Use of preposition phrase in Titus 2:6-7
Iver Larsen
iver_larsen at sil.org
Sat Nov 16 09:21:49 EST 2002
> At 10:51 AM -0600 11/15/02, Rob Matlack wrote:
> >(6) TOUS NEWTEROUS hWSAUTWS PARAKALEI SWFRONEIN (7) PERI PANTA SEAUTON
> >PARECOMENOS
> >TUPON KALWN ERGWN ...
> >
> >Most English translations that I have looked at take PERI PANTA to modify
> >PARECOMENOS.
> >However, ISTM that it would fit better modifying SWFRONEIN. Note that
> >author begins
> >his discussion of each group with the designation of that group, i.e. v2
> >PRESBUTAS, v3
> >PRESBUTIDAS v6 TOUS NEWTEROUS. Would SEAUTON not fit this pattern thus
> >placing PERI
> >PANTA in the previous discussion?
>
> Thoughts, that's all I have here. It looks to me like NA27
> punctuates it so
> that it would read as you take it. But I don't think that SEAUTON belongs
> in the sequence of older men, older women and younger men; rather I think
> that SEAUTON PARECOMENOS TUPON KALWN ERGWN is to be construed with the
> imperative PARAKALEI and I think that PERI PANTA does indeed belong to the
> participial phrase also. In this instance I think Iver would
> rightly insist
> that PERI PANTA as a phrase following SWFRONEIN would have very little
> emphasis, whereas it has a good deal of force at the head of the
> participial phrase.
> --
>
> Carl W. Conrad
Yes, I would probably insist that PERI PANTA does not have much emphasis
following SWFRONEIN, but I would still agree with the editors of the GNT
that it belongs to SWFRONEIN. The way I think about emphasis and word order,
it is a matter of *relative* emphasis, and it depends on the inherent
emphasis of the words used, too. In this case I see "to be sensible" to be
the main point and "about all things" being added because there is no
detailed list to supplement SWFRONEIN. With this particular verb it seems
natural that PERI PANTA should follow.
To take it with the following participial phrase gives IMO too much emphasis
on it. SEAUTON is already emphasized to show that it is not enough to exhort
others to good behaviour. One has to put oneself first as a model.
PERI with accusative is interesting. The basic meaning is "around", but it
can be used in the sense of what your thoughts are circling around, i.e.
what you are thinking about. It seems to me that PERI PANTA (about/with
respect to everything) therefore fits better with SWFRONEIN than it fits
with PARECOMENOS TUPON. I would have expected EN PASIN if it went with
PARECOMENOS TUPON, and not in the front position. Actually, I don't see the
need for any use of "all" with the PARECOMENOS TUPON since the good works
are further clarified in the following context.
Concerning the English translations, I suspect most are subconsciously
following in the footsteps of the KJV. A few do not, such as:
REB: "Urge the younger men, similarly, to be temperate in all things, and
set them an example of good conduct yourself."
NTL could not decide, so opted for both: "In the same way, encourage the
young men to live wisely in all they do. And you yourself must be an example
to them by doing good deeds of every kind."
Iver Larsen
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