Expert: Fr. Michael - 8/10/2006

Question
Hello,

About the verse in question, the Nunc Dimittus:

"And his father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning him."

Both the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph were told by St. Gabriel that Christ would reign in the house of David forever, and that He was of the Holy Ghost.

Why were they "wondering" when they already knew?  I don't know what the original Greek said, but the RSV Bible translates it as "marveling," which seems to make more sense.  

Answer
The Greek verb used here is a form of *thaumazo*.  The meaning of the modern English verb "wonder" does not capture the correct sense, which does not here connote "to be perplexed about."  Here the verb has the meaning of "stand in wonder at," "stand in awe of," even "venerate" or "worship," which is another sense the verb kept from Classical Greek.

It is just another indication that one must be very wary of using translations for more than a general sense.  The words and syntax of two different languages never have the same meaning.