Nielsen’s Nook

Translation

1 But the most remarkable is Polycarp, who initially - [a] after hearing about it - was not terrified, [b] but was wanting [c] to stay in various places in [d] the city; however, the majority tried to convince him to leave secretly. So he left secretly for a little country house [e] not far from the city and he stayed there with a few companions. Night and day they were doing nothing other than [f] praying for everyone and for the ecclesiastical world [g] that was familiar to him.

[a] Here μὲν indicates an anacoluthic pattern of thought that incorporates a comparison between Polycarp and those who have been discussed before him in the letter, namely Quintus (c.f., BAGD, p 503, entry 2c).

[b] ἐταράχθη (ταράσσω) in its passive form speaks figuratively of being shaken, terrified or troubled. Luke 24:38 provides a NT example: καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τί τεταραγμένοι ἐστὲ καὶ διὰ τί διαλογισμοὶ ἀναβαίνουσιν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν; And he said to them, “Why have you been troubled and because of what do doubts rise in your hearts?” (author’s translation). However, a more likely example of the sort of contextual use we have here would be found in Matt 14:26, οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης περιπατοῦντα ἐταράχθησαν … , And when the disciples beheld him walking upon the sea, they were terrified… (author’s translation).

[c] ἐβούλετο is an imperfect which describes an ongoing or iterative desire in contrast to a one time or generic desire of the aorist.

[d] The use of κατὰ with the accusative here would seem to denote the idea of staying throughout the city in various places in order to avoid being caught by the authorities and fed to the wild animals. Thus, in stark contrast to Quintus who went looking for persecution, Polycarp took great pains to avoid being captured.

[e] ἀγρίδιον, the diminutive of ἀγρός, here meaning a little farm house or country hamlet (BAGD, LSJ).

[f] The particle ἢ here denotes comparison in a way similar to Acts 17:21, Ἀθηναῖοι δὲ πάντες καὶ οἱ ἐπιδημοῦντες ξένοι εἰς οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἠυκαίρουν ἢ λέγειν τι ἢ ἀκούειν τι καινότερον. Now all the Athenians and the foreign visitors were spending their time on nothing other than speaking and listening to something new (author’s translation).

[g] οἰκουμένη was a term used by the Romans to denote their realm. More commonly the term refers to the inhabited earth. Thus, οἰκουμένην ἐκκλησιῶν here is analogous to “Christendom,” underscoring Polycarp’s ecumenism under pressure.