Bible Lexicons

σαίνω —

properly of dogs ";wag the tail,"; ";fawn"; (e.g. Od. x. 217), then metaph. of persons ";fawn upon,"; ";beguile"; (e.g. Aesch. Choeph. 186). This gives good sense in its only NT occurrence, 1 Thessalonians 3:3 τὸ ημδένα σαίνεσθαι ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν ταύταις : the Apostle dreaded that the Thessalonians would be ";drawn-aside,"; ";allured,"; in the midst of the afflictions which were falling upon them, cf. Zahn Einl. i. p. 159f. (Engl. Tr. i. p. 222). Others, however, prefer to read with FG σιένεσθαι i.e. σιαίνεσθαι, ";to be disturbed,"; ";troubled,"; in support of which Nestle (ZNTW vii. p. 361) cites two passages from the Hist, Lausiaca (ed. Butler, 1904), c. 24, p. 78, 10 and c. 35, p. 102, 16 : Mercati adds further instances in ZNTW viii. p. 242. See also the quotations from papyri s.v. σιαίνομαι, Reference may be made to an art. by A.D. Knox in JTS xxv, (1924), p. 290f., where a reading τὸ μηδένα παθαίνεσθαι is conjectured, = ";that none break down in their afflictions.";

For a new literary ex. of σαίνω, where it is used practically = θέλγω, see Bacchyl. I. 55 ὁ δ᾽ εὖ ἔρδων θεοὺς ἐλπίδι κυδροτέρᾳ σαίνει κέαρ, ";but he who is bountiful to the gods can cheer his heart with a loftier hope"; (Jebb).

[Supplemental from 1930 edition]

Add JTS xxv. p. 405.

σιαίνομαι —

For this verb = ";am disturbed,"; which is read in 1 Thessalonians 3:3 FG, we may cite two passages from late papyri—P Oxy XVI. 1837.2 (early vi/A.D.) ἵνα μὴ ὁ ἀναγινόσκον (= ώσκων) σιανθῇ, ";lest he who reads should be annoyed"; (Edd.), and ib. 1849.2 (vi/vii A.D.) ἐπειδὴ τὸ λάχανον ὁδε (l. ὧδε) σαπρόν ἐστι καὶ σιαίνομε (l. σιαίνομαι), ";for the vegetables here are rotten and disgust me"; (Edd.). See s.v. σαίνω, and for the new σιαντία see P Oxy XVI. 1855.13 (vi/vii A.D.) ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς σιαντίας ταύτης, ";to get rid of this horrid business"; (Edd.).