Use of preposition phrase in Titus 2:6-7
Carl W. Conrad
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Sat Nov 16 16:53:20 EST 2002
At 3:23 PM -0600 11/16/02, Rob Matlack wrote:
>Iver and Carl,
>
>Thanks much for your comments on Titus 2:6-7.
>
>Concerning word order and emphasis: in Titus 2:2, PRESBUTERAS NHFALEOUS
>EINAI SEMNOUS
>SWFRONAS hUGIAINONTAS THi PISTEI THi AGAPHi
>THi hUPOMONHi, what is the significance of NHFALEOUS preceding EINAI while
>SEMNOUS
>SWFRONAS hUGIAINONTAS follow it. (I asked about this in a previous post,
>but I was not
>clear.) Thanks again for any help or comments.
Cf. vs. 4 ... hINA SWFRONIZWSIN TAS NEAS FILANDROUS EINAI, FILOTEKNOUS (5)
SWFRONAS hAGNAS OIKOURGOUS AGAQAS, ...
While one might argue that NHFALEOUS is a more general adjective and that
the other epithets which follow are subspecies of NHFALOTHS, I think that
both in vs 2 and in vs 4 the EINAI is appended to the first of what is to
be an asyndetic sequence; my impression is that these epithets of the
elders and the younger women are not grouped in order of particular
importance or even of sharp distinctions in meaning but rather with a view
to inclusiveness (don't leave anything unsaid or unimplied!). It almost
looks as if the sequence, NHFALEOUS SEMNOUS SWFRONAS is intended to exclude
any possibility that these elderly fellows should possess a sense of humor
;-)
--
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad at ioa.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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