[B-Greek] Titus 2:13 / Revelation 12:14

Harold Holmyard hholmyard at ont.com
Fri Aug 25 16:11:53 EDT 2006


Dear Bill,

>Thank you Harold.
>Might not the following actually refer to posession?
>TO SWMA THS hARMATIAS
>"the body belonging to sin"?
>  
>


HH: It does not seem particularly apt.

>Regardless, though, of the ability of the genitive to be adjectival, themost compelling factors seem to be:
>* the fact that "appearance of the glory" is available - whichcontra-indicates resorting to the adjectival reading* the context in which two appearances are contrasted:
>
>11 [->]epefanh[<-] gar h cariv tou yeou swthriov pasin anyrwpoiv
>12 paideuousa hmav ina arnhsamenoi thn asebeian kai tav kosmikav epiyumiavswfronwv kai dikaiwv kai eusebwv zhswmen en tw nun aiwni
>13 prosdecomenoi thn makarian elpida kai [->]epifaneian[<-] thv doxhv toumegalou yeou kai swthrov hmwn cristou ihsou
>Ie: The context places us between two appearances, one future - one past
>


HH: Thanks for pointing out the reuse of the root, which is interesting. 
Both interpretations give two appearances. I think what you mean is that 
grace appeared in the past, and glory will appear in the future. This is 
certainly an argument worth considering.

>Would you agree, at least, that this reading is grammatically possible, andhence preferable to the adjectival? 
>


HH: I'll agree to possible, but I am not so ready to concede preferable. 
We know it's possible because several major translations have handled it 
as "appearing off the glory."


>And if not, then what in the context orgrammar is compelling toward and adjectival function for the genitive noun?
>  
>


HH: Here are some reasons favoring the adjectival idea:

1) DOXA seems parallel with ELPIDA. We are waiting for our hope in Jesus 
to be realized. We are waiting for the appearing of Jesus.

2) The word ELPIDA has an adjectival modifier, but there is no adjective 
from the root DOX-, so if one wants such a modifier, he would need to 
use the noun DOXA in the genitive.

3) This gives a good pairing of concepts: "blessed hope" and "glorious 
appearing."

4) It seems questionable that the writer would want too long a string of 
"of" modifiers. In other words, the sentence seems a bit clumsier with 
the "appearing of the glory" interpretation.

5) In actuality, we are waiting for Jesus rather than glory. The 
translation "glorious appearing" keeps the focus on Jesus a bit better 
in my mind. It gets us to him a bit faster. So I think that 
stylistically the adjectival rendering is preferable.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard



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