Matthew 5.3: Why is the article not translated in τῷ πνεύματι?
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When answering questions in this forum, keep it simple, and aim your responses to the level of the person asking the question.
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Matthew 5.3: Why is the article not translated in τῷ πνεύματι?
I checked the various Greek texts, and they all have the article. My impression is that "the spirit" should, by default, translated as the Spirit, yet I don't see that in English translations going back to Wycliffe; in fact, I don't see "the" at all. Any thoughts?
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Re: Matthew 5.3: Why is the article not translated in τῷ πνεύματι?
First of all, please contact a moderator so we can change your screen name to match your real name, per B-Greek policy. Feel free also to introduce your self in the "Introductions" subforum.
Whenever I notice something like this, I ask the question "What does everybody else know that I don't?"
There is no such thing as a "default" usage, only usage properly understood from context. Context here in fact is key -- notice how the phrase τῷ πνεύματι parallels the adjectives and participles used throughout the beatitudes, and especially 5:8, μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ. Do we want to translate τῇ καρδίᾳ "the heart?" The article in both cases is used to generalize the concept, "the generic article," a fairly standard usage. The dative here is practically an adverb, = "spiritually." A nice parallel usage is John 21:8, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι μαθηταὶ τῷ πλοιαρίῳ ἦλθον, "the other disciples came by boat," not "the boat."
Note: the article in Greek does not map to all the usages of the definite article in English.
Whenever I notice something like this, I ask the question "What does everybody else know that I don't?"

There is no such thing as a "default" usage, only usage properly understood from context. Context here in fact is key -- notice how the phrase τῷ πνεύματι parallels the adjectives and participles used throughout the beatitudes, and especially 5:8, μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ. Do we want to translate τῇ καρδίᾳ "the heart?" The article in both cases is used to generalize the concept, "the generic article," a fairly standard usage. The dative here is practically an adverb, = "spiritually." A nice parallel usage is John 21:8, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι μαθηταὶ τῷ πλοιαρίῳ ἦλθον, "the other disciples came by boat," not "the boat."
Note: the article in Greek does not map to all the usages of the definite article in English.
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N.E. Barry Hofstetter
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
Χαίρετε ἐν κυρίῳ πάντοτε· πάλιν ἐρῶ, χαίρετε
Instructor of Latin
Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy
Χαίρετε ἐν κυρίῳ πάντοτε· πάλιν ἐρῶ, χαίρετε