[B-Greek] EPI ERGOIS AGAQOIS

Steven Lo Vullo slovullo at mac.com
Sat Jun 12 16:33:00 EDT 2004


On Jun 7, 2004, at 11:06 PM, virgil newkirk wrote:

> Allow me to share something that confirmed (after the evaluation that 
> I did)
> my impression of the affect that GAR has on this verse.
>
>
>> From "Exercises of the Greek Language" by George Dunbar with 
>> philological
> remarks on the Prepostions and Conjunctions, &c. Part II. Professor of 
> Greek
> at the University of Edinburgh. Says: "The Greek particles, as well as 
> the
> English, form a necessary part of the language; but so little has their
> power and original application in many places in particular 
> expressions,
> they might as well have been entirely ommited. It is probable, indeed, 
> that
> the meaning of several passages, where some of them occur, especially 
> with
> the poets, may not be much affected by passing them over in the 
> process of
> translation, or by affixing to them opposite ideas; for that depends 
> in a
> great degree upon all the words taken in connexion with each other, 
> and not
> upon a single particle, which generally indicates an obscure relation. 
> But
> if we were to attempt to write or speak the language, we would be apt 
> to
> commit several inaccuracies, which a knowledge of the nature of these
> particles would probably enable us to avoid. In writing or speaking a
> foreign language, we find it more necessary to weigh the force of every
> word, and attend to it's particular collocation, that in the use of 
> our own
> native tongue. In the one, a number of expressions have been long 
> familiar
> to the ear, and are therefore used without hesitation, and in their 
> proper
> place; in the other we are better acquainted with individual words than
> general expressions, and accordingly we find some difficulty and
> embarrassment in choosing and connecting them so as to form a correct 
> and
> intelligible sentence, from one train of thought to another, in making
> conditional statements, or in speaking of contingent events. It is 
> then the
> particles come into play, particularly in the Greek language; and a 
> good
> deal  of the perspecuity of the discourse, as well as the genuine 
> idiom of
> the language, will depend upon their correct use and collocation."

How in the world did these generic comments about particles in general 
"confirm" your "impression of the affect that **GAR** has on **this** 
verse"? Neither GAR nor "this verse" (Eph 2.10) are anywhere mentioned, 
much less analyzed! No offense, but the impression given here is of a 
novel idea in desperate search for legitimation.
============

Steven Lo Vullo
Madison, WI




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