[B-Greek] John 1:24
Iver Larsen
Iver_larsen at sil.org
Fri Dec 5 10:58:10 EST 2003
> >
> >John 1:24 KAI APESTALMENOI HSAN EK TWN FARISAIWN. KAI HRWTHSAN AUTON...
> >
> >RSV: Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. (So) They asked him...
> >NIV: Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him...
> >REB: Some Pharisees who were in the deputation asked him...
<snip>
[Carl]
> also BDF §164 "The partitive genitive" (2): "The partitive genitive or its
> equivalent is also used as subject or object: John 16:17 EIPON EK TWN
> MAQHTWN ('some of his disciples'), Lk 21:16 QANATWSOUSIN EX hUMWN (scil.
> TINAS)." BDF goes on to indicate that while this usage (with EK +
> partitive genitive as a nominal expression) is rare in classical Attic, it
> is "common in Semitic languages (Hebrew and Aramaic MIN, therefore often
in LXX ..."
>
> This usage of EK + genitive is also noted in BDAG, s.v. EK, 4.a.G:
> g. the partitive w. EK as subj. (2 Km 11:17) EIPAN EK TWN MAQHTWN
> AUTOU v J 16:17.-Rv 11:9. As obj., pl. Mt 23:34; Lk 11:49; 21:16;
> 2J 4 (cp. Sir 33:12; Jdth 7:18; 10:17 al.).
>
> APESTALMENOI HSAN is simply periphrastic pluperfect, of course, not
> uncommon in John's gospel.
>
> For these reasons I rather think that of the English versions you cite
> above, the RSV is wrong and the NIV and REB are right.
Thanks. I can see now how one could supply the word "some". It is normal to
have either TIS, hEIS or another word, but occasionally the TI(NE)S is
implicit and needs to be supplied in the translation. I did not look at the
LXX, but the only examples I could find in the GNT are from Mt 23:34, Lk
11:49; 21:16, John 7:40; 16:17, 2 John 4, Rev 3:9; 11:9. I accept that there
is Semitic influence here which correlates with these constructions being
found exclusively in John's writings or the words of Jesus. Neither BDF or
BDAG list John 1:24 as a potential "partitive genitive as subject".
Acts 21:16 has one such partitive genitive without an EK, so that appears to
be more of a Classical usage.
So, although I can now accept that one might translate it "And some of the
Pharisees had been sent, and they questioned him" it seems to me that this
is unlikely to be the intended meaning, based on context and discourse
considerations. It is grammatically possible, but does not fit the context
nearly as well as the other option.
Iver Larsen
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