Bible Lexicons

This common word occurs only bis in the NT (Act. 28:2, Tit. 3:4), and is best understood in the sense of ";kindness,"; ";humanity,"; rather than ";philanthropy"; or ";the love of mankind"; in general (cf. Field Notes, p. 147 f.).

For the phrase τυγχάνω φιλανθρωπίας (cf. Act. 28:2 Est. 8:13, 2Ma. 6:22) we may cite P Petr III. 29 (e).13 (iii/B.C.) ἵνα τύχω τῆ [ς παρ ]ά σου φιλαν [θρωπί ]ας, ";in order that I may meet with consideration at your hands"; (Edd.), P Magd 28.12 (B.C. 217) τούτου γὰρ γενομένου, ἐπὶσὲκαταφυγών, βασιλεῦ. . . ἐγώ τε ἔσομαι τῆς παρὰ σοῦφιλαμθρωπίας τετευχώς, and similarly P Leid G.21 (B.C. 181–145) ( = I.p.43), P Tebt I. 30.20 (B.C. 115).

Other exx. of the subst. are—P Michigan Inv. No. 2798.3 (time of Hadrian) (= Class. Phil . xxii. p. 248) χάριν σοι ἔχω τῇ φιλαν [θ ]ρ ̣ωπίᾳ περὶ τοῦ ἐλαίου, ";I thank you for your kindness about the olive-oil"; (Ed.), P Ryl II. 296 (ii/A.D.) τῇ σῇ φιλαμθρωπείᾳ, as a title of address to a high official, P Fay 20.16 (Imperial edict—iii/iv A.D.) φιλανθρωπίᾳ τε καὶ εὐεγεσίαις συναύξειν ταύτην τὴν ἀρχήν ";by liberality and the conferring of benefits to increase the welfare of this kingdom"; (Edd.), and OGIS 139.21 (B.C. 145–116), where the priests of Philae commemorate certain relief granted them by Ptolemy Euergetes II. by erecting a pillar—ἐν ἧι ἀναγράψομεν τὴν γεγινυῖαν ἡμῖν ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν περὶ τούτων φιλανθρωπίαν : cf. Aristeas 265 where ἀνθρωπια and ἀγἀπησις are said to be the most necessary possessions for a king, and see further Wendland ZNTW v. (1904), p. 345 n.2

The adj. (in Greek Bible only Sap I.6) is similarly used of the virtues of rulers in such inscrr. as Magn 18.17 (letter of Antiochus III—B.C. 205) ἐ ̣χοντες οὖν ἐχ ἀρχῆς π ̣[ερὶ ] τοῦ δήμου τὴν φιλανθρωποτάτην διάλ ̣[η ]ψιν διὰ τὴν εὔνοιαν, ib 201.2 τ ]ὸν θειότατον καὶ μέ [γ ]ιστον καὶ φιλανθρωπότατον βασιλέα. with reference to the Emperor Julian. Cf. from the papyri P Oxy IV. 705.69 (A.D. 200–2) ὦ φιλανθρωπότατοι Αὐτοκράτορες, with reference to Septimius Severus and Caracalla, and in the same document the words of the petitioner who stales that he has before him.75 καὶ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου καὶ τοῦ χρησίμου, ";a both humane and useful object,"; and the Christian prayer ib. VI. 925.2 (v/vi A.D.) (= Selections, p. 131), which begins—, Ο θεὂς ὁ παντοκράτωρ ὁ ἅγιος ὁ ἀληθινὸς φιλάνθρωπος καὶ δημιουργός.

For φιλάνθρωπα = ";ordinances of special favour,"; as in 2Ma. 4:11, cf. P Meyer 1.24 (B.C. 144) μένειν [δὲ κύρια τὰφ ]ιλάνθρωπα, with the editor’s note, and see also P Ryl II. 155.7 (A.D. 138–161), again with the editor’s note. In BGU II. 595.7 (A.D. 70–80) εἵνα φιλανθρωπον ελς δύο τόπους μὴ χορηγῆι, the word is apparently = ";a douceur,"; ";that he did not need to give a douceur on two occasions.";

We may add one or two exx. of the verb φιλανθρωπέω : P Tebt I. 31.21 (B.C. 112) ἵν᾽ ὦ ] πεφιλανθρωπημένος, ";that I may obtain redress,"; in connexion with a change of ownership, similarly ib. II.397.27 (A.D.198), P Oxy III. 532.20 (ii/A.D.) βουλόμενόν σε φιλανθρωῶ [[σ ̣η ̣]]σαι (l. φιλανθρωπῆσαι), ";wishing to welcome you,"; and OGIS 90.12 (Rosetta stone—B.C. 196) ταῖς τε ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεσιν πεφιλανθρώπηκε πάσαις where φιλανθρωπέω is used intransitively = φιλάνθρωπον εἶναι, as the editor notes.

As against Hobart’s claim (p. 296 f.) that φιλανθρωπία (Act. 28:2) and φιλανθρώπως (Act. 27:3) were part of Luke’s ";medical"; vocabulary, Cadbury (JBL xlv. (1926) p. 201 f.) has pointed out that the words occur over 40 times in Dittenberger’s Syll.3 Index s.vv. φιλανθρωπία, -ος.

 

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