[B-Greek] TI in Gal 2.6

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Mon Nov 29 01:05:54 EST 2004


At 10:20 PM -0600 11/28/04, Eric Sowell wrote:
>It is the predicate of EINAI, but since EINAI is an infinitive, it would
>take both subjects and predicates in the accusative. See also Luke 4:41
>for another example, or Wallace's grammar (if you have it) under
>"Predicate Accusative" (pg 191) for more examples.

I don't think this is quite right, and in fact, I believe that the TI is
indeed a predicate word with EINAI depending on DOKOUNTWN but that it
should be understood as nominative rather than accusative--that is, I think
that Steven was right and the tagging is wrong.

Lk 4:41 is different: HiDEISAN TON CRISTON AUTON EINAI; here the entire
phrase TON CRISTON AUTON EINAI is object of HiDEISAN, AUTON is the subject
of the infinitive and TON CRISTON is the predicate word.

BDAG s.v. DOKEW §2 a. intr.
	alpha: have the appearance ...
	beta: be influential, be recognized as being something, have a
reputation (cp. Sus 5; 2 Macc 1:13. hOI DOKOUNTES (Eur., Hec 295;
Petosiris, fgm 6 In. 58 hOI DOKOUNTES = the prominent dignitaries; Herodian
6,1,1; Jos. C. Ap. 1, 67) the influential men Gal 2:2, 6b. A fuller
expression with the same meaning, with inf. added (X., Cyr. 7, 1, 41; Pla,
Gorg 472a, Euthd 303c hOI DOKOUNTES EINAI TI; Plut. Mor 212b DOKOUNTAS
EINAI TINAS; Epict., Ench 33, 12; Herodian 4, 2,5; Philo, Mos. 2, 241) vss.
6a, 9 (Pla., Apol. 6, 21b hOI DOKOUNTES SOFOI EINAI) ...

In usages cited there we see the nominative of the predicate word when the
subject of DOKOUNTES is nominative, the accusative with DOKOUNTAS EINAI.

The construction in our text (Gal 2:6) is different in that the participle
is itself in the genitive plural: TWN DOKOUNTWN; even so, "having a
reputation as being something" involves DOKEW in an intransitive
construction rather than in a transitive one taking an accusative object as
in Lk 4:41 where the subject-infinitive-predicate construction is
controlled by the verb OIDA which does take the oratio obliqua construction
in the accusative.

cf. also LSJ DOKEW II. 5. 5. to be reputed, c. inf., Pi.O.13.56, P.6.40;
axioi humin dokountes Th.1.76 ; dokountes einai ti men who are held to be
something, men of repute, Pl. Grg.472a; to dokein tines einai . .
proseilêphotes D.21.213 ; to phronein edokei tis einai perittos Plu.Arist.1
; hoi dokountes Heraclit.28 (dub.), E.Hec.295; ta dokounta, opp. ta mêden
onta,

One might also have a look at Smyth §§1982, 1983.

Since the form TI could be either nominative or accusative, there's really
no way of affirming that in our instance it is one rather than the other,
although, as I've said, I really think it is nominative here and should be
so tagged. I'm reminded of Joshua Whatmough declaring once that he thought
the accusative absolute ought really to be understood as a nominative
absolute but that it could never be proved because the forms would be
identical.

>Steven Lo Vullo wrote:
>
>> One last question for today.
>>
>> Gal 2.6 APO DE TWN DOKOUNTWN EINAI TI...
>>
>> Both tagged texts I have mark TI as neuter singular accusative. Why is
>> this? Isn't TI the predicate of EINAI, and shouldn't it therefore be
>> nominative? What am I missing?
>> ============
>>
>> Steven Lo Vullo
>> Madison, WI
>>
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>
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-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/



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