Bible Lexicons

In certain proceedings before the Prefect regarding the custody of a child, which strikingly recall 3 Kingd 3.16 ff., judgment was given that as the child in question ἐκ τῆς ὄψεως, ";from its features,"; appeared to be that of Saraeus, it should be restored to her, P Oxy I. 37 ii. 3 (A.D. 49) (= Selections, p. 51), with which may be compared the use of κατ᾽ ὄψιν in John 7:24. The latter phrase, = ";in person,"; is common, e.g. P Oxy VIII. 1154.4 (late i/A.D.) πρὸ πάντων ὡς ἐνετειλάμην σοι κατ᾽ ὄψιν ἐπιμελοῦ σεαυτῆς ";above all else, as I enjoined you when with you, take care of yourself"; (Ed.), P Oxy I. 117.3 (ii/iii A.D.) κατ᾽ ὄψιν σε παρακέκληκα, ib. XIV. 1665.4 (iii/A.D.) παρο ̣ν ̣[τ ]ι ̣ σ ̣ο ̣ι (l. παρόντα σε) κατ᾽ ὄψιν ᾐτησάμην, and PSI III. 210.10 (iv/v A.D.) ὅπως. . αὐτὸν κατ᾽ ὄψιν ἀπολάβωμεν. For a similar use of εἰς ὄψιν cf. Preisigke 4317.13 (c. A.D. 200) πολεμεῖ με διότι εἶπόν σοι εἰς ὄψιν. See also the fourth of the so-called Sayings of Jesus, P Oxy IV. 654.27 ff. λέγει Ἰη (σοῦ)ς · [πᾶν τὸ μὴ ἔμπροσ ]θεν τῆς ὄψεως σου καὶ [τὸ κεκρυμμένον ] ἀπό σου ἀποκαλυφ <θ >ήσεται, ";Jesus saith, Everything that is not before thy face and that which is hidden from thee shall be revealed to thee."; P Fay 133.11 (iv/A.D.) shows the phrase καθ᾽ αὐτὴν οὖν τὴν ὄψιν, ";as soon therefore as you see this"; (Edd.), and for the meaning ";face,"; ";countenance,"; as in John 11:44, Revelation 1:16, cf. P Giss I. 22.5 (time of Trajan) τὴν [γλυκυ ]τάτην σου ὄψιν προσκυ [νῆσαι, and the literary P Oxy XI. 1380.127 (early ii/A.D.) τὴν ἐν Λ [ή ]θῃ ἱλαρὰν ὄψιν, with reference to Isis. The plur. is similarly used in P Amh II. 141.12 (A.D. 350) ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὄψεών μοι τὰ οἰδήματα φαίνεται, ";so that the swellings are apparent even on my face"; (Edd.)—the result of an accident. Αἱ ὄψεις, ";the eyes,"; is found in P Oxy VI. 911.6 (A.D. 233 or 265) ἀσθενῖ τὰς ὄψεις, ";he has weak sight"; : cf. Ev. Petr. 3 ἐνέπτυον αὐτοῦ ταῖς ὄψεσι (with Swete’s note), Musonius p. 106.8, and Vogeser Heiligenlegenden, p. 43. In the remarkable Calendar inscr. Priene 105.8 (c. B.C. 9) (= OGIS 458) the birthday of Augustus is described as having given another ";aspect"; to the world—ἑτέραν τε ἔδω [κεν παντὶ τῷ κόσ ]μῳ ὄψιν : cf. what is said of Gaius Caesar Germanicus Augustus in a decree of Assos of the year A.D. 37, Syll 364 (=3 797).8 πᾶν ἔθνος ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ὄψιν (";presence";) ἔσ [π ]ευκεν. The editor understands ὄψις as = ";dignity"; or ";position"; in P Lond 77.59 (end of vi/A.D., see Chrest. II. 319) (= I. p. 234) κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ὄψιν καὶ ὑπόλημψιν. The compound κάκοψις (not in LS) occurs in P Lips I. 1.9 (B.C. 104) and P Grenf II. 28.4 (B.C. 103), and for a new adj. ἐνόπιος see P Par 63.36 (B.C. 164) (= P Petr III. p. 20) τηλικούτων διαστολῶν γεγονυιῶ [ν ὑμῖ ]ν καὶ ἐνοπίοις καὶ διὰ γραμμάτων, ";extensive explanations having been given to you both face to face and in writing."; A Hebraism ἡ ὄψις τῆς γῆς, ";the eye of the earth,"; is found in Exodus 10:5; Exodus 10:15, Numbers 22:5; Numbers 22:11. MGr ὄψι, ";countenance.";