[B-Greek] Usage of Neuter Singular Article

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Thu Sep 23 19:29:45 EDT 2004


At 9:16 PM +0000 9/23/04, <dhoxworth at charter.net> wrote:
>In my reading of the GNT, I've been noticing a usage of the neuter
>singular article in places where I would not expect it. Several examples
>are Phil 1:21-22, 24, 2:2, 6, 13 (seem to be used with prepositional
>phrases, infinitives, participles, etc.). Can someone help me with what
>the meaning/usage of the article is in this case? How does this impact
>exegesis? Thanks.

Doug, one fundamental fact about the use of the neuter article is that it
can turn anything into a substantive equivalent of a noun. When used with
an infinitive: TO ZHN, TO APOQANEIN, TO ANALUSAI, TO EPIMENEIN (Phil
1:21-24)--all these are like English Gerunds: "living," "dying," "calling
it quits (with life)," "staying put (in life)."

In Phil 2:2 there are two instances of the neuter article used with a
pronoun TO AUTO "the same thing" or a numeral TO hEN "one thing" (really
synonymous with TO AUTO) is a substantive which I'd say is an accusative
used adverbially with the verb FRONEIN "think the same thing" or "think one
thing" = "have the same/single attitude."

In Phil 2:6 TO EINAI ISA QEWi is another infinitive equivalent to an
English Gerund: "being on a par with God."

Finally in Phil 2:13 we have yet two more articular infinitives equivalent
to English Gerunds or to equivalent verbal nouns: TO QELEIN ("willing" or
"volition") and TO ENERGEIN ("effecting" or "enactment").
-- 

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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