Luke 2: 12, complementary or appositional clause

Steven Lo Vullo slovullo at mac.com
Thu Oct 3 23:41:33 EDT 2002


On Thursday, October 3, 2002, at 03:41 PM, Tracey Lane wrote:

> I would like to hear some comments on the following. Luke 2: 12 begins 
> TOUTO hUMIN TO SHMEION. . . I would like to consider that what 
> follows, beginning with hEURHSETE BREFOS. . ., is a type of 
> complementary or appositional clause to what is introduced at the 
> front of the verse. Would I be wrong in calling it this?

Hi Tracy:

Luke 2.12: KAI TOUTO hUMIN TO SHMEION, hEURHSETE BREFOS ESPARGANWMENON 
KAI KEIMENON EN FATNHi.

While not being entirely persuaded by my own thoughts on this text, and 
at the risk of looking foolish, I think I have to disagree with Carl on 
this one.

If BREFOS ESPARGENWMENON KAI KEIMENON EN FATNHi had followed directly 
after SHMEION without the intervening verb, I would not hesitate at all 
in using the term apposition to describe its relationship to TOUTO. But 
as I understand apposition, the appositive should have the same 
syntactical relation to the clause as the substantive to which it 
stands in apposition. One should therefore be able to replace that 
substantive with the appositive without disrupting the syntax. I think 
it would be very awkward here to fill the subject slot with a finite 
clause that is not otherwise substantivized, say, with the article, 
hINA, or hOTI. In this case, I take TOUTO in the sense of "as follows" 
rather than in the sense of "that is," which would be the normal sense 
of apposition. So I don't think hEURHSETE and following is technically 
in apposition to TOUTO. I'm not really sure it is grammatically related 
to the previous clause at all. The idea, in my opinion, is as the 
following translations express it:

TEV: And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby 
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

NJB: And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in 
swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

It is not just the baby in swaddling clothes and lying in the "manger" 
that is the sign. It is the *finding* of the baby in swaddling clothes 
and lying in a "manger" that is the sign, i.e., the event or experience 
of finding him such.
============

Steven R. Lo Vullo
Madison, WI



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