AFIHMI

Carl Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Thu Feb 25 07:02:46 EST 1999


On 02/25/99, ""James S. Murray" <jsmurray at execpc.com>" wrote:
> Greetings,
> 
> I'm a beginner working through 1 John (of coarse), and have a question
> regard the use of the dative with AFIHMI in 1 John 1:9 "..hINA AFHi
> hHMIV TAS hAMARTIAS.. " and 2:12 "hOTI AFEWNTAI hUMIV hAI hAMARTAI.. ".
> 
> My question is this.  Is hHMIV/hUMIV here to be understood as
>     a) the direct object taking the dative
>     b) the possesive use of the dative, e.g. "our sins"
>     c) the indirect object for whom the action of the verb is done?
> 
> I have not been able to find a reference to AFIHMI taking the dative,
> like PISTEUW, DIAKONEW, etc., so I question a).  

AFIHMI does normally take an accusative of what's forgiven, a dative of the 
person forgiven, which is why the construction can be converted in 2:12 
into the passive, where the original object is the subject but hUMIN, the 
dative, is still required for completion. I don't have a reference handy, 
but it wouldn't surprise me if AFIHMI (also appears as an omega verb, as I 
recall: AFIW) may be used absolutely with the dative, although it could 
certainly be argued that even in such a case, hAMARTIAS is undertood.




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