This seems to be a hot topic right now on the forum.neilgodfrey wrote: ↑Mon Oct 02, 2017 2:02 pmIn addition to navigating the Perseus lexicon interface I am primarily interested in identifying evidence for "born of a woman" as an idiomatic expression . . . . (I looking for more than "not the blood of a woman" or "of a queenly woman", etc)
I wish to say at the outset that I am using a definition of the word "idiom" similar to what is found in the American Heritage Dictionary: "a traditional way of saying something." This dictionary goes on to say that "often" an idiom will "not seem to make sense if taken literally." Often, but not always. I mention this because online one can find definitions of "idiom" which insist that the phrase must be figurative; then these same sites will turn around and list as idioms phrases such as "a man of few words" (which is so literal that a female will call herself "a woman of few words" instead) or "alive and well" ("alive" literally means alive here, and "well" literally means well).
"Born of a woman" obviously has a very literal element to it insofar as all humans literally have mothers who literally gave birth to them. However, it is anything but the most direct way to say "human being" (or "mortal"), since where the idiom is used most purely as an idiom the mother has nothing to do with the situation in context.
That said, here are a few instances of "born of a woman" used idiomatically. Since the sticking point for some people seems to be the exact word used in Greek to render what must have originated as a Hebrew turn of phrase, I will include the relevant term in the original language(s).
Job 14.1: For a mortal [אדם, βροτός] born [ילוד, γεννητός] of woman is short-lived, and full of wrath.
Job 15.14: What is a mortal [אנוש, βροτός] that he should be blameless, or one born [ילוד, γεννητός] of woman that he would be just?
Job 25.4: How then is a mortal [אנוש, βροτός] just before God? Or what offspring [ילוד, γεννητός] of woman can cleanse himself?
Sirach 10.18: Arrogance was not created for men [ἀνθρώποις], nor wrathful rage for the brood [γέννημα] of women.
1QS 11.21a: As what shall one born [ילוד] of woman be considered in your presence?
1QHa 5.20b: What is one born [ילוד] of woman among all your fearful works?
Matthew 11.11: Amen, I say to you, there is not greater than John the baptist among those born [γεννητοῖς] of women, but the lesser in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than him.
Luke 7.28: I say to you, no one is greater than John among those born [γεννητοῖς] of women, but the lesser in the kingdom of God is greater than him.
Thomas 15: Jesus said: When you see one who was not born of woman, prostrate yourselves onto your faces and worship him; that one is your father.
Josephus, Wars 4.8.3 §460: The report is that this fountain at the beginning caused the blasting not only of the earth and the trees but also of the offspring [γονάς] of women....
Origen, Against Celsus 1.70: But it clearly appears that after his resurrection he ate fish; for according to us he took on a body, as one born [γενόμενος] from a woman.
Pseudo-Clementine Homily 3.52: Since, then, while the heaven and the earth still stand, sacrifices have passed away, and kingdoms, and prophecies among those who are born [γεννητοῖς] of woman, and such like, as not being ordinances of God, hence therefore He says, "Every plant which the heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up."
As might be expected, the Hebrew word used is completely consistent; it is always yalad. Also, the Hebrew parallelismus membrorum sets "one born of a woman" in parallel with "mortal" or "human" (both אדם and אנוש are used here). Translating the concept into Greek, however, produced several possibilities. Job (LXX), Matthew, Luke, and the Clementine Homilies all use γεννητός (the adjectival form of γεννάω); Sirach uses γέννημα (a noun related to γεννάω); Josephus uses γονή (a noun derived from γίγνομαι); and Origen uses γενόμενος (the participle of γίγνομαι, quite possibly under the influence of Galatians 4.4 itself, though the context does not demand this).
So some form of γεννάω is used most often, but some form of γίγνομαι may also be used sometimes. This lines up with the usage of γεννάω and γίγνομαι to indicate birth overall, outside of any idiom; the former is more common, but the latter is also used. Both are used to translate the Hebrew word ילד (yalad) in the LXX. Genesis 4.18 is an interesting case, because it has four instances of the Hebrew ילד, one of which is translated by the Greek γίγνομαι, the other three of which are translated by the Greek γεννάω, all in the same sentence (at least in the critical editions; I have mentioned before that the LXX manuscripts often differ within the same verse on which Greek word is used to translate yalad). There are other instances (Genesis 17.17; 21.3; 36.5) in which the sentence has two instances of the Hebrew ילד, one of which is rendered by γίγνομαι, the other of which is rendered by τίκτω ("to have a child").
I hope this is something close to what you were seeking.
Ben.