for cultivated land, since they no longer wanted to rely on his kingdom for their provisions and wanted to grow their own food. Keep in mind, also, that this during the time of famine which was prophesied by Agabus (c.f., Acts 11:28.)

This mistake proves that Acts was originally penned in Aramaic, not Greek. I love originals. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="" title="Smile" /><!-- s -->