Page:Lives of the apostles of Jesus Christ (1836).djvu/17



are all deducible from the original idea conveyed by [Greek: stellô], and are, like "send," equally incapable of taking the rank of the primary meaning.
 * ondary applications. The meanings of "array," "dress," "adorn," "take in," &c.,

In tracing the minute and distant etymology of this word, it is worth noticing that the first element in [Greek: stellô] is the sound st, which is at once recognized by oriental scholars as identical with the Sanscrit and Persian root st, bearing in those and in many combinations in the various languages of their stock, the idea of "fixity." This idea is prominent in the primary meaning of [Greek: stellô] given by Passow, who, in his Greek lexicon, (almost the only classical one that properly classifies and deduces the meanings of words,) gives the German word stellen as the original ground-meaning of the term before us. This is best expressed in English by "fix," in all its vagueness of meaning, from which, in the progress of use, are deduced the various secondary senses in which [Greek: stellô] is used, which here follow in order:

1. Equip, Fit out, Arrange, Prepare. In this sense it is applied to armaments, both to hosts and to individuals, and thus in reference to warlike preparations expresses nearly the idea of "Arm." This is, it seems to me, the meaning of the word in the verse of Homer already alluded to. The passage is in the Iliad xii. 325, where Sarpedon is addressing Glaucus, and says, "If we could hope, my friend, after escaping this contest, to shun forever old age and death, I would neither myself fight among the foremost, nor prepare you for the glorious strife." (Or as Heyne more freely renders it, hortarer, "urge," or "incite.") The inappropriateness of the meaning "send," given in this place by Clark, (mitterem) and one of the scholiasts, ([Greek: pempoimi]) consists in the fact, that the hero speaking was himself to accompany or rather lead his friend into the deadly struggle, and of course could not be properly said to send him, if he went with him or before him. It was the partial consideration of this circumstance, no doubt, which led the same scholiast to offer as an additional probable meaning, that of "prepare," "make ready," ([Greek: paraskeuazoimi],) as though he had some misgiving about the propriety of his first translation. For a full account of these renderings, see Heyne in loc. and Stephens's Thes. sub voc. In the latter also, under the second paragraph of [Greek: Stellô], are given numerous other passages illustrating this usage, in passive and middle as well as active forms, both from Homer and later writers. In Passow's Griechische Wörterbuch, other useful references are given sub voc.; and in Damm is found the best account of its uses in Homer.

2. In the applications of the word in this first meaning, the idea of equipment or preparation was always immediately followed by that of future action, for the very notion of equipment or preparation implies some departure or undertaking immediately subsequent. In the transitive sense, when the subject of the verb is the instrument of preparing another person for the distant purpose, there immediately arises the signification of "send," constituting the second branch of definition, which has been so unfortunately mistaken for the root, by all the common lexicographers. In the reflexive sense, when the subject prepares himself for the expected action, in the same manner originates, at once, the meaning "go," which is found, therefore, the prominent secondary sense of the middle voice, and also of the active, when, as is frequent in Greek verbs, that voice assumes a reflexive force. The origin of these two definitions, apparently so incongruous with the rest and with each other, is thus made consistent and clear; and the identity of origin here shown, justifies the arrangement of them both together in this manner.

The tracing out of the other meanings of this word from the ground-meaning, would be abundantly interesting to many; but all that can be here allowed, is the discussion of precedence between the first two, here given. Those who desire to pursue the research, have most able guides in the great German lexicographers, whose materials have been useful in illustrating what is here given. For abundant references illustrating these various meanings, see H. Stephens's Thesaurus, Scapula's, Damm's, Schneider's, Passow's, Donnegan's, Porti's, and Jones's Lexicons.

The simple verb [Greek: stellô], thus superabundantly illustrated, among its numerous combinations with other words, is compounded with the preposition [Greek: apo], (apo,) making the verb [Greek: Apostellô], (apostello.) This preposition having the force of "away," "from," when united with a verb, generally adds to it the idea of motion off from some object. Thus [Greek: apostellô] acquires by this addition the sense of "away," which however only gives precision and force to the meaning "send," which belongs to the simple verb. By prefixing this preposition, the verb is always confined to the definition "send," and the compound never bears any other of the definitions of [Greek: stellô] but this. The simple verb without the prefix expresses the idea of "send" only in