[B-Greek] AIWN in the plural
Steve Puluka
puluka at verizon.net
Sat Nov 13 07:13:28 EST 2004
on 11/13/04 6:34 AM, Carl W. Conrad at cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu wrote:
> Then a favorite of Paul, in addition to that EIS TOUS AIWNAS, is EIS TOUS
> AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN (Gal 1:5, Phil 4:20, 1 Tim 1:17, 2 Tim 4:18). I was told
> once that the use of the genitive of a noun attached to the same noun was a
> way of superlativizing the noun: BASILEUS TWN BASILEWN = "king without
> par," NOHSIS NOHSEWS = pure intellection.
EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN is picked up and used as the standard close to
the doxology in Orthodox liturgy. This is normally put to English as "ages
of ages" but some use "forever and ever." The first is more traditional and
in keeping with other translations that bring the expression across pretty
much word for word.
I've been told that this is a Septuagintism. That the expression develops
over time in the Septuagint translation. The Torah using the expression EIS
TWN AIWNA XRONON and the later translations EIS TOUS AIWNAS TWN AIWNWN.
This is supposed to be because Hebrew does not have a word for eternity. So
the Greek is slavishly following the Hebrew expressions trying to speak of
eternity without access to a single word.
I have NOT taken the time to research or verify these comments so approach
with caution.
--
Steve Puluka
Masters Student, SS Cyril & Methodius Seminary
Cantor, Holy Ghost Church, Mckees Rocks PA
http://www.puluka.com
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