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Rom 6:19 and doula



Ken Litwak yesterday raised the following:
"In Rom 6:19 Paul wrote melE doula.If doula is a plural adjective, and means
'slavish, subject to,' how can we explain translating ... the phrase 'members
as slaves' instead ofthe more literal 'slavish members.' I have never seen the
latter in a translation but I can't explain grammatically how we would reach
the other rendering."

The text in question: hwsper gar parestEsate ta melE humwn doula tEi akathar-
siai  ... houtws nun parastEsate ta melE humwn doula tEi dikaiosunEi ...
In both instances here the adjective DOULA is predicative after forms of the
verb PARISTANAI, "present, show." The proper sense then must be " ... just as
you presented your members subservient to uncleanness ... so nun present your
members subservient to righteousness ..." The version "slavish members" would
require an understanding of DOULA in these phrases as attributive rather than
predicative.

CARL W. CONRAD, C25001CC@WUVMD.BITNET OR C25001CC@WUVMD.WUSTL.EDU
Classics, Washington University, One Brookings Dr., St. Louis, MO 63130
Phone: (314) 935-4018