Hebrew Worship Part 1

Video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybhQbrFAcxA]

Philo of Alexandria, writes

οἱς ἔθος ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἐπὶ τὰ νοητὰ μετανίστασθαι - περάτης γὰρ ὁ ἑβραῖος ἑρμηνεύεται -͵ τὸ σεμνύνεσθαι ὅτι ͵͵ὧδε οὐκ ἑποίησεν

For whom it is customary to migrate from the perceptible things to the intelligible - for the Hebrew is interpreted as one who crosses boundaries - to be proud because he did not act in this way.

οἷς (for whom)
ἔθος (it is customary)
ἀπὸ (from)
τῶν αἰσθητῶν (the perceptible things / things perceived by the senses)
ἐπὶ (to, toward)
τὰ νοητὰ (the intelligible things / things understood by the mind)
μετανίστασθαι (to migrate, to change one's place)
περάτης ("one who crosses over, one who reaches an end")
γὰρ (for)
ὁ Ἑβραῖος (the Hebrew)
ἑρμηνεύεται (is interpreted as)
τὸ σεμνύνεσθαι (to be exalted, to take pride in)
ὅτι (because, that)
ὧδε (thus, in this manner)
οὐκ ἐποίησεν (he did not act, he did not do)

Hesychius will tell you, that the lack of an iota “I” on perates doesn’t mean it isn’t a pirate.

Hesychius of Alexandria, a 5th–6th century CE Greek lexicographer who compiled Lexicon, an important work that explains rare and obscure Greek words. So, if Hesychius commented on περάτης (peratēs) and its relation to πειρατής (peiratēs), that would be found in his Lexicon

https://el.wikisource.org/wiki/Γλώσσαι/Π

I've highlighted πείρατα (peirata) vs πέρατα (perata) below, as well as λῃστεύων / λῃσταί / λῃστῶν (Lestes Λεστες) below.

Hesychius Lexicon (an ancient lexicon):

<πέρατα>
τὰ τέλη <--- telos (τέλος) mentioned below for πείρατα

τὰ → "the" (neuter plural definite article)
τέλη → "ends," "goals," "purposes," or "taxes" (neuter plural of τέλος)

[<πείρω>
πέρας]

<πειράζων>
ἐνεδρεύων. λῃστεύων

<Πειραΐδαο>
Πειραίου παιδός

*<πειδαίρουσα>
δέρουσα

<πεῖραι>
πειρατ(ε)ῖαι. δόλοι

<πειρᾶν>
πειράζειν ......

<πεῖραν ποιούμενος>
πειράζων

<πείραντες>
ἐκκεντήσαντες

<πείρατα>
πέρατα. τέλος <-- perata without the 'i', same telos mentioned above

πέρατα → "boundaries," "limits," or "extremities" (neuter plural of πέρας)
τέλος → "end," "completion," "goal," or "final outcome" (singular noun)

<πειραταί>
κακοῦργοι, λῃσταί. θηρευταὶ ἐν ὕδασι

<πειρᾶται>
πεῖραν λαμβάνει, πειράζει. ἐπὶ δὲ λῃστῶν, πειρατεύεται

<τέλος>
τάγμα. πέρας. καὶ τὸ καταβαλλόμενον τοῖς τελώναις

τάγμα: Order, arrangement, or classification. This refers to the proper organization or final arrangement of something, the completion of a structure or process.
πέρας: Boundary, limit, or end. This is the most direct meaning, referring to the end point or boundary of something—both literal (like the edge of a territory) and abstract (like the end of a process).
καὶ τὸ καταβαλλόμενον τοῖς τελώναις: And what is paid to the tax collectors (i.e., taxes). This shows another common meaning of τέλος in the context of taxes or dues, referring to the obligatory payments to the state or authority

Unpacking “Hesychius will tell you the lack of an iota ‘I’ on perates doesn’t mean it isn’t a pirate.”...

Hesychius defines πέρατα in his lexicon as τὰ τέλη → "the ends, goals, purposes", and is plural form of τέλος, meaning "the multiple ends," "goals," or "boundaries", reinforcing the idea of boundaries or extremities. Hesychius also defines πείρατα (pirate) as both πέρατα (the end / goal) and τέλος (the limit at the end or boundary of something). Hesychius doesn’t differentiate, but defines both πέρατα and πείρατα in terms of each other.

Hesychius was 5th 6th CE. So. Peirates == Perates was true when Septuagint and GNT was Written.

Later these two terms appears to drift apart more (in the victorian era "LSJ" lexicon they both mean crossing / wandering (crossing fixed boundaries?), but peirata (pirate) has more overt criminal connotation while perate more crossing boundary).

About Philo's passage:

The phrase τὸ σεμνύνεσθαι ("to be proud") ὅτι ("because") ὧδε ("thus") οὐκ ἐποίησεν ("he did not act") suggests a sense of pride in not acting in a certain way. the phrase τὸ σεμνύνεσθαι ὅτι ὧδε οὐκ ἐποίησεν ("to be proud because he did not act in this way") suggests that the subject takes pride in avoiding a certain behavior—in this case, the behavior of a περάτης. the phrase implies that the subject is proud for not engaging in such boundary-crossing behavior. This further suggests that, in this context, περάτης is not a neutral traveler but someone whose boundary-crossing is undesirable or suspect.

If crossing boundaries (literal, legal, moral) were a neutral or positive action, there would be no reason to take pride in avoiding it.
The negative framing suggests that the περάτης here is seen as dishonorable or undesirable.
This aligns with an interpretation of περάτης as someone who transgresses in a way that is frowned upon—whether legally, morally, or socially.
While not outright called a "pirate," this phrase supports an association with lawlessness, exile, or criminality.

the semantic overlap between "one who crosses boundaries" and "one who transgresses moral or legal limits" is undeniable. In some contexts, a περάτης (one who crosses over) could take on a meaning similar to a raider, outlaw, or even pirate, depending on how boundaries are understood—not just geographical, but also legal or ethical.

Observations:

Hesychius Defines "πέρας" (Root of "περάτης") as "The End, The Boundary"
- This supports the idea that a περάτης is someone who goes beyond a set limit—which could be literal (crossing land/sea) or figurative (breaking rules or laws).
- Many cultures have historically associated crossing certain boundaries (especially unapproved ones) with criminality—smugglers, outlaws, and, of course, pirates.
Hesychius Defines "πειραταί" (Pirates) as "Κακοῦργοι, Λῃσταί" (Evildoers, Brigands)
- This suggests that piracy (πειρατής) was explicitly tied to criminality and violent theft.
- Meanwhile, περάτης lacks this overtly criminal connotation, but it could carry undertones of suspicion or liminality—especially if someone crosses where they are not supposed to.
Crossing the Sea & Piracy
- Many historical pirates were essentially boundary-crossers—not just physically on ocean ships or highway brigands, but in terms of rejecting laws, taxation, and imperial control.
- If περάτης describes someone crossing boundaries indiscriminately, the leap to seeing them as raiders or pirates isn't a huge one.

These two verbs used to be one and then diverged over time, and Ammon’s referring to the entry in Hesychius Lexicon (5-6th CE) for Peirates = Perates. And Philo of Alexandria (50BCE-20CE) knew this when he wrote… Additionally pirates ARE “wanderers”… pirates DO “cross” oceans, pirates πεiρατής ARE perates περάτης. And perates cross boundaries and limits… Philo said he’s proud Not to cross boundaries, implying a negative connotation of boundary crossing… Pirates, or at the least, he’s implying crossing a line.

Hesychius of Alexandria was a Greek lexicographer who lived during the 5th–6th century CE. He is most famous for his Lexicon, a comprehensive dictionary of obscure and difficult Greek words, which is one of the most valuable sources for understanding the Greek language of his time.

Both verbs stem from an ancient root per- or perh-, which was widespread in the Proto Indo-European (PIE) languages. In Greek, this root is reflected in both verbs, but each verb took a slightly different direction in terms of its semantic evolution, likely influenced by the surrounding culture, usage, and language change.

περάω comes directly from the PIE root in its sense of physical crossing.
πειράω extended the idea of crossing (or passing through) to the concept of "attempting" or "testing," as trying or testing something involves metaphorically crossing into a new or uncertain domain.

The divergence could be traced to the Archaic period of Greek (circa 8th to 6th century BCE), during which Greek was undergoing rapid development both in terms of vocabulary and conceptual categories. The metaphoric extension of περάω to include the idea of testing or attempting would have taken shape during this period, influenced by the intellectual and cultural contexts of the time.

Both περάω and πειράω stem from the same PIE root related to crossing or passing, but diverged over time in their meanings. περάω maintained the more literal sense of crossing a physical boundary, while πειράω took on a metaphorical sense of testing or attempting, as crossing into unknown or challenging domains. This divergence likely occurred during the Archaic period of Greek language development.