ATTENTION / προσοχή
in
CHRISTIAN TRADITION
 

 Benedict beholds the cosmos


THE verb prosechō (προσέχω), “listen,” “pay heed,” “be attentive,” “be mindful,”

THE  noun prosochē (προσοχή) “mindfulness,” “attention [to oneself] “being vigilant [over oneself”

 

are related in Latin to cognosco “to know,” “to become acquainted with,” “acquire knowledge of,” “ascertain,” “learn,” “perceive,
and to cognitio/scientia,
“knowledge“

 



προσέχω—prosechō



1. act. turn one's mind to

a. pay attention to, give heed to, follow w dat. Ac 8:6, 10f; 16:14; 1 Ti 1:4; 4:1; Tit 1:14; Hb 2:1; 2 Pt 1:19.

b. be concerned about, care for, pay attention to w. dat. Ac 20:28. προσέχειν ἑαυτῷ be careful, be on one's guard Lk 12:1; 17:3; Ac 5:35; cf. Mt 7:15; 10:17.

c. occupy oneself with, devote or apply oneself to w. dat. 1 Ti 4:13; Hb 7:13; be addicted 1 Ti 3:8.

2. mid. cling to w. dat. 1 Ti 6:3 v.l. [pg 171]



πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ
Be mindful [within] yourself



Frequent in Deuteronomy as Moses' injunction to be mindful within oneself while  listening to Lord's commands:

 

 

Exodus 23.31

 

BE mindful [within] yourself and listen to Him

πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ καὶ εἰσάκουε αὐτοῦ

 

 

Deut 4.9

 

TAKE Take heed to thyself, and keep thy heart diligently: forget not any of the things, which thine eyes have seen, and let them not depart from thine heart all the days of thy life; and thou shalt teach thy sons and thy sons' sons

πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ καὶ φύλαξον τὴν ψυχήν σου σφόδρα μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ πάντας τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἑωράκασιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου καὶ μὴ ἀποστήτωσαν ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας σου πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου καὶ συμβιβάσεις τοὺς υἱούς σου καὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν υἱῶν σου

 

 

Deut 6.12 (and 8.11)
Then similar in 11.16; 12.13; 12.19; 12.30; 15.9

 

TAKE take heed lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου τοῦ ἐξαγαγόντος σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐξ οἴκου δουλείας

 

 

Tobit 4:14

 

WATCH yourself, my son, in everything you do, and be disciplined in all your conduct.

πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ παιδίον ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις σου καὶ ἴσθι πεπαιδευμένος ἐν πάσῃ ἀναστροφῇ σου

 

 

Luke 17:3

 

TAKE heed to yourselves; if your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.

προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς. Ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἐπιτίμησον αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐὰν μετανοήσῃ ἄφες αὐτῷ.

 

 

Luke 21:34

 

BUT take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare

Προσέχετε δὲ ἑαυτοῖς μήποτε βαρηθῶσιν ὑμῶν αἱ καρδίαι ἐν κραιπάλῃ καὶ μέθῃ καὶ μερίμναις βιωτικαῖς καὶ ἐπιστῇ ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς αἰφνίδιος ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνη

 

 

Acts 5:35

 

AND And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you do with these men.

εἶπέν τε πρὸς αὐτούς· ἄνδρες Ἰσραηλῖται, προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις τί μέλλετε πράσσειν.

 

 

Acts 20:28

 

TAKE heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son.

προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ παντὶ τῷ ποιμνίῳ, ἐν ᾧ ὑμᾶς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔθετο ἐπισκόπους ποιμαίνειν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἣν περιεποιήσατο διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου.

 

 

   

 



προσοχὴ — prosochē



προσοχή, , (verb-προσέχω) attention, Luc. Wisd. 6.18; 12.20;

 

 

Wisdom 6:18

 

AND love of her is the keeping of her laws, and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality,

ἀγάπη δὲ τήρησις νόμων αὐτῆς προσοχὴ δὲ νόμων βεβαίωσις ἀφθαρσίας

 

 

Sirach 11:18

 

TAKE heed There is a man who is rich through his diligence and self-denial, and this is the reward allotted to him:

στιν πλουτῶν ἀπὸ προσοχῆς καὶ σφιγγίας αὐτοῦ καὶ αὕτη ἡ μερὶς τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ

 

 

 


A.attentionChrysipp.Stoic.3.41LXX Si.Prol.13BMus.Inscr.888 (Halic., ii B.C.), PTeb.27.78 (ii B.C.), D.H.6.85Hierocl. p.25 A.Epict.Ench.33.6D.Chr.34.27Plu.2.514eLuc.Hist.Conscr. 53; “π. νόμων” LXX Wi.6.18, cf. Ph.1.474; “π. ἀκροατοῦ τῷ λέγοντι” Id.2.342diligenceAth.Med. ap. Orib.inc.21.20careLeonid. ap. Aλt. 15.5Sor.2.86.
2. sobernessSuid. s.v. νηφαλισμός.
II. putting to landIamb.VP3.16.

 

 

 

 



In Septuagint often Translated. as Intende  -   very frequent in Psalms: 5.3; 16.1; 34.23; 37.23; 44.5; 54.3; 58.6; 60.2; 68.19; 79.2; 85.6; 140.1; 141.7


[Is awareness without judgment equivalent to – analogous to – Evagrius “psalmody without distraction”?



 

 

In Matt Gospel, phrase – Jesus, aware, γνοὺς translated either by sciens or cognita

Mat 12.15; 16.8; 22.18; 26.10

Luke 12.47 & 48; (servant who knew – transl cognovit

 

γνοὺς verb participle aorist active nominative masculine singular from γινώσκω

[GING] γινώσκω
γινώσκω—1. know, come to know Mt 13:11; Lk 12:47f; J 8:32; 14:7; Ac 1:7; 19:35; 1 Cor 3:20; 13:9, 12; 2 Cor 5:16; 1 J 4:2, 6; it struck me Mt 25:24. Imperative γινώσκετε you may be quite sure Mt 24:33, 43; J 15:18.—2. learn (of), ascertain, find out Mt 9:30; Mk 6:38; 15:45; Lk 24:18; J 4:1; Ac 17:20; 21:34.—3. understand, comprehend Mk 4:13; J 8:43; 10:6; Ac 8:30; 21:37; 1 Cor 2:8, 11, 14; have the law at one's fingertips Ro 7:1.—4. perceive, notice, realize Mk 5:29; 7:24; Lk 8:46; J 6:15; Ac 23:6.—5. acknowledge, recognize Mt 7:23; J 1:10; choose 1 Cor 8:3; Gal 4:9.—6. euphemistically, of sex relations know Mt 1:25; Lk 1:34. [pg 39]

 

Latin (esp. in Rule of Benedict) Intendere; Attendere; note “inclina aurem cordis tui” in RB prol 1-2.  Look in volgate for equivalent of “turn your ear to my prayer” [?inclina?]

Give ear to the words of my mouth (Ps 54.2)

ἐνώτισαι verb imperative aorist middle 2nd person singular from ἐνωτίζομαι

[GING] ἐνωτίζομαι
ἐνωτίζομαι give ear to, pay attention to Ac 2:14.* [pg 68]

 

RSV  Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear (percipite) to my words.

 

BGT  Acts 2:14 Σταθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος σὺν τοῖς ἕνδεκα ἐπῆρεν τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπεφθέγξατο αὐτοῖς· ἄνδρες Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ἰερουσαλὴμ πάντες, τοῦτο ὑμῖν γνωστὸν ἔστω καὶ ἐνωτίσασθε τὰ ῥήματά μου.

 




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