EPI PASH TH MNEIA hUMON - Philippians 1:3
Jim West
jwest at highland.net
Tue Aug 10 20:44:26 EDT 1999
At 08:30 PM 8/10/99 +0000, you wrote:
>Greetings
>
>I came across a rather simple construction in Philippians, that I soon
>realized required some attention. EPI PASH TH MNEIA hUMON means, "in all
>the [my]remembrance of you." Is this phrase a subjective genitive "for all
>your remembrance [of me]." This seems contextually possible (4:10). This
>requires a casual sense of EPI in verses 3 and 5 - and a parallel
>prepositional clause understanding, as well. (verse 5 EPI hO KOINWNIA
>hUMON).
I have always understood Philippians as a "thank you note" for a gift sent
from them to Paul. I take the phrase here as referring to Paul's
thankfulness "every time you remember me" (i.e., by sending along support).
Either reading is possible. I.e., it can be both objective or subjective
genitive- or perhaps here as in many places in Paul it is both at the same
time! Thus, this isnt a question of either- or, but both- and.... Paul is
thankful every time he remembers them- and he is thankful every time they
remember him. The ambiguity is, in other words, intentional.
Best,
Jim
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jim West, ThD
email- jwest at highland.net
web page- http://web.infoave.net/~jwest
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