[B-Greek] 2 Cor 4:15 - word order
Paul Toseland
toseland at blueyonder.co.uk
Sat Dec 27 12:14:45 EST 2003
On 25 Dec 2003 at 16:40:52 -0800, Michael Tarver wrote
in connection with Rev 9:14,
>When we have a verb right next to a prep. that
>affords us natural syntax this should be taken.
I happened to be chewing over 2 Cor 4:15, and have some questions.
TA GAR PANTA DI' hUMAS, hINA hH CARIS PLEONASASA
DIA TWN PLEINWN THN EUCARISTIAN PERISSEUSHi
EIS THN DOCAN TOU QEOU.
1. Michael, in the case of Rev 9:14, your rule was applied to a fairly
extreme case. Do you see it applying equally here? What do others
think?
2. The hINA clause is exegetically difficult, because both verbs can be
either transitive or intransitive. It is one of those texts that make one
*really* wish the ancients had used punctuation!
Carl disussed this verse in a post on Nov 25 1998 at 12:56:34 EST,
and suggested the following translation
>"so that grace, having become more abundant because of the
>thanksgiving of many persons, may abound toward the glory of God."
I just wonder whether, if Paul had intended this, he would more
naturally have said 'DIA THN TOU PLEIONWN EUCARISTIAN'?
At least six distinct constructions seem possible; can word order help
us decide which is (are) most natural?
1. PLEONAZW intransitive: PERISSEUWintransitive, DIA TWN
POLLWN THN EUCARISTIAN governing PERISSEUW: ‘So
that grace, having become more abudnant may, on account of the
thanksgiving of the majority / many persons, abound toward
the glory of God'.
2. PLEONAZWintransitive: PERISSEUWintransitive, DIA TWN
POLLWN THN EUCARISTIAN governing PLEONAZW: ‘So
that grace, having become more abundant on account of the
thanksgiving of the majority, may abound ....'
Granted, these two are little different in sense. To continue ...
3. PLEONAZW transitive, PERISSEUW intransitive, DIA TWN
POLLWN governing PLEONAZW: ‘So that grace, having
increased the thanksgiving through the agency of the majority, may
abound ...’.
4. PLEONAZW transitive, PERISSEUW intransitive, DIA TWN
POLLWN governing PERISSEUW: ‘So that grace, having
increased the thanksgiving, may abound through the agency of the
majority ...’.
5. PLEONAZW intransitive, PERISSEUW transitive, DIA TWN
POLLWN governing PLEONAZW: ‘So that grace, having
increased through the agency of the majority, may cause
thanksgiving to abound ...’.
6. PLEONAZW intransitive, PERISSEUW transitive, DIA
TWN POLLWN governing PERISSEUW: ‘So that grace,
having become more abundant, may cause thanksgiving
to abound through the agency of the majority ...’.
Seasons greeitngs!
Paul Toseland
Bristol, England
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