[B-Greek] Diagramming of Greek Sentences

Barry Hofstetter nebarry at verizon.net
Sun Dec 5 07:28:24 EST 2004


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven Lo Vullo" <themelios at charter.net>
To: "Barry Hofstetter" <nebarry at verizon.net>
Cc: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 04, 2004 9:56 PM
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Diagramming of Greek Sentences


> On Dec 4, 2004, at 1:51 PM, Barry Hofstetter wrote:
>
> Barry, I agree with you more often than not, but I strongly disagree with you 
> on this one.

That preface is one of the more encouraging ones that I have heard, Steve.

>> I am sure these are very good suggestions, but I personally have never been 
>> able to get into diagramming.
>
> I am an absolute diagramming addict, so allow me to offer the perspective of a 
> fanatic...

An addict, huh?  You could "just say no..."  :)

> Yes, the purpose of diagramming is primarily to "connect the dots," i.e., to 
> indicate the relationships of words, phrases, clauses, etc. one to another in 
> a sentence. But I would submit that proficiency at reading Greek does not 
> necessarily translate into understanding **all** the relationships in a 
> sentence. I'm proficient at reading English, but to tell you the truth, if I 
> had to explain the grammar and syntax in every detail or be shot, I would be a 
> dead man.

Yes, but how often do you find it necessary to diagram an English sentence, and 
why would you bother to do so, apart from your 7th grade English teacher's 
insistence?  In our recent exchange, which of my sentences did you diagram in 
order better to see all the relationships in the sentence?  I wonder if Paul or 
Matthew diagrammed sentences in the Hebrew Bible?

As for the rest of your post, if diagramming helps anyone get a more accurate 
understanding of the Greek text, I'm all for it!

N.E. Barry Hofstetter

Fecisti nos ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum, donec requiescat in te...
    -- Augustine, Confessions 1:1

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1yfx7/ 




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