Rom 3:22(Carl, Jasen, Polycarp)

Jason Hare parousia_occ at yahoo.com
Mon Feb 28 17:08:13 EST 2000


« This reading seems very natural. But I wonder if particle DE
in DIKAISUNE DE QEOU can be used to introduce a phrase that is
to be used as an apposition. Isn't DE a particle connecting a sentence
and another sentence? »

I don't think that DE has such a strong intent.  It is weaker than that.  
Often it is used in lists by many.  Aristotle says,

« SUMBOULHS DE TO MEN PROTROPH TO DE APOTROPH: AEI GAR KAI hOI IDIA 
SUMBOULEUONTES KAI hOI KOINH KHMHGOROUNTES TOUTWN QATERON POIOUSIN.  DIKHS 
DE TO MEN KATHGORIA TO D' APOLOGIA: TOUTWN GAR hOPOTERONOUN POIEIN ANAGKH 
TOUS AMFISBHTOUNTAS.  EPIDEIKTIKOU DE TO MEN EPAINOS TO DE YOGOS. » ("Art" 
of Rhetoric, I.3.3)

I think it is used this way many times, not as the beginning of a sentence 
necessarily, but just to list something.  I know that this case in Romans 3 
is not a list, but it serves the same purpose in his speech.  His intent 
was to carry on his topic and DE is a continuative particle, unlike ALLA 
which is a disjunctive word looking for an opposite.

Jason Hare
Ozark Christian College



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