[B-Greek] use of feminine in Eph 2:11

Maurice A. O'Sullivan mauros at iol.ie
Thu Oct 30 06:06:55 EST 2003


At 03:05 30/10/2003, Suedaleg at aol.com wrote:

>Ephesians 2:11 reads in part ... hOI LEGOMENOI AKROBUSTIA hUPO THS LEGOMENHS
>PERITOMHS EN SARKI CEIROPOIHTOU
>
>THe participle following hUPO is femeinine singular.  From the English I had
>always assumed it would be masculine plural.  What is the significance 
>here of
>the feminine?  Are there other examples of this usage?

Dale:
Is this not an example of metonomy, as defined in this extract from Vine's 
Expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words?

 >> Upon the preaching of the Gospel to, and the conversion of, Gentiles, a 
sect of Jewish believers arose who argued that the Gospel, without the 
fulfilment of circumcision, would make void the Law and make salvation 
impossible, Acts 15:1. Hence this party was known as "the circumcision," 
Acts 10:45; 11:2; Gal. 2:12; Col. 4:11; Tit. 1:10 (the term being used by 
metonymy, the abstract being put for the concrete, as with the application 
of the word to Jews generally, Rom. 3:30; 4:9, 12; 15:8; Gal. 2:7-9; Eph. 
2:11). It is used metaphorically and spiritually of believers with 
reference to the act, Col. 2:11 and Rom. 2:29; to the condition, Phil. 3:3. <<

So that you could (over)translate  by referring to " the party of the 
circumcised " , hence the singular.

>By the way, also, how would you translate the last word CEIRPOIHTOU in 
>this sentance?

Given that CEIR = hand and POIEW = to make, I think the NRSV has it about 
right to translate it " made by human hand ", don't you? <g>






Maurice A. O'Sullivan  [ Bray, Ireland ]
mauros at iol.ie





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