3 Maccabees 6:4 LXX

Larsendon at aol.com Larsendon at aol.com
Tue Oct 24 17:37:50 EDT 2000


Greetings.  I am puzzled by the adjective PONTOBROCOUS in 3 Macc. 6:4.

SU FARAW PLHQUNONTA hARMASIN, TON PRIN AIGUPTOU TAUTHS DUNASTHN, EPARQENTA 
ANOMWi QRASEI KAI  GLWSSHi MEGALORRHMONI, SUN THi hUPERHFANWi STRATIAi 
PONTOBROCOUS APWLESAS...

"You utterly destroyed Pharaoh, multiplying with chariots - formerly the 
ruler of this Egypt - having been lifted up by means of wicked insolence and 
a boasting tongue, with [his] arrogant army in the drowning seas."

In my translation, I make two assumptions.  First, that PONTOBROCOUS (an 
adjective of 2 terminations) is feminine accusative plural, with QALASSAS as  
the implied noun - much like XHRA standing alone often implies the noun GH.  

But then, how to explain the accusative case becomes the next question, since 
there is no antecedent in the sentence.  So my second assumption:  
PONTOBROCOUS is an Accusative of Respect, limiting the verb APWLESAS. 

But these are merely assumptions that make sense to me.  I wonder what others 
think.

Thanks,
Don Larsen
West Hartford, CT



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