αἰσχρὸν

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 αἰσχρὸν

   ais-KHRON

   shameful
2. sentence🔊 εἰ δέ τι μαθεῖν θέλουσιν ἐν οἴκῳ τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας ἐπερωτάτωσαν αἰσχρὸν γάρ ἐστιν γυναικὶ λαλεῖν ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ

   ei DE ti ma-THEIN THE-lou-sin en OI-kō tous i-DEE-ous AN-dras e-pe-rō-TA-tō-san ais-KHRON gar es-TIN gy-nai-KEI la-LEIN en ek-klē-SI-ai

   if but something to learn they want in house the their own husbands let them ask shameful for it is for a woman to speak in assembly

Exegesis

The explanatory conjunction gar {γάρ | gár} introduces the rationale: aischron {αἰσχρόν | ais-khrón} ‘shameful’ stands as a predicate adjective with estin {ἐστιν | es-tin} ‘it is’, and the infinitive lalein {λαλεῖν | la-leîn} ‘to speak’ functions as the subject of estin, specified further by the dative gynaiki {γυναικί | gy-naikí} ‘for a woman’ and the prepositional phrase en ekklēsia ‘in assembly’. The structure marks a contrast between private, domestic instruction and public, congregational speech, with the moral evaluation attached specifically to women speaking in the congregational setting. In translation, the conditional clause is preserved (“If they want to learn anything…”), followed by a main clause with an imperative sense (“let them ask…”), and the causal clause (“for/because it is shameful…”) is rendered to make clear the reason given for the prescribed behavior.

Root and etymology

aischos🔊 αἶσχοςalpha–iota–sigma–chi–omicron–sigma

“disgrace, shame”

• 🔊 αἰσχύνηais-khy-nēshame, dishonorHebrews 12:2