[B-Greek] Mark 5:9 Singular explained as Plural?

Arsenia Joaquin arseniajoaquin at yahoo.com
Sat Dec 24 02:07:53 EST 2005


KAI EPHRWTA AUTON, TI ONOMA SOI; KAI LEGEI AUTWi
LEGIWN ONOMA MOI, hOTI POLLOI ESMEN.
   
  And He was asking him:  "What is the name for thee?"  And he says to Him:  "Legion is the name for me, because we are many."  -  THE WILL (A Plain Translation of The New Testament from Greek to English)
   
  Legion means the major unit of the Roman army consisting of 3,000 to 6,000 infantry troops and 100 to 200 cavalry troops.  Or the adjective - constituting a large number; multitudinous: Her admirers were legion. His mistakes were legion. (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.)
   
  The unclean spirits entered into the pigs, about two thousand - drowned in the sea.  I hope this explains.
   
  Arsenia R. Joaquin
  628 Grapes St.
  Commonwealth, Quezon City 
  Philippines 1121
  arseniajoaquin at yahoo.com  
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Carlton Winbery <winberycl at earthlink.net> wrote:
  >KAI EPHRWTA AUTON, TI ONOMA SOI; KAI LEGEI AUTWi
>LEGIWN ONOMA MOI, hOTI POLLOI ESMEN.
>
>Is not LEGEI singular? And isn't MOI singular? The
>MOI...POLLOI at first looked right, but then it seems
>off when I parse them. MOI...ESMEN seems inconsistent
>likewise. "Legion is/was the name [given] to me,
>because we..."?
>
Mitch Larramore

Obviously the story is told by the writer from the perspective of the 
man. For that reason the singular is used in the dialogue. The hOTI 
clause is an explanation of the name, thus the plural as a reference 
to the demons.

Peace,
-- 
Carlton L. Winbery
Retired Professor of Religion
Louisiana College
318-448-6103
winberycl at earthlink.net
winbery at lacollege.edu
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