Sunday, October 22, 2023

Ephesians 6:18

A couple months ago, I watched the Concordia University Wisconsin chapel service from 7 September 2018:


The reading was Ephesians 6:10-20, and as I was following along in the Latin Vulgate, I noticed assonance in verse 18:
per omnem orationem et obsecrationem orantes omni tempore in Spiritu et in ipso vigilantes in omni instantia et obsecratione pro omnibus sanctis
Here's the ESV translation, with the initial letters of the corresponding words underlined:
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints
When I lookt up the Greek text, I found that it similarly exhibits alliteration:
διὰ πάσης προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως προσευχόμενοι ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ ἀγρυπνοῦντες ἐν πάσῃ προσκαρτερήσει καὶ δεήσει περὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων
The Greek emphasizes different words, however:
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.  To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints
In both texts, though, the repetition of a particular sound (whether through assonance or alliteration) provides a sense of entirety or constancy that the text itself mentions:  "at all times... with all prayer and supplication... for all the saints."