[B-Greek] Romans 9:22-24 EI DE.. KAI HINA...?

George F Somsel gfsomsel at juno.com
Wed Dec 29 20:37:13 EST 2004


On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 04:18:57 +1000 "craig"
<newsgroupstuff at swiftdsl.com.au> writes:
> Romans 9:22-24 begins with 'EI DE...'
> 
> How does this work grammatically? It seems to me that when one 
> begins with
> an 'if' (EI), some kind of 'then..' should follow. Can 'KAI HINA' in 
> 9:23 be
> translated 'then also so that...'? Otherwise how is the thought 
> begun with
> EI completed?
> 
> Alternatively, I suppose one can end with an 'if' clause with the 
> result
> stated first ('I will understand if you explain it to me'). Is that 
> what is
> happening in 9:22-24? Is 9:20-21 the result stated first or 
> something?
> 
> Or is it something else completely that I have missed?
> 
> Someone please explain!
> 
> :)
> 
> Craig Johnson
> Brisbane, Australia 
___________________

EI does not always indicate an "'if' clause."  Consider Heb 3.11; 4.3,5
(same thing repeated)

EI EISELEUSONTAI EIS THN KATAPAUSIN MOU

where it seems to function as a strong negative.  Or consider cases of
aposiopesis (incomplete sentences) where the thought seems to break off
in the middle (Lk 19.42).  Another usage is as "that" -- see 4 Macc 4.7. 
In other words, there are a number of usages for EI which can be reviewed
in BDAG.

george
gfsomsel
___________



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