[B-Greek] Greek Punctuation
Jeffrey B. Gibson
jgibson000 at comcast.net
Fri Jan 9 18:57:10 EST 2004
Andrew Bernhard wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I have somewhat of an odd question. I am trying to figure out how to
> punctuate ancient Greek texts properly (imagine having a text with no
> punctuation that you have to add the punctuation to). I realize that this
> depends in no small measure on the practice of the editor, but I still think
> a guidebook could be very helpful and I have been searching for such a book.
>
> In _The Text of New Testament_, Kurt Aland states, "GNT followed the rules
> of English usage until the revised third edition, and Nestle-Aland26
> attempted (with success, we dare hope) to represent Greek usage, departing
> from it only when strict consistency might cause difficulties for the modern
> reading" (p. 47). Unfortunately, he doesn't provide any more details. Does
> anyone know where the punctuation principles of Nestle-Aland (the ones that
> represent Greek usage) are laid out in detail?
>
To my knowledge, there really was no such thing as Greek usage, or at least a
usage that would have been universally recognized among Greeks. In fact, one of
the subjects of debates in the Greek schools in which such ancient biblical
scholars as Clement of Alexandria and Origen received their literary training
was where Greek texts were to be punctuated. This was part of the course of
instruction known as TO MEQODIKON (as distinguished from TO HISTORIKON, the
assemblage of explanatory comments in order to illuminate the content and
reference of the text under scrutiny.
Presumably what is meant above by Greek usage is equivalent to authorial intent
vis a vis where a given author originally intended his/her sentences to begin
and end or be divided up into clauses?
Yours,
Jeffrey Gibson
--
Jeffrey B. Gibson, D.Phil. (Oxon.)
1500 W. Pratt Blvd. #1
Chicago, IL 60626
jgibson000 at comcast.net
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