[B-Greek] Prepositions
bertdehaan at gosympatico.ca
bertdehaan at gosympatico.ca
Sat Dec 27 20:45:12 EST 2003
I know that prepositions can have a great variety of meanings, but knowing that does not always solve the problem of knowing what they mean in a given sentence.
To a beginner like me, it almost seems that when you encounter a preposition, you can insert any English translation that makes sense.
I'll quote two verses to help me ask my question.
(1)Luke 7:35.
KAI EDIKAIWQH hH SOFIA APO PANTWN TWN TEKNWN AUTHS.
In the translations I checked, APO in Luke 7:35 is translated as -by-. I looked up APO in the lexicon and it said that it can mean -by(agent)-.
This meaning seems to be so far removed from the "basic(?)meaning" away from. Is there a way to understand this verse using the meaning -away from-, even if it is awkward English?
(2)John 1:7.
hOUTOS HLQEN EIS MARTURIAN, hINA MARTURHSHi PERI TOU FWTOS.
EIS is translated 'as'.
This translation makes perfect sense but I don't think that 'as' is even a preposition.
Does a fellow have to memorize all the different meanings, or is there some sort of rhyme or reason to the different meanings?
Thank you
Bert de Haan.
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