stephan huller

“not the slightest evidence that either of the verbs involved has ever been used in relation to sexual activity or even more broadly in connection with the conception of a child” [Nolland, Luke 1-9:20, 54)

But Herodotus tells the story of the Spartan king who need a baby:

the wife who had come in afterwards bore this Cleomenes of whom we spoke.

χρόνου δὲ οὐ πολλοῦ διελθόντος ἡ ἐσύστερον ἐπελθοῦσα γυνὴ τίκτει τὸν δὴ Κλεομένεα τοῦτον. [Hdt. 5.41]

stephan huller

Here is an example where a wife comes in and it is not sexual in nature:

ὁ γοῦν Πιττακὸς ἐκεῖνος, οὗ μέγα μὲν ἀνδρείας μέγα δὲ σοφίας καὶ δικαιοσύνης κλέος, εἱστία ξένους: ἐπελθοῦσα δ᾽ ἡ γυνὴ μετ᾽ ὀργῆς ἀνέτρεψε τὴν τράπεζαν

When the renowned Pittacus, who got him so great a name for his fortitude, wisdom, and justice, was entertaining his friends at a noble banquet, and his spouse in an angry humor came and overturned the table; his guests being extremely disturbed at it [Plut. De Tranq. 11]

stephan huller

I have another example.

spin

I think the rest of the context needs to be considered. Yes, he needed a baby, but his first wife didn't produce the goods, so he ended up with two wives and the cited text is dealing with that second wife.

The temporal phrase (χρόνου δὲ οὐ πολλοῦ διελθόντος ἡ ἐσύστερον ~ "not much time passing hereafter") seems to qualify the participle (ἐπελθοῦσα ~ "having come forward"... after the first wife's inability), which in turn qualifies the (new) wife, who is able to and did produce the desired child.

I don't see that ἐπελθοῦσα carries in itself any sexual activity. It seems to be related to number two's coming along. You could suggest that there is a sexual implication in the statement (something had to happen to get the result), but I'm not seeing that it is derived from the participle itself.

stephan huller

Yes she's the 'come in afterwards wife' and the 'come in afterwards woman' as we see in what follows:

ἔχουσαν δὲ αὐτὴν ἀληθεῖ λόγῳ οἱ τῆς ἐπελθούσης γυναικὸς οἰκήιοι πυθόμενοι ὤχλεον

stephan huller

Looking at all the shades of meaning I wonder if ἐπέρχομαι was ever used in the sense of 'rape'

Toto

The Moody Handbook of Theology (or via: amazon.co.uk) By Paul P Enns

Toto

Although - Perseus

"b. freq. in hostile sense, go or come against, attack"

Clivedurdle

Do not some more general questions need to be asked first? For example, what were the beliefs about where babies come from and what were the possibilities?

For example a google search found a statement that Aristotle believed wind direction determines the sex of a baby.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=d...%20boy&f=false

As the Holy Spirit and wind are I believe related (rauch).... are we looking at a belief in a special holy wind?

spin

You would have contextual clues for this hostile sense, such as the subject being a soldier or was seeking vengeance or the like.