[B-Greek] Adjectival and Adverbial Prepositional Phrases in Biblical Greek.

JAMES DAVIS jamesdavis at focusonthescriptures.com
Wed May 11 23:11:30 EDT 2005


This discussion concerns the question: In Biblical Greek is 
the prepositional phrase "meta with the genitive" ever 
adjectival or is it always adverbial?

Dana and Mantey argue, 
    "It is incorrect...to say that prepositions govern cases, 
But it is true that as cases limit and define the relations 
of verbs to substantives, so also prepositions help to 
express more exactly and effectively the very distinctions 
for which cases were created."...

Wallace argues,
    "Prepositions are used with cases either to clarify, 
strengthen, or alter the basic case usage."

A friend argues,
    "Whether in Greek or in English, prepositional phrases 
typically function as do adverbs: They usually modify the 
main verb."  So, prepositional phrases are adverbial and 
not adjectival with a very few exceptions.

If, true, how are we to know if and when "meta" is being used 
to alter the basic case usage of the genitive? The Greek 
grammars that I have do not really address this issue. 

I am an amateur, but I have believed that "meta with the 
genitive" can be adjectival because of the case and 
that "meta with the genitive" is an example of an adjectival 
prepositional phrase.  Am I wrong?

James Davis
jamesdavis at focusonthescriptures.com



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