Rev 4.11 (breaking of Sharp's Rule)

Jason A. Hare language_lover64801 at yahoo.com
Thu Jun 21 15:53:48 EDT 2001


Greg,

Granville Sharp's Sixth Rule:
"And as the insertion of the copulative KAI between nouns of the same
case, without articles, (according to the fifth rule,) denotes that the
second noun expresses a different person, thing, or quality, from the
preceding noun, so, likewise, the same effect attends the copulative when
each of the nouns are preceded by articles."

I did manage to make it back to Ozark Christian College today and check
out Sharp's book.  Also, since I do not have access to my own library, I
checked out Wallace's book while I was there.  He has a section in there
dealing with Sharp's rule and its restrictions (pp. 270-290).  I'm going
to do some more reading on this specific construction (TSKTS) to see what
Wallace has to say.  (He states that Titus 2.13 [TOU MEGALOU QEOU KAI
SWTHROS hHMWN] is not a reference to the deity of Jesus.  I need to read
_why_ THEOS should not be taken as a title/quality rather than as a proper
reference.)

Regards,
Jason

> Dear Jason:
> 
> No, it does not conflict with Sharp's rule in as much as Sharp discussed the
> implications of substantives connected by KAI where only the first was 
> preceded by the article. However, your example does nullify the argument
> often offered by strong advocates of Sharp, namely, that if two persons are
> meant in certain texts then the article could simply have been used before
> the second noun. Your example, and many others, shows that this is not the
> case. Thus, we need to be careful when we approach such texts and let the
> restrictive force of the nouns and the context have a say in whether or not
> one or two persons are meant in ARTICLE-NOUN-KAI-NOUN and 
> ARTICLE-NOUN-KAI-ARTICLE-NOUN constructions. There are exceptions to both
> when the aforementioned (restrictive force [proper names and terms equivalent
> or in excess of proper names in terms of being restricted to one known 
> person] and context) are considered. 
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Greg Stafford



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