TI AKONTES in I Clem 2.3
L. J. Swain
larry.swain at wmich.edu
Sun Dec 30 12:22:58 EST 2001
Steven Lo Vullo wrote:
>
> Hi all:
>
> 1 Clem 2.3: hIKETEUONTES AUTON hILEWN GENESQAI, EI TI AKONTES hHMARTETE.
>
> I have two questions on this passage.
>
> First, would it be better to take TI as the direct object of hHMARTETE
> ("sinned something/anything," i.e., "committed some/any sin") or as an
> adverbial modifier ("sinned in some/any way"). Does hAMARTANW ever take
> a direct object?
More than one question. Yes, hAMARTANW can take the accusative in Greek
usually a participle defining the sort of sin. In English though the
verb "sin" is generally intransitive (one could say I sin a sin, but
that is an unusual case). So your translation of it will have to take
the TI adverbially in English, though it is a direct object in Greek.
Think of it this way: If you commit some sin....
>
> Second, AKWN is an adjective (AKWN, -OUSA, -ON), but is clearly used
> adverbially here. But why would it be inflected for case, number, and
> gender? LS gives the normal adverbial form (AKONTWS), which I would
> expect when used adverbially. Usually when an adjective is used
> adverbially it either has the adverbial ending (WS) or is neuter
> singular accusative in form. Is it at all common for adjectives used as
> adverbs to be inflected for case, number, and gender?
Interestingly enough I ran across a similar use of AKWN this past week
in I Cor 9:17 where we have to take the two words adverbially, and I
think this construction also demands in English an adverbial use. But
in Greek it is an adjective modifying the unexpressed subject. "You
unwilling...."
Hope this helps some,
Larry Swain
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