Use of the conjunction KAI

Polycarp66 at aol.com Polycarp66 at aol.com
Mon Apr 8 18:59:38 EDT 2002


In a message dated 4/8/2002 3:29:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
rwburks at flash.net writes:



I have a question concerning the use of the conjunction KAI.  I was
doing some translating in the LXX specifically Judges 1:1 and I was
trying to find a good English word to use for KAI.  I know the basic
meaning is "and" or "even" however in this case the text is talking
about an action taken by Israel as a result of what has taken place.
The first phrase "And it came be with the death of Joshua" is connected
with the phrase "The sons of Israel were asking ..." by means of the
KAI.  It seems to me that "and" or "even" or "and so" do not seem to fit
the meaning intended by the writers here.  The same is true with the
Hebrew use of the waw consecutive in this passage.  It almost seems as
though the second phrase is a result of the condition in the first
phrase, and hence KAI should be rendered something like "therefore" or
"so that" in this case.
______________

I would think that "that" or "so that" would be a good choice in this 
instance.  I have not grammar references handy, but you might check BGAD, 
s.v. KAI.

b. Another common feature is the practice, drawn fr. Hebrew or fr. the speech 
of everyday life, of using K. as a connective where more discriminating usage 
would call for other particles: KAI EIDON KAI (for hOTI) SEISMOS EGENETO Rv 
6:12. KAI HDOUSEN hO BASILEUS . . . KAI (for hOTI) ELEGON and the king 
learned that they were saying Mk 6:14 . . . TECETAI hUION KAI KAESEIS TO 
ONOMA AUTOU (for hOU TO ONOMA KAL.) Mt 1:21; cf. Lk 6:6; 11:44. KALON ESTIN 
hHMAS hWDE EINAI KAI POIHSWMEN SKHNAS Mk 9:5. Esp. freq. is the formula in 
historical narrative KAI EGENETO (EGENETO DE) . . . KAI (like [hebrew] 
WaY:HiY) and it happened or came about. . . that Mt 9:10; Mk 2:15; Lk 5:1, 
12, 17; 6:12; 14:1; 17:11 al. . .—As in popular speech, K. is used in rapid 
succession Mt 14:9ff; Mk 1:12ff; Lk 18:32ff; 1 Cor 12:5f; Rv 6:12ff; 9:1ff. 
On this kind of colloquial speech, which joins independent clauses rather 
than subordinating one to the other (parataxis rather than hypotaxis) cf. 
Bl-D. §458; Rdm.(2) p. 222; Rob. 426; Dssm., LO 105ff (LAE 129ff), w. many 
references and parallels fr. secular sources. This is a favorite, e.g., in 
Polyaenus 2, 3, 2-4; 2, 4, 3; 3, 9, 10; 3, 10, 2; 4, 6, 1; 7, 36 al. 

gfsomsel



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