[B-Greek] Phil. 1:13

Iver Larsen iver_larsen at sil.org
Fri May 14 11:27:50 EDT 2004


>
> >Let me take another example:
> >Rom 16:8: ASPASASQE AMPLIATON TON AGAPHTON MOU EN KURIWi
> >and compare with
> >Rom 16:10 ASPASASQE TOUS EK TWN NARKISSOU TOUS ONTAS EN KURIWi
> >
> >I don't see the greeting to be "in (the) Lord", but rather that EN KURIWi
> >qualifies TON AGAPHTON MOU.
>
> Both these instances seem fundamentally different from the construction of
> TOUS DESMOUS MOU EN CRISTWi FANEROUS GENESQAI. I agree with you that EN
> KURIWi in these two instances should not be understood with ASPASASQE but
> rather with verbal elements, AGAPHTON in Rom 16:8 and ONTAS in Rom 16:10.

I am afraid I cannot see the fundamental grammatical difference, because TON
AGAPHTON MOU is a noun phrase (an adjective being used substantively).

In Rom 16:8 we have a verb which semantically can hardly be construed with
the EN phrase, and the same applies to Phil 1:13:
hWSTE TOUS DESMOUS MOU FANEROUS EN CRISTWi GENESQAI EN
hOLWi TWi PRAITWRIWi KAI TOIS LOIPOIS PASIN

Then we have a noun phrase consisting of a head noun and a possessive
pronoun:
(1)  TON AGAPHTON MOU
(2)  TOUS DESMOUS MOU

And we have a similar EN phrase
(1) EN KURIWi
(2) EN CRISTWi

I accept that there is an event idea underlying the substantive TON AGAPHTOS
(be loved), but there is also an event idea underlying DESMOUS (be put in
chains).
I am not aware of any translation that links EN CRISTWi to FANEROUS
GENESQAI. They all somehow link it to TOU DESMOUS MOU:

KJV: my bonds in Christ are manifest (not: my bonds are manifest in Christ)
RSV: It has beocme known [to them] that my imprisonment is for Christ
REB: It has become common knowledge ... that my imprisonment is in Christ's
cause
NET: ...knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ
NLT: ... knows that I am in chains because of Christ
NIV: It has become clear ... that I am in chains for Christ

I agree that a prepositional phrase in most cases functions adverbially, but
how could one translate Phil 1:13 if EN CRISTWi was to modify the verb?
My imprisonment became clear to them through Christ? or
My imprisonment became clear to them because of Christ? or
Christ caused my imprisonment to become clear to them?

I am still puzzled,
Iver Larsen




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