Grailhunter
Well-Known Member
AHHHH!!! This is going to drive the conspiracy theorists nuts!!!
We have all heard this all of our lives. If you ask one of our children or grandchildren what kind of work Jesus did before entering upon His public ministry at the age of thirty, they will quickly declare: "He was a carpenter; and so was His father Joseph." Yet, the only place in the entire Bible where this information is provided is in these two passages (Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3). Nowhere else is this ever mentioned. In both passages, the Greek word translated "carpenter" is "tekton." This word appears only here in the entire NT; it is never used again in these inspired writings. It comes from a root word meaning "to create," and it depicts one who is a skilled craftsman. It may refer to one who is skilled in creating something from wood, but it is not limited to that alone. It also refers to sculptors, to builders, and to those who work with other mediums. "It was used of any artisan or craftsman in metal or stone, and even of sculpture work" [Dr. Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, vol. 1, p. 120]. The noted Greek scholar Dr. A. T. Robertson concurs: "It is a very old word, from Homer down. It was originally applied to the worker in wood or a builder with wood like our carpenter. Then it was used of any artisan or craftsman in metal, or in stone as well as in wood, and even of sculpture" [Word Pictures in the New Testament, e-Sword]. Most English translations follow the King James Version and retain the word "carpenter," although some versions, such as the International Standard Version, use the word "builder." As already noted, the word has reference to one who creates from metal, stone, wood, and other mediums. Probably the best, and most inclusive, translation would be: "a craftsman" or "a builder." Dr. W. E. Vine agrees, pointing out in his Expository Dictionary of NT Words, that "tekton denotes any craftsman." "The Greek word can also apply to a mason, blacksmith, or a builder in general" [Archaeological Study Bible]. As an interesting side note: in the modern Greek dictionary the word "tekton" means a "Freemason."
We have all heard this all of our lives. If you ask one of our children or grandchildren what kind of work Jesus did before entering upon His public ministry at the age of thirty, they will quickly declare: "He was a carpenter; and so was His father Joseph." Yet, the only place in the entire Bible where this information is provided is in these two passages (Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3). Nowhere else is this ever mentioned. In both passages, the Greek word translated "carpenter" is "tekton." This word appears only here in the entire NT; it is never used again in these inspired writings. It comes from a root word meaning "to create," and it depicts one who is a skilled craftsman. It may refer to one who is skilled in creating something from wood, but it is not limited to that alone. It also refers to sculptors, to builders, and to those who work with other mediums. "It was used of any artisan or craftsman in metal or stone, and even of sculpture work" [Dr. Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, vol. 1, p. 120]. The noted Greek scholar Dr. A. T. Robertson concurs: "It is a very old word, from Homer down. It was originally applied to the worker in wood or a builder with wood like our carpenter. Then it was used of any artisan or craftsman in metal, or in stone as well as in wood, and even of sculpture" [Word Pictures in the New Testament, e-Sword]. Most English translations follow the King James Version and retain the word "carpenter," although some versions, such as the International Standard Version, use the word "builder." As already noted, the word has reference to one who creates from metal, stone, wood, and other mediums. Probably the best, and most inclusive, translation would be: "a craftsman" or "a builder." Dr. W. E. Vine agrees, pointing out in his Expository Dictionary of NT Words, that "tekton denotes any craftsman." "The Greek word can also apply to a mason, blacksmith, or a builder in general" [Archaeological Study Bible]. As an interesting side note: in the modern Greek dictionary the word "tekton" means a "Freemason."