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John 8:23: ὑμεῖς ἐκ τῶν κάτω ἐστέ· ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἰμί

Posted: June 10th, 2012, 8:08 pm
by Mike Baber
In general, translations render this phrase, "You are from beneath; I am from above."

I noticed that τῶν is genitive plural, rather than the singular τοῦ.

Shouldn't this phrase be translated as "I am from those things above; you are from those things below"?

Re: John 8:23: ὑμεῖς ἐκ τῶν κάτω ἐστέ· ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἰμί

Posted: June 10th, 2012, 10:52 pm
by Scott Lawson
Mike Baber wrote:Shouldn't this phrase be translated as "I am from those things above; you are from those things below"?
Mike,
Both adverbs of place and of time can be used substantivally. This in an instance of two adverbs of place (ἄνω and κάτω) used with the article and as you noted in the plural. Rather than the word "things" I would supply words like "regions" or "realms" above and below.