The implied verb in Eph 2:8

Steven Lo Vullo slovullo at mac.com
Sat Sep 28 15:06:22 EDT 2002


On Saturday, September 28, 2002, at 01:09 PM, Toby Anderson wrote:

Eph 2.8: THi GAR CARITI ESTE SESWSMENOI DIA PISTEWS; KAI TOUTO OUK EX 
hUMWN, QEOU TO DWRON;

> There is a semi-colon after faith (pistews) in Friberg's 'Analytical 
> Greek
> New Testament'. This is helpful as it indicates that the stuff after
> 'pistews' might be a clause.

Actually  two clauses. KAI TOUTO OUK EX hUMWN ("and this [is] not of 
yourselves") and QEOU TO DWRON ("it is the gift of God") are distinct 
independent clauses, both able to stand on their own.

> 'touto' (that) is dative, indicating an object ---- an object of a
> verb... but there is no verb in eph 2:8 except 'are saved' which is in 
> the
> previous 'clause'.
> If 'touto' is part of a separate clause, then the verb must be
> implied, right?

TOUTO cannot be dative. Neuter singular dative is TOUTWi. Nor is it an 
object, since implied ESTIN could not take an object. TOUTO in this 
case is neuter singular nominative, the subject of implied ESTIN. OUK 
EX hUMWN is the predicate, both OUK and EX hUMWN complementing implied 
ESTIN.

Also, TOUTO (hOUTOS) technically doesn't mean "that." It is the 
proximate demonstrative, more naturally meaning "this." For "that" the 
remote demonstrative EKEINO (EKEINOS) would be the natural choice.

> 'dwron' (gift) is nominative, hence, the subject --- the subject
> needs a verb, but, once again, there is no verb in eph 2:8
> except 'are saved'. If 'dwron' is part of a separate clause, then the
> verb must be implied, right?

DWRON is indeed nominative, but that does not mean it is the subject. 
In this case the subject is the implied third personal pronoun with 
ESTIN. When trying to determine which is subject and which is predicate 
nominative, the pronoun, whether explicit or implied, trumps all (see 
Wallace, 42ff.). The verb is implied, as you say. It is ESTIN.

> So, what we have is:
>
>  <an object of a verb> <no verb>, and <the subject>
>
>  In English, the subject usually comes first, so we have:
>
> 'The gift of God' <no verb> 'that not of yourselves'

As I mentioned above, there are two distinct clauses here, both with 
ESTIN implied.

> I believe 'that' is a pronominal adjective, hence 'that' is short
> for 'that' and an antecedental 'noun', the identification of which is
> not necessary for what I'm discussin right noun.

TOUTO is a demonstrative pronoun that here functions substantivally, 
i.e., as a noun. It stands in the place of its antecedent, hence it 
does not qualify it.
============

Steven R. Lo Vullo
Madison, WI




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