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

Steven Lo Vullo themelios at charter.net
Wed May 18 21:30:33 EDT 2005


On May 17, 2005, at 8:39 PM, James Davis wrote:

> Now let me propose the sentence as follows: KAI EISEPCOMENOU AUTOU EIS 
> TINA KWMHN APHNTHSAN AUTW DEKA LEPROI ANDRES, OI ESTHSAN PORRWQEN; KAI 
> PERIBLEYAMENOS AUTOUS META LEPRAS, EIPEN AUTOIS, etc.
>
> My next question is: Would this be a case where META with the genitive 
> is an adjectival phrase because it is in a context where that 
> prepositional phrase can be said to characterize the pronoun AUTOUS, 
> and since its use to characterize PERIBLEYAMENOS does not make any 
> sense?

Hi James:

First, your example seems to me to be contrived, not genuine Greek at 
all. I could be wrong, but I think such an idea would be expressed with 
some sort of substantival participial phrase (something like 
PERIBLEYAMENOS TOUS KAKWS ECONTAS THi LEPRAi or PERIBLEYAMENOS TOUS THN 
LEPRAN ECONTAS). Typically a participial form of ECW is used in the 
Gospels and Acts in substantival and adjectival expressions designating 
people afflicted with injuries, illnesses, and demon possession (see 
Matt 4.24; 12.10; Mark 1.34; 3.1, 3; 9.17; Luke 4.33; 6.8; 8.27; 13.11; 
Acts 8.7; 16.16; 19.13; 28.9). I was unable to find any example of a 
similar expression utilizing META + genitive, much less one that 
construed with a pronoun.

Second, Carl suggested that your example utilizes Mark 3.5. You should 
note that the prepositional phrase MET' ORGHS, though following AUTOUS, 
must construe with PERIBLEYAMENOS, and CANNOT characterize AUTOUS. The 
anger was on the part of Jesus, not those at whom he was looking. This 
example actually runs counter to your suggestion.

I think what you really need to do is to offer for inspection genuine 
Greek texts--or at least ONE genuine Greek text--wherein META + 
genitive demonstrably CANNOT construe with a verb but MUST be construed 
with a pronoun.
============

Steven Lo Vullo
Madison, WI
MAR student
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School




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