[B-Greek] ENERGYHS in Hebrews 4:12

Barry Hofstetter nebarry at verizon.net
Tue Nov 9 22:48:12 EST 2004


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Aidan Roseberry" <paleryder at mchsi.com>
To: <b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 10:39 PM
Subject: [B-Greek] ENERGYHS in Hebrews 4:12


>>In Hebrews 4:12, ENERGYHS is commonly translated as an adjective. I've had a 
>>little trouble understanding ENERGYHS in this context; it's just sort of "out 
>>there" by itself. Isn't it possible that ENERGYHS is actually meant as a noun 
>>in this context? This might provide a translation like this:

"For the living Logos of God, and [the living] Energy(ies), also sharper than a 
two edged sword, passing through, dividing both soul and spirit, joints from 
marrows, judging the thought and intents of the heart". <<

Highly unlikely.  When an adjective is the same number, gender, and case as a 
noun with which it's in close proximity, the extreme prejudice is to take it as 
modifying that noun, and such is the case here.  Now, if the text read hO 
ENERGHS, then you might have a case, but it doesn't.

You may be parsing ENERGHS incorrectly: it is a masculine, nominative singular 
adjective modifying LOGOS.  It is certainly not "just sort of out there" but is 
well integrated into the context.  Another mistake: you translate ZWN as an 
attributive, but is is actually a predicate participle.

N.E. Barry Hofstetter
Adjunct Faculty, The Center for Urban Theological Studies
         Philadelphia, PA
http://www.cuts.edu
Adjunct Faculty, Reformed Theological Seminary
         Washington, D.C.
http://www.rts.edu/campuses/washington_dc/index.cfm

And me:
http://mysite.verizon.net/nebarry/

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